back to article Trump 'not normal' FCC commish reveals amid Sinclair-Tribune mega-media-merger meltdown

Controversy over a proposed $4bn merger of Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune Media in the US has blown up again – after a commissioner on America's media watchdog, the FCC, blasted President Trump's public backing of the deal. "This is not normal," FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel told CNN on Sunday in response to Trump's …

  1. elDog

    I'm not religious, but if it pleases you god, deliver us from this evil

    that infests the white house and much of the congress.

    Other countries - please take heed of what is being done to our once proud country and don't let the oligarchs around the world (US/russian/elsewhere) destroy our experiments in democracy.

    1. JustWondering

      Re: I'm not religious, but if it pleases you god, deliver us from this evil

      Just remember that Pence is next in line for the throne.

      1. WolfFan Silver badge

        Re: I'm not religious, but if it pleases you god, deliver us from this evil

        Just remember that Pence is next in line for the throne.

        Pence is the Trumpanze's insurance policy. It was hard to find someone who's actually further off the deep end than the Mango Mussolini, but...

        If the Wet Fart is impeached, we get SuperXian. Those who don't live in the US have no idea just how far bible-thumpers can go. Those who haven't spent time in Indiana don't understand just how far Hoosier bible-thumpers can go. Most Hoosiers, even deep-fried bible-thumpers, don't really want to go back to the early 1950s. Pence does.

        Indiana wants me. God, I don't want to go back there.

      2. Fatman

        Re: I'm not religious, but if it pleases you god, deliver us from this evil

        <quote>Just remember that Pence is next in line for the throne.</quote>

        And God $DEITY can choose to smite him also.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'm not religious, but if it pleases you god, deliver us from this evil

      actually, Trump is great reminder of how delicate democracy is. That said, it's a slippery path going the way of gravity.How can it get worse? Well, Trump has opened a door, all it takes is continue down this path... down.

      1. deadlockvictim

        Re: I'm not religious, but if it pleases you god, deliver us from this evil

        Fintan O'Toole has an article in the Irish Times on this very topic:

        Trial runs for fascism are in full flow

        https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/fintan-o-toole-trial-runs-for-fascism-are-in-full-flow-1.3543375

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The swamp

    just keeps getting deeper and more noxious.

  3. Alistair
    Windows

    Somehow

    I'm reading about Pai, and hearing The Major General's song (in my head) and of course from there I fall into Tom Lehrer's "The Elements". That is far more entertaining and logical than anything that has come out of the FCC since Pai was handed the chair.

  4. Mark 85

    Trump 'not normal' FCC Commish reveals

    MY question is simple: Is there any political figure (elected, appointed, etc.) who IS normal? Then again maybe it's the definition of 'normal' that changed somewhere along the line.

    1. Palpy

      Re: Trump 'not normal', but are any elected officials "normal"?

      Exhibit A: Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon. You've read about him in El Reg columns.

      For my money (and vote), he is what an elected official should be.

      1. Mark 85

        Re: Trump 'not normal', but are any elected officials "normal"?

        Indeed, Sen. Wyden is my Senator also. I'm thinking he's the only good one out off a pile of political, appointees, etc. but I'll ask anyway: Any others out there?

    2. jmch Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: Trump 'not normal' FCC Commish reveals

      "Trump 'not normal' FCC Commish reveals"

      And in other breaking news, ursine quadrupeds defecate in arboreal settings...

    3. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Trump 'not normal' FCC Commish reveals

      compared to 'normal' politicians, I'll take "not normal" *ANY* day.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Trump 'not normal' FCC Commish reveals

        Isn't it odd how progressives have somehow become the bulwarks of the Establishment? It warn't that way when I were young!

  5. Kev99 Silver badge

    In case you're curious about what life is like under conservative / reactionary governments, turn to history and review Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Imperial (Tojo) Japan, Red China under the Red Guard, today's Iran, etc. Or read 1984 or Brave New World. Or just watch the Orangemen.

    1. Chris G

      @Kev99

      You missed out Spain under Franco. Post office workers and priests were expected to pass on information about any nonconformist behaviour and the secret police were busy too.

      Franco and the church held Spain more or less in stasis during his reign, one of my Spanish mates formed his own rock/pop band in the '60s and on more than one occasion received 'official guidance' on the public's musical needs.

  6. DerekCurrie
    Stop

    A Collaboration Of Liars

    Liars lie about their lying and fool the foolish by flipping accusations of 'lies' onto the honest. This is the state of the current, deeply corrupted and corporatocracy puppeted 'Republican' (not any more) party.

    So of course we have a proven liar as US President. Of course we have a proven liar as Chairman of the FCC. Of course we have demolition of healthcare and every other citizen entitlement in favor of feeding the rich and the military industrial complex. Of course this blatant class warfare is blamed on the underclass that is being blatantly abused at every turn. Of course this lunatic governing ignores long term disaster in favor of short term thinking accompanied by short term financial gain. Ending the game playing in favor of solid, rational thinking is the last thing on their mind. And of course the result is cynicism along with ruined citizen morale resulting in dire ramifications.

    IOW: This is obvious idiocracy. So, what do we do with the oblivious among us?

    1. Mark 85

      Re: A Collaboration Of Liars

      While I concur and give you an upvote, you forgot what's on the other side of the aisle... a steaming pile of the same stuff, just ever so slightly different politics.

      1. phuzz Silver badge

        Re: A Collaboration Of Liars

        a steaming pile of the same stuff, just ever so slightly different politics

        But that's the thing, it's not the same. Sure, 'all politicians lie', "you can tell because they're mouth's moving", but even among politicians, Trump is a special case.

        He really doesn't seem to have a grasp on reality. When Bush and Blair announced that there were WMD's in Iraq, they might well have know that in reality the security services thought that it was quite unlikely, but there was at least a chance (and as the old joke went, they did have the receipts). ie they knew they were probably pushing the truth, but there was a chance they were right. With Trump, he just announces what he wants to be true ('biggest inauguration crowd ever'), and immediately starts believing it.

        I've met the odd pathological liar before and this is exactly that sort of behaviour. It's not telling the odd porky in the hope of misleading the electorate, it's outright fantasy.

        1. phuzz Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: A Collaboration Of Liars

          Only just noticed my they're/their mix up. I can only apologise.

        2. 2Nick3

          Re: A Collaboration Of Liars

          @phuzz You're saying that like Hillary was any better of a choice. Different, yes, better, no. She seems to constantly say what her audience wants to hear, and is focused on covering her backside. Email-gate would have been over in 3 seconds if she would have just stood up and said, "Yeah, that was a bad decision by me." Denying it repeatedly, pushing responsibility toward her staff, doing everything but being responsible for it, destroyed her credibility to a LOT of people. At least with Trump you know what he's thinking - because he Tweets it constantly. And enough people thought that was the better option.

          Both sides alienated the middle in this election cycle. As you can't write in "Snoopy" on the ballot any more we all got what we all got, with neither side being all that happy about it.

          Bring on the "you're an idiot" replies and the "But Trump..." rants - then reread "Both sides alienated the middle" and realize its still happening.

          Or think of it this way - how much do you learn by being called stupid??

          1. strum

            Re: A Collaboration Of Liars

            >Email-gate would have been over in 3 seconds if she would have just stood up and said, "Yeah, that was a bad decision by me."

            No it wouldn't. Whitewater, Benghazi, 'But Her Emails' proved that the right wing wanted her scalp, and didn't care what institutions they trashed in the process. They wanted her scalp, long before she was even a candidate.

            There's no question that Hilary would have made a better Pres than Trump. Anyone would have been better. Hillary actually had policies. She was (is) a policy wonk. And those policies were (are) mainstream. Present them, one by one, to the American people and they'd say 'Sure. That's obviously right'.

            Of course, the USA ought to be able to come up with a better choice than Trump/Clinton - but, if it can't, then Clinton was a better choice.

            1. 2Nick3

              Re: A Collaboration Of Liars

              "Present them, one by one, to the American people and they'd say 'Sure. That's obviously right'."

              And here's the thing - I disagree. I don't think providing mass amnesty to illegal aliens is right. In some cases, yes, but a blanket policy to absolve people of an illegal action is wrong.

              "Of course, the USA ought to be able to come up with a better choice than Trump/Clinton."

              Exactly. Both sides managed to alienate the middle, and that's where Trump was able to win. Here's hoping that lesson was learned (and here's doubting it was...).

          2. phuzz Silver badge

            Re: A Collaboration Of Liars

            I'm always impressed by the "but both sides!" argument coming out of the US comparing Trump to anyone else.

            It's like putting an elephant on one end of a see-saw, and human on the other and saying "it must be balanced because there's someone on both ends!".

    2. jmch Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: A Collaboration Of Liars

      "we have a proven liar as US President"

      Only Trump isn't your common, or garden, liar. His behaviour is consistent with that of a narcissistic sociopath, who doesn't only lie occasionally as convenient or strategically to reach a goal. he lies because he cannot accept that the world as it really is is different than the one he wants it to be. If the same behaviour was exhibited by a prole rather than a billionaire he would be committed.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: the oblivious among us

      unfortunately, they're 99.99% among us, so the question is, what do THEY do with US? (Probably, being oblivious - nothing).

  7. tom dial Silver badge

    Without taking a position on any issue, I would observe that presidential pressure on the FCC and other formally independent agencies is neither new nor limited to the current president.

    https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/node/323681

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet-neutrality/obama-pressures-fcc-for-strong-net-neutrality-rules-idUSKCN0IU1I620141110

    A broader view is at:

    https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/presinf.pdf

    It is hard to remove politics from what, by their nature, are political decisions.

    1. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Re: tom dial

      Oh – indeed, we've covered it here

      Net neutrality: Email trail reveals how Prez Obama bent the FCC to his will

      and

      Net neutrality, Obama, FCC, Title II:Your ESSENTIAL guide to WTF is happening

      ...for example. Guess the point here is it's perhaps not normal for the prez to weigh into a merger based on such raw politics (right v left media) rather than policy (how to define an ISP).

      C.

  8. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    So Sweet Pai is also Sinclair's b**ch as well Verizon's b**ch

    I guess the FCC job is just for pin money.

    But it does demonstrate that when decision making makes no obvious sense follow the money.

  9. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
    Mushroom

    There is clearly ...

    something rotten in the State of D (as in Donald Trump)

    Oh yes, Donald 'I never said that and everything is wonderful, marvellous' Trump.

    It won't end well I tell ye. How I don't know but I'm sure it won't end well and we may not be around to comment on it if you get my meaning. [see icon]

  10. Mystic Megabyte
    Mushroom

    The Fake President is the epitome of Greed

    We've always had greedy people but ISTM that the greedy have now gone into hyper-drive. Maybe they sense that the time left to steal from the masses is running out. One of two things might happen:

    1) The people will rise up and shoot them all - (unlikely)

    2) It's the end of the fecking world - (most likely)

    Whatever happens I don't think that the USA will ever recover from Trump's destructive behaviour.

    1. ArrZarr Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: The Fake President is the epitome of Greed

      They can join the UK in an endless spiral downhill while constantly referencing the time that they were great. We can even give them some tips on how to manage a constant slide to irrelevance as smoothly as falling head-first down a flight of stairs.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Fake President is the epitome of Greed

      Maybe not the end of the world, but the end of the government as we know it. As feared, no government can stand against a determined adversary able to woo the gullible. And the average human is VERY gullible. After all, Hitler WAS elected...

      1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

        Re: The Fake President is the epitome of Greed

        "After all, Hitler WAS elected..."

        But not by a majority.

        And he would have fared no better than his immediate predecessors in trying to maintain a government had he not done something that they didn't --> mount a military coup against the country he was supposed to be running.

        1. Charles 9

          Re: The Fake President is the epitome of Greed

          "And he would have fared no better than his immediate predecessors in trying to maintain a government had he not done something that they didn't --> mount a military coup against the country he was supposed to be running."

          Point was, it was by design IINM. A sufficiently-resourced adversary tossed the laws aside like ink on a page. Where have we seen that before...?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Fake President is the epitome of Greed

      > "Whatever happens I don't think that the USA will ever recover from Trump's destructive behaviour."

      The only thing President Trump is destroying is the Left's plan to reshape our culture in their PC image.

      The economy and trade seem to be going pretty well (for the US anyway) and as for war, I don't see major conflicts springing up everywhere like we were told would happen. These things are why Presidents are elected, not to be strictly "honest" at all times.

      Besides, most of Trump's lies are really just goofing/trolling on his critics. I think he learned that technique from the media...

  11. John Miles

    RE: The FCC is an independent agency

    So how long would Pinocchio's nose be if he said that one?

    1. ArrZarr Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: RE: The FCC is an independent agency

      It would make the American Timber industry great again.

  12. Measurer

    Qualification to hold public office

    As others have said: 'The desire to hold public office, when coming from already privileged classes, should preclude those from holding it'.

  13. aelfheld

    Move along. No bias to see here. Move along.

    FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel was appointed by Obama &, oddly enough, expressed no objections to his ham-handed interference when imposing 'net neutrality'.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Corruption IS the new normal, led from the top of this Administration.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I like Trump!

    He's doing a great job of destroying the Republican Party.

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