Last Sunday, the front page of the New York Times included a story about the efforts of the Pentagon's public affairs operation to influence retired military officers now working as military analysts for some of our nation's largest media organizations.
I am very angry about the issues raised by the New York Times' story, as are many of my colleagues who have called me aside to discuss it. The story does not reflect well on the Pentagon, on the military analysts in question, or on the media organizations that employ them.
Maybe I am too idealistic, but this story is appalling to me on a number of levels. For me, it all comes down to trust and credibility. And it would be a dangerous thing for the American people to lose trust in the Pentagon, in our retired officer corps, and in the press, each of which has a critical role to play in preserving our nation's freedoms.
Through the years, I have frequently urged our military services to improve their efforts to tell America about the good work that is being done by our country's sons and daughters in uniform. Our military services have an important story to tell, and public affairs offices are critical to that task. But credibility is paramount. Once lost, it is difficult or impossible to regain.
There is nothing inherently wrong with providing information to the public and the press. But there is a problem if the Pentagon is providing special access to retired officers and then basically using them as pawns to spout the administration's talking points of the day. There are allegations that analysts who failed to deliver the message required by the administration mysteriously lost access to future briefings and information. I find this deeply troubling. We deserve to be able to trust the actions of the Pentagon.
We also deserve a retired officer corps that is worthy of the respect it receives from the American people, who place great faith in their judgment and loyalty to our nation. Americans trust our active duty and retired military, and rightly so.
I know a number of the retired officers employed by the media as military analysts to be honorable people. But the special access they are alleged to have received and the circumstances of their employment, without proper disclosure of their outside interests or biases, raise a number of uncomfortable questions that deserve serious answers.
Which master do these analysts serve?
The United States Government, which supplies their retirement pay?
The Pentagon, which may reduce the amount of analysis they actually need to do by providing detailed talking points promoting the current administration's message agenda?
The defense contractors, who pay them for serving on boards or for their defense expertise, and perhaps more to the point, for their Pentagon connections?
Will their analysis, either by design or just by lucky coincidence, result in contracts or other advantages for the companies from which they take home a paycheck?
It hurts me to my core to think that there are those from the ranks of our retired officers who have decided to cash in and essentially prostitute themselves on the basis of their previous positions within the Department of Defense. I would hate to think that because a few people have blurred ethical boundaries and cashed in on their former positions that we might tarnish the military's hard won reputation for professionalism and objectivity and love of country first and foremost.
Finally, I think our media have a serious responsibility to disclose potential conflicts of interest when they do their reporting. This applies to all of their stories, of course, and not just those that include retired officer military analysts. I understand that different organizations have different rules, but perhaps it would not be out of order for our journalism schools and professional journalism organizations to develop ethical guidelines for dealing with such issues.
Our nation's military exists to protect America's freedoms for citizens today and for future generations. The First Amendment guarantees the right of all Americans, including retired service members and members of the press, to speak freely and without restraint. But with our rights come responsibilities to act honestly and ethically. I have no doubt we will continue to discuss these matters in the days ahead.
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You ask "which masters do these analysts serve"
The answer is of course the Almighty Dollar and to HELL with the truth.
And
Stop talking and act like OUR representative. You weren't elected to blog on liberal sites but you were elected now get to work and do your job and stop being a pushover for the administration.
Unless like others you've been bought.
Oh! by the way the only thing that can save us now is term limits..... PERIOD. If congress won't pass it we must.
http://tenurecorrupts.com
I would ask anyone who has been paying attention for any length of time to think back in your memory. Has there ever been a time when we have seen such of parade of X military brass on the teevee. I can't for the life of me ever remember more face time for military officers than in this administration. They remind me of salesmen and hacks at that. As for the bush team, they have fired more military experience than at any time in our history. Generals who told them what they didn't want to hear just left the landscape all together. What a mess.
Nice try to act like this is news to you. The U.S. constitution has been shredded along with the Bill of Rights and recycled into Capital Hill's Congressional and Senatorial Bathrooms toilet Paper rolls and yet here You talk so righteously, which means you must only be jeolous of the slick angle the Pentagon and these Traitor Buddies of yours used or maybe feeling left out of your cut of their ability to grab a bigger take of the budgeting spoils and contracts you pushed through and up our taxpayer Asses to "wage" this Fake War On Terror, you old Fascsist S.O.B.!
Rep. Skelton,
I appreciate your sentiments and your awakening, but the duplicity was apparent, if not yet proved, to anyone watching commentary on the war.
Congress, which has had a Democratic majority for many months now, has been remarkably timid and ineffectual in changing the way business is done in Washington.
Leadership and courage will be welcome.
Good blog entry, Rep. Skelton.
Now, as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, responsible for oversight and investigations of the Pentagon, what are YOU going to DO about it?
I don't think there is any will in congress do do anything about media abuses. When the public has no reliable way to tell truth from lies, we are no longer a democracy, tyranny is sure to follow.
Wow - maybe Rep. Skelton could use his standing as Chair of the Armed Services Committee to do something about all this anger and all these nagging questions.
Just maybe. Maybe he could pour a little sunshine on these practices and work to amend or eliminate them. Just maybe.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Hearings.
Hearings.
Hearings.
Call in all the on air military analysts and the network heads for starters. Then the pentagon brass.
Remember when another Ike coined the phrase "Military Industrial Complex"? Well we can now add News Media: "Military Industrial News-Media Complex"
Rep. Skelton,
Not every military man is as honorable as you, even if they
have served honorably. The news media does not present the
real Iraq "war". The represent the Bush spin on the Iraq war.
Most bloggers and most citizens in general, realize this to be
the case. The select few closest to the President never ask
real questions, if they want to continue where they are. And top
military brass get promotions as much on how they support
the administration as their military record.
Rep Skelton, many of us lost trust in the media long ago. There has been a virtual blackout on this story, even though it was no surprise to many of us.
Wonderful. Maybe you can discuss these matters for the next 100 years.
Rep. Skelton, we, too find it deeply troubling. and we have for the last six (6) years. Where has the House and Senate been? This is old news. Have you been in the military? Many, many officers are self-serving bootlickers on a level that is staggering which, historically, drives many citizens out of the military. The Pentagon under the fascists and mentally ill Rumsfield and Cheney, became the fourth branch of government, a total psy-ops operation which used a corrupt and superficial media to thwart the will of the American people and the world. Books have been written about it. After all these years, why hasn't the hammer fallen on the Pentagon from our Congress and Senate and a copy of the Constitution delivered to West Point and Annapolis by; a senior member of the Senate? Answer: We don't have a viable representative government. We have 535 suits filled with, mostly, millionaire lawyers with a total four (4) of their children in the military. We have a corporate state with the largest penal colony in the world.
Excellent Julianne
Yes HeevenSteven
Yes ezi
and yes elbzee
Good to see some are trying to hold dems accountable too.
Ditto the Bravo Julianne!
Yes Rep Skelton, There are no shortage of books written about these matters and they aren't just chicken littles. Fortunately for the broadcast media and the government, 90% of Americans don't read non-fiction. Maybe the congress can hire people to read them and write book reports for you.
It's time to revisit the rules on media ownership. It's time for the Democratic leadership to start living up to the "Democratic" in the title.
I also agree. What a bombshell, Rep. Skelton
What's next: an expose on how CEO's are cooking the books to manipulate stock prices prior to bailing w/ billions and the golden parachute?
or how lobbyists are really writing the laws of our country?
or how career politicians haven't a clue how the majority of the country is living and are complicite if not directly responsible for the destruction of our democracy?
politicians talking about ethics... is political ethics an oxymoron?
Bravo Julianne! Well posed! And I agree.
Rep Skelton, you've been in the house for the past 31 years. Why have you allowed this to happen?
I think it's time that we all revisit The 545 People Responsible For America's Woes By Charley Reese
It's just about impossible to refute his premis:
http://www.liberalsvsconservatives.com/the-545-people-responsible-for-americas-woes-t1957.html
The Pentagon and retired military officers that perpetrate this system of propoganda for pay would laugh you out of the room.
Either bring suit or don't even bother to bring it up.
I noticed you didn't say they did anything illegal.
All of those "I would hate to think" and "Maybe I'm too idealistic"'s really ruined your post.
These people are playing hardball and your still hitting off a tee in Pee Wee league.
What you need to do is create a platform for this kind of issue to be placed front and center in front of the American people like the opposite of FoxNews. I'm talking major media like cable or network. Not HuffPo which has it's place but isn't equpped to tackle this big a mission.
It takes money and commitment. Or as they say "action".
You hear more hot air from liberals anymore. They don't seem to ever DO anything.
Maybe they will all agree to police themselves and be good boys just because it's the right thing to do. Lol!
I still can't figure out how anyone in Washington expects us to trust them, the Democrats in 2006 campaign on lies.
In a press release dated April 24, 2006, Pelosi said, "Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels."
Where is the secret plan Democrats? Sure would be nice for you to share your 'commonsense' plan before gas hits $5. Also, you know that pesky thing going on in Iraq? You promised to end that too.
Well said.
Ike warned all of U.S. about the "Revolving Door" fifty years ago Congressmen. This condition is now perfected. The entire Executive branch is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Oil/Weapons industry.
Don't be shocked, be mad as hell and lead the way back to FREEDOM!
Are you any less free today than you were 10 years ago?
Yes.
Those of us who fought to protect that freedom return to this nation and find ourselves abandoned, and the people we sought to protect stripped of their rights in the name of a nonexistent protection such loss wa supposed to buy them.
We gave up our freedoms for yours, only to see those taken away as well. So, yes, we are flagrantly less free now as wer return home having provided the Intel that disproved our president's cause for war before he ever undertook it, having suffered the degradation of our families on food stamps because we aren't paid anywhere near a tenth of the pay given to the unskilled foreign civilians working alongside us, having told our leadership that physical assault would destroy our best chances for bringing down those behind 9-11.
And we came home only to find that military medical centers have been left unfunded by our president's choice, that the VA's funding has been rerouted to the mercenaries hired in our president's war, and having been betrayed by the man who convinced our nation that only by ignoring the Constitution, crafting illegal laws, and giving unchecked power to the executive branch could we all be safe.
Now, none of us are safe, and those of us who fought, whose buddies paid the ultimate price for that safety and American liberty witness the civilians around us bereft of the very qualities for which we fought and died.
So what part of "free" did you not understand? Simple question, what freedoms are now gone that you had 10 years ago?
Absolutely. So are you...you just haven't realized it yet.
Elaborate.
Yes.
Please elaborate.
Sorry, Ike, but that's exactly what YOU will do too. We're just a nation of whores looking for the richest Johns.
The practice of using government service as a stepping stone to lucrative jobs in the private sector extends well beyond the military. Agencies like the old Interstate Commerce Commission (now the Surface Transportation Board) have always been a stop for those appointed to it on the way to working, at enormous salaries, for the nation's railroads. In this way -- with the promise of fabulous wealth upon their leaving govrnment service -- those on these agencies ignore regulations and regularly decide in favor of those whom they are supposed to regulate -- knowing they will be rewarded when they leave their government positions so long as they are loyal to the corporations they are supposed to regulate. This happens under Democrats and Republicans alike. Every once in awhile the press covers this outright corruption, but nothing is ever done about it -- kind of like the useless hearings the Democrats have been conducting into Republican corruption, cronyism and criminality -- an endeavor designed to get nothing done but satisfy the base -- rather than moving impeachment.
So although Skelton is right, Congress is a willing collaborator in the practice he condemns.
Agreed that this has been going on for years by both political parties. However, this is one area where the republicans are far ahead of the Democrats.
As an aside, let's start a pool as to how much money george bush's favorite poodle, gen. petrayeus is going to get after he leaves the military.
Also, anyone seen that great american former senator trent lott. I heard he traded in his sheet and is now looking at the size of yacht he will buy with his first week's earnings as a lobbyist.
Not to mention the big rat in the white house. Remember, he said he is going to get his after leaving office (meaning a pot of gold not a life sentence of which he is so deserving).
I'm very upset with your comment about Senator Lott. He DID NOT trade in his sheet. (hahaha) He is using it to attract all of those who remember that if Strom Thurmond had won in 1948, everything would be great, instead of as it is now as clients.
Ike Skelton always a champion of the military. Thank you for a great post if we can pick up a veto proof congress in this coming election maybe we can do something about this situation. One of the few things Eisenhower got right was his warning about the Military Industrial complex.
What money got these Traitors?
American Soldiers Death 4050
American Soldiers Wounded 29,829
American Soldiers Suicide 1,000s
American Soldiers Brain Injuries 320,000
Iraqi Deaths as result of Invasion 1,201,597
And many more to follow
Okay Ike, you've identified it, now for God's sake and what's left of our nation, DO SOMETHING!
Rep. Skelton: It's time we took a hard look at what we have become as a nation. More and more truth is emerging that is bringing more shame to America than I've seen in a long long time. Our President approved of torture and nothing happens. He lies us into a war for oil and nothing happens. Our military and media participate in deceiving the American people and nothing happens. Our Justice Department is infiltrated by graduates of a questionable fourth tier law school created by a fringe religous zealot and nothing happens. Our scientists have been muzzled and nothing happens. And an Alabama Governor is imprisoned for politica
Posted April 24, 2008 | 09:15 PM (EST)