BlatherWatch

‘Virtual radio row’ no help in killing health care

The House passed the health care bill with a public option Saturday night with a comfy two-vote margin. This, after everything plus money was thrown at it from insurance lobbyists and Republicans.

It’s a huge victory for Speaker Nancy Pelosi who wrangled the votes like a pro in the face of opponents who had everything except enough votes.

Talk radio was little help in the effort.

Wednesday, House Republicans held a “virtual radio row” to bring their message of “die quickly” to the folks at home by availing more than 40 Republican members of Congress to speak with 20 right-wing radio hosts, and 25 bloggers.

According to Talkers magazine, "This is the third such 'virtual' radio row (so-called because the radio hosts aren't physically gathered in one location) the House Republican Conference has organized this year."

The effort was not fruitful, because the power of the right-wing media is exaggerated by their own reporting, and the GOP failed to get anyone but 2nd-tier talkers. (OK, they got Bill Bennett...) 

Where was the touted clout of the tea-baggers, and the talk radio right? Those "gums of August" that scared hell out of timid Congessmen last summer?  They may be getting a potent (single digit) audience share, but in real politics, as Michael Medved wrote last week: “… that segment of the electorate remains an irrelevant and non-viable fringe factor.”

Election night, 2009: liberals- 3; talk radio- 0

Liberals had a good night in Washington.

(photo: Dow Constantine)

Once again, it’s plain that despite the bluster, the blather, and hours of blatant advocacy, conservative talk radio KIROFM, KTTH, and KVI are origami tigers when it comes to delivering votes for conservative candidates, and conservative candidates.

The drumbeat, the jibber jabber, the mighty wind of right-wing media

(Please bear with our blogging lite: we're waiting for our new computer and forced to beg laptop time from strangers at Starbuck's and blogging from the library. It's a special kind of hell... ) 

President Obama said on CNN, Monday: "I think that what our advisers have simply said is, that we are going to take media as it comes. And if media is operating basically as a talk-radio format, then that's one thing. And if it's operating as a news outlet, then that's another. But it's not something I'm losing a lot of sleep over."

Floyd brown: GOP toilet-diver pushes for impeachment

 Make no mistake. We're now in the middle of a bloodless coup – the takeover of an entire nation by the hate-America crowd – a cold-blooded gang that despises America's prosperity, our standing in the world, our trust in God and our generosity and goodness. ~~ Floyd Brown

After a brief hiatus, our old friend and Northwest homey, Floyd Brown is back.

Who's Floyd Brown, you ask? 

Diane medved: sarah palin appears to be in it for "the loot"

 Diane Medved is a social conservative, a religious Jew, a Ph.D in psychology, an author, a mother and Michael's wife.

Despite the old-time religion, if you listen to the Michael Medved Show (KTTH m-f, 12-3p), you know: she's no doormat.

(photo: Diane and Michael Medved)

last week on her blog, "Search For the Bright Light," she opined about Sarah Palin in a way which likely indicates not only the views of her household, (that would be her prominent, conservative husband) but those of many thoughtful "values" conservatives all over the country.

Talk radio mao-maos obama

It's hard to believe that anyone believes that red-baiting would work in 2009, but talk radio and Fox News blabbertalent keep hammering away on administration officials who might have quoted Mao at some time in their careers.

(Chairman Mao, Andy Warhol)

Limbaugh put his "testicles in a blind trust for George W. Bush for eight years..."

Rush Limbaugh called MSNBC's Joe Scarborough "a neutered, chickified moderate" on Thursday.

Friday, he fired back, "I'd be careful. If I had put my testicles in a blind trust for George W. Bush for eight years, I'd be careful ..."

Former Republican congressman Scarborough is running for something for sure, but no matter what he runs for, it sure sounds like he'll have a rough primary.

David brooks: "Rush blared the trumpets, but few of his dittoheads advanced."

We loved reading the NYT's David Brooks (our favorite conservative) Friday, about how little Rush Limbaugh, and other right-wing blabbermeisters media actually effect voters, and real polling numbers. How Republicans have bought the "Media Mythology," that's nothing but a small-ball tactic that retards their wandering back in from the desert.

Rick santorum badmouths rush... almost

Rick Santorum tiptoed up to talk radio, the crazed bull elephant raging in the middle of the otherwise sparse sitting room that is the Republican party.

Wandering the country (and chat shows) as a dethroned Prince of the Religious Right, he timidly suggested Monday that maybe, kinda-sorta, GOP policy-makers should take the message-making back from talk hosts like Rush and Sean Hannity.

Tuesday oddems: boring beckwatch, bremerton bombast, bang bus bimbos, burley belchers, bad boned birdies

~~ Live & yokel. Fascinating man, Frank Shiers (KIROFM m-f,7-11p). That's why he gets the press he gets... in Bremerton. In a great piece with great pictures, his hometown paper, The Kitsap Sun, gives us the lowdown on the Frank, who may be Too Ugly To Die (TUTD). We especially liked it because Steven Gardner thoughtfully included a couple of nasty comments of ours about Frank. If you read the whole thing you'll find out that Frank was disappointment to his father too.