This can't be from the AP, can it?

[unfrigginreal]

Edwards gets hero's welcome in Raleigh as Kerry's running mate

GARY D. ROBERTSON

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. - Thousands of North Carolina Democrats proudly withstood the summer heat Saturday to welcome home their neighbor, John Edwards, in his first visit home since John Kerry picked him as his running mate.

snip

The rally, resembling a summer concert on the campus quad, capped more than 18 months of campaigning by the Raleigh attorney - first for himself and then for Kerry - before he was chosen to be Kerry's vice presidential candidate.

Despite standing for hours with temperatures in the 90s, Democrats remained unabashedly proud of Edwards, who catapulted into the national spotlight in the middle of his first U.S. Senate term.

snip

About 15 Bush supporters carried placards outside the campus entrance adjoining the rally, while a woman in a Statue of Liberty costume inside the rally was led away by police.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/politics/9126395.htm

[LittleApple81]

1. Statue of Liberty? Did she also were the black hood on the head? n/t

[proud patriot]

2. Wheee!

love the highlighted words . Very nice :thumbsup:

[unfrigginreal]

5. This article is probably the first I've seen...

from the mainstream press in 20 years that might( :) ) have a Democratic slant to it. The times they are a changing.

[k in IA]

3. Even Faux news reported it was between 20,000-25,000 people. They

said it was so large the Kerry campaign had to pay more $ - I don't know if it was to the school, city, county or what - because it was so much larger than expected.

[Warpy]

4. I'm not a bit surprised.

I've said for months that NC is one of the states in the south that might go for Kerry. They've been hit hard by Bush's economic bungling, and people are mad as hell about it.

Oh, the preachers are doing their best to whip up hate against the Yankee Kerry. However, people are really hurting, and I don't think the culture war stuff is going to work this time.

[wishlist]

6. Sinclair owned WLOS TV in Asheville spent more time on Bush people

there and never showed the massive crowd of Kerry/Edwards supporters or any part of Edwards' speech either on 6pm or 11pm news. At one point in the 11pm news (that will rerun tomorrow morning) they used the word hundreds (instead of thousands) to describe the turnout and made it seem like there were as many anti-Kerry protestors as there were Kerry supporters!
They interviewed several of the Bush protestors including one irate wacky sounding lady who claimed she was told she had to take off her Bush shirt to get in. Very unprofessional pathetic slanted coverage. Pretty sad when Fox news is preferable to our Sinclair Broadcasting charade. Fox news at least showed most of Edwards' great speech.

I am really pissed at our ABC station's sorry coverage of this event on top of their very negative slant all week about Edwards. I called them Friday evening to complain when they failed to even mention the upcoming rally on their 6pm evening news! This is the same ABC station that refused to show Ted Koppel reading the names of our soldiers killed in Iraq. (Here in Western N.C. we can't get NBC or CBS stations except out of S.C. so we have to rely mostly on this ABC station for N.C. news)

Thanks to everyone who has posted pics and messages about the event

[AP]

7. File a complaint with the FCC.

[AP]

9. And here's how to file a complaint:

Filing a Complaint with the FCC Is EASY

The FCC makes it convenient to file a complaint. Complaints can be filed electronically, by e-mail, by postal mail or by fax.  Choose one of our three categories below (General, Slamming or Indecency and Obscenity) for information on complaint filing.

General Complaints:  wireless and wireline telecommunications issues, cable, broadcasting and telecommunications accessibility issues.  When not filing electronically please remember to include this information.

Indecency and Obscenity complaints, click here.

* Electronically:

USE FORM 475 for general telephone complaints such as billing disputes, cramming, wireless questions, telephone company advertising practices, paging services, unsolicited telephone marketing calls and faxes, and accessibility by persons with disabilities to telecommunications equipment and services:
Privacy information for Form 475

* Postal Mail:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Complaints
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

* E-Mail:

You can send a complaint to [e-mail]

* Phone:

Toll Free: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice, 1-888-TELL- FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY. Our Consumer and Mediation Specialists are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET

* Fax:

Toll-Free: 1-866-418-0232


We need the following information when you file a general complaint with the FCC:

Your name, address and the telephone number or numbers involved with your complaint; (if telephone related)

A telephone number where you can be reached during the business day;

Specific information about your complaint, including the names of all companies involved with your complaint;


Names and telephone numbers of the company representatives that you contacted, the dates that you spoke with these representatives, and any other information that would help process your complaint;

If telephone related, include a copy of the bill(s) listing the disputed charges;

What type of resolution are you seeking?

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html

[AP]

10. Here's info about what you can complain about:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/information_directory.html#broadcast

I suggest reading the one about broadcasting false information. http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/falsebroadcast.html

And here's a good one on journalism-related complaints: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/journalism.html

 What Are the Broadcasters' Responsibilities? 




As public trustees, broadcasters may not intentionally distort the news. Broadcasters are responsible for deciding what their stations present to the public. The FCC has stated publicly that "rigging or slanting the news is a most heinous act against the public interest." The FCC does act to protect the public interest where it has received documented evidence of such rigging or slanting. This kind of evidence could include testimony, in writing or otherwise, from "insiders" or persons who have direct personal knowledge of an intentional falsification of the news. Of particular concern would be evidence about orders from station management to falsify the news. In the absence of such documented evidence, the FCC has stressed that it cannot intervene.




 What if I Have Comments and/or Concerns about a Specific News Broadcast or Commentary? 



All concerns and/or comments about a specific news broadcast or commentary should be directed, in writing, to the local station and network involved, so that the people responsible for making the programming decisions can become better informed about audience opinion.



Complaints regarding news distortion, rigging or slanting can be filed with the Federal Communications Commission, Enforcement Bureau, Investigations and Hearing Division, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. Complaints must be in writing and contain documented evidence in support of the allegations. For example, it is not sufficient for a complaint to allege only that a broadcast station made a mistake in reporting a news event. The complaint must include documented evidence showing deliberate misrepresentation.

[wishlist]

11. Thanks- I think their FCC license renewal comes up in December

I will work on a complaint. The other thing they do is show a slanted editorial comment several times each day. Unbearable

[wishlist]

8. Asheville N.C. Citizen- Times is running a very good article as well!

Thank goodness, because our TV coverage is lousy

"Edwards,Kerry stress support for working class in N.C. Visit"

http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/news/57875