Add NPR/Diane Rehm Show to your list.

I listened to her Friday News Roundup after Ron Paul's moneybomb of November - as her panelists have been dismissive about him (or downright rude - one regular panelist on the domestic news roundup is a consultant for McClunk), I wanted to hear how they would cover this history-making event. Nada. Not one word. Guess it wasn't history-making enough for them.

So I listened the Friday after the December 16th record-breaker. Nada. They spent 30 minutes of their domestic hour on politics. Dr. Paul was not mentioned.

Until a caller asked about it. 'Well, since he brought it up, let's talk about it.' That 'talk' took about 10 seconds.

This is the email I sent to her program, an email I am sure will be trashed as soon as received.

Come senators, congressmen,* please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall,

For he that gets hurt, will be he who has stalled,

There's a battle outside - And it's ragin'.

It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls,

For the times they are a-changin'.

* Add 'NPR experts' to Dylan's lyrics.

Your panel on Friday 12/21, spent a full half hour on the week's top news stories of the 2008 presidential campaign. The biggest news of the week, of course, was Congressman Ron Paul's record-breaking Tea Party money-bomb on Sunday, 12/16 (broke Kerry's one-day record that occurred After he got the nomination; whereas Dr. Paul's record was set Before he wins the nomination). Apparently your 'experts' never heard of this as they didn't discuss it.

Instead, they discussed the Democratic race. Then on the Republican side:

1] fossilized-McCain's supposed miraculous comeback (one panelist mentioned one standing-room-only McCain rally; Dr. Paul has these All the time Everywhere he goes),*

2] independents' strong support of McCain* (despite no evidence of this),*

3] allegations of McCain gives favors to lobbyists weren't true,*

4] now-extinct Tancredo's supporters' 'intensity' (despite no evidence of this 'intensity'),

5] Tancredo's dropping out of the race (the 'intensity' of his supporters wasn't enough to keep him viable?),

6] Tancredo's endorsement of Romney is significant (though Tancredo quitting because he had too little support would nullify this theory),

7] Huckabee's financially-defunct campaign,

8] Giuliani's corruption swamp,

(* That one of your panelists is an advisor to McCain's campaign is clearly a conflict of interest. Not only would he not criticize the Fossil, but out of deference to his advisory, neither would your other panelists. Can you not find any other media 'experts' who do not have this conflict of interest? Try the Internet; there are plenty of people who are more knowledgeable than your usual experts (at the least, many bloggers are aware of Dr. Paul's fundraising poweress.)

Your panelists discussed the above (mostly generalized opinions for which no specific facts were presented to back up these opinions). But none mentioned the specific, verifiable fact of Dr. Paul's historic Tea Party. None even mentioned Dr. Paul's name. This is a repeat of your deleting him from your 'news roundup' after his record-breaking money-bomb of November 5th.

His name finally came up 25 minutes into the show. It was not initiated by your panel, but by a caller. So your panel felt forced to grudgingly address Dr. Paul.

They:

1] dismissed him as a 'long shot' (he's won most every straw poll by huge margins; see http://www.ronpaul2008.com/straw-poll-results/ and http://www.ronpaul2008.com/snippets/37/ron-paul-straw-poll-results/),

2] claimed he had only Libertarian voter support (his message has been picked up by voters of all parties (many have temporarily changed voter registrations to Republican just to vote for him in the primaries, did you know this?), by independents, by voters of all ages, race, gender, socioeconomic class),

3] dismissed his campaign because much of the activity has been created by his supporters,** not a professional campaign staff (e.g., money-bombs, The Blimp, RonPaulRadio (the only Internet radio program dedicated to a political candidate - i.e.,This Is What Democracy Looks Like!). **You applauded Tancredo's supporters as 'intense' but dismiss the overwhelming 'intensity' of Dr. Paul's supporters. Establishment 'experts' (e.g., Todd) must be confused by such free creative energy in politics, frightened their 'advisor' positions will evaporate, and upset that We The People have decided who We want as president, and are ignoring who establishment media says we should support and vote for.

4] cited the old hack argument that Dr. Paul ranks low on national polls. These polls, like establishment media, are antiquated. They call only past Republican voters, on land-lines, during the day. Much of Dr. Paul's support comes from young (and older) people who have not voted before, who have only cell phones, and who are not home during the day. Some of these polls, omit Dr. Paul's name altogether from their candidate lists. Obviously, results will be erroneous. By contrast, Dr. Paul has won most straw polls (where voters are actually present) by wide margins. Too bad your panelists omitted this contrast in poll results.

5] omitted Dr. Paul's record-breaking fourth quarter fundraising (now close to $19 million; more than other Republican candidates), and how his fundraising increases with each quarter.

All in all, your deliberate omission from your two relevant news-week-roundups, of Congressman Ron Paul's two record-breaking fund-raisers and exponentially-expanding support, reflects more on the inadequacy of your research and programming than on Dr. Paul and his candidacy. You are rendering yourself obsolete. We're going on with or without you; it's your choice.

After listening for your coverage of the November and December money-bombs and finding them near non-existent, I have vowed never to listen to your program again. You are no longer credible or relevant.

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land

And don't criticize what you can't understand.

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command

Your old road is rapidly agin'.

Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand,

For the times they are a changin'.

Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A Changin'