Intelligent US Politics American Politics No Media Bias
Tea Party Seriously Racist?
An NPR executive was caught on camera lambasting the Tea Party as “seriously racist” and claiming that liberals might be, as a whole, more educated than conservatives.
The comments from Ron Schiller, a senior executive at NPR and president of the NPR Foundation, were made during a meeting with two people posing as members of a fictitious Muslim organization. The two activists, who recorded the February meeting on hidden camera.
The Tea Party Patriots slammed NPR for the Schiller comments Tuesday, calling on Congress to de-fund the radio network in light of the remarks.
“The Tea Party Seriously Racist is another lie by the left. I join the Tea Party Patriots and all fair-minded Americans in demanding that Congress immediately stop all funding of National Public Radio. It is time for American taxpayers to stop funding progressive organizations such as NPR, ACORN and public employee labor unions. It is absurd for the taxpayers to continue funding organizations which are so clearly biased. These organizations receive this public funding – which amounts to billions of dollars annually – because they are part of the political infrastructure which perpetually supports the Democratic Party and it must stop now. I urge all readers who share this position to Join Us in pushing back against this irresponsible and structurally biased funding.” Scott Schaefer.
It was no huge surprise that Schiller has since announced he is leaving NPR to join the Aspen Institute in Colorado. NPR officials, in their typical mode of dishonesty, said there is “no connection” between the video of his comments and his departure.
During the secretly recorded meeting, Schiller lamented how the Republican Party had been hijacked by the Tea Party. “The current Republican Party, particularly the Tea Party, is fanatically involved with people’s personal lives,” he said. Schiller described that movement as “white, middle America, gun-toting,” and added: “They’re seriously racist people.” Schiller went on to lament what he called an “anti-intellectual” component of the Republican Party. “Liberals today might be more educated, fair and balanced than conservatives,” he said.
As is their typical manner of dealing with affairs when they are exposed as the ultra-liberal organization they are, put out a statement condemning the comments, while noting that Schiller is leaving the company. Of course, as usual, this maneuver came after the video was released, exposing them for what they are: an extreme liberal broadcasting concern that exists via taxpayer funding. “We are appalled by the comments made by Ron Schiller in the video, which are contrary to what NPR stands for,” the statement said, distorting the truth; this is exactly what NPR stands for.
The video was released by James O’Keefe, the conservative activist best known for bringing down ACORN by producing undercover videos that showed employees with the community advocacy group ACORN helping a couple posing as a pimp and prostitute.
“Mr. Schiller’s latest comments provoke a larger question – how long will we, as a nation, be willing to tolerate the arrogance of the self-appointed ruling elite?” Tea Party Patriots coordinator Jenny Beth Martin
Ironically, National Public Radio CEO Vivian Schiller delivered a speech Monday – prior to the release of the video – in which she rejected claims of bias at NPR. Nobody bought it, but the release of this video to completely discredit her Monday speech is fortuitous. Readers may remember her as the NPR executive who wrongfully fired former NPR correspondent Juan Williams because she didn’t approve of a personal opinion Williams expressed several months ago.
