Posted on 10/29/2010 9:20:04 PM PDT by kristinn
Yesterday, Lisa Murkowski’s hired guns threatened radio host Dan Fagan, and more importantly, the station that airs Fagan’s show, with legal action for allegedly illegal “electioneering.” The station, unlike Murkowski, who is flush with millions of dollars from vested corporate interests, does not have a budget for a legal defense. So it did what any small market station would do when threatened by Beltway lawyers charging $500 to $1000 an hour – they pulled Dan Fagan off the air.
Does all this sound heavy handed? It is. It is an interference with Dan Fagan’s constitutional right to free speech. It is also a shocking indictment against Lisa Murkowski. How low will she go to hold onto power? First, she gets the Division of Elections to change its write-in process – a process that Judge Pfiffner correctly determined had been in place without change for 50 years. She is accepting financial support from federal contractors, an act that is highly questionable and now pending before the FEC. And today, she played her last card. She made it clear that if you disagree with her and encourage others to exercise their civic rights, she’ll take you off the air.
The concept of “electioneering” involves several issues, but typically refers to campaigning at the polls, which is appropriately banned. Under federal law, it can also mean paying for advertising on broadcast media during a federal election cycle, and it requires disclosures if done by groups and corporations. Fagan used satire to mock Murkowski’s write-in efforts and encouraged Alaskan’s to run as write-in candidates. That is not illegal. That is free speech.
Individuals like Dan Fagan have a fundamental right to speak their minds without threats from the incumbent Senator from Alaska. It is hard to find a constitutional right Americans cherish more than the right to free speech. This was a right Joe Miller, as a decorated combat veteran – a tank commander tested in battle, was willing to die to defend. Dan Fagan has not always agreed with me, but I will gladly defend his right to speak freely on his radio show, which he has often used to criticize me. In fact, Fagan has actually used his radio show to attack and insult me, my husband, my children, and my family in just about every way possible. He was especially insulting to my son, who left for a war zone to defend Fagan’s right to attack our family. But when I was his governor, I never would have dreamed of threatening his right to free speech. I support him in this fight because this D.C. Beltway thuggery, as exemplified by Lisa Murkowski’s latest threat, is ruining our country. The powers that be want ordinary Americans to sit down and shut up and let the ruling class ride us right off the debt cliff we’re heading towards with Obama, Pelosi, and Reid steering the nation’s car. We can’t let them. Now is the time to put aside our past differences and stand up to the establishment powers.
This whole episode confirms again why we need to elect Joe Miller. Lisa, you can sue me if you want (you won’t be the first). But I will not be intimidated from speaking my mind. Your intimidation just empowered us liberty-loving Alaskans. Are you really that out of touch?
- Sarah Palin
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That’s gonna leave a mark.
Sarah hits it out of the park!
Go Sarah!
“She just too divisive, let’s get Mitt Romney to run in 2012!” /s
It is fun to watch her poke the hornets nest then spray them with raid.
Principle over cronyism, and nicely stated.
This little episode should shave a couple of points off Senator Rinowski’s support.
Talk about pouring gasoline on a fire. By going after the radio station and talk host after the damage is done, makes her look like a Gestapo/Brownshirt/Marxist/Fascist/well, no expression encompasses it all. Maybe just call her a Liberal.
Sarah Palin ALWAYS gets it right.
Sarah is a piece of work! She sure does know how to resonate.
What a dilemma for Greta van Susteren. Her 2 heroes at war with each other. Who will she side with?
Go ahead. Make my day.
Ka-BAM!
Lisa Murkowski is a b****. And, if she does win, I’m sure she will caucus with the Dems.
Lisa Murkowski really must be defeated.
Mama Grizzly is growling.
Sarah makes so much sense.
Well, that explains something. This afternoon I decided to find an Alaska radio station to try and get some more on the scene information about the senate race. I found KFQD 750 AM in Anchorage, and it looked like the Dan Fagan show starting at 5:00 CDT would be a good local show to check out.
So, I had the station up online when the show should have started this afternoon, and they announced that the Dan Fagan would not be heard today, and instead some CBS news wrap-up show would air. No further explanation was offered, so I just logged off that station.
Now I see what happened.
Bump!
Right on, Sarah!
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