Year: 2005

Robert Novak Out at CNN

Jon Ponder

Buh-bye: CNN has (finally!) separated itself from Robert Novak, whom Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” dubbed the “douchebag of liberty.” Novak is, of course, the Republican propagandist who gleefully outed a CIA secret agent who was working under cover tracking black market trafficking in weapons of mass destruction overseas.

Recently, Media Matters for America took action to encourage CNN to oust Novak:

Media Matters for America delivered nearly 5,000 letters to CNN’s Washington Bureau today urging the network not to renew its contract with syndicated columnist and CNN contributor Robert D. Novak. Novak’s contract with CNN is reportedly set to expire in early 2006, but the controversial conservative pundit has not appeared on the channel since August 2005, when he was suspended after uttering an obscenity and storming off the set. In the two years since he exposed Valerie Plame, wife of former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, as a CIA operative, Novak has made several contradictory statements regarding crucial issues in the case; the ongoing leak investigation has so far led to the indictment of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

“While Mr. Novak remains suspended by CNN for uttering an obscenity on live TV and storming off the set, I hope they take the next appropriate step of not renewing his contract,” said David Brock, President and CEO of Media Matters for America. “In addition to Novak’s long history of spreading conservative misinformation on CNN, his credibility as one of the network’s contributors has been severely compromised by his contradictory statements and accounts, as well as by his complete lack of candor, on the issue of his involvement in the outing of Valerie Plame.”

GOP Spin Drinking Game: Kill Your Liver Quickly

Jon Ponder

Just in time for the Holidays: The Yellow Dog Blog has developed a diversion to help all of us normal people to survive the next 11 months of the Republican occupation of the Capitol. When you find yourself expose to GOP spin, follow these instructions as needed (at least) until the congressional elections in November 2006:

1. Take a giant swig of your drink every time a Bush administration official says anything having to do with GOP corruption is “part of an ongoing investigation.”

2. Down a shot of Rumpleminze every time a Republican calls for an “up or down vote” on a judicial nominee. Warning: eliminate this component of game if Alito confirmations have begun.

3. Take a very small sip of your beverage every time you hear the phrase “Iraq is the central front in the war on terror.” You’ll hear this one a lot, so pace yourself.

4. If you notice any Republican saying “retreat and defeat” and/or “cut and run” take a good, long drink of water. This will keep you hydrated as you’ll hear these all night.

5. Take a stiff belt of Jack Daniels every time you hear a member of the GOP refer to the “liberal Democrats in Congress” or to Democrats as “the party of no ideas.” Also, pop an OxyContin or two in honor of Rush Limbaugh.

Read more at Yellow Dog Blog.

Christmas Wars: Operation Kris Kringle Is Online

Jon Ponder

Now you can follow the progress of the anti-Christmas insurgency as it advances toward the North Pole in an assault the pro-“Happy Holidays” rebel leaders have dubbed Operation Kris Kringle:

Top say’s its not a classified location. Guess thats why we didn’t scramble after that reindeer did a fly by. anyway sthat means I can post a photo so you can see what it’s like up here.

This is the forward post.

Hat Tip to DG@MM

Judith Miller Goes from Jail to Sail

Buck Banks

Ship of fools: Editor&Publisher reports that former NYT reporter and jailbird Judith Miller is now sailing on board luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises as a guest lecturer, part of the line’s “Written Word” enrichment program, according to an article in Travel Agent, the newsweekly of that industry. The blog Gawker spotted the item earlier today.

“Miller is on board the Silver Wind this week on a voyage from Ushuaia, Argentina to Valparaiso, Chile,” Travel Agent revealed. Miller is lecturing on a federal shield law to protect journalists and the U.S. involvement in the Middle East.

Poll: Most Folks AWOL from War on Xmas

Buck Banks

Merry ambivalence and happy apathy: The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted among 1,502 adults from Dec. 7-11, found the public is not overly concerned by the controversy over Christmas greetings and holiday displays:

  • By a substantial 60%-23% margin the public does prefer “Merry Christmas” to non-religious welcomes such as “Season’s Greetings.” But given the choice, a 45% plurality says it does not matter much either way.
  • More Americans are bothered, at least to some degree, by the commercialization of Christmas (52%) than by opposition to the display of religious symbols in public places (35%).
  • A great majority of Americans (83%) say displays of Christmas symbols should be allowed in public places. But fewer than half (44%) approve of Christmas symbols being displayed alone, without Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other holiday symbols.
  • A Gallup Poll on the same topic found that when asked if it bothered them “when stores use the words ‘Merry Christmas’ on their displays at this time of year instead of ‘Happy Holidays’ or ‘Season’s Greetings,'” nearly all the respondents (97%) said it did not. But just 68% said they weren’t bothered in the opposite situation; 32% said they were annoyed when stores said “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” instead of “Merry Christmas.”

War on Xmas Moves to House Floor, Gets Sillier

Buck Banks

Saving Baby Jesus: Having balanced the national budget, developed an exit strategy for the Iraq War, ended poverty in America and fixed the education system, the U.S. House of Representatives has turned its attention to … Christmas.

Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-Va., sought passage Wednesday night of a resolution expressing support for “the symbols and traditions of Christmas.”

The House could vote on the largely symbolic resolution as early as today, but it has started aheated partisan culture clash in the House. While conservative Republicans predictably applaud the measure, many Democrats are critical of the resolution, claiming it is religiously insensitive.

The Daily Press of Hampton Roads, Va., reported that Davis, an outspoken Christian conservative from Gloucester, said she was spurred to act after seeing news reports of retailers telling their employees to wish customers a “happy holiday,” instead of “Merry Christmas,” and schools forbidding everything from Christmas plays to Santa Claus.

“Christmas has been declared politically incorrect,” Davis told colleagues on the House floor. “Any sign or even mention of Christmas in public can lead to complaints, litigation, protests and threats. America’s favorite holiday is being twisted beyond recognition.”

The resolution, if adopted, would simply put the House on record as supporting the use of Christmas symbols and traditions, and opposing “attempts to ban references to Christmas.”

Apparently the Flaming Spirit of the Lord drove her to do it: “It was just something that was burning inside me. At what point did Christmas become so offensive?”

But Democrats protested that Congress has no business praising one religious holiday over others. The war of words has led to some twisted rhetoric and really funny quotes:

“I’m offended by this,” said Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., who’s Jewish. “You’ve drawn me out. Why not protect my symbols?”

Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y, asked Davis to amend her resolution to include symbols of other holidays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, but Davis refused.

“The attack has not been on the menorah or any symbols of the other religions,” Davis said, referring to the Jewish candelabrum used to celebrate Hanukkah. “I will leave it as the resolution stands.”

The divisive public battle appeared to surprise Davis, a Republican and member of the Assembly of God church. “I didn’t realize there would be some opposition, but apparently, there is,” she said before the House floor debate.

An amended version of her resolution, which expressed support for Christmas symbols “for those who celebrate Christmas,” did little to dampen the opposition.

“You can always tell when the right wing is in trouble,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., who’s Presbyterian. “They invariably cook up some kind of culture war.”

U.S. Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, D-Newport News, opposed Davis’ resolution as a largely meaningless exercise. He said it masked what he suggested were immoral decisions by Congress to cut food stamps and Medicaid for the poor while cutting taxes for the wealthy. “What really needs to be protected is not the symbols of Christmas but the spirit of Christmas,” Scott said. “We ought to express our passion for Christmas through deeds, not words.”

Conservatives insisted that the measure was needed to combat what they described as a growing assault on religious free speech. “There is a war against Christmas,” said Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Fla., who’s Catholic. “Our children can’t sing Christmas carols. They can only sing holiday tunes.”

But the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said, “This is possibly the silliest bill ever presented to the United States Congress. If they honestly think there’s some kind of war against Santa Claus or the baby Jesus, they are just not getting out enough.”

2005’s 10 Biggest Public Relations Blunders

Buck Banks

Spin out: Fineman PR of San Francisco has compiled its 11th annual collection of PR blunders for 2005:

CRUISE, OUT-OF-CONTROL
Tom Cruise’s “War of the Worlds” press tour blew up on the Today show after he got on his Scientology soap box and lit into host Matt Lauer. Cruise’s diatribe against psychiatry included criticizing Brooke Shields for the medication she received during her post-pregnancy depression. The press jumped all over Cruise, and so did Shields. In a New York Times op-ed, Shields called his remarks “a disservice to mothers everywhere.” Cruise’s other bizarre antics in ’05, including Oprah Winfrey’s sofa jumping escapade to show his love for actress Katie Holmes, also earned him public ridicule. “Sure They’re in Love — with Publicity,” headlined the Boston Globe. PR Week said, “The more you jump up and down about it, the less people believe it’s the real thing.”

PAT ROBERTSON’S DIPLOMACY
Uncle Sam’s relations with oil-rich Venezuela worsened after televangelist Pat Robertson suggested the U.S. “take out” its president, Hugo Chavez. The rather un-Christian comments ignited fire and brimstone from the world’s press and lent credibility to Chavez’ contention that President Bush, somewhat of an evangelical in his own right, is out to get him. “He is that rare preacher who has invited the nation not to pray together, but to prey together,” wrote Tom Teepen in the San Jose Mercury News.

UAW UNWELCOMES MARINES
Organized labor is having enough trouble without alienating the U.S. Marines. United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger barred Marine reservists from the UAW parking lot if they drove foreign-made cars or sported pro-Bush bumper stickers. The Marines had parked there for years because they train nearby. Gettelfinger apologized for the unpatriotic ambush after the Michigan press played the story, but the Marines said they would find alternative parking. “In trying to stiff the Marines, the union signaled that its petty political concerns trump the needs of the armed forces and the sanctity of the voting booth,” wrote Daniel Howes in the Detroit News.

NO BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT FROM BENEFIT MANAGEMENT COMPANY
It appears that Michigan employee-benefits firm Benefit Management Administrators Inc. needs help managing its own employees. The company fired Suzette Boler for, among other things, taking too much time to say goodbye to her husband who left to fight in Iraq, according to an Associated Press story. The poorly timed pink slip fueled public outrage forcing the company to lock its doors and turn off its phones. When the company’s founder responded to TV station Channel 8 in Grand Rapids, he compounded the blunder by pressing additional complaints against Boler to justify her firing.
[…]

Life in the Propaganda Age

Trish

Excellent commentary by The Week’s Eric Effron on the revelation that BushCo has been planting propaganda in the “free” Iraq press. You know, ala some dictator, like Saddam Hussein maybe.

…after decades of tyranny, the Iraqis don’t need better or different propaganda; they need less of it

Propaganda may be a reality of war. But after decades of tyranny, the Iraqis don’t need better or different propaganda; they need less of it. And it’s hard to see how planting articles with headlines such as “The Sands Are Blowing Toward a Democratic Iraq” and “Iraqi Forces Capture al Qaida Fighters Crawling Like Dogs” could ever fool anyone.

In its own defense, the Pentagon says that its phony news stories merely reported the truth to a populace steeped in anti-American lies. But as an old journalism teacher of mine used to say, the difference between journalism and propaganda is not a matter of accuracy—it’s a matter of “intention.” One is meant to inform and enlighten; the other, to screen out contradictory information and promote a narrow agenda. That distinction, sadly, is being erased, and not only in Iraq. From the blogosphere to 24/7 cable news to a mainstream media desperate to keep our attention, it’s ever harder to find information not tainted with an ideological or marketing agenda. Rather than seek some semblance of the truth, we’re now encouraged simply to pick a source consistent with our biases. The Information Age, it would seem, has been mislabeled. We’re all actually living in the Propaganda Age.

New reports reveal the Pentagon has launched a $300 million psychological warfare campaign to plant more propaganda throughout the world. I remember when America didn’t need to be sold to anyone, but that seems so last century now.

The Talking Points President

Jon Ponder

[An] “interview” or a “conversation” implies some equality between subject and questioner, some mutual respect that, if asked a question, the subject will answer that question. Not with George W. Bush, though. [NBC News anchor Brian] Williams asked Bush about his morning intelligence brief and Bush quickly veered into “Listen, there’s an enemy that wants to attack us. And I vowed after September 11th that I wouldn’t rest.”

And so the “interview” went, with Williams asking to comment on those who say Bush only listens to a small circle of advisors, and Bush responding, “I’ll tell you one thing I firmly believe in: I think I believe liberty is universal. freedom is the deep desire of every human being and that a country with influence like ours ought to do things to free people.” When Williams asked Bush about Teddy Roosevelt, who the President had said he admired, Bush answered by talking about Abraham Lincoln. Eventually, he did answer some questions about Katrina, but by that point the Rude Pundit’s eyes had glazed over and he wanted the sweet relief of vodka shots and an iPod with the new My Morning Jacket playing on it.

— Rude Pundit

Christmas Wars: Bill O’Reilly Caught Lying, Said School Banned Christmas Attire

Pensito Editors

Shameless: If his lips are moving, Bill O’Reilly is lying:

O’REILLY: Plano, Texas, north of Dallas. Students were told they could not wear red and green because they were Christmas colors. Let me repeat that. Plano, Texas. Students can’t wear clothing that have red or green colors because they were too close to Christmas colors. Can you believe this? This is fascism. In addition, it’d be grossly disrespectful.

The facts:

On December 9, Bill O’Reilly falsely claimed on both Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor and the nationally syndicated The Radio Factor with Bill O’Reilly that the Plano Independent School District (Texas) “told students they couldn’t wear red and green because they were Christmas colors.” He labeled the alleged ban “fascism.” On December 12, the school district released an official statement by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Doug Otto refuting O’Reilly’s contention:

“The school district does not restrict students or staff from wearing certain color clothes during holiday times or any other school days,” noted Dr. Otto, who said that the school district’s attorney has requested that Mr. O’Reilly retract the statement.