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/ TV News: 20090329 Corporate - Media - Politics - Marketing - Religion - Government - Law - History - Television "Rev. Moon Exemplifies Right Wing GOP Subsidy of Big Media to Frame Message." ... "[Reverend] Rev. Moon has adopted a relatively low-profile in recent years (if you don't count his bizarre "coronation" by elected officials in a Capitol Hill House of Representatives meeting room a couple years back), but that hasn't prevented the weird religious leader (and close ally of the Bush family) from pouring an estimated 1 - 2.5 billion dollars into subsidizing the Washington Times since 1982." ... "In 2002, Rev. Moon pronounced "The Washington Times will become the instrument in spreading the truth about God to the world." But the reality is that the Washington Times -- like the New York Post and Weekly Standard for Rupert Murdoch -- are investments in obtaining financial regulatory and other favors from Republican administrations in return for helping frame and market the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] talking points of tax cuts, cultural wars, and Wall Street gambling." ... "The Washington Times has only about 100,000 subscribers, but its newsboxes are next to the Washington Post throughout D.C. [America's capital], allowing it to appear as an equal -- and to have its banner headlines seen by tens of thousands of D.C. "influencers" every day.  Then, it also gives a byline and title for its writers to appear as D.C. pundits on television (just as Bill Kristol is identified as editor of the chronically money losing "Weekly Standard" during his ubiquitous "pundit" appearances on the tube) -- as well as all television reporters need to quote it to provide "balance."" ... "In short, Moon, in essence, shells out hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to use the Washington Times as a public relations vehicle for "framing" the GOP perspective." ... "Meanwhile, wealthy liberal Democrats don't buy up or create large media outlets; they just support efforts to criticize the corporate press and the likes of Rev. Moon." ... "You can win elections, but you can't make dramatic change unless you own part of the major media." ... "Rev. Moon understands that.  Why can't wealthy Democrats?" -By Mark Karlin -BuzzFlash.com 20090214 Corporate - Government - Coal-Mining - Dirt - Law - Politics - Television - Advertising - Election - West Virginia "Case May Alter Judge Elections Across Country." ... "Don L. Blankenship, the chief executive of the nation’s fourth-biggest coal mining company, is not shy about putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to West Virginia politics." ... "In 2004, he spent $3 million on tough [television] advertisements attacking a justice of the State Supreme Court who was seeking re-election. Some of the advertisements said the justice had agreed to free a sex offender." ... "Brent D. Benjamin won that election and went on to join the 3-to-2 majority that threw out a $50 million jury verdict against Mr. Blankenship’s company, Massey Energy." ... "The question of whether Justice Benjamin should have disqualified himself is now before the United States Supreme Court." ... "The case, one of the most important of the term, has the potential to change the way judicial elections are conducted and the way cases are heard in the 39 states that elect at least some of their judges." ... "Mr. Blankenship’s advertisements, which said Justice McGraw had released a pedophile, were rough and arguably misleading. They concerned a youth who had been sexually abused from the age of 7 by two adult family members and a teacher before going on, at the age of 14, to abuse a younger half-brother. The youth was released on probation soon after he turned 18." ... "“I’m just a West Virginia country lawyer running for office,” Justice McGraw said. Of the advertisements, he said: “They say our court set a child molester loose in our schools. It’s absolutely untrue. I’m embarrassed to go out in public. They’ve absolutely destroyed me.”" ... "Mr. Blankenship cheerfully conceded that his real objection was to Justice McGraw’s rulings against corporate defendants. “Being the street fighter that I am,” he said, he had instructed his aides to find a decision that would enrage the public." ... "When they returned with an unsigned opinion in the sex abuse case, which Justice McGraw had joined, Mr. Blankenship said he knew he had hit pay dirt. “That killed him,” Mr. Blankenship said of Justice McGraw, smiling." (1, 2) -By Adam Liptak -NYTimes 20090211 Eric Cantor - Web - Video - Politics - Government - Jobs - Economic - Crisis - Peoples - Health Care - Homes - Virginia "GOP [Republican] Rep. Cantor Attacked For Profanity-Laced Web Video." ... "As first reported by The Plum Line, Virginia Republican [Representative] Eric Cantor is in hot water after his office responded to critics by sending out a profane web video." ... "AFSCME [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] President Gerald McEntee isn't amused. "Eric Cantor may think the greatest economic crisis in seventy years is a joke, but we don't," he said in a statement. "He should talk to the people in Virginia who are losing their jobs, health care and homes."" ... "Brad Woodhouse, President of Americans United for Change, responded more forcefully:"   ""Does Eric Cantor believe that peddling profanity-laced filth around the Internet is consistent with the values of the people of Virginia or the country? This is childish, inappropriate and disgusting behavior from someone who is supposed to be a leader in Congress and a role model to others. Eric Cantor's response to one of the most serious crises facing America in our lifetimes is to spread this filth, denigrate government employees and treat the current economic crisis like a joke. This video has been floating around on YouTube for years - but Eric Cantor's use of it in this context shows how completely and utterly out of touch he is with the current economic crisis and the lives of his constituents. Eric Cantor should be ashamed and he should apologize."" "And AFL-CIO President John Sweeney added: "During these tough economic times the last thing hard working Americans need is to be ridiculed by a member of the Republican leadership. Rep. Cantor should apologize for insulting America's workers with this profane video."" ... "ThinkProgress points out that Cantor himself is an anti-obscenity crusader who has said "the use of obscenity" in television "should not and cannot be tolerated."" -By Rachel Weiner -HuffingtonPost.com Eric Cantor - Language - Politics - Video - History - Union - Ad - Virginia "Cantor’s Office Responds: Video Depicting AFSCME Members As Goons." ... "This isn’t going to make the big unions very happy. GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican Virginia Republican Representative and] House leader Eric Cantor’s office has come up with an intriguing response to the  [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] AFSCME ad bllitz targeting GOP leaders: Sending over a video that portrays AFSCME union members as 1970s-era goons." ... "Update: Brad Woodhouse, the head of Americans United for Change, which is also funding the initial ad hitting the GOP leadership, sends over a statement demanding that Cantor apologize." ... "Update II: Now AFSCME chief Gerald McEntee is blasting Cantor, too." ... "Update III: And now AFL-CIO president John Sweeney is hitting Cantor and demanding an apology." -By Greg Sargent -WhoRunsGov.com Barack Obama - Eric Cantor - Obscenity - Video - Law - Enforcement - Politics - Workers - Investment - Advertising - VA "Anti-Obscenity Crusader Eric Cantor Sends Out Profanity-Laced Attack On Union." ... "Today, public-workers union AFSCME [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] launched a massive advertising campaign targeting [Republican] neo-Hooverite conservatives who are trying to block [Democratic] President Obama’s recovery and reinvestment plan. One target is [Virginia Republican Representative] Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA [Republican-Virginia]), whom the union faults for declaring he was proud that his party was “just saying no” to Obama. A Cantor spokesman responded by sending around a profanity-laced video portraying AFSCME as mob goons. The video uses the F-word six times in one minute and ends with the tagline: “AFSCME: We’re the f*cking union that works for you.”" ... [Video. Not Safe For Work.] "Cantor claimed the video was a “joke,” though AFSCME didn’t think it was very funny." ... "Yet it’s not just unions who could be offended by the video; Cantor himself has railed against obscenity, voting for the Broadcast Deceny Enforcement Act that allowed fines of up to $500,000 on broadcasters for airing any “obscene, indecent, or profane” material. Speaking on the House floor in support of the bill, Cantor condemned “offensive television” that will “damage our society” and “cannot be tolerated“ [PDF]:"   "CANTOR: The use of obscenity…should not and cannot be tolerated. As a parent, I share the concerns of many regarding the level of offensive television and radio programs that are transmitted into our homes. The recent violations that have occurred disgusted not only me, but damage our society." "He added that “we will not be satisfied until those responsible” for disseminating obscenity “have been reprimanded.” The heads of Americans United for Change, the AFL-CIO, and AFSCME have already reprimanded Cantor." -ThinkProgress.org 20090210 Political -  - Opinion "Fox passes off GOP press release as its own research -- typo and all." ... "Summary: In purporting to "take a look back" at how the economic recovery plan "grew, and grew, and grew," [Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp television station] Fox News' Jon Scott referenced seven dates, as on-screen graphics cited various news sources from those time periods -- all of which came directly from a Senate Republican Communications Center press release. A Fox News on-screen graphic even reproduced a typo contained in the Republican press release." -By Eric H. Hananoki -MediaMatters.org 20090128 Cable - Media - Politics - Lawmakers - Federal - Economics - John Boehner - John McCain - OH - AZ "REPORT: GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Democratic Lawmakers 2 To 1 In Stimulus Debate On Cable News." ... "As Media Matters has documented, during the [Republican President] Bush administration, the media consistently allowed conservatives to dominate their shows, booking them as guests far more often than progressives. The rationale was that Republicans were “in power.”" ... "It appears that old habits die hard. Even though [Democratic] President Obama and his team are in control of the executive branch and Democrats are in the majority in Congress, the cable networks are still turning more often to Republicans and allowing them to set the agenda on major issues, most recently on the debate over the economic recovery package." ... "On Sunday, conservatives began an all-out assault on President Obama’s economic recovery plan, with [Ohio Republican Representative and Republican] House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH [Republican-Ohio]) and [Arizona Republican Senator] Sen. John McCain (R-AZ [Republican-Arizona]) both announcing that they would vote against the plan as it stood. Despite Obama’s efforts at good faith outreach, congressional conservatives have continued to attack the stimulus plan with a series of false and disingenuous arguments." ... "The media have been aiding their efforts. In a new analysis, ThinkProgress has found that the five cable news networks — CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Fox Business and CNBC — have hosted more Republican lawmakers to discuss the plan than Democrats by a 2 to 1 ratio this week:" "Cable News Appearances By Members of Congress" "(By Party - January 26-28, 2009)" [Red=Republican / Blue=Democratic] ... "The drastically imbalanced coverage isn’t the first time that the news networks have effectively supported attacks on the recovery plans. As ThinkProgress reported on Monday, the cable networks, the Sunday shows and the network newscasts promoted a controversialCBO non-report 81 times before the actual CBO analysis of the stimulus plan was released." -ThinkProgress Sweden - Military - Switzerland - Politics - US - Media - Entertainment -  "Alba schools Fox’s O’Reilly in WW II history." ... "Jessica Alba is setting the record straight: Sweden was neutral during World War II." ... "Alba and Fox TV show host Bill O’Reilly traded punches last week after the presidential inauguration. After Alba told a Fox reporter that O’Reilly was “kind of an a-hole;” he retaliated by calling her a “pinhead” for telling a reporter to “be Sweden about it,” assuming she meant Switzerland." ... "“I want to clear some things up that have been bothering me lately,” Alba blogged on MySpace Celebrity. “Last week, Mr. Bill O'Reilly and some really classy sites (i.e.TMZ) insinuated I was dumb by claiming Sweden was a neutral country. I appreciate the fact that he is a news anchor and that gossip sites are inundated with intelligent reporting, but seriously people... it's so sad to me that you think the only neutral country during WWII was Switzerland.”" ... "Although Switzerland is more frequently cited as an example of neutrality, Sweden did indeed follow a policy of neutrality during World War II. History point to Alba." -By Courtney Hazlett -MSNBC Digital - Television - Technology - Law - Wireless - Companies - Obama - Consumer "Plan to delay U.S. switch to digital TV thwarted by Republicans." ... "An attempt to delay the U.S. [United States] switch to digital-only television transmission by four months has been scuttled by the House of Representatives." ... "House Republicans voted down a bill on Wednesday that would have postponed the latest date for the transition to digital broadcasting from analog until June 12. The changeover is set for [February] Feb. 17." ... "The majority of House members voted 258-168 in favour of the bill, but it required two-thirds support to pass." ... "Republicans oppose the delay because they say it would confuse consumers, burden wireless companies and would create added costs for broadcasters. [Democratic] President Barack Obama, Senate Democrats, and consumer advocates have said the delay is necessary to accommodate people who are unprepared." -AP via -CBC.ca 20090126 Digital - Technology - Law - Politics "Senate OKs 4-Month Delay to Digital TV Changeover: Senate votes to delay digital transition by 4 months to June 12." ... "The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to postpone the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting by four months to June 12 — setting the stage for Congress to pass the proposal as early as Tuesday." ... "The Nielsen Co. estimates that more than 6.5 million U.S. [United States] households that rely on analog television sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals could see their TV sets go dark next month if the transition is not postponed." (1, 2) -By Joelle Tessler with contributions by David Bauder -AP via -ABCNEWS.com 20081209 Kevin Martin - Corporate - Government - Politics - Telecommunications - Accounting - Investigation - Consumers - Video - Media "Congressional report: FCC chair abused power." ... "[Republican President Bush's] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin ignored his responsibilities as head of the regulatory body and abused his power, according to a congressional report released Tuesday." ... "Over the course of his tenure, Martin manipulated and withheld information from the other FCC [Federal Communications Commission] commissioners and from Congress, neglected his statutory responsibilities to produce certain information to Congress, and ignored evidence that certain national communications programs were being grossly mismanaged, according to the report issued by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, titled "Deception and Distrust: The Federal Communications Commission Under Chairman Kevin J. Martin." (PDF)" ... "The committee launched a bipartisan investigation in January after hearing allegations of mismanagement from current and former FCC employees, telecommunications industry representatives, and other FCC commissioners." ... "Typically, a congressional committee would hold hearings to investigate such matters, but the report was issued in lieu of hearings because, the report says, "due to the climate of fear that pervades the FCC...we found that key witnesses were unwilling to testify or even to have their names become known."" ... "The chairman's office, the report says, ignored evidence consumers were overcharged and providers were overcompensated by as much as $100 million a year. The neglect of that information led to a windfall of millions of dollars for the largest TRS [Telecommunications Relay Service] provider, Sorenson, which covers about 80 percent of the video relay services market." ... "The report also recommends the Government Accountability Office audit the entire TRS program, including the FCC's efforts to protect the integrity of the fund." ... "The report also says Martin manipulated information given to his fellow commissioners and Congress. For instance, upon becoming chair in 2005, the report says, Martin ordered FCC staff to reverse the findings of a study, which initially said that "a la carte" cable programming would not benefit consumers. He also demoted the Media Bureau chief, who had been in charge of the study." ... "The reversal led to suspicion inside and out of the FCC that the study sent to Congress was not based on objective analysis, the committee report says." -By Stephanie Condon -CNET /News 20081115 Corporate - Television - Media - Politics "If it’s Sunday, it’s still conservative." ... "In 2006, Media Matters conducted a study on Sunday political talk shows, finding that “Republicans and conservatives have been offered more opportunities to appear on the Sunday shows — in some cases, dramatically so.” From 2001 to 2005, conservative guests outnumbered progressives “by 58 percent to 42 percent.” Atrios notes that tomorrow’s shows will also be dominated by conservative guests:" "7 Appearances by Republican current elected officeholders" "3 Appearances by Democratic current elected officeholders." "2 Appearances by Republican former elected officeholders." "1 Appearance by a [Republican President] Bush Cabinet Secretary." "T. Boone Pickens [former Republican swift boat contributor]" "Ted Turner. " " -ThinkProgress.org 20081114 Political - Corporate - Television - Media - Michigan - Massachusetts - New York - Arizona - Georgia - Louisiana - Alabama "More Muscle." ... "TPM Reader RS ..." "Here is something progressives really need to address. On Sunday morning political shows, three Democrats are confirmed as guests: [Michigan Democratic Senator] Carl Levin, [Massachusetts Democratic Representative] Barney Frank, and [New York Democratic Representative] Charlie Rangel. It's as if Democrats didn't just win huge electoral advances in the Presidential, House, and Senate elections. So we get the same thing we've had the past 8 years--republican hegemony on Sunday. [Arizona Republican Senator Jon] Kyl? Check. [former Georgia Republican Representative Newt] Gingrich? Check. [Republican Michael] Steele? Check. [Louisiana Republican Governor Bobby] Jindal and [Alabama Republican Senator Richard] Shelby? Check and check? Just look at The Page for the whole list. When is the "liberal media" going to give some of the oxygen to Democrats?" "This is unquestionably true. The bookers and producers of the Sunday shows are committed to the continuing dominance of conservative/Republican marquee guests. No question about it. And this is going to be one part of the rewiring of Washington that will take longer and face more resistance than possibly any other. The big interests and institutions that go to Washington to buy influence are quickly reacting to the changing political complexion of the city. The TV bookers and opinion act like nothing's happened." -By Josh Marshall .TalkingPointsMemo 20081109 Radio -  - Opinion - Politics - People - 2008 Election - Obama - Government - Retirement - Money "Right-wing media feeds its post-election anger." ... "... [M]any on the losing end of last week's [2008] election want to hold on to their anger. And there are those in the media -- led by the likes of [radio talker Rush] Limbaugh and [Fox tv talker Sean] Hannity -- only too ready to feed that animus, along with their own ratings." ... "In a time when the nation calls out for cool leadership and rational discussion, Limbaugh stirs the caldron, a tendency he proved in a particularly grotesque way last week when he accused Obama's party of plotting a government takeover of 401(k) retirement plans." ... ""They're going to take your 401(k), put it in the Social Security trust fund, whatever the hell that is," Limbaugh woofed. "Trust fund, my rear end."" ... "A slight problem with Limbaugh's report: Obama and the Democrats have proposed no such thing." ... "To broadcast such a report -- so drained of context as to constitute a lie -- would be a shameless act at any time. But Limbaugh needlessly stirred the fears of the millions he holds in his thrall -- making the 401(k) thievery sound like nearly a done deal. Shameless." -By James Rainey -LAtimes 20081029 Barack Obama -  - Ad - Media - 2008 Election - Families - Economy - Military - Ohio - Missouri - Kansas - New Mexico - Florida - Arizona -  - US - Iraq "30-minute Obama ad shows campaign muscle." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama's 30-minute TV ad, which ran simultaneously on broadcast and cable networks at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, is muscle-flexing that has little precedent, a campaign advertising expert said." ... ""It's evidence, if you needed any, that the Obama campaign has more money than there is ad time left to buy," said Evan Tracey, director of the Campaign Media Analysis Group. "This is flexing the muscles."" ... ""The strategic brilliance of this for Obama is that he is going to consume about 24 hours of the news cycle," Tracey said. "It boxes [John] McCain in, takes the oxygen out of the room."" ... "In the carefully produced infomercial, Obama laid out his plans for the economy and for bringing an end to the war in Iraq." ... "It also featured stories of struggling families in swing states such as Ohio and Missouri and included testimonials from high-profile supporters, including Kansas [Democratic Governor] Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and New Mexico [Democratic Governor] Gov. Bill Richardson." ... "Obama's Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, was not mentioned, nor was the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican]. The spot ended with a brief, live Obama address to a rally in Florida, another hotly contested state in this year's campaign." -By Richard Allen Greene -CNN WATCH Barack Obama ad: "American Stories, American Solutions." "Obama: "I'm reminded every single day that I am not a perfect man. I will not be a perfect president. But I can promise you this: I will always tell you what I think and where I stand. I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you when we disagree. And, most importantly, I will open the doors of government and ask you to be involved in your own democracy again."" - BarackObama.com Voting Machine - Technology - Politics - Video - West Virginia - Tennessee - 2008 Election - Obama - McCain "Video: Recalibrated Machine in W. Virginia Appears to Record Vote Inaccurately." ... "Video the Vote has a video showing [West Virginia's] Jackson County Clerk Jeff Waybright demonstrating how votes cast on uncalibrated touchscreen machines can jump from one candidate to another. This is the kind of problem that voters reported having in several West Virginia counties last week on touchscreen machines made by Election Systems & Software. Voters in Tennessee also complained about the same problem on ES&S machines." ... "In the video, after Waybright demonstrates the phenomenon on the uncalibrated machine, he calibrates the machine and votes again. But even though the machine is supposed to be fixed at that point, it appears to record a vote incorrectly." ... "In the first part of the video demonstrating an uncalibrated ES&S iVotronic touchscreen machine, Waybright touches the screen to cast a vote for [2008 Election] Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, but a check mark appears three boxes below Obama's name in the slot for Constitution Party presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin." ... "When he touches the box next to Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney's name, the machine sends him to a new screen where a box and keyboard are displayed for filling in a write-in candidate's name. When he selects the option for voting a straight-party Democratic ticket, the machine shows a check mark in the box next to [2008 Election] Republican presidential candidate John McCain's name." -By Kim Zetter -Wired WATCH: "WV Vote Flipping Caught on Tape" - VideoTheVote 20081025 Sarah Palin - Religious - Video - Kenya - Alaska - US - 2008 Election "YouTube Videos Draw Attention to Palin’s Faith." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Ms. Palin’s faith has come under scrutiny after two videos taken in her former church surfaced on YouTube and became immediate sensations. The first showed a visiting preacher from Kenya praying fervently over Ms. Palin in a gravelly voice and asking God to favor her campaign for governor and protect her from “every form of witchcraft.”" ... "The second showed Ms. Palin at an event in June praising the African preacher’s prayer as “awesome” and “very, very powerful.” She is also seen nodding as her former pastor from Wasilla prays over her and declares that Alaska is “one of the refuge states in the Last Days,” a piece of prophecy popular in some prayer networks that predicts that as the “end times” approach, people will flock to Alaska for its abundant open space and natural resources." ... " ... Ms. Palin has had long associations with religious leaders who practice a particularly assertive and urgent brand of Pentecostalism known as “spiritual warfare.”" ... "Its adherents believe that demonic forces can colonize specific geographic areas and individuals, and that “spiritual warriors” must “battle” them to assert God’s control, using prayer and evangelism. The movement’s fixation on demons, its aggressiveness and its leaders’ claims to exalted spiritual authority have troubled even some Pentecostal Christians." ... "Bishop Thomas Muthee, the Kenyan preacher shown on the YouTube video anointing her as she ran for governor, is celebrated internationally as an effective spiritual warrior who led a prayer movement that drove a witch out of his town in Kenya." ... "Critics say the goal of the spiritual warfare movement is to create a theocracy. Bruce Wilson, a researcher for Talk2Action, a Web site that tracks religious groups, said: “One of the imperatives of the movement is to achieve worldly power, including political control. Then you can more effectively drive out the demons. The ultimate goal is to purify the earth.”" (1, 2) -By Laurie Goodstein -NYTimes Search Youtube videos: <Palin Church> Search Youtube videos: <Palin witch-hunter> Search Youtube videos: <Palin witchcraft> 20081020 Cartoon - Fashion - History - Germany - Poland - US - McCain - Palin - 2008 Election - /Channel - Media - Corp "Fox Family Feud Over ‘Family Guy’." ... "A Sunday night episode of the Fox animated series “Family Guy” stirred up trouble by suggesting­ rather directly that Nazi officers would have supported the McCain-Palin ticket. And it was another arm of the News Corp. conglomerate, Fox News Channel, that first reported on the episode." ... "Fox (the broadcast network) aired the episode in which Stewie, the obnoxious baby character at the center of the series, and Brian, a talking dog, traveled back in time to Poland during the 1939 German invasion. The characters ambush Nazi soldiers in an alley and steal their uniforms so they can travel without drawing attention. Putting on an overcoat, Stewie notices a McCain-Palin campaign button affixed to the lapel. “Huh, that’s weird,” Stewie remarks." -By Brooks Barnes -NYTimes "Family Guy" cartoon with animated character "Stewie" in a Nazi uniform with a McCain/Palin button on it: WATCH episode of "Family Guy" cartoon with character Stewie in Nazi uniform with McCain/Palin button 20081010 Norm Coleman - Money -Fashion -Politics - Minnesota - Video - 2008 Election "A Simple Question, Yes or No?" ... "Did Nasser Kazeminy pay for [Minnesota Republican Norm] Colemans suits or not?" [Cullen Sheehan] [Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman Campaign Manager Cullen Sheehan.] -Video via MinnesotaDFL via YouTube 20080924 John McCain -  - Politics - Money - 2008 Election "EXCLUSIVE: John McCain Uses Idol Makeup Artist!" ... "The 72-year-old [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain] was recently made TV-ready by makeup artist Tifanie White who's worked on So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol." ... "McCain paid the 2002 beauty-school grad $5,583.43 for her services, according to the Federal Election Commission." -UsMagazine.com 20080904 Sarah Palin - History - Sports - Journalism - Television - Idaho - Alaska - 2008 Election "Republican vice presidential nominee Palin changes colleges 6 times in 6 years." ... "Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin seems to have switched colleges at least six times in six years, including two stints at the University of Idaho before graduating from there in 1987." ... "She majored in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast news." ... "Despite her journalism degree, she does not appear to have worked for the college newspaper or campus television station, school officials said. She worked briefly as a sportscaster for KTUU in Anchorage [Alaska] after she graduated college." -By Nicholas K. Geranios -LAtimes 20080812 Barack Obama - Family - Hawai'i -  - Journalist - Politics - Military - Sports - Illinois -2008 Election "Akaka defends Obama's Hawaii vacation from ABC commentator: Journalist questions [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama's vacation in 'foreign' destination." ... "A group called Asian Americans for Obama sent out a media alert yesterday with the headline, "BREAKING: Hawai'i is a State," as U.S. [Unisted States Hawaii Democratic Senator] Sen. Daniel Akaka and others defended U.S. [Illinois Democratic Senator] Sen. Barack Obama's decision to spend a weeklong vacation in the Islands." ... "Obama had another casual day yesterday: Visit his grandmother at her Makiki apartment again, watch a movie at the Ward Complex theaters and go to dinner. But his choice of vacation destinations — his hometown of Honolulu — prompted [Disney TV's] ABC News' Cokie Roberts to twice call Hawai'i a "foreign" and "exotic" vacation destination for the man who wants to be president." ... ""I know his grandmother lives in Hawai'i," Roberts said on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos. "And I know Hawai'i is a state. But it has the look of him going off to some sort of foreign, exotic place. He should be in Myrtle Beach if he's going to take a vacation at this time."" ... "But Akaka didn't see any humor in Roberts' comments." ... ""Saying our 50th state is somehow 'foreign,' does a great disservice to the hardworking, patriotic Americans who call Hawai'i home," Akaka said. "For months, people have been asking me, 'When is Sen. Obama going to come home?' I'm so glad he found time to visit his sister and his grandmother, and for him and his family to bond and recharge in his home state. Hawai'i is a great U.S. destination; just ask the 5.5 million Americans who visited last year for business and pleasure."" ... "Akaka's press secretary, Jesse Broder Van Dyke, wants Roberts to see firsthand evidence of Hawai'i's history and its role in the country's future." ... ""I would love to take Ms. Roberts on a tour of O'ahu, with stops at the Arizona Memorial and Punchbowl, followed by a visit with Hawai'i Army National Guard soldiers training for their second deployment to the Middle East," he said. "Then I would take her to Eastside Grill to watch Team USA women's volleyball and Bryan Clay. I would introduce her to Hawai'i residents so she could witness our diversity and learn about the aloha spirit. Part of what makes America great is the unique contributions of all 50 states. Sen. Obama has every right to come home and visit his sister and grandmother."" -By Dan Nakaso -HonoluluAdvertiser.com 20080728 Jim David Adkisson - Terrorism - Media - Politics - Radio - TV/Channel - Tennessee -Religion - Law - Police "Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity on accused shooter's reading list: 4-page letter outlines frustration, hatred of 'liberal movement'." ... "Police found right-wing political books, brass knuckles, empty shotgun shell boxes and a handgun in the Powell [Tennessee] home of a man who said he attacked a church in order to kill liberals "who are ruining the country," court records show." ... "Knoxville police Sunday evening searched the Levy Drive home of Jim David Adkisson after he allegedly entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and killed two people and wounded six others during the presentation of a children's musical." ... "Knoxville Police Department Officer Steve Still requested the search warrant after interviewing Adkisson. who was subdued by several church members after firing three rounds from a 12-gauge shotgun into the congregation." ... "Adkisson targeted the church, Still wrote in the document obtained by WBIR-TV, Channel 10, "because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country's hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets."" ... "Adkisson told Still that "he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement that he would then target those that had voted them in to office."" ... "Inside the house, officers found "Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder" by radio talk show host Michael Savage, "Let Freedom Ring" by talk show host Sean Hannity, and "The O'Reilly Factor," by television talk show host Bill O'Reilly [the latter two work for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp subsidiary Fox TV]." ... "The shotgun-wielding suspect in Sunday's mass shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was motivated by a hatred of "the liberal movement," and he planned to shoot until police shot him, Knoxville Police Chief Sterling P. Owen IV said this morning." ... "Adkisson, 58, of Powell wrote a four-page letter in which he stated his "hatred of the liberal movement," Owen said. "Liberals in general, as well as gays."" ... "Owen said Adkisson specifically targeted the church for its beliefs, rather than a particular member of the congregation." -By Hayes Hickman with contributions by Bob Fowler, J.J. Stambaugh, Frank Munger and Amy McRary -KnoxNews.com 20080727 Barack Obama - John McCain - Broadcast - Opinion - Politics - 2008 Election "In study, evidence of [conservative bias] liberal-bias bias: Cable talking heads accuse broadcast networks of liberal bias -- but a think tank finds that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama than on [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain in recent weeks." ... "The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University, where researchers have tracked network news content for two decades, found that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Obama than on Republican John McCain during the first six weeks of the general-election campaign." ... "You read it right: tougher on the Democrat." ... "During the evening news, the majority of statements from reporters and anchors on all three networks are neutral, the center found. And when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative." ... "Network reporting also tilted against McCain, but far less dramatically, with 43% of the statements positive and 57% negative, according to the Washington-based media center." -By James Rainey -LAtimes 20080707 Roger Ailes - Terrorism - Television - Corporate - Media - Politics - People -  "When Fox News Is the Story." ... "Like most working journalists, whenever I type seven letters — Fox News [owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (News Corp)] — a series of alarms begins to whoop in my head: Danger. Warning. Much mayhem ahead." ... "Once the public relations apparatus at Fox News is engaged, there will be the calls to my editors, keening (and sometimes threatening) e-mail messages, and my requests for interviews will quickly turn into depositions about my intent or who else I am talking to." ... "And if all that stuff doesn’t slow me down and I actually end up writing something, there might be a large hangover: Phone calls full of rebuke for a dependent clause in the third to the last paragraph, a ritual spanking in the blogs with anonymous quotes that sound very familiar, and — if I really hit the jackpot — the specter of my ungainly headshot appearing on one of Fox News’s shows along with some stern copy about what an idiot I am." ... "Fox News found a huge runway and enormous success by setting aside the conventions of bloodless objectivity, but along the way, it altered the rules of engagement between reporters and the media organizations they cover. Under its chief executive, [Republican media strategist] Roger Ailes, Fox News and its public relations apparatus have waged a permanent campaign on behalf of the channel that borrows its methodology from his days as a senior political adviser to [Republican Presidents] Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush." ... "At Fox News, media relations is a kind of rolling opposition research operation intended to keep reporters in line by feeding and sometimes maiming them. Shooting the occasional messenger is baked right into the process." ... "As crude as that sounds, it works. By blacklisting reporters it does not like, planting stories with friendlies at every turn, Fox News has been living a life beyond consequence for years." ... "Earlier this year, a colleague of mine said, he was writing a story about CNN’s gains in the ratings and was told on deadline by a Fox News public relations executive that if he persisted, “they” would go after him. Within a day, “they” did, smearing him around the blogs, he said. (I did not ask him for a comment because the information was of a private nature.)" ... "[Fox News public relations head Brian] Mr. Lewis denied that his staff had threatened one of my colleagues or planted private information about him on blogs." ... "That comes as a surprise to reporters I talked to who say they have received e-mail messages from Fox News public relations staff that contained doctored photos, anonymous quotes and nasty items about competitors. And two former Fox employees said that they had participated in precisely those kinds of activities but had signed confidentiality agreements and could not say so on the record. " (1, 2, 3) -By David Carr -NYTimes 20080702 John McCain - Karl Rove - Rick Davis - Arizona - 2004 Election - 2008 Election - Media -  "McCain camp puts Rove man in charge: New chief Steve Schmidt, right, a veteran of the [Republican President] Bush campaign, will focus on honing McCain's message. Republicans have complained the campaign lacked clear themes." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign has gone through its second shake-up in a year. Responding to Republican concern that his candidacy was faltering, McCain put a veteran of President Bush's 2004 campaign in charge of day-to-day operations, and stepped away from a plan to have the campaign run by 11 regional managers, McCain's aides said Wednesday." ... "The elevation of Steve Schmidt -- who worked closely with Karl Rove -- at McCain's headquarters represented a sharp diminishment of the responsibilities of Rick Davis, who has been McCain's campaign manager since the last shake-up nearly a year ago." ... "The move is the latest sign of increasing influence of veterans of Rove's shop in the McCain operation. Nicolle Wallace, who was communications director for Bush in the 2004 campaign (and in his White House) has joined the campaign as a senior adviser, and will travel with McCain every other week. Greg Jenkins, another veteran of Rove's operation who is a former Fox News [TV] producer and director of presidential advance in the Bush White House, was hired by Schmidt last week after a series of what McCain's advisers acknowledged were poorly executed campaign events." (1, 2, 3) -NYTimes -WashingtonPost via -StarTribune

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20080623
Media - - Radio -Communications - Corporations - Government - Politics
"July 18 Deadline for Cross-Ownership Move Requests: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Gives Broadcasters, Media Activists Until July 18 to File Requests for Moving Appeal of FCC Decision." ... "The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals gave broadcasters and media activists until July 18 to file their requests for moving the appeal of the Federal Communications Commission's decision to loosen the ban on newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership." ... "That's according to one of the parties involved." -By John Eggerton -BroadcastingCable.com

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John McCain - Political - Media - Television - Censorship - 2008 Election
"FOX Erases McCain Saying He "Really Didn't Love America"." ... "On March 13, 2008, FOX's Sean Hannity interviewed [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain for the full hour. The interview started with questions about McCain's time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. At one point, this was said: HANNITY: You spent two years of this five-and-a-half-year period in solitary confinement. What does that do to a person, to spend that much time in solitary confinement? MCCAIN: I think it makes you a better person. Obviously, it makes you love America. I really didn't love America until I was deprived of her company." ... "Get that? McCain "really didn't love America" until he was a POW." ... "Jedreport.com discovered that the transcript of the McCain/Hannity interview on FoxNews.com had no mention of McCain saying he "really didn't love America" until he was a POW. I checked and sure enough, it wasn't there. So I started watching the video of the interview of FoxNews.com — it wasn't there either." ... "FOX has completely erased the first segment to hide McCain's statement that he "really didn't love America"." ... "They [Rupert Murdoch's Fox News television stations] are the republican propaganda machine." ... "PS This isn't even the first time McCain has said he "didn't really love America" until he was a POW. He's been saying it for years." -YouTube user Jsjkim

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WATCH "FOX Erases McCain Saying He "Really Didn't Love America""

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20080617
Obama - 2008 Election - Internet - Media - Cable Networks - Politics - Religion - Women - "Jon Stewart Mocks Media For Peddling Insane Obama Rumors." ... "On Monday night's "Daily Show," Jon Stewart mocked the media's willingness to peddle insane rumors about [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama — and their tendency to blame the rumor-mongering on internet sites. Calling it "Baracknophobia," Stewart showed clips of anchor and pundits from all three cable networks repeating baseless rumors (Muslim, plagiarist, sexist, etc.) about Barack Obama (and his wife Michelle)." -HuffingtonPost.com

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WATCH!-) Jon Stewart on "Baracknophobia" ... "The irrational fear of hope." 

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20080613
Gordon Smith - Oil - Money - Auto - Makers - Oregon - Television - Ad - 2008 Election
"Political ads try to tie Smith to gas prices." ... "An independent Democratic group launched two television ads today that try to tie [Oregon] Republican Senator Gordon Smith to skyrocketing gasoline prices." ... "Both contend that Smith has accepted huge contributions from oil companies and automakers, and that he had voted against higher fuel mileage standards while supporting tax breaks for oil companies." -AP via KTVZ

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WATCH Ad on Gordon Smith oil corporation "Billions"
WATCH Ad on Gordon Smith gasoline "Dollars"

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Tim Russert - Barack Obama - John McCain - Internet -EMail - Media - - Politics - Religion -Indiana - Illinois- US - Iraq - Iran - Military - Money - Social Security - 2008 Election
[NOTE: On the day MSNBC's Meet the Press television political journalist Tim Russert died, MSNBC published this interview with Tim Russert:]
"Vigilance needed on campaign claims: Big issues, not smears, need to be the focus." ... "Msnbc: Tim, www.fightthesmears.com is a web site launched by the [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama campaign to combat potentially damaging rumor about the candidate and his wife, Michelle. Is this necessary?  How big of a problem is this really?" ... "Tim Russert: It’s amazing how much the Internet has changed our lives.  People get emails that make accusations without foundation and they are circulated around the country within seconds and suddenly become topics of conversations around water coolers or in lunchrooms." ... "I remember being in Indianapolis [Indiana's capital] covering the Indiana primary and a man came up to me and said he wasn’t going to vote for [Illinois] Senator Obama because he was very concerned about the comments made by Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s pastor.  I said, “That’s interesting.  As a reporter, I’m curious what comments particularly bothered you?”  He said, “Well, I can’t think of any that come to mind, but I also read on the Internet that he’s a Muslim.”  And I said, “Now wait a minute.  You can’t have both.  You can’t be offended by his Christian minister and then say he’s a Muslim.  You’ve got to pick one.”" ... "But that just underscores what we’re dealing with in this modern era." ... "Now I’m told there’s a counter organization with a very similar name that is going to be positioned and posted to spread the rumors, so that people that go to the Internet to get clarification will go to the wrong web site and get confused." ... "It’s a virus.  You have bloggers on both sides, liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats all trying to utilize this vehicle without any kind of fact checking and without any kind of editorial control." ... "Msnbc:  Given the way people use the Internet, do you wonder if there are going to be some things said or done during the course of this campaign that will be very unsettling?" ... "Russert:  That’s what we have to be conscious of and vigilant against, particularly at the end of the campaign as things are put out there.  We’ve already had a few fake videos with different words dubbed in and people say, “This must be true because I saw it on the Internet.”" ... "What we hope to do in this campaign is recognize there are big differences on big issues between John McCain and Barack Obama – the war in Iraq, Iran, Social Security, taxes.  You don’t need to get into this other stuff.  If it does surface, then I think the mainstream media has an obligation not to just instinctively put it out there without vetting it.  Or, if it is something that is manufactured as a virus, report on that – who did it and why.  But sometimes it’s very hard to trace it back to its original source." -MSNBC

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20080611
Racist - Media - Politics - 2008 Election - Obama - Family - Mom
"Fox News calls Michelle Obama "Obama's baby mama"." ... "An alert reader wrote in just a little while ago to let us know about something he'd spotted on Fox News Wednesday afternoon. During a segment discussing conservative attacks against Michelle Obama, the wife of [2008 Election] presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, the network described the former as "Obama's baby mama."" ... "I checked, and sure enough, as you can see below, our e-mailer was right. In fact, that description was displayed on-screen several times during the segment, which featured anchor Megyn Kelly and conservative blogger Michelle Malkin, an FNC contributor. " -By Alex Koppelman -Salon

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20080529
• John McCain - Rod Parsley - John Hagee - Military - Terrorism - Religion - Politicians - Homosexuals - Racism - Television - Media - Ohio - Texas - 2008 Election - "In Rebuking Minister, McCain May Have Alienated Evangelicals." ... "The [Republican televangelist, Reverend] Rev. Rod Parsley paces the stage, wiping his forehead and shouting to his congregation in a taped sermon that marriage is under attack by "tortured and angry homosexuals."" ... "During another of his nationally broadcast television shows, he compares Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan, saying that its goal is to "eliminate" blacks. And at another service at his 12,000-member World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio, he punches the air and calls Islam a "false religion" that God has told America to destroy." ... ""We were built for battle! We were created for conflict! We get off on warfare!" he adds." ... "Images of one of the nation's rising stars of television evangelism are widely available on DVDs and Web sites, with sermons that are almost certain to inflame some segment of the voting public. But in its quest to secure support from evangelical Christians, the campaign of presumptive [2008 Election] Republican presidential nominee John McCain did not note a long record of inflammatory statements by Parsley and the [Republican televangelist, Reverend] Rev. John Hagee of Texas, another TV evangelist, until long after McCain had accepted their endorsements." ... "The move backfired last week when clips of the ministers' sermons gained national attention, prompting McCain to reject their support. The candidate's abrupt turnabout brought criticism not only from secular viewers, who questioned why he had aligned himself with controversial religious voices, but also from evangelicals, who said he may have alienated a powerful bloc of potential Republican voters." ... "In February, McCain appeared with Parsley to accept his endorsement and called him a "spiritual guide."" ... "He [Parsley] and his family reside in a 7,462-square-foot house, valued at more than $1 million, on a 24-acre gated property." ... "In 2005, Parsley created a voter registration organization called Reformation Ohio, telling Christians that it was time to "lock and load" and to prepare for a "Holy Ghost invasion" of government." (1, 2) -By Kimberly Kindy with contributions by Alice Critics, Meg Smith, and Madonna Lebling -WashingtonPost

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  WATCH Rod Parsley, McCain's "Spiritual Guide" who claims God wants America to destroy Islam, and screamed, "We get off on warfare."

McCain Parsley McCain's "Spiritual Guide" Rod Parsley "We get off on warfare!"

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20080528
• Scott McClellan - Book - Noteworthy - US - Iraq - Corporate - Media - Military - Government - Politics - Marketing - Television - History - Gore - Obama - McCain - Russert - Cheney- "Scott McClellan on the "liberal media"." ... "In a minimally rational world, this extraordinary passage, from the new book by Scott McClellan, would forever slay the single most ludicrous myth in our political culture: The "Liberal Media":"
"If anything, the national press corps was probably too deferential to the [Republican President Bush] White House and to the administration in regard to the most important decision facing the nation during my years in Washington, the choice over whether to go to war in Iraq."

"The collapse of the administration's rationales for war, which became apparent months after our invasion, should never have come as such a surprise. . . . In this case, the "liberal media" didn't live up to its reputation. If it had, the country would have been better served."

"Just consider how remarkable that is. [Republican President] George Bush's own Press Secretary criticizes the American media for being "too deferential" to the Government. He lays the blame for Bush's ability to propagandize the nation on the media's uncritical dissemination of the Republican administration's falsehoods. And most notably of all, McClellan actually uses cynical scare quotes when invoking the phrase which, in conventional political discourse, is deemed the most unassailable truth of all: The Liberal Media." ... "How much longer can this preposterous myth be sustained when even the White House Spokesman not only mocks the phrase but derides the media for being "too deferential" to the right-wing Government "in regard to the most important decision facing the nation during [his] years in Washington"? If one were to set about with the goal of debunking the "Liberal Media" myth -- as Eric Alterman specifically did four years ago and other media critics have more generally done before that -- one couldn't dream up evidence more conclusive than McClellan's admissions." ... "Blindingly conclusive evidence which would -- for any rational person -- forever negate the "Liberal Media" myth has been piling up for years. The extraordinary (though woefully incomplete) 2004 mea culpa from The New York Times acknowledged that not just Judy Miller, but the paper as a whole, re-printed pro-war government claims that were "allowed to stand unchallenged." The Washington Post's own media critic, Howard Kurtz, documented that anti-war views were systematically buried at that paper. The NYTrecently exposed that network and cable news shows for years continuously allowed Pentagon-controlled operatives to masquerade as "independent analysts" spouting the pro-government line with virtually no challenge. And the media's pathological fixation on the Clinton sex scandals -- which led to his impeachment -- stood in stark contrast to the widespread indifference among the citizenry." ... "Beyond all that, are there any reporters left who deny that the campaign-covering media in 2000 was gushingly enamored of [Republican] George Bush and oozing with contempt for [Democratic] Al Gore? Identically, their intense affection for [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain is something they openly proclaim; as they shamelessly acknowledge, they're his "base." And while some journalists undoubtedly harbor admiration for [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama, the non-stop coverage of one anti-Obama narrative after the next -- Jeremiah Wright, lapel pins, patriotism "questions," "Bittergate," "problems" with Jewish and white voters -- simply has no parallel in any coverage of McCain." ... "Beyond that objective evidence, just look at the claims which "Liberal Media" complainers make to support their grievance. As examples of "liberal" journalists, they'll cite people like Chris Matthews -- who voted for [Republican] George Bush, and did more than anyone to prop up his image as our Great War Leader and demonize Bush critics. One of the leading examples of a biased "liberal" journalist is therefore someone who actually went on television in late 2005 and said this:"

"I like [Bush]. Everybody sort of likes the president, except for the real whack-jobs, maybe on the left -- I mean -- like him personally."

"Or they'll point to "liberal" Tim Russert -- Tim Russert -- about whom [Republican Vice President] Cheney press aide Cathy Martin said: "I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used. It's our best format, as it allows us to control the message." That's the same "liberal" Tim Russert who confessed that he operates by the defining law of the Government propagandist: "When I talk to senior government officials on the phone, it's my own policy -- our conversations are confidential. If I want to use anything from that conversation, then I will ask permission."" ... "Or look at the recent "controversy" reported by the Associated Press over whether NBC News' reputation as an objective news outlet is being tainted by virtue of the "liberal" commentators MSNBC features. Nobody questioned whether CNN's objectivity was imperiled by featuring the likes of [right-wing commentators] Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs, nor, for that matter, did anyone raise these questions about NBC when, for years, MSNBC shows were hosted by the likes of Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough and Michael Savage." ... "But a single unapologetic Bush critic appears on the TV -- Keith Olbermann -- and this rarest of occurrence suddenly leads to controversy over whether the "respectability" of television news can survive while allowing a single "liberal" voice to be heard." -By Glenn Greenwald -Salon

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20080518
• WATCH - John McCain - Iraq - Military - Disaster - Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans - Louisiana - US - Economy - Politics - Author -  - Media - 2008 Election - "McCain's YouTube Problem Just Became a Nightmare." [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain]
[John McCain]

[YouTube Video] "According to Cliff Schecter, author of The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him And Why Independents Shouldn't: "It is dangerous for a democracy when a presidential candidate can lie with impunity, change positions on a whim, and physically and verbally threaten others and virtually none of it is reported by a besotted media eagerly awaiting the next moment when he might slap their backs in friendship." -TheRealMcCain.com -BraveNewFilms.org

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20080516
• Barack Obama - Communications -  - Radio - Media - Market - Government - Politics - 2008 Election - "Obama, Bush at Odds Over Media-Ownership Vote: Democratic Presidential Candidate Urges House of Representatives to Follow Senate's Lead, Scrap FCC's Media-Ownership-Rule Change." ... "The fight over the Federal Communications Commission's [December] Dec. 18 media-ownership vote set up a potential battle between the current president [Republican Bush] and a senator who wants to be the next one." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.[Democratic-Illinois]) Thursday urged the House to follow the Senate's lead and pass a resolution of disapproval, an unusual legislative maneuver that would invalidate the FCC's decision to allow TV and radio stations and newspapers to be co-owned in the top 20 markets, subject to some conditions." ... "After the Senate approved the measure, Obama, a co-sponsor of the bill, released a statement saying, "I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to expeditiously pass the legislation."" ... "He framed the vote, as he has before, as standing up to "Washington special interests," a campaign theme. "Our nation’s media market must reflect the diverse voices of our population, and it is essential that the FCC promotes the public interest and diversity in ownership," he said." -By John Eggerton -BroadcastingCable.com

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20080501
• US - Iraq -  - Cameras - Media - Politics - San Diego - California - ""Mission Accomplished," 5 Years Later: Since [Republican President] Bush Announced Major Combat Operations In Iraq Ended, Another 3,924 Troops Have Been Killed." ... "It was a picture-perfect moment, made for the TV cameras, in which a military leader stood before heroes and heroines to declare a victory which seemed to come easier than anyone dared hope, in a conflict which was opposed by many friends and foes alike." ... "May 1 marks the fifth anniversary of President George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech aboard the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln." ... "After being landed on the deck of the carrier in an S-3B Viking 30 miles off the coast San Diego [California] (Ari Fleischer said the president "could have helicoptered," but "he wanted to see a landing the way aviators see a landing"), Mr. Bush appeared in a flight suit to the cheers of the ship's personnel and the glare of television lights." ... "Later, he stood at a podium against a backdrop of an enormous banner reading "Mission Accomplished."" ... "To the assembled audience and the world, Mr. Bush said, "Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country." ... ""In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty, and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment - yet it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage - your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other - made this day possible. Because of you, our nation is more secure. Because of you, the tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free." ... ""Tonight, I have a special word for Secretary Rumsfeld, for General Franks, and for all the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States: America is grateful for a job well done."" ... "Now in its sixth year, the war in Iraq has claimed the lives of at least 4,058 members of the U.S. military - 3,924 of whom have died since Mr. Bush landed on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln." ... "And there are currently more U.S. troops in Iraq than there were when the U.S. invaded with a contingent of other coalition forces." -AP via -CBSNews 

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20080427
Elizabeth Edwards - Edwards - Biden - Barack Obama - Media - Television - Corporations - Sports - Politics - 2008 Election - Pennsylvania - Freedom - Health - "Bowling 1, Health Care 0." ... "For the last month, news media attention was focused on Pennsylvania and its [2008 Election] Democratic primary. Given the gargantuan effort, what did we learn?" ... "Well, the rancor of the campaign was covered. The amount of money spent was covered. But in Pennsylvania, as in the rest of the country this political season, the information about the candidates’ priorities, policies and principles — information that voters will need to choose the next president — too often did not make the cut. After having spent more than a year on the campaign trail with my husband, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] John Edwards, I’m not surprised." ... "Why? Here’s my guess: The vigorous press that was deemed an essential part of democracy at our country’s inception is now consigned to smaller venues, to the Internet and, in the mainstream media, to occasional articles. I am not suggesting that every journalist for a mainstream media outlet is neglecting his or her duties to the public. And I know that serious newspapers and magazines run analytical articles, and public television broadcasts longer, more probing segments." ... "But I am saying that every analysis that is shortened, every corner that is cut, moves us further away from the truth until what is left is the Cliffs Notes of the news, or what I call strobe-light journalism, in which the outlines are accurate enough but we cannot really see the whole picture." ... "Did you, for example, ever know a single fact about [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Joe Biden’s health care plan? Anything at all? But let me guess, you know [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama’s bowling score. We are choosing a president, the next leader of the free world. We are not buying soap, and we are not choosing a court clerk with primarily administrative duties." ... "What’s more, the news media cut candidates like Joe Biden out of the process even before they got started." ... "News is different from other programming on television or other content in print. It is essential to an informed electorate. And an informed electorate is essential to freedom itself. But as long as corporations to which news gathering is not the primary source of income or expertise get to decide what information about the candidates “sells,” we are not functioning as well as we could if we had the engaged, skeptical press we deserve." ... "If voters want a vibrant, vigorous press, apparently we will have to demand it." (1, 2) -By Elizabeth Edwards -NYTimes

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20080424
• WATCH - US - Iraq - Military - Government - Intelligence - Illegal - Psychological - Media -  - Marketing - Politics - "Government Curries Favor With Military News Analysts." ... "The Pentagon may influence the analysis of some retired military personnel who appear on television news programs, the New York Times recently reported. Media insiders discuss the details of this murky world of defense companies, the current administration and the war in Iraq.
[PBS NewsHour Reporter] JUDY WOODRUFF: These former generals and colonels have been a mainstay of commentary and analysis. And the networks paid them for their appearances.

Now, a lengthy New York Times investigation, published on Sunday, revealed the Pentagon targeted many of these analysts as part of an information apparatus to generate favorable news coverage of the administration's wartime performance.

Pentagon officials organized hundreds of private meetings with senior military leaders and the military analysts. They included talks with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

According to the Times, analysts were also taken on tours of Iraq and given access to classified intelligence. In turn, members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated.

It was also disclosed that most of the analysts have ties to military contractors [corporate military money ties].
...
JOHN STAUBER, Center for Media and Democracy [and author of the book, "Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq."]: Well, Judy, first of all, congratulations to the NewsHour for doing this report. And it's a shame on the networks who were duped this way that they didn't show up to defend or explain their actions.

What happened here was a psy-ops campaign [a psychological operations campaign], an incredible government propaganda campaign whereby Donald Rumsfeld and Torie Clark, the head of public relations for the Pentagon, designed a program to recruit 75, at least 75 former military officers, as your report said, most of them now lobbyists or consultants to military contractors, and insert them, beginning in 2002, before the attack on Iraq was even launched, into the major networks to manage the messages, to be surrogates.

And that's the words that are actually used, "message multipliers" for the secretary of defense and for the Pentagon. This program continues right up to now.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And is the essence of this that what they did was -- what the Pentagon did was illegal?

JOHN STAUBER: Yes, what they did was illegal. Now, the Pentagon might contest that, but we've had various laws on the books in our country going back to the 1920s. It is illegal for the U.S. government to propagandize citizens in this way.

In my opinion, this war could have never been sold if it were not for this sophisticated propaganda campaign. And what we need is congressional investigation of not just this Pentagon military analyst program, but all the rest of the deception and propaganda that came out of the Bush administration and out of the Pentagon that allowed them to sell and manage this war.

" -PBS /NewsHour

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• Karl Rove - Corporate - Media - Politics - Network - US - Iraq - Military - "The Self-Loathing Liberal Media." ... "I've been thinking some more about [TIME-WARNER] CNN hiring [former Republican President Bush's spokesperson] Tony Snow as a commentator." ... "Coming in the wake of Newsweek's hiring of [Republican political operative] Karl Rove, and the New York Times' hiring of Bill Kristol, the mainstream media's embrace of these unabashed propagandists has revealed a self-loathing streak a mile wide." ... "What is it with these media outlets? Have they been so cowed by the Right's relentless branding of them as "liberal" that they feel compelled to show that they are not by sleeping with the enemy? And make no mistake, Rove, Kristol, and Snow are the enemies -- of honesty, truth, facts, reality, and the public's right to know. Anything." ... "Rove's commitment to deception is legendary. His entire career was built on it. Kristol is neoconservatism's crown prince. He was a prime mover in the push to invade Iraq, and his claims about the war's progress (or, rather, lack thereof) have been discredited again and again. His reward: a conservative slot on the Gray Lady's Op-Ed page. The Times might as well have given a weekly column to Jayson Blair." ... "Now CNN, the self-anointed "Most Trusted Name in News," has thrown its arms around Snow and handed him its international megaphone." ... "Are the cable network's execs all suffering from amnesia? Do they not remember the extremely distant relationship Snow had with the truth during his time as Bush's mouthpiece?" ... "Misinformation accomplished." ... "The fanatical right has put a modern media twist on Lenin: "Self-loathing liberals will hand us the microphone with which we will bludgeon them."" -By Arianna Huffington -HuffingtonPost.com

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20080423
• Barack Obama - Hillary Rodham Clinton - Karl Rove - Terrorism - Politics - Osama bin Laden - Television - Ad - Money - History - Pennsylvania - Illinois - New York - Iran - Israel - US - Military - 2008 Election - "The Low Road to Victory." ... "The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it." ... "Voters are getting tired of it; it is demeaning the political process; and it does not work. It is past time for [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York] Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to acknowledge that the negativity, for which she is mostly responsible, does nothing but harm to her, her opponent, her party and the 2008 election." ... "If nothing else, self interest should push her in that direction. Mrs. Clinton did not get the big win in Pennsylvania that she needed to challenge the calculus of the Democratic race. It is true that [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama outspent her 2-to-1. But Mrs. Clinton and her advisers should mainly blame themselves, because, as the political operatives say, they went heavily negative and ended up squandering a good part of what was once a 20-point lead." ... "On the eve of this crucial primary, Mrs. Clinton became the first Democratic candidate to wave the bloody shirt of 9/11. A Clinton television ad — torn right from Karl Rove’s playbook — evoked the 1929 stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, the Cuban missile crisis, the cold war and the 9/11 attacks, complete with video of Osama bin Laden. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” the narrator intoned." ... "If that was supposed to bolster Mrs. Clinton’s argument that she is the better prepared to be president in a dangerous world, she sent the opposite message on Tuesday morning by declaring in an interview on ABC News that if Iran attacked Israel while she were president: “We would be able to totally obliterate them.”" -NYTimes

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20080421
• Corporate - Hackers - Manufacture- Electronics - Technology - California - Texas - US - Global - TV - Telecom - Media - Copyright - Enforcement - German - Canada - UK - Israeli - Intelligence - Spying - "Rupert Murdoch Firm Goes on Trial for Alleged Tech Sabotage." ... "Did a Rupert Murdoch company go too far and hire hackers to sabotage rivals and gain the top spot in the global pay-TV war?" ... "This is the question a jury will be facing in a spectacular five-year-old civil lawsuit that is finally being tried this month in California but which has, oddly, received little notice from U.S. [United States] media." ... "The case involves a colorful cast of characters that includes former intelligence agents, Canadian TV pirates, Bulgarian and German hackers, stolen e-mails and the mysterious suicide of a Berlin [Germany's capital] hacker who had been courted by the Murdoch company not long before his death." ... "On the hot spot is NDS Group, a UK-Israeli firm that makes smartcards for pay-TV systems like DirecTV. The company is a majority-owned subsidiary of Murdoch's News Corporation. The charges stem from 1997 when NDS is accused of cracking the encryption of rival NagraStar, which makes access cards and systems for EchoStar's Dish Network and other pay-TV services. Further, it’s alleged NDS then hired hackers to manufacture and distribute counterfeit NagraStar cards to pirates to steal Dish Network's programming for free." ... "NagraStar and one of its parent companies, EchoStar, are seeking about $101 million for damages for piracy, copyright infringement, misconduct and unfair competition. The list of witnesses in the case includes EchoStar's founder and CEO Charlie Ergen; several hackers and pirates; and Reuven Hazak, an Israeli who heads security for NDS and is a former deputy head of Shabak, or Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency (the equivalent of Britain's MI5)." ... "According to court documents, the scheme began to unravel in 2000 when law-enforcement agents in Texas seized suspicious packages containing CD and DVD players stuffed with more than $40,000 in cash. Parcels similar to this were being sent almost daily from Canada, via Texas, to a hacker in California named Christopher Tarnovsky, who was working for NDS as an engineer. The money was allegedly part of the conspiracy between Tarnovsky and NDS Group to sabotage NagraStar's cards." -By Kim Zetter -Wired

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20080420
• Corporate- Government - Psychological - Military - Intelligence - Television - Radio - Media - Politics - Classified - US - History - Guantánamo - Prison - Cuba - Human Rights - Justice-  - Iraq - Terrorism - Cheney - Gonzales - "Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand." ... "In the summer of 2005, the [Republican President] Bush administration confronted a fresh wave of criticism over Guantánamo Bay [US military prison in Cuba]. The detention center had just been branded “the gulag of our times” by Amnesty International, there were new allegations of abuse from United Nations human rights experts and calls were mounting for its closure." ... "The administration’s communications experts responded swiftly. Early one Friday morning, they put a group of retired military officers on one of the jets normally used by [Republican] Vice President Dick Cheney and flew them to Cuba for a carefully orchestrated tour of Guantánamo." ... "To the public, these men are members of a familiar fraternity, presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as “military analysts” whose long service has equipped them to give authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-[September]Sept. 11 world." ... "Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found." ... "The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air." ... "Those business relationships are hardly ever disclosed to the viewers, and sometimes not even to the networks themselves. But collectively, the men on the plane and several dozen other military analysts represent more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants. The companies include defense heavyweights, but also scores of smaller companies, all part of a vast assemblage of contractors scrambling for hundreds of billions in military business generated by the administration’s war on terror. It is a furious competition, one in which inside information and easy access to senior officials are highly prized." ... "Records and interviews show how the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks." ... "Analysts have been wooed in hundreds of private briefings with senior military leaders, including officials with significant influence over contracting and budget matters, records show. They have been taken on tours of Iraq and given access to classified intelligence. They have been briefed by officials from the White House, State Department and Justice Department, including Mr. Cheney, Alberto R. Gonzales and Stephen J. Hadley." ... "In turn, members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated. Some analysts acknowledge they suppressed doubts because they feared jeopardizing their access." ... "A few expressed regret for participating in what they regarded as an effort to dupe the American public with propaganda dressed as independent military analysis." ... "Many also shared with Mr. Bush’s national security team a belief that pessimistic war coverage broke the nation’s will to win in Vietnam, and there was a mutual resolve not to let that happen with this war." ... "This was a major theme, for example, with Paul E. Vallely, a Fox News analyst from 2001 to 2007. A retired Army general who had specialized in psychological warfare, Mr. Vallely co-authored a paper in 1980 that accused American news organizations of failing to defend the nation from “enemy” propaganda during Vietnam." ... "“We lost the war — not because we were outfought, but because we were out Psyoped,” he wrote. He urged a radically new approach to psychological operations in future wars — taking aim at not just foreign adversaries but domestic audiences, too. He called his approach “MindWar” — using network TV and radio to “strengthen our national will to victory.”" (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, DOCUMENTS) -By David Barstow -NYTimes 

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  WATCH - "How the Pentagon Spread Its Message." ... "David Barstow, an investigative reporter for The Times, examines primary source documents detailing the Pentagon’s response to criticism of then-Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld by a group of prominent retired generals." -By David Barstow -NYTimes 

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20080418
• John McCain - Money - Accounting - Politics -  - Arizona - Illinois - New York - Obama - Clinton - 2008 Election - "CNN chart purporting to compare candidates' "wealth" omitted Cindy McCain, who is reportedly worth $100 million." ... "Summary: On [TIME WARNER/CNN TV show] The Situation Room, an on-screen chart showed [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's income to be significantly lower than that of [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidates and Senators from Illinois and New York] Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton when combined with the income of their spouses. However, the chart did not include any income earned by McCain's wife, Cindy. As Dana Bash reported moments earlier of Cindy McCain, "Some estimates actually put her worth at about $100 million."" ... "Earlier in the program, Bash compared the portion of McCain's income that he gave to charity with the portion given by the Clintons and Obamas -- without noting that McCain presumably benefits from his wife's wealth and from her income from her separate property, a figure that she has not released." -MediaMatters.org

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20080417
• Barack Obama - Hillary Clinton - Media - Politics - Corporate - Network - 2008 Election - Pa - "In Pa. Debate, The Clear Loser Is ABC." ... "When [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidates] Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates' debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news -- in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia [Pennsylvania] and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances." ... "For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with." ... "Obama was right on the money when he complained about the campaign being bogged down in media-driven inanities and obsessiveness over any misstatement a candidate might make along the way, whether in a speech or while being eavesdropped upon by the opposition. The tactic has been to "take one statement and beat it to death," he said." ... "At the end, Gibson pompously thanked the candidates -- or was he really patting himself on the back? -- for "what I think has been a fascinating debate." He's entitled to his opinion, but the most fascinating aspect was waiting to see how low he and Stephanopoulos would go, and then being appalled at the answer." -By Tom Shales -WashingtonPost

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• -  - Media - Politics - Corporate - Network - 2008 Election -  -  -  -  - Torture -  - Human Rights -  - Consumer -  - - Safety -  -  -  - Death Penalty - "Okay, Now I'm Bitter." [Mary Mapes on what DISNEY/ABC didn't cover in the 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate debate in Pennsylvania with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama] ... "In Iraq, we've seen a rebound in suicide bombings and gotten the disquieting information that Iraqi soldiers have been fleeing the battlefield in frightening numbers." ... "Americans learned that detailed discussions of torture techniques had been held in the [Republican President] White House -- our White House -- and President Bush revealed that he knew this and approved." ... "[Home] Foreclosure rates have spiked to frightening levels." ... "U.S. [United States] shoppers were told that food prices in this country are rising at a higher pace than at any time in the past 17 years." ... "The airline industry floundered through dreadful days of groundings, amidst safety concerns, economic ailments and passenger anger." ... "Oil prices are setting new records almost every day and $4 a gallon gas is coming soon to a service station near you." ... "The anguish over China's human rights record and its handling of Tibet turned the Olympic torch relay into a cross between Spain's Running of the Bulls and 3rd grade keep-away." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain, acting like a mean old man trying to chase those pesky voters off his lawn, refused to endorse a new GI bill that would help those currently serving our country get a college education." ... "The Supreme Court issued a fractured opinion on the death penalty that for the first time in years raises the real possibility of a national debate on the value and morality of the ultimate punishment." ... "And we are in the middle of what is clearly the most important, most consequential election of my lifetime -- and I'm no spring chicken." ... "Instead, I sat in front of my TV open-mouthed, listening to a hodgepodge of juvenile questions about flag jewelry, the possibility of a "dream" ticket, elderly radicals, Charlie Gibson's personal tax concerns and ministers who emote too much. What, no time for a question about Cindy McCain's purloined pork chop recipe?" -By Mary Mapes -HuffingtonPost.com

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20080416
• Barack Obama - John McCain - Corporate - Network - Sports - Politics - Illinois - Arizona - 2008 Election - "Barack Obama is game, ESPN isn't." ... "At the last minute, [DISNEY/ABC/ESPN] network executives killed a podcast with the senator [of Illinois, Barack Obama, 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate,] that was scheduled for Friday with host Bill Simmons." ... "The presidential candidate was all ready to do it." ... ""Senator Obama would be happy to appear on ESPN at any time," said his spokesman, Tommy Vietor." ... "It's not the first time the sports network has canceled an appearance by the Democratic front-runner. According to a campaign source, a television interview set up with host Stu Scott was canceled by higher-ups as well." ... "Griped one source, "They landed the hottest politician in 50 years, and they couldn't even see the interview through? This is insanity."" ... "It's of interest that ESPN president George Bodenheimer has supported Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's presidential bid with a donation of $1,000." -NYDailyNews.com

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20080410
• Bob Schaffer - Colorado - Virginia - Video - Ad - Money - Politics - 2008 Election - "Schaffer ad maker slapped: Watchdog group says law violated." ... "A national group behind a political ad showing schoolchildren repeatedly thanking U.S. [Colorado Republican] Senate candidate Bob Schaffer for his commitment to charter schools has run afoul of federal election laws." ... "U.S. Term Limits, a Virginia- based group, paid for the ad, which includes a written disclaimer: "U.S. Term Limits does not endorse candidates for public office."" ... "But when the ad was posted to YouTube .com, it was labeled "Bob Schaffer for Senate video." That's considered election advocacy, according to a national ethics watchdog group." ... "Anyone who pays for an ad advocating the election or defeat of a candidate must file a report with the Federal Election Commission within 48 hours after the ad appears. No report was filed." ... "Schaffer, a Fort Collins Republican, faces Democrat Mark Udall, of Eldorado Springs [Colorado], in November [2008 Election]." -By Lynn Bartels -RockyMountainNews.com

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20080409
• Bob Schaffer - Oil - Money - Politics - Video - Colorado - 2008 Election - "'Thanks, Bob' ad spawns spoof: 'Big oil' replaces 'charter schools' in Schaffer spot." ... "An ad that features school children thanking [2008 Election Colorado] Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer for his commitment to charter schools has inspired a parody." ... "The spoof ad shows "oil executives" bragging about record profits and thanking Schaffer for supporting tax breaks for their industry." ... "Schaffer now works for Aspect Energy LLC." ... "[About the parody, President of ProgressNow Michael Huttner said:] "We did it with volunteers because we think Schaffer has done a lot more for big oil than he has for kids."" ... "Huttner said congressional records show Schaffer in 2001 voted for [Republican] President Bush's energy plan. Democrats called it $33 billion giveaway to the energy industry." -By Lynn Bartels -RockyMountainNews.com

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  Watch Parody Video: "Thanks Bob - Bob Schaffer"

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20080327
• Barack Obama - Illinois - Police - Videotape - Death Penalty - Law - 2008 Election - "Police interrogation law showed Obama's skill in Illinois senate." ... "Facing the challenge of overhauling the death-penalty law in a state rocked by revelations of botched prosecutions, Illinois state [Senator] Sen. John Cullerton made a tactical decision." ... "The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee decided to separate one controversial proposal from the broader package, one that would require videotaping interrogations in murder cases. Police and prosecutors opposed it so much that keeping it in the broader package threatened to sink the whole effort." ... "The state senator who later took on the task of pushing the proposal to videotape interrogations was [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama." ... "Obama worked with Democrats, Republicans and especially with police and prosecutors to fashion a bill that all of them could support. By the time it reached the Senate floor, everyone was on board. It passed in a unanimous vote, and is now Illinois law." ... "How Obama did it reveals a lot about his political style, which is at the core of his appeal. It defines an approach to political problem solving that he vows can change how Washington does business." -By Steven Thomma -McClatchyDC.com

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20080228
• Barack Obama - Tim Russert - John McCain - John Hagee - Religious - Homosexual - Woman - Racist - Book - History - Media - Politics -  - 2008 Election - Illinois - Arizona - Arkansas - Texas - US - Israel - Germany - "Will MSNBC devote as much coverage to McCain's embrace of Hagee's support as it did to Obama's rejection of Farrakhan?" ... "Summary: On February 27, MSNBC devoted significant coverage to an exchange from the most recent Democratic presidential debate in which NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert repeatedly questioned [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama about praise he received from controversial minister Louis Farrakhan, whose statements Obama has denounced. The same day, Pastor John Hagee -- who has made controversial comments about homosexuality, Islam, Catholicism, and women -- endorsed [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain, who embraced Hagee's support. Hagee's endorsement and McCain's response to it raise the question of whether MSNBC will report on them as extensively as it did on Farrakhan's praise." ... "A March 7, 1996, article (accessed via the Nexis database) in the San Antonio Express-News reported that Hagee was going to "meet with black religious leaders privately at an unspecified future date to discuss comments he made in his newsletter about a 'slave sale,' an East Side minister said Wednesday." The Express-News reported:"
"Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church [in Texas], last week had announced a "slave sale" to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, "The Cluster."" ... "The item was introduced with the sentence "Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone" and ended with "Make plans to come and go home with a slave.""
"A July 27, 2006, Wall Street Journal article about Hagee noted the incident:"

"To help students seeking odd jobs, his church newsletter, The Cluster, advertised a "slave" sale. "Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone," it said. "Make plans to come and go home with a slave." Mr. Hagee apologized but, in a radio interview, protested about pressure to be "politically correct" and joked that perhaps his pet dog should be called a "canine American.""

"A December 23, 2007, Reuters news article on former Arkansas [Republican Governor and 2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Gov. Mike Huckabee's (R) visit to Hagee's church reported that "some Catholics were angry about the visit." The article noted:"
"In his recent book "Jerusalem Countdown," Hagee wrote: "Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews.""
• ... "Investigative journalist Sara] Posner also noted that in another Hagee text, "Bible Positions on Political Issues," (John Hagee Ministries, 1992) Hagee wrote, "[T]he feminist movement today is throwing off authority in rebellion against God's pattern for the family."" -MediaMatters.org

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20080223
• John McCain - Corporate - Politician - Government - Television - Media - Communications - Law - Pennsylvania - Arizona - Florida - Jet - Vicki Iseman - History - 2008 Election - "McCain Disputed On 1999 Meeting: Broadcaster Recalls Urging FCC [Federal Communications Commission] Contact." ... "Broadcaster Lowell "Bud" Paxson yesterday contradicted statements from [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign that the senator did not meet with Paxson or his lobbyist before sending two controversial letters to the Federal Communications Commission on Paxson's behalf." ... "Paxson said he talked with McCain in his Washington office several weeks before the Arizona Republican wrote the letters in 1999 to the FCC urging a rapid decision on Paxson's quest to acquire a Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania] television station." ... "Paxson also recalled that his lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, likely attended the meeting in McCain's office and that Iseman helped arrange the meeting. "Was Vicki there? Probably," Paxson said in an interview with The Washington Post yesterday. "The woman was a professional. She was good. She could get us meetings."" ... "The recollection of the now-retired Paxson conflicted with the account provided by the McCain campaign about the two letters at the center of a controversy about the senator's ties to Iseman, a partner at the lobbying firm of Alcalde & Fay." ... "The McCain campaign said Thursday that the senator had not met with Paxson or Iseman on the matter. "No representative of Paxson or Alcalde and Fay personally asked Senator McCain to send a letter to the FCC regarding this proceeding," the campaign said in a statement." ... "But Paxson said yesterday, "I remember going there to meet with him." He recalled that he told McCain: "You're head of the Commerce Committee. The FCC is not doing its job. I would love for you to write a letter."" ... "The two letters he wrote to the FCC in 1999 while he was chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee produced a rash of criticism and a written rebuke from the then-FCC chairman, who called McCain's intervention "highly unusual."" ... "On [1999 Novemeber] Nov. 17, McCain sent a letter to FCC Chairman William E. Kennard saying, "I write today to express my concern about the Commission's continuing failure to act" on the three-station deal involving Paxson." ... "McCain had flown on Paxson's corporate jet four times to appear at [2000 Election] campaign events and had received $28,000 in campaign donations from Paxson and its law firm." ... "The second letter came on Dec. 10, a day after the company's jet ferried McCain to a Florida fundraiser aboard a yacht in West Palm Beach, Fla. [Florida.] The fundraiser was arranged by Hector Alcalde of Alcalde & Fay and was hosted by a cruise line that Alcalde had represented, Paxson said. Paxson said he attended the fundraiser." (1, 2, 3) -By James V. Grimaldi and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum with contributions by Alice Crites -WashingtonPost

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20080222
• John McCain - Corporate - Politics - Television - Media - Communications - Jet - Vicki Iseman - Arizona - Pennsylvania - Florida - 2008 Election - "A Hole in McCain’s Defense? An apparent contradiction in his response to lobbyist story." ... "A sworn deposition that [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain gave in a lawsuit more than five years ago appears to contradict one part of a sweeping denial that his campaign issued this week to rebut a New York Times story about his ties to a Washington lobbyist." ... "On Wednesday night the Times published a story suggesting that McCain might have done legislative favors for the clients of the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, who worked for the firm of Alcalde & Fay. One example it cited were two letters McCain wrote in late 1999 demanding that the Federal Communications Commission act on a long-stalled bid by one of Iseman's clients, Florida-based Paxson Communications, to purchase a Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania] television station." ... "Just hours after the Times's story was posted, the McCain campaign issued a point-by-point response that depicted the letters as routine correspondence handled by his staff—and insisted that McCain had never even spoken with anybody from Paxson or Alcalde & Fay about the matter. "No representative of Paxson or Alcalde & Fay personally asked Senator McCain to send a letter to the FCC [Federal Communications Commission]," the campaign said in a statement e-mailed to reporters." ... "But that flat claim seems to be contradicted by an impeccable source: McCain himself. "I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue," McCain said in the Sept. 25, 2002, deposition obtained by NEWSWEEK. "He wanted their approval very bad for purposes of his business. I believe that Mr. Paxson had a legitimate complaint."" ... "While McCain said "I don't recall" if he ever directly spoke to the firm's lobbyist about the issue [during the 2002 deposition]—an apparent reference to Iseman, though she is not named—"I'm sure I spoke to [Paxson]." McCain agreed that his letters on behalf of Paxson, a campaign contributor, could "possibly be an appearance of corruption"—even though McCain denied doing anything improper." ... "McCain's subsequent letters to the FCC—coming around the same time that Paxson's firm was flying the senator to campaign events aboard its corporate jet and contributing $20,000 to his campaign—first surfaced as an issue during his unsuccessful 2000 presidential bid. William Kennard, the FCC chair at the time, described the sharply worded letters from McCain, then chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, as "highly unusual."" (1, 2) -By Michael Isikoff -Newsweek 

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• John McCain - Corporate - Politician - Lawmaker -  -  -  -  -  -  - 2008 Election - Ariz- "The Anti-Lobbyist, Advised by Lobbyists." ... "For years, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.[Republican-Arizona]) has railed against lobbyists and the influence of "special interests" in Washington, touting on his campaign Web site his fight against "the 'revolving door' by which lawmakers and other influential officials leave their posts and become lobbyists for the special interests they have aided."" ... "But when McCain huddled with his closest advisers at his rustic Arizona cabin last weekend to map out his presidential campaign, virtually every one was part of the Washington lobbying culture he has long decried. His campaign manager, Rick Davis, co-founded a lobbying firm whose clients have included Verizon and SBC Telecommunications. His chief political adviser, Charles R. Black Jr., is chairman of one of Washington's lobbying powerhouses, BKSH and Associates, which has represented AT&T, Alcoa, JPMorgan and U.S. Airways." ... "Senior advisers Steve Schmidt and Mark McKinnon work for firms that have lobbied for Land O' Lakes, UST Public Affairs, Dell and Fannie Mae." ... "[Charles] Black's current clients include General Motors, United Technologies, JPMorgan and AT&T." ... "In McCain's case, the fact that lobbyists are essentially running his presidential campaign -- most of them as volunteers -- seems to some people to be at odds with his anti-lobbying rhetoric." ... "McCain's reliance on lobbyists for key jobs -- both in the Senate and in his presidential campaign --extends beyond his inner circle. McCain recently hired Mark Buse to be his Senate chief of staff. Buse led the Commerce Committee staff in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and was until last fall a lobbyist for ML Strategies, representing eBay, Goldman Sachs Group, Cablevision, Tenneco and Novartis Pharmaceuticals." (1, 2) -By Michael D. Shear and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum with contributions by Glenn Kessler, Alice Crites and Chris Cillizza -WashingtonPost

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20080221
• John McCain - Rick Davis - Money - Politics - History -  - Telecommunications - Federal - Law - 2008 Election - Arizona - "CBS' Smith failed to challenge claim by McCain's campaign manager -- a former lobbyist -- that McCain "is probably most feared by every lobbyist"." ... "Summary: While discussing a New York Times article about [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's relationship with a telecommunications lobbyist, CBS Early Show host Harry Smith did not challenge McCain campaign manager Rick Davis when Davis asserted that McCain "is probably most feared by every lobbyist in this town of Washington"; he did not note that Davis is a registered lobbyist who, the Times reported, "represented companies" before McCain's [Senate Commerce] committee." ... "A July 11, 2007, Politicoarticle reported that Davis, who also served as McCain's campaign manager in 2000, "founded a lobbying firm -- Davis, Manafort Inc. -- which has made at least $2.8 million lobbying Congress since 1998." According to a disclosure report filed with the Senate, Davis registered to lobby the Senate from 1998 to 2005 for Davis Manafort. A March 2000 report by the Center for Public Integrity noted that Davis represented two telecommunication companies, COMSAT and SBC Communication, Inc., that "had major (and controversial) mergers pending before the Federal Communications Commission in 1999, and both mergers were approved (the Commerce Committee has legislative oversight authority, and therefore quite a bit of political influence, over the FCC [Federal Communications Commission])." A February 3, 2007, National Journal article (accessed via the Nexis database) reported that "Davis, a longtime lobbyist and financial consultant," is "on leave" from Davis Manafort to work for McCain's campaign." ... "Additionally, Davis served as the president of the Reform Institute, an institute that the Times wrote was founded by McCain "to promote his cause and, in the process, his career." A July 28, 2005, Roll Call article (accessed via Nexis) by staff writer Paul Kane reported that Davis, who had been earning "$110,000 a year," "dropped his title of Reform Institute president" in July 2005." -By Eric H. Hananoki -MediaMatters.org

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• John McCain - Vicki Iseman - Corporate - Government - Vacations - Jets - Real Estate - Television Networks - Media - Communications - Law - Politics - History - Phoenix - Arizona - 2008 Election - "For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk." ... "Even as he [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator John McCain] has vowed to hold himself to the highest ethical standards, his confidence in his own integrity has sometimes seemed to blind him to potentially embarrassing conflicts of interest." ... "Mr. McCain promised, for example, never to fly directly from Washington to Phoenix [Arizona], his hometown, to avoid the impression of self-interest because he sponsored a law that opened the route nearly a decade ago. But like other lawmakers, he often flew on the corporate jets of business executives seeking his support, including the media moguls Rupert Murdoch, Michael R. Bloomberg and Lowell W. Paxson, Ms. [lobbyist Vicki] Iseman’s client. (Last year he voted to end the practice.)" ... "Mr. McCain helped found a nonprofit group to promote his personal battle for tighter campaign finance rules. But he later resigned as its chairman after news reports disclosed that the group was tapping the same kinds of unlimited corporate contributions he opposed, including those from companies seeking his favor. He has criticized the cozy ties between lawmakers and lobbyists, but is relying on corporate lobbyists to donate their time running his presidential race and recently hired a lobbyist to run his Senate office. " ... "During Mr. McCain’s four years in the House [of Representatives], Mr. [Charles] Keating, his family and his business associates contributed heavily to his political campaigns. The banker gave Mr. McCain free rides on his private jet, a violation of Congressional ethics rules (he later said it was an oversight and paid for the trips). They vacationed together in the Bahamas. And in 1986, the year Mr. McCain was elected to the Senate, his wife joined Mr. Keating in investing in an Arizona shopping mall." ... "Mr. Keating had taken over the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association and used its federally insured deposits to gamble on risky real estate and other investments. He pressed Mr. McCain and other lawmakers to help hold back federal banking regulators." ... "For years, Mr. McCain complied. At Mr. Keating’s request, he wrote several letters to regulators, introduced legislation and helped secure the nomination of a Keating associate to a banking regulatory board." ... "By early 1987, though, the thrift was careering toward disaster. Mr. McCain agreed to join several senators, eventually known as the Keating Five, for two private meetings with regulators to urge them to ease up." ... "When Lincoln went bankrupt in 1989 — one of the biggest collapses of the savings and loan crisis, costing taxpayers $3.4 billion — the Keating Five became infamous. The scandal sent Mr. Keating to prison and ended the careers of three senators, who were censured in 1991 for intervening. Mr. McCain, who had been a less aggressive advocate for Mr. Keating than the others, was reprimanded only for “poor judgment” and was re-elected the next year. " ... "A champion of deregulation, Mr. McCain wrote letters in 1998 and 1999 to the Federal Communications Commission urging it to uphold marketing agreements allowing a television company to control two stations in the same city, a crucial issue for Glencairn Ltd. [Limited], one of Ms. Iseman’s clients. He introduced a bill to create tax incentives for minority ownership of stations; Ms. Iseman represented several businesses seeking such a program. And he twice tried to advance legislation that would permit a company to control television stations in overlapping markets, an important issue for Paxson." ... "In late 1999, Ms. Iseman asked Mr. McCain’s staff to send a letter to the commission to help Paxson, now Ion Media Networks, on another matter. Mr. Paxson was impatient for F.C.C. approval of a television deal, and Ms. Iseman acknowledged in an e-mail message to The Times that she had sent to Mr. McCain’s staff information for drafting a letter urging a swift decision." ... "Mr. McCain complied. He sent two letters to the commission, drawing a rare rebuke for interference from its chairman." (1, 2, 3, 4) -By Jim Rutenberg, Marilyn W. Thompson, David D. Kirkpatrick and Stephen Labaton with contributions by Barclay Walsh and Kitty Bennett -NYTimes 

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• John McCain - Vicki Iseman - Corporate - Government - Television Stations - Media - Communications - Law - Politics - Jet - Travel - History - Arizona - Florida - Pennsylvania - 2008 Election - "McCain: Reports on lobbyist a "smear"." ... "The story alleges that McCain wrote letters and pushed legislation involving television station ownership that would have benefited [lobbyist Vicki] Iseman's clients." ... "In late 1999, [Arizona Republican Senator and 2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain twice wrote letters to the Federal Communications Commission on behalf of Florida-based Paxson Communications - which had paid Iseman as its lobbyist - urging quick consideration of a proposal to buy a television station license in Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania]. At the time, Paxson's chief executive, Lowell W. "Bud" Paxson, also was a major contributor to McCain's 2000 presidential campaign." ... "McCain did not urge the FCC commissioners to approve the proposal, but he asked for speedy consideration of the deal, which was pending from two years earlier. In an unusual response, then-FCC Chairman William Kennard complained that McCain's request "comes at a sensitive time in the deliberative process" and "could have procedural and substantive impacts on the commission's deliberations and, thus, on the due process rights of the parties."" ... "McCain wrote the letters after he received more than $20,000 in contributions from Paxson executives and lobbyists. Paxson also lent McCain his company's jet at least four times during 1999 for campaign travel." -By Libby Quaid -AP via -Star-Telegram.com

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• John McCain - Vicki Iseman - Corporate - Telecommunications - Broadcasting - Media - History - Arizona- Virginia - 2008 Election - "McCain's Ties To Lobbyist Worried Aides: Before 2000 Campaign, Advisers Tried to Bar Her." ... "Aides to [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain confronted a telecommunications lobbyist in late 1999 and asked her to distance herself from the senator during the presidential campaign he was about to launch, according to one of McCain's longest-serving political strategists." ... "John Weaver, who was McCain's closest confidant until leaving his current campaign last year, said he met with Vicki Iseman at the Center Cafe at Union Station and urged her to stay away from McCain. Association with a lobbyist would undermine his image as an opponent of special interests, aides had concluded." ... "Members of the senator's small circle of advisers also confronted McCain directly, according to sources, warning him that his continued ties to a lobbyist who had business before the powerful commerce committee he chaired threatened to derail his presidential ambitions." ... "Iseman, 40, who joined the Arlington[Virginia]-based firm of Alcalde & Fay as a secretary and rose to partner within a few years, often touted her access to the chairman of the Senate commerce committee as she worked on behalf of clients such as Cablevision, EchoStar and Tribune Broadcasting, according to several other lobbyists who spoke on the condition of anonymity." ... "Three telecom lobbyists and a former McCain aide, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Iseman spoke up regularly at meetings of telecom lobbyists in Washington, extolling her connections to McCain and his office. She would regularly volunteer at those meetings to be the point person for the telecom industry in dealing with McCain's office." ... "Iseman clients have given nearly $85,000 to McCain campaigns since 2000, according to records at the Federal Election Commission." -By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Michael D Shear with contributions by James V. Grimaldi and Alice Crites -WashingtonPost 

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20080213
• Entertainment - Writers - Television - Internet - Business - Advertising - "Hollywood writers strike ends." ... "Hollywood's costly 100-day walkout came to a widely welcomed end Tuesday after members of the Writers Guild of America voted overwhelmingly to go back to work." ... "On Feb. [February] 25, writers are expected to ratify a new three-year contract that ensures them a stake in the revenue generated when their movies, television shows and other creative works are distributed on the Internet." ... "The walkout, which began Nov. [November] 5, proved to be far more economically damaging than the studios had expected, shutting down more than 60 TV shows, hampering ratings and depriving the networks of tens of millions in advertising dollars." ... "Labor experts said the crippling effect of the strike helped writers achieve gains they might not have otherwise attained." ... "The new contract gives them residual payments for shows streamed over the Internet and secures the union's jurisdiction for programming created for the Web." ... "Writers were unsuccessful, however, in their efforts to shorten the 17-to-24-day window that studios have to stream their shows for promotional purposes without paying residuals. Many writers complained that most viewers watched repeats online within days after a program was initially broadcast." -By Claudia Eller and Richard Verrier -LAtimes 

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20080210
• Dick Cheney - Videos - Privacy - Politics - Colorado - US - Iraq - Military - "Cheney fights release of videos: The VP's [Vice President's] office worries depositions of two aides in a Golden [Colorado] man's civil lawsuit may show up on YouTube." ... "The office of [Republican] Vice President Dick Cheney is seeking to block the release of videotaped depositions given by two aides who witnessed a physical encounter between an Iraq war opponent and Cheney." ... "In a motion filed Saturday, Cheney's office contended that the videotapes could be used to invade the privacy and embarrass two aides called to testify about the encounter in a civil lawsuit. " -By David Olinger -DenverPost.com

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20080207
• Kids - Health - Safety - Corporate - Government - Animals - Agriculture - Law - Enforcement - Politics - California - Human - Undercover - Video - "USDA's oversight of meat safety criticized." ... "The USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] announced this week that it was shutting down operations at a Chino[California]-based meat producer, after hidden camera video showed workers there using various inhumane methods to force "downer" -- or non-ambulatory -- cattle to their feet and into the slaughter box." ... "Now, in the wake of the video's release and the agency's response, food industry insiders are questioning just how reliable the USDA's inspection process is. The incidents recorded at Hallmark Meat Packing occurred under the noses of eight on-site USDA inspectors." ... ""We rely on a system, and the system dropped the ball," said Dean Cliver, a food safety expert who has served in advisory roles with the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture. "Somebody ought to be asking some questions."" ... "Cattle that are unable to walk are banned from use as human food because they show a higher occurrence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease." ... "Westland Meat Co.[Company], Hallmark's distributor and a ground beef supplier for the National School Lunch Program, has voluntarily halted operations, and school district officials around the country pulled suspect beef from lunch menus." -By Victoria Kim -LAtimes 

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20080123
• John Edwards - Entertainment - TV - Politics - 2008 Election - North Carolina - "John Edwards, Funny Guy." ... "Former Senator [of North Carolina and 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] John Edwards did not receive an endorsement from David Letterman on CBS’s “The Late Show” Tuesday night, but he did receive eight valuable minutes to woo voters." ... "Mr. Edwards’ jokes earned several rounds of applause from an approving audience." ... "Mr. Letterman, who had a long feud and subsequent truce with Ms. [Oprah] Winfrey, extolled the talk show’s virtues, saying: “She’s admired and she’s beloved and she’s a role model for men and women all over the world now.” With the timing of a stand-up comedian, Mr. Edwards interrupted: “You think you’re not?”" ... "The line gave Mr. Letterman an uproarious laugh and a nod of approval. “Oh my God,” the host said, “he’s a funny guy, isn’t he?”" -By Brian Stelter -NYTimes
• Watch: John Edwards on the Dave Letterman Show via YouTube.

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• Stephen Colbert - Hillary Clinton- Barack Obama- Civil Rights - History - Humor -  - Writers - Union - Entertainment - Song - Religion - Medical - University - South Carolina - Business - 2008 Election - Politics - "Colbert's Civil Rights MLK Day Writer's Strike-Busting Writerless Show — In Song." ... "[Stephen Colbert,] After paying his respects to Monday's debate and busting out a pretty darn good Tom Cruise imitation, Colbert made a segue which, in retrospect, was brilliant: Moving from [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary] Clinton and [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama's bickering over who loved Reagan more to the evidence provided by Tom Brokaw's book, Boom! Voices of the Sixties, which, in addition to quoting Hillary Clinton discussing how [former Republican President] Ronald Reagan finessed the balance of his role "beautifully" on page 404, contains an early segment devoted to the Reverend Andrew Young, the "last surviving member of Martin Luther King's inner circle at the Southern Christian Leadership Council," and lifelong, steadfast civil rights activist. Colbert got to that — eventually — after first introducing a documentary-style segment (in the style of Brokaw's "1968" documentary, complete with soundtrack) about the Charleston Hospital workers union strike of 1969, which was settled by the young, er, Young, who negotiated with a vice president of the associated Medical University of South Carolina — "the only administrator willing to meet with Young was the newly-appointed vice-president of the medical college, who had taken up the position just days before the strike was called." The two worked behind the scenes to finally end the strike — and on the hundredth day, they came to an agreement, awarding raises to the striking workers." ... "That administrator? James Colbert — Stephen's father." -By Rachel Sklar -HuffingtonPost.com

Watch Colbert Report:
"A-It's All About Stephen."
"B-Interview - Ambassador Andrew Young."
"C-Let My People Go."

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20080116
• Government - Computer - E-Mail - Archives - Law - Politics- US - Iraq - Military - Intelligence - Videotapes- Presidential Records Act - "White House Tape Recycling May Have Erased Controversial E-Mails." ... "The [Republican President Bush] White House has acknowledged in a new court filing that it routinely recycled computer backup tapes containing its e-mail records until October 2003, a practice that could mean that many electronic messages from the first two years of the [Republican President] Bush administration are lost forever." ... "The disclosure raises the possibility that the White House effectively erased e-mail related to some of the biggest controversies of the Bush administration, including the leak of a CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] officer's name, the start of the Iraq war and the CIA's destruction of interrogation videotapes." ... "The backups are meant to preserve records in case of a disaster. They also serve a role in ensuring that federal record-keeping laws are met, according to administration officials and records management experts. Two separate statutes require the White House to preserve federal or presidential records." ... "In their lawsuit, the two advocacy groups, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the National Security Archive, allege that millions of e-mail messages are missing from White House servers between 2003 and 2005." -By Dan Eggen -WashingtonPost

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20080110
• John McCain - Law- Investigation - Ralph Reed - Jack Abramoff - Grover Norquist - Tom DeLay - Secret - Corporate - Religion - History - Georgia - New Hampshire - 2008 Election - Television - Politics - Opinion - "Ralph Reed's New Role." ... "Eighteen months ago, the political career of Christian right golden boy [Republican] Ralph Reed came crashing down, a casualty of his role in the [Republican] Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. This week, Reed has found a new calling. He appeared on CNN during its New Hampshire primary coverage and again last night, labeled as a "GOP [Grand Old Party=Republican] political analyst."" ... "Reed sounded none too bullish about [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's prospects going forward despite his big New Hampshire win. That's perhaps not surprising, given the long history between the two." ... "McCain, as chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, launched an investigation of Abramoff's tribal lobbying that turned up a mountain of e-mails, including some between Reed and Abramoff." ... "The e-mails revealed Abramoff's corrupt dealings with politicians, as well as conservative religious and advocacy groups. Reed often participated in Abramoff's business schemes, telling him in a 1998 e-mail after stepping down as head of the Christian Coalition: "I need to start humping in corporate accounts!"" ... "E-mails and testimony before McCain's panel showed that Reed, who once branded gambling a "cancer" on society, reaped millions of dollars in tribal casino proceeds that Abramoff secretly routed to him through various non-profit front groups. Abramoff, a lobbyist for the tribes, paid Reed to whip up "grassroots" Christian opposition to prevent rival tribes from opening casinos." ... "Abramoff sometimes routed his money to Reed through a group called Americans for Tax Reform, run by conservative anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist. Norquist lately has been attacking McCain's record on taxes, placing robo calls to voters in New Hampshire." ... "Reed's much-publicized role in the Abramoff scandal cost him the 2006 Republican primary for Georgia lieutenant governor--the first rung on what was widely expected to be a climb into national politics." ... "Former House majority leader [Republican] Tom DeLay, who left Congress and is still under investigation by the Justice Department in connection with the Abramoff probe, predicted to MSNBC's Chris Matthews that McCain won't fare well with conservatives in the South." -By Susan Schmidt -WashingtonPost

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• US - Iran - Military - Radio - Intelligence - Video - "U.S.: Voices on Recording May Not Have Been From Iranian Speedboats: Chilling Threat Could Have Come From the Shore or Another Ship, Navy Says." ... "Just two days after the U.S. [United States] Navy released the eerie video of Iranian speedboats swarming around American warships, which featured a chilling threat in English, the Navy is saying that the voice on the tape could have come from the shore or from another ship." ... "The near-clash occurred over the weekend in the Strait of Hormuz. On the U.S.-released recording, a voice can be heard saying to the Americans, "I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes."" ... "The Navy never said specifically where the voices came from, but many were left with the impression they had come from the speedboats because of the way the Navy footage was edited." ... "The Iranians have denied using the threatening language and are saying U.S.-released video is fabricated." (1, 2) -By Martha Raddatz and Jonathan Karl -ABCNEWS.com 

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20080108
Kevin Jeffrey Martin - Corporate - Government - Politics - Investigation - Media - Communications - Broadcast - Radio - History - Electronic - E-Mails
"House panel launches probe of FCC practices." ... "Bipartisan leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee launched an investigation of the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, three weeks after the agency's controversial vote to ease media ownership restrictions." ... "In a letter sent to [Republican President Bush's] FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, the committee asked that all electronic records and personal e-mails related to FCC work be saved." ... "Martin, a Republican, was sharply criticized by lawmakers from both political parties for insisting that the agency hold a vote to change media ownership restrictions, particularly heading into the final full year of the Bush administration." ... "The December 18 vote by FCC commissioners, which was 3-2 along party lines, eased a 32-year-old ban on the ownership of a newspaper and broadcast outlet in a single market." (1, 2) -By Julie Vorman with contributions by Gary Hill -Reuters

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Kevin Jeffrey Martin - Corporate - Government -Politics - Investigation - Media - Communications - Broadcast - Radio - Historical - E-Mails
• "House Launches FCC Investigation; Warns Against Destroying Documents: House Energy & Commerce Committee Looking Into Federal Communications Commission's ‘Regulatory Procedures and Practices’." ... "[House Energy & Commerce] Committee leaders advised [Republican President Bush's Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin] Martin Tuesday that they expect FCC staffers to cooperate and ordered the agency to start preserving all documents and e-mails, adding for emphasis that no historical records "shall be destroyed, modified, altered, deleted, removed, relocated, or otherwise negligently or intentionally handled so as to make them inaccessible to the committee."" ... "The investigation followed complaints externally and internally about how items were brought to a vote, information that was leaking to some lobbyists and not to others and complaints about Martin's resolve to vote on modifying the ban on newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership -- which passed [2007 December] Dec. 18 -- despite attempts to stop or delay the vote by members of FCC oversight committees in both Houses." -By John Eggerton -BroadcastingCable.com 

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20080105
• Ron Paul - Duncan Hunter - Rudolph W Giuliani - Corporate - TV - Politics - Censorship - New Hampshire - Iowa - Texas - California - 2008 Election - "New Hampshire G.O.P. Backs Out of Fox Forum." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Ron Paul raised nearly $20 million in the last quarter, likely more than any of his rivals. He garnered 10 percent of the Republican vote in the  Iowa Caucuses, surpassing [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Rudolph W. Giuliani. And he’s in New Hampshire this weekend on the airwaves and the campaign trail before the Jan. 8 primary." ... "But the Texas congressman and presidential contender won’t be getting a seat and the table at Sunday’s Fox News Republican candidate forum." ... "On Saturday the New Hampshire Republican party expressed its disappointment with the decision to exclude Mr. Paul and Representative Duncan Hunter of California by severing its partnership with Fox." ... "“We believe that it is inconsistent with the first in the nation primary tradition to be excluding candidates in a pre-primary setting,” said Fergus Cullen, chair of the state G.O.P. [Grand Old Party=Republican] party. “All candidates regardless of how well known they are or how much money they’ve raised should be treated equally here.”" -By Michael Falcone -NYTimes 

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20080104
• Entertainment - Television - Writers - Internet - "Actors refuse to cross Golden Globe picket line." ... "The Screen Actors Guild on Friday said nearly all its members will refuse to cross striking writers' picket lines at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards, throwing Hollywood's award season deeper into doubt." ... "The Writers Guild of America, which represents the writers, also has barred its members from writing for the Oscars, but SAG's Friday announcement pertained only to the Golden Globe Awards." ... "Some 10,500 WGA members went on strike against major U.S. film studios and television networks in early November over issues that included increased fees for their work when it appears on DVDs and on the Internet." ... "Talk show host David Letterman reached its own "interim agreement" with the WGA that allowed "The Late Show with David Letterman" to return to the air with WGA working writers because Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants, is an independent producer." (1, 2) -By Bob Tourtellotte -Reuters 

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