Krauthammer vs. Totenberg: Why Does NPR Have to Live on ‘Tit of the State?’
- Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:27am by
Scott Baker
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It’s been just a few days since revealing undercover video footage of former NPR Senior Vice President Ron Schiller has surfaced and resulted in the departure of not only Schiller, but his superior, NPR President Vivian Schiller (no relation).
But on this weekend’s syndicated “Inside Washington,” longtime NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg offered her own view of the turmoil created by this video footage and she offered a vigorous defense the NPR product.
“I can’t defend the executives, the top executives,” Totenberg said. “And I can’t necessarily even defend the board, but I can defend the product. There is a reason that we are the only news organization other than Fox with a growing audience. It’s because of our product, which is straight-shooting, factual and spends an enormous amount of money gathering news from all over the country and the world.”
After the public shaming of NPR this week, Nina Totenberg was given the option of taking a day off from PBS’s “Inside Washington” so that she wouldn’t have to face the music concerning the so-called “news organization” she works for.
Demonstrating admirable spunk, Totenberg showed up to “defend the product” her radio station produces only to have Charles Krauthammer say in the midst of a lengthy discussion about the issue, “If the product is so superior, why does it have to live on the tit of the state?”
Noel Sheppard’s transcript and commentary can be found here.
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Comments (215)
heavyduty
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:01pmDid you notice that they started interrupting Charles when he started turning it around on them. When they said they had a superior product, and Charles said if your product is so good why do you need my money? They couldn’t stand that so they started interrupting him every time he tried to make another point.
Report Post »awizard
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:29pm@heavyduty; You just noticed that “They” do that all the time?.. when “They” are loosing a point “They” interrupt, insult, change the subject, blame you for the same thing(project), had it gone on a little longer “They” would of called Chuck a racist homophobe … It’s what “They” do … Most businesses I know live on a margin of about 3 to 10% without big bird making Billions a year on private marketing … It’s ridiculous they get 10% of their budget from “My Money” … by the way, big bird went gay about 15 years ago, and I don’t support gay projects …
Report Post »vic138
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:00pmNina, you ignorant slut!
Report Post »338lapua
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:30pm{Flashback}
Report Post »When SNL was good…….so long ago.
teddrunk
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:32pmlol….coffee coming out of my nose….I can hear Dan Aykroyd saying that right now.
Report Post »beckwill
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:14pmHahahaha! Oh! Whew, that was good…how old ARE we?
Report Post »cap0ne
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:59amMama always said never get between a liberal and their federal dollars.
Report Post »UpstateNYConservative
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:58amKrauthammer’s is one of the finest minds out there. He’s pointed and concise, and gets to the bottom line.
Public stations aren’t what they used to be, and that’s why I stopped watching them and sending them donations. One station, Channel 13 out of NYC, used to show great movies I would never see elsewhere. A fave of mine is “The Andersonville Trial”, which has a star-studded cast acting at their best. But all that good stuff went by the wayside. A shame, really. And proof, to me, that liberals destroy everything they touch.
De-fund NPR and PBS. If they have such a great product, as Nina Totenburg asserts, let the chips fall where they may.
In the meantime, were I betting man, my money stays on Mr. Krauthammer.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:58amI may have to start recording that show. It’s fun watching Charles destroy the opposition, even when he’s outnumbered 4 to1.
Report Post »Paul
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 3:26pmI think the lib are out number 1 to 4
Report Post »charliego
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:57amCharles strikes again with his usual commonsense and logical thought. NPR is distinctly liberal and as other liberal venues will prostitute themselves to get their slanted opinions into the mainstream. If the site is paid for or subsidized by the taxpayer then they must reflect all sides of the story. NPR needs to review their format. If this is not possible then I do not wish my taxpayer money supporting them.
Report Post »May I state, as well, the President of the United States must remember he is representative of ALL the people and negate his philosophy of persistently skewing his talking points so strongly to the left united with socialistic attitudes. The well being of this Nation does not appear balanced in his actions and verbiage.
LVNAmerica
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:01pmThat is exactly the point I was about to make – if they (Congress) insist on giving NPR money, then they should insist they reflect all sides, as you said. There is not a good reason in the world to fund them with tax dollars and Charles hit the proverbal nail on the head.
Report Post »spreadcommonsensenot pc
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:57amCharles its not TIT—-its teet, like TEETanic not TiTanic(movie)
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:31pmAs above, “teat” is pronounced “teet” OR tit,” but it’s spelled “teat.”
Report Post »Charles Krauthammer is a physician. I guess he knows his mammary glands.
SpiderPig
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 6:45amMaybe he meant to say “tit” instead of “teat”, which makes sense to me…
Report Post »Alvin691
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:57amThe video? Glorious!
Report Post »Rick in Iowa
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:57am:Hey… Greetings from IOWA… we are as rural as it gets and I have access to Fox, CNN PMSNBC, multiple radio stations, I even… wait for it… wait for it… own a Kindle and a 3G enabled iPhone. NPR is required for rural information… give me a f-ing break.
Report Post »notasheep
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:29pmI grew up in rural New Mexico. I know some people that do not have electricity. I know people that still use out-houses. I now a gentelman that rides his horse from his house down the canyon where he lives over a mile to get to his truck because where his house is it is to rough to build a road. All of these people listen to the locally owned station and not NPR because NPR does not cover there area. Most others in the area have a satalite dish for TV and satalite radio.
Report Post »patriotteapress
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 3:23pmMost of the people in the Appalachian Mnts where I grew-up have cable or satellite TV, high speed internet and cell phones. Goes to show the libs live in another world.
Report Post »iarefounder
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 7:12amI was flipping channels yesterday and caught the local PBS begging for money as the host talked about their hard times and how one of their sources of funding was being threatened to be eliminated. I admit it brought a smile to my face.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:56amThe Hammer hits the nail on the head!
Report Post »beckwill
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:11pmOooooo, good one ;) Should be his motto.
Report Post »912828Buckeye
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:55amTalk about setting yourself up. This is why the libs don’t get
Report Post »capitalism, they don’t (know) practice it. She stuck her foot in her mouth
big time and “The Hammer” pounced on it. Good job Chuck.
heavyduty
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:54amI really think that all business’s should be treated the same. If they can’t make on their dime, then they fold. In my books there is no business that is to big to fail. There have been millions if not billions of business’s that have failed. They either start up a new company, or they work for someone else. But I don‘t get NPR so I can’t comment on their stations. But if I did it would just be another wasted station in my books. Because I wouldn’t watch it. I do get PBS in the South, and they have put on controversial topics on and have asked me for money. But I tell them I can’t because they have these programs on their station. So I don’t watch their station.
Report Post »Charles is right about the difference between FNC and NPR. Fox doesn’t need our money to operate, so if NPR wants to put these types of programs on then they shouldn’t expect tax money to pay for it.
Islesfordian
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:53amImagine what Fox could be if it didn’t have to support itself through comercials. What would a subsidized CONSERVATIVE news source look like? We’ll never know.
Report Post »UpstateNYConservative
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:10pm@Islesfordian
True, we’ll never know. Conservatism and subsidization are pretty much mutually exclusive.
Report Post »mickie4
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:49amPublic funding for radio and Tv is past it’s time. Defund NOW. We can’t afford to waste money any longer.
Report Post »And while we’re at it get rid of Planned Parenthood!
SND97
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:49amChuck may be ugly, but he is our Hero :-)
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:46amLiberals never tire of spending other people’s money.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:42amIf her stupid statements are the argument for subsidizing NPR or Public Television, then they will lose funding.
Report Post »uncleherbert
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:39amCharles very eloquent, common sence approach.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:18pmCharles Krauthammer has more sense in his little finger than Obama has in his Cabinet and czars COMBINED! He is knowledgeable and has uncommon sense.
Report Post »Utah_Carl
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:39amLou Grant: “I HATE spunk!”
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:49amI hate Lou Grant (Ed Asner) …the dirty Commie.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:03pm@teddrunk
Report Post »Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:49am
I hate Lou Grant (Ed Asner) …the dirty Commie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That’s RIGHT!
natstew
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:39amNPR is a Left Wing Democrat slanted propoganda machine. I consider my tax money supporting NPR to be treasonous!
Report Post »TOMB2
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 6:52amBut then where do we go for federally funded entertainment. Us hicks in the sticks need guidance to know what we should be watching
Report Post »ADNIL
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:38amI agree. Defund them.
Report Post »asybot12
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 3:06amit might be just me but I seem to notice a fair amount of the PBS programming is bought from other (socialists) net works s.a. BBC CBC etc.
Report Post »Marine Recon Dad
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:37amI am surprised that Rat Totenberg didn’t flee the SS NPR. There are always a few that stay aboard and go down with the ship…….
Report Post »beckisnuts
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:33pmNext you rednecks will be blaming “the Jews.”
davecoolworld
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:35amDr. Krauthammer is a very smart man and is dead-on 95% of the time.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:01pmCharles Krauthammer hits the nail on the head 95 percent of the time and is right on the money the other five percent. That man’s elevator goes all the way to the top! Proof? Obama does NOT have him in an advisory position.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 3:45pmLeave it to Charles !!!!!!!!!
Report Post »You go Sir .
miles from nowhere
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:33amSchilling sais it all and I quote his statement; We do not need tax payer dollars at NPR!
Report Post »drbage
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:32amYou can always count on Charles to not mince words and hit the nail on the head!
Devil Dog 7175
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:35amGet em Chuck! Youv’e always been one of my favorites. Thats what I love about ya, Call a spade a spade! BRAVO!!!
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:37amDoes ANYONE except the TRULY poor need to live off the tit? I for one am sick of feeding the lazy feckless societal a@@wipes…
Report Post »912828Buckeye
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 11:49amHammer em Hammer!
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:03pmI don’t usually correct others spelling because of my own shortfall in that area……BUT,
Report Post »It is spelled t-e-a-t. That is unless we are talking about strippers here……………….
The Monster
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:04pmTotenberg’s logic is that the superiority of the NPR product is manifestly evident to The Enlightened Elites, but that the dumb hicks in rural areas aren’t smart enough to figure it out on their own, and kick in a few shekels to keep those local NPR stations afloat.
It is of a piece with what I call The Fundamental Contradiction of the Democratic Nanny State;
If we are not competent to decide:
* what radio programming to consume
* what wages and working conditions are acceptable
* what our children should watch
* what health care services to use
…then how is it that when we step into the voting booth, we are transfigured into Masters of All We Survey, competent to choose the laws that make these choices for us all, either directly via initiative/referendum/New England Town Hall, or indirectly via electing legislators to make those laws.
As Johnathan Edwards put it so well:
He can’t even run his own life
Be damned if he’ll run mine, Sunshine.
stifroc
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:05pmThey will live off the tit indefinitely because they are an arm of the DNC. To cut off funding would be to cut off an arm… so it’s not going to happen.
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:12pmCharles is a political genius that made those others look like JV
Report Post »Sinista MACE
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:19pm“There is a reason that we are the only news organization other than Fox with a growing audience.”
That’s a lie, I just subscribed to Prisonplanet.com for a year for about $60.
I wouldn’t listen to NPR for free.
Krauthammer doesn’t have a great deal of credibility either, considering he keeps blowing the war trumpet, when WE‘RE BROKE and can’t afford more war…
Not on my dime.
Report Post »beckisnuts
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:29pmNPR is excellent. They don’t have blond bimbos as anchors and they do a thorough job of reporting on stories.
Report Post »beckisnuts
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:31pmMegyn Kelly is a joke.
marine249
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:36pmRATIONAL MAN
teat is the correct word for a cow nanny goat female sheep ect
Report Post »but when it comes to npr
tit is correct ie npr is as useless as **** on a bore pig
lovenfl3
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:36pmThe liberals are such an amazing display of hypocrisy. I think people like Nina Totenberg actually believe what they say. The rest of us know what an insane comment that was.
Report Post »teachermitch32
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:45pmIrrational man,
He said “tit” not “teat”.
Report Post »jackeric61
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:01pm100% right. If you can’t make it on your product than you should be out of business. I am sick and tired of paying to keep businesses going. In the private sector you pay piles of $ to the local and federal gov’t to stay in business yet these people live off all us taxpayers
Report Post »CatB
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:04pmWell said Charles ..we hear how “little” the taxpayer pays from NPR – PBS … well then do without it!
Report Post »michael48
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:08pmdem-coms raise hell about losing thier Union Funding Cow…now thet’re going to lose thier Propaganda machine…Life Is Good….facing Reality while pursuing Utopia, just to complicated for the “touchie…feelie crowd.to handle….extremely entertaining to watch…..
Report Post »Rearden Steel
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:13pmIt was interesting to hear her say that NPR was referred to as “the business model that worked.” I’d have to argue the exact opposite.
That’s like saying my aunt who is constantly asking family members for money is the model for how one should live their life financially.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:25pmWhy indeed does NPR have to live on this way? Time to defund it completely.
Report Post »Down2TheC
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:29pmMan… she was getting friendly fire from her lib buddies even. Hard to defend the illogical.
Report Post »watchtheotherhand
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:36pm“I can’t defend the executives, the top executives,” Totenberg said. “And I can’t necessarily even defend the board, but I can defend the product.
Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong.
Report Post »Ayn Rand
Showtime
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:52pm@teachermitch32
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:45pm
Irrational man,
He said “tit” not “teat”.
Report Post »~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you a union member?
“Teat” is pronounced “teet” OR “tit” but is spelled “teat.”
CultureWarriors
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:02pmCharles does hit the nail on it’s head. But frankly, not squarely enough. We have framed this whole debate wrong. The facts are; we are spending our children‘s and their children’s money, that is child abuse. It’s not debatable. If you did that your own children they would throw you in jail. Maybe all of congress should be in jail. Now, who wants to be a child abuser? If you frame it that way, loudly and consistently, and in the news, the coward politicians will stop spending. If you are a politician, It’s time to step up and grow a pair. I predict if a candidate for President frames this issue as child abuse, that person will be elected in a landslide.
Report Post »dawg of gawd
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:24pmWow, talk about fickle. Chuckie went from pariah to hero with conservatives, and all ti took was to say tit. (tee hee tee hee tee hee) Is this a great country or what? Imagine how you guys will feel when you finally get to 2nd base.
Report Post »ginsberg
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:51pmYeah shows like the mclaughlin group are soooo left wing. Give me a break, npr is a quality news organization when compared to anyone else. Sure it can be debated that npr should not be publicly funded, but any sane person can see that their reporting is pretty good compared to tin foil hat wearers like beck or faux journalists like brietbart.
AProudConservative
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:51pmAhh yes. I love the sign-off music for Inside Washington; The March of The Intellectuals. PBS and NPR should make that there theme music.
Report Post »restorehope
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 3:50pmPoor Nina probably does believe what she says about NPR. Progressives have swallowed hook, line, and sinker all the lies needed to justify what their masters are telling them to do. I’m guessing that most progressives are incapable of thinking outside the box. It is easier to follow the (socialist) party line rather than question it. That’s how the Soviet people allowed themselves to be subjugated for so many years under communist rule. Not going to happen here in America, not on our watch.
Report Post »watchtheotherhand
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 4:16pmDoes anyone think Totenberg really knows the purpose of a “teat”?
Report Post »ReardenSteel
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 5:25pmNPR is not “pretty good reporting”. What tore it for me was a few years ago when a reporter reccommended that ,because the ghetto was full of fast food trash, that they should gather it up and dump it in a McDonald’s parking lot.
Report Post »There does not “need to be a subsidy” for everything that Nina thinks people need. There needs to be a law against disconnecting people from the consequences of their actions. That has done far more harm than a lack of half whispered banter on Sunday afternoon.
lylee
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 5:41pmSpare the children! Spare the children! We need public broadcasting so that the children can watch and not be target marketed by those evil commercial stations. Heaven forbid that the parents be put in a position to say no to their little darlings! But Nina Totenberg said it best when she said that socialist broadcasting has a great product it’s just that they need to spend more than they can take in. Not only that, she needs to spend other peoples money. Sounds vaguely like a politician running the federal government. Hey Nina, why don’t you do what the politicians do and borrow the money you need to spend from China! Don’t have the taxpayers borrow it for you.
Report Post »avenger
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 6:25pmchuckie..there is still hope for you should we drag you out of the elite progressive side…rock on…
Report Post »freeus
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 6:32pmNina thinks NPR is “too good to fail”. Plain liberal arrogance. If NPR is sooooo good stop the tax payer subsidy. If parents want their kids to watch Sesame Street they can send in a donation.
Report Post »JGP
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 7:15pm@ GINSBERG
It doesn’t matter if NPR programs are left leaning or right leaning or straight up balanced right down the middle and there is no debate about it. The federal gov’ment has no business funding these programs. It isn’t one of their enumerated powers laid out in the constitution. Period. If the state you live in wants to fund radio programs and you agree to be taxed for it, then by all means go for it.
Report Post »jhaydeng
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 8:09pmDid he say “tit”?
Report Post »rcasarrubias
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:04pmonce again, in the arena of facts and ideas, liberals will always lose. way to go chuck!
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:33pmYou can call it what you want…tit, teat or nipple it is still DRY!
Report Post »One1
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 12:49amOk lady… this is how it works in business. if a particular area can not afford your product. Charge more at the places that can and use the extra to fund the other market. Next, if you are so concern about folks not being able to hear you, cut some salaries and donate your services. Then file your taxes showing your donation. Then and only then should the Gov help you out.
Report Post »AUpillroller
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 4:02pmI live in a somewhat rural area and can pick up 5 different stations with NPR programming, all carrying “All Things Considered” and other programs. What a waste of tax payer money!
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 12:04amAs a taxpayer I would like to say: My **** are sore.
Report Post »