Stand with Ed Schultz
Submitted by Wes Clark on October 20, 2005 - 2:11pm.
Call to Action
I just sent this email out to the WesPAC list, and I hope you'll join me in this effort. Thanks to Pat Mattos and everybody here on CCN for bringing up this important issue.
-Wes
Many of you probably already know Ed Schultz, a prominent progressive radio talk show host who is syndicated nationwide. You may not know what happened this week though.
After being told that the first hour of Ed Schultz's daily radio show would air live on Armed Forces Radio every day, the Pentagon suddenly reversed the decision and refused to air Ed's program Monday morning, only hours before the first show would have been broadcast. The explanation for this sudden reversal seems weak.
Last year, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced a resolution that was unanimously passed by the Senate, urging Secretary Rumsfeld and Armed Forces Radio to ensure more political balance in programming. Then, at the end of September, Manny Levy, Chief of the Radio Division of the American Forces Network Broadcast Center, advised Schultz's distributor, Jones Radio, that: "AFN Radio has squared away everything on our end to begin carrying the first hour of 'The Ed Schultz Show' each day, beginning Monday, October 17, 2005."
But suddenly, at 7 am on Monday the 17th, Allison Barber, the Pentagon's deputy assistant secretary for internal communications -- the same person who was responsible for staging last week's ill-fated video conference between President Bush and American troops in Iraq -- called Schultz's producer. Without any further explanation, she simply said that the deal was off.
We must let our voices be heard and exercise leadership to help ensure that the spirit of Senator Harkin's resolution -- and the spirit of fairness -- are at play on taxpayer financed programming.
It was just 11 years ago when 70 Republican Members of Congress, led by then Congressman Robert Dornan (R-CA), demanded that President Clinton's Secretary of Defense Les Aspin broadcast Rush Limbaugh's radio and television programs to the military.
Well if Armed Services Radio is good enough for Rush Limbaugh, it's certainly good enough for Ed Schultz.
For your speedy action and letter on this important issue.
Emailing now.
(and everybody at WesPAC too!)
There's a diary at Kos on this: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/20/141441/82
Kos members, go rate it up!
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers
Awaiting further orders... 
Thank YOU!
that I've already heard back from my Senator, regarding this topic. Below is her email:
Dear Ms. _______:
Thank you for getting in touch with me about political programming on Armed Forces Radio. It's nice to hear from you.
I appreciate hearing of your interest in ensuring political balance in the radio programming that is broadcast to our men and women in uniform. As you may know, I supported an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2005 Defense Authorization bill that required the Armed Forces Radio service to present all sides of important public policy questions fairly and in a balanced manner.
Knowing of your support for this issue is helpful to me. You can be sure that I will continue to support balanced programming on Armed Forces Radio for the members of our military.
Thanks again for contacting me. Please let me know if I can be of help to you in the future.
Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator
Barbara is a good and conscientious senator. No matter how many times I email her (and I do it frequently) she always responds. I was glad to receive this response so quickly. She is obviously keeping tabs on this topic.
the staff at WesPac who built in the facility to not only identify the proper Senators and Representatives to whom the letter should be sent according to the sender's address, but who also were thoughtful enough to provide a way to generate a paper copy of the letter which can be sent when the recipient does not have an open email address. This was tremedously useful to me: I didn't have to go look up those 'hard copy' addresses. Great big kudos to the person or people responsible.
Here is a sample of my letter. I encourage everyone to put these letters in your own words. It is easy to do so--just wipe out what is in there and put what you would say if you were talking to a friend (or even to a political enemy). They will take it more seriously if the letters are not all alike.
October 20, 2005
Representative Michael McCaul
U.S. House of Representatives
415 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-0001
Subject: Put Ed Schultz on the air!
Dear Representative McCaul:
I thought that the Harkin bill had put an end to one-sided political commentary going out to our service people. Yet, I heard that the intended balancing voice to Rush Limbaugh, Ed Schultz, was cut before he even went on the air -- shortly after he ‘outed’ Allison Barber. You are permitting a terrible disservice to our Armed Forces if you let this stand.
Rush Limbaugh is personally less than ethical and professionally a master of hype and distortion. In my opinion, he shouldn’t even be broadcasting to the troops; much less should he be the sole political commentator doing so.
Why don’t you advise replacing Limbaugh with someone (or, really, with several someone’s, including Ed Schultz), who will span from right to center to left and who eschew hype and partisanship and embrace both rational thought and rational discourse?
People who risk their lives for our country deserve better: they deserve informative commentary they can trust.
Sincerely,
Sharon King
I encourage everyone to put these letters in your own words. It is easy to do so--just wipe out what is in there and put what you would say if you were talking to a friend (or even to a political enemy). They will take it more seriously if the letters are not all alike.
Really good and important advice, Sharon. It doesn't matter whether you think you're a good letter writer or not, just your own words. It doesn't need to be a work of art, just an honest expression of your opinion. A couple of lines is plenty if that's all you feel like writing. It's not like the situation needs lots of explaining before you protest it.
You'd be taking them to the Better Business Bureau if you bought a washing machine the way we went into the war in Iraq. Wes Clark, CNN Aug 17 2003
I made such a last impact on you reggiesmom!
You'd be taking them to the Better Business Bureau if you bought a washing machine the way we went into the war in Iraq. Wes Clark, CNN Aug 17 2003
It was great to have my senators and congressman identified automatically. Instead of spending time looking for e-mail addresses, I was able to think about what I wanted to say. Thanks a lot WesPAC. Great job.
But it won't kill him to get two. 
What we sent yesterday:
Dear Congressman Moore:
Sir, we are writing you today to ask you to do whatever you can about the Pentagon cancelling airing the Ed Schultz show on AFN radio.For some time we've been distressed that AFN carries Rush Limbaugh, who is a mouthpiece for the GOP,distorting the news, denigrating patriotic Democrats, and telling our soldiers over and over that our party does not support them. But we also understood the argument that a large percentage of the military community overseas apparently wants to hear his show, so it made some sense that it was provided to them. If we recall correctly, it even became available on AFN during the Clinton administration--whether that was by Congressional fiat, or based purely on ratings vs cost to the government (as AFN programming used to be), we do not know.
Of course, at the time, there were no left-of-center news programs on TV or radio, and so no basis to argue that balance was possible, much less necessary. Now, Ed Schultz offers an alternative view. And one that is challenging Limbaugh's ratings in most major markets, even passing him in many. Not just traditionally liberal ones either, as Schultz has passed Limbaugh in a number of more "purple" regions, such as south Florida. So much for the rationale that people (presumably to include military people) only want to hear Limbaugh.
If the "captive audience" of overseas soldiers, marines, etc, is to be provided conservative talk radio (and it is our understanding they receive James Dobson's "Focus on the Family" as well), it is only right that they have access to the other side. And for what it's worth, Ed Schultz is actually a fairly centrist voice as talk radio goes. Perhaps a proposal should also be made to provide Air America's Randi Rhodes (who is a veteran herself) for more "fair and balanced" coverage.
But whatever solution may be achievable politically, something must be done. There are too many Democrats among our armed services whose right to information should be protected, and those in the middle should not be subjected to right-wing propaganda in the absense of the view from the left. Most importantly, one political party should NEVER be allowed to use the military to further its own political agenda.
We cannot urge you more strongly to please do anything in your power to right this horrible wrong being purpetrated on the men and women who are defending this country.
Sincerely,
Jai xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, LTC, US Army (Retired)
Chuck xxxxxxxxxxxxx, CW4, US Army (Retired)
Stilwell, KS
Not sure what good it does to write my senators (they're pretty bad). I sorta doubt they'll even read it, so for them, the form letter will suffice.
"Never underestimate what a determined soldier can accomplish when he's fighting for his country." -- General Wesley Clark
To All:
The Armed Forces Radio & TV Service - Broadcast Center is based at March ARB in Riverside, CA. They are responsible for provided the content (radio & television programming), and is manned by servicemembers from all branches (except USMC, which has more to do with spec technical jobs in the Marines) and a number of Civilian DoD Employees. In all, they are Master Broadcasters, technicians, journalists and producers, and deserve a TON of credit for getting multiple channels of of television and radio around the world, where ever there are Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen & Marines.
However, they are still a military activity, subject to the whims and partisan stupidity of Political appointees put into the Pentagon by this goofy child President and his evil handlers. The call to cut Ed Schultz off the air was certainly made by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, and certainly came as a result of some short-sighted temper tantrum by Oberfurher Rumsfeld or Dubya himself about their "propaganda session with the troops."
When you send your comments to your Congressional Leaders, MAKE SURE your wrath is directed toward the Pentagon, and not the Troops & Gov't civilians who really work hard to make sure the touch of home makes it overseas.
SSG_D
11B_25M_46R
"To say that this goofy child president is looking more and more like Richard Nixon in the summer of 1974 would be a flagrant insult to Nixon."
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
More Hunter S. Thompson when you just can't get enough.
"If Nixon's resignation proves the system works, you have to wonder how well it might have worked if we'd had a really sophisticated criminal in the White House instead of a used-car salesman."
"In Washington, the truth is never told in daylight hours or across a desk. If you catch people when they're very tired or drunk or weak, you can get some answers. You have to wear the bastards down."
Hunter S. Thompson 1974
I sent a letter to AFRTS yesterday and am sending now to my senators and my appreciated Rep Ryan!
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right. -Hunter/Garcia
on my drive home from work. It is just a shame that this had to happen. I will definitely write, but Corzine, Laudenburg, and Rush Holt are all on the right side in this. It is really important that we get balance on armed forces radio.
Thank you for helping on this General Clark.
Perhaps you remember the NBC Correspondent whom lived in Baghdad after Desert Storm, and well kinda lost it when he heard about our upcoming invasion? Clearly he was adamant about the idea of America bringing war to Iraq was wrong. He put his career on the line, and as I watched Katie Curik say "Well That's too bad Pete", I couldn't help but respect him for standing up for his convictions. I wonder what Pete Arnett thinks we should do now, seeing as I do not seem to hear any plan out there. In any case, our standards for journalism is once again reflected by the Pentagon's decision to block Mr. Shultz at the last minute.
Blogged it here, and at www.DeadMessengers.com, where it will get syndicated, including your email sent out today.
Off to write those letters...
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers
Joe Gandelman does a great job with this: http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1129799370.shtml
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers
Had previously sent an email to AFN--now have sent this one, as well as a copy to a friend. Thanks so much for facilitating this so well!!
The General gets it right. Competence--What a concept!
And thank you. And now for a small request....how about a link on the Grassroots Action Page?
"...the measure of success is not 'Can you win?' It's 'Can you get your ideas adopted?' " ~ Wes Clark
What exactly was there rational, and shouldn't the soldiers, families and friends of those people in the armed forces be suspicious???
Done and forwarded to list.
Thank you General for all you do.