WHIG

[dennis4868]

Many post here at DU have talked about the Officre of Special Plans (OSP) and we all know what they were up to. However, after reading the book by James Moore called, "Bush's War...." I have learned about another propoganda office in the WH called the White House Iraq Group (WHIG). The WHIG was the retarded cousin of OSP. The WHIG was in the WH. One member of the WHIG was none other than Mary Matalin. The WHIG's job was to be the PR branch of OSP and for the war in Iraq and to make sure all dissenting voices in the government were kept quiet. They made alot of shit up and forced scientist to keep quiet about Bush's lies.

Maybe I am just a little ignorant about all of this but did nayone hear about the WHIG and read much about this secret office in the WH?

[proud patriot]

1. I believe this group was created

after the invasion began to scrap the OSP under
a different name .

I could be mistaken though .

[dennis4868]

2. Nope....

according to James Moore the WHIG was a totally separate enterprise from the OSP and it was definitely created before the war...The WHIG was in the WH and the OSP was in the Defense Department.

James Moore wrote a great book...I just never heard of the WHIG before I read it and I thought I knew most of the WMD in Iraq story....guess not.

[jean]

3. Remember Card's comment about not introducing new products in August ?

I think this would be the most memorable thing for most people, hearing Andrew Card allude to not launching a new product (the war) in August. Apparently he was referring to WHIG's mission.

WHIG is mentioned by Josh Marshall here:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/002642.html

He links to this WP article (long):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A39500-2003Aug9?language=printer

IRAQ'S NUCLEAR FILE : Inside the Prewar Debate
Depiction of Threat Outgrew Supporting Evidence

(scroll way down to this section)

'Educating the Public'

Systematic coordination began in August, when Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. formed the White House Iraq Group, or WHIG, to set strategy for each stage of the confrontation with Baghdad. A senior official who participated in its work called it "an internal working group, like many formed for priority issues, to make sure each part of the White House was fulfilling its responsibilities."

In an interview with the New York Times published Sept. 6, Card did not mention the WHIG but hinted at its mission. "From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August," he said.

The group met weekly in the Situation Room. Among the regular participants were Karl Rove, the president's senior political adviser; communications strategists Karen Hughes, Mary Matalin and James R. Wilkinson; legislative liaison Nicholas E. Calio; and policy advisers led by Rice and her deputy, Stephen J. Hadley, along with I. Lewis Libby, Cheney's chief of staff.

[dennis4868]

5. Thanks Jean

Yep, that was mentioned by Moore in his book...Mary Matalin, Carville's wife, was a big-time player in this top secret office....she put alot of pressure on government scientist in the department of energy and state to shut up with their dissenting opinions. This government is really sick...I only wish the mainstreem media would under cover what happened and hold Bush accountable for this. The polls between Bush and Kerry would not be close if this was the case. I cannot stand the "liberal" media.

[jean]

6. Josh Marshall says that Matalin (and Hughes) left WHIG

before the - well this is what Josh said:

"That's an interesting list of names. And, two of them, Hughes and Matalin, had already left the White House by last summer, when all the activities under investigation took place."

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/002642.html

I wonder if the investigative body can look at all the stuff Matalin and Hughes did pre-departure, or if that exceeds the parameters of their (the investigators') assigment.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

4. Is this the one that is twinned

with one over here that Alistair Campbell used to chair? If so, I think it was set up post 9-11 to co-ordinate (*cough*) propaganda between the allies. As you say, the OSP (& the UK's Operation Rockingham) cherry-picked intelligence & spat it out to the communications peeps.

---on edit & a google later -- I'm thinking of the "Office of Global Communications"

"At dawn, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer will brief the television networks and the wire services in a conference call before the morning news programs. A conference call will follow among Fleischer, Bush communications director Dan Bartlett and White House Office of Global Communications Director Tucker Eskew, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher, Defense Department spokeswoman Victoria Clarke and British Prime Minister Tony Blair's senior spokesman, Alastair Campbell. During the call, they will set out thematic story lines for the day and deal with pending problems."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A49399-2003Mar18?language=printer

(Newsweek article archived on another site)

""We’re getting the band together," White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett told the group on their first conference call last week.

Deputy Communications Director Jim Wilkinson, 32, a fast-talking Texan The "Band" is made up of the people who brought you the war in Afghanistan—or at least the accompanying public-relations campaign. Their greatest hit: exposing the Taliban’s treatment of women.

Now, they’re back for a reunion tour on Iraq. The Band's instrument, of course, is information.

They aim to use it against Saddam Hussein, respond to his disinformation and control the message within the administration so no one—not even Vice President Dick Cheney—freelances on Iraq.

http://www.theexperiment.org/articles_printer.php?news_id=1886