Goliath Doesn't Have to Win

post from What Happened to My Country? on 01 January 2007 11:01:32 AM. © What Happened to My Country?

What we have here are strong-arm tactics, "Sinclair, Mediacom huddle in D.C." (Des Moines Register)

The December 1 deadline looms. Sinclair Broadcasting will pull the plug on its relationship with Mediacom's cable retransmission on 22 stations throughout the country.... including KDSM-Fox in the Des Moines and KGAN-CBS in the Cedar Rapids viewing areas (450,000 Iowa households).... unless Mediacom caves in to demands that will increase subscription costs.

Basically Sinclair is saying, pay us the millions we demand or our 22 stations on the Mediacom network go black. Mediacom is saying, Sinclair's demands are exorbitant, devoid of market realities and not in line with similar agreements Mediacom has successfully negotiated with over 40 other national and regional broadcast groups representing over 475 stations nationwide.

But, all of these figures and arguments pale, when placed against the blackmailing reality..... the affected customers of the 22 stations involved represent less than 3% of Sinclair's national viewership, but over 50% of Mediacom's total subscriber base.

Not a fair fight.

So, can we expect D.C. to weigh in for Mediacom and keeping consumer costs in line?.... or, on the side of the bloated corporate Sinclair? Only Pollyanna would expect the Bush administration's FCC to do the right thing for the little guy, unless the little guy (who votes) fights.

Have you been wondering why the name Sinclair Broadcasting sounds familiar? In 2004 when Nightline decided to pay tribute to the 721 soldiers killed in Iraq, Sinclair decided to not allow the eight ABC stations it owned to broadcast the program. Sinclair's reason, "The action appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq." Seems to be just one political agenda here, Sinclair's.

Sinclair also ordered all 62 of its affiliate stations to preempt prime time programming to air Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, a documentary critical of presidential candidate John Kerry.... to air just two weeks before the November 2004 election. Yes, Sinclair knows all about political agendas.

Mediacom has filed a denied anti-trust lawsuit against Sinclair, but the appeal won't be decided before the December 1 deadline.

In the meantime, what can be done about this blatant gouging?

Call the FCC (1-888-CALL-FCC), send an email ( fccinfo@fcc.gov ) or go to the FCC website ( http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html ) .... call the station managers, in Des Moines: Mike Wilson 515 287-1717 or Cedar Rapids: Mike Sullivan 319 395-9060.

Make your feelings known. Otherwise, another large unchecked chiseling corporation will be chipping away at your pocketbook and your freedom of choice.

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http://whathappenedtomycountry.blogspot.com/2006/11/goliath-doesnt-have-to-win.ht
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Bush to Maliki... Kiss, Kiss

post from What Happened to My Country? on 01 January 2007 11:01:32 AM. © What Happened to My Country?

It's symbolically the new Mafia "kiss of death"..... The Decider's "you're doing a heck of a job" or words to that effect. Just ask Brownie, or Rummy.... and now Iraq's Prime Minister Maliki.

After the Iraq Study Group report took Bush to the tent-shed for a whuppin', a defiant Bush publicly assured Malaiki he was still his guy. In a joint press conference on December 7 with Iraq-policy-enabler, British Prime Minister Blair, both exclaimed "that supporting the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was central to efforts to help Iraq defend, govern and sustain itself."

Note to Maliki.... too bad about your new drapes.

Just three days later.... "Talks Under Way to Replace Iraq PM" .... to form a new parliamentary bloc that would seek to replace Maliki.... and the "new alliance would be led by senior Shiite politician Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who met with President Bush last week."

Bush missed his calling, he should have been a ring-kissed don. He has the necessary forked-tongue.

So, it is refreshing to learn that straight talk has a place in Iraq politics. In the words of Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani about Maliki's government.... "Why should we continue to support it? For its failure?"

Why indeed. If only....

Read The Full Article:
http://whathappenedtomycountry.blogspot.com/2006/12/bush-to-maliki-kiss-kiss.html

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At Last A Good Idea!

post from What Happened to My Country? on 01 January 2007 11:01:32 AM. © What Happened to My Country?

Three years too late.... "To Stem Iraqi Violence, U.S. Aims to Create Jobs."

It finally dawned on the Dim-bulb D.C. Deciders that it might be better to restore jobs in the nearly 200 abandoned factories in 70% unemployed Iraq than to continue to win hearts and minds by destroying lives and livelihoods.

Well, duh!

Now, if we can just convince the White House to also turn their elitist attention to our out-sourced, illegal-alien-cheap-labor flooded, NAFTA-negated under and unemployed workforce and rusting factories before China runs the IOU table and it's all over for the once-thriving USA.

Here is a shameful video on how we have been "liberating" Iraq. It is symptomatic of the arrogance and paucity of leadership infecting the D.C. Deciders and seeping down the chain of command.

We're living in the world Bush made "staying the course," and now "going forward."

How about a couple of slogans from the cheap seats..... "Yankees Go Home" and "Made in the USA!"

Read The Full Article:
http://whathappenedtomycountry.blogspot.com/2006/12/at-last-good-idea.html

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Chief Justice Roberts laments
‘constitutional crisis.’

post from Think Progress on 01 January 2007 11:01:00 AM. © Think Progress

He says pay for federal judges is too low. Roberts earns $212,000 per year. Judges on federal appeals courts earn $175,100.

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crisis/

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Mikes Blog Roundup

post from Crooks and Liars on 01 January 2007 11:00:22 AM. © Crooks and Liars

Booman Tribune: President Bush continues to issue medals…Categorical Aperitif: Behold this great litany of misdeeds, and then ask yourself: What exactly is healing about letting a man who does such things escape justice?Unqualified Offerings: Unqualified Successes of 2006Petrelis Files: Soon-to-be ex congressman, Jim Kolbe says he regrets his vote on Iraq, but in his homosexual [...]

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http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/01/01/mikes-blog-roundup-50/

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He’s Not a RINO

post from All Spin Zone on 01 January 2007 10:45:00 AM. © All Spin Zone

But Republican Presidential candidate John Cox may well be a whack job. For the record, he is supporting Bush’s proposed escalation of the war in Iraq. Among other things, Cox claims to be pro-life and pro-family in the same sentence he takes the hard line on illegal immigration. What a putz!Here’s [...]

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http://allspinzone.com/wp/2007/01/01/hes-not-a-rino/

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Iraq handled the Saddam execution by themselves
-- except for the key role played by U.S. officials

post from AMERICAblog on 01 January 2007 10:37:00 AM. © AMERICAblog

So, the U.S. was involved with Saddam's hanging before we weren't involved in Saddam's hanging. Or something like that. Considering this was one of the most anticipated events in Iraq since the U.S. invasion, The NY Times examination of the events surrounding the execution give insight in to just how disorganized and chaotic that country is:

American officials in Iraq have been reluctant to say much publicly about the pell-mell nature of the hanging, apparently fearful of provoking recriminations in Washington, where the Bush administration adopted a hands-off posture, saying the timing of the execution was Iraq?s to decide.

While privately incensed at the dead-of-night rush to the gallows, the Americans here have been caught in the double bind that has ensnared them over much else about the Maliki government ? frustrated at what they call the government?s failure to recognize its destructive behavior, but reluctant to speak out, or sometimes to act, for fear of undermining Mr. Maliki and worsening the situation.

The article is worth a read. Iraq is a mess.

Bush wanted Saddam's scalp. He got it. Iraq is a bigger mess now. Heckuva job, Bushie.

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/69336124/iraq-handled-saddam-execut
ion-by.html

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Can't Do Anything Right

And the Times finally gets around to pointing out that there was plenty that was rather off about the process surrounding Saddam's execution.

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http://atrios.blogspot.com/2006_12_31_atrios_archive.html#116766495526592953

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Happy 2007

Now we dance.

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http://atrios.blogspot.com/2006_12_31_atrios_archive.html#116766346170562828

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Grim Reaper is the New Year Image This Year

We hit 3000 US dead in Iraq. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died, the vast majority of them innocent of any wrongdoing. Bush is talking of sending more troops even than he has sent so far. Damn, we need a surge protector or something. No, this morning is not happy. [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://allspinzone.com/wp/2007/01/01/grim-reaper-is-the-new-year-image-this-year/

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