Progressive talk: Romney's hands are dirty

Please forgive my lateness, but this story has been reverberating in my head and refuses to let go.

Mitt Romney Buys Clear Channel

by Chris Bowers, Thu Nov 16, 2006 at 01:44:50 PM EST
Rochester Turning finds this disturbing nugget on the 2008 Presidential race:


Clearchannel just recently went up for auction. Mitt Romney's Bain Capital bought it along with Thomas H Lee Partners, but I'm not sure who owns them. The rumor on the Street was that there might be regulatory problems because the firms own positions in other media companies, but I'm not sure which ones. Article is here and Wikipedia for Bain Capital is here.


To prepare for their 2008 runs, most potential candidates stock up on staff, a Leadership PAC, and support from party leaders, advocacy organizations, and grassroots groups. Mitt Romney buys a media empire.

You don't have to be wearing a tinfoil hat to notice that right after the November election a whole raft of progressive talk stations run by Clearchannel switched formats. You have to ask yourself, who stands to gain the most from the demise of Progressive talk? And, who is in a position to do something about it?

Also note his massively publicized $6.5 million phone-athon Monday. He's had a whole lot of free time to prepare his run - god knows he hasn't wasted any of the past two years actually governing Massachusetts. We disregard his efforts at the country's peril, though Elias thinks he won't be able to stand the heat. I hope he's right.

Also this week Romney picked up the coveted dilettante endorsement from Bill Weld. That should tell you something: serious about becoming president; unserious about governing.