The Sykes bucket brigade carries Charlie's water

Grumps, of the Happy Circumstance blog, has some insights into the right-wing firestorm I ignited by challenging the right of Republican radio host Charlie Sykes and his corporate masters to run issue advocacy spots paid for by Journal Broadcasting:

Wow! All it takes is one evening for the right side of the Cheddarsphere to lose it altogether.

Xoff posted an article with the claim that WTMJ and host Charlie Sykes have created and are running a "spot" criticizing Governor Doyle's position on school choice caps which violates laws against advocacy ads. The resulting snot-storm threatens to coat all of Wisconsin as the perpetually offended finds a common target.

Jess Bucher accused Xoff of violating the law himself by advocating for Doyle on WisOpinion. The Sykes Writes crowd swarm-posted Xoff's site with many missing the point outright. Peter DiGaudio ruined a right-side wrapup of the controversy by repeating Sykes' wacky claims that the Governor is, somehow, a racist.

Read the rest: Carrying Charlie Sykes' Water In Their Right Hand

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Today's fair and balanced lineup on Sykes' TV show: Panel includes Jeff Wagner, Jessica McBride, Mikel Holt, and Mark Reardon. (Two more WTMJ Republican radio talkers, one sycophant, and his accomplice in the "Schoolyard Door" spots.) Bet it was quite a "debate."

UPDATE: Seth Zlotocha, who writes on In Effect, actually forced himself to watch the program and has a recap:

The conversation amounted to each one repeating the deceit they published in their blogs over the past couple weeks, while Holt added that Doyle is "feeling the political pressure" of this issue--namely from attack ads--and thus just choosing to come to the negotiating table now. While fiction can be fun, the reality is that Doyle made his proposal to expand the voucher program on November 4, 2005. That's right, Doyle's willingness to negotiate started over two months ago, long before any deceitful attack ads ran.

I'm not surprised that Sykes and the panelists on the program this morning presented the cases that they did. I mean, they've been deceitful on this issue for the past two weeks, why stop when they get on television? What is really troubling, however, is that the Journal Broadcast Group, which produces the "Milwaukee Insight" program, found it completely acceptable to give five people on the same side of this issue sole access to air time. Is this really doing a service to the public discussion on this issue?

Read it all here.

UPDATE: It really is an ad, being paid to run on other stations. Details.