George Soros

The ADL Must Revoke Rupert Murdoch’s Award

Posted by on November 11, 2010 at 10:38 am. 5 Comments :

Rupert Murdoch Puppet MasterIn light of the brazen anti-Semitism displayed throughout Glenn Beck’s special programs attacking George Soros this week, the Anti-Defamation League must now answer for their tribute to Beck’s employer, Rupert Murdoch.

Last month the ADL gave Murdoch their International Leadership Award citing “his commitment to promoting respect and speaking out against anti-Semitism.” The press release announcing the award noted the presence of ADL’s National Director Abraham H. Foxman and Fox News President Roger Ailes at the award ceremony. However, it didn’t manage to offer a single example of Murdoch speaking out against anti-Semitism. The only representation of Murdoch’s opinion on the matter that appeared in the press release was this:

“When Americans think of Anti-Semitism, we tend to think of the vulgar caricatures and attacks of the first part of the 20th century,” Mr. Murdoch said. “Now it seems that the most virulent strains come from the left. Often this new anti-Semitism dresses itself up as legitimate disagreement with Israel.”

So the only justification for the tribute to Murdoch cited in the press release is one that attacks liberals who have been the most committed opponents of Anti-Semitism. That’s a pretty thin (and biased) resume for tribute.

The awarding of this honor to Murdoch was suspect from the start as Murdoch’s television and newspaper properties have a long history of conveying overtly negative impressions of Jews and other Semitic peoples. But now that Beck has embarked on his crusade of hate directed at a Jewish philanthropist and a true hero of international tolerance, the ADL has to take a stand.

The ADL cannot dismiss this as the ravings of a TV pundit whose views are distinct from Murdoch. Beck has said on several occasions that he would not be able to make the statements he does if Murdoch disagreed:

Beck: Who owns this network? Rupert Murdoch. Do you know how much money Rupert Murdoch is … you know he’s got all these things going on. Do you think he’s going to let a guy at five o’clock say a bunch of stuff, put this together, it’s completely wrong, and stay on the network? Do you think he became a billionaire because he’s stupid? No, so that’s not it. Because Fox couldn’t allow me to say things that were wrong.

Beck is declaring unambiguously that Murdoch permits his hateful, hostile rhetoric specifically because he agrees with it. And Murdoch has never disassociated himself with Beck’s views or the assertion that Beck’s presence on the network is affirmation of their agreement. Therefore, Murdoch is vouching for Beck and his repugnant commentary.

The question now is whether the ADL still thinks that Murdoch is deserving of the award they presented to him. In an article in The Jewish Week published today, Jewish leaders and Holocaust survivors castigated Beck for his “monstrous” allegations. Amongst them was the ADL’s Abe Foxman who said:

“For a political commentator or entertainer to have the audacity to say, there’s a Jewish boy sending Jews to death camps, that’s horrific. It’s totally off limits and over the top.”

Beck’s comments ‘were either out of total ignorance or total insensitivity,’ he said.”

I think it’s fair to say that Beck’s comments encompassed both ignorance and insensitivity. And in Beck’s own words, Murdoch would fire him if he thought Beck had lied or said something wrong. Since Beck still has a job we can conclude that Murdoch is comfortable with Beck’s “over the top” remarks.

So what will Foxman do about it? Will his comment to The Jewish Week be the whole of his protest? Will he hold Beck or Fox News accountable in any way? The one thing that he can do immediately is to announce that he is revoking the award he gave to Murdoch, an award that wasn’t deserved in the first place. By revoking the award Foxman would be making a statement that the sort of hate speech that Beck peddles will not be rewarded or tolerated. It would make a statement that media barons who promote this garbage are equally culpable.

There is simply no reasonable argument that absolves Murdoch from the responsibility he has for his network and its personnel. Foxman must not stand with Murdoch. He must have the courage to do the right thing. He must demonstrate that he is man of integrity and principle. And if he doesn’t he should just drop the “man” from his last name and be properly branded as another flunky for Murdoch and Fox News.

Feel free to let the ADL know how you feel about Murdoch being the recipient of an award for opposing anti-Semitism while his network promotes anti-Semitism.

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Glenn Beck Gone Wild: Day Two Of Soros-Fest

Posted by on November 11, 2010 at 1:01 am. 4 Comments :

Glenn BeckOn the second installment of Glenn Beck’s Soros-palooza, Beck had so little to say that he pretty much repeated the same delusional ravings as the day before. This is nothing new for Beck who is known for regurgitating the same old conspiracy nonsense day after day. Anyone who watches regularly has seen the same video of Van Jones hundreds of times.

The principle problem with Beck not producing any new content for today’s show is that…well…now I don’t have anything to write about. Obviously this was Beck’s intention. He deliberately aired an hour of leftovers to deprive me of material for my blog. Well, I’ve got news for him. I can be just as redundant as he is any day of the week.

So let’s start with the fact that Beck worked over the same checklist of steps to control any country. Here’s what I wrote yesterday about that:

  • Form a shadow government: Beck begins by pointing fingers at the Center for American Progress, but that’s a dodge because the real target could just as likely be the Heritage Foundation or the Cato Institute.
  • Control the airwaves: In a bit of misdirection, Beck cites NPR and Free Press, however they are hardly major players in the media. The top rated cable news channel is Fox News. Most of the rest of the media is owned by giant, multinational corporations run by conservatives. And radio is dominated by names like Hannity, Beck, and Limbaugh.
  • Destabilize the state: Here Beck suggests that the Puppet Master would cause a political or economic crisis. Perhaps like the one that sent the country into a tailspin in late 2008?
  • Provoke an election crisis: Anyone who watched Fox News in the days leading up to the election couldn’t help but notice the incessant accusations of alleged election fraud. And no one focused more intently on the imagined scandals involving ACORN and the New Black Panthers than did Fox.
  • Take Power: Stage massive demonstrations and accuse opponents of voter fraud through radio and TV stations that you control. Does that sound like any Tea Party/Fox News coalition you might have heard about?

Actually, there is a bit of news since yesterday. With regard to “controlling the airwaves,” Beck was a bit more specific. He re-addressed what he portrayed as a vast network of television and radio outlets that Soros controlled and identified them as Media Matters, Tea Party Tracker, and ThinkProgress. Of course, those are all Internet sites. Beck didn’t name a single radio or TV station that answered to Soros. Apparently Beck doesn’t know the difference between airwaves and information superhighways.

Another notable regurgitation by Beck was his assertion that everything he says must be true or Rupert Murdoch would throw him off the air. He made this claim last April saying…

“Who owns this network? Rupert Murdoch. Do you know how much money Rupert Murdoch is … you know he’s got all these things going on. Do you think he’s going to let a guy at five o’clock say a bunch of stuff, put this together, it’s completely wrong, and stay on the network? Do you think he became a billionaire because he’s stupid? No, so that’s not it. Because Fox couldn’t allow me to say things that were wrong.”

In response to that I noted that Murdoch must agree with Beck on the plethora of ludicrous accusations that Beck has made over the years, like…

  • President Obama is a racist with a deep-seated hatred for white people.
  • It is the eve of destruction in America.
  • The climate cult is teaching your children that the earth is God.
  • The current administration is full of Nazis, socialists, communists, Marxists, and Maoists.
  • Katrina victims are scumbags.
  • Progressivism is the cancer in America and it is eating our Constitution.
  • The founding of the United States, and the Constitution, were divinely inspired.
  • If your church preaches social justice you must run from it as fast as you can.
  • If we don’t face the truth right now, we’ll be dead in five years; this country can’t survive.
  • The passage of the health care bill marks the end of prosperity in America forever.
  • There are traitors in this government who are deliberately trying to destroy it.
  • The only hope left for America is for Osama Bin Laden to attack again.

Since beck has dragged Murdoch into this, it is now incumbent on Murdoch to refute Beck’s assertion that Murdoch agrees with all these statements. Barring that, Murdoch is just as responsible for them as Beck. Today on his radio show Beck again recruited Murdoch as his corroboration for the insanity he spews. This time in a sort of open letter to George Soros:

“Mr. Soros, do you actually expect America to believe that I could get on the radio and television and tell wholly fabricated lies about the most powerful man on planet earth and you would not crush me overnight? You would not have your attorneys, you would not have everything at your disposal going after Rupert Murdoch and Fox News. Of course you would. You would do it a legal way. If I were making up lies about you, I couldn’t stay on the air. First of all, you wouldn’t have to pressure. Rupert Murdoch wouldn’t put me on the air. He would fire me.”

So once again, Beck asserts that Murdoch is in complete agreement with him by virtue of the fact that he still has a show. But Beck’s logic is a bit faulty (now there’s an understatement). He believes that Soros could crush him at will if he were fabricating lies. But couldn’t Soros also crush him at will if he were telling a truth that Soros wanted suppressed? In fact, wouldn’t Soros have even more incentive to crush him if the allegations were true? After all, Soros is the most powerful man in America according to Beck.

One other relatively new item is that Beck is now asserting that Soros has “threatened” him by giving him a gift. Was it a horses head in his bed? Was it a fish wrapped in newspaper? Nope. The ominous present was a DVD of the old movie “A Face in the Crowd” starring Andy Griffith. In the film Griffith played a Beck-like demagogue who rose from an alcoholic drifter to become a national broadcast star. Gee, what do you suppose the connection is? Somehow Beck regards this as a threat, but he neglects to explain what’s so threatening about it. Does he think that Soros is hinting that he’s going to sign Beck up for Netflix without permission?

I suppose I’ll leave it at that and hope that Beck provides a little more original content on tomorrow’s program. I can’t be expected to carry this debate all by myself.

Shocking Glenn Beck Expose: The Puppet Master. It’s Not Who You Think

Posted by on November 10, 2010 at 3:53 am. 16 Comments :

On today’s episode of the Glenn Beck program on Fox News, Beck made good on his promise to reveal the “Puppet Master” behind every diabolical scheme orchestrated by progressives and socialists for the past century. It was a shocking expose that is certain rattle the halls of power and stir even the embers of Hades.

This was no ordinary program. Yesterday Beck alerted his radio audience that if they didn’t watch, some dreadful fate might befall Beck (Now that’s marketing!). It was an alert that began with a warning to Beck’s nemesis, George Soros:

Beck: George, just a message for you. Something that…we’re prepared in every possible way, sir. But we are doing what we feel we have to do. I ask you…because we are going out on a limb here…We are kind of a canary in a coal mine. If people don’t watch, or whatever, it puts us, quite honestly it puts us in danger. You know it’s kind of like…I kind of look at you as our attorney. If something happens, could you just get this information out for us?

Got that? If Soros or his goons should fit Beck for cement galoshes, it’s up to you, his loyal viewers, to avenge him. It’s somewhat curious that Beck is the one fearful of being harmed when just a few weeks ago it was one of Beck’s goons that was captured after a gunfight with police while he was on his way to kill people at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU.

Today’s program was classic Beck. He led off early with that old standard of Van Jones being a “communist revolutionary,” and then sweetened it with a new twist that Jones is “a guy who pines for the days of Stalin.” Of course, none of that is true, but it makes a good soap opera plot.

Then Beck gracefully pivoted to his patented “mug and shake.” This is where he presents a usually out of context quote like this:

Beck: George Soros, in the aftermath of 9/11 talked about police actions as an alternative to war. Now did anybody pick up on that? This is what he said: “War is a false and misleading metaphor in the context of combating terrorism. Crimes require police work not military action.”

After which Beck mugs for the camera and shakes his head disapprovingly. It’s his non-verbal way of letting his viewers know what they’re supposed to feel. In this instance they are being directed to feel appalled at whatever was just presented, even though there was nothing remotely wrong with it. The quote from Soros just happens to reflect the views of most terrorism experts, but that shouldn’t stop Beck’s disciples from being led to believe that there was something sinister in it.

We also got to see Beck build a case against 501(c)(3) charitable organizations as if there was some inherent evil in them. He gave as examples a few of his perennial foes like MoveOn.org and the Center for American Progress. But for some reason he declined to mention the conservative/Tea Party groups Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, Citizens United, or the Media Research Center.

Most of this very special episode of Beck was brought to you by a four year old book that has been widely debunked: The Shadow Party: How George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Sixties Radicals Seized Control of the Democratic Party. The first clue that this book, published in 2006, is less than credible is right there in the title. If this all-powerful cabal of Soros and Clinton and the sixties radicals had seized control of the Democratic Party, than how did Barack Obama beat Clinton for the presidential nomination just two years later? That doesn’t seem like a particularly menacing cabal.

But, as it turns out, the real revelation of this expose had nothing to do with any of the above. It was a all a big buildup to reveal the man that Beck regards as the “Puppet Master” pulling the strings of power for the One World Government that is hiding in the shadows. And who is that man? Well, let’s follow Beck’s clues.

The Formula:

  • Form a shadow government: Beck begins by pointing fingers at the Center for American Progress, but that’s a dodge because the real target could just as likely be the Heritage Foundation or the Cato Institute.
  • Control the airwaves: In a bit of misdirection, Beck cites NPR and Free Press, however they are hardly major players in the media. The top rated cable news channel is Fox News. Most of the rest of the media is owned by giant, multinational corporations run by conservatives. And radio is dominated by names like Hannity, Beck, and Limbaugh.
  • Destabilize the state: Here Beck suggests that the Puppet Master would cause a political or economic crisis. Perhaps like the one that sent the country into a tailspin in late 2008?
  • Provoke an election crisis: Anyone who watched Fox News in the days leading up to the election couldn’t help but notice the incessant accusations of alleged election fraud. And no one focused more intently on the imagined scandals involving ACORN and the New Black Panthers than did Fox.
  • Take Power: Stage massive demonstrations and accuse opponents of voter fraud through radio and TV stations that you control. Does that sound like any Tea Party/Fox News coalition you might have heard about?

The conclusion could not be more clear. The Puppet Master’s identity can only be one man. It is a man that wields enormous power around the world. It is a man with ties to media and government and big business. It is a man without a country. It is a man whom Beck has every right to fear. It is without doubt the most loathsome creature to stalk God’s green earth in decades. It is…..


That’s right. Rupert Murdoch. Who else? All the pieces fit. And no wonder Beck is afraid. He could hardly come right out and accuse his boss of these terrible crimes. That’s why he had to be so cryptic, and why he still can’t bring himself to utter the name aloud. It’s why Beck had to construct a gauntlet of phony attacks on George Soros (which have been completely debunked), who was serving as the innocent decoy in this scheme.

But now the truth is out and we must all be vigilant, for Murdoch is probably even more dangerous when threatened or wounded. So pray for Beck. His courage in going up against someone so heinous when his very livelihood is on the line is inspiring and far too rare. God bless you Patriot Beck, and good luck. You’re going to need it.

This Just In: Further evidence of the Murdoch/Puppet Master connection. Beck included in his rant against Soros the fact that Soros attended what Beck called the “Fabian Socialist” London School of Economics. What he left unsaid (likely due to fear of reprisal) is the name of another LSE Alum: Sir Keith Murdoch, father of Rupert Murdoch, and apparently another socialist.

The Stupidest Man On Fox News Is Spooked By George Soros

Posted by on November 8, 2010 at 1:11 pm. 9 Comments :

Steve DoocySteve Doocy, unquestionably the stupidest man on Fox News (which is no easy achievement), expressed his astonishment that George Soros might be executing an insidious plot to Jiu-Jitsu Fox News by turning its own wealth against them. Here are excerpts of an exchange this morning between Doocy and right-wing crank/author Ron Arnold:

Doocy: Did you know that George Soros made over $2.3 million by investing in News Corp, which is our parent company? So, is he using those profits to attack Fox News? Some people are wondering that.

By “some people” Doocy means himself and his producers. Arnold took up Doocy’s question and responded precisely as he was expected to when they invited him into the studio:

Ron Arnold: That’s absolutely true. Over a period of about four years the Soros Fund Management had about $4 million at one time, ended up with about $2.3 million when they sold it off. And now they’re simply using the cash to try to get rid of News Corp’s Fox News. And that’s exactly what’s happening.

Just to be clear, Soros is being accused of parlaying a $4 million bit of a $20 billion fund (that’s 0.002%) into a windfall with which he could blow away Fox News. That’s not much more than a rounding error. The accusation also implies that the fund itself is bankrolling the Fox attacks and not Soros personally (who could write a million dollar check on his own account like most of us pick up a Venti Latte with extra foam). There is no evidence that Soros’ Quantum Fund, or any other investment, has engaged in any such partisan expenditures, and probably would not be permitted to do so. What’s more, the $2.3 million cited as the proceeds from the sale of News Corp stock appears to represent a loss of principle, not a profit as Doocy stated. But Doocy’s Fox & Friends have no use for trivialities such as facts while they are trying to fabricate a scandal. Doocy continues…

Doocy: It looked like George Soros was trying to control the media.

Saints preserve us! An international billionaire financier might actually be trying to wield tyrannical control over our free press. I wonder if Doocy has ever met his boss, Rupert Murdoch, an international billionaire who actually does run a media empire and sits on the board of the Associated Press. Soros, on the other hand, has no management interests in any media concern. He has made some charitable donations to NPR and Media Matters, but has no executive role or even a seat on their boards. However, even if he did, is it Doocy’s contention that NPR and Media Matters constitute a mortal threat to News Corp, AP, and the rest of the Corporate Media cabal? Apparently so.

Arnold: Well, he certainly was. And you’ve got to remember he’s got a very good friend in the Tides Foundation’s CEO whose name is Drummond Pike. They go back a long way, Soros and Pike. And I’m pretty sure that the only reason that that million dollars went to Media Matters was because Drummond Pike stepped in. Because Media Matters has been trying to get money out of Soros for years. He said no.
Doocy: It just seems incredulous [sic] that he would be making money in News Corp stock and then turning around and taking the money to try to run a division of News Corp out of business.
Arnold: Yes, it does seem incredible but you have to remember, cash trumps hypocrisy. It’s all about the money as far as he’s concerned.
Doocy: That is a crazy story.

Now follow this logic: Soros didn’t even want to fund Media Matters. He was persuaded to do it by his pal Drummond. Yet he is still portrayed as seeking to control the media despite his lack of interest. And while Doocy and Arnold find it incredible, they explain it away by asserting that “It’s all about the money,” which contradicts their whole theory as to Soros’ obsession to dominate the media. That is indeed a crazy story.

Of course I didn’t expect any of this to make sense from the beginning. Doocy’s Olympian ignorance pervades every subject he approaches. The truth is that this just a teaser for Glenn Beck’s upcoming “Puppetmaster” special on Soros. Fox News is a focused and effective marketing machine and they always go to great lengths to promote their own phony stories. Doocy is like the teaspoon of Aspertame before the full-on dose of poison that Beck will dispense tomorrow.

Will Fox News Be Happy When George Soros Is Murdered?

Posted by on November 4, 2010 at 3:11 pm. 22 Comments :

Fox News takes pride in its ability to destroy the lives of people it opposes politically. They had a hand in the assassination of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, whom they labeled “the baby killer.” And several “lone wolf” nuts tied to Fox broadcasters have been thwarted prior to executing their plans to murder “enemies” of the Fox Nation.

The latest target of demonization by the Smear Squad at Fox News is billionaire investor, George Soros. Actually, they have been on Soros’ trail for months, but they have lately escalated the rhetoric and its overtly hostile tone. Several Fox presenters have portrayed Soros as a mysterious and dangerous character. They cast him as “foreign” and “secretive.” Of course, the truth is just the opposite. Soros is every bit as American as Rupert Murdoch, and his participation in public affairs is always disclosed openly, contrary to Murdoch whose recent funding of partisan GOP organizations was done in secret and only became known via third party disclosures and against Murdoch’s wishes.

Glenn Beck, the inspiration to many rightist would-be assassins, has scheduled a full hour of hate speech next Tuesday dedicated to Soros that Beck is promoting as “D-Day for George Soros.” Beck has called Soros the “puppetmaster” controlling all manner of evil in the world. From socialists to Nazis to the collapse of free-market capitalism, Soros is accused of being the invisible hand behind it all. Beck tagged Soros “the most powerful man in America.” That’s hard to grasp when he isn’t even in the top 25 of the richest, according to Forbes. By the way, the Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal (the second biggest shareholder of News Corp outside of the Murdoch family) and the oil-rich Koch brothers (financiers of the AstroTurf Tea Party movement) are all in the top 25. And somehow they are still less powerful than Soros according to Beck.


In advance of Beck’s special anti-Soros episode, Fox Nation has published a hit piece that declares “Soros [the] Big Loser After Tuesday’s Election.” The gist is that due to the poor showing of Democrats, Soros’ political donations went to waste. However, Soros made no donations whatsoever to Democratic campaigns or partisan committees this cycle. He even made a public statement to that effect asserting that he didn’t think his participation would stem the GOP tide. The article focused on Soros’ support for the Secretary of State Project, a 527 whose mission is to support candidates for Secretary of State who will advance voter access and participation. However, Soros didn’t contribute to that in this cycle either. His only support for it was $10,000 in 2008. Hardly a game changer.

Soros did make sizable donations to media organizations like Media Matters and NPR, and he supported the marijuana initiative in California. But he had no investment in the electoral arena, and that completely negates the whole premise of the Fox Nation’s article.

Ironically, the argument that Soros is a loser because Democratic candidates lost deflates Beck’s argument that he is the most powerful man in America. That title ought to go to the Koch brothers or Karl Rove or any of the other multimillion dollar entities that bankrolled the winning GOP campaigns. But I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Beck’s special one hour anti-Koch episode.

So while we’re waiting for Beck to unveil his smear job on Soros next week, Fox Nation’s article provided an opportunity for the Fox Nationalists to weigh in on what they believe should become of Soros. And guess what they said (screen cap)…..

wilsonglock: Somebody needs to “find” this guy !!!!! He has created enough problems in America and around the world…..Are there any “bounty” hunters out there willing to get rid of this creep…???

theoutlawjoseywhales: Soros is a criminal, who has destroyed 4 countries, were number five, but we won’t go so easily. Soros, we’re going to hunt you down and have our justice for your crimes against us. Count on it.

texascherokee: George, a Small Consolation Gift will be arriving soon, from about 300 yards!

sam@yahoo: Someone put a prize on the pig’s head,let some patriots go on the hunt for that beast!

The Fox Nationalists are openly calling for assassination. I reviewed the website three hours after I first saw these comments (and flagged them for being inappropriate) and they were still there. There is nothing ambiguous about the intentions expressed here. It is utterly irresponsible for Fox to permit this sort of advocacy of criminal violence. Or maybe this is what they mean when they say “All Opinions Welcome” (although my comments are rarely posted).

For this to appear on Fox’s website so soon after a real life tragedy was narrowly averted is unconscionable. Just last July a deranged fan of Glenn Beck’s embarked on a mission to murder people associated with the ACLU and the Tides Foundation, a beneficiary of Soros’ donations. From Media Matters:

On July 18, Byron Williams, an ex-felon with a history of violent criminal behavior, was pulled over by California Highway Police on I-580. Williams, who was apparently intoxicated, opened fire at the officers as one approached his truck. […] Williams reportedly told investigators that “his intention was to start a revolution by traveling to San Francisco and killing people of importance at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU.

What are we to expect now from Beck’s hour long assault on Soros, whom Beck calls “Spooky Dude” (as if there could be someone spookier than Beck)? Despite his regular pleas that his disciples refrain from violence, Beck knows all to well that many believe he is just saying that to stay within legal boundaries. Beck himself even told his congregation that…

“I can only say certain things, and I haven’t lost all of the rights. But know that these things are true. And if you hear me stop saying these things, it’s because I can no longer say them to you. But hear them between the sentences. Hear them, please. I will be screaming them to you.”

Beck has also told his audience that Soros is trying to silence him. That is Beck’s explanation for Soros’ donation to Media Matters. And worse than that, Beck has implied that Soros wants to kill him. In one rant Beck pointedly looked at the camera and addressed Soros, warning him that he (Beck) has a bulletproof car.

So let’s put this puzzle together:

1) Beck accuses Soros of being a general threat to America and the freedom of all citizens.
2) Beck asserts that Soros is a specific threat to Beck’s personal freedom to speak, and even his life.
3) Fox Nation is packed with explicit death threats aimed at Soros.
4) Beck advises his listeners that they have to read between the lines to hear his real message.
5) Beck’s opus on Soros will debut Tuesday November 9, 2010, with an hour’s worth of sentences to read between.

This is about as close to a solicitation for murder as you can get. Beck has demonized his target and warned his faithful followers that he is need of their defense and/or vengeance. His followers have heard the call as evidenced on Fox Nation. And even if there is nothing controversial in Beck’s new Soros documentary (or more controversial than usual), the damage he and Fox have done already is sufficient cause for concern. He may merely repeat the same lies he has been telling about Soros for months. But the cumulative effect of the components of this campaign against Soros could have tragic consequences – again. And Beck, along with Fox News, must be held accountable. A movement has already begun to let Fox’s advertisers know that they bear some responsibility as well. Sign the petition here.

Despite Beck’s disingenuous pleas for peace, he knows the potential for violence that his words produce, Why else would he have to repeatedly admonish his viewers to be peaceful? Is there any other television host who feels it’s necessary to remind his/her audience to not kill people? I’m pretty sure Alex Trebek doesn’t have that problem. Oprah went 26 years without having to do it. But Beck has already produced violent actors yet he persists in fanning the embers of hate.

This makes it all the more important to persuade people of good will in the media and in the advertising communities to be responsible and disassociate themselves with Beck, Fox News, and any other enterprise that incites such violence.

Top Ten Reasons A Democratic Victory Is Worth Fighting For

Posted by on November 1, 2010 at 11:26 am. 2 Comments :

Tomorrow is election day, and if you think there isn’t a lot at stake your Lunesta dosage is too high.

The media is falling all over itself predicting a Republican landslide, but this campaign is far from over. Polling for midterm elections is difficult under the best of circumstances, but with the wild fluctuations caused by Tea Partiers, minorities, and young voters who pollsters ignore, anything is possible. The most important thing is to stay strong, vote, and make sure you get everyone you know to vote as well. As much as he might like to believe it, Rupert Murdoch does not decide who wins elections in America. That is, unless Americans allow it. Therefore, if you need a little extra motivation, I give you…..

The Top 10 Reasons A Democratic Victory Is Worth Fighting For:

  1. George Soros will send you a crisp, new $100.00 bill.
  2. Michael Steele will take that call center job in Guam.
  3. Seven year old girls will get their Tea Party back.
  4. The Learning Channel will relaunch Sarah Palin’s Alaska as Sarah Palin’s Jersey Shore.
  5. Christine O’Donnell will turn Karl Rove into a Newt Gingrich.
  6. Fox News advertising will consist entirely of gold coins, Egg Genies, and penis enlargers.
  7. Linda McMahon’s WWE will air a death match between Sharon “Man-up” Angle and Rand “Aqua Buddha” Paul.
  8. Hundreds of media pundits and pollsters will be fired (don’t count on this one).
  9. The war between the GOP and the Tea Party will go nuclear.

And the #1 Reason A Democratic Victory Is Worth Fighting For…

  1. This will happen to Glenn Beck:

And an honorary mention: The country may actually have an opportunity to move forward and avoid the agenda of the GOP Dark Ageists for a couple more years.

GET OUT THE F’ING VOTE!

Shameless Right-Wing Hypocrisy On Media Funding

Posted by on October 22, 2010 at 2:52 pm. 23 Comments :

There has lately been an excess of rage expressed over a couple of charitable donations by George Soros. Both NPR and Media Matters were beneficiaries of Soros’ generosity. These are both media-related entities that play no direct role in politics.

But the same rightist critics of donations don’t seem to have any problem with Rupert Murdoch giving millions of dollars to overtly political enterprises: the Republican Governor’s Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. That money is used to buy ads against Democrats on Fox News, so the money Murdoch donated ends up right back in his pocket. And another big difference in these donations is that Soros was open and honest about announcing his largesse, while Murdoch gave in secret and even remarked that he had anticipated that his donations would remain secret.

A fair observer would have to wonder why the munificence of Soros is problematic but the fact that Right-wingers are just as generous to their ideological allies isn’t worthy of discussion. They will never mention, for instance, that uber-rightist Richard Mellon Scaife has given millions to the conservative Media Research Center (which runs several right-wing operations like NewsBusters). And while Soros remains outside of the organizations to which he contributes, Murdoch has moved inside as a board member of the Associated Press.

The hypocrisy demonstrated by the right is world-class. While the left is taking heat for being totally transparent, the right takes pride in enforcing silence about its clandestine activities. Since they have admitted that they aspire to fund their friends in secret, we have no way of knowing what other donations have been made by folks like Murdoch and his billionaire comrades. Murdoch confessed that he gave the RGA money due to his friendship with John Kasich, a candidate for governor in Ohio and a former employee of Fox News. Karl Rove is presently an employee of Fox News. Is he also receiving financing from Murdoch? We don’t know because they are not required to disclose it and they keep it obsessively private.

What we do know is that Fox News has a record of shilling for the right. Their daytime anchor Jon Scott (who, ironically, is also the host of their Fox News Watch) once read an RNC document on the air as if it were his own research. He even displayed a graphic on screen that contained the same typo that was in the original RNC memo.

We also know that Fox News relies heavily on the work of the Media Research Center and NewsBusters. We know this because their top news anchor at the time, Brit Hume, said so in public:

Hume: I want to say a word, however, of thanks to Brent and the team at the Media Research Center […] for the tremendous amount of material that the Media Research Center provided me for so many years when I was anchoring Special Report, I don’t know what we would’ve done without them. It was a daily buffet of material to work from, and we certainly made tremendous use of it.

The left has nothing to compare with the media domination of the right. Only the right has their own cable news network. They rule talk radio in part because of conservative broadcasters who deliberately shut out liberal programming. Independent studies show that even the supposedly liberal segments of the press actually lean more to the right in their editorial positions, their guests and sources, and their staffing.

So it seems curious that all of sudden we have right-wingers going bonkers over a couple of donations that will certainly help those organizations, but will have little impact on the broader media landscape. It just proves that the right is focused on maintaining their competitive advantage, that they know the value of “working the refs,” and that they have no shame when it comes to acting out their hypocrisy.

Top 10 Reasons George Soros Should Refuse To Debate Glenn Beck

Posted by on October 20, 2010 at 2:57 am. 5 Comments :

In a challenge dripping with sarcasm and scorn, Glenn Beck pretended to invite George Soros onto his show for a one-on-one debate. Of course, it was just another of the phony clown shows Beck puts on to the delight of his fans who think his act is real.

But just in case Soros had an afternoon free and, in a moment of weakness, thought it might be a hoot to jostle Beck’s diseased brain around for hour, I offer the following:

Top 10 Reasons George Soros Should Refuse To Debate Glenn Beck.

  1. Why would he waste an hour arguing with a third rate Muppet imitator?
  2. He’s already booked on The Lying Weasel Crybaby Hour.
  3. Sarah Palin and Byron Williams are hiding in the Green Room with chloroform and duct tape.
  4. He wants to see Beck debate Keith Olbermann first.
  5. Rupert and the other billionaires would make fun of him.
  6. The cast of Jersey Shore would be more challenging.
  7. He’s afraid of catching something before Obamacare kicks in.
  8. His facts are no match for Beck’s delusions.
  9. Being called a socialist 12 times a minute isn’t really a debate.

And the #1 Reason George Soros Should Refuse To Debate Glenn Beck…

  1. Glenn Beck will be there.

😉

Rupert Murdoch Dead Last In Charitable Giving

Posted by on October 20, 2008 at 10:30 am. 12 Comments :

Conde Naste’s Portfolio Magazine has compiled a list of billionaires ranked by their charitable donations. The Generosity Index itemizes fifty of the wealthiest individuals as donors, relative to their wealth.

Coming in fiftieth is the miserly media mogul, Rupert Murdoch. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that an uber-conservative, Republican monopolist, should finish last in expressions of charity. The Republican me-first ideology that values greedy self-centrism predictably drives people like Murdoch to the bottom of these lists.

At the other end of the spectrum, the top five most generous billionaires (Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Eli Broad, George Soros, and John Kluge) are all reliable supporters of Democrats and most have contributed to the campaign of Barack Obama.

This news bite is just a little more evidence that Republicans tend to be selfish, social Darwinians and Democrats tend to have more compassion and concern for the well being of others.

Progressive Media vs. Freedom’s Watch

Posted by on April 11, 2008 at 1:57 am. NO Comments :

The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy™ is revving up its media machine in response to news that Democrats intend to run a campaign for president against Republican John McCain. What gall! Unable to tolerate such impudence, Republicans, and their patrons in the press, are brewing a full-scale whine with a pungent aroma of fear and a nose for hypocrisy.

The object of their dread is the announcement of a new fund created in part to counter the media’s love affair with McCain. Progressive Media USA (PMUSA) was revealed in an article by Politico and described thusly:

“Wealthy Democrats are preparing a four-month, $40 million media campaign centered on attacks on Sen. John McCain. And it will be led by David Brock, the former investigative reporter who first gained fame in the 1990s as a right-wing, anti-Clinton journalist.”

As evidence of the trepidation with which the GOPress has received this news, here is a sampling of the headlines generated since the story broke this afternoon:

Politico: David Brock, Dems plan $40M hit on McCain
Fox News: Dems Plan $40 Million Anti-McCain Ad Blitz
USA Today: “$40M hit” to be aimed at McCain
UPI: Democrats planning for new McCain attacks
CBS News: Democrats Plan $40M Hit On McCain

Without exception, the headline writers all adopt a negative tone that focuses on the group’s alleged mission to attack McCain, despite the fact that the group’s organizers have laid out a much broader, issues-oriented agenda.

Bill O’Reilly joined the chorus by devoting a major chunk of his program to the story including his Talking Points Memo, an interview with Politico reporter Jim VandeHei, and an extended segment with Stepford Pundit Laura Ingraham. His long-time obsession with Brock and PMUSA backer George Soros explodes all over the screen. He repeatedly calls Brock, president of Media Matters, a “vile assassin” and, when VandeHei suggests that the right has similar groups, O’Reilly says that he’s not aware of any (more on this lie below). He pretends to ask VandeHei to provide more info, but then just continues his non-stop ranting without providing an opportunity to do so. In the course of his coverage O’Reilly describes the Soros/Media Matters connection as…

“…the most frightening thing I have ever seen in American politics.”

Really? More frightening than the election debacle of 2000? More frightening than Watergate? More frightening than the McCarthy Hearings? More frightening than the assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King? Does O’Reilly really believe that an organization that demands honesty from the media is evil, as he says on the Factor? Does he really fear a wealthy individual who has given hundreds of millions of dollars to promote democracy around the world? More likely he is afraid of being repeatedly shown to be a lying gasbag who is more aligned with theo-corporatism than traditional American liberty.

Earlier in the day, Election HQ on Fox News brought in Republican propagandist Frank Luntz (who is identified only as a pollster without affiliation) to offer his analysis. Luntz argued vociferously that any move by Democrats to attack McCain would fail. He looked straight into the camera to make an impassioned plea that they abandon such plans or suffer at the polls. It was heartwarming to see Luntz display such empathy for his Democratic rivals. Who knew that he was so concerned about the electoral welfare of the party he has fought against his entire career.

The most stunning assertion by Luntz in this interview was his response to a surprisingly reasonable question from Megyn Kelly. She asked Luntz whether the Democrats’ plan was an appropriate reaction to all the favorable press McCain receives. Luntz seemed astonished that Kelly would suggest such nonsense. He disputed her premise and went further to declare that it was Barack Obama who was the press darling. He actually said aloud that:

“The most negative story that they can use on Obama is that he can’t bowl. Give me a break.”

Apparently Luntz has been a coma for the past few months. If the idiocy of this comment were able to generate light, you would be able to see it from space. Anyone with a television has seen the attacks on Obama that range from accusations that he is a Muslim to casting doubt on his patriotism to belittling his experience. And always, always his association with Rev Wright, criticisms of whom could populate their very own cable network. In fact, the segment immediately following Luntz’s interview with Kelly was yet another story about Rev. Wright.

Amidst this conflagration of outrage over the Democrats’ desire to actually mount a campaign, the media is missing a minor development that just might have some relevance to the stories they are advancing. They might want to look into the fact that Republicans are also engaging in this thing called politics. Last year a group of Republican insiders corralled their biggest donors and created Freedom’s Watch (FW). The New York Times trumpeted their arrival:

“Founded this summer by a dozen wealthy conservatives, the nonprofit group is set apart from most advocacy groups by the immense wealth of its core group of benefactors, its intention to far outspend its rivals and its ambition to pursue a wide-ranging agenda.”

At its launch the group announced that they intend to raise $200 million – five times the goal proposed by PMUSA. FW was co-founded by former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who is now its spokes-liar. FW’s new chief is Carl Forti, a former communications director at the National Republican Congressional Committee, and known for his unscrupulous dishonesty. FW is well off and well connected. And unlike PMUSA, its management is directly tied to Party operatives. Even Bill O’Reilly, who said he was unaware of any such organizations, was, in fact, well aware of FW. He interviewed its founding president Bradley Blakeman just four months ago.

Now the media is aghast at the thought that Democrats are coming to the field prepared to play. But not one of them has reported that the Republicans started this conflict, seeded it with more money, and even now are using it to escalate the propaganda war. Email from the McCain campaign has already gone out pleading with supporters to dig deeper.

“We need to be able to answer whatever smear campaigns the liberal left throws at us. Please help as we combat this base demagoguery with a donation of $50, $100, $250 or even $1000 today.”

It will be interesting to see if any of our observers in the 4th estate ever bother to fairly present the facts in this matter, or even to put it into context. But given the way they’ve misrepresented it thus far, I wouldn’t hold out much hope.

Update: In response to Obama’s request that third party groups not produce anti-McCain ads, Progressive Media USA has become Progressive Accountability. The new group will conduct research and tracking of the McCain campaign, but will not produce ads.