You’re gonna defund NPR? Fine- We’ll defund Faux News

So here I was minding my own business…getting some stuff done for my trip to DC next week when I got an email from someone I know in Rep. Jim McGovern’s (MA-03) office: “Can we talk? We’ve got a hot one for you”.  So I picked up my phone curious…and then spent 10 minutes trying not to giggle in anticipation.

This afternoon in the Rules Committee Rep. Jim McGovern gave prepared remarks about an amendment he plans to introduce to prohibit any federal funds from being used to advertise on Fox News!

Excerpt from the statement Rep. McGovern made to the Rules Committee (note these may not be his exact words as I was sent this before he spoke, but the ideas remain the same):

”

Mr. Chairman, this bill is a bad idea.

We all know what’s going on here.  The reason this bill is before us is that a discredited, right-wing activist recently made a selectively-edited, 11 minute video of a two-hour conversation.  The target of his little sting was a fundraising executive at NPR who no longer works there.

That executive made what appeared to be disparaging remarks about the Republican Party.  Now, if you look at what he actually said, in full context, it’s clear that he was paraphrasing what other Republicans had said about the direction of the party.

In any case, there is absolutely no reason to cut off funds for NPR because of this issue.  There is no reason to jeopardize the news and entertainment that millions and millions of Americans rely on and enjoy.

But if you insist on going down this road, Mr. Chairman, then we should be “fair and balanced” in the way we do it.

Over the past several years, it has become clear that the Fox News channel is wildly biased.  They continue to employ a talk show host who called President Obama a racist.  They continue to employ several prospective Republican Presidential candidates as “analysts,” giving them hours and hours of free air time.  And their parent company has donated millions to GOP-linked groups.

My amendment would prohibit federal funds – taxpayer dollars – from being used for advertising on the partisan, political platform of Fox News.”

So there you have it.  Finally, our friend @StopBeck is getting some help from DC.  For those that don’t know @StopBeck with his legions of friends have just about put the fork in Glenn Beck…no advertisers in the UK for months…over 300 advertisers here in the US stopped dead in their tracks.

And now Rep. McGovern steps up to the plate and hits a home run.  Will the ammendment pass? I’d like to dream it would but I’m a realist.  Does it make a statement and help to give the people an actual voice in DC? In the words of she who shall not be named “you betcha (wink)”