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
.
Bump
Sarah Palin takes on a sitting US Senator.
I wonder who has more clout in Alaska. We’ll find out on Tuesday. If Miller prevails, he will owe Sarah big time.
She will be.
And where would we learn of these things but FR!
Question, Will:
Will (no pun intended) this incident and the Supreme Court thugery, merely fire up the base, cause independents to realize how power-hungry/corrupt Murkowski is, and help Joe Miller?
Wow. I mean WOW!!!!! Lisa is a thug, who knew? (Aside from everybody)
Murkowski has to be defeated. She is out of control.
“Lisa Murkowski is a b****. And, if she does win, I’m sure she will caucus with the Dems.”
As improbable as it is, I think she will figure out a way to Caucus, all right.
She certainly is a political thug. She’s unAmerican.
Nowhere else.
Sarah is 100 percent right. This is another reason why Veruca Salt, I mean Lisa Murkowski MUST be defeated. She is basically Harry Reid with a dress on. I can’t stand Fagan, he is a jerk, but he has a right to free speech. I’ve never seen any Conservative ask for a liberal talk show to be pulled off the air, yet Murkowski thinks its in her power to get someone off the air who was just expressing his right to free speech. Hey Lisa, your daddy gave you the seat, you did NOT earn it. Can someone just throw out that spoiled brat already..what a disgrace she is
Sarah-jitsu
Wonder if some rich conservative person would be willing to contact that station and offer to provide legal services. That would be TERRIFIC!
I hope it will fire up the base, and also push any fence sitters to Miller's side. But I'm in the southeast and have no more feel for it than anyone else. That's why I was trying to listen to an Alaska station.
Very stupid move on Princess Lisa’s part.
Besides, the Republican Senators seemed to hold their attacks against her--bar some necessity to show that they're behind Miller--with an understanding that she'll still be one of them come January.
And I learned from you (on FR) how the radio station handled it.
GO JOE MILLER - squash the maggot.
She isn’t using Raid, she is using a flamethrower!
Time for that dumb broad (Lisa) to go !
yes, the anti-American anti-Freedom scumbag Lisa Murk. denied Fagan his freedom of expression and denied YOU and many others the freedom to hear him today.
Murk. needs to crash & burn on Tues., and then be run out of America.
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