At the behest of their parent companies, major U.S. media outlets have interfered in the 2008 election, in part by sabotaging the campaigns of Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Wall Street firms may want to avert many of the regulatory changes Clinton has proposed since they have the potential to negatively impact quarterly profit reports.
Corporate America didn't like it when F.D.R. intervened in the economy back in the 1932, so it's not surprising that some of the nation's largest firms would use their muscle to prevent Clinton from reaching the November ballot. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Roosevelt's New Deal, an economic program the senator from New York promises to restart if she's elected president. Maybe that's why the coverage of the Democratic primaries has featured such an unprecedented (and probably unlawful) collaboration of broadcasters, print publications, polling companies and internet media. These institutions, along with a long roster of paid public relations personnel (a.k.a. election analysts) all appear to be sharing the same talking points.
When Clinton was campaigning, the media promoted a misleading, incendiary narrative about her candidacy. By contrast, little, if anything, has been said about Senator Obama's links to crime figures other than Tony Rezko. He has been tied to at least two Iraqi war profiteers, Aiham Alsammarae and Nadhmi Auchi. (The first is a fugitive while the second, like Rezko, is a felon.) These represent legitimate homeland security concerns that for any other candidate would invite intense scrutiny and almost certain disqualification.
This coordinated effort to suppress negative information about Obama and instead portray him erroneously as a "rock star" not only violates U.S. anti-trust laws and F.C.C. rules, but may even constitute a criminal conspiracy. Yet neither Congress nor any federal agency has intervened, allowing the sabotage of his competitors' campaigns to proceed unchecked. If you recall, the Senate Commerce Committee investigated a somewhat related episode in 2003, when the Dixie Chicks were targeted by a radio corporation after making anti-Iraq-War comments in London. The network's outlets around the country were ordered to stop playing the band's music.
McCain and the Republicans controlled the committee back then. The Democrats control it now, so it's their responsibility to insure the electoral process remains free of corporate meddling for the rest of the election season.
If the evidence is sufficient to demonstrate that violations are taking place, Congress should ask the Department of Justice and F.C.C. to enact or initiate deterrents, fines, license suspensions and criminal charges as needed. In addition, giving "aid and comfort to our enemies" by sabotaging the campaigns of the country's best candidates for president can reasonably construed as an act of treason.
Please help make democracy work again by faxing or emailing the committee chair Daniel Inouye, John McCain, Barbara Boxer and other senators on the committee. Ask them to conduct an investigation and hearings with the presidents of ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and FOX, as well as the publishers of Newsweek and Time, among others.
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Here's a sample letter to Sen. Boxer detailing some of the unlawful actions by media outlets to date and unethical practices that have not been addressed:
http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Winter08/Letter.html
To contact Chairman Daniel K. Inouye: fax (202) 224-6747
http://inouye.senate.gov/abtform.html
To contact ranking member Sen. John McCain: fax (202) 228-2862 http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
To contact Sen. Barbara Boxer : fax (202) 224-0454
https://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm
On the form, select the topic "Telecom/Broadcast", and for the Message Topic write "Hold hearing on media abuse of Sen. Clinton". (Email only if you're in Calif.)
Here's a complete list of all the members.
(Includes fax numbers and email addresses.)
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Visit our Rogues Gallery of American Journalism 
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For more information about the presidential race and the candidates, including Sen. Obama's links to criminal activity, check out the articles in our 2008 election coverage, including:
The Donna Brazile - Karl Rove Connection
Still Under the Bus with Senator Clinton
Bamboozling the American Electorate Again
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Copyright 2008 TheCityEdition.com
Editorial:
Since when does the American media get to force feed us our presidents?
