WP: ABC Suspends Producer Over Bush-Bashing E-Mail

[DeepModem Mom]

ABC Suspends Producer Over Bush-Bashing E-Mail
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 1, 2006; Page C01

ABC News suspended the executive producer of the weekend edition of "Good Morning America" yesterday over a pair of leaked e-mails in which he used inflammatory language to slam President Bush and Madeleine Albright.

John Green, whose unpaid suspension will last one month, apologized to the White House in a call to communications director Nicolle Wallace, while two ABC executives called the former secretary of state to apologize.

"No one is sorrier than John for the embarrassment that these albeit private e-mails caused to his colleagues and to the people who were the subjects of those comments," said ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider. "John would be the first to say this has been a real lesson to him. John is abjectly sorry for all the comments that have come to light, and that's appropriate."

In one of the e-mails, written during the first presidential debate in 2004 and leaked to the Drudge Report, Green wrote to a colleague on his BlackBerry: "Are you watching this? Bush makes me sick. If he uses the 'mixed messages' line one more time, I'm going to puke."...

***

The second leaked e-mail surfaced Thursday on the New York Post's gossipy Page Six. In that note, Green wrote that Albright should not be booked on the show because "Albright has Jew shame."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033101725.html

[msongs]

1. hey, GMA has reviews on it all the time, why not review Bush tv appearance

as well?

many people will have the same opinion.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/impeachbush.htm

[aquart]

2. Betting the Albright one didn't bother them a bit.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. I think that's a good bet ! nt

[Roland99]

7. Has he phoned Albright to apologize or just licked Bush's boots?

[pretzel4gore]

3. whynot hari- kari you abject prick....

fukken abc mediawhore biting the prick that feeds it

[0007]

37. Ouch!!!! that's the best part of a man.

[MissWaverly]

why didn't they say they had no proof that e-mail was authenticate

how did a private e-mail get on the blogosphere anyway, I heard that it appeared in Drudge's website, who has a routine e-mail from 2 years ago anyway, if it was someone he obiviously trusted, they kept it from 2004 until now to use against the man, I bet this is more of the sneak and peak crap, they should have made them prove it was his e-mail, and then they should have said that this was an illegal surveillance. Enough of this I spy crap.

[Up2Late]

9. You made several good points! I would be very interested to know...

...WHO at ABC has so much faith in the BS that Drudge "reports" on his sham website, enough faith to suspend a producer over something like this.

Unless the Producer admitted these were his e-mails, they should have to produce some proof.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Sounds like Green authenticates the e-mails, or, at least, one--

"Green, who was not made available for comment yesterday, wrote his colleagues after that leak to say 'how much I regret the embarrassment that this story causes ABC. It was an inappropriate thing to say, and I'm deeply sorry.'"

[MissWaverly]

24. I understand but the question is how did they get his e-mails

Here's someone being suspended for a private conversation that he had, what about the right
to privacy guaranteed us by the constitution, he did not say this to an audience or in
an article but in a private e-mail, if the receiver did not trumpet the e-mail everywhere
then who did. They should have stuck to their guns and demanded verification. Knowing
the current situation, this is only the opening shot. As the election year heats up,
more and more private conversations will be revealed. As far as I can tell, television
has bent over backwards with favorable reporting of this corrupt administration which has little respect for either the American people or the laws of this country.

[DeepModem Mom]

28. You're right on all counts -- very good points. nt

[MissWaverly]

29. this is why I supported censure

My sister and I disagreed, she said what about the political fallout. I said D****n the
political fallout, full speed ahead. We cannot have a democracy where there is no
privacy. Isn't that the classic definition of a police state, where the security of the
state exceeds the needs of individuals.

[DeepModem Mom]

47. Indeed. nt

[Pavulon]

48. a mail administrator an tech on the pc

He admitted writing it. If it was forwarded its headers would have been valid. His secretary could have sent it because he made her get coffee.

This is simple. When you are employed by a company you are given no right to privacy on their network, computers, or faxes. Air tight.

[wookie294]

12. The NSA probably intercepted the email

I imagine the NSA's illegal spying program has been spying on reporters and famous liberals.

[LifeDuringWartime]

36. or maybe

the person he sent them to leaked them? :shrug:

[MissWaverly]

39. I seriously doubt that

if he leaked it, it would have been all over the blogosphere 2 years ago, no this was
held somewhere for just the right moment, to me it smacks of sneak and peak and unauthorized access. Now that the press is beginning to do objective reporting
this is their punishment; probably for ABC This Week showing Glacier National Park
last week. The Glaciers have melted from 100 down to two dozen; George Stephanopoulos was on a segment with Gov. Schweitzer (a Dem, gasp).

[Pavulon]

42. A bit of advice

Don't send an email from a corporate account you would not post on a bulletin board.

I'm sure a myriad of administrators have access to the email system. Any one of which could have forwarded it. Bottom line is when you use a companies system anything you download or create becomes their property.

The NSA could give a shit about the today show.

[Scribe]

57. The apologies verify the authenticity

of the two emails. What I don't understand is the exact reason for ABC's disciplinary action against Green. Is he suspended because of the messages' content or because they became public? If he had made his comments verbally in a production meeting, would he have been disciplined? Should he have been?

[NightOwwl]

68. Good point Scribe...

and welcome to DU! :hi:

[Vidar]

5. Disney & ABC are a disgrace.

[wookie294]

13. ABC wants more media deregulation

Big media supports the bogus war in hopes for a return on its investment from the Bush administration.

[MissWaverly]

25. they can get in line between Tony Blair

he's still waiting for a return on his investement in TeamBush and the coalition, which
ain't going to happen.

[bemildred]

6. Another reason to not watch TV. nt

[Blue_Tires]

8. I wonder who leaked them

and what I wouldn't give for the ability to crack into Fox News' e-mail server

[marylanddem]

11. Freedom of Speech

Why the hell should an American citizen be suspended for expressing his opinions? This is an atrocity. Green should
sue the fuckers for infringement of his constitutional right to free speech.

[wookie294]

14. The constitutional right does not apply to private corporations n/t

[MissWaverly]

30. the rights of corporations exceed those of individuals

Look at how the Pentagon was able to appeal on the release of the Abu Ghraib pictures,
they are a government agency and should have released the pictures under the freedom of
information act. Meanwhile the abuse went on and on, the right wing pundits said the
torture was no worse than a military bootcamp and our leaders denied torture was going on.

[Occulus]

40. Which is why we need to eliminate corporate pershood

The Constitution SHOULD follow us all, whever we go- even to work.

No, I do not believe in the "right to run your business however you want to". That's a falsde doctrine, an excuse to ignore any law you don't care for.

Corporations deserve no rights, of any kind. Period. They deserve only priveleges.

[MissWaverly]

44. I believe they do have certain rights

like to their e-mails, they are not public property. BUT, there's a difference between
having a legitimate right and using the courts to negate an obligation or to avoid
consequences for criminal acts.

[mondo joe]

15. It's a shame, yes, but you also need to re-read the first amendment.

Nothing in it guarantees your right to say what you like at work.

[AndyTiedye]

18. What Part of PRIVATE Don't You Understand?

[liberalpress]

21. Actually

e-mails sent through corporate servers are NOT private... they are the property of the corporation... that's why you'll see a "Views expressed" etc., disclaimer on many of them.

[tanyev]

22. Not private, but it would be very interesting to know how these got out.

[MissWaverly]

33. I understand but when we send an e-mail

are we consenting that it appear on Drudge to be trumpeted all over the blog, no, the
e-mails at my company are encrypted against unauthorized users. I am sure that ABC
news considers it's e-mails private, I am sure that many of its e-mails consist of
confidential information on news sources that they don't want trumpted everywhere.
If someone tried to crack the White House e-mails and publish them on the blog, they
would be carted off to jail in no short order.

[AndyTiedye]

50. The COMPANY Said it Was Private Email

I don't know about you, but I have both a private and a company email account.

Leaked to Drudge. I'm sure the company didn't do that.


The mail server would have been Blackberry.

[mondo joe]

23. I do understand private. What part of use-of-employer-equipment-so-

it's-not-private do YOU not understand?

[Kingshakabobo]

27. The level of ignorance regarding the "scope" of the first

amendment on this board is amazing, isn't it?

Sure you have the "right" to say and wear anything you want at work or on your employer's email system but your boss has the "right" to can your ass if you break his rules.

[MissWaverly]

32. there were no rules broken here

what was broken, was he using the computer for obscene use, goofing off on company time,
I do not believe ABC news reads each e-mail that their employees mail out. Now if he
has posted publicly on a blog or said it in an interview. It would be different. I understand what you are saying but he was expressing his opinion in a private e-mail,
there is no way that he broke the law in this country. We are penalizing someone when
there was no offense.

[Llewlladdwr]

79. One of the most important rules at a Fortune 500 company....

is that you don't do ANYTHING to embarrass the company. A person in a position such as Mr. Green's knows that quite well and also knows the consequences for doing so.

Frankly, he's lucky to keep his employment at all...

[MissWaverly]

34. I understand but your company has the right to privacy

No one has the right to hack into your system and take its e-mails and use them as a
weapon against your company. Your company has passwrod and all kinds of firewalls to
prevent this from happening. Because this was an anti-bush remark that was published it's
okay, what if it was a confidential e-mail about a patient, say a celebrity would it then
be okay. No, it's not.

[Kingshakabobo]

35. How did it get out?

Was it hacked or was it forwarded? I honestly don't know.

I agree that companies don't read all emails (thank god) but that doesn't mean they forfeit their rights to enforce THEIR rules when they become embarrassed by their employees (mis)use.

[MissWaverly]

38. Yes, I agree but this wasn't a question of misuse

He would only have e-mailed his opinion to a trusted colleague, so how did it get out?
Remember Fitzgerald's case with Judy Miller refusing to reveal her sources, if the
government has authority in cases of national security, why didn't it apply there,
since the outing of Plame compromised our security all over the globe and resulted
in deaths from the outing of her front.

[Occulus]

41. As I stated above, though, they don't deserve those rights

Corporations are not human, and do not deserve human rights or even human respect. They are legal constructs, first to last.

Companies may do all of those things to protect their privelege of privacy, but the public- including employees- should be able to violate that, at will, without repercussions.

End corporate personhood, and you'll end corporate rights. I'm all for that.

[Pavulon]

46. That will end

western civilization. If a company can not protect its ideas it can not remain profitable.

A corporation hosts this site, this site is an llc so its owners cant lose their homes over some comment they make or debt incurred.

Bottom line is don't write anything in an email that is inappropriate to say in public. It is not a secure medium. It can be forwarded to others.

As a news provider it is not a smart thing to do.

[MissWaverly]

49. America conducts its business over the internet

ideas and policy are discussed, decisions are made, the government does not have the right
to that information. I don't buy the fact that this was a company employee that leaked this
at all. It embarassed ABC news and I have worked in companies for over 25 years and one thing I know. PR, how the company looks is always paramount in it's view. Why would ABC
news or anyone who was senior staff rush to publicize something to embarass the company
and bolster the ratings of a competitor. It doesn't gibe. I believe this is one of
first fruits of the 2006 election year. The we can't run on our record so we will
s****t on everyone else so you think there is no difference defense.

[MissWaverly]

51. the comment was made that this was a private e-mail

what if it was not a disgruntled employee who leaked the information, what if the
information came from an FBI agent, or an NSA agent. What is your opninion then?

[Pavulon]

70. That is a felony

disclosing classified information through email or any medium is very different.

You have no right to privacy on a private network. Period.

It is a civil matter in a corporation unless it involves a crime.

[MissWaverly]

74. I work in a hospital

I access a database as an authorized user, it contains confidential information, if I
step away from my computer and someone has access to that information it is a
$5,000 fine for me period, the information is not considered open season to every techie that services that machine or LAN. If someone hacks into patient information it breaks
a federal law, the same way if information on a patient appears in the press, same thing.
The patient information is classified, period.

[Pavulon]

76. HIPAA

is not the same as classified. When some hospital accidentally posts patient records they are civilly liable, where if I post marked classified information I have committed a crime just by posting it(and possessing it).

You can be sued for releasing patient info. I do not know about criminal sanctions for hipaa violators.

The act of hacking is illegal. The act of industrial espionage is illegal.

It is not illegal to forward an email where some person said something stupid in corporate america.

It may get you fired, but not prosecuted.

Bottom line your email to anyone in your company expressing an opinion is not free speech. You can be fired if it violates policy. It is basically not your system. The system owner dictates its use.

[mbperrin]

56. Just a small note, here. Companies do not have ideas.

People have ideas which companies then appropriate, either seizure under cover of "gee, you had that idea while sitting in our chair" or "here's $50 for an idea that will make us billions."

Adam Smith did not believe in patents, for example. They unduly restrict production.

Just a historical note. Thanks.

[Pavulon]

71. No

Companies pay people for their time. That time has value. When employed you sign a contract that makes you an agent.

This subject gets complex but if you work at xerox in a lab as an engineer on a project. The project is company property. If you are an r&d person on that project you are being compensated to create ideas.

However if you are a secretary for xerox and come up with a better copier part you can patent it.

[MissWaverly]

31. he didn't say anything, it was a written note to 1 other person

[HuffleClaw]

16. damn straight.

more silencing of dissent in all its forms. people have come to EXPECT this sort of thing.

[Pavulon]

43. He used private property

If you use private property you are not granted this protection. Most companies have rules that state just that.

This is not your pc, we can read your email, your internet posts, and all the work you do on a private system is property of the system owner. Period.

He is lucky he has a job.

[pretzel4gore]

77. the american people should sue green for giving up their civil rights

to think these pigs (oink) determine what the cud chewers get to see (moo)

[cantstandbush]

17. This happened three years ago. Drudge should be blackballed

by all his collegues for this deed.

[keopeli]

19. ABC apologizes to Bush 2.5 years later - Green is scapegoat

This is a PR move royale.

I'm guessing here:

The WH has been holding this over ABCs head for a while. ABC originally refused to comment, not because it was Drudge, but because it was politics during an election season. Had they commented at the time, they would have just looked more partisan and could be acused of influencing the election. Silence was the chosen response - and now they're trying to make up for it.
What better way to apologize than to use a conservative gossip column to slam a verifiable liberal icon.

And Green gets a month vacation, albeit without pay. At his salary, that would be well worth the money.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033101725.html

[symbolman]

20. Yeah, C'mon..

Bush was wiping his ass with this email three years ago after Rove brought it into the bathroom on a silver platter.. he had to, he'd run out of Constitution and was halfway through the Bill of Rights..

Rove was later spotted licking his lips, having gotten rid of the evidence. :)

[goforit]

26. ABC is ANTI-AMERICA and ANTI freedom of speech!!!

[VegasWolf]

45. I NEVER watch ABC news!!! Too bland, too conformist!!! nt

[mod mom]

52. Remember when * called the NYT reporter Adam ? an "a-hole"?

shouldn't he be suspended or perhaps forced to resign? Double standards.

[KamaAina]

53. A "major-league a-hole", no less

Wait a minute. Didn't Bush** use to own the Texas Rangers? Wouldn't that make him the "major league a-hole"?

[MissWaverly]

54. They are still paying us back for Watergate

It was not Woodward and Bernstein's idea to tape conversations in the Oval Office, they
are still blaming the liberals for Nixon's downfall. I can just hear their reasoning,
what if all their private conversations were revealed. They would look like jerks
too. Well, Nixon said: "I gave them a sword." He admitted responsibility for Watergate.

[WhiteTara]

55. check your civil liberties at the door

of ABC.

[MissWaverly]

58. the genius of these evil genies

is that they never get blamed, to this day we do not know who was responsible for the vile
whisper campaign that swirled around Paul Hackett, prominent Dems were blamed, but was it
them? The end result was that his campaign was derailed. I highly doubt that this
e-mail linked to Drudge was the actions of any ABC news staff person. We are blaming
the victim. Look at the vile stuff being said about Jill Carroll. The Christian
Sciene Monitor is known for its ethical behavior and attention to the facts, she is
being smeared in the worst possible way. Who is to blame??? The same way for Cindy
McKinney, first she is protected as a member of congress and she states that she
was touched inappropriately now she is being smeared in the worst possible way. Again,
who is to blame. Now we are in election year. Bush is tanking in the polls and now
we have the smear campaign revved up into overdrive. Coincidence or Not?

[WhiteTara]

60. Dirty Tricks Committee is back in action

the ghost of Lee Atwater has risen and found a walk in home in a Greedy ole Pig. I think the only thing capital punishment should be used for is GREED. Greed and Power OVER have no place in a cooperative society. Our new paradigm must be a cooperative society or we will all die. Our planet is crumbling around us. We may pretend that all is well, but the fact that whales are STARVING to death and beaching on the shores of Florida should make us all stop still and make changes today. If we make some mistakes and execute some that are only becoming greedy instead of making the full evil turn, so be it. All other crimes would disappear with the lack of greed and the spirit of cooperation. JMHO of course.

[MissWaverly]

62. I want to see Karl Rove indicted

I am tired of the hate, the lies and the propaganda, where has it gotten them? Are they
liked, no, are they losing support yes, it doesn't matter how much crap they spread around,
there are real issues that need dealt with and if they spin crap and don't deal, thousands
will die. It has not rained in Kenya in 3 years, famine has hit the country hard, what would we do if it didn't rain here for 3 years. I know that here in Maryland, the farmers do not water their crops, they rely on rainfall.

[WhiteTara]

63. I agree. Please hurry Fitz

the planet needs your heroism NOW.

All the problems that are facing us need cooperation. We should be making sure our infrastructure is intact and that our water storage systems can be maximized, our energy coming from cleaner sources that are harmonious with the planet. We are not the master of this dominion as the xtian bible says, but more as Chief Seattle said, threads in the strands of the web of life. Together we either create a rich tapestry or a thread bare cloth. We choose.

[MissWaverly]

65. exactly

we have to be a responsible member of the world community in order to be treated as one.
Might does not make right and most of those who chase power to the detriment of others
find themselves chased by those who seek Justice.

[WhiteTara]

67. ever since Alexander sliced through the

Gordian Knot, Might Makes Right has been the creed. It's time to pick up the tangled threads of our civilization and create a new tapestry.

[MissWaverly]

73. I have been thinking about this

television has provided us with a wonderful media but it over simplifies things, there are
never any consequences really to what you see, violence is often shown as the only answer,
it is not the only answer and is not likely to be the final answer, that's why wars went
on for a hundred years in the old days.

[SOS]

59. Italy 1930

"He used a company typewriter to write a letter to a friend wherein he stated he does not like Il Duce. Therefore he was fired".
This is what we are becoming.

[Never Forget]

61. A sad fact...

I do know that you give up your rights in the workplace. Anything and everything you do belongs to your employer. Telephone calls, messages, e:mails, etc. I worked in HR for many years.

[fshrink]

64. "Abjectly sorry" is very fitting.

Abjection has been defining this country for six years.

[MissWaverly]

66. you are so right

like Cindy Sheehan being slammed as a nutjob for criticizing an illegal war that cost her
son his life.

[NightOwwl]

69. Forget private vs public. The fact that ABC punished this guy...

for speaking critically of Bush smacks of fascism.

This whole episode sickens me.

[pinniped]

72. Why fucking apologize?

* makes me sick, too.

[MissWaverly]

75. they apologized for the same reason Harry Whittington did

[wildwww2]

78. Freedom of speech only exits to criticize a real President like Clinton.

You just can`t do it with a court appointed,constitution usurping murderer like Bu$h. It is called fascism. And Americans have unfortunately for all of us, accepted it. The way Howard Kurtz kisses this administrations ass is proof of fascist propaganda at work.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President