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The Spectacle Blog
Juan Williams, by all accounts, is one of the rare Washingtonians who is a decent and kind human. That fact makes his firing from NPR, which certainly seems unjustified, all the more outrageous.
Even so, it’s worth putting NPR’s treatment of Williams and attitude toward reasonable discourse into perspective. The Republican Party is on the eve of an Election Day on which they are projected to make historic gains and recover control of the House of Representatives. If a few breaks go their way, they could also recover the Senate.
Whether they recover one House or two, there will be a few legislative priorities that they need to prepare for in the next Congress. The first will be ensuring the extension of the Bush tax cuts, which may need to be done retroactively if Democrats and Republicans fail to find a compromise in the lame duck session. Another will be voting on the recommendations of the deficit panel, which are due the month after the elections. The deficit commission’s recommendations will prove difficult even for the most conservative congressmen to embrace. Without a doubt, they will be more extensive and painful than the cuts presented in, for instance, Eric Cantor of Virginia’s YouCut program, which allows anyone to simulate various budget cuts online. The program’s suggested cuts were laughably small. The deficit commission’s will not be. Whether they vote for the commission’s specific cuts or not, the Republicans need to do what the Democrats have failed to do, and immediately present a plan for returning the country to the path of solvency.
Lastly, and relatedly, if Republicans are going to defund anything, it should be Obamacare. Outside of a Hail Mary-type measure like the Constitutional convention Philip Klein outlined as a possibility, defunding would be the only way to undo the damage done by Obamacare before at earliest 2012, when even more of its provisions will have taken effect.
It should go without saying that reforming health care is far more important than denying NPR its federal funding, which is infinitesimal relative to what the government spends on health care. It would be a tragedy if a momentary outrage derailed the real conservative agenda, which could easily spell the difference between solvency and bankruptcy.
So when Cantor joins Jim DeMint and Joe Barton in committing to introducing a bill to defund NPR, you have to wonder whether his priorities are off or he just lacks the necessary concentration. Threatening to defund NPR is a great way to play to the great number of people who are rightfully outraged. But this is the time to plan a serious overhaul of government, not start a vendetta with public radio.
View all comments (12) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Joseph Lawler
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/10/25/npr-and-the-big-picture
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David W| 10.25.10 @ 8:09AM
Maybe, if the defunding of NPR is a slam dunk, they can do it quickly and make that the first visible sign that they can cut spending. However, if it takes away from the defunding of Obamacare and ACORN (don't forget that monster), then by all means but that on the back burner.
Ken (Old Texican)| 10.25.10 @ 10:09AM
Mr. Lawler,
Can't we hope a Republican Congress can juggle at least two balls at the same time?
Duh!
Lesser Weevil| 10.25.10 @ 2:11PM
I'd like to see them handle one first.
Sheila| 10.25.10 @ 11:13AM
Oh, it's a "vendetta" now, hmmn ? That's a new one. I'll add it to my current standard appendages of "racistsexisthomophobehaterantisemite" with a VENDETTA. Wow, what big words you intellectuals use. I'm suitably chastened. Decline and fall.
Warrior | 10.25.10 @ 12:21PM
Republicans keep lowering the expectations. At least Democrats attempted to keep their ambitious agenda of being hell bent on ruining the country and used every devious angle and parliamentary trick to accomplish their means. No surprise to me, we are about to elect less liberal politicians and not enough Conservatives. Let's continue to lower the expectations and perform like the liberal lite party and maybe by 2018 we can give the democrats a veto proof majority.
Lesser Weevil| 10.25.10 @ 2:51PM
I'd say that the Republican party is in more danger than the Democrats right now. Yes, the last two years of Democrat misrule have been horrifying and we are going to see a wave of GOP victories as a result. But it's not out of any liking for Republicans--they are the same sad sacks that the public decisively rejected in the last two elections. Unless they actually show some leadership in addressing the nation's problems, they will wear out their welcome pretty fast, and then God help us all.
Dan D| 10.25.10 @ 12:48PM
If the GOP takes the House, we will quickly see if they are intent on just business as usual or finally taking a stand about fixing the country's most dire problems.
If their first days include score settling over NPR and Don't Ask Don't Tell and other hot button issues, we will know that Republicans are doomed to failure. Times are serious, and they call for focus, seriousness, and a sense of national purpose, not playground rules politics as usual.
c| 10.25.10 @ 1:22PM
Don't ask, don't tell as an issue is a waste of time. if someone wants to serve, and is qualified, he should serve.
but, defunding npr, repealing obamacare, are important. they should intdroduce the bills and require a vote, and have obama and the rest on record for the 2012 election
c| 10.25.10 @ 1:22PM
Don't ask, don't tell as an issue is a waste of time. if someone wants to serve, and is qualified, he should serve.
but, defunding npr, repealing obamacare, are important. they should intdroduce the bills and require a vote, and have obama and the rest on record for the 2012 election
Jocon307| 10.25.10 @ 4:53PM
Maybe you enjoy NPR, I've enjoyed much of their programming. However, by all means a vendetta against NPR and the CPB NEEDS to be part of the republican agenda.
We NEED to have a vendetta against the left, the radical left that has done so much damage in this country for 40 or more years.
Defund Obamacare, Defund the CPB, Eliminate the Dept. of Education, DEFUND, DEFUND, DEFUND.
Let the NY Times scream and let the chips fall where they may.
Let's take a page from Rahm Emanuel and not let this crisis go to waste.
And if you like NPR send them money. YOUR money, not mine.
All Hail The Stupid Party!| 10.25.10 @ 10:29PM
Mr. Lawler, you wouldn't be related to uber-RINO columnist/talk show host Michael Smerconish would you? The drivel he writes & says & your own columns of drivel have so much in common I can't tell whether I'm reading Michael Smerconish or Joseph Lawler. There really isn't any difference. Typical RINO drivel! The GOP is lying in a coffin right now & each RINO advising them & running for office under The GOP banner is a nail for that coffin. Please go join the left Mr. Lawler. You would fit in much better there.
mark| 10.25.10 @ 11:39PM
In all reality, cutting federal funding to NPR makes perfect sense. It has become a left-wing political tool. "Frontline" used to do fine work. Now it doesn't touch any of the massive corruption to be found in the Democratic machine of Obama. I haven't heard of it doing any hard reporting on ethanol, for instance, the snake oil for politicians wanting ADM's money, and to appear "Green," nor investigation of the "electronic trading modernization act," which got the United States away from traditional supply and demand oil pricing and runs us into spectulator's dictating oil pricing, at a cost to most. They're obviously not touching the corrupt Dept of Justice path of justice for those with the correct skin color or political bent. There's so much Frontline could expose, but even if it were so inclined, could it do so with the sources of money pouring into public broadcasting?