All The News Taxpayers Can Afford

by DemFromCT

Ladies and gentlemen of the mainstream media: you have been had. Again. When Presidents take the time to come down from the mountaintop and try to jawbone mere mortals, like the editors at the NY Times and WaPo, you know something's up. In this case, it's the paper's revealing truths that just don't look good for the WH.

President Bush has been summoning newspaper editors lately in an effort to prevent publication of stories he considers damaging to national security.

The efforts have failed, but the rare White House sessions with the executive editors of The Washington Post and New York Times are an indication of how seriously the president takes the recent reporting that has raised questions about the administration's anti-terror tactics.

And how far will the WH go to get good news? Try paying for it.

The admission by two columnists that they accepted payments from indicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be the tip of a large and rather dirty iceberg.

 

Copley News Service last week dropped Doug Bandow -- who also resigned as a Cato Institute scholar -- after he acknowledged taking as much as $2,000 a pop from Abramoff for up to two dozen columns favorable to the lobbyist's clients. "I am fully responsible and I won't play victim," Bandow said in a statement after Business Week broke the story. "Obviously, I regret stupidly calling to question my record of activism and writing that extends over 20 years. . . . For that I deeply apologize."

Peter Ferrara of the Institute for Policy Innovation has acknowledged taking payments years ago from a half-dozen lobbyists, including Abramoff. Two of his papers, the Washington Times and Manchester (N.H.) Union Leader, have now dropped him. But Ferrara is unapologetic, saying: "There is nothing unethical about taking money from someone and writing an article."

Specific examples of other approachments follow. Armstrong Williams the tip of the iceberg? I'm shocked that this administration would stoop to such tactics, just shocked. It's just so out of character.

And when reporters wake up someday and wonder why no one trusts them, they'll have only themselves to blame for not being more aggressive in exposing this stuff.

 

Comments

[DemFromCT]

Props to Howie for posting this. There's something rotten in the state of Denmark.

[DemFromCT]

and PS, no the fact that he posted it doesn't mean "everything's okay because look how well the press works".

[KdmFromPhila]

And just how long has this been going on? If editors had to genuflect in front of Bush in 2002 and 2003, that would certainly explain the fawning coverge of the administration's push for war against Iraq.

Perhaps it's time for newspapers and the networks to include a message at the beginning of their reports: "I'm George W. Bush and I approve of this story."

[The Heretik]

Um, the rotteness is closer than Copenhagen, Dem in CT. We now see collusion between "journalists" and their subjects. At least the "journalists" get paid. The subjects get the pay off. Communicatins companies collude with government in providing free spyware for the NSA every time you sign up. Oy.

Something is stone cold wrong here.

[Libby Sosume]

OT, but worth repeating: Powell Speaks Out on Domestic Spy Program. Here's the money quote:

"I see absolutely nothing wrong with the president authorizing these kinds of actions," he said.

Asked if such eavesdropping should continue, Mr. Powell said, "Yes, of course it should continue."

[mamayaga]

Powell's always been an obedient toady when the occasion demands. Those on the left are surprised every time he toes the Bushco line because we persist, for some odd reason, in perceiving him as an honorable man. Just as we are forever surprised when McCain hugs Chimpy. If Powell truly were the honorable man he would have resigned in protest rather than collude in what he knew to be a foolish and immoral war.

[Aggie]

List so far:

1. Jeff Gannon
2. Armstrong williams
3. Michael J. McManus
4. Maggie Gallagher
5. Doug Bandow
6. Peter Ferrara

Somebody should write a short article, and post it in Dkos. I haven't seen anybody putting a brief overview on Republican propaganda columnists. Maybe somebody will see deeper angle to all this and find more based on pattern seen.

[p.lukasiak]

Given the fact that the Bush regime runs on deficits, should this post be entitled...

All The News Our Taxpaying Grandchild Will Pay For

[Susan S]

DemFromCT, I have some questions about CT politics. Can you please email me?

Thanks,
Susan Smith

[DemFromCT]

Done, but don't forget you can always email me. ;-)