Talk shows influence immigration debate

Los Angeles Times ^ | June 23, 2007 | Associated Press

[BornInASmallTown]

WASHINGTON -- Immigration has supplanted Iraq as the leading issue on television and radio talk shows, complicating the prospects of a Senate bill desperately wanted by President Bush. Conservative talk radio's impact on the immigration debate reached new heights last week, with one host effectively writing an amendment for when the Senate returns to the imperiled bill this week.

National talk show hosts have spent months denouncing the bill as providing amnesty for illegal immigrants. Some top Republicans who support the legislation have defied the broadcast pundits. Others GOP lawmakers have tried to placate them, even to the point of accepting their ideas for amendments.

Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., told reporters last week, "Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem." Some hosts, he added, do not know what is in the lengthy bill. The comments incensed conservative talk show hosts who generally had supported Lott over the years.

Lott is "upset that the American people got right into the middle of the conversation over the problem with illegal aliens and it didn't turn out all that well for the pro-amnesty forces," Atlanta-based talk show host Neal Boortz wrote on his Web site. "If Trent Lott and his other buddies up on the Hill aren't listening to 'talk,' then what are they listening to? The answer is either their wallet or their legacy." Radio host Rush Limbaugh asked his audience: "What are we going to do about Mississippi Senator Trent Lott?"

[duvausa]

It made me sick to read later how Schumer had orchestrated that whole deal in order to benefit a company that contributes to him—and was amazed at the way the right fell for it. We really have to work on toning down the mass hysterics.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

We had eight years of the most corrupt administration in history in Clinton, who will be most renowned for selling the USA out to the Asian oligarchy (including the Chicoms).

Then we got six+ years of a resolutely honorable administration in Bush, who will be most renowned for selling the USA out to the globalist oligarchy.

The only difference is that Clinton appears to have profited more (at least for now). It remains to be seen how much more screwing Bush and the republicans have in store for WE THE PEOPLE. It sure looks like the First and Second amendments are "on the table".

[Chi-townChief]

RUSH RULES!

[Cicero]

Lott's treatment contrasted sharply with that given to Kyl. In a column posted on his Web site, Hewitt called Kyl "perhaps the single most effective and principled conservative in the United States Senate."

Sometimes Hugh Hewitt is a jerk. I think his heart's in the right place but he's just not very bright.

[gathersnomoss]

OMG, do you mean to tell me that “the people” have a voice? About time.

[ProfoundMan]

We really have to work on toning down the mass hysterics.

I wholeheartedly agree. I just hope the way we do that isn't eliminating talk radio... ;-)

[muawiyah]

For the most part no one paid much attention to the ports deal once they found out it was about the sale of leases on a handful of gantry cranes and NOT about ports, i.e. entire Port of New York type situations, with tens of billions of dollars of real estate at stake.

Chucky Shumer and his running dog lackeys continued to stir the pot long after the truth was out.

Apparantly some Freepers never did catch onto the real story.

[Clintonfatigued]

No wonder Hitlery and Senator Bouncer want the government to step in and destroy talk radio.

[R.W.Ratikal]

He means that the fact that so many people are getting the truth from talk radio represents a danger to the embedded lefties bias in the major print and TV media.

The usual liberal way to “deal” with anything that is contrary to the move to socialize America is to silence the source.

I hope the government in Washington is so stupid that they will ban or bar conservative talk radio from the air.

I suspect that there is a powerful clandestine mobile radio broadcasting station called “Radio Free America” all ready and waiting for the Hugo Chavez type treatment.

[TheDon]

Talk shows reflect immigration debate

[2ndDivisionVet]

Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[kcvl]

Left-wing ‘news’ programs try to influence policy but since many people stop watching they can’t. Now they are complaining about talk radio doing the same thing only they are succeeding. Boo freaking whoo.

[I still care]

Amazing, isn’t it? These people are acting like they believe talk radio is a separate entity, like the “SUVS” Rush keeps talking about that run people down.

Whether you agree with them or not, conservatives have two way communication going with talk radio hosts. Rush and Hannity and others get thousands of emails from the base, and what they say on the air is a great deal the reflection of the voice of the electorate.

[danamco]

Any Senator who has ever voted on a bill without having thoroughly read it (let alone having comprehended and analyzed it)--and that would be vitually all of them--should be impeached for making such a statement.

They should ALL be forced to watch Roy Beck's chilling video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4094926727128068265&pr=goog-sl

[Surrounded_too]

Is it possible that Lott’s words ‘running America” was really meant to be ‘ruining America”.

In some quarters ‘running’ and ruining’ sound very much alike.

“Ruining” would make his pronouncemt even more evil.

[ANGGAPO]

Sounds like Trent Lott don’t know his constitution. Another down home congress critter.

[ANGGAPO]

It wasn’t the deal that smelled; it was the perception of consorting with the enemy that did it in.

[GATOR NAVY]

“Some hosts, he added, do not know what is in the lengthy bill”

Like that stupid SOB Lott and the rest of the Senate have all read the entire bill. Lott knows whatever his aides have have told him.

[BenLurkin]

If it weren’t for the alternate media there would not have been a debate.

The repubilcrats would have passed this abomination in the proverbial ‘dead of night’ and we would have awoken to find 12 million illegal aliens on the fast track to our cherished citizenship.

[Cacique]