NADER TO LIMBAUGH, GET OFF WELFARE

[Mugu]

Note to moderators,

sorry about the off-site link in previous post of this letter. Will be more careful in the future.

Regards, Mugu




Dear Mr. Limbaugh,

The Associated Press reports your new contract with Premiere Radio Networks will enrich you with at least $38 million a year over the next eight years. You are making this money on the public property of the American people for which you pay no rent.

You, Rush Limbaugh, are on welfare.

As you know, the public airwaves belong to the American people. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is supposed to be our trustee in managing this property. The people are the landlords and the radio and TV stations and affiliated companies are the tenants.

The problem is that since the Radio Act of 1927 these corporate tenants have been massively more powerful in Washington, DC than the tens of millions of listeners and viewers. The result has been no payment of rent by the stations for the value of their license to broadcast. You and your company are using the public's valuable property for free. This freeloading on the backs of the American people is called corporate welfare.

It is way past due for the super-rich capitalist--Rush Limbaugh from Cape Girardeau, Missouri--to get himself off big time welfare. It is way past due for Rush Limbaugh as the Kingboy of corporatist radio to set a capitalist example for his peers and pay rent to the American people for the very lucrative use of their property.

You need not wait for the broadcast industry-indentured FCC and Congress to do the right thing. You can lead by paying a voluntary rent--determined by a reputable appraisal organization--for the time you use on the hundreds of stations that carry your words each weekday.

Payment of rent for the use of public airwaves owned by the American people is the conservative position. Real conservatives oppose corporate welfare. Real corporatists feed voraciously from hundreds of billions of dollars in corporate welfare gushing out of Washington, DC yearly.

Whose side are you on? Freeloading? Or paying rent for the public property you have been using free for many years?

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely yours,

Ralph Nader


Edit to add link courtesy of cbayer http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0708/Nader_tells_Limbaugh_to_get_off_welfare.html">Complete article

[anonymous171]

1. Limbaugh is what Raygun would call a "welfare queen"

[old mark]

3. I wonder if Rush has a Cadillac?

[roguevalley]

18. finally, ralph is doing what he is good at, puncturing assholes.

[11 Bravo]

2. Even though Nader's a narcissistic shitstain, you gotta love that.

[Breeze54]

4. Good for him, telling that fat POS off!

I love it!! :P

I doubt he'll get a reply though.

[ben_meyers]

10. He'll get a reply

The letter is already posted on Limbaugh's website. He'll probably get his hands on the original and auction it off on Ebay.

[Runcible Spoon]

5. hahahaha!

love him or hate him, Nader knows how to burn!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

6. Limbaugh is a parasitic lump

who's never done anything for humanity.

[cobalt1999]

7. One egotistical asshole insulting another egotistical asshole.

Neither one has worked in the real world in ages.

I wish they'd both shut the * up.

[anonymous171]

8. They should have a debate. nt

[Better Believe It]

9. No Difference Between Nader And Limbaugh? You Gotta Be Kiddin!

Oh come now.

Get off your high horse. Nader has always been a supporter of consumers and workers.

You might not like his independent politics but that's no reason to question his integrity and principals.

The OP had nothing to do with this election campaign so why spread manure all over this string?

If you can't tell the difference between Nader and Limbaugh you must either be blind or a political sectarian.

[cobalt1999]

11. Both actively work against the democratic party,

both are egotistical assholes,
both don't know when to shut up,
and both are dead to me.

No difference.

Just because once a long time ago Nader was a supporter of consumers, doesn't earn him any special rights in 2008 when he's been an enemy of the democratic party for so many years.

Fawn over him if you want, I say Fuck Nader.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Why should Nader actively work for the Democratic Party?

Last I heard he's not a Democrat.

[cobalt1999]

15. He shouldn't, neither should Rush

He's not a Democrat either.

As far as I'm concerned they are both pieces of shit.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Because?

Just curious why you hold him in such low esteem.

[cobalt1999]

20. Taking money directly from the republicans.

He is funded by the Republicans to attack the Democrats from the Far Left just like Rush is paid to attack from the Far Right.

That alone is enough to make me want to spit in his face.

Some people cling to the belief he is a true independent, that's naive. He's a paid republican tool and people are either too stupid to know it or just doesn't care.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. Democrats take money from Republicans all the time.

So, is it that he's running against Democrats that you are against him? Or, is it the platform he runs on? Is it because he attacks the principals of the Democratic Party? (If so, where?).

I don't get this vitriolic hatred of Nader other than that he refuses to conform.

[cobalt1999]

23. You don't see the difference between money to help a democrat and money to defeat a democrat?

Simple: He is paid by republicans to defeat democrats. Rush is paid to do the same thing just from the other side.

BTW, sticking his hand out for any dollar seems pretty conformist to me.

[Better Believe It]

26. Republicans For Obama

http://www.republicansforobama.org/

And some Republicans gave money to Nader. Most were Democrats or Independents. And some were radicals or socialists who would never give money to what they see as "two capitalist corporate run" political parties and their presidential candidate.

Remember Eugene Debs or Norman Thomas or ever hear about them?

Anyone going to condemn Debs and Thomas for "taking away votes" from Democrats or Republicans?

Now we don't need to relive 2000 over and over and over again.

Fact is Gore won!

And the election was stolen by Bush and the Supreme Court. Don't give them a pass and leave them off the hook.

I haven't read anything in this string yet disagreeing with or disputing Nader's statement. The only negative response has been some cussing and name calling from a few people who know little or nothing about Nader's long history of consumer activism. Probably some kids new to politics.

[Indenturedebtor]

12. I object to his politics but this is right on! And so true n/t

[DailyGrind51]

22. But, he's OUR egotistical asshole, damn it!

[cobalt1999]

24. He might be YOUR asshole, but he's not mine.

He is dead to me.

[SpiralHawk]

14. k and r

eom

[theboss]

17. Isn't this true of every broadcaster though?

I see Nader's point, but this use of the public airwaves argument seems like a relic from the 70s. In a cable tv/satellite radio/internet universe, I don't see it mattering all that much.

[Fumesucker]

19. I know that the only time I listen to the radio is in the car..

And I suspect that is true of a lot of people, a captive audience for their commute time.

To a large extent you have wingnut talk radio to thank for the last eight years, that is where a great many of the most corrosive wingnut memes are spread to the idiocratic masses.

[SidneyCarton]

25. I appriciate Nader flaming Limbaugh,

but he's still a shit.

[Political Heretic]

27. Now, if he was writing that as a consumer activist and not a go-nowhere loser candidate....

...it would be awesome.