Ed Wood "The Right Stuff" Published Dec. 11, 2002

The whining

It's been all over the news - the farewell press conference held by Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) as he relinquished his short-term seat as Senate Majority Leader. In lamenting the return of Republican control, Daschle blamed talk radio, and Rush Limbaugh specifically, for the Democrat party defeat.

Said Senator Daschle, "What happens when Rush Limbaugh attacks those of us in public life is that people aren't satisfied just to listen, they want to act. They get emotionally invested. And so the threats to those of us in public life go up dramatically. We see it in foreign countries and we think, 'Well, my God, how can this religious fundamentalism become so violent?'"

The people Senator Daschle was supposed to be leading, got defeated. He had to place the blame somewhere, so he blamed it on Rush Limbaugh and talk radio. Even to the point of accusing conservative talk radio to inciting Muslim-type terrorism. That's understandable. He had to blame someone. But was he just whining, or did he have another motive? Was he taking the first step toward outlawing conservative talk radio altogether?

Remember the nice-sounding Campaign Finance Reform Act (CFRA) that was passed into law earlier this year? Well, one of its provisions is to outlaw the use of soft money to run radio and television ads for any particular political candidate or party during the last 60 days before an election. We all know the bill's sponsors, Senators McCain and Feingold, claimed that this law would eliminate the need for the millions of dollars normally spent on campaign ads during this pre-election period, and the corruption normally associated with raising the money to fund them, from Communist China and elsewhere.

So if Senator Daschle and the Democrats can make the point that conservative talk radio is nothing but paid political commentary, they will petition the federal courts to kick talk radio off the air during this vital pre-election period. Of course, the mainstream media, ABC, CBS, CNN, etc., will continue to invite their chosen liberal guests, unopposed and unaffected, by the provisions of the CFRA.

Senator Daschle may be rude, arrogant, a whiner, and a poor loser. But he ain't stupid. There's a method to his madness in there somewhere.

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Ed Wood is a resident of Sparta, TN. His column is published each Wednesday in the Crossville Chronicle.