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Thursday, December 16, 2004
Bill O'Reilly
The O'Reilly Factor
FOX News Channel
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
Dear Mr. O'Reilly:
In May of this year, I asked that you allow me to come on The O'Reilly Factor to discuss your attacks on philanthropist George Soros. Your producer denied my request, saying you were no longer discussing the topic. Yet in subsequent weeks, you continued to discuss Mr. Soros on your radio and television programs. Despite my offer to discuss Soros, you still did not invite me on -- even complaining during your June 1 Radio Factor, "I mean, we really can't get anybody in here [to defend Soros] that's not a raving, raving Far-Left person, and why we would want to do that, I don't know."
In recent months, you have repeatedly attacked me and my organization, Media Matters for America:
- On the June 28 O'Reilly Factor, you referred to Media Matters as a "Far Left website";
- On the August 5 Radio Factor, you likened Media Matters to Mao Zedong;
- On the August 5 O'Reilly Factor, you claimed your critics are "hiding"; in response, I reiterated my willingness to appear on your television show;
- During your August 7 debate with New York Times columnist Paul Krugman on CNBC, you compared Media Matters to the Ku Klux Klan and Fidel Castro;
- On August 13, Media Matters noted your recent attacks on us, and wondered how long it would be before you compared us to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. It took less than a month: On the September 14 Radio Factor, you referred to comments I made as "Joseph Goebbels Nazi stuff";
- On the December 9 Radio Factor, you called Media Matters "the most vile, despicable human beings in the country";
- On the December 14 Radio Factor, you called Media Matters "sneaky"; accused us of "tak[ing] things out of context"; called us a "Far Left, deceitful, disgusting website"; and called us "character assassins" and "despicable weasels."
As you can see, Mr. O'Reilly, you have repeatedly and personally attacked me, Media Matters for America, and my fine staff, calling us "vile," "despicable," and "weasels," and comparing us to the Ku Klux Klan, Castro, Mao, and the Nazis. And you have refused my repeated requests to appear on your broadcast.
You once offered your viewers your definition of the word "coward." On the January 5, 2004, O'Reilly Factor, you declared: "If you attack someone publicly, as these men did to me, you have an obligation to face the person you are smearing. If you don't, you are a coward."
Well, Mr. O'Reilly, you have attacked me publicly on numerous occasions, and you refuse to face me. You, sir, are a coward -- by your own definition of the term. You are "hiding under your desk" (to paraphrase your August 26, 2003, claim about a "coward" who declined to appear on your show) rather than allowing me on your program to discuss your insults. You are "gutless," to borrow the phrase you used on January 10, 2003, and February 8, 2001, to describe people who would not appear on your program. I attach additional examples of your pejorative descriptions of those who decline invitations to appear on your broadcast.
Your frequent complaint that your words are taken out of context appears to have spurred your recent assault on my organization. While reasonable people can disagree about conclusions we, or you, have drawn about your comments, you are simply wrong to say that we took you out of context. I remain willing and eager to appear on either your television or radio program to discuss your contention that my organization has taken your comments out of context.
Should you continue to refuse this offer, it is only reasonable that the American people will conclude that you are not only -- as you would put it -- a "coward," but a hypocrite as well.
Sincerely,
David Brock
President and CEO
Media Matters for America
Highlights from Bill O'Reilly's comments about people who refuse to appear on his program
O'Reilly frequently calls people "cowards":
The O'Reilly Factor, 1/5/04:
O'REILLY: [reading a critical review] John Wright, The Herald Journal, Logan, Utah: "I graduated from one of the best journalism schools in the country, the University of Florida. You, Bill, are not a journalist. You spew propaganda. For example, you said the journalism professors from Rutgers and Lehigh were cowards because they would not come on The Factor. That's not true. Maybe they simply didn't want to appear."
Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Wright. If you attack someone publicly, as these men did to me, you have an obligation to face the person you are smearing. If you don't, you are a coward. Wise up, sir.
The O'Reilly Factor, 12/19/03:
O'REILLY: We asked them both [Rutgers professor Steven] Miller and [Lehigh professor Jack] Lule to appear on The Factor, but they are too frightened.
[...]
O'REILLY: But, Professor [Victor] Navasky, what you're missing is -- you're missing that Lule and Miller and all of these other cowards who make these erroneous statements and won't back them up by coming in here and talking about them are basically telling their students in big schools -- Rutgers is a big school, all right -- that the FOX News Channel is not worthy, it's not journalism, it's garbage and ignore it. And that, sir, is dishonest and doesn't serve the student well.
NAVASKY: OK. First of all, I don't know that you know that they're cowards, and secondly --
O'REILLY: Yes, we know. We gave them --
NAVASKY: And secondly --
O'REILLY: We gave them any time they could appear.
The O'Reilly Factor, 8/26/03:
O'REILLY: I mean, this Dan Golden was a coward. We tried to get him on. He hid under his desk.
The O'Reilly Factor, 4/24/03:
O'REILLY: You know, I am so angry. I am so angry, Niger [Innis]. I mean I'm almost at the verge -- if [Brooklyn District Attorney Charles] Hynes were here --
INNIS: Well, you should be.
O'REILLY: And he's a coward. He's a coward because we gave him months. This story was on the board before the war, Niger. All right. We bumped it because of the war. We gave Hynes months to come up with his side of the story, explain it to us, tell us what happened, why he did it, and, you know, he gave us the finger. That's what he did.
O'Reilly calls people "gutless":
The O'Reilly Factor, 1/10/03:
O'REILLY: He may have? That's not his prerogative. We have to demand, Mr. [Silver Lake High School alumnus Dan] Sullivan, you at Harvard, me here on The Factor, and everybody in the state of Massachusetts and around the country that these principals uphold principles and not run and hide.
Look, this guy [Silver Lake High School principal Richard Kelley] could be sitting where you're sitting, Mr. Sullivan. He could be in your chair. He's gutless.
The O'Reilly Factor, 2/8/01:
O'REILLY: [Congressman Henry] Waxman wouldn't come on this program, by the way. He's gutless.
Posted to the web on Thursday December 16, 2004 at 3:15 PM EST
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Posted at 11:00 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
Atrios brings it all together
Hmmm....
September 16, 2000 NY Daily News:
A homeless woman lying on the ramp of an upper East Side parking garage was crushed to death early yesterday when she was run over by a mammoth sport utility vehicle, police said.
The driver, real estate executive Anthony Bergamo, told investigators he did not see the woman from his driver's seat.
Bergamo was driving a 5,770-pound Ford Expedition.
Medics pronounced the unidentified woman dead at the scene.
An autopsy determined that she died of crushing injuries to her chest, said a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner.
The death was ruled accidental and Bergamo, 54, who manages the Milford Plaza hotel in Times Square for its owner, real estate magnate Howard Milstein, was not charged.
Who was police commissioner then? Why, Bernard Kerik. And who is Anthony Bergamo? Oh, THAT Anthony Bergamo...
Rescue workers were combing through the World Trade Center rubble around the clock when Mr. Kerik called Anthony Bergamo, a well-connected vice chairman of the Milstein family real estate company and a police buff, and asked for help finding a place for the workers to rest during breaks, the executive said.
The family owned Liberty View, a 28-story yellow brick tower two blocks southwest of the trade center at the corner of West Street and Third Place.
According to the executive, who knows Mr. Bergamo, the vice chairman arranged for Mr. Kerik to have the use of an apartment there. Several apartments in the buildings had been used by rescue workers on breaks, and by Red Cross staff who were treating them, in the months after 9/11, according to a real estate executive.
(thanks to a sharp reader)
Posted at 10:57 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
Posted at 03:31 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
FCC Action Alert!!!
1. Go to http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/menu/rush.guest.html and find your Limbaugh station.
2. Send an email to fccinfo@fcc.gov with your own version of the following:
On Monday, December 113 in the 2nd hour of his program (1pm EST) broadcast on [CALL SIGN HERE], Rush Limbaugh used the vulgar, sexual term "dick" when referring to a Miss Plastic Surgery pageant. Specifically, Limbaugh said:
"LIMBAUGH: Miss Plastic Surgery. (chuckle) And – I’d – I’d – I – I don’t – I don’t know what the winner – I – and, oh, I didn’t print out both pages, so I don’t know what the – I don’t know what the winner gets. Probably a certificate to go to San Francisco to have an add-a-dick-to-me operation. "
According to the FCC:
Information regarding the details of what was actually said (or depicted) during the allegedly indecent, profane or obscene broadcast. There is flexibility on how a complainant may provide this information. The complainant may submit a significant excerpt of the program describing what was actually said (or depicted) or a full or partial recording (e.g., tape) or transcript of the material.
In whatever form the complainant decides to provide the information, it must be sufficiently detailed so the FCC can determine the words and language actually used during the broadcast and the context of those words or language. Subject matter alone is not a determining factor of whether material is obscene, profane, or indecent. For example, stating only that the broadcast station “discussed sex” or had a “disgusting discussion of sex” during a program is not sufficient. Moreover, the FCC must know the context when analyzing whether specific, isolated words are indecent or profane. The FCC does not require complainants to provide recordings or transcripts in support of their complaints. Consequently, failure to provide a recording or transcript of a broadcast, in and of itself, will not lead to automatic dismissal or denial of a complaint.
The date and time of the broadcast. Under federal law, if the FCC assesses a monetary forfeiture against a broadcast station for violation of a rule, it must specify the date the violation occurred. Accordingly, it is important that complainants provide the date the material in question was broadcast. A broadcaster’s right to air indecent or profane speech is protected between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Consequently, the FCC must know the time of day that the material was broadcast.
Posted at 04:14 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
Stoller endorses Rosenberg
Campaign visionary Matt Stoller has throws his support to Rosenberg:
Simon Rosenberg for DNC Chair
One of the most compelling things Simon Rosenberg ever told me was how much he doesn't like unity. Unity is bad, he said, because it's brittle. He prefers dynamism, vibrancy, debate, and wants to see our party as a true party of ideas, replete with healthy arguments. And I've seen him walk the walk. There's fighting passion around Simon, anger, and argument. It's not unity that Simon prizes, which is another word for top-down control. It's professionalism, and winning.
I have known Simon Rosenberg of NDN for less than nine months (I do consulting work for his organization), but he is to me the clear choice for DNC Chair. Simon is a blunt, hypercompetitive, disciplined and strategically minded political operative with that rare gift of appreciating political creativity. His roots are New Democrat, but he has long since abandoned their silly unproductive attitude towards politics, and embraced the netroots vision years ago. The Hispanic project, a groundbreaking media campaign in Spanish and English targeted at Hispanics in swing states, was a clear indication that he doesn't let constituencies fall through the cracks, and approaches old politics with a new mindset. He is a terrific listener, and a guy who can build this party into a modern political machine.
The issue for me in DNC Party Chair is and always has been strategy. The corporate culture of the left is one where strategy is submerged under a large soup of cronyism and dead methods. I have heard this from all quarters, and I believe it is true of the blogs (there's little cronyism among blogs, but a lot of amateurishness of which I can amply claim my share) as well as the state parties (though the state parties are truly neglected). We aren't connected as a party, and the atomization of our culture and message is the obvious result. Simon is a bridge-builder with a strategic mindset. He helped pull together the Phoenix Group, the answer to the vast left-wing conspiracy that will fund our new civil society. He posts on blogs, unlike almost every other political operative out there. He cares what people say, not because he's nice, but because it's stupid not to. People matter in politics, message matters in politics, infrastructure matters in politics - Simon gets this.
I urge you to read his visionfor the party. I believe that Dean would be an excellent choice, and shares many of these traits with Simon. What distinguishes Simon is that he is just a party builder, not a politician. That's important. Dean will lose much of his power if he has to back the message of Hillary Clinton and Harry Reid - and progressives will lose our best voice. And make no mistake, that's what Dean as DNC Chair will be. On message. I believe Dean would be a great President, and should run in 2008. I also believe that DFA needs to continue as a vessel for new entrants to the party. We need our Ken Mehlman, our guy to overhaul the professionalism and morale of the party. Simon can do this - his experience with TV is a boon for his candidacy (NDN has consistently done the best political ads of any group save perhaps Swift Boats); TV still matters, and it is the combination of the net, TV, and organizing that will lead to a progressive resurgence.
To some extent, my choice is colored by my view of the DNC as a vessel for coordinating and institutional bridge-building, not a message machine. I think that message can come from other areas, which is certainly how the right-wing does it. But most of it is due to Simon, who respects dissent, has a vision for the party itself, and values professionalism and reform. I can't say enough good things about Simon Rosenberg. Regardless of whether you support him, I hope that you really take the time to understand his arguments about where the party needs to go, because they are important. The right-wing is winning because of the power of their message and apparatus. We need someone who understands this, sees the potential way to combat it, and can play a holding pattern while the left gradually builds its own set of institutions.
Simon can do this.
Posted at 01:45 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
Race for DNC Chair Cattle Call
by Jerome Armstrong
I should point out that the Orlando meeting was held by the ASDC, which is a group of state officers within the DNC member umbrella. It's a technicality, but a useful one to remember with the process. One other note, I hear that in the ASDC's Q & A, the candidates were all asked if they would turnover to the states, the ~4M list of emails and donors that the DNC had gathered, if they were DNC Chair. Ickes, Rosenberg, and Dean said no, the others basically said 'whatever it takes' to get your vote. Anyway, after three days in Orlando with the DNC members and the candidates, here's the roundup:
  Leo Hindery, in the last CattleCall, was last, and now he's dropped out. After the blogosphere raked him over the coals for his past political actions, Hindery-surrogates spent a week trying to smooth it over with emails ('talk with him, he's a good guy'), before Leo arrived in Orlando in his private jet, only to leave 4 hours later, dropping out of the race.
 Howard Dean has a great time, but he's still not declared himself a candidate, and he's still not the frontrunner. The state chairs and executive directors are not reflective of Howard Dean's base, and yet, he's formidable among even this group. Dean was accessible throughout the event, and he got a lucky break. When Leo Hindery dropped out, it opened the Saturday morning breakfast slot that Dean grabbed up. Dean had been slated for an event to be held at 4-7 PM Saturday, after when many would have already left Orlando. Dean's breakfast was by far the most attended, where he spent over an hour taking questions and answers. Also, I spoke with Jim Dean briefly after the event, Howard's Connecticut-based brother, and unsuccessfully prodded him about taking up an '06 primary challenge against a certain Senator.
Wellington Webb reflects the ASDC priority of gutting the centralized power of the DNC. Webb was far better in his 5-minute speech than the speech he delivered during his evening event on Thursday. Because the ASDC is Webb's base, it shouldn't be surprising that the well-known Vice Chair has a fair amount of support, but I was surprised, because his performance wasn't altogether impressive. Webb's got a base and is a serious candidate, but not likely to become a consensus alternative. If anything, he's more an outsider than is Dean.
Ron Kirk seemed to come out of nowhere to a landing near the top. He's not that well-known, but he knows how to work a crowd. Kirk's not even that certain that he's even a candidate, and said that he wouldn't know if he'd enter the race until next month. He went last in the speeches, but spoke to the lack of women candidates in a way that connected very well with at least half the audience. The exit poll we did reflected this, as it was basically a snapshot of how the DNC members reacted to the speeches (top three), not who they would vote for as DNC Chair. It will be interesting to see if he gains DC-based traction. If there's a DLC 'status quo' candidate, it's Kirk. He's got charm, and if the Party wants to move to "the middle", Kirk's there.
 Simon Rosenberg could at least be glad that his message got out at this meeting. Rosenberg has spent the last year alerting the Democratic Party to the powerful machine that the Republicans have, and the other candidates listened. But the understanding here of what that means, in terms of building that opposition, was the larger argument that Rosenberg is just beginning to make. It's particularly relevant to the State Parties (& their lackluster websites). If they want money from the grassroots, they need to start giving the netroots the tools to get involved, rather than just giving lip service but only really wanting their money. Simon's support is going to come partly out of DC, and partly through the web-users that are connected to the blogosphere--and there were few of those DNC members in attendance at the ASDC meeting.
Donnie Fowler raised his stock quite a bit at this meeting by being well prepared. Like Webb, this was Fowler's base of support. He's able to look out across the sea of faces and make connections from previous efforts he'd made in campaigns across the nation. The drawback I heard at the meeting was that Fowler, like Rosenberg, was young, but as they pointed out, embracing young winners doesn't seem to be a difficulty the Republicans have. Fowler knew the campaign he needed to run at this meeting, and made the best of it. Of all the candidates, Fowler was the only one that actually was a candidate, complete with pins, stickers, and signs advertising his candidacy. Fowler most recently was the Field Director for Kerry in Michigan, hopefully, he kept his distance from the State Party's there handling of the money.
Martin Frost seems about one of the nicest guys you've ever met in a politician. I wasn't sure, but he seemed to recall the BlogPac video ad that we made for his uphill 32nd CD race against Sessions, and it was good to see that his wife was back from Iraq. Frost worked the crowd quite a bit, but it was an uphill event for the Rep., as the ASDC isn't a Hill crowd.
Jim Blanchard, in case you are wondering, is the new ABD candidate. We caught up with him as TIME was shooting his photo for the spread in the upcoming issue on the DNC Chair candidates. He told us that he'd supported Vilsack, but when Vilsack dropped out, he listened to the DGA, and to surrogates of Clinton and Kerry, and decided to take a look at getting into the race. He might have been expecting to cruise with a bit higher altitude in his candidacy, because when Matt showed him the exit poll numbers, Blanchard seemed to realize the uphill race he was facing. But are we really going to elect a Piper Rudnick DC-lobbyist as the next DNC Chair? Blanchard will need to commit to the race to be taken seriously.
Harold Ickes bombed, but he didn't back down. There's two things that the ASDC detests. 527's and the DNC's state-based canvassers. Same theme, the State Parties say they want the funds and names, but then, why don't they have canvassers out there? It's a legit complaint, there should be more partnership. For instance, Ickes said to focus on building up the state game by training from the DNC for State Parties. But when many in the ASDC heard "527" on his resume, he was toast in their minds.
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Posted at 01:41 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
1st DNC Chair Campaign TV Ad
A month ago we gathered together a coalition of grassroots leaders, fundraisers, and volunteers that believed we should have voice in the DNC Chair race. Since then we have teamed up with Driving Votes PAC to support Howard Dean. Similarly, many othewrs like Jerome at MyDD, DailyKos, Moveon.org and others have championed the need for a reform candidate.
Now, thanks to your donations, Drafthoward.com and Driving Votes PAC will be taking the next step and taking the grassroots case to the media. We have finished our first TV ad and we will be airing it as soon as we are able to secure time.
Watch the ad:
Thanks to your help we have raised the money to air this ad and let the world know that we support Howard Dean and his ideas to reform the Democratic party.
Posted at 01:37 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
http://www.sinclairaction.com/
Led by Media Matters for America and supported by MoveOn, MediaChannel.org, Free Press, Working Assets, Robert Greenwald (Director, Outfoxed), AlterNet, and The Institute for America's Future, we have launched a campaign to protest Sinclair Broadcast Group's continued misuse of public airwaves.
The campaign aims to spur action against Sinclair Broadcast Group's use of the 62 television stations it owns or operates to systematically promote partisan political interests. Of particular concern is a nightly "news and commentary" segment titled "The Point," in which Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman consistently espouses one-sided, conservative rhetoric without any counterpoint.
We believe the fairest way to remedy this situation is for Sinclair to provide a meaningful opportunity for those with an opposing point of view to respond to editions of "The Point." With your help, we can hold Sinclair accountable for its slanted news programming and demand that it become a responsible steward of the airwaves to which it has been granted access on behalf of the American people.
We are hopeful advertisers will join our effort to encourage Sinclair to balance the content of their news programming by offering equal air time for a counterpoint.
Contact Advertisers
Notable Sinclair advertisers:
Kraft
Chief Executive Officer: Roger K. Deromedi (also Director of The Gillette Company)
Headquarters:
Three Lakes Drive
Northfield, IL 60093)
Main Phone: 847-646-2000
Fax: 847-646-2922
Staples
President and Chief Executive Officer: Ronald L. Sargent
Headquarters:
500 Staples Drive
Framingham, MA 01702
Phone: 508-253-5000
Fax: 800-761-7041
Target
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: Robert J. Ulrich
Headquarters:
1000 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone: 612-304-6073
Fax: 612-696-3731
Geico
Chairman, President and CEO: Tony Nicely
Headquarters:
5260 Western Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: 301-986-3000
Fax: 301-986-2888
McDonalds:
Chief Executive Officer: Jim Skinner
Headquarters:
McDonald's Plaza
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Phone: 630-623-3000
Fax: 630-623-5004
Sprint
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: Gary D. Forsee
Headquarters:
Sprint World Headquarters
6200 Sprint Parkway
Overland Park, KS 66251
Phone: 913-624-3000
Fax: 913-523-8312
"We do not believe political statements should be disguised as news content."
Sinclair Broadcast Group is the largest single owner/operator of television stations in the United States. With 62 stations in 39 markets, Sinclair reaches approximately 24 percent of U.S. television households and includes ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UPN, and WB affiliates.
Every day, Sinclair's stations broadcast "The Point," a one-minute conservative commentary by Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman. As Media Matters for America has documented, "The Point" contains a steady stream of one-sided anti-progressive and pro-Bush rhetoric that is broadcast without a progressive counterpoint.
"The Point" is part of a package of centralized content that is broadcast from News Central, Sinclair's Maryland-based nerve center, to its local stations. In addition to Hyman's commentary, News Central provides centralized national and international news coverage to its stations. An August 31, 2004, Baltimore Sun article noted that "roughly 1.8 million American adults" watch "The Point" daily, according to Sinclair's figures, although Hyman's bio claims that "The Point" has a "daily household audience [of] more than four million daily viewers." According to the Sun, even the lower figure "puts him in the company of far-better known pundits," including FOX News Channel hosts Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. According to Hyman's bio, all 62 of its TV stations are required to air "The Point." Salon.com's Eric Boehlert reported on October 14, 2004, that "[s]oon after Sept. 11," Hyman's segment "became a must-carry on Sinclair stations."
Another News Central feature is a segment called "Get This," which purports to cover "the news items that deserve public attention that you probably won't see anywhere else." In fact, "Get This" provides viewers with a steady diet of pro-Bush and anti-progressive news items, as Media Matters has also documented.
Sinclair has demonstrated its conservative political leanings in other programming decisions as well:
-
In October 2004, Sinclair intended to air the film Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, a distortion-filled attack on Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, two weeks before the 2004 presidential election. Sinclair ultimately caved to a massive grassroots advertiser boycott effort, threatened shareholder litigation, and numerous other actions (including some led by Media Matters), instead presenting an hour-long program on 40 of its stations, titled A POW Story: Politics, Pressure and the Media. The program spent more than 30 minutes focusing on Kerry's Vietnam War record but included only approximately five minutes of Stolen Honor.
-
In April 2004, Sinclair forbade its ABC affiliate stations to air a broadcast of ABC's Nightline that showed the names and photographs of the 700 American soldiers who had died in Iraq up to that point. In a statement explaining its decision, Sinclair declared: "We do not believe political statements should be disguised as news content."
-
In June 2003, as The Center for American Progress noted: "Sinclair Broadcasting refused to allow WMSN TV -- its FOX affiliate in Madison, WI -- to air a DNC [Democratic National Committee] advertisement that featured a clip of President Bush making the false claim that 'Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa' in his 2003 State of the Union Address. Three other Madison stations, including ABC, NBC and CBS [affiliates], readily agreed to air the ad."
-
After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, The Baltimore Sun reported that Sinclair "directed its more than 60 stations ... to broadcast spots declaring support for the efforts of President Bush and other government leaders."
Sinclair executives have also demonstrated their political leanings with their wallets:
-
Sinclair vice president Frederick G. Smith has donated more than $200,000 to Republican candidates and organizations during the 2000, 2002, and 2004 election cycles.
-
In 2000 and 2002, before corporate contributions to political candidates were outlawed, Sinclair Broadcast Group contributed more than $130,000 to Republicans and none to Democrats.
Posted at 12:23 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
Governor Dean's Sunday appearance on Meet the Press is now available on video via the MSNBC website. Click below to go to the MSNBC home page—look for the box below to start the clip.
Posted at 12:21 pm by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
Mark Brewer Scandal - follow-up
MyDD broke the story which has since been blogged by Tim Tagaris, Kos, Blogging of the President, Atrios, Mathew Gross, Steve Gilliard, Suburban Guerrilla, Mahablog, and Change for America.
Swing State Project now has an analysis of state party blogs which reflects quite poorly on DNC and ADSC leadership.
With MyDD and DavidNYC weighing in, the crisis received many more eyeballs.
Tim Taragis is now on the hunt. In a great piece titled, "I'll have to look into that" Tim concludes:
So far, it is an opportunity he has failed to respond to. No email -- no phone call. I have since followed up with another call, but only got through to voice mail. I will try again tomorrow, but I am not holding out much hope. It's unfortunate.
I don't blame Chairman Brewer for not knowing who Matt & Jerome are. I also believe that most people would understand if throwing them out was a simple misunderstanding that given more time to sort things out and gain understanding would have played out differently. I really just wanted to give them a vehicle to get their story out in the medium that is most displeased with the events that took place. No hatchet job, that is the last thing on my mind. Just an "open Q&A."
I don't know what overtures, if any, they have made toward Jerome, Matt, and the blogosphere as a whole. What I do know is that not reaching out or offering an explanation of some kind about the "mild furor" would be real evidence that they still don't get it. I hope I am wrong.
Posted at 11:39 am by blog swarm
Political News Permalink
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