Obama Administration - Pounding the Press Into Submission – First the AP, then Fox, now CBS - Taped, Hacked, and Watched – Abuse Of Power

First, the AP announced that its journalist had been compromised by the Administration as it grabbed data from a multitude of journalist which jeopardized the news organizations ability to work with sources. (digitriad) Next up , a Fox News Journalist received a bit of phone tapping from “Big Brother”, (Washington Times) and now Politico is reporting that CBS, Emmy-award winning investigative reporter, Sharyl Attkinssons computers have been compromised at several points since 2011. Apparently, Attkinssons was looking into Fast and Furious at the time, and lately Benghazi, the latest is a slew of questionable Constitutional abuse by the Administration.

When at first it was the AP, it was pooh-poohed away by the White House as it was in the interest of finding the source of leaks to news organizations regarding sensitive information. Fox is understood, although the actions were still wrong in any way, shape or form, but the White House regards Fox News as, bluntly, the enemy. CBS? That’s a horse of a different color – as CBS is mainly viewed as one of the major mouthpieces of the Administration. Therefore, who else is being pushed and shoved into compliance with the party line?

The Press in other nations around the world are fighting for and losing their lives in order to report. In Mexico the death rate of journalists is extremely high as it is in a so many third world nations. See: www.cpj.org where one finds a list of 984 journalist killed since 1992, right next to a photo of Attorney General, Eric Holder, over an article on the loss of freedom of the Press in the U.S.

One wonders when those talking heads that bow meekly to the powers that think they are empirical will finally get the fact that they are shilling for an Administration that may turn on them at any moment. As of this morning it is being reported that the Government went so far as to to seize the phone records of a targeted Fox News Reporters Parents! (Breitbart) That begs the question, how far is his Administration prepared to go to shut up the obvious dissension of the press – or more to the point, anyone who questions anything that remotely “stinks” about the Administration. There are no other words but abuse of power that apply to this situation.

Obama Scandal Tanks MSNBC Ratings - Quality versus Politics – the Decline of MSNBC and Lack of Substance

The jury is out - boring, one-dimensional programming is only sustainable for a short period of time - image mediate.com
A theory that the problems dogging the Obama Administration is the root cause of MSNBC’sdismal rankings this past week – the networked pulled only 83,000 in the coveted 25-54 demographics, placing last behind CNN’s Headline News Network. (Deadline.com) The fact that the content has not changed over the past seven years, regardless of which commentator is on-air, is the main problem this network faces. In the grand scheme of cable news programming, the word “news” is an integral part of the programming, which, MSNBC does not offer in any great measures. The competition, Fox and CNN, placing first and second respectively, although considered politically leaning news programs, the fact that they have dedicated newscasts, gives these networks the edge. Talking heads aplenty, as well as programming that features both sides of the political spectrum can be found on these networks as well. Unfortunately, MSNBC’s format of talk, talk, talk and one-dimensional political rhetoric is only sustainable for a short period of time.

Generally the network does best in a general election year, however, at this stage one could easily look at multi-year rankers and get the gist – the other guys must be doing something other than three to four recognizable “commentators” who spend more time ranting that their competitive network counterparts.

One would think that after having thrown good money after bad for an extended period of time, somebody might get the hint – it’s time to change the format. There is certainly a market for the counter-culture that is MSNBC – college students should be enamored, as well as those who lean left politically – yet it’s those individuals in the middle, neither right nor left, that make up the bulk of those who are watching cable news. Although the argument can (and has) been made that both CNN and FOX are politically “biased”, they at least offer other segments that are more in gear with the major networks rather than a cable basic.
Personalities are key as well, considering those whose successes are both on and off screen at the “other networks” should apply as a key hiring or firing point for anyone who has any sense left at the network that can’t quite get out off the ground. Aging old white men, with little to no sense of humor, who are not anchors, should have something to recommend them – besides being comic fodder for other networks and talk radio hosts.

The fact that the Administration is under the gun, is not at issue, regardless of how far the crew at MSNBC either avoids or dismisses or outright defends, the IRS Scandal, Benghazi, Fast and Furious, Wire-tapping the AP, etc.. Perhaps if someone got the bright idea of reporting, then discussing issues (find one), rather than spending far too much time tearing down the “other guy” or an entire political party, they might just attract a broader audience, or at least hold onto those who had watched during the general.

Regardless the content and the delivery have made MSNBC the cable network equivalent of Air America. Dissent and discussion are worthy of programming but changing it up, on occasion, is what continues to draw numbers for the competition.

IRS, The Administration, and the Half-Hearted Press - What can the Press do to Save Itself rather than the Administration?

Unsolved Mysteries Piling Up - President Obama will insure a full internal investigation of the IRS - image: PatDollard.com

The IRS, being in the spotlight these past few weeks, has now been pinned by the Washington Post as a recent report noted that one anonymous IRS agent, for fear of retaliation, suggested that the orders to target political groups came from the “top down”. Those that understand that the targeting of specific groups for political gain by the Obama Administration makes Watergate and Richard Nixon pale by comparison.

To date the White House has suggested that they will get to the bottom of this issue, along with a host of other issues, which have been piling up with some rapidity.

Over at CNN, however, a story on Senator Rand Paul, who suggested that he had heard there as a revealing memo regarding the IRS scandal, is being made more than light of – especially if one views the photo of Paul, as well as the context of the article. It is as if Paul is deluded by either political partisanship and/or by some weird conspiracy theory. One has to recall that the man who could articulate and rebuff the concept of drones in the Senate, is one who may have the wherewithal to know if he had “heard” there as a memo that would cause further problems for the administration hanging about or not. The fact of the matter is that given the inability of the Administration to handle or control the mounting scandals make it entirely possible that a memo was leaked and that the Congress/Senate has a copy. CNN-Deflect, Deflect, Deflect.

Paul, for his part is a Libertarian Leaning Republican and nothing that has come to light in the last few days would be simpatico with any Libertarian, nor should it be with anyone who has a gasp on the constitution – abuse of power on multiple levels is being investigated by the House.

However, the love affair between the Press and the Administration is beginning to show some cracks – after insisting that they were not aware of the situation – CBS is reporting that evidence has emerged that the Obama administration did, indeed, know of the IRS targeting during the 2012 camping.

One has to wonder, have the blinders come off, or is this story so big, that the press stands to lose any credibility it has left, and must run it – no administration lasts forever, that has to be weighing on those that look to the future of media.