Kerry: Investigate the Pentagon Pundit Program

[ProSense]

Investigate the Pentagon Pundit Program

by John Kerry
Tue May 06, 2008 at 08:15:35 AM PDT

Like me, I know you’ll be following the election returns today – but it’s imperative that we not lose focus on some of the issues in play that may be obscured by the election – and I can tell you that if you’re watching the returns on television news, there’s one story you’re almost guaranteed not to see tonight.

It’s now been two weeks since the New York Times published their story on the Pentagon Pundits.

I wanted to call out the cavalry here because we still don’t know exactly what was going on and exactly what steps were taken to try to shape the news. You can help make sure we find out.

Just to recap, if you didn’t catch the original story, the Times described a program to “cultivate” the military analysts you see on so many news programs.

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. <…>

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.

You know, the first thing I thought of when I heard this story was General Batiste getting put on ice last year when he had the guts to speak up about the need to change course and start bringing our troops home from Iraq. I spoke out then to defend General Batiste’s right to say that, but he lost his job as a military analyst.

And now we know the existence of this covert program in the Pentagon designed to spread pro-Administration messages into our newscasts. But there’s been – outside of PBS – virtually no coverage of this at all on television news. Media Matters – which has been really dogged in covering these kinds of issues online, they’re a great organization – reported on Friday:

Continuing their silence, the major broadcast networks and cable news networks all reportedly declined to discuss the April 20 New York Times front-page article on the hidden ties between media military analysts and the Pentagon on the record with NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. Further, according to a search* of transcripts available in the Nexis database, the broadcast networks -- ABC, CBS, and NBC -- still had not reported on the revelations in the Times story on any of their news programs through May 1

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[spanone]

1. k&r....this IS an illegal program...

[blm]

5. Hopefully Skinner will see this as a front page issue.

.

[Joe Chi Minh]

17. Aaah, but how many strikes before they're out? 10,000 and counting?

[CJCRANE]

2. Does this (the pundit program) surprise any long-time DUers...?

:shrug:

[blm]

3. Nope - BushInc's cronies didn't buy control of most media in the 80s and 90s

so the American people could get the truth.

Thank you Senator Kerry for being an open government Democrat.

[blm]

4. We need to PUSH this story through. The corpmedia thinks it is off the hook because of primary

coverage and interest.

Keep pounding this issue.

[YvonneCa]

12. "Keep pounding the issue."

GREAT words, blm. :7

[bbgrunt]

6. the corporate media certainly isn't going to investigate or even report! k n r

[blm]

8. Like Downing Street Memos - we at DU had to push that story into the mainstream

and it took us weeks to finally do it.

[Subdivisions]

7. "Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity"

Hidden? Hmmpff. Only to the sheeple.

We here at DU saw through that "appearance of objectivity" from the jump. In fact, except for oil and gas IMHO, we're ahead of the curve on almost every "appearance" presented to us way before "hidden" sees the light of day.

[karynnj]

21. The point is it is hidden to most people

Consider that there are many people who are reading the newspapers, newsmagazines they always did and watching the TV channels they once trusted. Many in fact have even bought the RW line that the broadcast networks are STILL liberal. ABC has been awful - consider that Halperin actually wrote that Drudge is our generation's Edwards R Murrow. The first chapter of his book (with Harris)detailed how great Drudge and the Republicans were for completely making up a story, complete with quotes from non-existant hair stylists, turning a routine $75 Kerry haircut into a haircut/styling/coloring/highlighting. The Kerry campaign and hair salon immediately put out the truth - but it still impressed these idiots.

The problem though is similar to the frog in a pot of water. I was told by a relative that they got a variety of opinions - they read the Chicago Tribune (very conservative), a local paper (AP for national news - very conservative) and watched the three networks and FOX, CNN and MSNBC. Now, 15 years ago that would be a pretty balanced mix - and pretty diverse. What do you think of it now?

You are looking at people like yourself.

[blm]

9. Come on DU, this is THE STORY we should all be pushing.

.

[YvonneCa]

13. THE story...

...for sure!

[malaise]

14. K & R

Force them to talk John Kerry

[blm]

15. We have to get his back - every time he targets corpmedia they target him back.

But this time might be harder to do since their role is a big a part of the story.

[malaise]

18. Kerry needs to seek advice from Al Gore

Nail M$M on their assault on reason. I just listened to Al's interview from earlier.
He's as good as dismissed M$M and is ready for all comers.

[blm]

19. The two have been talking for some time now. They have crystal clear view of media

and it is one of the issues Kerry shares with Obama, too. I'm expecting big changes in that regard in 2009.

Assault On Reason was a big reason I no longer view Gore as I did when he was IN government.

I think he sees government a whole lot more clearly now than when he was in it.

He'd actually make an AMAZING president now, whereas before I think he just would have been a solid, competent one.

[karynnj]

22. I assume it goes both ways - each as a different role and I know

that they did send their respective environmental books and actions were send to both of their lists - likely expanding each. (though potentially helping Gore more because Kerry had the bigger list.)

Kerry is more patient and more willing to speak over MSM, because that is where many people who need to be reached are. He is also still a part of the government - so prodding as it may be - he is one who is pushing things forward. When we get a Democratic President, it will be good that Kerry (and others) worked as hard as they did during these dysfunctional times. It means something when the President's top person at Bali praised Kerry for his contributions - even if it was only before teh SFRC hearing on Climate Change, not to the media as a whole - where the Republicans are saying that he has done nothing.

[YvonneCa]

23. That is an important point...their roles ARE different...

...as they must be. Al Gore, as a former Vice President, must still act as a former Vice-President. Kerry is not limited in that way. I think it gives him more freedom.

For example, I can't imagine Gore posting online about issues the way Kerry is able to.

[karynnj]

25. That I see more as personality

Kerry started as an activist for the environment and then the war. Kerry as a sitting Senator, up for re-election, actually may have more restrictions. He needs to keep a sufficient number of people happy with him - at least in Massachusetts.

[YvonneCa]

26. I agree that any elected representative...

...is constrained by the need for re-election. But I also think there are constraints on any former President and/or Vice President. Their former job as leader gives them unique power when they DO choose to play a role. When Carter takes a position on something (agree or disagree with him) it is noticed. Same with Clinton (Bill) or Gore.

I think someone in elected office has self-serving constraints while in office, or if they aspire to another office. But out-of-office Presidents and Vice Presidents are also constrained by their respect for the office they once held. Their choices are sometimes constricted by what they deem appropriate in that role.

[blm]

29. Gore is stuck with Clinton years - but I, for one, will not necktie him with that

after reading his book Assault on Reason. He has distanced himself from the fascists - that's for sure.

[politicasista]

27. delete. wrong spot n/t

[YvonneCa]

24. That's why I posted this...

...the other day. We need to fight back WITH HUMOR. Make fun of the way they work...but make it obvious that we've got their number...we know what they are doing:

Remember 'Pigpen' from the Peanuts cartoon strip anyone?

Everywhere Pigpen walked, he carried a 'dust-cloud' all spinning around him. It seemed as if he didn't do anything to cause it...it didn't require any effort on his part to create the cloud...but it was an integral part of the character 'Pigpen.' Pigpen himself didn't seem to be aware of the cloud. But the cartoon character...the caricature...would not have been the same without that dust-cloud.

The MSM (main-stream media), I think, is like Pigpen. They aren't really journalists anymore (well, maybe just a few still are). They just perpetually walk around, doing what they do (exploiting stories for ratings, creating caricatures out of real, honest-to-goodness Americans) without being aware of the effect they are having on those same stories, or people, or the country, or the Presidential race...and on and on. They just keep spinning. They keep creating new shows to fit what they think we (the public) want...and therefore will sell. But they seem oblivious to what they are doing.

Because I am a positive person (and a 'hope-monger') I really hoped the MSM, like we Democrats, had learned the lessons of 2000 and 2004: #1 for the MSM is WE NEED REAL JOURNALISM back. We need the MSM to uphold their civic responsibility to inform the American electorate. I thought, because of people like Bill Moyers and others who have spoken on this issue recently, that 2008 might be different.

But it seems the MSM heard something different and learned a different lesson. It was more like, "Countdown is doing well and it must be because Keith Olbermann discusses political things." And as a result, every new program has a new slant on politics (currently Obama vs Clinton vs McCain), but they beat the politics to death without ever getting into what REALLY made Keith different: issues like FISA, pre-emptive war, habeus corpus, torture, and the truth he spoke in his 'Special Comments.'

They may have heard some of us complain that the 2000 and 2004 elections were flawed (to put it kindly) and have responded with 'over-kill' on the statistical analysis. I don't know about others here...but speaking for myself...I can do without the constant poll results on TV (if I want to know, I know how to research it). What I really want to see are stories about our fragile voting process, ways to improve it so that Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004 NEVER happen again, stories on people like Debra Bowen (new SOS in California making a difference), Hillary's Senate legislation on the electoral process and who supports it, etc. You get the idea...REAL stories. About REAL concerns.

But, like Pigpen, the MSM just walks on...dust-clouds spinning higher and higher, bigger and bigger, and dirtier and dirtier. I wonder how dark and dirty those clouds will have to be before they notice them.



MSM = Pigpen Draw a cartoon caricature. :7

[blm]

30. Thanks for reposting. The story needs all the help it can get.

.

[seafan]

10. This is a violation of the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948: Prohibition of propaganda aimed at Americans

Yes, this is an especially egregious violation of law by this administration.

And, not only that.... by orchestrating the appearance of numerous retired Generals, many of whom directly profited from conflicts of interest, on television shows to lie to the American people to coerce our support for an illegal act of aggression against a country that did not attack us on September 11, 2001, this act has eroded the respect and trust for military officers that we have had since The Greatest Generation's service members fought and died for us. It is unconscionable.


These last 7.5 years have been catastrophic for America.



Who will hold this destructive administration accountable?

The corporate controlled media are not on the side of We The People.

This administration has violated federal law: The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, which 'prohibits the U.S. government from propagandizing the American public with information and psychological operations directed at foreign audiences...'

Robert Parry: US News Media's Latest Disgrace

[blm]

16. Parry's article is a must read for any citizen who takes that duty seriously.

.

[ProSense]

20. Thanks, it's really disgusting. n/t

[YvonneCa]

11. I received the johnkerry.com email yesterday...

...and signed immediately. Here is the comment I added:


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



I am tired of media supression of real news, and the creation of 'propaganda news stories' designed to manipulate the American people. It is a practice that is hurting our democracy.
The only way to end it, regain real journalistic practice, and restore confidence in the media is to have a thorough investigation (by the GAO) of this story and uncover...and then publicize... the truth.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



Thank you, Senator Kerry, for your letter to the GAO. I find it really sad that things have come to the point where our democracy has been so undermined...but I am grateful that we have leaders like you who recognize that a program like this chips away at what this country stands for. We, as citzens, can't allow that to happen...whether the media covers it, or not. :)

[blm]

31. Good comment - I'm surprised more lawmakers aren't making this an issue.

.

[politicasista]

28. K&R

:kick: