Saying that Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I.) “[doesn't] think it is appropriate to use taxpayer resources” for state officials to appear on and thereby “support for-profit, ratings-driven programming,” a spokesman for the governor said he will institute a ban on talk radio appearances for all state employees.
Naturally, NPR will be excepted from the ban (I’m not kidding).
Lord help me, I love Buddy Cianci’s response:
“Chafee is – I don’t want to be critical – but he’s not exactly Demosthenes,” says Buddy Cianci, who hosts the afternoon drive program on WPRO-AM. “The fact is that he’s got some issues that he maybe doesn’t have the answer to [on the air].”
“But how do I take it? I take it as a total slap in the face to the public of the state of Rhode Island. There are thousands of people who listen to our radio shows. For him to ban all these people from coming on talk radio is certainly an affront to open government, and certainly is an affront to transparency,” Cianci tells ABC News.
More here.
Allow me to be the first to volunteer to be interviewed on the air in the place of Chafee or anyone in his administration. Imagine the hilarity as I strain to imitate their empty-headed platitudes -- safe in the knowledge that they are not permitted to call in to refute me!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI hope this includes advertising - and if it doesn't the radio stations ought to refuse the ads of elected officials out of principle.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"But..but...Governor Chafee, what about TV?"
Oh, right, they're on our side.
Watch out Fox, you'll be next.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGood thing Chafee was a part of the GOP big tent. We need guys like him in the Republican Party.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe collective IQ of Rhode Island radio guests in going to skyrocket now.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWill they not give interviews to private, for-profit newspapers, either? Or allow themselves to be interviewed by private, for-profit TV news stations?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGood call Chafee, you wouldn't want your government officials having any part of any debate that isn't government funded. Chafee, why don't you just ban newspapers, radio, TV, and just provide a state funded paper that you can distribute? You could force the taxpayers to buy it with the new powers the health care law grants to government. Force them to read it. That way, you'd only let your opinions be heard in the way you want. That's a swell idea!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI certainly hope that RI radio stations will also stop taking and repeating state government press releases. Local radio should do nothing but have on opponents of government action as guests from this point on until Chafee is tossed out.
Chafee is such an idiot. Where's Stephen Hopkins when you need him?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePatHMV,
There are nearly NO for-profit newspapers left anymore.
Not because it was planned that way....(smile)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseChafee will go down as one of the great idiot governors--just like Jesse Ventura.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat happens the next time there is a public health issue like H1N1 or West Nile, where public officials often make appearances on all types of media to inform the public?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCome to think of it--isn't banning state employees from appearing on Fox or Talk Radio and only allowing them to appear on or speak to major nespapers, news magazines, MSNBC or CNN virtually the statistical equivalent of not letting them be heard at all anyhow?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOf course this means that when the next big storm comes their way, the people listening to the airwaves will hear nothing
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou couldn't make this up if you tried:
"A spokesman for Gov. Lincoln Chafee tells the Providence Journal that talk radio is essentially 'ratings-driven, for-profit programming,' and 'we don’t think it is appropriate to use taxpayer resources' to have state employees use work time to 'support for-profit, ratings-driven programming.' ”
Will the Left ever understand that those danged "profit, ratings-driven" stations (i.e., businesses) pay taxes?
It was a great day when the Republican Party decided to cut Chafee the Younger loose. What planet do guys like him come from?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"What planet do guys like him come from?"
That's a frightening thought - a whole planet of Lincoln Chafees. Of course, it would also cast doubt about the possibilities of intelligent life existing someplace other than Earth.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLincoln, you twit, banning anyone from using the airwaves is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Every single state employee should go on talk radio every day for the next year.
What an idiot. God, the times we live in!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePeople like Chafee continue to justify my support of Christine O'Donnell over Castle.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBuddy's worried about transparency? Whatever. I guess Linc doesn't think state employees are smart enough to use discretion. He's probably right.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI have chosen the state for which I will send all of my future campaign contributions and it will most certainly be well spent on the best candidate who steps up to the plate to take this moronic mayor out! Such incompetence! Although I can not feel to sorry for his public employees, you know the old saying; "you get what you pay for" I guess those unions bought them selves a real winner, controling them in every way!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTo paraphrase the late Bill Buckley......Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but are then shocked and offended that there ARE other views.
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