If you want more "spine" in Congress, tell us what to do about the right-controlled media.

[Perry Logan]

I'm convinced that what really scares our congresspeople is their absolute certainty that the right-controlled media will crucify them if they do any of the bold things that we want them to.

The real point here is that the Democrats in Congress are correct in their assessment. If we replaced them with other Democrats, the replacements would either behave the same way as the old ones, or instantly go down in flames at the hands of the media. I submit that attacking our leaders--either verbally or electorally--can never fix the problem.

It simply doesn't matter how mad we get or how much we talk about courage. The Democrats in Congress know they would be destroyed--not just embarrassed or made to look bad, but truly destroyed. It is unfair to ask any politician to walk in front of a speeding train. They can't achieve their goals if they're out of office.

If you want relief from this frustration, it seems to me we're going to have to greatly reduce the power of the corporate news.

You can spend the rest of your life beating up on your Congresspeople, but I'm sure it will never do any good. The most you could get from that is some fearless firebrand--who will try to do what we want, but who will disappear in smoke before accomplishing anything. The system is heavily rigged against us, and the media news is the strongest weapon the Right have left.

Fun as it is, you must know that attacking your own leaders plays directly into the Republicans' hands. They don't have to finesse us if we finesse ourselves.

So I believe the anger directed at Congress can never do any good. We need get smart and fix the media news. That will fix the Congress problem.

Any suggestions?

[Skidmore]

1. When our leaders fail to firmly stand as opposition to destructive policies

and when they choose the politically expedient over what is right, then they earn criticism.

[Perry Logan]

2. My point is, criticizing and replacing them cannot possibly help. The problem is the media.

[Skidmore]

3. Sometimes, sadly, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

[Bitwit1234]

4. How many times have we called out for congress to pass

or enable the Fairness Doctrine. How many times have they fought the call to action. If sites like Fox could be sued for the lies they spew, the cost would be too much for the corporations and it would be curtailed. How many lawsuits do you think would be filed against rush, Malken and Drudge. Hell we wouldn't be able to count them all. Taking away the money is the only thing that will stop them...it is profitable to spew lies the corporations profit from it.

[Perry Logan]

7. I'd like to nationalize the media and set up something like the BBC.

I'd also prosecute the CEOs and many reporters for inciting the public to violence in the build-up to the Iraq invasion.

[barbtries]

5. boycott the news?

i've been doing essentially that for years though, and sad to say it appears not to have helped. :(

[Perry Logan]

6. Boycotting the news is essential--if only because the corporate news bums you out so much.

[Green Mountain Dem]

8. After the recent......

ruling by Martin's FCC to further allow even more corporate consolidation and ownership of our media than we don't have a prayer!
I totally agree with your presumption and I don't see any solution in the near future. When you own the media you control the message and I can only see more of the same. I'm lucky...I'm on the downside, but I worry about my only grandchild and what she will encounter in this Project for a New American Century.

[Sparkly]

9. I think you're spot on.

It's a bit of a chicken-egg dilemma. If we can get strong Democratic majorities in both houses AND a Democratic president, hopefully they'll get something done. The catch is that the media, meanwhile, works against our candidates AND doesn't tell the truth about election fraud. If we can get over that hurdle and make sure the truth is out there in plain, unfiltered, unspun clarity, it'd help everything.

[BootinUp]

10. I cherish the common sense

posts, so rare.

[annabanana]

11. WE can't "reduce the power" of corporate news with this government.

All we can do with the media is use it.

My biggest beef with the current Dem leadership is that their fear of the media has them frozen like deer in the headlights.

PLEASE Perry, explain to me why Harry won't insist that the Repugs actually filibuster rather than just threaten to filibuster?

The media would, eventually, HAVE to cover it. If it lasted long enough, they would HAVE to explain the bizarre visuals that they were showing. It would become evident pretty quickly exactly what the Repugs were filibustering against.. Healthcare for kids... accountability for the telecoms ... adequate "home time" for the troops and decent care for them when they get home.. .

There are HUNDREDS of issues where the American people clearly agree with the Democratic positions. They just don't know it. They don't know who is freezing Congress. All they know is that "Democrats have failed to move the legislation.

[mmonk]

12. I don't believe in excuses when you're the majority party.

[Armstead]

13. It's simple -- ANTI-TRUST AND REREGULATION OF THE MEDIA

The reason the media have become so irresponsible is because they no longer have any reason to serve the public interest with honest, balanced news or programming.

They have gained this through a combination of monopolization of ownership, control of media companies by even larger corporations and the reversal of any legal responsibilities to "serve the public interest."

It was obvious what was being built while this was going on. It would have been easier to stop and to control it before these companies were allowed to gain such power.

That is one of the main reasons many of us -- myself included -- are so frustrated with the pro-corporate tendencies of the Democratic Party for the last three decades.

Worse yet, while this process is continuing (see Rupert Murdoch and WS Journal; mergers of XM and Sirius, etc,) the goddamn politicians (with certain noble exceptions from BOTH parties) continue to turn a blind eye to it.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

14. That's an excellent point!

However, it's not the only uphill battle. Reasons why candidates cannot be honest or strive for the little people are:

1) To run for office you have to beg the rich for millions of dollars
2) The corporate media defends (of course) anyone or anything that promotes the rich and corporate
3) The media is under no obligation to give equal free air time to all candidates.

Election reform is vital. Without it, we'll be screwed forever.

[Perry Logan]

15. Absolutely. Corporate cash is like steroids in sports--you can't succeed without it.

[Forkboy]

16. We can't afford to wait for a Dem friendly media to do what's right.

Not doing the right thing because one is afraid of the repercussions is pure cowardice. You're are correct that the media will crucify them, but so what? What's right is what's right, and not doing so out of fear is cowardly, and ultimately serves the right-controlled media and furthers their agenda, not ours.

So what is the answer? Do we continue to cower and hope for the best, or do we fight for what's right and hope for the best? The old saying, "It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees" comes to mind, and so far we're living on our knees. And it's literally killing us.

I have a friend who is with the most evil girlfriend anyone could possibly imagine (truly). He hates his life and complains all the time...but never does a single thing to change it. He's been with her for almost ten years now, and at first I was sympathetic to his plight, but over the last few years I find myself resenting him and not respecting him because he doesn't fight for anything. Congress is the same way to me. I can't respect or defend people who won't (not "can't", but won't) defend themselves, or do so in such a timid and noneffective way as to be laughable. I'll stick up for Congress when they start sticking up for the people who need it most, and so far this Congress has been woeful in it's duties. Regardless of the issue you raise, and it's a good one, the Congress HAS to show spine on it's own now, and to hell with what the media says. And our anger may be the only way left to us to make them see that, because nothing else is working.

[LiberalFighter]

17. They need to make more local appearances on tv, radio and one on one

to offset the dumbass pundits that don't know diddly.