by Robert M. Traxler
“CNN rejected a pair of provocative ads from President Trump’s re-election campaign last Thursday, saying the 30-second spots deriding the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry — one deeming the effort “nothing short of a coup” — contained inaccuracies and unfairly attacked the network’s journalists.” The New York Times.
CNN took an ad for the President’s campaign off the air after being criticized for even considering airing it by the social media and media elite. Free speech? Not quite, or should I say no way near free, censored, controlled and manipulated yes, free hardly. If this doesn’t scare the hell out of you it should. Political speech is the most protected under the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court has ruled that even giving money to a political campaign is speech under the Constitution, an example of the wide interpretation of the First Amendment given by the court.
John Owen Brennan is a former CIA Director and the self-appointed leader of the Intelligence community against President Trump, and alleged head of the “Deep State” cabal. Mr. Brennan became a CNN contributor and star; he piqued my interest when shortly after election day, he angrily declared President Trump a traitor and criminal who will be impeached. President Trump had not yet been sworn in, and he already had the intelligence apparatus in Washington working to destroy him.
Mr. Brennan confessed on July 31, 2014, to bugging the United States Senators’ computers, those that had data on the Senate investigation of the CIA’s interrogations of prisoners when he was President Obama’s CIA director. Mr. Brennan categorically denied ever hacking the Senate’s computers on March 11, 2014, while under oath, clearly perjury, but who cares, he is a new tool in the left wing’s tool box building a case against President Trump. A confessed liar, Mr. Brennan fits in well at CNN.
I viewed with interest Mr. Brennan’s early career at CNN as he derided President Trump with pure anger bordering on rage. It became apparent Mr. Brennan was establishing a smoke screen to mask his and others’ efforts to use government investigative and intelligence authority to derail President Trump’s campaign, and failing that, to see him impeached. Using the FBI and CIA to influence an election is not new but we as a nation have been careful since the days of J. Edger Hoover at the FBI and “Wild” Bill Donavan at the CIA to keep a distance between domestic politics and the clandestine agencies.
If censoring political advertisements and using the vast power of government to help defeat a political opponent does not deeply concern you, it should. Nearly all socialist movements start with limiting free speech and assembly, along with the use of large groups of angry citizens to eliminate political foes and shout down debate, a tactic used by Mao, Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Lofven, Pol Pot and other socialists. The media is the modern version of the mob, but better at shouting down opposition, as they are in the back pockets or handbags of most every American in our cell phones and on our computers at work and home.
Say what you may about FOX News, but they allow the anti-Trump ads to be aired, even the ones not complimentary of FOX News. Apparently the oppressive right believes in free speech a bit more than the open, caring, left-wing champions of free speech. Folks, you can not make this stuff up. The management at CNN and MSNBC are good examples of do as I say, not as I do, when it comes to free speech.
And we have not even gotten into why the House of Representatives is running the impeachment inquiry out of the Intelligence Committee and not the Judiciary Committee. The rules allow the Intelligence Committee to withhold testimony from the public and work in the shadows. Testimony is then leaked out in partial sentences and interpretations of what was said. Another great example of left wing “free speech” championed by the “new media.” We must ask why the Republicans cannot call witnesses or cross examine. Why the constitutionally protected right to face you accuser is ignored? Above all, why is there no media outrage concerning closed hearings?
I have never believed the “Deep State” exists, but my mind is changing.
I find it odd that one that values honesty and truth telling would be OK with President Trump. He came to public attention alleging that Barack Obama was not an American citizen. He claimed his inauguration crowd was the largest ever. Etc. His lying is epic.
Mr. Basura,
Sir,
Thank you for the comment, are you good with the the closed door hearings? Is using the National security organizations against an American candidate acceptable? I wager it is not. Nixon’s and Clinton’s hearing were on live TV. Even President Andrew Johnson’s in the 1860’s was open to the public.
Thanks again.
“If censoring political advertisements and using the vast powers of government to help defeat a political opponent doesn’t disturb you, it should. Nearly all socialist movements start with limiting free speech and assembly, along with the use of large groups of angry citizens to eliminate political foes and shout down debate, a tactic used by Mao, Lenin, Hitler, Mussolini, Lofven, Pol Pot and other socialists.” The words of Army Bob.
These men you cite were more than socialists. They were tyrants, despots, megalomaniacs, terrorists, and genocidal degenerates. And the tactics they used have been evidenced by our very own president himself.
He shouts down his adversaries at his rallies. He encourages toadyism from FOXNews, Sean Hannity, and their ilk. He assembles large groups of angry citizens to shout down and denigrate the people who dare to disagree with him. Then he assigns inflammatory nicknames and unfair descriptions to their beliefs. And he is very quick to silence reporters who seek a simple answer to simple questions at gaggles and press conferences. He labels them the enemy of the people!! If this doesn’t bother you, it should.
It’s high time, in my correct opinion, for us to quit the double standards each side holds for the other.
Each side bitches and moans about the conduct of the other side, and both are inconsistent and hypocritical.
And at the risk of being the very thing I rail against, a fellow hypocrite, we have an abnormal president who conducts himself in unusual and nontraditional ways. These ways appear to include nefarious practices. It is my opinion that we need to use unusual means to investigate Trump and his cronies in order to ferret out the truths about his unusual ways. If that requires a little unusual secrecy while the process unfolds, I welcome it. Trump is the single most dangerous man in US government today. He wields a perverse power within what used to be a grand old party that held a legitimate place in our political system.
Please don’t thank me for my comments. I know you don’t welcome them or my opinions. But I am certain I am not alone in my fear for this country that I do love, despite claims by you and Ranger Rick that anyone left of center hates America.
Ms. Mandaville,
Thank you very kindly for the comment. Advocating civility while stating:
“Please don’t thank me for my comments. I know you don’t welcome them or my opinions. But I am certain I am not alone in my fear for this country that I do love, despite claims by you and Ranger Rick that anyone left of center hates America.”
To my knowledge I never said you hate America, the constitution limiting government perhaps the nation no.
I do welcome all comments and thank folks for taking the time to post them. I may not agree but I do welcome all comments.
I must of missed the part when President Trump murdered millions of our citizens? Moe is credited with the deaths of 65 million of his citizens , Stalin 6 to 7 Million, Hitler 5 to 6 million people, Pol Pot 1.5 to 2 million. Perhaps your comparing President Trump to them is a bit over the top? Just a small bit?
Thanks again for the comment, just trying to be civil with that thanks and I truly do mean it.
What hypocrites! There is not a day goes by that President Trump isn”t savaged by the media and he doesn’t take it and that makes them apoplectic, as well as Basura, Ms. MandAville, and other Leftists. The violence isn’t coming from the Right but is from Antifa, Black Lives Matter, college Marxists, etc. Wear a MAGA hat and you’re attacked, both verbally and physically.
If you’re going to spout fake news, you might want to research it before bloviating.
Ms Mandaville,
Lynn,
Thank you for the comment.
Thank you also for using a complete Quote.
You stated “These men you cite were more than socialists. They were tyrants, despots, megalomaniacs, terrorists, and genocidal degenerates.”
Your comment is true, socialism breads tyrants, despots and Megalomaniacs, to much power is in the government under socialism and the press censors itself in support. President Trump is not supported by the press. Comparing President Trump to Hitler and other socialists mass murders is a bit over the top.
Thanks again for the comment.
Germans thought Hitler was a bit over the top, too, but look what he got away with when good people did and said nothing.
Ms. Mandaville,
President Clinton said if he has a 60% approval rating he could do whatever he wished. Hitler had an approval rating in the 90 plus percentile. The media and academic elites supported him, Hitler, because he was a socialist. The danger here is not President Trump but the unchallenged socialist movement.
Thank you very kindly for the comment.
Ms. MandAville,
You are comparing President Trump to Adolph Hitler? Please tone down the rhetoric, as the previous president did the following:
– stated the most beautiful sound was being called to Muslim prayer. Was/is he a closet Muslim?
– colluded with Russia by telling the Russian diplomat in an open mic he would have more “latitude” after being elected to a second term. To what did he reference?
– spied on the Trump campaign and Trump administration through the FBI/CIA.
– where was he during the attack in Benghazi – he could not be found! Madame Clinton refused air assistance when requested and she also refused additional security after 100+ requests. She showed she was not a leader and not trustworthy, just like President Barack Hussein Obama.
I’m amazed President Trump has completed as much as he has with the fake media and conniving Deep State Bureaucrats!
Trump 2020!
I find the reasoning the Lefty contributors put forth about socialism never thoroughly examine the progression of socialism. The confiscation and outlawing of firearms is always the first step in total socialism, totalitarianism, communism. Beto let the proverbial cat out of the bag by stating “Hell yes we are coming for your AR15 and AK47”. The others on the nutty Dem presidential field have hinted the same. Are we seeing the destruction of the once proud Democrat Party, party of the union workers and middle class, become the party of the hammer and sickle? Are we seeing the rise of communism/socialism since they want to confiscate weapons?
And will Beto go door to door to get them or demand law enforcement to do it? Why aren’t the Democrats totally honest and tell the American people they want to totally change the government from a republic to a communist dictatorship? That is exactly how they speak and act so just quit the bullshit and get on with it.
There was a Civil War over 150 years ago, but I fear one may be on the horizon soon. I certainly pray I am wrong