Will Peter King Save Net Radio? ACT NOW

Recently got this email from Pandora.com , a great site that lets you stream your favorite artists and bands along the same lines. Great way to hear new music. Only thing is, internet radio like this is under attack from the recording industry. These giant corporations are bleeding dollars fast, and in their greed, they're now going after great resources like Pandora.com . Call Peter King and tell him you're against this power grab from the RIAA. Go to www.savenetradio.org for more info.

Hi, Tim again,

First, I wanted to thank you again for the support last week. It was absolutely overwhelming. More than 200,000 Pandora listeners contacted their congressional representatives! The entire fax infrastructure on Capitol Hill ground to a halt. We had to deliver faxes manually - literally boxes full of them were delivered to every office in the Capitol building.

The result has been swift and dramatic: more than a million people have already joined the cause! There is now a bill just being introduced called the "Internet Radio Equality Act, H.R. 2060" to fix the problem and save Internet radio -and Pandora- from obliteration.

I'd like to ask you to do one more thing which is to call and ask your Congressperson, Peter T. King, to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act, H.R. 2060:

Peter T. King's phone number: (202)225-7896

This fight for our life is not over, but there has been a marked shift in momentum. Thanks to your efforts, this vital channel for musical diversity has a hope of finally being treated fairly and being allowed to grow and nurture a newly empowered class of independent musicians.

Your opinion matters to your representatives - so please take just a minute to call.

Visit www.savenetradio.org to continue following the fight to Save Internet Radio.

Thanks again for being such a wonderful supporter.
-Tim Westergren(Pandora founder)

Do you enjoy listening to internet radio stations? Then please call Peter King at (202)225-7896 or your member of Congress. We'll let you know if Peter King sides with independent media and artists, or the recording industry corporate fathers.

Sunlight Foundation: Peter King's Website Scores 16% on Transparency

The Sunlight Foundation, a group I wholeheartedly support, has done an interesting study on House Members' Websites and the level of information they provide. No surprise here, but Peter King failed miserably, scoring 16% on measures of transparency.

Want to find out what bills King is sponsoring? NOPE.
What statements Peter King puts into the Congressional Record? SORRY!
How about a schedule of what King is up to? FORGET ABOUT IT!!!

As Peter King Watch has noted, King barely updates his site; so much for using the Web to connect with your representative...

Peter King Strapped for Cash:Raises NEGATIVE $16,700

In the crucial test of political fund-raising, Peter King flunked out this quarter. He reports
a low $99,005 in receipts, with $115,700 spent, for a grand ANEMIC total of -$16,695. That's right, he LOST MONEY this quarter!

Granted, some of the expenses doubtless relate to tying up the '06 Campaign. But still, for a newly competitive district, King did not raise impressive numbers this quarter. Perhaps most significantly, he currently has only $287,090 Cash on Hand. At this point in the last election cycle, King was showing $776,990. In other words, he's down $489,900 from this time two years ago, or nearly $500 K.

From a progressive standpoint a strong challenge to King, such as a Dave Mejias rematch, can go head to head on fund raising. King's '06 victory, despite being down in numerous polls, can at least partially be attributed to his 2 to 1 spending advantage; he spent over $2.1 Million in the '06 Cycle. This time around, unless he ups his game hardcore, he won't be so lucky.

Peter King *Proud* Recipient of "Muzzle Award" for Restricting Free Speach

For calling upon the Justice Department to seek criminal sanctions against a newspaper and its staff for disclosing publicly the existence and extent of covert, warrantless surveillance by the National Security Administration, a 2007 Jefferson Muzzle goes to… U. S. Representative Peter King (R., N.Y.)

There can be no serious doubt that current conditions warrant heightened scrutiny of genuine threats to national security, and that the interception of some communications may be warranted to a degree not applicable in more tranquil times. Yet, a procedure presumably existed through which judicial approval for secret warrants could have been sought through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court. There had been no proof that such requests for emergency authority would have been unavailing.

"Announced on or near April 13 — the anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson — the Jefferson Muzzles are awarded as a means to draw national attention to abridgments of free speech and press and, at the same time, foster an appreciation for those tenets of the First Amendment..."

According to Newsday, King's only disappointed he didn't get any actual trophy:

"If they give me a medal, I’ll wear it," said King, who also said that he’d saved space on his wall for a hanging trophy.

"They’re using my good name to boost their popularity, and they’re too cheap to even give me an award," he complained.

I'll let them handle the factual smackdown:

Now for the reality check: Times executive editor Bill Keller wrote in a letter to readers that the decision to publish the story "followed weeks of discussion between Administration officials and The Times", after which the newspaper staff concluded that revealing the program would not endanger its existence.

Keller argued that banks would continue to co-operate if the program was legal and effective, and that the U.S. Treasury Department had already been vocal about its efforts to track terror financing.

Peter King, never one to let reality get in the way of truthiness. We'll see what we can do about that trophy, Peter.

Peter King: Imus Helps Me Connect with People...

You know how Don Imus called the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team "nappy-headed hoes"? Peter King's not certain there's anything wrong with that. At least, that's how it appears:
Via Newsday: Pols must decide if show is worth risk

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), who said he has been on the program at least three times, said he would evaluate Imus' on-air behavior before deciding whether he will continue his guest appearances.

Apparently this incident of blatant racism is not enough to sway King. But since he's already been on the show three times, surely he knows this is not an isolated incident. Imus is known for his bigotry. Thanks to Slate, a hi-lite reel: The Wit and Wisdom of Don Imus

"Boner-nosed … beanie-wearing Jewboy." (Description of Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post, a frequent guest.)

"Knuckle-dragging moron." (Description of basketball player Patrick Ewing.)
etc.

I'm not sure why any rational politician would ever go on this show. But King's got his reasons:

"To be honest, it is a media opportunity to go over the head of Newsday and the New York Times and to speak directly to people," said King.

Ahh, ok. I knew Peter King wore a tin-foil hat and believes that real media are always out to get him. What I didn't realize, though, is that his alternative is to go on a show that preaches intolerance and hate.

Dave Mejias said it best: Peter King "practices the politics of hate and fear." Going on a show like Imus' is right up his alley.