Confirmed: Union-Bashing Right-Wing Media Stars Hannity, Limbaugh and O'Reilly Are AFL-CIO Union-Affiliated Members | News & Politics February 25, 2011 | Like this article? Join our email list: Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email. When it comes to the Wisconsin union fights, right-wing pundits Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh have a couple of things in common. On Feb. 18, Limbaugh said on his radio program, "We are either on the side of the Wisconsin protesters or we are on the side of our country." On the Feb. 18 edition of "The O'Reilly Factor," O'Reilly stated, "Governments can't afford to operate" because of "union wages and benefits." As it turns out, all three of them belong to the American Federation Television and Radio Artists union (AFTRA), which is the AFL-CIO affiliate for television and broadcast workers. Yes, you read that right. A report voted to the front page of Reddit Friday claimed that Hannity, Limbaugh and O'Reilly were union members, as well as Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Ann Coulter. Here's the full text of the two statements AFTRA sent AlterNet:
cuts hit home for House GOP freshman How proposed budget cuts might hit home Freshman congressman touts vote to slash $61 billion in government spendingConstituent tells Andy Harris some cuts look "politically motivated""Is that something we want our children to have to pay back," he asksHarris says he gets more support for spending cuts than anger Annapolis, Maryland (CNN) -- Walking into a town hall meeting, freshman House Republican Andy Harris has some work to do. He's touting his vote to slash $61 billion in government spending this year, but he also knows those cuts have real world effects on the people he represents here in Maryland's 1st congressional district. "There are programs that you may have gotten used to, that the funding will have to be reduced," Harris told the crowd at Annapolis' Broadneck Public Library. "The question we have to ask is we have to borrow that money, and is that something we want our children to have to pay back for what we're going to do now," Harris said. "I think it's unconscionable.
Congressional Budget Chief Warns of Burgeoning U.S Debt There's a lot of hand-wringing in Washington about the pending explosion of entitlement spending like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and how they will sink the U.S. deeper into the red in the coming years. But Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Doug Elmendorf says there's another factor to watch in the coming years: net interest as a percentage of Gross National Product (GDP). In 1970, net interest made up only three-tenths of one percent of the annual budget deficit. By 2007, that figure rose to 1.2 percent. And Elmendorf predicts it will erupt to 3.2 percent by 2021. "The qualitative point is that (interest) is about to become a much bigger burden in the economy," said Elmendorf during an address before the National Economists Club in Washington, DC. With a chart, Elmendorf showed how the U.S. percentage of GDP would increase exponentially to a level similar to Greece if the same policies continue. "Changes of the magnitude required could disproportionate," he said.
Passive news reports may lead readers to feel they can't find the truth Passive news reporting that doesn't attempt to resolve factual disputes in politics may have detrimental effects on readers, new research suggests. The study found that people are more likely to doubt their own ability to determine the truth in politics after reading an article that simply lists competing claims without offering any idea of which side is right. "There are consequences to journalism that just reports what each side says with no fact checking," said Raymond Pingree, author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University. "It makes readers feel like they can't figure out what the truth is. And I would speculate that this attitude may lead people to tune out politics entirely, or to be more accepting of dishonesty by politicians." The study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Communication. "Choosing among government policies is simply not like choosing among flavors of ice cream.
Working in America: Public vs. Private Sector - George Stephanopoulos' Bottom Line Feb 18, 2011 6:51pm ABC News' Dan Arnall reports: As the protests in Wisconsin bring the issues of public sector workers pay and benefits into the national spotlight, it’s important to understand the actual differences between what government worker and private sector workers actually get in return for their efforts. WAGES The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009) show that government workers make about 5 percent more than private sector workers on average. But, as can be seen in the following chart, the headline numbers hide some major disparities beyond the headlines. Average Annual Wage Federal Govt. Local teachers make 9 percent less than the average private sector worker. In retail firms, for example, only 48 percent of workers were covered by health benefits offered by their firm (the worst industry for insurance coverage), compared to 80 percent of workers in state and local government (the best industry for insurance coverage). -Dan Arnall
Obama Urged to Seize Reins as Crises Pile Up - FoxNews.com President Obama gestures during a speech in Arlington, Va., March 14.AP A conflict approaching civil war in Libya. An end-times tsunami in Japan. A Congress that can't reach a budget. And ... gender inequality? The topic of President Obama's weekend radio address has raised some eyebrows, as Obama has met mounting crises with the same restraint and cool that characterized his slow-and-steady campaign for president. Amid chaos around the world and on Capitol Hill, Obama's Saturday radio address was devoted to Women's History Month and a call to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, a proposal meant to address the income gap between men and women. "I don't know if they don't realize the disconnect and maybe they don't care ... but it does matter," Dana Perino, former White House press secretary under George W. With the clock ticking, lawmakers and analysts are calling on the president to show a little more moxie on Capitol Hill and the world stage. "You've got to approach Libya cautiously. Sen.
Fight Against Government Flab Is Personal for These Politicians White House wants new copyright law crackdown | Privacy Inc. The White House today proposed sweeping revisions to U.S. copyright law, including making "illegal streaming" of audio or video a federal felony and allowing FBI agents to wiretap suspected infringers. In a 20-page white paper (PDF), the Obama administration called on the U.S. Congress to fix "deficiencies that could hinder enforcement" of intellectual property laws. The report was prepared by Victoria Espinel, the first Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator who received Senate confirmation in December 2009, and represents a broad tightening of many forms of intellectual property law including ones that deal with counterfeit pharmaceuticals and overseas royalties for copyright holders. (See CNET's report last month previewing today's white paper.) Some of the highlights: The White House is concerned that "illegal streaming of content" may not be covered by criminal law, saying "questions have arisen about whether streaming constitutes the distribution of copyrighted works."
Critics Trash Talk Obama For Doing ESPN Brackets During Multiple Crises : It's All Politics Being president means getting criticized, even when you do something as ostensibly non-controversial as appearing on ESPN to unveil your NCAA March Madness brackets. (Actually, President Obama picked Kansas to beat Ohio State in the finals which will be pretty controversial in some quarters. Is he writing off Ohio's electoral votes for 2012?) Anyway, some are questioning the propriety of the president giving ESPN a few minutes of his precious time with all the crises going on, from the federal budget battle to Libya to Japan. Obama used the first few moments of the ESPN taping to ask viewers to donate to Japanese relief efforts, proving he wasn't ignoring the world beyond the walls of the White House. But even that was questioned, with a reporter asking White House press secretary Jay Carney if it was appropriate for the president to discuss the Japan tragedy while standing before a white board with his brackets. Not surprisingly, Carney defended the president. Here's the exchange: