If it is correct that CNN is giving MCain free time, then every able bodied attorney

[Ninga]

better get on this ASAP.

[Cha]

1. REc'd~ And a kick..this smacks of

proof of what we knew all along ..that they're in the bag for mccain.

[Ninga]

3. The serious calvery is needed, proto, post haste and quickly to chop CNN off at the

knees.

We must demand that McCain pays for his coverage.

[TornadoTN]

8. I agree. All of the networks have been covering McCain/Palin ad nauseum for at least 2 weeks

With little to no coverage of Obama/Biden. If I was someone who had lived in a cave, I wouldn't even know that there was anyone else in the race just judging by how much their campaign rallies have been covered.

There are some serious questions about this - especially since Obama has bought the air-time on Wednesday night. It seems that the media is trying their best to give Johnny more coverage.

[Cha]

14. You might want these as posted

from Frenchie..

CNN-
(404) 827 – 1500
Comment line: (404) 827 - 0234
(From grasswire
CNN NEWS CHIEF Eason Jordan. 404.827.5111. fax: [phone]. [e-mail]
CNN NEWS DIRECTOR Kim Bondy. 404 827 1500. fax. [phone]
CNN NEWSROOM 404.827.1500 . 404.827.1500. [e-mail]
Call Anderson Cooper at 1-866-NY-AC360

I heard mccain was going to be on larry king Wednesday night but if they give him "free time" or not..they've still been pushing mcpalin ugliness incessantly.

[lyonn]

2. Ah hell, let the idiot speak

He appears to bury himself deeper when given air time. McCain is his own worst enemy. He speaks and I rant and then pause, hell, this is great, he makes no sense and more people will no doubt notice, yeah!!

[frogcycle]

5. no

if they give him free time they must give Obama free time - over and above that which Obama is paying for.

Obama can have a roundtable play the tape of whatever mccain babbles in his time and do a fact-check exercise. It could be fun.

[Captiosus]

9. Going to say this one more time.

There is no more fairness doctrine.

If CNN wants to give McCain a free hour (and I don't mean on an interview show) where McCain is completely free to do whatever he wants, they are allowed to. However, it might get them in deep shit with the FEC as it would be an in-kind donation.

However, they are not legally obligated, in any way, shape or form, to give "equal time" to Obama. They can show 30 minutes of a McCain rally and 30 seconds of an Obama rally. They can do this repeatedly with impunity because there is nothing by the FCC legally enforcing equal time.

The fairness doctrine has been abolished for twenty-one years.

[TornadoTN]

13. That's the crux of this issue and I think it could be used to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine

If some of the powers that be within the campaign and in the media would come out about this at some point, it may lead to a revisitation of the fairness doctrine. It's something we desperately need.

[Laelth]

18. If they're going to be biased, they should admit it.

Sure, what they're doing is legal, but that doesn't make it right. They are defrauding the American people when they purport to be objective and unbiased but are, in fact, quite biased in favor of McCain. Fox is the worst. I would have no problem with that network if they admitted they were the unofficial propaganda outlet of the Republican party. Instead, they defraud people by claiming to be fair and balanced.

We have every right to be angry with the media, even if what they're doing is legal.

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[frogcycle]

20. you misunderstand me

I know all about the long-gone "fairness doctrine"

My "they must" was rhetorical, like Johnnie Cochran saying "you must acquit".

I was expressing an opinion, that if they actually think donating 30 minutes of air time to one candidate is acceptable behavior, they are in for an unpleasant backlash.

Now take your pedantic lecture and shove it up your arrogant ass. In boldface.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. lyonn is right. the more he spews, the worse he sounds.

today, for example, he was screaming, and making no sense at all. It was almost surreal, but for the screaming fans (which I think are augmented by piped in crowd noise).

[HughMoran]

12. Fuck that - I donated hard-earned money for this advantage

If you've had to listen to the 527 groups all day and night, you'd realize that the Repukes are getting plenty of air time.

[lyonn]

17. Since I live in Okla. I don't listen to local tv or read the major newspaper

Only cable. Okla. is a lost cause. My money was on Biden early on and donated once to Obama since he got the nomination. Even cable shows paid political campaign ads between Sen. Inhofe and Andrew Rice. Rice is so good in his ads. Inhofe likes organ music as a background. The only vote I have here that might count is my vote for Rice. Okla. ranks right up there with Utah as a red State.

I'm just saying that McCain speaks worse than Bush. That is a bit of tongue in cheek. Of course McCain shouldn't get free air time unless Obama is given the same advantage. But ya gotta admit Mac buries himself when he babbles away. The guy just doesn't have any mental capacity to run a country and the word needs to get out via McCain!! So far he has succeeded according to the polls. lol

[AkFemDem]

4. OK I get why it's angering you but seriously

When Obama speaks, especially from a script (and you know I love the O-man, I am aware he speaks great WITHOUT a script too, but lets face it- when he does a speech he does it like nobody else) he is ELECTRIFYING.

When McCain speaks.... he makes me yawn. I have seriously tried paying attention to him, if for no other reason than because at some point it appeared he'd be the next president and I wanted to know what his plans were-- and you just can't do it. He is wobbly and old man sounding, he trips over phrases of speech, he is boring. He will turn an audience OFF. Honestly, it might be BETTER for Obama to have his commentary contrasted to McCains because then it'll be so obvious.

[CharmCity]

6. Is Obama paying for time on CNN?

If so,he oughta get a refund.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

7. Brilliant question. Thank you.

No, Obama is not paying CNN which cuts nicely to the heart of why this ginned up controversy is nonsense.

[TornadoTN]

11. It's not nonsense if you actually watch how much free coverage McCain is getting

They are covering every single time he and Palin open their mouths. They carry their speeches wall-to-wall. They rarely cover Biden and frequently cut away from Obama events. It's a pretty interesting thing to look at their coverage in comparison and I do think the media is being instructed to cover them wall-to-wall when possible, just to keep it a "horse race".

[ps1074]

10. Joe the plumber says this sounds like socialism to him

Obama paying for something McCain get for free...

[AZBlue]

16. It's not free air time, it's a talk show appearance.

[Forkboy]

19. It's Larry friggin' King people...it's NOT free time.