As you may have gathered by now, the deficit reduction plan offered by debt commission chairs Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles is pretty unpopular, particularly on the left.

But one place it was well-received: The Charlie Rose Show, a comfortable place for CEOs and insiders to pontificate. The fact that this show is a staple of public television stations around the country is part of the problem FAIR identified in our new report, "Taking the Public Out of Public TV."

The Rose show presented a discussion of the Simpson/Bowles plan on November 11. One guest, Harvard's Martin Feldstein, had this to say:

There is a lot to like in it.  I think that it is very bold.  Every aspect of the fiscal problem has been put on the table.   And yet when I looked at the numbers I thought it didn’t go far enough.

The other guest--David Walker of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation--countered with his take:

I think it was a courageous plan.  It was very comprehensive.  There were changes in every major aspect of the budget.  It  demonstrates that we are in such a deep hole that nothing can be off the table and you have to make some tough choices.  Frankly, I think he could have been even more aggressive with respect  to some of the reforms.

Walker went on to complain, "It is amazing how much controversy there has been, especially from the left, with regard to the Social Security reform proposals, because they are not dramatic or draconian."  He added:  "You get the far right and far left that are out of touch with reality, we need to come up with sensible center solutions."

And just to make sure viewers knew that the guests weren't outside agitators:

ROSE: Did both of you have an opportunity to wade in on this commission to make your views clear?

FELDSTEIN: I did have a chance to talk with some of the commission members about my views on this.

ROSE: David?

WALKER: I had a chance as well, plus it's my understanding that most if not all of them read my book Comeback America.

Public television, giving voice to the voiceless.

You know, the fact of the matter is we have to change how we do things. We are on an imprudent and unsustainable path in a number of ways. You talk about debtors' prisons, we used to have debtors' prisons, now bankruptcy is no taint! Bankruptcy is an exit strategy! Our society and our culture has changed. We need to get back to the opportunity, we need to move away from entitlement, we need to provide reasonable risk but we need to hold people accountable when they do imprudent things. It's pretty fundamental.

--David Walker, CEO of the Peterson Foundation, an organization set up by billionaire Pete Peterson to promote cuts in Social Security and Medicare (CNBC's Squawk Box, 6/10/10; MichaelMoore.com, 6/11/10)

"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."

"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.

"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"

"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."

"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigor, then?" said Scrooge.

"Both very busy, sir."

"Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it."

--Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol