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UPDATE 2-US House fails to pass digital TV delay bill
Reuters ^ | 01/28/2009 | Kim Dixon

Posted on 01/28/2009 1:02:41 PM PST by dware

WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - An effort to delay the Feb. 17 deadline for a nationwide switch to digital television failed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday after Republicans blocked the move.

The legislation is backed by President Barack Obama and already passed the U.S. Senate. However, it failed to gain the required two-thirds support in the House under special rules adopted for the vote.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 111th; atsc; bho44; digital; dtv; government; mandate; switch
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This was my favorite part:

BLAMING OBAMA

The vote went largely along party lines, with Republicans blocking the effort. In a statement to House speaker Nancy Pelosi, top Republicans said now is a time to negotiate.

Most Republicans believe boosting the funding of the government coupon program will alleviate most of the problems and that a delay will create more confusion.

Joe Barton, the most senior Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with jurisdiction over the issue, blamed the Administration of President Barack Obama for throttling a bipartisan effort to fix the problems.

1 posted on 01/28/2009 1:02:42 PM PST by dware
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To: dware
Most Republicans believe boosting the funding of the government coupon program will alleviate most of the problems and that a delay will create more confusion.

OK, so I didn't like this part. When will the GOP quit spending like the Dims?

2 posted on 01/28/2009 1:03:31 PM PST by dware (3 prohibited topics in mixed company: politics, religion and operating systems...)
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To: dware

I gotta go find the rollcall...


3 posted on 01/28/2009 1:04:08 PM PST by dware (3 prohibited topics in mixed company: politics, religion and operating systems...)
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To: dware

The republican’s are just thinking, we’ll make all those old people listen to talk radio.


4 posted on 01/28/2009 1:05:27 PM PST by dblshot
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To: dware

For the president to make this a huge problem...he’s saying that TV is a national right...and it simply isn’t. We can all survive without TV or radio or internet.


5 posted on 01/28/2009 1:06:48 PM PST by pepsionice
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To: dware

Someone please explain to me at what point television became a right. Why in the world are we spending money on $40 coupons for converter boxes? We as a nation have gone totally off the deep end. Wonder how many people who need this government handout have cell phones, microwaves, a home, multiple televisions all being paid for by those of us who work? I’m disgusted!!!!


6 posted on 01/28/2009 1:08:01 PM PST by animal172 (Disgusted in Tennessee)
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To: pepsionice

The government shouldn’t be involved in this in the first place.


7 posted on 01/28/2009 1:08:14 PM PST by nickcarraway (Are the Good Times Really Over?)
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To: pepsionice

I personally think he wants to bambozzle these older and poor people before they have a period of disconnect from their boxes. I think he’s probably got something up his sleeve where he’s going to need their support. I don’t trust the man a bit.


8 posted on 01/28/2009 1:09:19 PM PST by twigs
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To: pepsionice

> We can all survive without TV or radio or internet.

Reminds me of that South Park episode when there was no internet. Nice to see the GOP find their pair once in awhile..


9 posted on 01/28/2009 1:09:43 PM PST by max americana
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To: dware

Ha!

Similar thread - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2173671/posts

has the Ass. Press blaiming House Republicans.

Now this one by hemi-Reuters also blames the Repubs.

So... Score one for Republicans today.

I guess they want Obama to fail also (At least on this digital TV nonsense)


10 posted on 01/28/2009 1:10:33 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
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To: dware
Rollcall:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll041.xml

11 posted on 01/28/2009 1:11:18 PM PST by dware (3 prohibited topics in mixed company: politics, religion and operating systems...)
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To: pepsionice
For the president to make this a huge problem...he’s saying that TV is a national right...and it simply isn’t.

TV is a luxury item. Like any other technology, sometimes it becomes obsolete and you either pay for an upgrade or you don't use it anymore. There should be no entitlement beyond basic - BASIC - food and shelter.

12 posted on 01/28/2009 1:12:01 PM PST by AbeKrieger (Clomppity clomp.)
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To: animal172
Someone please explain to me at what point television became a right.

At what point did the MSM broadcasters get a right to a massive federal giveaway of additional bandwidth?

13 posted on 01/28/2009 1:14:11 PM PST by Mojave (Own a pit bull; own the consequences.)
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To: Responsibility2nd
So the Rats have an overwhelming majority but it's the RINO fault it failed. I must be missing something here.
14 posted on 01/28/2009 1:15:44 PM PST by Drill Thrawl (Who is John Galt?)
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To: dware

Are there really people out there, who aren’t buying a box because they lack a coupon?

I bought my boxes without the coupon, because it seemed like a pain in the rear. The boxes cost around $55 each. I can buy a DVD player for $25 at Wal-Mart.

Why would the DTV tuner cost so much?....government subsidies always cause prices to go up. If there weren’t any coupons, I probably would have cut my costs in half.


15 posted on 01/28/2009 1:19:32 PM PST by lacrew (Where's Blago?)
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To: Drill Thrawl

Nah. You’re not missing a thing.

From the article.... The legislation is backed by President Barack Obama...

So you see if Obama is for it - then the brownshirts in the MSM are in lockstep also.

And anything good that Repubs do... The media will hate on them for it.


16 posted on 01/28/2009 1:20:40 PM PST by Responsibility2nd
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To: pepsionice
We can all survive without TV or radio or internet.

Heretic!

My internet was out all morning due to 1" of globull warming ice.

Yeh, I survived, but just barely. I had an easier time giving up cigarettes 6 years ago.
17 posted on 01/28/2009 1:23:42 PM PST by TomGuy
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To: Responsibility2nd
has the Ass. Press blaiming House Republicans.

It could be worse. They could have written something like this: Republicans vote to deny TV to children
18 posted on 01/28/2009 1:25:26 PM PST by TomGuy
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To: lacrew
I bought my boxes without the coupon, because it seemed like a pain in the rear. The boxes cost around $55 each.

A week after the transition date, stores will have those converter boxes in their bargain bins for $10 each.


19 posted on 01/28/2009 1:28:32 PM PST by TomGuy
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To: TomGuy
New York Slimes headline would be:

Republican vote to deny DTV converter box coupons. Women and minorities hardest hit.

20 posted on 01/28/2009 1:31:25 PM PST by Drill Thrawl (Who is John Galt?)
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