Interview with Brad Blakeman > FreedomsWatch

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Interview with Brad Blakeman
By Eric Livingston :: 5 Comments :: Email to a friend

Yesterday morning, Freedom’s Watch President and CEO Brad Blakeman was on Fox News to discuss NBC’s decision to run Freedom’s Watch holiday ads in support of our troops.

FNC-TV (America's Newsroom): Brad Blakeman Discusses NBC’s Reversal On The Freedom’s Watch Holiday Ads

BILL HEMMER: The suits over at NBC got into the holiday spirit over the weekend deciding to accept an ad from Freedom’s Watch that thanks our troops serving overseas. Last week the peacock network refused to air the ads. They felt they were too political but after a big public outcry, those ads are now up and running. The president and CEO of Freedom’s Watch Brad Blakeman, my guest this morning. Brad good morning to you.

BRAD BLAKEMAN: Good morning Bill.

HEMMER: Do you call this victory?

BLAKEMAN: Absolutely it’s a victory for our troops. It’s a victory for the American people. When NBC decided not to air simple ads that thank our troops. Which is really not not a political message at all. It’s a patriotic one. It’s a victory for our troops who are going be helped this holiday season when they’re away from their families.

HEMMER: Alright Brad a lot of us have not seen the ad let's roll it for our viewers at home.

FREEDOM’S WATCH AD: thank you.

FREEDOM’S WATCH AD: thank you very much.

FREEDOM’S WATCH AD: People are gathering across the country to support our troops who are away from their families this holiday season.

FREEDOM’S WATCH AD: We’re proud of you.

FREEDOM’S WATCH AD: thank you.

FREEDOM’S WATCH AD: These young men and women are heroes. They deserve our undying gratitude.

LT. COL. STEVE RUSSELL (RET.): It was an honor to serve with you. God bless you all.

FREEDOM’S WATCH AD: Freedom’s Watch is honored to support our troops and say a very heartfelt thank you.

HEMMER: So you win on this Brad, and you win in part because hundreds of thousands, you say, of people rang up NBC, or got on your website, or sent emails. Is that the support you needed to push this through?

BLAKEMAN: Absolutely, it was shameless that NBC decided originally not to air these ads. Ads that simply have a simple message, thank you for your service, and then come to our web site and figure out ways that uniquely you can help the troops. There are 20 non-profits listed on our website, and you can thank them in your own way.

HEMMER: And, well I guess the network came out and said at the end of that it has a web site for your group and that’s what NBC opposed to and I guess late Saturday night they got together and said, listen this is too much for us to handle. Let’s go ahead and air the ad, and I'm wondering about your group now, Freedom's Watch. It seems to be growing in influence quite a bit Brad explain that.

BLAKEMAN: Well look we are the right of center conservative voice for millions of Americans who want a place to go for information. We want to help people make informed decisions. We wanted to tackle hard issues, and that’s our purpose. We want to be as effective at the ballot box as we are between election cycles. We want to be the home for those right of center conservatives who feel they don’t have a voice.

HEMMER: Well those voices made a difference. They changed minds Brad.

BLAKEMAN: They certainly did.

HEMMER: Thank you for your time today, Brad Blakeman down in DC today for Freedom’s Watch.

Comments

By oldphart @ Saturday, December 15, 2007 1:49 AM

for whatever reason(s) we bcame involved in Iraq,
we're there...and winning.those who claim our troops don't like being there--that the war is wrong have been on too many lefty web-sites and are hearing
different assessments of the progress there than I am
it' time to stop using their heads for rectal
suppositories and GET REAL

By joehump @ Tuesday, December 11, 2007 11:04 PM

I agree wholeheartedly and I urge everyone to email NBC and tell them how appalled you are with this decision. I grew up with NBC, but they have moved so far left it's disgusting. Even CNN was willing to carry the ads!! Please email this to as many people as possible.

JoeHump
Orlando, FL

By Wakeup @ Tuesday, December 11, 2007 2:06 PM

As for me and my house, we are going to boycott NBC, GE and as many of their advertisers as possible and I plan on letting all of them as I can know this. I can appreciate their feelings on Bush and his administration, though I voted for him I am not pleased with some of his decisions but that has nothing to do with how I feel about our troops. At the very least NBC needs to terminate the person who made the original decision to not run the thank you add to our troops.

I consider our troops hero’s and I also appreciate the sacrifice their families are making as well. Thank you!

By keeemosabe @ Sunday, December 16, 2007 2:07 AM

To old phart: Yes the surge is working, but it is temporary. No one says we can leave after the surge. So we are winning the battle, but who wins the war if our troops are still fighting there in 10 years as GWB has said he “expects”? Will the surge result in a political solution between Sunni and Shiite as was its purpose? I have heard no progress on a political solution. You know the “whatever reasons” we became involve in Iraq. And they stink to high heaven and you know it. It is not whiny to point it out. It is the patriotic thing to do. Bowing to your king and being his sheeple is not patriotic as you seem to think it is. Have you not read Jefferson? Doh! Silly me. Of course you have not.

By hf8137 @ Friday, December 14, 2007 3:12 AM

I can't understand why the main stream media continues their anti american agenda. Somebody please help me. Is it simply because they can?

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