Sen. Schumer demands FCC Chair Carr resign for pressuring Disney-owned ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show

[bigtree]

‘I can’t think of a greater threat to free speech’: Chuck Schumer demands Carr’s FCC resignation
Sen. Schumer is the latest Democrat to speak out after Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was suspended over comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing.

“Carr should resign,” Schumer told POLITICO on Thursday. “I can’t think of a greater threat to free speech than Carr in many, many years. He’s despicable. He’s anti-American. He ought to resign, and Trump ought to fire him.”


TRANSCRIPT: Leader Schumer Joined OutFront With Erin Burnett To Discuss Republicans Refusing To Engage In Government Shutdown Negotiations And Free Speech Concerns

Burnett: Brendan Carr went on that right-wing podcast and said that Jimmy Kimmel is a problem and that they could do this the easy way or the hard way. And then within hours, Jimmy Kimmel put on indefinite leave by ABC. Out front now, the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Senator Schumer, your reaction to this?

Leader Schumer: It is outrageous. It's a page right out of Xi's playbook. This is just despicable, disgusting, and against democratic values. Trump and his allies seem to want to shut down speech that they don't like to hear. That is not what democracies do. That is what autocracies do. And it doesn't matter whether you agree with Kimmel or not, he has the right to free speech. And so, it is just outrageous, it is indicative of autocracy, and I am just outraged by it. Again, this is what dictators do. This is what Xi would do. This is what Putin would do. We are not that country.

Burnett: Well, I want to read to you, Senator, what President Trump's son, Don Jr., just posted. He just posted and I’ll quote, I'll read it to you, “They're not losing their jobs to cancel culture. They're losing them to consequence culture. Consequences and accountability are something Democrats haven't had to face in a long time.” What's your response to that, that this is just a consequence?

Schumer: He has no understanding of what free speech is all about. It's not whether you agree or disagree with what the person said. They have a right to say it. They have a right to say it on ABC. They have a right to say it in newspapers. They have a right to say it to their friends and families. And this puts this country in a road that could go to autocracy if this keeps going. What democracies have been known for, what our founding fathers and our country has been proudest of, is we are a bastion of free speech. And they're trying to shut it down simply because they don't like what the person said. That is outrageous.

Burnett: It also, and again, as I've been clear throughout the program to say, you know, what he said should not necessarily be the point. But what he said was to speculate about what side of the political spectrum the shooter came from, right? It was not something to celebrate the killing in any way, actually. When the horrible assassination happened, he came out and spoke about it.

So, Senator, what can you do about it? I know you probably just plugged in, but I was talking to Anna Gomez, who's also a current commissioner at the FCC, Brendan Carr, of course, is the Chairman, and was asking her what could be done even within the FCC itself. And she said, well, that, you know, that she would come out and she would speak out for freedom of speech, for the First Amendment, that that's what she would do, right? So, it just raises the question to me about what really can be done. Is there anything explicit and specific that can be done, Senator?

Schumer: The bottom line is this, that first, when things like this happen, everybody from all sides ought to speak out against it. We ought to have conservative Republicans speak out against it. But second, the courts have always defended free speech. Let's see if they step up to the plate, because I'm sure there'll be lawsuits about this and there ought to be right away.

https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/transcript-leader-schumer-joins-outfront-with-erin-burnett-to-discuss-republicans-refusing-to-engage-in-government-shutdown-negotiations-and-free-speech-concerns

[sop]

1. I remember when these calls to resign made by members of either party actually meant something.

[bigtree]

2. this one comes behind actual legislation

...which is either a challenge to republicans, or a promise for a new Democratic majority.

Happening rn: Senate Democrats hold press conference on free speech bill

[Silent Type]

3. Totally agree Carr should go or muzzled. But why "demand" something that you know won't happen, it's kind of like drawin

g a line and then another when the opposition steps over the previous one. It's ineffective and makes us look like losers.

Criticize the hell out of these assholes, but don't make ineffective "demands."

Good to see the press conference previous poster links to, that seems much more effective.

[bigtree]

4. that goes against advocacy and activism, itself

...I strongly disagree that demanding this without the majority 'makes us look like losers' when a good number of Americans are demanding the same.

We occupy half of that body of Congress; in a number that's going to be consequential in the advancement of a multi-trillion dollar budget.

They damn sure have the responsibility to demand this, and not act as if one election has rendered our elected officials mute and feckless.

This is either a challenge to republicans or a promise to what Democrats will aspire to when we achieve the majority again, and it's basically essential to that effort to make certain Americans know that WE are standing with them when republicans are acting against them.

[Silent Type]

5. Fine, keep demanding and report back when it's effective.

[bigtree]

6. wow

...what do you believe our minority party is for?

What else should our elected officials refrain from demanding?

Yes, we'll keep pressing our elected officials to DEMAND justice DEMAND change, DEMAND defense of our rights, DEMAND adequate, affordable health care, DEMAND affordable accessible education, DEMAND protection against infectious diseases; DEMAND the officials who the American people pay to serve in government respect and adhere to the law, DEMAND that they don't use the power of the federal government to punish their political enemies or dissenters...

...where's Musk?

[Silent Type]

7. Schumer's demands are embarrassingly weak, honestly. I take no pleasure in saying that, but it's true.

[bigtree]

9. it's backed up by actual legislation. It's public advocacy from the elevation of his high office

...representing the nearly half of the Senate that Democrats sent to D.C. without the power to do more than just talk. So it's really disingenuous to crack on Shumer or any Democrat in Congress for their inability to effect anything legislativly on their own initiative.

It's just specious criticism, and it's not actual advocacy for anything they're working to effect.

I refuse to take seriously folks' critique of Democratic legislators' efforts that comes with nothing but personal derision of actual Democratic action; nitpicking legislative resistance to republicans and Trump that so many insist isn't happening, then complaining that it's not enough.

I seriously don't know who all that's supposed to be directed to. Not me.

I will discuss and possibly debate actual legislation that many people bother to, or manage to, look up and post.

Your assertion that Democrats shouldn't make demands because they can't effect legislation right now with their own votes in the minority is absurd; essentially a misunderstanding of their minority role, and apparent misunderstanding of the entire political system of government.

I'll leave it here.

WATCH: Senator Murphy, Senator Schumer, Representative Crow, Senator Van Hollen, Senator Smith, Representative Casar, and Representative Houlahan are LIVE with their new bill to protect free speech in the wake of the Trump administration’s attacks on it:

[Cha]

10. THAT'S YOUR OPIION. THE DEMS ARE

WORKING TO HELP DEMOCRQCY.. AND WHAT'S NOT HELPFUL IS BASHING DEMS ON DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND.

[Silent Type]

11. Yeah, let's continue the same old ineffective things.

[onenote]

20. What would be effective with respect to Carr?

Please advise.

[mcar]

14. And here we go

All over this board DUers are demanding that our Democratic leaders "DO SOMETHING!" They are demanding that Democrats repeal the Telecommunications Act, that they have daily press conferences, that they use the media to get the message out.

Here is Sen. Schumer doing something and I posted an OP about Leader Jeffries doing something. And what is the response?

But why "demand" something that you know won't happen, it's kind of like drawin
g a line and then another when the opposition steps over the previous one. It's ineffective and makes us look like losers.

It's enough to make me wonder what, exactly, is going on here.

[Silent Type]

15. Personally, I don't care what they do to rally those that voted for Democrats. What matters is attracting some

of the 5% or so that turned to trump late and the millions that just didn't vote.

[Cha]

17. Exactly, mcar... TY for Pointing That

Out!

We're here to Support the Dems Working Against the Fascists.. Not insult them.

[mcar]

18. And the insults make no sense, Cha

Why are the Democrats doing something!!11

Why are the Democrats bothering to do anything!!11

[Cha]

22. Yes, that's what's So Frustrating.

We're Fighting so Hard For Our Democracy And to Save Lives.. I wish More People Got the Big Whole Picture.. and instead of Insulting started Helping.

[mcar]

24. We wouldn't be on this sinking ship

if more people got the big picture. Instead we got Hillary is a warmonger, vagina voters and Killer Kamala.

[Cha]

25. Precisely. That's the Irrefutable Bottom Line.

And not recognizing and Learning from That is Not the Way to Get Out of this.. What Feels like Quick Sand.

So many Voters have Buyers Remorse Now.. Too Bad they didn't educate themselves Before they Voted for the Nazi Psycho.. Putin's Pet Project.

[SpankMe]

8. Then there's this:

The anchor shows FCC chief Carr's hardcore free speech rants of the past where he says the government has no business censoring speech, where Carr called government censorship "the authoritarian's dream", where he said "the government does not have a roving mandate to police speech in the name of the "public interest"". Plus, other choice Carr quotes that most of us agree with.

If Dems ever gain power again, this guy should be arrested for violating the constitution.

https://youtube.com/shorts/xD3Ukc4tFyk?si=SwjH8ZENh5o8BBtN

[tinymontgomery]

12. A lot more then him need to be arrested when the Democratic Party

Gets back in power.

[Jack Valentino]

13. FCC Chair Carr should be removed from office---

"we can do this the easy way or the hard way"
~ FCC Chair Carr

[onenote]

23. How do you suggest we make that happen?

Only Trump can remove him from Office. And that ain't happening.

[leftstreet]

16. Will he get a Day of Remembrance when he's gone?

[spanone]

19. K&R

[UTUSN]

21. K&R