Sunday Roundup
In my new book, Right Is Wrong, I show how the lunatic fringe of the right has hijacked the media (along with our democracy) -- not via FoxNews and the blowhards of talk radio, but through the complicity of high-profile enablers in the mainstream media. This week's disgraceful debate on ABC was further evidence. The slime parade was straight out of the Rovian playbook. For much of the night, I wasn't sure if I was watching Gibson and Stephanopoulos or O'Reilly and Hannity. In fact, Stephanopoulos' ludicrous question about 60s radical Bill Ayers had been suggested to him by Hannity the day before the debate on Hannity's radio show. After Hannity made his Ayers pitch, Stephanopoulos revealed the hijacking in process, saying: "I'm taking notes right now." And indeed he was.
 | My new book, Right is Wrong, is coming out on April 29. Please click here if you'd like to pre-order |
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I strongly believe that the candidates should refuse any further network debates -- let's get the League of women voters back involved like it used to be. Get respected academics or retired network honchos to moderate -- Bill Moyers, Ted Koppel etc. Let's insist on it.
Arianna, I'm looking forward to seeing you this Friday on REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER. Also, must see on the same night:: BILL MOYER will interview Obama's ex-pastor, Rev. Wright, on PBS.
Don't miss.
Did you see last week's interview with Leila Fadel , the McClathcy bureau chief that has been enbedded with the soldiers in Sadr City?
It was a remarkable piece of journalism. This is the kind of stuff that makes someone a Journalist! Bill Moyers has excellent programs on a variety of subjects. Leila is 26 years old, what a smart intelligent woman. I admire her courage and I hope she stays safe.
Go to pbs. org and look her up, it is a very interesting interview. The surge is not working, people.
Yes, I saw the interview with Leila Fadel. I watch Bill Moyers every Friday night, right after Bill Maher. Bill Moyers has become one of the most relevant journalists on TV today. He keeps knocking 'em out of the ballpark.
Is it not obvious to everyone why the far right propagandist, Murdoch Media Machine (FOX News, Hannity, Limbaugh) are so desperately focused on Obama and NOT on Hillary throughout this primary? They have far less to attack Obama with than they do Hillary.
It has always been obvious to me. They want Hillary to be nominated because they know she has so much baggage. Regardless to what she said during the "debate", it has not been fully rummaged through. There is so much more Hillary. Stuff turns up daily, and I'm sure the Republicans are just waiting like little pervs for the chance to hit us with new stuff.
They have always been afraid of Obama, he dosen't have the baggage that Hillary has. They want us all to believe the opposite of course but he is a decent family man. He is not an elitist like the Clinton's want us to believe. He grew up poor and went to school on scholarships. Obama is the Republican's worse nightmare!
Is that why Hannity has a website dedicated to stopping Hillary?
Link, please...
What I am missing is why both of them stood there and watched it happen. Why not just show some real leadership and rebuke them right then and there. I don't buy the whole argument "If you can't take it from the press, you can't take it from some hostile leader." That's bunk. I wouldn't place nearly the same amount of importance on that political theater as a meeting with someone like a world leader.
This whole series of "debates" is so flawed. Real debates happen when the debaters know the material in advance. They know what they are coming to say and must go point/counterpoint. If you can remember the old Firing Line show with William F. Buckley - that was a debate.
What's funny is that there is all this talk about personalities and whether people are ready and all of that. In the end, Hillary isn't any more ready than Barack. If you want to look at experience, look at someone like George H.W. Bush. That dude was in Congress, The UN Ambassador, Head of the CIA, and Vice President for eight years. He made one stupid statement (read my lips) and he gets voted out.
Also, we're sitting here saying, "Well, you said 12 years ago that (put your statement here)" and it's meaningless. People learn things over time and can change their views, and they absolutely should! In any case, watching us argue here doesn't really get us a better candidate.
Yes, it sure would be refreshing to see a candidate turn to the corporate media questioner and say, "Could you have possibly have asked a more stupid question?"
What's funny is that there is someone who did this. His name was Donald Rumsfeld. Yes, his Iraq strategy was wrong. Yes, I know. BUT...He handled the media in this fashion and is was very refreshing. Yes, I am waiting to hear a politician just say what's really on their mind. I voted for Ron Paul because even though I didn't agree, I knew that it was exactly what he believed.
The ABC debate was legit. I am tired of all the pandering from you and other so called impartial commentators. . . Obama has been given a free ride by all and now he will become the Democratic nominee which means that John McCain will be our next President. . . .and you helped put him there. Thank you!!!
Wipe the spit from your eyes; you`re starting sound like miopic
The ABC so-called "debate" was a joke, and so are you.
Oh come., come. Obama supporters cannot take all the credit iif Mcbadtemper wins.
Lady McHill and her lovely campaign and blind supporters did a great job by themselves of spreading hatred and supplying ammunition to the repugs. Remember bringing up Jesse Jackson in South carolina? Remember that Obama is not a Muslim :, AS FAR AS I KNOW" ?
Remember the hypocrisy of NAFTA gate? (Columbiagate broke out right after that !)
Remember Bill going on Rush Limbaugh before the Texas primary.? Need more info? What about Billary's neverending of divisive and dirty campaign tactics?
You Billary supporters are reponsible for dividing the party. You can take ALL of the credit if Mcbad -temper wins.
The media stopped being impartial after deregulation thanks to Reagan and Clinton.
They were taken over by multi-national corporations and now serve them.So why would anyone be surprised they attack the candidate who may be a threat to their strangle hold on Washington?
Sorry Ms. Huffington I cannot buy your argument. On one hand you are beating up on the ABC moderators, but your website played host to much worse.
It was your site that gave Ms Flower the platform on which to try and destroy Obama.
For me your article is much like the pot and the kettle.
The mass media has failed us in more ways than one. I watched the ABC debate, yet when Senator McCain is interviewed, no one asked about Vicki Iseman.and where the hell is she? Nancy Grace made career about One missing white teenager in Aruba (365 days of coverage), We have Megan's Law for mostly missing white girl's (National Flashing Highway Signs) we interviewed every person who knew who Nicole Simpson, Stacy Petersen, yet the mass media has not had ONE interview with Ms. Iseman, about her relationship with Senator McCain. What did she give or get for lobbying the Senator for the Telecom industry. Maverick my butt, he's accepting money for lobbyist, maybe unfaithful (Christian values). Where is Vicki Iseman? Where is Vicki Iseman? Come on Huffington Post, ABC, CBS, NBC, 60 Minutes, CNN, Foxx, MSNBC. This is the ONLY Blonde White Woman in history who the mass media allowed to VANISH from the face of the earth, connected to the possible next President of the United States. ABC brings up some relationship about what some guy did during the 60's when Obama was 8 years old. Vicki Iseman was in play last year, Hillary memory is bad about something in Bosnia over 10 years ago, all national stuff, but not One Interview with Vicki Iseman or company, friends, family or bookie.
HuffPost's Pick
I want to add to the main street media issue. The only reason that I'm even aware of Huffington Post is because of Obama's win in Iowa.
Here's my story:
I've always thought I was way too cynical in the way I viewed the world to find a media outlet that I could value. With the exception of the Bill Maher show on HBO, there hasn't been anything on television worth watching on politics. So while I was driving home on Janurary 3rd, I tuned into 1150 AM (Progressive talk radio in So. Cali) and heard that Obama won. (The sad part is that I didn't even know that Iowa was having a caucus that day.) Anyway, I got home and there was Obama giving a speech to America that totally blow me away. I mean, not only did the guy win but he sounded like the next coming of JFK and MLK put together. So, I started to look for information and I couldn't find anything worth reading.
But, I remembered Arianna being on Bill Maher's show a few times and remembered that she had a website. So, I googled Arianna Huffington and BINGO. And, I've been checking in ever since.
If this site didn't exist then we would be in big trouble because ABC, CBS, CNN, and Facist (Fox) news would totally dictate the story line. But we have taken that power away from them.
I ,too only rely on HuffPo for the variety of truth and discourse to assist me in making up my own mind. And, shouldn't that be what it is all about. I don't need a hand up my back working my mouth.Than
Huffington is one source of the news but its also has proven to be bias towards Obama and I have had troubles posting anything negative about him. I tried an experiment where I posted a love letter of sorts about Obama it posted instantaneous at the same time I posted a I don't swoon for you Obama post and it took over 8 hours to post. Here’s the problem I have, if Huffington reports fairly why does her website screen anti Obama post only allowing a few to go up on the website (some of the less controversy ones)? I understand some posts that are threats shouldn’t be posted, but the rest that debate some of the Obama followers could ultimately help democracy, and it shouldn’t be viewed as threat to the Huff or her staff. A left wing paper/website can be just as dangerous to a society as a right wing one can be, because it gives a slanted view, instead of just reporting the news.
2 John: "... Personnally, I think the media is well off, and wants to keep it that way. In other words, the status quo (i.e. Bush-Cheney) is preferable than a scary Obama. So skewer the guy, lest he get elected."
SG: A-G(R)eed
That's why I see George 'Strepin'-
Snerd
++Much, much more to the point. The Clinton responses were VERY rehearsed. Did Clinton flunky Stupidoploulos give his old bosses a heads up on the questions and issues?!
What surprises me is Obama's reticence in slinging a little on HRC, such as her Yale summer internship with Robert Truehaft in Oakland, California in 1971. Truehaft (or Treuhaft) was a longtime former chief lawyer for Communist Party CPA. He and his firm with help from Hillary were defending
members of the Black Panthers. New York Sun ran a deeply researched front page article, with pictures, about the summer in 1971--this appeared about 5 months ago. Was this too explosive?
"He who slings mud generally loses ground." Adlai Stevenson.
You are exactly right. Stephanopoulos showed no space at all between himself and the right wing media. But that is not much different than most nights on CNN. Indeed, except for Keith Olbermann, the main media has capitulated on its role to be (a) independent, and (b) pursuing real issues. Where are the issues being discussed? Instead it is a daily rehash of the horse-race. While this is mildly amusing, it is not helpful. And it can be (and is) frequently spun in such a way that either Obama or Clinton are seen as thugs or stupid -- and rarely has that attention been given to the Republicans.
Personnally, I think the media is well off, and wants to keep it that way. In other words, the status quo (i.e. Bush-Cheney) is preferable than a scary Obama. So skewer the guy, lest he get elected.
Yea, how sad is it when the most objective news that you can find from the main street media comes from the guy that hosted Sportscenter. JEEEZEEEE.
Oh and Billow being the anchor of Inside Edition makes him qualified?
Olbermann is Left-Wing media. He has become of the Bill O'Riley of the left.
Yeah, and I LIKE HIM A LOT!
Simply adore, Mr. Keith Olbermann!
You can hardly call Olbermann the Left-Wing media. It would simply be unpatriotic at this point not to be critical of the Bush administration. Also, the fact that Fox news has turned free speech on its head--by acting as a mouth piece for the white house like all dictatorial regimes and at the same time working double over time to discredit the free media by calling them the "left wing" media--actually being to the left is the only way to bring any kind of sense of fair and "balanace to the media". Don't jump the gun. When President Obama is making mistakes and he's working to cover them up, then I will agree with you that he has become the Bill O'Reilly of the left.
Maybe George wants to be McCain's press secretary in the White House and roll into super deal at Fox .....who knows.....
George S. was the only high profile enabler to yet challenge Obama on substance. The only substantial thing Obama has done in life is make connections and gain access to people. Just look at who he associates with to know what he will do.
good call.
Can you elaborate?
You aren't being honest. Again with the liars.
What is wrong with you people? Either do your research or go peddle your shit elsewhere.
No thinking person believe you people any more.
TRY HARDER 2 think
bullshit
I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST MONEY...
A lot of it is rhetorical dirty tricks along the line so brilliantly exploited by Karl Rove & Co. And liberals really just don't seem to have caught on to how this whole strategy works, unfortunately. My suggestion would be to make an intensive study of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). I can virtually guarantee you that people like Karl Rove have....
Boycotts work. ABC hit Dancing With the Stars should be tuned out. Do nothing and the corporate media gets to decide who your next president is via manipulation of undecided voters.
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