Obama Challenges Radio Station For Airing Ayers Smears

Chicago Tribune:

Just hours after Democrats formally nominated Barack Obama for president, his campaign launched a call-in offensive to WGN radio to protest the appearance Wednesday night of a conservative Obama critic on the "Extension 720 with Milt Rosenberg" talk show.

"WGN radio is giving right-wing hatchet man Stanley Kurtz a forum to air his baseless, fear-mongering terrorist smears," Obama's campaign wrote Wednesay in an e-mail urging supporters to flood the stations phone lines with complaints. "He's currently scheduled to spend a solid two-hour block from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. pushing lies, distortions, and manipulations about Barack and University of Illinois professor William Ayers."

Read the whole story: Chicago Tribune

Comments

[jar137]

I am concerned that Obama, as a constitutional law scholar, would not only encourage, but instigate this behavior. CJ Oliver Wendell Holmes famously posited the notion of the "marketplace of ideas" in which "bad" speech is countered by "good" speech. Through the dissemination of ideas and viewpoints, the public discourse and our rights to free speech are made more robust. Of course, dematory statements are not granted legal protections and if the comments made satisfy the legal requirements for a defamation claim, Obama and Ayres are free to march to the courthouse today. This is the approach I would expect a constitutional law scholar and all fair-thinking Americans to take.

I understand people's desires to react, particularly because the media are held is so few hands, but this is not the best approach,especially for a man who wants to be President. (Bush's outrageous and rerehenible behavior is no excuse.)

[kristycu]

Hello, he has the right not to have his good name sullied in the public, not only that it is our right as american to call upon those who do crap like that to call for a stop and it is our right as americans to voice our opinons and boycott. the strange thing about it i read the link below- and they found NOTHING, so what the hell is there to talk about 4 two hours

[bygollymissmolly]

So what do you think is the best approach? For O'bama to sit back and allow these people to spread lies? That's what Kerry did and look what happened to him.

I guess with free speech these people are allowed to spread lies, but O'bama also has the right to refute the lies.

BTW, your "concerned t r o l l" act isn't working very well.

[deanfv]

Can you prove to us all how the Ayers ad is a lie?

[Nym]

The bad speech of lies is countered by the good speech of telephone protests, so what you are complaining about. The only problem i see is that the protesters need telephones to speak instad of beeing invited.

[jar137]

I do note have a problem with citizens complaining to or boycotting the program or advertisers. My problem is with Obama initiating the reaction. I believe the proper response for him is to either rebut the allegations or, if appropriate, file a defmation suit. As a lawyer and a constitutional law geek, I am bothered by Obama's actions.

[connorin]

Ok then kiddies...If this guy cannot be allowed on the air, please let us know the people from the right side of the aisle who ARE ALLOWED to speak, WHEN they are allowed to speak, and WHAT they are allowed to speak about

[kcmookie]

You can speak when you can explain your decision to support the current clown who has been in office for the past 8 years, until then your freedom of speech has been revoked.

I am an Independent and sure would like it if the Republican Party could put out something ither then the villiage idiot.

[connorin]

Nice to see your Brownshirt arrived from the Obama campaign kc

[heal57]

I too am a true Independent, and the only way to go is Obama/Biden. I'm sure many other Independents feel the same way.


Independent for Obama/Biden '08

[bygollymissmolly]

I'm unsure where you got the idea that O'bama is trying to stop him from speaking. All he is doing is asking his supporters to speak up for the truth and to rebut the lies these people are spreading.

I can guarantee if it was someone running around on radio spreading lies about McBush, you would be having a hissy fit. Your righties are so hypocritical.

[milo9]

When the righties stop lying. Oops, I guess that means never!

[rwe]

The pompous elitist arrogance of the Obama campaign has been exposed.... You know they had the ABC reportes arrested yesterday on a public side walk. and now they think they can control what a radio staton,,,,arguably the most powerful independent middle of the road radio staton in the world,,,broadcasts in a responsible manner....Remember ,this was on during the convention , not a ratings bonanza...THIS IS GREAT because now the AYERS/OBAMA connections will get some much needed exposure....You gotta know that a lot of Radio and TV people , including the AirAmerika/Msnbc crowd will be paying attention to the strong arm thuggery

[kcmookie]

I see, so when Republicans do it, it is business as usual but when Obama does it, its because he is pompous and arrogant? Don't you mean to say "uppity"?

If someone is slandering Obama, and attempting to make a connection that has already been proven weak at best, in an attempt to portray him as radical, he is not supposed to respond?

Go say your dittos and bury your head in the sand.

[F150]

When do Republicans do it? Examples please.

[toddausaurus]

But how old was he when he began his relationship with Ayers. This "he was 8" line doesn't really wash.

[CindyM2008]

Just like Kurtz can cloud the airwaves with his cr@p, supporters of O bama can call in and express their feelings about what this smear clown Kurtz says.

[edwarvir]

Only if you know the backround of ALL YOUR FRIENDS. HE WAS A SECOND
GRADER WHEN THIS HAPPENED How is that fair to put this out their like he
was an adult.

[bygollymissmolly]

God, the right wing nut jobs are taking over this blog. It's impossible to post here.

O'bama doesn't have the power to tell the Denver police to arrest anyone. If someone from ABC was arrested, it was the police who did it, not O'bama.

I feel kind of sorry for you and your ilk. You are going to be in for some major grief and anger on November 3. Perhaps if you get therapy now, you will be better able to handle it.

[philinmedford]

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but pols do and HAVE the power to tell the police what to do.

Google "Mayor Daley" and "1968" and you'll see an example of that

[rwe]

Ask Dan Rather

[heal57]

Gee, an ABC reporter arrested; that kind of makes up for the hatchet job stefanopolis and charlie boy did to Obama during that infamous "debate".

[philinmedford]

There should be no worries if, in fact, everything is as the candidate has said - "those things happened when I was eight years old" and " we had a very casual relationship, we just happened to serve on the same committe".

If these documents just released shows otherwise then it could be a distraction....

"As The Ticket reported here, the school later reserved its position and opened the records Tuesday. Media organizations are poring over scores of boxes of documents to study the Obama-Ayres relationship, which the senator has described as merely casual."

[bygollymissmolly]

O'bama had asked the school to release the documents, which were being blocked by the person who controlled them.

[philinmedford]

Then it will be a "tempest in a teapot" with no worries about anything "coming out" no need to get excited about it.

[connorin]

and the guy went on the show to discuss what he found in those documents...that is something unacceptable?

[milo9]

Righties' propaganda has been the ruin of this once great nation and they would do well to understand that we're done with their chokehold on the public airwaves.

[UsofA]

Amen.

[rollingdivision]

There are some things responsible people should never do, associating with known unrepentant terrorists or criminals regardless of when they committed their crimes is unquestionably wrong and clearly indicates bad judgment. If this were an isolated occurrence maybe it would be judged differently, but Obama has a long history of poor judgment in choosing associates. We have a right, need to know and judge who he associates with, what his relationships are within these associations, the work and policies of the group, the results of his groups work and what ideas and policies of the group he is bringing in with him.

[milo9]

G.Gordon Liddy, 'nuf said.

[JamieJay]

YOU WROTE: There are some things responsible people should never do, associating with known unrepentant terrorists or criminals>>>MY RESPONSE: ....just like John McCain arming the KLA terrorists. The KLA terrorists have been forever grateful to John McCain and Joe Lieberman for sponsoring legislation to arm them.

[OxnardDad]

I agree that supporting the KLA is questionable but do you really believe that the comparison that you make is apples to apples?

Associating with foreign terrorists that kill foreigners vs. associating with domestic terrorists that destroy OUR Gov. buildings and KILL OUR citizens.

Sorry, I don't this so Jamie.

[CindyM2008]

We also have a right to disput those ridiculous points, which is what O bama's supporters did.

[serecovery]

"Getting mad" over a radio station in the state which he's going to win by a landslide isn't exactly fighting back. Nationally, he's done nothing, which concerns me greatly. He's coming to a steel cage match with a book on philosophy. His commercials are horrible. They'd be great if they were made for Liberty Mutual, not the relentless attack machine of the RNC.

Its upsetting to see a campaign generate $50,000,000+ a month from contributors like me and not use that money to effectively and directly attack and connect the outrage of the country to its prime culprit, the Republican Party.

The speech John Kerry gave last night was the closest thing I've seen to the kind of mindset we need to dismantle the paper tiger that is the Republican attack machine.

[rollingdivision]

Democrats have earned over 50 percent of the votes only 1 time in the last 40 years, be concerned.

[bygollymissmolly]

The Republicans have stolen two elections in the last 40 years. Be concerned.

But this time the people are not going to allow them to get away with it.

[nellie]

"In a surprising attempt to stifle broadcast criticism of its candidate"

The LA Times has lost its soul. Completely.

[connorin]

How? The ONE conservative on WGN invites this guy on, calls the Obama headquarters down the street and offers to have someone on for rebuttal. Obama's campaign refuses and then attacks the station to remove the interview. Then in their email, they lie to their supporters saying they weren't given a chance to respond...When that invitation was how they found out about the interview!!!!

You guys have been going on an on about Bush stifiling free speech....yet Air America, MSNBC, CNN et al still exist and rip on the administration nightly. Obama isn't even president and he and his thugs are doing this?

Brownshirts for Obama must be the new rallying cry from the DNC

[IndependentJones]

Thugs? They're not beating down the doors, kneecapping the host or spiriting Kurtz away in an unmarked car.

We all saw how being high-minded about stuff like this worked in 2004. Kerry's campaign first tried to ignore it, then tried to argue with it - how did that work out?

If Obama's campaign had sent a representative to the show to "rebut" whatever Kurtz said, they would be legitimizing the line of questioning.

Asking the station not to air something does not violate free speech - the station is not required to oblige.

Asking supporters to call in does not violate free speech - the supporters have as much right to free speech as Mr. Kurtz - they just don't get a big block of time on the radio to do it.

[StillIRise]

ONE conservative??? EVERY host on WGN, beginning with Don and Roma in the morning to Mark Levin at night, is a conservative. WGN is a right-wing conservative station, including both Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh as their more prominent hosts. WGN is essentially Fox News on the radio!

[leftoflennon]

F em up Barack!

[exxonmobil4prez]

Is this one of those call in shows???? Maybe we should just all call in?

[DarkWitch]

"In a surprising attempt to stifle broadcast criticism of its candidate..."

There is a difference between "broadcast criticism" and slander/lies, or at least there should be. Maybe that's why so many people are calling in to complain. So many of us are just plain sick of this slimy behavior and have decided to speak up. I don't see anything suprising or unusual about it, I see it as a hopeful sign that people are finally considering issues over innuendo in this campaign.

The whole article made it sound like the Obama camp had some unprecedented, unethical conspiracy going on to stifle free speech. I thought the LA Times was a bastion of liberalism, the person who wrote this sounds like he/she should be writing for WorldNutDaily.

Bottom line: The guy has the right to say whateve he wants, and the radio station has the right to broadcast it. Just don't be so suprised when people contact you to exercise THEIR right of free speech as well.

[kristycu]

Your Right- so some of these people on this blog are trying to say Obama does not have the right to let people kno when people are lying about him. If he was not a presidentiall candidate and was a regular citizen he would be able to sue these people for defimation of character. if you read the article link up there the paper admits that nothing was found. So you know what that mean, they just want to start lies. I mean come on it is so obvious

[Grunty1]

The bigger bottom line: Obama also has the freedom to incite boycotts or protests of said interview and to take legal action on slander.

What no one has a right for: to be PAID or given airtime for your opinion.

[Donnat]

Good going, Obama, get mad and get tough. There's no playing nice with street thugs. Hit Rove and his lackeys in their white, flabby guts and hit them hard.

[CrittersRTasty]

So the Obama campaign declined to send anyone to balance out the show and now complains that it is not balanced?
Perhaps I missed something?

[zurcl]

yeah, it's called a kangaroo court. look it up.

[Rjmartinelli]

May well be that the Obama campaign believes that sending a surrogate to defend the charges directly on the show will do little more than validate them.

Whereas, having supporters call in to renounce the liar and his smears would do more to discredit them.

We all have a stake in this election. I'm glad the campaign is asking supporters to help out. It's about time someone called on the American people to act.

Whatever happened to "Truth, Justice, and the American Way"? eh?

[DaOne]

It's being held in Gitmo for questioning.

[caber]

actually the campaign sent a letter stating ""At the very least, they should offer sane, honest rebuttal to every one of Kurtz's lies."

They were asked to send someone to be on the show and they refused.

Sounds hypocritical to me.

[CrittersRTasty]

"Whatever happened to "Truth, Justice, and the American Way"? eh?"
Agreed, but it sounds like the obama campaign doesnt want something to come out here. Could it be some unpopular truth?

Seems to me you can either dispute the point or ignore it, but you cant very well simply tell them they arent allowed to make the point in the first place.

[jsar70]

How is this "muscling?" Obama has a right to fight back, and the radio station has a right to tell him to f**k off. The NYT allowed Corsi's craptacular to hit number one, despite the skewed book sales, so why can't he fight back when the GOP and terrestrial radio stations, (which is owned by BIG right wing donors) plot to smear Obama.

[Rjmartinelli]

I would love to see Corsi sued for defamation. He flat out admitted his goal is to make it so Barack Obama does not get elected. This man has already shown clear malicious intent and you would think libel would be fairly easy to prove.

[sandiegoconservative]

Admitting to that is not illegal and thus a defamation suit would not work. Besdies, Obama is a public figure and that would make a defamation suit near impossible unless he is clearly using something that is not true, which is not the case.

[connorin]

The goal of Daily Kos and DU are to make sure no republicans are elcted, only democrats...malicious intent? Libel/slander?

[F150]

"I would love to see Corsi sued for defamation."
So what does it tell you that he isn't being sued? It's the truth! Just like Kerry didn't sue the swift boat ads, because they were also true.

[wendynyc]

Republicans grasping at straws ...hopefully most people are not buying this nonsense and will turn the station off ...but OBAMA definitely has his right to protest... we are fed up with lies distortions and spin at every level - under the mantle of freedom of speech... did you know that bush is gay... hahaha... is that freedom of speech??

[Buddy McCue]

Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian, maintains that Bush is gay. Here's a link to her page about that (disclaimer: this is a satirical site.)

http://www.bettybowers.com/isbushgay.html