Today's Nuze: January 16, 2007

Tuesday - January 16, 2007

DEAD AIM ON TALK RADIO

Here's a little excerpt from "Somebody's Gotta Say It":

No mistake about it: The left hates talk radio. With a blinding passion.

Liberals have finally realized that they can't enjoy widespread success in the talk radio format. They've spent millions trying, and they've failed. A number of the left's most visible icons have given it a shot, people like former New York governor Mario Cuomo. They've failed miserably. Leftist entertainers who know their way around a microphone, Hollywood stars like Alec Baldwin, have tried it. Not good. Not just not good . . . but hideous and laughable.

Liberals know-because they have consultants, who are usually smarter than they are-that talk radio is going to belong to libertarians and conservatives as long as the format is allowed to exist.

Talk radio, especially Rush Limbaugh, enabled the 1994 voter revolution. Sure, the Republicans had their Contract with America, but that contract was worthless if the people didn't know about it.

The Contract with America was taken to the people by talk radio. Intrigued by the idea of a hundred-day voting agenda, the conservative jocks yakked it up. Not that these hosts necessarily agreed with every point in the Contract. They just felt that it was a unique approach; it captured their imaginations. As a result, the American people got an in-depth education in the principles behind the Contract and the probable effect of its passage:

Bye-bye Democrats.

Democrats are dedicated to making sure that such a disaster never befalls them again. They're back in power now, and in power is where they intend to stay. They will do everything in their power to make sure a ragtag and unelected band of radio talk show hosts don't weewee in their Cheerios again.

The only way, then, for liberals to deal with this threat to their continuing power is to get rid of it. Murder is the preferable option. And the most likely murder weapon will be something called the "Fairness Doctrine."

"Somebody's Gotta Say It" HC, an imprint of Harper Collins. Debuts February 20, 2007

In the book I go on to detail just exactly how the resurrection of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" would quickly destroy talk radio. I can tell you that there are radio executives out there who thought that the Fairness Doctrine was not really that much of a threat .. until they read my scenario. Now they are true believers.

Over the weekend there was a little gathering of leftists in Memphis called the "National Conference for Media Reform." Who should make a surprise appearance than Ohio Democrat Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Kucinich planning on running for president --- again. He has no chance --- again. But he is the new chairman of a new House subcommittee. Ready for the name? The Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee. How Nice.

Why did Kucinich make his surprise appearance at this media conference? Because he wanted to announce that his committee would, among other things, be considering bringing back the Fairness Doctrine.

BUSH GIVES DEMS THE FINGER

Well it's about time. Appearing on '60 Minutes' Sunday night, President Bush said Congress cannot reverse his decision to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq. He also says the Democrats should put up or shut up: "It's my responsibility to put forward the plan that I think will succeed. I believe if they start trying to cut off funds, they better explain to the American people and the soldiers why their plan will succeed." Where was this George Bush 2 years ago?

Democrats are howling about the White House's new plan for the war in Iraq, but not a single one of them has come forward with their own plan. Well .. that's not entirely true. We do have the Democrat plan for "phased redeployment." And that's just fancy talk for withdrawal. The Democrats know that the public doesn't like words like "withdrawal" or "retreat." They had to come up with another word, - perhaps one with a military flavor, that would mean the same thing. They settled on "redeployment." This is reminiscent of the Democrat effort to come up with another word for "spending." They knew the public wouldn't react well to suggestions that we needed to increase spending on this, that or the other program. The Democrats needed a new word for "spending." They found one. Now you'll hear them talking about "investing" rather than "spending." It sounds so much better when you say "We need to invest more in our public schools," then it does when you speak of "spending more."

Other than cutting and running, the Democrats have nothing. They never have. All of the Democratic freshmen in Congress that ran against the war got there because they railed against the administration. But they have no plan.

So it's about time our commander in chief has gotten it right. We are trying to win the war, after all. So it will be interesting to see if the Democrats meet Bush's challenge. Will they really try to stop his plan for Iraq? Nope..and Bush knows it. He knows he has the upper hand. It's nice to see him finally using it.

NANCY PELOSI'S TUNA STORY DIES

So what happened to the story about Nancy Pelosi exempting American Samoa from the minimum wage because it benefits companies in her district? Here we have a juicy little story affecting the Speaker of the House, and the media has chosen to look the other way. Imagine if this had been Newt Gingrich or Dennis Hastert. Would the press be so kind? Nope...but hey, this is a Democrat....THE big cheese, the head honcho. She gets a pass. Maybe it's because Dems plan to revise the bill to include American Samoa and cover the speaker's behind.

Never mind the hypocrisy of it all. Democrats stand up there and tell us that you can't raise a family on $5.15 an hour, that it needs to be raised to $7.25. Evidently you can raise a family on $7.25 an hour, even if it is phased in over two years. But when it comes to American Samoa, that's different. And as long as the Del Monte Corporation, through it's Star Kist subsidiary, is loading you up with campaign cash...then well...maybe you can raise a family on $5.15 an hour. At least if you live in American Samoa.

So the story will wither on the vine, thanks to media bias. Can you imagine if Tom DeLay were doing this? It would still be front page news. But Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat, and Democrats are protected by the media. You should know that by now.

MORE TERRORIST SURVEILLANCE TO REPORT

Here comes the latest government surveillance outrage. The New York Times is reporting that the CIA and the Department of Defense have been pulling the banking and credit records of suspected terrorists. Yawn. People didn't care about it when the feds were wiretapping suspected terrorists' telephones and they aren't going to care about it now.

Dick Cheney points out that if a financial institution receives a letter from the government requesting information, they are free to go to court and try and stop it. He also points out that this kind of surveillance has been going on for several decades. He also mentions that it is permitted in the Patriot Act. Never mind those facts, however. The media outrage machine doesn't care.

Somebody else that doesn't care, though is the American people. The press just hasn't been able to get people worked up over the idea of terrorist surveillance. Because if you aren't a suspected terrorist, nobody cares. That's just the way it is.

By the way .. this really is nothing all-that-new. Under the provisions of a little gem called The Bank Secrecy Act, the government can get into your bank account pretty much any time it wants ... even without going to court to get a warrant. All the IRS has to do is send a letter to the bank and your records are on the way. Just remember this when you hear the left screaming bloody murder over this.

SOMEBODY'S GOTTA SAY IT

I now have the copy for the front flap of the cover of Somebody's Gotta Say It. I guess it's OK to share it with you here:

I've come to the conclusion that roughly 50 percent of the adults in this country are simply too ignorant and functionally incompetent to be living in a free society.You might think I'm off base, but every day around half the people in this country go out of their way to prove me right
From Somebody's Gotta Say It

Think you've got it all figured out? Think again.

Neal Boortz--the Talkmaster, the High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth--has been edifying, infuriating, and entertaining talk radio audiences for more than three decades with his blend of straight talk and twisted humor. Now, the author of the smash #1 bestseller The FairTax Book returns to gore every sacred cow in the pasture, from the subversive agendas behind children's books to the scam artists behind "High Art."

In Somebody's Gotta Say It, Boortz warms up for the coming political season with a preemptive strike in the War on the Individual: "The Democrats' theme for 2008 will be 'The Common Good.' I can't speak for you, but I am an individual. Government exists to protect my rights, not to order my life. And I damn sure don't exist to serve government." He takes on liberal catchphrases like giving back ("Nobody-especially not the evil, wretched rich-actually earns anything anymore. Why do liberals think this way? Because they find it impossible to acknowledge that people work for money"), our rampant civic idiocy ("We are not a democracy. Never were. Weren't supposed to be. And we shouldn't be"), and Big Brother ("We have smoke-free workplaces. We have drug-free school zones. I say let's start establishing government-free oases, where we can be free to leave our seat belts unbuckled, and peel the labels off anything we choose"). And somehow, along the way, he finds room for pop quizzes, cat-chasing contests, and an answer, once and for all, to the eternal question "Neal, why don't you run for president?"-in a chapter called "No Way in Hell."

Full of irresistible wisecracks and irrefutable libertarian wisdom, Somebody's Gotta Say It is one man's response to America at a time when the government overreaches, the people underperform--and the truth hurts.

The book debuts on Tuesday, February 20th. You can order an autographed copy today by clicking on this link! No .. it won't be a signed book plate. We're shipping thousands of books to Atlanta before the release date, and I'll personally sign every one. We'll ship the book to you so that you'll receive it the very week it debuts. Order now so you'll have your copy of Somebody's Gotta Say It ASAP! Check out the tentative book tour schedule.

Last week Boortz Blast newsletter subscribers got an exclusive excerpt of Somebody's Gotta Say It delivered directly to their inbox. You didn't get one? Then sign up for the Boortz Blast and we'll share it with you too and send you more exclusive Boortz stuff every two weeks.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

$300 bucks or more for a stroller? How about more like $14.99? More in the Redneck Scrap Book.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Former presidential candidate and current Congressman Dennis Kucinich was at an event over the weekend where he pledged to hold hearings on the Fairness Doctrine. He says congress is now in a position to move a progressive agenda. Sounds like censorship to me...here we go again!

The controversy continues over the hanging of Barzan Hassan, Saddam Hussein's half-brother. His head just snapped clean off. Either the rope was too long or Hassan made one too many visits to the candy machine while in prison. Oh well, too bad. It's not like he felt a thing.

Barack Obama is creating an exploratory committee to determine whether or not he should run for the 2008 Democratic nomination. Perhaps they can also work on exploring his record in politics, which up to this point, is running just a bit thin.

Nancy Pelosi is warning President Bush that he shouldn't abuse power when ordering the troop surge in Iraq. Just how it is possible for President Bush to abuse power when exercising his Constitutional responsibilities, she didn't say. Perhaps somebody should ask her why she is protecting the tuna industry in her district from the minimum wage increase? Oh wait...she has a pass from the media on that one.

Jury selection is beginning in the trial of Scooter Libby...who supposedly is being tried for perjury and obstruction of justice in the Valerie Plame non-affair. Not only is this a complete waste of time, but even if convicted, Libby will probably just appeal until he gets a presidential pardon.

An investigation has discovered that the U.S. Pentagon has sold military parts to Iran and China at least 6 times. Evidently the Chinese and the Iranians were loading up at the Defense Department's surplus auctions. Nice security measures.

Al Gore says he is not running for president, which means it's only a matter of time before he runs down and files the paperwork. Then again, maybe he can't afford the pay cut....Al sure is doing mighty nice for himself these days in the corporate world.

Victor Davis Hanson has a message for those critical of the way Saddam's execution was carried out: it was a lot more fair and humane than the way he treated his victims. Hanson also looks back in history to the way other dictators who killed millions have been treated.

Is Iraq indeed like Vietnam? Thomas Sowell takes a look at the conflict in Iraq and looks at the comparison. He points out that in wars, often military victory is not enough. He also points out that things in Iraq have gone fairly well. That's right...fairly well! Don't miss this one today.

David Limbaugh sounds off on Barbara Boxer's behavior toward Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and says it's all part of the same act from the Left. He also says Democrats hate Rice because she's a Republican.

Saddam Hussein's half-brother and the chief justice of his regime were hanged at 3 o'clock this morning. Witnesses say they seemed a bit surprised as they were standing on the gallows. Seems there was a problem with one of the hangings....Saddam's half-brother's head was ripped off by the force of the rope. Hey, nobody's perfect. Maybe he gained a little weight in prison.

Larry King is celebrating his 50th year in broadcasting this year. Perhaps his show is just a bit past its prime, perhaps not. He was asked what he thought of Bill O'Reilly. But what's more interesting is what he thought of Nancy Grace, who works for their mutual employer.

It turns out Barack Obama's short political career isn't the only thing making people wonder what all the fuss is about. It would appear he didn't do much in college, either. In fact, not too many people remember him from Columbia University. It just furthers the question: what has Barack Obama done that's so great? We're waiting.

The smackdown between Condoleezza Rice and Barbara Boxer continues. Can Rice, a single woman with no children, appreciate the sacrifice of families who have lost loved ones in Iraq? Would Boxer have grilled a Democrat the same way? Of course not.

Dick Cheney said on Fox News Sunday yesterday that if the United States doesn't prove it will do what is necessary to win in Iraq, then we will have given in to Osama Bin Laden. Right...time to grow a pair, finish the job and get out of there.

We have a new entrant in the '08 presidential sweepstakes...Congressman Ron Paul from Texas. The Republican who once ran as a Libertarian will be running this time as a GOP candidate. Good luck.

We have a new Secretary-General at the U.N. and former Ambassador John Bolton takes a look at his first few weeks in office. Do we finally have somebody in charge at the U.N. that will get things done or will it be more of the same? Read on to find out.

Harry Reid was held up last week as the example of ethical reform. But since then, notes Robert Novak, the Senate Majority Leader has done everything he can to preserve the status quo...opposing full disclosure on earmarks. So much for reform.

And now here are some random thoughts from Thomas Sowell. For instance, Sowell notes that civil rights used to be about treating everybody the same. Not so anymore. Treating everybody the same is now considered discrimination.

On this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Star Parker's thoughts turn to Iraq. She says King's words of over 40 years again can guide us today...and even apply to the situation in Iraq. How so? Check out her latest column here.

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