Posted on 10/29/2010 10:40:36 PM PDT by unseen1
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 Alaskans 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
Unlike tonight's KTUU "live feed" that instead of being an announcement about the AK Supreme Court decision, was instead a FREE 60-second commercial featuring shot after shot of Murkowski swag complete with "write it in" info. Yeah, that wasn't "electioneering". Riiiiiiight.
Hope you’re right.
Did you know this was just posted about an 1.5 hours ago?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2617530/posts
Thread still going. I figured you must have not seen it.
nope didn’t see it. guess its late. post on that thread then the mod can close this one
I figured that. The search comes in handy on titles (well if the title hasn’t been edited).
Terrific article by Palin though isn’t it?
There are two other threads running with this story.
Post it anyway. Some things need to be posted often in order for more people to read it. :)
Lisa MooCowski is the perfect explanation to what the hell is wrong with the ruling “hang onto power at all costs” government.
The witch lost the primary then has done everything she could from twisting the law to abusing her power to thwart free speech. This bitch slap from Sarah is just what needs to be said.
Sarah is a velvet glove in an iron fist..
Washington D.C. incompetent are soo corrupt! We have a monster and Lisa Murkowski is indisputably one of them now.
I am one of Sarah’s biggest fans and she is the only reason I voted for McCain in 2008. However, she along with so many others (Rush, Juan Williams, Sean Hannity, and even the repulsive Joy Behar) are wrong when they cite freedom of speech when someone is taken off the air or their speech results in some type of unfavorable consequence. Freedom of speech applies to the right to political speech without retribution by the government. Freedom of speech does not extend to the right for someone to say whatever they want without any consequences. Speech, like actions, have consequences.
>>> Sarah is a velvet glove in an iron fist.. <<<
You mean in iron fist in a velvet glove? Then again, I suppose a velvet glove in an iron fist would imply that the gloves are off. And indeed they are. She took the gloves off last year when she resigned the Govenorship.
I still cannot fathom why some people around here have a problem with the concept of a tactical retreat; to re-group, re-arm, and re-engage.
All of which Sarah has done, and beautifully too IMHO.
I don't remember which general it was during WW2 that said "retreat hell, I'm just attacking from a different direction"
Palin is more powerful now than as governor and without all the stupid law suits over nothing..
speech like actions should not be decided by extortion and/or blackmail. Lisa by using the threat of force is no different than the mafia thug that uses a gun. Lisa’s weapon of choice happened to be a high price lawyer but the result was the same. The radio station paid the “protection” “money” so they could stay in business. The charge was bogus but the threat of bankruptcy was not.
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