By: O.Tool on 4/1/09
I'm no great fan of Mr. Entenza, but I'm sure there's NO political agenda behind this letter, either.

By: NoteTaker on 4/2/09

Well, isn't it true that all of us have an agenda? Some are obvious about it while others...not so much.

Besides, having an agenda doesn't have to be a bad thing and also doesn't necessarily mean being unwilling to listen and, if appropriate, change.

Personally, I know little of Mr. Entenza but have little doubt that, as a politico, he likely has some not-so-obvious plan in the works.

It may just be as Ms. Day articulated inasmuch that Minnesota 2020 is less about "fostering discussion and debate in four key issue areas vital to Minnesota's future prosperity..." and more about furthering the political career of Mr. Entenza.

I surely wouldn't be surprised.

By: RealityCheck on 4/2/09
The MN2020 website was created not just as a launch pad for what would be a foolish run for Governor, (sorry Matt, don't know you, but you'd be stupid to run) but also for something legitimate:

A forum for progressive viewpoints. Is it perfect? No. Hardly.

Is it a response to Bill O'Reilly, Rush, Huck, that sniveling dipstick Beck?

Yes, and about 10 years late.

So.

If you don't like MN2020, remember who started this kind of clap.

Conservative talkshow freak Morton Downey Jr? Rest his soul?

No, it was former President Reagan, who got rid of the "Fairness Doctrine" in broadcasting. Just like Pookah's Federal Reserve/Inflation stories (and he's absolutely right), every topic has a ground zero. That's where it started, so if you wanna whine, whine in the right direction, please.

Have a nice day, Day.

By: Lily on 4/4/09
the "fairness doctrine" was hardly fair, guess what it's a free country, all the radios/tv's i own have an on/off button and oh surprise and dismay they also have a tuner/channel changer don't like what your hearing or watching ....change the freakin' channel!!!!! the dems are all for putting the "fairness doctrine" back because they don't like their mistakes exposed....we all know the main stream media isn't going to report their flaws.

By: gattaca on 4/5/09
RealityCheck,

When MN2020 gets media coverage, it isn't touted as "Here is liberal/progressive think tank, MN2020's opinion...". They get treated like some unbiased research center. That is where I see the disingenuous nature of MN2020 (and its coverage). ...Also, they don't always produce the evidence for some of their statistical claims. (Like last year they tried to say that MN was only the 32nd most taxed state in the union. ...They wouldn't explain how they came up with that ranking...but the media was happy to broadcast that 'statistic' after Jason Lewis' Tax Cut Rally last year)

I personally don't care much for Rush, Hannity, etc. I think they are part of the problem of the conservative movement. (Though I think Beck is pretty funny). But your logic takes some weird twists and turns when you say that by allowing free speech in this country (i.e. eliminating the Fairness Doctrine) no one should say anything about the misrepresentation of MN2020. That's quite the stretch.

By: RealityCheck on 4/7/09
Yep and its no different than the full out LIE that is the phrase "fair and balanced" on th Fixed News Network.

The cat was let out of the bag by Fox Noise and other conservative outlets long ago and so I find it so very very amusing that the pots should call the kettles black in this matter.

By the way BECK blames rape victims for getting raped, and did so on national television. That's quite a sense of humor you have there gattaca.

Lily: your lack of understanding OR lack of caring about this issue, underscores the problem with our country. This is a real issue, and to dismiss it is a display of either ignorance or complete detachment from society. Both are dangerous to democracy, but wonderful to conservative shepherds. Makes for easy pickin's.

By: gattaca on 4/8/09
RealityCheck,

Again, your argument takes some hard-to-follow changes in direction.

Your original claim was that anyone that does not like MN2020 should complain about Reagan. ...I said your argument was quite a stretch because my frustration wasn't MN2020...but that MN2020 (and some of their research) is taken at face-value by the media and presented as unbiased.

I also said that I don't like Hannity or O'Reilly. I said I think they are a problem.

Your response is: Fox News Lies and something about the pot calling the kettle black.

Huh? You sound more interested in complaining than discussing issues or having a legitimate debate.

In addition, you try to use hyperbole to discredit me. I said I think Beck is funny. That DOES NOT mean that I think EVERYTHING he says is funny. Sometimes he is serious and sometimes he is cynical. I take exception to you implying that I think something like rape is funny. I think Michael Richards is funny...does that make me a racist because of what he said at that night club? No, it does not. Your weak and childish method of trying to attack my character speaks more to YOUR lack of character than mine.

Lastly, I never heard Beck say that he blames rape victims for being raped. I searched for proof of your claim but I can't find it. Can you please provide a source for your claim? Since it was on national television, it shouldn't be too difficult.

By: pookah on 4/9/09
Speaking of Federal Reserve/Inflationist stories (thanks for the vote, RealityCheck, seriously!), it's totally conspiratorial blasphemy for me to say this, but I do believe the year the world central banking families want the single paper world currency to be implemented is 2020.

Not sure if Entenza is connected with that movement but it's interesting the same year is being used.

YACK!

By: Lily on 4/9/09
reality check.....ok, my lack of understanding....explain to me the fairness doctrine and how it's "fair"

By: gattaca on 4/10/09
Yes, RealityCheck, while you are replying to Lily...I'd still like to see your source about Glenn Beck. You know the one that doesn't seem to exist and that you used to infer I find rape funny?

By: RealityCheck on 4/12/09
gattaca, do NOT confuse the Fairness Doctrine with Freedom of Speech. They are two different things. As for Beck I just don't see how a decent society lets that guy stay on the air. For what its worth, I heard the BECK story on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olberman. I can guess what you'll say about that.

In my experience, MN2020 has always been referred to as the "liberal" or "Democratic" think tank, or at least thats what they say on the twin cities t.v. and radio stations. I can't speak for print or web media. Given Mr. and Mrs. Day's decidedly conservative history, it is really funny that they'd complain about MN2020 because MN2020 exists because of the world Senator Day helped create. It was created first as a sounding board for fed up liberals and it grew from there. It is exists because the likes of Dick Day are constantly spreading misinformation. He is openly hostile to public schools and especially teachers, and exaggerates school problems to get people fired up. He regularly talks as if the rich are the most downtrodden, abused, and injured people on the planet, and how shameful it is to make them pay their fair share but when you bring it up he cries "Class War!" I won't support a class war! When in fact, he is one of the class war Major Generals...and the rest of us can go live in a box for all he cares. Some day I'll tell him how I really feel. : )

Lily the fairness doctrine kept the media on a somewhat even keel at the time, and if not perfect it was FAR BETTER than what we have now. Anyone who says different is selling you something. Now there are almost no rules whatsoever regarding news broadcasts and that makes for an uninformed or misinformed public...again easy picking for anyone who would take advantage. Some of the best news people have left the biz because in there words "Its no longer about the truth, its about hype." If that is a world you want to live in, you and I know how to use the OFF switch, but far too many voters do NOT, and they don't know the difference between real news and entertainment and that's where the damage happens.

YACK is right, Pookah. YAAAAACK! Though I would guess the 2020 reference has more to do with "vision" since that's all we can do at the moment. Look ahead. Its easier than looking at right now, which is kind of ugly.

By: gattaca on 4/13/09
[RealityCheck]: For what its worth, I heard the BECK story on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olberman. I can guess what you'll say about that.

[me]: RealityCheck, if you want to listen to Olbermann, knock yourself out. But you need to heed some of your own advice, which you even discussed later in your post: i.e. “making for an uninformed and misinformed public”. You criticize Fox News and blame people like the Days for spreading misinformation…and then you not only use (mis?)information from Olbermann…but you use that information to cast aspersions on me.

I did multiple searches trying to find proof of your claim about what Beck said...and came up with nothing. This is one of the reasons why I don’t like listening to Hannity or O'Reilly, etc...they say stuff that gets me fired up....and then I do research to verify what they say and often times it is out of context, inaccurate, and/or extremely exaggerated. What makes you think Olbermann is any different? If Beck said such a thing on national television then it shouldn’t be difficult to find a source to. …Just because you heard Olbermann say it does not make it true. ...So, even if you don't like Glen Beck...see if you can find a source of ANY kind that corroborates what you heard. PLEASE!

I don’t generally like to spend much energy about what a given TV/radio person said or didn’t say…but if you can’t tell by now, I think your inference that I find rape funny is pretty disgusting and it severely lowers the value and credibility of anything you have to say. You complain about other people and standards, etc...yet you fling some pretty vile mud. Why? I didn't even inject anything inflammatory to my original post yet you felt the need to take a low blow. ......all based on something that you heard Olbermann say about Beck that (you? or) I can't find any verification of.

By: Lily on 4/14/09
reality check, i would not want to be in your reality if you think the fairness doctrine is fair......what is wrong with free enterprise? viewers/listenors decide what and who they want to watch/listen to, not the government want us to listen to, and who is to say that if "both" side have their viewpoint that it's truth??? so now you want voters to be informed?? are you going to spoon feed them views??

By: RealityCheck on 4/21/09
This isn't a term paper. I don't need references. If you want to wade through two months worth of Keith Olberman's Countdown on MSNBC knock yourself out, but I won't be doing that. He did say it, however. He also said the other day on Bill Mahr's HBO show that out in public, guys like Beck and Hannity try to cuddle up to Olberman and say "Gee, its just a job, we don't MEAN any of it." Meaning they don't really mean what they say. Meaning they are actors.

As for casting aspersions. I apologize.

I don't understand your sense of humor either way, but I am sorry. I take back what I said with regard to you and Glenn Beck.