Devil in the Eye of the Beholder ..(Former Donahue Producer lets loose)

[KoKo]

Devil in the Eye of the Beholder by Jeff Cohen

Editor's Note: The U.S. pundit class, which cheered when George W. Bush used his 2002 United Nations speech to effectively announce an unprovoked invasion of Iraq, has reacted in horror and fury over Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez giving a speech to the U.N. that referred to Bush as "El Diablo."

Among those exercised (and exorcized) about Chavez's name-calling were some of the loudest name-callers in American media today -- including Rush Limbaugh and other rightwing talk hosts. Limbaugh tried to equate Chavez's remarks with the alleged Bush-bashing that comes from top U.S. Democrats. In case you've forgotten, it was Limbaugh who ridiculed Chelsea Clinton, then 13, as the "White House dog."

It was Limbaugh in 2001 who routinely referred to Democratic leader Tom Daschle, literally, as "El Diablo." Along with "Devil in a Blue Dress" theme music, Limbaugh would carry on at length about how Daschle may well be Satan in soft-spoken disguise.

Bellowed Limbaugh in July 2001: "Just yesterday, as Bush winged his way to Europe on a crucial mission to lead our allies into the 21st century...up pops 'El Diablo,' Tom Daschle, and his devilish deviltry, claiming that George Bush is incompetent." (Months later, Limbaugh started describing Daschle more as a traitor than a devil, who'd decided to "align himself with Iran, North Korea and Hussein.")

Also incensed by Chavez was MSNBC host and former GOP Congressman, Joe Scarborough -- who last night played a lengthy excerpt of Limbaugh pontificating about the Chavez remarks. Somehow Scarborough couldn't dig up the tapes of Limbaugh declaring that Daschle was the devil.

In my new book Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media, I dissect the hypocrisy of a TV news business that has long catered to hateful rightists like Pat Buchanan, Jerry Falwell and Ann Coulter. In TV land, vicious epithet-hurlers get to define and denounce outnumbered or silenced progressives as the name-callers.

more at...............
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/092306a.html

[grasswire]

1. I love Jeff Cohen.

I used to watch FOX's Newswatch program just to see him go off on that stupid Cal Thomas.

[Cha]

2. KNR! What's good for the goose is

good for the fucking gander. limpbaughs with his screeching .."Tom Daschle is El Diablo!"!

And now going into Grand Hypocricy mode about Chavez calling bush who is not so mild mannered, "el diablo".

Fuck you limpbaugh and the limp dick you rode in on.

And, yeah, way to go pelosi calling Chavez a thug for calling bush a names :crazy:!

[malaise]

3. The response from the RW goons

will backfire shortly as rational people dig up the tapes.

Edit -headline

[UTUSN]

4. K&R n/t

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. We are supposed to respect the office of President only when

a Republican is in office. When a Democrat is President however, like Clinton, it's open season for personal disrepectful commentary by these media pinheads.

[blm]

6. Welcome to the new media world - protecting BushInc 24/7 -

you know how much a mortgage paymenmt is on those McMansions, dontcha?

[countryjake]

7. I've never heard of him but thanks for a good article!

[farmboxer]

8. Ask Joe Scarborough What Happened To Lori Klausutis

Where did they find her? This around the same time as the Condin scandal, yet the MSM refused to report anything about it!

Anyone who supports "We The People" is evil to Bush & Pals!

[rman]

9. Donahue and Cohen are with IWTNEWS

http://www.iwtnews.com/

statement by Phil Donahue (video)
"I think the idea of creating a television news source that is not beholden to corporate interests is Nirvana."
http://www.iwtnews.com/videoplayer/phil_donahue

statement by Jeff Cohen (video)
"If you're a journalist who's paycheck comes from GE or from R Murdoch, as my paycheck did, you learn that there are stories that won't be helpfull to your career. Certain stories about the environment, certain stories about war profiteering, certain stories about media conglomeratrion, will not help your career. So you learn as a journalist to self-sensor."
http://www.iwtnews.com/videoplayer/jeff_cohen


some names from the team:

Laura Flanders
Janeane Garofalo
Amy Goodman
Naomi Klein
Greg Palast
Gore Vidal
Howard Zinn

some of their friends:
Democracy Now!
FAIR
Greenpeace
Link TV
Mother Jones
The Nation

[UTUSN]

10. This dude needs to toss the bushel and shine his light out there n/t