The Alan Sondheim Mail Archive

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:55:59
From: "Alec Baldwin, on behalf of PFAW" <alerts@pfaw.org>
To: sondheim@panix.com
Subject: Help us save NPR from this Tea Party Congress

A new message from your friends at People For the American Way.
VIEW AS WEB PAGE  |  TELL A FRIEND  |  SUBSCRIBE
 
 
[bg-logo.gif]
[bg-pfaw-org.gif]

alec baldwin

Sign our petition telling the Senate to stop the attack on NPR.

sign the petition 3-d

Dear Alan,

Last week, Reactionary Conservatives escalated their longtime war on public
broadcasting when House Republicans called an emergency session and waived
the normal rules of the House to pass a bill to completely defund NPR.

As a board member of People For the American Way for many years, I am proud
of the work the organization has done in the past to stand up to right-wing
attacks against NPR and PBS, and I'm outraged at the GOP's willingness to
slash funding for public broadcasting while protecting tax cuts for the
rich. That's why I joined PFAW's emergency petition telling the Senate to
stand up for NPR.

Please join me in signing the petition right now.

You and I might not think that defunding NPR counts as an "emergency,"
especially not when millions of Americans are out of work and events around
the world, like Japan, appear so out of control.

But the GOP was rushing to respond to a severely doctored video of NPR
executives which was still being pushed by right-wing activists even after
it was thoroughly debunked. Republicans in Congress were rushing to appeal
to their extremist base regardless of what the truth may be.

It's clear that Republicans in this Congress are more eager than they have
ever been to serve up every item on the Far Right's agenda. And worse, they
don't even have the guts to cop to it.

Freshman Republican Rep. Rich Nugent of Florida said, "We are not trying to
harm NPR ... we are actually trying to liberate them from federal tax
dollars." But the removal of the mere $5 million in public funding from
NPR's budget would mean that hundreds of stations in rural and low-income
areas would have to shut down.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor was clear in his statements that NPR was being
targeted because of supposed liberal bias in NPR's reporting. Although
"liberal bias" at NPR has been a favorite right-wing talking point for
years, most see NPR's reporting of the news as among the most responsible
and balanced in the media, and the "sting operation" which allegedly showed
that bias was proven to be a fraud.

And right-wing Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said, "It's about saving
taxpayer money." But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported
that the bill overall would have "no effect" on government spending.

Let's protect NPR. Sign our petition telling the Senate to stop the attack
on NPR.

Thanks for standing with me to defend Public radio, and in support of People
For the American Way.

Yours,

Alec Baldwin, Board Member

____________________________________________________________________________


donate

[PixelServer?j=a1K08jQiXsvK-0VAoSeBHQ..]
 
 
 
pfaw.org  |  privacy policy  |  subscribe   |  unsubscribe  |  contact us |
[smLogoFacebook.gif] Facebook  |  [twittericon.gif] Twitter  | 
[smLogoYouTube.gif] YouTube
 

Do not reply directly to this e-mail. Please use pfaw@pfaw.org.

2000 M Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036, 202-467-4999

Powered by Convi