Freep Heroes
Freep Hero -- Bill Moss, Watchdog for the Children
Let’s see, it took the collusion of the Democratic and Republican parties -- both who refused to fill out a full slate of four Columbus School Board candidates and instead picked two each to create their notorious “Gang of Four” -- along with the Chamber of Commerce, the Dispatch, the Democratic Mayor Michael Coleman and $357,000 to defeat Bill Moss in the last election. Despite the fact that many white liberals who distrust everything that the Dispatch says tend to believe the paper when it comes to Moss, he remained the only School Board member unbought, unbossed and unbowed by Columbus’ power elite. Moss’ courageous last electoral battle against the pay-to-play forces of corruption will be remembered, while the unprincipled policies of Mayor Coleman will have passed into history.
Free Press Salutes -- Tom Siemer, Protester for Peace
Let’s see, it took the collusion of the Democratic and Republican parties -- both who refused to fill out a full slate of four Columbus School Board candidates and instead picked two each to create their notorious “Gang of Four” -- along with the Chamber of Commerce, the Dispatch, the Democratic Mayor Michael Coleman and $357,000 to defeat Bill Moss in the last election. Despite the fact that many white liberals who distrust everything that the Dispatch says tend to believe the paper when it comes to Moss, he remained the only School Board member unbought, unbossed and unbowed by Columbus’ power elite. Moss’ courageous last electoral battle against the pay-to-play forces of corruption will be remembered, while the unprincipled policies of Mayor Coleman will have passed into history.
Free Press Salutes -- Tom Siemer, Protester for Peace
The Hidden News
AUSTIN, Texas -- Good grief, the tree's not down yet, the bills aren't due and the diet doesn't start until the bowl games are over, so what's with the unseemly haste? Not even time to take a deep breath here in 2004, and already we're like the white rabbit -- behind, breathless and late.
Not that I suspect this administration of managing the news -- horrors, no -- but a number of unusual objects were dropped into the holiday punch bowl whilst the rest of us were still caroling and wassailing, including quite a few bad nooz items for the Bush team.
One interesting piece of information that got completely lost earlier in the capture of Saddam Hussein was the resignation of David Cay, the guy in charge of the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The search for WMD in Iraq has effectively ended. (Liz Carpenter said, "I must have seen 20,000 shots of them looking through Saddam's hair and into his mouth -- they're not gonna find the WMD in there.")
Not that I suspect this administration of managing the news -- horrors, no -- but a number of unusual objects were dropped into the holiday punch bowl whilst the rest of us were still caroling and wassailing, including quite a few bad nooz items for the Bush team.
One interesting piece of information that got completely lost earlier in the capture of Saddam Hussein was the resignation of David Cay, the guy in charge of the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The search for WMD in Iraq has effectively ended. (Liz Carpenter said, "I must have seen 20,000 shots of them looking through Saddam's hair and into his mouth -- they're not gonna find the WMD in there.")
George Will’s Ethics: None of Our Business?
We can argue about George Will’s political views. But there’s no need
to debate his professional ethics.
Late December brought to light a pair of self-inflicted wounds to the famous columnist’s ethical pretensions. He broke an elementary rule of journalism -- and then, when the New York Times called him on it, proclaimed the transgression to be no one’s business but his own.
It turns out that George Will was among a number of prominent individuals to receive $25,000 per day of conversation on a board of advisers for Hollinger International, a newspaper firm controlled by magnate Conrad Black. Although Will has often scorned the convenient forgetfulness of others, the Times reported that “Mr. Will could not recall how many meetings he attended.” But an aide confirmed the annual $25,000 fee.
Even for a wealthy commentator, that’s a hefty paycheck for one day of talk. But it didn’t stop Will from lavishing praise on Black in print -- without a word about their financial tie.
Late December brought to light a pair of self-inflicted wounds to the famous columnist’s ethical pretensions. He broke an elementary rule of journalism -- and then, when the New York Times called him on it, proclaimed the transgression to be no one’s business but his own.
It turns out that George Will was among a number of prominent individuals to receive $25,000 per day of conversation on a board of advisers for Hollinger International, a newspaper firm controlled by magnate Conrad Black. Although Will has often scorned the convenient forgetfulness of others, the Times reported that “Mr. Will could not recall how many meetings he attended.” But an aide confirmed the annual $25,000 fee.
Even for a wealthy commentator, that’s a hefty paycheck for one day of talk. But it didn’t stop Will from lavishing praise on Black in print -- without a word about their financial tie.
The unpardonable Lenny Bruce
No doubt Lenny Bruce would have laughed with at least a tinge of
bitterness if -- like millions of Americans -- he picked up a newspaper
the day before Christmas 2003 and read that he’d been “pardoned” by the
governor of New York for an obscenity conviction.
In their own time, people who are stubbornly ahead of it usually get a lot more grief than accolades. And decades later -- in this case, 39 years after Bruce’s bust for a nightclub performance and 37 years after his death -- the belated praise from on high is predictably insufferable.
The New York Times lead sentence on Dec. 24 called Bruce “the potty-mouthed wit who turned stand-up comedy into social commentary.” Actually, far from being “potty-mouthed” in an emblematic way, Lenny Bruce was a Fool in the Shakespearean sense, jousting with a society dominated by various aspiring Lears -- and quite a few Elmer Gantrys.
In their own time, people who are stubbornly ahead of it usually get a lot more grief than accolades. And decades later -- in this case, 39 years after Bruce’s bust for a nightclub performance and 37 years after his death -- the belated praise from on high is predictably insufferable.
The New York Times lead sentence on Dec. 24 called Bruce “the potty-mouthed wit who turned stand-up comedy into social commentary.” Actually, far from being “potty-mouthed” in an emblematic way, Lenny Bruce was a Fool in the Shakespearean sense, jousting with a society dominated by various aspiring Lears -- and quite a few Elmer Gantrys.
Down with "Happy Holidays!"
Please note I avoid the phrase "Happy Holidays." Can we please deep-six this trite "non-denominational" greeting, designed to alert the world that those uttering the salutation are sensitive people aware that the recipients of the greeting might not be Christians but Jews or Muslims who have a low opinion of J. Christ and no desire to celebrate his birthday? The Muslims think Christ was not divine, and the Jewish sacred writings say likewise, and that for the sin of getting ideas above his station J.C. is being pickled in excrement for all eternity.
But my Jewish friends say "Happy Hannukah," with no nonsense about saying "Happy holidays" out of sensitivity to the fact that the festival of Hanukah is derived from the Maccabees' triumph over the bestial forces of Hellenism in 165 B.C., said Hellenism being in its neo-Platonic guise, one of the central components of the Christian religion. An irony is that there's no mention of Hanukah in the Torah but only in the Books of the Maccabees, an annex to the Bible.
But my Jewish friends say "Happy Hannukah," with no nonsense about saying "Happy holidays" out of sensitivity to the fact that the festival of Hanukah is derived from the Maccabees' triumph over the bestial forces of Hellenism in 165 B.C., said Hellenism being in its neo-Platonic guise, one of the central components of the Christian religion. An irony is that there's no mention of Hanukah in the Torah but only in the Books of the Maccabees, an annex to the Bible.
Announcing the P.U.-litzer prizes for 2003
The P.U.-litzer Prizes were established more than a decade ago to
give recognition to the stinkiest media performances of the year.
As usual, I have conferred with Jeff Cohen, founder of the media watch group FAIR, to sift through the large volume of entries. In view of the many deserving competitors, we regret that only a few can win a P.U.-litzer.
And now, the twelfth annual P.U.-litzer Prizes, for the foulest media performances of 2003:
MEDIA MOGUL OF THE YEAR -- Lowry Mays, CEO of Clear Channel
While some broadcasters care about their programming, the CEO of America’s biggest radio company (with more than 1,200 stations) admits he cares only about the ads. The Clear Channel boss told Fortune magazine in March: “If anyone said we were in the radio business, it wouldn’t be someone from our company. We’re not in the business of providing news and information. We’re not in the business of providing well-researched music. We’re simply in the business of selling our customers products.”
LIBERATING IRAQ PRIZE -- Tom Brokaw
As usual, I have conferred with Jeff Cohen, founder of the media watch group FAIR, to sift through the large volume of entries. In view of the many deserving competitors, we regret that only a few can win a P.U.-litzer.
And now, the twelfth annual P.U.-litzer Prizes, for the foulest media performances of 2003:
MEDIA MOGUL OF THE YEAR -- Lowry Mays, CEO of Clear Channel
While some broadcasters care about their programming, the CEO of America’s biggest radio company (with more than 1,200 stations) admits he cares only about the ads. The Clear Channel boss told Fortune magazine in March: “If anyone said we were in the radio business, it wouldn’t be someone from our company. We’re not in the business of providing news and information. We’re not in the business of providing well-researched music. We’re simply in the business of selling our customers products.”
LIBERATING IRAQ PRIZE -- Tom Brokaw
How to kill Saddam
The last time I saw pictures of a man in need of a haircut being so memorably displayed as a trophy of the
American empire it was Che Guevara, stretched out dead on a table in a schoolhouse in La Higuera, a little village in the
Bolivian mountains. In those edgier days, in late 1967, the Bolivian Army wanted him dead, the quicker the better, though
the CIA wanted him alive for interrogation in Panama.
After a last chat with the CIA's man, Felix Rodriguez, George Bush Sr.'s pal, a Bolivian sergeant called Jaime Terran shot him in the throat, and Rodriguez got to keep his watch. They chopped off Guevara's hands for later, checking to make sure the ID was correct. Years later, his skeleton, sans hands, was located and flown back to Havana for proper burial.
"It is better this way," Guevara told Rodriguez at the end. "I should never have been captured alive," showing that even the bravest weaken at times. At the moment of his capture by the Bolivian army unit, a wounded Guevara had identified himself, telling the soldiers he was Che and worth more to them alive than dead.
After a last chat with the CIA's man, Felix Rodriguez, George Bush Sr.'s pal, a Bolivian sergeant called Jaime Terran shot him in the throat, and Rodriguez got to keep his watch. They chopped off Guevara's hands for later, checking to make sure the ID was correct. Years later, his skeleton, sans hands, was located and flown back to Havana for proper burial.
"It is better this way," Guevara told Rodriguez at the end. "I should never have been captured alive," showing that even the bravest weaken at times. At the moment of his capture by the Bolivian army unit, a wounded Guevara had identified himself, telling the soldiers he was Che and worth more to them alive than dead.
Breakthrough and Peril for the Green Party
SAN FRANCISCO -- Up against the campaign of a wealthy businessman
who outspent him nearly 10-to-1, a strong progressive candidate nearly
won the runoff election last Tuesday to become this city’s mayor. Some
national news stories depicted the strong showing for Matt Gonzalez as a
big surprise. But it shouldn’t perplex anyone when vigorous grassroots
organizing combines with a sound strategy to get breakthrough results.
Local elections in San Francisco are officially nonpartisan, and ballots don’t indicate party affiliations. But the contenders spoke openly of their party labels. The Democrat in the race, Gavin Newsom, became so worried that Bill Clinton and Al Gore flew in to campaign for him. In contrast, Green Party member Gonzalez relied on several thousand active volunteers.
Contrary to all the conventional media wisdom, the Gonzalez campaign surged to receive 47.4 percent of the votes.
Local elections in San Francisco are officially nonpartisan, and ballots don’t indicate party affiliations. But the contenders spoke openly of their party labels. The Democrat in the race, Gavin Newsom, became so worried that Bill Clinton and Al Gore flew in to campaign for him. In contrast, Green Party member Gonzalez relied on several thousand active volunteers.
Contrary to all the conventional media wisdom, the Gonzalez campaign surged to receive 47.4 percent of the votes.
Ho, Ho, Halliburton!
Christmas Comes Early for Bush and GOP Contributors at Americans' Expense
The MoveOn.org Voter Fund has launched a national cable network television and newspaper ad buy exposing "The most outrageous Christmas list in America," - a laundry list of early Christmas gifts from George W. Bush and the Republican Congress to their special interest friends and contributors in Washington, snuck into the proposed $820 billion omnibus bill.
"So who does President Bush think is naughty and nice?" asks the ad that appears in today's Washington Post. Both the national TV spot-which runs Tuesday through Thursday on cable stations-and the print ad challenge Bush Administration giveaways hidden in the omnibus bill: clearance for employers to strip 8 million workers of overtime pay, an FCC rules change that will permit epic media consolidation, and the renewal of no-bid contracts to Halliburton and other Administration-friendly companies.
The TV ad can be received tomorrow on the following satellite coordinates:
First Feed:
The MoveOn.org Voter Fund has launched a national cable network television and newspaper ad buy exposing "The most outrageous Christmas list in America," - a laundry list of early Christmas gifts from George W. Bush and the Republican Congress to their special interest friends and contributors in Washington, snuck into the proposed $820 billion omnibus bill.
"So who does President Bush think is naughty and nice?" asks the ad that appears in today's Washington Post. Both the national TV spot-which runs Tuesday through Thursday on cable stations-and the print ad challenge Bush Administration giveaways hidden in the omnibus bill: clearance for employers to strip 8 million workers of overtime pay, an FCC rules change that will permit epic media consolidation, and the renewal of no-bid contracts to Halliburton and other Administration-friendly companies.
The TV ad can be received tomorrow on the following satellite coordinates:
First Feed:
Dean and the Corporate Media Machine
Howard Dean is asking for media trouble.
On Dec. 1, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination went where few national politicians have dared to go -- directly challenging the media conglomerates.
Don’t get me wrong. Dean’s record in Vermont hardly reflects an inclination to take on corporate power. His obsession with balancing budgets and coddling big business often led him to comfort the already comfortable and afflict the afflicted. Low-income people suffered the consequences of inadequate social services.
But let’s give the doctor-turned-politician some credit for a new direction. Midway through his Dec. 1 appearance on MSNBC’s “Hardball” show, Dean said that he wants to “break up giant media enterprises.”
Dean went well beyond the hold-the-line stance adopted last summer by large majorities in Congress, who voted to prevent more media deregulation by the Federal Communications Commission. He declared that maintaining the media status quo isn’t good enough.
On Dec. 1, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination went where few national politicians have dared to go -- directly challenging the media conglomerates.
Don’t get me wrong. Dean’s record in Vermont hardly reflects an inclination to take on corporate power. His obsession with balancing budgets and coddling big business often led him to comfort the already comfortable and afflict the afflicted. Low-income people suffered the consequences of inadequate social services.
But let’s give the doctor-turned-politician some credit for a new direction. Midway through his Dec. 1 appearance on MSNBC’s “Hardball” show, Dean said that he wants to “break up giant media enterprises.”
Dean went well beyond the hold-the-line stance adopted last summer by large majorities in Congress, who voted to prevent more media deregulation by the Federal Communications Commission. He declared that maintaining the media status quo isn’t good enough.