President Obama's Still Gives Great Speech

On Tuesday in Kansas, Barack Obama gave one of his best speeches in recent memory. If I didn't know better, I'd think they stole my idea of hiring Aaron Sorkin to write his speeches. It's the kind of thing we've been wanting to hear for a very long time. And when you realize that he's harkening back to some of the very things Teddy Roosevelt--a Republican, remember--was talking about a hundred years ago, you realize how far today's GOP is from its roots.

FOX "News" and the Repeal of the 20th Century

I found this at AmericaBlog, and had to pass it on. I'm frankly a little surprised to see Teddy Roosevelt slammed by FOX "News." One of my conservative friends hails TR as a personal hero. I wonder what he thinks about this?

Puzzling FCC Consolidation Changes

Photo of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, from source, Raw Story

I remember social studies classes back in elementary and junior high schools, learning about the early 1900s. Much attention was paid to trust busting, regulation of industry, eliminating worker abuses, things like that. The picture painted for us, was of corporations gone wild, but reigned in just in time. While I was learning all of that, Jimmy Carter led the charge to break up AT&T into the "Baby Bells."

In short, this kid of the 70s learned that monopolies are bad, and that corporations had to be overseen with a watchful eye, because greed always leads to bad things. A kid from the 80s, 90s and 2000s might not see that at all. Virtually every corporate category has experienced virtually unfettered consolidation and mergers. Here in Las Vegas for example, almost all of the major resorts on the strip are owned by one of two companies, Harrah's Entertainment and MGM/Mirage.

Curiously, the Bush Administration, and the regulating agencies it heads seem to want to return to the corporate climate of over 100 years ago. Do they forget that it was Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican icon, who was championed as a "Trust Buster?"

[Excerpt]

PBS' Moyers on planned media consolidation rule change: FCC/industry 'revolving door' moves to further give away your airwaves

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin was heavily criticized by members of the public, along with his colleagues, at the sixth and final public hearing, held on November 9, 2007, on his planned changes to rules on media consolidation.

Input from the public, leading up to the vote, is being accepted until December 11, 2007.
Attendees were heavily suspicious of the short notice given, five business days, as a tactic to prevent more of the public from learning about the hearings, as well as being able to attend and provide input in an already short time window before the commission's vote takes place. . .

Read more at: Raw Story