Blockade

In television advertising, sponsors often buy the same time across a line-up of stations. Someone turning the channel runs into the same thing they left.

It works for Sunday public affairs shows, too.

by Mark Silva/Los Angeles Times

In an interview with CBS News, he dismissed skeptics who think higher taxes are inevitable to support his healthcare overhaul. He reiterated that he will not accept any proposal that imposes new taxes on people making less than $250,000 a year.

In a number of interviews, Obama also addressed the tone of a heated summer debate over healthcare, and President Carter's contention that racism underlies critics' Hitler comparisons and other harsh attacks on Obama.

Obama disagreed with Carter, saying that the invective instead reflected the kind of turmoil that is common "when presidents are trying to bring about big changes."

"Are there people out there who don't like me because of race? I'm sure there are," Obama told CNN's John King. "That's not the overriding issue here."

Obama told NBC News’ David Gregory, "Look, I said during the campaign, 'Are there some people who still think through the prism of race when it comes to evaluating me or my candidacy?' Absolutely. Sometimes they vote against me for that reason, sometimes they vote for me for that reason."

He took a longer view of his critics' motivations: "It's an argument that's gone on for the history of this republic, and that is, What's the right role of government? . . . This is not a new argument, and it always invokes passions."

Really?



In television advertising buying commercials at the same time across the channel line-up is called a blockade. Even if the viewer turns the channel, the same message is waiting wherever they wind up.

Protests seem to work that way, too.