Just Politics

CBS/Infinity Radio blacks out anti-terror conference

by Frank Salvato

[EDITOR’S NOTE: the following article can be seen on WorldNetDaily.com]

CBS/Infinity Radio has refused to air paid commercial announcements for an upcoming non-partisan symposium on terrorism, claiming "people might be too emotionally affected" by it.

The People’s Truth Forum, which is sponsoring the symposium titled The Radical-Islamist Threat to World Peace and National Security to be held in Connecticut on Sept. 21, was rebuffed by CBS/Infinity Radio when the PTF’s president, Jeffrey Epstein, tried to purchase commercial time to publicize the event.

The official statement from CBS/Infinity Radio said, "Too many people might be emotionally affected by the subject matter. … It's too controversial to be aired at this time."

CBS/Infinity Radio's decision comes on the heels of the recent terrorist bombings in London which claimed over 50 lives.

"The commercial segments were to commence on July 18. They were considered critical to the success of our symposium, which has received quite a bit of favorable response from the 'First Responder' community," Epstein said. "We have people coming from as far away as Australia to attend the event."

The symposium is scheduled to feature lectures by Dr. Harvey Kushner, noted terrorism expert; Brigitte Gabriel, a former anchor for world news in the Middle East and a prominent Arab-American journalist; Robert Spencer, noted author on the subject of terrorism and publisher of JihadWatch – published weekly in Human Events; and Laura Mansfield, author and counterterrorism expert.

After having preliminarily agreed to air eight 60-second commercial segments on WTIC-AM in Hartford Connecticut – a CBS/Infinity affiliate station – Epstein was contacted by a CBS/Infinity's sales representative with the news of the cancellation. The sales representative stated that the decision had come down from CBS/Infinity's legal division and that the decision was final.

"CBS is blocking a potent message from being disseminated to both our citizenry and the region’s first responders who would benefit from being in attendance," Epstein said, noting, "A number of congressmen and senators from across the country are supporting our efforts."

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., is scheduled to attend and has recently endorsed Epstein's efforts.

Coming for Rove

White House advisor Karl Rove had several fronts open up on him over the weekend. Foremost among them was Joe Wilson, whose wife Valerie Plame is at the center of whether her name was illegally leaked.

However, Wilson repeatedly refused to disclose in questioning whether his CIA employee wife Valerie Plame had been stationed overseas in the five years prior to having her named revealed in the press in 2003. A person must have been stationed overseas in order for the Intelligence Identities Protection Act to have been violated.

Another front that began earlier last week involved charges that Rove learned Plame was a secret agent from government documents. This also would be a necessary factor in violating the Intelligence Act. Rep. Jane Harman accused Rove of those specific actions. However, Sunday on Fox News Sunday Brit Hume challenged Harman that there were reports that Rove learned the information from a White House reporter and how could she prove her statement was true?

Harman responded, "Well, I can't know absolutely that it's not true - But it's a circle - the reporters got it from somewhere."

Time’s reporter Mathew Cooper told Sunday talk show listeners that he did learn that Plame was a C.I.A. agent from Rove. This has increased pressure by Democrats to have Rove removed.

It seems that it is highly unlikely that Rove caused the leaking of Plame and even if he did there is still the doubt of whether it was a crime. Now, however, according to Bloomberg News the problem is about cover-ups:

Potential Problem

This points toward a potential problem for Rove in the direction of Fitzgerald's investigation. It now has expanded beyond its original mission -- to determine if the 1982 law was violated -- to encompass whether any White House officials, including Rove and Fleischer, have testified falsely about the case or obstructed justice by trying to cover up their involvement in the leak, according to people familiar with the case who cite a pattern of questioning by Fitzgerald.

In addition, there is strong reason to believe that Fitzgerald is hunting big game, according to several legal experts. They say that is demonstrated by the fact that he has done something that no federal prosecutor has done in 30 years: send a reporter, Judith Miller of the New York Times, to jail for refusing to divulge with whom she spoke about the Wilson-Plame case.

McCain/Clinton

McCain can’t be nominated but could win. Hillary can be nominated but can’t win.

ABC’s The Note writes about David M. Shribman, the executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, whose editorial is a must read:

Here are the two most prominent people in presidential politics three summers away from the national nominating conventions: A Republican who very likely can win the general election but likely can't win his own party's nomination. And a Democrat who very likely can win her party's nomination but likely can't win the general election.

Governors Conference in Iowa

The only thing you need to read about the national Governors Conference in Iowa is Mike Glover’s article for the Associated Press. Excerpt:

High atop the list of those to meet was former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad.

"I do know Iowa," Branstad said. "I've run some successful campaigns here, and I'm willing to give advice and counsel."

Branstad had dinner Friday night with Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. On Saturday, he lunched with New York Gov. George Pataki.

Clinton: $6 Million in 3 Months

Hillary Clinton is the queen of fundraising, according to USA Today:

Those contributions, received from April 1 through June 30, were combined with previous donations to give the New York Democrat nearly $12.6 million in cash in her high-stakes campaign for a second term.