Adrian Chen | Gawker
Republican Senator Jim DeMint has confirmed that he will introduce legislation to cut federal funding from NPR after they fired analyst Juan Williams for making insensitive comments about Muslims on Fox. The Right’s war on NPR has begun in earnest!
Tonight on The O’Reilly Factor, Bill O’Reilly followed his Fox colleague Mike Huckabee in calling for “an immediate suspension of all public money going to NPR” because of Williams’ firing. He also added, “We understand [South Carolina] Senator Jim Demint will introduce legislation to defund that enterprise. No taxpayer money should be going to an outfit that abuses free speech.” (CNN has confirmed DeMint’s intention.)
So, now Republicans will likely make a huge stink about stripping funds from a radio network best-known for afternoon chats between obscure jazz musicians and a hippie lady who could be the head research librarian at Cat Fanciers University, story time for emotionally stunted 30-somethings hosted by a skinny twee dude, story time for unfulfilled 40-somethings hosted by a chubby midwestern dude, and “The World’s Most Annoying Radio Show, Ever” (known in some markets as “Car Talk”).
But NPR says government funding makes up only two percent of its budget. So if public funding is cut NPR will still exist–only their fund-raising drives will be that much more obnoxious. The Right really knows how to hit Liberals where it hurts.
Here’s Bill O’Reilly tonight, ranting about the “totalitarian” NPR:
Previously
NPR Correspondent Fired for Talking About Muslims on Fox
Enraged Mike Huckabee Wants NPR Stripped of Public Funds
[Image via Getty]
The original version of the story appears here: http://gawker.com/5670314/republican-senator-will-introduce-legislation-to-defund-npr
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