Washington Times Beefs Up Security As Internal Turmoil Continues [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Justin Elliot has more on the madness going on over at the Washington Times, where one of the Reverend Moon's sons has "gone rogue," and is just playing havoc:

Hyun-jin Preston Moon, the son of Unification Church leader Rev. Sun Myung Moon who controls the Washington Times, acted without his father's blessing in firing the top leadership of the newspaper over the weekend, a Unificationist and former Times staffer who is in contact with high church officials tells TPM.

Preston's reasons for carrying out the shakeup are not clear to the source, but "one thing that is clear is that he acted alone. This is not something the Reverend Moon wanted, ever."

What the Reverend Moon wants apparently includes this:

"The Washington Times has to take responsibility for people going to hell in America," he declared, referring to, among other sins, "homosexuality and lesbianism."

That's from a sermon the Reverend Moon gave that was titled, ""Western People Are Different From Eastern People," and was -- not surprisingly! -- "not entirely coherent." Anyway, read Elliot's piece on how everything's going totally bonkers over there.

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Things are getting downright weird over at the Washington Times, where an ongoing executive shake-up has seen publisher Tom McDevitt, chief finance officer Keith Cooperrider and chairman Doug Joo leave their jobs, and mounting speculation that executive editor John Solomon -- who was brought on in 2008 to lend a new sheen of credibility to the frantic, scare-quotey newspaper -- is poised to quit as well.

Now, Ben Frumin at Talking Points Memo says armed guards are popping up all over the newsroom, as the paper prepares for the Rapture, or something:

TPM hears from current staffers in the newsroom there has been an increased security presence at the newspaper in recent days. On Sunday, when three executives were fired, armed guards were brought up to the third floor where management works, according to three newsroom sources.

Newsroom sources tell TPM that employees have been told the third floor is "closed."

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Employees at first couldn't use the elevators for the three-story building. An additional guard has been spotted in the lobby, standing next to the regular security guard who is there during business hours. Sources aren't sure whether the guard remaining on site today is armed.

Over at Politico, Michael Calderone adds that "Solomon hasn't been in the office for several days, and it's unclear whether he'll return." So, maybe some sort of Manuel Zelaya thing is going on?

All of this weirdness has gone down hard on the heels of a decision made by the paper's owner, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, to hand over control of his Unification Church to his three sons. TPM's Justin Elliot provides the essential speculation:

The Sunday firings of executives at the Washington Times and the possible exit of its top editor are apparently being driven more than previously known by last month's transfer of power of the Unification Church and associated business empire from Rev. Sun Myung Moon to his children.

A newsroom source familiar with church politics tells TPM that the root of the shakeup at the Washington Times is a feud between Hyung-jin Moon, 30, and Hyun-jin Moon, 40, also known as Preston, both U.S.-educated sons of church Father Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The church announced in early October -- in an exclusive given, notably, to the Associated Press not the Washington Times -- that day-to-day operations were being handed over to Preston, Hyung-jin, and a third son.

Wonkette very fittingly compared this transfer of power to William Shakespeare's King Lear, and if you're a fan of the Bard, you'll know that ended very badly for him, what with betrayal and madness and ranty tirades on storm-blasted heaths and whatnot. At any rate, I guess for the time being, Washington Times staffers should keep their heads down and refrain from making any sudden movements!

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Comments

[Rory O'Connor - Huffpost Blogger]

“Moon looked on the media as almost the nervous system for a global empire. Moon was the brain, and the media are to be, or were to be, the communications vehicle for his body politic surrounding the globe.”

Read more on 'Media, Money & Moon':

http://www.roryoconnor.org/blog/2009/11/12/media-money-and-sun-myung-moon

[bsherman]

Washington Times has never been a profitable enterprise. The only way this conservative-biased rag is able to exist is with the ill-gotten Reverend Moon fortune. So basically, conservatives made a deal with the devil. Now that devil is getting pay back.

[bothsides]

the Wash Time is run by sum christian fanatic nice .... lolol

[mcmutter]

Washington Times = "When Moonies Go Wild"

[Ponderus]

This is delicious.

[realpolitic]

Wow, I can only wish the same for the New York Post and all of Murdoch's empire!

[Mahi Joe]

My thoughts as well.

[carallen]

Same here.

[Knowitall]

It's always been a mystery how the Washington Times stayed afloat, trying to be a major newspaper, when hardly anybody in town ever buys the paper. Now, with hundreds of their "readers" back in Texas, they really must need cash infusions. The paper sold like a right wing "best seller".

[satyriasis]

Moon funds them. They've been a massive money loser for decades. But moon claims that the political power the times has in right wing circles is worth the cost.

[SamEllison]

And to think he made his money sending kids out to panhandle.

[Ponderus]

Like Fagin.

[Horus45]

Not only that, but anyone who joins the church is expected to turn over all their money, investments and real estate to the church.

[FunIndex]

The Washington Times has nothing posted on their web site about this power struggle? Too hot to handle? Money talks, now we know why all those self deluded were in the airports, sleeping and living in overcrowded vans, and paying up big time just to participate in those Moon money making mass weddings. He was definitely a fraud and brainwashing controller, but now it all comes back to bite him and his children. That's something you can't buy off with just money, it is the power struggle of greed in his own family.

[edgarcaycedoc]

It gives a whole new possibility to the phrase, "shoot the moon!"

[Averred]

I really wish someone would ask the Tony Blankley's of the world if they believe that Moon is Jesus reincarnate as Moon believes he is. You don't have to be too old to remember the whole Moonies cult thing and you don't have to have your head in the sand not to see the influence Mr. Moon has in politics today. I challenge any media outlet or program that has guests or commentators that work for the Washington Times to ask about the Reverend Moon and his influence on them. Fox News has nothing on the Washington Times.

[cliffhammond]

Didn't George H. W. Bush and about half of Congress attend his coronation as The Return of the Messiah?

[Averred]

Yes they did. Ironic how conservatives make fun of Obama's popularity by accusing his supporters of thinking that Obama is the Messiah. I am not sure that ironic is the word I was looking for here.

[only livin boy in NY]

repent

[opprobrious]

The moonies are beyond nutty and yet conservatives constantly defend positions held by the cult's Washington mouthpiece. Perhaps progressives should start introducing ballot propositions to ban moonie marriages.

[Averred]

You would think that there would be a great divide between Evangelicals and what the Reverend Moon stands for and the teachings of the Unification Church. Just goes to show you how willfully ignorant people can be.

[cliffhammond]

Neither will Evangelicals condemn war. Funny that. It's what the Zealots who betrayed Jesus to the Romans would do. After all, he refused to lead them as the messiah of the Jewish Wars. Nietzsche called him a wuss for that unmanly habit of his of active non-violence. It's even what the beneficiaries of the Civil Rights Movement sweep under the carpet when discussing Martin Luther King, Jr. Active non-violence is one thing but war is another, you know.

[cliffhammond]

Sorry, that's just not a progressive thang.

[jalowe1957]

If there's a hell down below, then the Washington Times is bound to implode and fall straight down the hellish sinkhole.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

"The Washington Times has to take responsibility for people going to hell in America," he declared, referring to, among other sins, "homosexuality and lesbianism­."

Moon speak for yourself, I liked you better when you were a 2-bit cult leader in 70's taking advantage of wanting kids. While his Moonies were panhandling in airports and bus terminals the good Rev. Moon was collecting mansions and Rolls Royce automobiles. I didn't know at the time he was collecting Republican politicians also, he owns a bunch of them.