RNC to blackball Hardball during convention

[grasswire]

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/usinfo/popunder1.htm


You might notice something missing from Hardball With Chris Matthews soon: Republicans. "Hardball may seem more like badminton during the Republican National Convention," threatens a GOP insider. What's up? The GOP thinks Matthews has gone over to Sen. John Kerry's side and is too critical of the Bush campaign's editing of a Hardball interview with Kerry posted on the party's negative site, www.kerryoniraq.com. As payback, they've stopped urging Republicans to appear on the show. Hardball executive producer Tammy Haddad dismisses charges Matthews is biased: "We beat everybody up." So far, nobody from the White House has told her of the show's being blackballed.

[aquart]

1. My god, that's clever. Force Tweety to feature Democrats.

They're just soooooo smart.

[leftchick]

15. LOL...

unfuckingbelievably....... clever! :)

[lottie244]

71. I love it. Dems weren't getting much time on the show anyway.

Wonder how far Tweety will go to get back in their good graces? Rest assured he is going to really attack Kerry big time on some other non-issue just to claim he is balanced.

[uhhuh]

2. I hope they do

Wall to wall liberal commentary on the RNC...hmmm....I think it would seem like the inverse of the DNC.

There are probably a lot or rushbots that have have been wired to instinctively watch Hardball from when Tweety was bashing Dems all the time. They might learn something.

If they want to book some repubs, they could probably still get the insightful commentary of Colin Quinn for balance.

[Booster]

73. It would be so nice if the media would wake the Hell

up and realize that they are the ones with the power. They should send out little rumors that they aren't going to cover the RNC and see how much cooperation they start to get from the White House. I know that's really impossible, but little rumors can cut very deeply and just might shape them up a little bit. If Chris is snubbed by the Republicans, then he should have every Dem he can find on his show talking about Bush's military record, ties to the Saudis, etc. I think Chris might do that too, or else he'll turn tail and bow to their every whim. *sigh*

[WindRavenX]

3. spineless dogs, the lot of them

They sure don't like being questioned, do they? :eyes:

[Born Free]

4. This sends a strong message to the media

The media gets the message, they must be "with them" 100% , no questions asked or they are out in the cold. This may not work with all the media, there are some that still have some decency - we'll see which ones truly believe in freedom of speech.

[Toots]

27. "there are some that still have some decency "

Maybe you could be more specific. It is difficult for me to think of any.

[0007]

5. cnn has become poppy and Barbabra bush's favorite watering hole

.....can't 'ya just hear poppy sez to Barbabra in his nasal draw, "I wish there were more networks like cnn"?

[still_one]

6. If that does not speak volumes

[Syrinx]

7. being challenged is hard

[quinnox]

8. Please do, and then watch Matthews use his show to

hammer Bush for the next two months. And it would be ironic if his ratings then shoot through the roof.

[dmr]

9. That link won't open for me, did they pull it?

I even went directly to usnews.com and searched Hardball and Chris Mathews, but nothing came up.

Is it my computer that won't open that link, or could they have pulled it?

[Bucky]

39. DMR, the link is listed as a "popunder" so your settings may prevent it

If so, you have good settings. I have no idea why that article would be listed as a popunder by US News. I had the same problem. I get pop-ups, but not the more insideous pop-unders. You can read the article here:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/040830/whispers/30whisplead.htm
But it requires a subscription. That's probably why it's a popunder, now that I think about it.

[dmr]

62. Thank you, Bucky

Your link works. I don't subscribe to them either!

The GOP are such bullys. I'm hoping that Mathews and MSNBC call their bluff, because despite all their rantings, I think there are Republicans that would appear - that is if they dare defy Bushco*.

Bushco* is abusive and controlling and they apparently do have near total control over their party. The pugs won't do anything that isn't sanctioned by Bushco*. I read recently that that is why the Dems have been more successful with the 527s. You can't have candidate input with 527s, so the GOPers have been slow in creating them (but are catching up) - they are so paralyzed to do anything without the Bush* approval - which they legally can't get, hence their Catch-22. The Democratic public on the other hand, just goes for it! We won't allow ourselves to be abused or controlled.

So I guess until Bush* gets over his childish and bullying behavior, any cable show is destined for this type of abuse. I've wished many times over that the news shows would do an honest job and let the chips fall where they may. Bush* would be forced to acquiesce to get exposure. We wouldn't be in all these dire messes today if the news had either a backbone or not owned by partisan corporate Bush* enablers.

This blantant action against Mathews, who is only trying to get to the truth (and that is not partisan), also tells us that Bush* does approve of the lying tactics by the swift boat liars (but we already knew that).

[jdj]

70. That's what they are afraid of.

They want it to appear like they are all a bunch of goose steppers and there is no dissent within the ranks.

I hope dissenters like Buchanan etc will shower Mathuser with appearances

[w13rd0]

10. Haha, perhaps this will push Matthews further...

...hey Chris, look, when you don't kiss up to them, they get all pissy and want to take their ball and go home.

[Skarbrowe]

11. Tweety's vote for Bush

I've always felt that part of the reason, if not all, that Chris voted for Bush in 2000 was to get access to the upper echelons of the WH. His wife voted for Gore so they probably considered it a canceled vote for Bush anyway. If Bush didn't win, which he actually didn't, but he still got the WH, all Chris had to do was keep his mouth shut about who he voted for in 2000.

I've noticed a very nasty temper on Tweety. If this is true, I bet you he'll blast the hell out of the Bush administration uncontrollably for a few shows, then slow it down to not be quite so obvious. Then again, maybe he'll keep on blasting away! I'd love it! The Republicans may have just taken some of the media whore out of Tweety. :)

Skarbrowe

[vickie]

12. Unbelievable! Bush an his minions are more like Nixon

everyday!

Vickie Carter
Redondo Beach, CA

[truthisfreedom]

13. your link is BUNK. check it and fix it.

[Democat]

17. Here is a working link

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/040830/whispers/30whisplead.htm

[SoCalDem]

14. Now....Isn't that SPECIAL???

The repubes were crawling all over MY TV SCREEN, like so many ants at a picnic...and now that it's time for THEIR little tea-party, no one is "allowed" to report unless they toe the party line...

UGH!!!

I have LONG ADVOCATED the position where all dems would JUST SAY NO, to any Foxies and rightwing media.. Show them for exactly what they are White House propaganda-mongers..

Instead of just refusing the invitations, I had hoped that there would be a mass press conference with 50+ dems who would state "on the record" that they were tired of having their words twisted, and being mocked as soon as they left the building, so that as of whatever date,they would just not be showing up.. After a while Fox would have lost ANY claim to bi-partisanship,fair-and-balanced(crappola), and would be exposed for just what they were..

The dems should have said that they would do LIVE multi-press conferences, with REAL question & answer periods.. Who thinks that any "real press" would ever consider Faux a real news venue after such a step??

By agreeing to appear, they are only providing sound bytes for Karl & the boys, who are hunkered down in the WH basement...turning out snippets to use against the people who spoke the words..

[Disturbed]

16. Neo Fascists

They are snivelin', whiners and most of them are cowards just like Dumbass is.

[Mike Niendorff]

18. correct link:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/040830/whispers/30whisplead.htm


MDN

[devinsgram]

19. Talk about a bunch of babies.

It's ok for us to get the jabs and hits, but baby * can't take it. What a coward * is.:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[DeaconBlues]

20. they tried the same kind of thing with Crossfire

when the show actually began to feature hosts who were as tough on Repukes as the right-wing hosts were on Democrats. What a bunch of cowards.

I hope Matthews keeps the spine he has recently grown, holds his ground, and calls the GOP on its tactics.

[iconoclastic cat]

21. Wow. The Repubs can't do anything right this time.

It almost makes me wonder if if Kerry would unfair advantage in a non-BBV election.

[bushwakker]

22. Do not trust Chris Matthews

He will be on board with B/C '04 this fall, count on it. This is a case of the GOP "working the refs" as they do so well. I suspect many who are praising CM today will be knashing their teeth during the RNC when CM is playing nicey nice with the GOP.

[jonnyblitz]

23. and I don't

still a big time asshole..

[GalleryGod]

31. Love the "working the refs" analogy! I use it often myself!

:pals:

[Bush was AWOL]

51. Let it be known they are trying to censor his show

he won't stand for this, imo.

I think they are just trying to point out he is biased to limit the damage when he goes on his rampages against them.

[bushwakker]

64. How long have you been watching Matthews?

He's been a GOP shill for almost ten years now. One week of calling blatant liars what they are - blatant liars - doesn't mean he's ready to play it fair. He's hopeless. You'll see. The Kerry camp needs to figure out a way to win this race in what is an amazingly biased mass media environment. It may not even be possible.

[Walt Starr]

24. GOP MESSAGE: If you do not demonstrate bias in our favor, we shut you down

The Republicans are imploding.

[TahitiNut]

46. That's their definition of 'bipartisan' too. Zell Miller is an example ..

... of what the Busholini Regime calls 'bipartisanship' ... Vichy Democrats. Only total compliance with the regime is tolerable. All dissent must be trivial and come only from 'good Republicans' in order to monopolize both 'sides' of any conversation.

[thebigidea]

25. Not a chance in hell they'll actually do this.

They need the coverage, they just wanna scare Tweetybird and get him back to normal. He's had a manic moodswing lately that they don't quite like.

Never fear, Tweety will be singing the siren song of Bushlove soon enough.



"Its going to be tough for John Kerry to overcome the effect of this incredible convention speech by Bush - lets just face it, this guy is charismatic. He's a charmer. Can John Kerry be that charming? Tony Blankley, you go first..."

And does anyone believe ALL the Republican talking heads will be able to resist appearing on the teevee?

[Cha]

49. We'll see won't we?

[Fleshdancer]

26. So they unfairly edit a Kerry quote from HIS show and HE gets punished

for calling them on it???

Well we knew they were bullying the press, but now they're getting sloppy by bragging about it. Wanna piss off journalists?? Bully them, black list the ones who challenge you, then brag about it.

Smart move idiots. :eyes:

[Cha]

50. Great Points!

Exactly!

[Norquist Nemesis]

28. This doesn't suprise me, in fact

that's we've been hearing this is the #1 favorite tactic for the Bush administration.

[dbt]

29. "We beat everybody up?" Horse Shit!

Everybody who's a Democrat, maybe.

:argh:
dbt

[GalleryGod]

30. So why doesn't Tweety just have Dems On!? Might BOOST Ratings?

They beat the shit out of the Dem's in Boston every night:spank: !

This not-so-subtle threat shows them over-playing their hand once more.

Chris should go in the other direction like IMUS & STERN:grouphug:

[Cha]

52. imus?

[Bush was AWOL]

55. Imus is voting for Kerry

[Cha]

60. We'll knock me over with a feather!

I guess it doesn't take a brick wall to fall on his head?!

[Norquist Nemesis]

32. Looking forward to Monday's show!!!

Matthews took vacation Friday and Olberman said he will be responding on Monday to the Malkin brouhaha. I'm also wondering if he'll have a parting shot on his Sunday show today!

[Norquist Nemesis]

33. One more thing...

if I never have to watch Dave Drieir again it will be none too soon!!

[Lugnut]

47. Mark your calendars...

And set the VCR just in case. Monday night's Hardball will be a DO NOT MISS show. :evilgrin:

I'm wondering if Tweeter is as livid a I am.

[snippy]

34. This should be put on a continuous crawl during the show. n/t

[kskiska]

35. Tweety's ratings have shot up since he began hammering Repugs

He used to be in the cellar with Dennis Miller, but now he's just under Larry King.

[Skarbrowe]

36. Yeah, I agree

I try to give Chris the benefit of the doubt and I don't know why. I'm sure he's going to do whatever helps his ratings. If the tide has turned a bit and attacking Republicans for a change will draw viewers, I think that's what he will do.

I was sickened by his Democratic Convention coverage. The thought of watching two minutes of the Repug Con is unbearable to me, but I was going to try and watch Chris and his (why have 'em guests because he never lets them finish a sentence )to see if they were going to treat B/C and "theirs" as badly as he did to the Dems.

November cannot come quick enough for me. I'm beginning to feel the pressure.

Skarbrowe

[Cha]

54. Fantastic! I get surprised when something

good happens like that!

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[UTUSN]

37. Bwaahahahaah! So Does This Mean FINEMAN Won't Be Appearing Anymore?

Not to mention LUNTZ and BARNICLE. Wingnuts NEVER trusted Tweety, despite his
panderbearing" (one of his proud coinages) to them, lo, these many years. They were willing to use him as a tool to beat Dems with, all along.

But this news is specific evidence to a possible motivation of Tweety's all this time, and THIS IS THE KINDEST THING I have been willing to say about him all these years------ACCESS (as opposed to many, more sinister things). He always knew that the wingnuts would pull their marbles. Still, what are we talking about here, Tweety's "basement ratings" as MALKIN sniped. We're probably the near-total viewership-------which, in thinking about it, made it all that sweeter to the wingnuts, that we were masochistically watching him be a tool to beat us with.

[Catch22Dem]

38. Even though we let Hannity on our convention floor?

You have to be fucking kidding me!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

40. Well then, Chris should have a panel of all Democrats to beat down....

the Rethug Smear Machine.

[Justice]

41. I hope they do - guarantee that Matthews will benefit

I cannot even watch Sean Hannity any more - he shills the entire show for Bush. He cuts people off and sticks his plump little finger in every one's face.

[merh]

42. What's so sad is, this is one of their techniques to "control" the media

and the media has fallen for it. If you ask too many questions, if you go outside of their text and beyond their talking points, that's it the interview is over, you are banned from the press room, give me your credentials, you can't play on our playground, you don't get the exclusive.

Instead of using that "coercion" tactic against the repukes (the admin especially) the media capitulates, the spineless phonies. The talking heads and their producers are too lazy, they don't want to report the news, they don't want to find the stories, they want everything handed to them on a silver platter - fax me the story, fax me the issues, can you email me.

What the media doesn't realize is the coercion could be the best story of the admin and the campaign. Pres won't give interview unless he can controll the questions. How many members of the press have had their WH credentials revoked? What idiots.

Lazy, spineless, chickensh** phonies.

Their who, what, when, where and how consists of
"who" is faxing the talking points; "what" will the story mean in ratings; "when" do I get my exclusive" "where" do I sit for the best lighting and shot; "how" long will this take.

Rant over - disgust constant!

[kentuck]

43. The Repubs are playing hardball with Chris Matthews....

Just idle threats. They are attempting to get Tweety to calm down his criticism.

[bushwakker]

44. I bet it works

CM is pile of steaming dung. He's got a long way to go to redeem himself. You watch - he'll be playing patty cake with GOPers during the RNC.

[Cha]

45. Can't Take the heat ..get out of the

Gawd Damn Kitchen. Those whiny bastards can't take shit!

Even our Dems go on that creepy faux..

[Doosh]

48. why don't we do this to any of the FOX shows?

[davsand]

53. CM may be leading the edge on journalism these days.

OK--before you guys all run screaming at the thought, stop a second and consider this:

I've seen it coming up more and more often that "the media" is well and truly sick of the regime's ham handed tactics when it comes to muzzling the media.

I've seen any number of little reports that talk about the fact that the journalists are tired of being handed questions that are acceptable. We've all seen any number of items that would indicate that the continued threats of denial of access have finally worn thin.

What the idiot in chief doesn't seem to realize is that the media can make a king (like they helped do in the 2000 election) or they can bring the king down--just like they brought Nixon down. The brain trust that is in our WH right now has NEVER figured out that the threat of lack of access is only gonna work as long as the media actually WANTS that access. (Think of it as being like threatening to take away your kids' lima beans if they don't behave...)

It is possible that "Hairball" is just the leading edge of a media revolt. This may be just the beginning.*


Laura

*Or it could just be Tweety playing games for ratings. Either way, it is making them look mighty bush league and that is OK by me.

[Cha]

56. Well, we won't have to long to wait to

see if your interesting analysis is correct, Laura!

Thank you.

[leesa]

63. Maybe. These guys are made or broken by their bosses, who purchased

Bush long ago. They paid lots of money for Georgie and they aren't going to let anything non-sanctioned get out of hand. They want their investment returned, and they invested plenty.

[davsand]

66. They may have to cut their losses.

As more and more comes out, the regime is becoming a liability. When those polling numbers began to drop and stay there, the entire bunch became more of an investment gone bad--a write off, so to speak. Don't think for a second that personal loyalty enters into it--it is all based on cash flow.

If the media sells more in advertising by bringing him down, then they will do it and never think twice.

Consider this--is it possible Hairball's viewer numbers are up? Are more people thinking about that show since all the hoopla hit about tweety smacking around recent guests? Are more people tuning in for the drama?

I think a lot of people watch specific "news" shows because of the buzz about them at that time. Right now, I think the "buzz" is in bashing the regime. I think THAT is where the money is gonna be in the next couple months.


Laura

[geek tragedy]

57. WIMPS!

Hardball will just dig up second and third-rate reichwing media whores.

Stupid fuckers.

[geek tragedy]

58. WIMPS!

Tweety will just back second rate Repug media whores or, even worse, put reasonable ones on who agree that the Smearvets are scum.

[Myrina]

59. Lest there be any doubt that everything * does is political ..

Here's the proof, ie, 'if we can't control your message, we refuse to deal with you at all.


Words can't begin to describe how I despise these crooks !!! :mad:

[tblue37]

61. I think they underestimate Tweety's

egomania. He will take this personally, and it will rile him up against the Republicans.

[napi21]

65. I think so too! I seem to remember there were reports that Nixon

lost favor with the majority because he pi**ed off the press! The statements was something like, you don't pi** off the press in this country and win anything.

]Tweety can be absolutely brutal when he's ticked. The only other broadcaster that even comes close is Russert. If they try him too, they're in big trouble.

[grasswire]

67. what I hope he fully understands is this:

He holds the power.

He holds the power to destroy Bush.

To the extent his superiors will give him free reign, the upper hand is his. As it always is with the press.

The campaign's little "access" tantrums are but a gnat, and to be ignored.

The power lies with the press to tell the truth. Bushco should be very, very afraid.

[PATRICK]

68. More basic than that

Unless you want to be shill for one political faction, unless you want to cease de facto being a journalist even in pretension, you have to stand up against this tactic. People easily do this when Dems get riled.

This is just as much about as Matthews having ANY integrity or career- or manhood for that matter. Stern is out to destroy Bush. Matthews is suddenly finding out what it takes to do his job under GOP whips.

He can't go ballistic like Stern and lose his job at the tentatively rebalanced MSNBC.

[David Zephyr]

69. Democrats Should Have "Blackballed" Fox Three Years Ago.

Unfortunately, there are too many Judas Democrats like Jane Harman who would rather see their faces on television than to stand up to propoganda.

If Democrats boycotted Fox, the news network would sink like a stone.

[TheWebHead]

72. won't have much influence

Matthews has the highest non-Faux rated cable news show... except King, who is more celebrity/crime w/ very little politics. Unless the Repukes only want to preach to the choir w/ Faux, they have to show up. Of course this threat would be consistent with Bush/Cheney '04's treatment of undecided voters at campaign rallies so maybe I'm wrong.