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The letter House Speaker Pelosi wrote to the Justice Department was released this afternoon.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, worried about the fate of The Chronicle and other financially struggling newspapers, urged the Justice Department Monday to consider giving Bay Area papers more leeway to merge or consolidate business operations to stay afloat.

In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, released by Pelosi’s office late Monday, the San Francisco Democrat asked the department to weigh the public benefit of saving The Chronicle and other papers from closure against the agency’s antitrust mission to guard against anti-competitive behavior.

“We must ensure that our policies enable our news organizations to survive and to engage in the news gathering and analysis that the American people expect,” Pelosi wrote.

The speaker said the issue of newspapers’ survival and antitrust law will be the subject of a hearing soon before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy, chaired by Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga.

Pelosi’s spokesman, Brendan Daly, said the speaker was moved by the recent announcement by the Hearst Corp., the parent company of The Chronicle, that it would be forced to sell or close the paper if it could not achieve major cost-savings quickly. Hearst has said the paper lost $50 million last year and that this year’s losses will likely be worse.

How stupid. Why should the newspaper industry which is failing in the marketplace be supported  by favorable anti-trust rules/laws set by the federal government?

Next thing you know, Pelosi will be asking for $500 Billion of taxpayer money to bail their left-wing friends in the print media businesses out.

How is that for freedom of the press?

Michael Ramires explains it all above.

And, also explains why Obama’s position(s) on issues have expiration dates.

She is 75 years old – for the most important of a few reasons.

Looking at California Attorney General and former Governor Jerry Brown at a news conference announcing prosecution of the Anna Nicole Smith miscreants this past week, how can you spell old?

And, Brown is not quite 71.

The Democrat nomination race will be between two much younger candidates: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Brown will run and split the vote, though.

Senator Chris Dodd will be in a tough race for re-election.

Former Rep. Rob Simmons will challenge embattled Sen. Chris Dodd next November, a recruiting success for national Republicans who believe that the Connecticut Democrat has badly imperiled his chances at reelection over the last several years.

“The family had a long meeting today and was unanimous that I run,” Simmons e-mailed the Associated Press on Sunday. “So, I’m running.” Simmons added that a recent Quinnipiac University poll showing him in a dead heat with Dodd had helped close the deal for him.

Republicans were quick to tout Simmons’s candidacy as evidence that the party was on its way back after a series of devastating losses in 2006 and 2008.

“Connecticut represents a tremendous opportunity for Republicans in 2010, particularly when you have an experienced and respected candidate like Rob Simmons already polling ahead of a 30 year incumbent,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Brian Walsh.

Well, perhaps.

The polls are now favorable but the Democrats will Bush blast Simmons. On the other hand, have Dodd’s political opportunism and favorable personal loans with Countrywide mortage already sunk him?

Yes, Alaska Governor Palin is still very popular in tha national GOP. She will keynote the annual “Senate-House” dinner on June 8 at the Washington Convention Center.