Conason: ‘Liberal’ Media Silent About Guckert Saga

[CatWoman]

Proof that "the liberal media" is but a figment of right-wing mythology has now arrived in the person of one James Guckert, formerly known as Jeff Gannon. Were the American media truly liberal—or merely unafraid to be called liberal—the saga of Mr. Guckert’s short, strange, quasi-journalistic career would be resounding across the airwaves.

Imagine the media explosion if a male escort had been discovered operating as a correspondent in the Clinton White House. Imagine that he was paid by an outfit owned by Arkansas Democrats and had been trained in journalism by James Carville. Imagine that this gentleman had been cultivated and called upon by Mike McCurry or Joe Lockhart—or by President Clinton himself. Imagine that this "journalist" had smeared a Republican Presidential candidate and had previously claimed access to classified documents in a national-security scandal.

Then imagine the constant screaming on radio, on television, on Capitol Hill, in the Washington press corps—and listen to the placid mumbling of the "liberal" media now.


http://www.observer.com/pages/conason.asp

[NewJeffCT]

1. Damn that librul media

They are just the bain of our society.

[juajen]

25. Uh, shouldn't that be "bane"?

Ok, the spelling police tip-toeing . . . . . . . bye, now.

[NewJeffCT]

28. thanks

I used to be a terrific speller...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

41. Maybe not...

[Bethany Rockafella]

2. This story proves that it's been a conservative media all along.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. kick

[fooj]

4. Excellent article!

[flpoljunkie]

5. Thanks for posting this. Conason speaks truth to power, unlike M$M.

He really spells out the cowardice and hypocrisy of the M$M.

[EVDebs]

6. Wealthy family dynasties owned most papers up till at least a few

yrs ago according to 'Media Monopoly' by Ben Bagdikian of UC Berkeley. The tax advantages of that ownership coupled with huge sell off and tax savings with recent law changes in the Reagan era made whatever liberal staff bias evaporate compared to the editorial power to suppress a story.

It has been a conservative media from Day One.

Also, investigate Operation Mockingbird (if they will even talk about it).

[CatWoman]

7. I post this Bartcop rant from time to time. I just love it.

zzz The myth of the "liberal" media zzz

Let's do a "what if" so I can make a point. I think it's a good one.
I think it's so good, I'd like to hear from anyone who disagrees.

What if a show like Dateline did a "hatchet job" on Smirk?
It wouldn't have to really be a hatchet job, but any honest appraisal of that idiot's
qualifications would prove he's a non-thinking rich man's boy - and that's all.
But what would happen if Dateline did an unflattering portrait of Smirk?

I'll tell you what would happen:

The vulgar Pigboy would spend at least three hours saying it wasn't true
and he'd offer hours of rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Bill O'Reilly would spend at least an hour on his show saying
it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Sean Hannity would walk all over Alan Colmes for an hour that night,
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Eva Von Zahn would spend at least an hour that night saying it wasn't true
and she'd offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

The Beltway Boys would spend at least an hour that night saying it
wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Brit Hume and Tony Snow would spend at least an hour on Sunday
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Juan Williams and Mara Liason would spend their entire allotted time
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

John McLaughlin would spend at least an hour on his syndicated show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Chris the Screamer would spend at least an hour on his show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

G. Gordon Liddy would spend at least three hours on his radio show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Laura the Whore would spend at least an hour on her radio show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Michael Medved would spend at least an hour on his radio show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Sam and Cokie would spend at least an hour on This Whore
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

George (Judas Maximus) Steffi and George (dumb as a chimp) Will
would spend their entire allotted time swearing that it wasn't true.

Bob Scheiffer would spend at least an hour on Face the Whore
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Tim the Catholic would spend at least an hour on Meet the Whore
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

John Hockenberry would spend at least an hour on his show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Ollie North would spend at least an hour on his radio show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Robert Novak would spend at least an hour on his cable TV show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Paul Weyrich would spend at least an hour on his cable TV show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Still with me? We're close to the end...

BSNBC's Brian Williams would spend at least an hour on his show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Wolf the Whore would spend at least an hour on his show saying
it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.

Bill Schneider and Candy Crowley would do an hour special on CCN
(Clinton Cock Network) saying it wasn't true, and offering rebuttal.

John Stossel would have a special on ABC: Is lying OK for liberals?

Then Howie Kurtz would spend 30 minutes on Reliable Sources asking
if the media wasn't being too hard on a developmently-disabled child.

Barbara Olson would write a book condemning Dateline.
Ann Coulter would write a book condemning Dateline.
Laura Ingraham would write a book condemning Dateline.
Peggy Noonan would write a book condemning Dateline.
Andrew Sullivan would write a book condemning Dateline.
William Safire would write a book condemning Dateline.

OK, we're going to call the above "Exhibit A."

Now, everyone on that list has done at least a dozen hit pieces on Clinton.

My question is, Where is "Exhibit B?"

When those 38 people attack Clinton and his cock, who does the rebuttal?

Even you ditto-sheep have to admit that nobody on that list
has EVER defended a fabricated lie against the president.

There is no "Exhibit B," because there are no liberal shows on television.
The closest you can get is Eleanor on McLaughlin, or Carlson/Hunt on Capitol Gang,
but there are no liberal shows on television, even though there are DOZENS
of right-wing, Smirk-apologist shows whose livelyhood is lying about liberals.

I don't think you ditto-heads can offer an answer

http://www.bartcop.com/0355.htm

[Rob H.]

8. MSM Maxim #1: IOKIYAR, or

It's OK, if you're a Republican.

Another excellent article by Mr. Conason. :thumbsup: (And if you haven't read his book Big Lies, shame on you! :P)

[CatWoman]

9. I bought that book immediately upon it's release

:D

[Rob H.]

13. It's excellent, isn't it?

By the way, I've seen many of your postings before, and I know this is off-topic, but your kitties are beautiful. (My parents have a blue and cream tortie named Polly and she's the best cat ever.)

Just kudos from one cat lover to another, y'might say. :hi:

[Skittles]

18. do not be fooled by those cats, Rob

they are FELON FELINES and those pictures are MUG SHOTS; I KID YOU NOT. :o

[CatWoman]

21. LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!

SKITTLES!!!!!!!!

:D

:hi:

[Skittles]

24. you think I don't know Streak fell off the wagon?

and is once again hawking Kiitty Quaaludes to my innocent Clancy? :o

:hi:

[CatWoman]

26. Streak is such a hand full!!!!

I gave them catnip the other day, and she was bouncing off the walls like crazy.

The only time she will let me pick her up is late at night, when I'm trying to sleep.

She is the weirdest cat I've every known!!!

[NewJeffCT]

29. agreed on that 100%

Lately, I've been trying to spread that around... if you are a Republican, anything that happens before today can be written off as a youthful indscretion.

[elperromagico]

10. As far as I can tell, only Olbermann has talked about it.

But Countdown isn't exactly reaching millions of viewers, is it?

[Cats Against Frist]

11. You know what the difference was?

If this was a Republican scandal, the actual GOP SENATORS and particularly the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES would be screaming it from the rooftops. They would have already hired a Villiage People cover group to have paraded into the next press conference.

OUR Senators and Reps, on the other hand are "distancing" themselves - sending out only Conyers and the usual suspects to pacify us.

THAT is the big difference. I'm not going to say that the corporate media's not as corrupt as fuck -- because they are -- but the GOP OFFICIALS would have seen to it that the stink was raised, and put a larger impression on the news community that this was a story to follow.

Gut. Less. Fuckers.

[elperromagico]

12. Republicans are always more willing to get down in the mud. n/t

[Eloriel]

15. This doesn't even require that

There's NO "getting in the mud" required here. All they have to do is POINT OUT THAT THERE IS MUD, and lots of it. And then they can dust off their still perfectly clean hands and turn their backs on the whole sordid thing. They don't even have the guts for that. It is beyond disgusting.

Frankly, this is a huge security breach, IMO. And they should be shouting that from the rooftops. But noooooooooooo. Quislings and cowards.

[elperromagico]

16. I can't explain it to you. The politeness routine has gotten us nowhere.

[Skittles]

19. not hard for them to do because THEY LIVE THERE

nt

[in_cog_ni_to]

14. Yeah. Just imagine.

If only our Dems weren't balless.

[Skittles]

20. actually, most of our Dems HAVE BALLS

what they lack is COURAGE

[cally]

27. Sen. Boxer...ballless and COURAGEOUS!!!!...nt

[GoSolar]

17. Amazing since it contains all the

elements that the MSM loves.

[rniel]

22. Next time you guys see a camera anywhere

Shout out "Guckert" "Guckert" over and over. Maybe people will have to look into it and it will keep it out there in the news.

[DemocracyInaction]

23. Did it ever occur to anyone..

..that a lot of the stuff we go nutso over because our "balless" Congressmen/women won't speak up about is due to the fact that they are up to their dirty eyeballs in it??? Whores and Congress have gone together for ages - and it can keep on going just like all the dirty money being passed under the tables - because there are so many of them in on it. So if Jesus was elected to Congress and decided to get up and point a finger at something immoral going on within the opposition party, he would find half of his party getting out wood and nails and taking him out back before he could open his mouth!!!!

[gordianot]

30. Yep

I know a former State Rep who was on the job for one week was approached. His colleagues, of the same party, (Not Democrats) sent a honey to his Hotel Room. Being the stand up guy he is he turned her down. Next day all the boys knew about it, said he passed the test.

He did not last very long in Politics. I have heard it said the further you go the more you have to hide. I really suspect he failed the test.

[Vinnie From Indy]

31. The Indianapolis Star has had ZERO mention of any aspect of this story

They are a Gannett newspaper.

[Rob H.]

32. Well, them being a Gannett paper explains it

I used to work for a Gannett paper in Idaho and they were the biggest buncha whores during sElection 2000 it was almost unbelieveable. (I know, it's a red state, so what can a person expect?)

Anything Gore said--even things that later turned out to be true? Blatant lies from Gore and his campaign.

Anything Bush said, up to an including his non-response to allegations of previous cocaine abuse and the fact that he was convicted of drunk driving? "Youthful indescretions." (Never mind that he was the tender age of 40, I believe, when he was arrested.) Oh, and the drunken driving revelations were buried toward the back of Section A, too. No sense putting them somewhere prominent where people might actually read about 'em. :eyes:

And the Friday after September 11 they had Shrub's stupid monkey face on the front page of the paper above the fold. Show the devastation at the Pentagon or the people mourning in New York? Pfft. Sympathy's for losers--let's show the Chimpleton's face instead! :mad:


Edit: shpelling

[Vinnie From Indy]

34. They have quite the propaganda mill at Gannett

They are as predatory as Wal-Mart. They roll into a city and immediately try to buy (for pennies) the local alternative rag or try to kill it. After wholesale firings of lifetime employees to save money they completely farm out the national reporting to Gannett or the wire services. They just pick and choose what national news and commentary appears to shape perception. Their shameless pandering and whoring for BushCo has reached an all time high. It is truly bizarre to read The Star. A Potemkin village if ever there was one! The rubes in the stix just eat the shit up and ask for more. The greatest irony is that in Indiana most all of the blue collar Repubs have been kicked in the balls by ShrubCo.'s policies. My paper is run by shameless, soulless, lying, pieces of crap!

[car54whereareyou]

35. Great Post!

Kick.

[Ionesco]

36. Rob, I'm so sorry

That you had the misfortune of working for these whacks in Idaho. I worked for their nefarious regime in Washington state for awhile. All I can say is that a few months inside a Gannett paper and a copy of Richard McCord's "The Chain Gang" would cure even a freeper of believing in the "Librul Meedyuh"

[Rob H.]

42. Ah, a fellow former Gannettoid!

I worked for them for about 4 years, and 3 years and 11 months of that was spent trying to get a job somewhere else! :P

I hadn't heard of The Chain Gang, but after doing a little reading about it online I'm definitely going to pick up a copy (as if I'll need any convincing that Gannett is evil and unethical). Thanks tons for mentioning it--I really appreciate it. And welcome to DU! :hi:


Edit:

Believe it or not, I actually had someone ask me, "So, is it true that once you've worked for them (the paper) no one else in town will hire you?" I just said, "I certainly hope not!" This was when I was working a part-time freelance position at a local ad agency that I had hoped would evolve into a full-time job, too. D'oh! (They got theirs, though. They were bought by a larger company, and a bunch of them left after new management came on board. Ha! In your face, ad agency!)

And even though I said, "I certainly hope not!" it took a long time to get away from that place.

[Ionesco]

43. The Chain Gang

Hey,

Thanks for the welcome! McCord's book is a MUST read for anyone concerned about the concentration of media ownership in this country. In fact, many of the things that Vinny touched on in his posting are dealt with in great detail in The Chain Gang. And yeah, like you, I didn't need the book to convince me that they were smarmy, vile, contemptuous creatures. But it sure was nice to see it in print for the general public to peruse.

And wouldn't you know it? When that book first came out, the HR director at the Gannett paper where I worked told everyone that they would be fired if they brought a copy of The Chain Gang inside the plant--so much for First Amendment rights and all that. Funny thing was, the book made quite a few rounds inside of a plain brown rapper:-P

PS: Glad to hear that your sentence at Gannett State Prison was commuted!

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Catherine Vincent]

37. Kick!

For the Joe Conason article.

[Dr Fate]

38. Who is stopping Hillary, Kerry, Dean & Obama from talking about it on TV?

Of course the media is not going to report on how corrupt it is!!

But who is stopping top DEMS from raising cane about it?

[UL_Approved]

39. It gets stated and stated, proven each time, but people don't listen

As sad as it is for me to say, the RW has us beat on one aspect of politics: the sermon.

Yes, it is wrong to manipulate people with a strong voice and shaking fist, but this is what our nation responds to. Our pundits need to have some "strength" in their speech. The RW was so successful at getting anti-Clinton sentiment because they used the rhetorical can opener on the dinky little yes men nationalists of this nation, poured in caustic lies and hatred, and have kept the glass overflowing with the raw sewage of ultra-radical revisionism.

We need a can opener, a pressure washer, and a five gallon bucket of the truth. And we need to get on with it before the USA is just a memory...

[HaloKitty]

40. Priorities

Just as a comparison, rather than the ongoing saga of a deceptive, manipulative prostitute being given priority in the Washington Press Corps, these are some of the main-page stories on the mainstream news sites-

On ABC News.com

A Left-Handed Question
Studies have shown that a number of diseases and conditions are associated with being left-handed. So why has evolution given lefties a break?
Photos: Famous Left-Handed Athletes

CNN.com

• First lady shakes up White House staff | Video
• Jackson leaves hospital, after doctor said he'd stay
• George Michael says he's quitting pop music

CBS News.com

• Vatican U. Offers Exorcism 101
• Jackson Back At Neverland
• Caught On Tape: Car Chase Crash

MSN-NBC.com

• Starbucks to launch alcoholic coffee drink
• Microsoft to recall 14 million Xbox power cords
• Train shown smashing truck at crossing | Video

Hard-hitting reporting at your fingertips. Or something...