FISA Is Ratings Poison

Friday morning, President Bush came out of a meeting with Republican Congressional leaders and blasted House Democrats for not performing precisely the kind of fellatio on his FISA bill that he had requested. His statement was designed to get Democrats-are-soft-on-terror into the news cycle as he headed off on Air Force I to Africa. It worked: the cable nets covered it live. And then, CNN cut away to DeKalb, Illinois, where, we were told, "CNN correspondents have fanned out" to explore every conceivable aspect of the tragedy of the shooter-suicide.

Imagine if, instead, after Bush's statement, we were told that CNN correspondents had fanned out to cover every aspect of the FISA impasse. Instead of feeding us eye-witness accounts of the lone gunman, we would have heard firsthand accounts of telecom employees ordered to give spy agencies total electronic access to all Americans' communications with one another. Instead of offering color about a quiet campus struck by tragedy, imagine if cable news had provided a timely explanation of the FISA law we already have, with its existing provisions for wiretaps with judicial review. Instead of reporters asking why this black-clad deranged student could have done such a terrible lawless thing, we would have had reporters asking why companies that caved under lawless government pressure should now be retroactively pardoned for their cravenness.

Yeah, I know why it doesn't go down like that. FISA is old; DEATH IN ILLINOIS is new. FISA is words; DeKalb is pictures. Death-out-of-the-blue is a riveting, emotional story: it could happen, heaven forbid, to you. FISA is he-said/she-said yakkery, and if warrantless wiretapping could happen, out-of-the-blue, to innocent li'l you, you sure wouldn't know it from the amount and kind of coverage civil liberties stories get. Illinois is Nielsens; FISA followup -- is Bush really right? -- is change-the-channel.

The two stories waging an unequal fight for airtime come together in this: the Illinois shooter proved a key point about terrorism. Random, horrifying violence attracts cameras like carrion attracts vultures. Every time George W. Bush whines petulantly about Democrats not pleasuring him exactly the way he demands, the power of his fear-mongering derives from the same media ecosystem that empowers all terrorists, whether at Ground Zero or Cole Hall. It's not their just ability to commit atrocity that makes them cast long shadows; it's insatiable capacity of media and its audience to pander to our appetite for sensation and our boredom with depth. Our species might have evolved a lot more happily if our limbic system got off as much on real knowledge as it does on real gore.

Comments

[Opus007]

Now that John Edwards is out- I wish he would speak out about this outrage.

[dremac007]

BULLSEYE!!

[castlerider]

We should also fault our legislators who do nothing to educate when questioned live on the media what this exactly means, because so much of the public would feel very different if they knew how this really affects them.

What is the real reason that Bush is so desperate about being able to access all of our communications? Don't insult my intelligence that is is the "war on Terror", because it's ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY!!

The rich elite that really control this government wants to be able to see the billions of dollars in revenue that moves through our communications at lightning speed.
Doesn't anyone have any idea how much power is in this ability? It has to be absolutely tremendous. And here we are talking about this as if this was some silly lover's spat drama. This is actually high crimes at the very highest levels, involving Billions and the privacy of our entire nation.

[TommyD]

I am a day late so probably no one will read this but I want to join this wonderful crowd of voices to agree how pathetic and unpatriotic our "Main Stream Media" has become. FISA is a very important piece of legislation that has been treated like a political football by the President and his lackeys in the House and Senate. The Republicans have been totally uncompromising in regards to this interesting debate that can be watched on CSPAN. Of course it seems like those who want to only complain that Washinton is broken when it is not broken never dare give coverage to the actual details of government working because it is too BORING for ratings. Success is achieved through doing the boring things that lead to achieving a goal. If our Republic is to succeed then the Main Stream Media needs to do its patriotic duty and educate its viewers on all the details of government. Oh my, watch those advertising dollars fall!

[scooperss]

I don't remember which network it was but one at least did mention FISA and the republican walk out over the contempt charges. Of course part of boehner's speech was played but none, not a single word of nancy pelosi's.
But the media vampires were all over the shooting story comparing it with the Tech shooting.
And how did no one in the media manage to uncover what drug the young man had quit using and why he was using it and why he quit?

[BoulderSue]

MSNBC covered it and of course it was on C-SPAN. My understanding is that the Prez threatened to cancel his trip to Africa because of it. I am so glad the Dems finally decided not to perform that particular act for the Prez once more. By the way, we're still under FISA; just the old legal one that requires warrants, as I understand it. And wiretapping can begin without a warrant as long as a warrant is sought and granted within three days-or is it seven? Anyway, the FISA court practically never turns down a warrant, and all the control is not in the administration's hands, so what else do we need?

[BoulderSue]

P.S. I doubt the terrorists are going to take this opportunity to run up huge phone bills on lines that cross our territory while FISA operates legally.

[BlaineKinsey]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_blaine_k_080213_the_powerful_and_obn.htm

[Bob Egan]

One amendment of the Constitution will be used by this administration ~~~ the 5th!

[Bob Egan]

I think Kieth Olbermann summed it up very well!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23173388/

The explanations given by the minority just don't pass the 'smell' test! More and more Americans are seeing through the smoke screen!

[k8k9]

he always does

[nancytheragingliberal]

Keith is the best on MSM. I watch him faithfully every night. I loved your word choices regarding FISA. W. is a sniveling, spoiled, silly frat boy and here he is the pres. of the world. What were Americans thinking? Twice? Rachel Maddow needs her own show, as I listen to her on Air American Radio too. Brilliant, just brilliant and I enjoy watching ol' Pat squirm as she takes him apart. Of course, AAR will, most likely, replace her with a Lionel type. Here I pay for XM Satellite and lose 15 hours a week, due to Lionel the Circus Barker. Let me have my Sam Sedar back for 15 hours. AAR always make lousy choices and the listeners suffer. I must say, I am happy to hear Mike Malloy again on XM, after AAR gave him the boot.

[Snowball]

The irony of these two issues is the authoritarian Republican contradiction that they highlight. Hypothetically against "big government" and "pro-Constitution" while also being obsessed with security, Republicans have no problem with the government being able to unconstitutionally spy on their private communications without oversight, but they do have a problem with keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill.

[ChristianEcon.com]

Republicans love any "big government" that protects the interests of the rich and powerful.

It's a double standard.

[AZM]

How sad! George Washington and his many courageous followers fought the British under almost impossible conditions for seven years so some pathetic, draft-dodging little creep and his fellow apostles of fear could frighten our legislators into repealing some of our most basic freedoms!

[MinerSam]

The Media is not a friend of its viewers (who are vulerable to brainwashing).

It is the friends of the Republican Party ...Beholden to them for Media Consolidation. Together they have poisoned the air in the pipelines of an informed electorate.

This is why, together w/Republicans they consistantly attack Democratic frontrunners and most competent Democratic Statespeople, while boosting, boosting, boosing their opponents.

Republican Psychological Abuser and self Proclaimed alchoholic Chris Mathews, and the Pillar of the Dumming down of America, Tim Russert, (who uses Republican Talking Points and out of context quotes to make eroneous assertions about the Democratic frontrunners.

Kieth Oberman recently joined the GE-TV's nightly attacks upon Hillary, eliminating his credibility.

The Republicans strategy, after their slim loss WAS TO MAKE THE DEMOCRATS LOOK BAD(and go after fiscally conservative Democrats -- Blue dogs-- in their districs.

And if Obama wins the Media will give free air time to knock him down for Drug Like A FLY'S EGG just as they did to Howard Dean (Boost and knock off), And gave the Swiftboat Liars $10sB in free air time over a 35 day period.

We live in an increasingly Fascist Country thanks to GE-TV, Time Warner, Newscorp, Disney etc. Obama's stinky ego (and dishonest campaign) have been feeding that, with help from ignorant college students (60% of whom believe we fought W/Germany against the Soviets during)

Together they're Brainwashing the PROFOUNDLY ignorant that Hillary (the exact opposite of Bush) is the same as Bush.

The Destruction of privacy to listen to oppoentents is only one way the American Fascist Republican Party has been setting the stage for a Radical Right Wing Totallitarian state...while the Poorly educated don't haven't a clue, that they are being brainwashed into voting against their own self interests. And eventually voting votes will not be needed.

Seems as if the Republicans now control the Democratic Base.

[Bobotheclown]

You sound like you are crazy. There must be a more effective way for you to get your message out. You have more truth in your comments than any other user on this site. You are obviously old enough to connect the dots and see where things are going. You must be aware that younger people with less experience and a lifetime of biased education and news can no longer understand anything you are saying. You sound much to extreme to them. You might think that when all this finally effects them personally they will understand. When they see their friends dead in the war? It will not happen without a draft. When they lose their house? It will not happen if they get their reasoning from the media. In other words even at the extremes they will be fighting against their own interests just as the people of Germany did. There is no more point in talking about this stuff. The fix is in and the Republicans are going to win the next election. The next step is organizing an underground to save people from themselves. Its leaders that are needed.

[Querent]

Speaking of crazy. The Repigs are not going to win the next election. Even they can't steal enough votes to offset 2 to 1 turnout.

[luckyt]

Minersam:Your right about almost everything. We as democrats have got to stop squabbling over who is better suited to be president Obama or Hillary in public. Both are equally suited and we should get behind who ever gets the nomination. Too your Fascist Republican Party I would also add Theocratic hypocracy to their deceptive ways in the brainwashing of their poorly informed and educated base.

[mouselion]

You're right in connecting the dots: It wasn't an act of ignoring Bush's FISA story. It was UNDERLINING Bush's position. See what we got spy with no accountability? -- even though it's not congruent to the facts, it hints at the connection. Where've we seen THAT before? ...jus' dunno!

[LeonBNJ]

When it comes to the FISA bill, most Americans figure they won't be affected by it and they see anyone who wants to attack or attacks the USA as not eligable for any USA Constitutional or international civil, privacy or human rights.

[Manx]

I couldn't agree with you more but it's not just cable news ignoring the FISA bill issue. For the last two nights on CBS evening news, there was absolutely no mention of it. However, there was a piece on love and Valentine's day. Well, that's infotainment!

What gets me, some politicians are claiming that the telecom companies were being patriotic by colluding with the administration to spy on Americans. What in the hell is patriotic about violating the laws of the Constitution???

[Querent]

Patriotism to Conservatives means kissing the leader's ass. No less. No more.

[DickTater]

Right on Marty. Those of us who have been seduced or fostered under corporate media awaken from it by degrees.

The Telcom companies and the broadcast corps have a lot in common. They provide your IN and your OUT in some cases. Network TV is staring uphill at the pile of cash awaiting their webcast video and news feeds. Cable TV companies that provide internet can spoon feed you your tv content AND snoop on your tv habits. Then snoop on your webhabits. Your email. All transmissions out and an online activities report.

Why would these corp. giants tell you in the news about govt. spying? Some of them are making big contract money to fork over YOUR data. Against the law, for you both as a US citizen and as their customer.

A free web is all we have left to us. Our politicians and our media have decided they have a better idea than their professed and historical roles. They play games with the people's money, people's airwaves (besides nukular weaponry, tv is prob. the most potent device of man), people's brainwaves, people's business, and then decide what the people get SHOWN. Corporate malfeasance is at the root of about 90% of our problems and gets almost 0% newstime. Is it any wonder? Huge Corps own most of our media and they make most of their billions on advertising (from other big corps) and funny enough...political advertising.