The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has produced a radio ad for broadcast in 13 Republican held House districts. In the Philadelphia district served by Jim Gerlach KYW-AM is refusing to air this ad:

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2nd Quarter 2008 vs 2007 - 25-54 Network % Gain/Loss MSNBC +46 CNN +22 Fox -2

Ratings for the second quarter of 2008 are in and it has ceased to be news that Fox is the slowest growing cable news network:

Far more interesting are the trends that point to long term viewing patterns. While the 25-54 demo is most prized by advertisers, it is not a static metric. As people age they grow into and out of that demographic group. So which networks are poised to benefit over time as audiences mature?

Jed Babbin, the editor of Human Events, has written what may be the stupidest article of the year. In it he wastes 1200+ words arguing that GE/NBC is terribly upset with the prodigious success of its cable news network MSNBC. Obviously - anyone would be disturbed with a business enterprise that doubles its audience year after year.

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At a recent campaign rally for Barack Obama, an event volunteer had the poor judgment to tell two women wearing head scarves that they could not be seated behind the stage where Obama was speaking. The concern was that the pictures would add fuel to the false assertions circulating about Obama being a stealth Muslim. Obama apologized to the women publicly and personally, but that did not stop the New York Times from publishing a front page story on the controversy and how it may be affecting his support in the Muslim community. The Times also accused Obama of ignoring Muslim voters:

"While the senator has visited churches and synagogues, he has yet to appear at a single mosque."

Good point. The only problem is...

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     NOPE
Struggling in recent election polls, John McCain is resorting to the old and familiar Republican campaign motivator - unrelenting fear. When asked in an interview with Fortune magazine what he sees as the gravest long-term threat to the U.S. economy, McCain answered...

"Well, I would think that the absolute gravest threat is the struggle that we're in against radical Islamic extremism, which can affect, if they prevail, our very existence."

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Dan Abrams has uncovered a video of John McCain saying...

"I really didn't love America until I was deprived of her company."

This has the potential to upend this campaign. Given the criticism of Michelle Obama's remarks about pride, how can the right still press the patriotism of the Democratic candidate's wife when the Republican candidate himself has made remarks that are arguably much worse?

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In what is billed as a major policy speech on energy and the environment, John McCain has introduced a plan that just makes things worse. His proposals only benefit the big oil companies that are amongst his biggest supporters and who are well represented on the staff of his campaign. In the advance text of his speech he says:

"In the face of climate change and other serious challenges, energy conservation is no longer just a moral luxury or a personal virtue,"

I wonder when energy conservation stopped being just a moral luxury or a personal virtue.

If you wondered where Fox News personalities get license to peddle idiotic notions like "terrorist fist jabs" and jokes about assassinating Democratic presidential candidates, you need look no further than their boss, Fox News Executive VP John Moody. In an article written for his Fox Forum blog, titled "How to Defeat Iran... Without Firing a Shot," Moody makes an unambiguous declaration of war from the comfort of his Fox office suite.

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That's right! Glenn Beck is the worst program on cable news. And while the quality of the program, or lack thereof, has certainly earned Beck the award for garbage-caster of the year, that isn't what I'm talking about today. It's Beck's ratings for the month of May 2008, that confirm his place at rock bottom of the prime time cable news pile. One would have to wonder why CNN sticks with Beck who presides over the lowest rated program at any time, on any network, during prime time.

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In this historic election year, the people have a choice of unprecedented clarity. The presidential candidates for 2008 offer a uniquely stark contrast of policy and vision. One has embraced a theme of hope that is inspiring millions and setting a new course for national renewal and unity. He has ignited a grassroots revolution of citizen activists committed to bringing change to an arrogant, unaccountable, dishonest, and incompetent government.

The other is John McCain.

In contrast to Barack Obama's campaign of optimism and hope, McCain offers a vision that is squarely focused on obstacles. Its opaque negativity fairly precludes it from even being described as a vision at all. It might be more accurately expressed as The Opacity NOPE!

Peace? Nope. Health care? Nope. Fair trade? Nope. Tax equity? Nope. Choice? Nope. Environment? Nope. Get the idea?

The National Conference on Media Reform is presently underway in Minneapolis, MN. If you are fortunate enough to attend you will encounter an inspiring array of media professionals, critics, activists, and others who recognize both the threat and the potential of the modern media infrastructure. If you cannot attend, stay informed by visiting the Conference website.

The mission of the Conference, and its sponsor FreePress, is to build a movement to recreate media as an institution that serves the interests of the people, not the powerful. Such a movement will generate some blowback, as evidenced by Howard Rosenberg's column in today's Los Angeles Times.

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Another month, another dismal performance by Fox News who, once again, wins the trophy for "Slowest Growing Cable News Network." The redundancy of this news compels me to search for some other ratings story so as not to bore myself. Fortunately, I've found a couple.

The ongoing melodrama featuring MSNBC and Fox News is heating up again and reaffirming Fox's status as the scum suckers of news.

Two weeks ago, Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post gave readers an insiders view of the conflict that centers around the blood feud between Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly. The battle lines have extended all the way up to News Corp. executive offices, including Rupert Murdoch's. In the Kurtz column he quoted Fox chief Roger Ailes threatening his counterpart, Jeff Zucker, at NBC:

"Ailes warned that if Olbermann didn’t stop such attacks against Fox, he would unleash O’Reilly against NBC and would use the New York Post as well."

Them's fightin' words, but that was just the first volley.....

It hardly seems that a day goes by without a new revelation of lobbyists in John McCain's campaign. Last week I reported that, so far this year, five tainted staffers have had to resign. Still on the McCain wagon are uber-lobbyists Charlie Black and campaign manager Rick Davis. Media Matters has compiled a superb list of even more tainted McCain staffers

Now the Washington Post is reporting another unethical, and perhaps illegal, McCain relationship with a political benefactor: Citizens Against Government Waste.

[Reposted from yesterday because I really believe it needs more exposure]

It hardly seems that a day goes by without a new revelation of lobbyists in John McCain's campaign. Last week I reported that, so far this year, five tainted staffers have had to resign. Still on the McCain wagon are uber-lobbyists Charlie Black and campaign manager Rick Davis. Media Matters has compiled a superb list of even more tainted McCain staffers

Now the Washington Post is reporting another unethical, and perhaps illegal, McCain relationship with a political benefactor: Citizens Against Government Waste.

This week's All Things Digital Conference brought Rupert Murdoch to the stage for a surprising interview that included his views on the economy, Barack Obama, and the 2008 election.

Reuters: "News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch on Wednesday predicted a Democratic landslide in the U.S. presidential election against a gloomy economic backdrop over the next 18 months."

Last week the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Karl Rove, who has refused to appear before the Committee to answer questions regarding the investigation and prosecution of the former Democratic governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman. Rove is alleged to have improperly directed the Justice Department to pursue the Siegelman case for political purposes. Rove, who still appears on Fox News as Senior Political Contributor, despite his position as an "informal" adviser to John McCain (which Fox does not disclose to their viewers), was interviewed today by George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week. Let's just say that Rove doesn't fare very well.

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Hillary & The Dead Kennedys

This past week has seen a perverse conspiracy of events that strains the capacity for people of good will to avoid giving up on civilization all together.

It began with the sad news that Sen. Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. As the shock and trauma of that news was settling in, James Rosen of Fox News declared on air that this could not be considered a tragedy because he had lived (past tense) a full life. Soon after, radio Neanderthal Michael Savage decided it would be appropriate to play snippets of the 1980's punk band The Dead Kennedys, which Savage said was "in respect" for the Senator. But that's not all...