The Party of Free Speech

The Dems wouldn't let Al-Jazeera show their logo at the Boston DNC convention. The Republicans, who have been eviscerated by the Arab network, allow them.

NEW YORK – Snubbed and stifled by the Democrats at their convention, the oft-under fire Al-Jazeera television network is having a much easier time with the Republicans.
Republican National Convention

This is so even though high-level administration officials such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice at times have blasted the Qatar-based news network as a biased mouthpiece for al-Qaeda.
"Everyone would agree that the Republicans are more familiar with Al-Jazeera," said Stephanie Thomas, the network's Harvard University-educated spokeswoman. "We have a Washington bureau. We have live shots any day we want from the White House. So they're already working with us because they understand it's important to use us as a platform. They may not like everything that gets broadcast, especially from our Baghdad bureau. But we're watched by 45 million people in a region of the world that they need to get a message to."

The Democrats didn't get that message at their convention in Boston. Al-Jazeera's skybox banner was hastily removed without notification and replaced by a kerry.com advertisement. And Democratic officials declined to help other media arrange interviews with Al-Jazeera.

Who's progressive?