CBS fires Gen. Batiste over VoteVets ad.

[AJ9000]

Source: Think Progress

Iraq veteran Gen. John Batiste “has been asked to leave his position as a consultant to CBS News” over a new VoteVets ad criticizing the Iraq war. He was interviewed tonight by MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/10/cbs-fires-gen-batiste-over-votevets-ad/

---

This looks like a clear-cut case of retaliation by the corporate news-media for challenging the conservative power structure too directly.

[IndianaGreen]

1. If Batiste had been a neocon shill or a racist like Rush

CBS would have kept him on the payroll. Corporate America has done their share of enabling the Bush dictatorship.

[AJ9000]

5. No doubt about it. A challenging "populist media" is the only chance to restore democracy IMO.

[KansDem]

Kept him one AND given him a raise.

"Here, boy...C'mon, boy...here's your biscuit! Stand up! Roll over! Play dead! Bark neo-con fascist taking points! Atta, boy!"

[bvar22]

80. self-delete

*

[ThomCat]

95. Agreed. They encourage partisan support for the neo-cons

but purge anyone who might show support for the other side. x(

[WCGreen]

97. Well, that's a good definition of fascism....

A melding of corporate and state interests with control of the media...

[ananda]

107. yep

Fascism rules America.. for now. I don't think it can
hold up forever.. but god it's doing a lot of possibly
irreparable damage.

"A melding of corporate and state interests with control of the media..."

[baldguy]

98. He would have been given his own show.

[Erika]

2. CBS should be ashamed. It once stood for integrity

No longer. Please email them.

[AnneD]

27. Their integrity..

went out the window when they fired Dan Rather.:argh:

[truedelphi]

101. And they had to do it the moment they did

Rather and Mapes were about to launch an investigation into the stealing of American elections via machinery - the neocons did not want that cat out of the bag right before the Nov 04 election

[MUAD_DIB]

35. There is nothing that dictates that CBS has a right to keep its

FCC license from being revoked if it improperly and unashamedly fires individuals for speaking the truth.

[ThomCat]

96. And who's going to revoke it? The Republican controlled FCC?

:rofl:

Even under democratic control, every agency and department is too heavily influenced and controlled by corporations. Nothing's going to happen.
x(

[Occulus]

106. But didn't FOX news win a court decision

saying, basically, that they have the right to lie to their viewers?

There's the precedent... :argh:

[Kagemusha]

3. Supporting the war is apolitical; opposing it is partisan activity.

Simple.

[Eric J in MN]

7. Are there any examples of CBS correspondents who appeared in ads,

...and weren't fired?

[Kagemusha]

9. Well, I have no idea how a consultant is a correspondent to begin with.

Granted, if that's the reason and it's simple as that, great, easy to absorb and move on, guy should've resigned before he was pushed, would've looked better. But I don't know that much.

But, before reading this thread I'd read about all sorts of generals who'd made pro war comments on the air.. but hey, that was in the correspondent role, so even though that's what I was responding to, that may have nothing to do with the firing in this case. We'll see I guess.

[Eric J in MN]

10. I'm not talking about a distinction between consultants and correspondents.

My point is that CBS may have a rule against people they pay to appear on TV also appearing in ads.

[Demeter]

31. That's a First Amendment Issue, I Bet. CBS Is Insane To Think They Won't

end up in court and get a hefty penalty.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

34. unless his contract with CBS forbade it.

then, it is ok.

Just like some fed workers cannot do political work in the public eye, (unless Rove authorizes it)

[slestak]

39. It's not a 1st Amendment issue. n/t

[tabasco]

43. Not really a First Amendment issue.

The First Amendment is only implicated if the government stifles free speech.

Private people and entities can stifle it all they want.

CBS' action clearly demonstrates that they support the war machine and the war profiteering that is destroying this Nation.

I agree with the previous poster who said they lost all credibility when they fired Rather.

[Demeter]

51. And If Kkkarl or Gonzo Are Implicated? Is It Then Unconstitutional?

I sincerely doubt that CBS would go out on a limb like that without some urging by someone they fear.

[bvar22]

82. The First Ammendment....

The First Amendment is prefaced with "Congress shall make no law...

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

The First Amendment places a LIMIT on Government. It does NOT grant any Rights. Your RIGHTS are inherent.

Since Congress (or the Federal Government) is NOT involved in this case, there is NO Constitutional infringement.


http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/First_amendment

[valerief]

91. Must be Al Qaeda! nt

[Kagemusha]

115. Well, CBS isn't helping clear this up any. Link follows.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/05/cbs.php

CBS seems to be claiming that the issue is ADVOCACY, which is a totally different issue and treacherous territory for CBS. Now if this is someone not being properly briefed on the legalities and being incorrect, that's one thing. But this is the official explanation the network is apparently giving.

[The Count]

128. You just summed it all up. The whole "objective" BS - means what they approve.

[Hatalles]

4. kr

[Lasher]

6. A true patriot has been purged

Disgusting. Thank God for the internet.

[melody]

8. Time for a viewer strike

That's what will terrify them -- complain to their advertisers and make their money go away.

[tsuki]

68. Can't strike something that you don't watch. After Dan Rather

got the boot, I figured why watch.

[spiderpig]

79. Me too

I'm done with CBS News. Rather...Couric...this. I'll get my current events here, thank you!

[bliss_eternal]

11. What the....?

...he's not allowed to be critical of the war?

That's bullshit!

:grr::mad: Completely insane.

I'm writing CBS and letting them know as much. I don't really watch their network, so saying I'll boycott probably wouldn't carry much weight. But I'll let them know I think they suck for this.

[Sherman A1]

15. Your viewership probably

makes no difference, but your email that will join with mine will hopefully do so. Add enough of them together and who knows?

[JohnnyLib2]

12. Divisiveness--Bush's legacy?

:nuke: :grr:

[Faux pas]

13. Heaven forbid that someone actually speaks the TRUTH. I saw

him on Olbermann and fell in love. Time to email the hell out of CBS, blow out their servers with overload.

[bvar22]

83. 5 Million E-Mails can be deleted with a single keystroke.

However, 5 million Snail Mails have more weight (literally).
AND
Don't bother with CBS, snail mail their SPONSORS.

[Faux pas]

113. Oh yeah, I forgot. Already sent the email, guess I'd better get

to work on the snail mail. Thanks for the reminder.

[Adelante]

124. Here is a list

CBS Television
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
http://www.cbs.com/ (you have to click feedback at the bottom of the page)

Main Number:
[phone]
—-
CBS News
555 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

Main Number:
[phone]
—-

Sponsers:
Prevacid
1-866-4-PREVACID
TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc.
675 North Field Drive
Lake Forest, IL 60045

Lincoln Motors
800 521-4140
16800 Executive Plaza Dr.
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, MI 48126
Web feedback form

Swiffer by Proctor & Gamble
Swiffer Brand Manager
1 Procter & Gamble Plaza
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Web feedback form

One Touch Ultra
800 227-8862
[e-mail]

Plavix by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi~Synthelabo
1-877-2-PLAVIX
Web feedback form

Cheerios by General Mills
1-800-328-1144
General Mills, Box 200
Minneapolis, MN 55440
Web feedback form

Centrum Silver by Wyeth
Caltrate by Wyeth
1-888-797-5638
5 Giralda Farms
Madison, New Jersey 07940
Web feedback form

Philip Morris USA
1-800-343-0975, prompt 4
Philip Morris USA, Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 26603
Richmond
Virginia 23261
Web feedback form

Men’s Wearhouse
1-800-851-6744
40650 Encyclopedia Circle
Fremont, CA 94538
Web feedback form

Mazda Protégé
Mazda North American Operations
P.O. Box 19734
Irvine, CA 92623-9734
Web feedback form

Big Lots
614- 278-6800
Big Lots, Inc.
300 Phillipi Road
Columbus, Ohio 43228-5311

[Hardrada]

14. These are the same guys who got rid of Dan Rather.

[file83]

109. And Gen. Batista didn't even have any questionable documents!!

Just goes to show that CBS fired Dan Rather based on politics, not on the suspicions of the Bush memos (which, by the way, were never proven to have been fake).

[Divine Discontent]

16. I wrote em...

said that if it's not in his contract, then what they did was RIDICULOUS because he's being paid to speak his mind, why can't he speak his mind in other locations, and that first CBS News had the Repubs hating them to where most Repubs watch Faux News, and now they're offending independents and Democrats!

here's how you can write them (or go to cbsnews.com on the bottom of page) http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml

www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- check it out, top '08 stuff

[sweettater]

17. I just wrote also

I don't write often but in this case it was very necessary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!

[senseandsensibility]

25. Thanks for the link to CBS

I will certainly write, and I hope everyone who reads this thread will as well.

[rfranklin]

30. Unless there was a specific clause in his contract...

they will have to pay him. Just like Imus will have to be paid about $40 million. (His contract had a clause warning that he was irreverent, outrageous, etc., and he gets paid no matter what he says.)

[texanshatingbush]

58. Thanks for the link....I used it to send CBS this note:

"First you fired Dan Rather. Then you hired Katie Couric. Then you fired General Batiste. Looks like you are not particularly interested in bringing Truth to the American public. You probably don't care what I think, but your advertisers might care. I will be making & distributing a list of advertisers on CBS--starting with CBS Evening News--and I will be writing them to to say I will not buy their products as long as they advertise on CBS."

They only respond to the bottom line, and this is the only thing I can think of to get their attention.

[Divine Discontent]

119. HA.. you're welcome for the link, I know how that always helps

when I need to write too, if someone ahead of me gives the link. and what you wrote is funny - first you fire rather then hire Couric! great...

www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- check it out, top '08 stuff

[Barrett808]

67. Done:

I read with great consternation your decision to fire Gen. Batiste. I am writing to your sponsors to demand they withhold advertising money until you hire him back. I'm encouraging all of my friends and acquaintances to do so as well.

[mistertrickster]

86. I wrote too. They fire the one commentator they've got who is RIGHT

about the Iraq quagmire and they keep all the administration-shills who were WRONG.

Yeah, that's fair and balanced . . . :sarcasm:

Noam Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent" is looking truer and truer all the time, isn't it.

[and-justice-for-all]

18. What? No Dissent??? thats not very American of CBS...

...But a usual display of the typical facist mentallity of mainstream crap news.

How long do you think KO will remain on the air?? I am surprised FauxNews has not given Coultergeist a job yet.

[JCMach1]

19. Sign the petition to re-hire Batiste

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?batiste

[acmavm]

20. So far six of us have signed.

[NewJeffCT]

22. 7 now at 6:05 EST

not very many

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

24. 17 now. Could this have its own thread?

MKJ

[Mad_Dem_X]

29. Just signed - #20. n/t

[Barrett808]

66. Done. 96 signatures so far. n/t

[Greyskye]

77. 114. Sign the peition!

:kick:

[Straight Shooter]

87. Done. 300 signatures now.

:thumbsup:

[Divine Discontent]

118. I only see 176 signed. n/t

[Straight Shooter]

120. It showed 300 after I signed.

It seems to be stuck on 176 when you go to the intro page. :shrug:

[Fluffdaddy]

89. wrong post...sorry

[gillamonster]

111. Just signed...

keep the signatures coming DU!!

[Adelante]

125. Thank you, I signed - 181 sigs now nt

[northofdenali]

135. Done. # is at 201.

When the Friday night crowd gets wound up, the count will rise significantly.

[I Have A Dream]

21. Make his sacrifice worthwhile by contributing towards running the ad!

Here's the link:

https://secure.democracyinaction.com/dia/organizations/iavapac/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1383&t=GoodNewOne.dwt

[blueworld]

23. Logic 101, I mean Logic $0$

First, CBS identifies & checks out a consultant with extensive experience in military matters, who served in Iraq and is particularly well qualified to opine & explain what's going on over there. They negotiate a contract whereby they PAY this military expert consultant for his opinion. Then, when he expresses his opinions, quite articulately, for the news network and as a patriotic American - they fire his ass whilst kissing larger ones in DC.

Somebody's paying a big price for the 21st Century version of America's free press. :grr:

[rosesaylavee]

26. Losing a grip on the propaganda drivel are they?

[Edith Ann]

28. Firing

We need to stop watching TV. The only thing these people understand is their bottom line. It isn't like we would miss anything if we didn't watch for a week. (except weather) KO needs to hire him.

[Suziq]

32. Just Signed the Petition

I am truly appalled by this. Fascism at its finest and very scary. :grr:

[underpants]

33. This is how we got in this mess

Donahue had to have 2 neocons on for every1 person against the war and then MSNBC fired him because we just couldn't have someone pointing out the painfully obvious awful truth of this needless slaughter.

[druidqueen]

36. I just e-mailed CBS

I am so angry!!  Last night, my husband, a Viet Nam era Navy
vet, saw General Batiste's ad & stood up & cheered! 
--- not an easy thing for him to do since he suffers from lung
cancer (both lungs) & is in the late stages of advanced
emphysema!!!  

Boycott CBS!!!

[Chemical Bill]

42. Welcome to DU!

:hi:
I'm sorry to hear about your husband's health. Rest assured that he is not the only one cheering this ad's message.

Bill

[druidqueen]

37. Sign the petition to rehire Gen. Batiste

I also just signed the petition to demand that CBS rehire
General Batiste... I was number 37.

[NewJeffCT]

38. welcome to DU

Thanks for signing.

[Eurobabe]

55. Screw CBS, Gen. Batiste will be picked up - gladly, by some other

agency who will appreciate him.

[RobertDevereaux]

40. Done! n/t

[E-Z-B]

41. How many people at CBS were fired for supporting the case for war?

Oh, that's right. 0.

[rocktivity]

44. Has Faux fired Wesley Clark for being involved in the commercial

Of course not--that would free him up to appear on OTHER news shows!

:headbang:
rocknation

[deutsey]

45. No one watches CBS anyway...it's a good career move for him.

:evilgrin:

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

46. Not to be a wet blanket here...

But decades of experience in journalism says that CBS made the right call. Now you can certainly criticize CBS and the rest of the mainstream media for not being even-handed in the voices they choose to present on the news, that much is without question. But when an individual crosses the line into political advocacy, his credentials as an independent voice become questionable and has has no place speaking a an "expert" on a news program. As an advocate? Certainly. But not as a technical expert.

Can you imagine if CBS were calling on Karl Rove for "expert analysis" on a regular basis? And I know what many of your are thinking -- George Will has been appearing for decades as a "expert opinion" when he is, in fact, intimately involved in the workings of the Republican Party. He coached Ronald Reagan on his debate with Jimmy Carter, and then went on the post-debate analysis programs to say how well Reagan did. It was wrong then. It's wrong now.

Don't get me wrong. Gen. Baptiste and his views should be heard, and shame on the mainstream media for not allowing more dissenting voices on the airwaves in the run-up to this war. But when news programs to present opinion as fact (even when they're opinions we might agree with), there is damage being done to the truth. We need our media to return to a day when it presented both sides of the issue dispassionately.

[Lerkfish]

47. if it were even handedly enforced, I'd agree, but as we all know it is NOT

in order for this to be a move of integrity, EVERYONE who shills FOR the war should likewise be dropped.

[tomp]

49. exactly

if the rules of real journalism were being followed we wouldn't be in the mess we're in. normal rules don't apply anymore. cbs is being absurdly hypocritical on this. they helped create the war (not to mention spinning everything else bush's way). they have no claim to professional journalism amymore.

[Serial Mom]

69. You hit it true, journalists don't follow their own rules anymore

and if they follow their reasons for dismissing the General, they would also have to fire their Middle East Political Analyst, Reza Aslan, who just last nite on The Daily Show called the dubya administration "idiots" and the many more who choose to praise the administration.

I wonder what Cronkite thinks of all this!!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

60. I agree with you completely...

The pressure put on CBS should be to provide more equal time. Ever see Greg Palast interview? Me neither. Having been a willing dupe in creating this war, they have a responsiblity to allow dissenting voices on NOW to get us out.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

57. Well put.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

63. different situation completely.

WIll pretended to be indie on the air, while being a paid whore in the background.

Here, batiste was hired FOR HIS OPINIONS, experience and knowledge, which he shared with us. He took those SAME OPINIOINS, experience and knowledge and put his money where his mouth was, changing nothing, hiding nothing, and not once tarnishing his ethics, morals, training, education, or oath.

[MilesColtrane]

65. a point

"...when an individual crosses the line into political advocacy, his credentials as an independent voice become questionable and has has no place speaking a an "expert" on a news program."

I would think that would depend upon exactly what he is analyzing.

I believe he was hired because of his tactical military expertise, not his political views.
In fact CBS had to know that he resigned the military for political reasons when he was hired by them. And, the network would have good reason to fire him if he were interjecting his political views on policy into his military analyses.

But, is that what happened?

[Ron Green]

78. "...a day when it presented both sides of the issue dispassionately."

I disagree. "Both sides of the issue" is a false standard that has been sold to us over the past 25 years as good journalism, while real journalism goes after the truth, not some kind of he-said she-said nonsense.

[jobycom]

85. I kind of agree, though I don't know enough about Batiste to be sure in this case.

First, I agree in essence with what you said. A journalist is something like an historian or scientist, in that they should strive to be objective, and should form opinions on facts, and not choose facts to support an opinion. When a journalist has proven to be an advocate, the facts he or she presents are suspect. We all get this--when a conservative activist scientist "disproves" evolution or global warming, we know not to trust their views. When a conservative activist presents his or her idea about the best military strategy in Iraq, we know that their opinion is based on ideology, and the "facts" are chosen, or even made up, to support that opinion.

This development calls General Batiste's facts, not just his opinions, into question, as we would all agree if he had expressed conservative support rather than support for our perspective.

But I've never seen Batiste (and haven't seen CBS in years, unless I've watched them briefly by accident during some disaster), so I don't know exactly what he does. Does he comment on war strategy, or politics, or political situations in Iraq? Is there some connection between what he does and his opinions, in other words? Or is he strictly a technical advisor, explaining only why a move was made, for instance, or what a particular weapon or strategy would do? Does his advocacy affect what he reports on? A sports reporter's credibility isn't affected by his political view, for instance, but would be affected if he were on the payroll for a particular team.

Every journalist has a bias, and that bias does affect every story we hear. The biggest flaw in journalism today is the obliteration of the line between opinion shows and "news." Most of the bias we hear is blatantly right wing, whether because of the bias of the reporter, the editor, the writer, the producer, or the network (or all of them). So in that context, Batiste being fired for lending his name to a cause seems wrong. They are firing one of the few contrary opinions on the air for the perception of doing what every other journalist does in reality.

On the other hand, if they do away with at least the pretext of objectivity, then they completely lose the line between journalism and advocacy, to the small degree that there is still such a line. Then, on the third hand, there is the issue of public awareness. Much, if not most, of the viewing public can't tell the difference between advocacy and journalism in the first place. They think of O'Reilly or Hannity as journalists reporting the news, rather than advertisers promoting their party. Maybe doing away with all pretext of objectivity, maybe even forcing journalists to wear logo jackets advertising what candidates and causes they are advocating, would clue the viewing public in to what to look for. When they hear O'Reilly spinning an argument supporting Bush, maybe they'd be more critical if a big neon sign flashed on screen proclaiming "This opinion paid for by the Republican Party."

I guess I need a fourth hand to solve the problem, but I only have three.

[Jacobin]

129. Check out TPM on CBS consultants shilling FOR the war

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014089.php

We've unearthed yet another CBS News Consultant who's openly and repeatedly advocated in favor of Bush's war policies -- and against those of Congress.

Another CBS News Consultant "Advocated" For Surge And Against Congressional Action
May 11, 2007 -- 05:32 PM EST // View Comments (11) // Post a Comment

Okay, we have another CBS News Consultant who has repeatedly advocated in favor of President Bush's war policies, and against Congressional action -- Mideast scholar Fouad Ajami.

As noted below, CBS is justifying its decision to fire retired General John Batiste as a news consutant because by criticizing President Bush and calling for withdrawal from Iraq in the new VoteVets ad, he engaged in "advocacy." As CBS spokesperson Sandy Genelius put it to me earlier today, it's a violation of CBS' internal "standards" to express "a public opinion that is coming from an advocacy point of view."

Fouad Ajami repeatedly appeared on CBS throughout 2006, and up through January of 2007, consistently identified as a "CBS News Consultant." Here, however, are some examples from the same time period of Ajami very openly advocating in favor of Bush's policies and against Congressional policies in opposition to the war.

Ajami, advocating against Congressional opposition to the war in July of 2006 at a Council on Foreign Relations Forum:

And Congress, which voted for the war, shares a great responsibility for the war. But to run around and say, “I voted against it before I voted for it; I voted for it before I voted against it,” I think that’s ridiculous....

I just don’t think this works. I can’t—I can’t—I mean, I personally don’t function like that. I think what you do is you put your head down and you work and you wish our country success. You don’t wish our country failure.

Ajami, advocating again against Congressional action on the war in July 2006 on Charlie Rose (via Nexis):

FOUAD AJAMI: It just didn`t turn out -- this is not the war they signed up for. I mean, that`s why ...

CHARLIE ROSE: Many people, exactly, they would say that.

FOUAD AJAMI: But see, but that` -- that -- you can`t -- you can`t just -- see I think -- and we`ve -- we`ve talked about this and this -- we can go over names, there is no need. I think there is something to me, you cannot support and sanction a war and then pull the plug on it because it just gets terribly complicated and then become full of righteous indignation that this war has disappointed you.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/05/another_cbs_new.php


Amazingly this guys is NOT fired.

[Jim Lane]

137. I agree -- but here's a follow-up question

Jeff, thanks for writing your contrarian viewpoint. You articulated what I was feeling as a I read all the expressions of indignation about CBS's action. For the reasons you state, the termination of Gen. Baptiste's contract could be justified as the application of a neutral journalistic policy, but only if that policy is applied uniformly.

Post #129, from Jacobin, passes on information that really undercuts CBS's position. Their right-wing consultant Ajami is similarly situated but wasn't fired.

If the CBS honchos had bounced Ajami for advocacy, then they would now be in the right to treat Baptiste the same way. It seems, though, that CBS's standards for journalistic integrity cut only one way.

I'd be very interested in your thoughts about the Ajami case, from your perspective as a journalist.

[Vilis Veritas]

48. Emailed. Signed. Contributed.

Thanks for the links.

[mnhtnbb]

50. What do you expect from a network that hires Katie Couric as an anchor?

[file83]

110. I expect them to make even more stupid decisions, like this one.

:kick:

[clixtox]

52. Happy to be able to sign...

#60

[Chimichurri]

53. Disgraceful. Talk about preemptive war and more death - you

get put on all the shows, talk about righting a great wrong, you get fired.

I don't recognize my country anymore.

[lonestarnot]

54. Fuck you CBS

[ejbr]

56. He is a man of integrity

I have no doubt that if he knew he would lose his job at CBS over the commercial, he would still do it. The decision would be quite simple: money vs the lives of my fellow soldiers. Unlike the Bush patsies, he chose life.

[Hanging On]

59. This might be considered as an effort to be objective, IF

CBS didn't, on the other hand, hire someone like Nicolle Wallace, former Communications Director for the Bush administration, as a "CBS Political Analyst." She appeared on their morning show today to assess (quite positively, I might add), Rudy's tactic of standing firm on pro-choice.

I would say that John Batiste has a hell of a lot more credibility than Nicolle Wallace ... but she is still gainfully employed by CBS.

[Hanging On]

61. And, instead of CBS re-hiring Batiste...

I am hoping that MSNBC will hire him. He would be a wonderful regular contributor for Countdown.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

102. CBS already replaced Batiste with a former talking head spinner from Bush's

White wHores.

[YvonneCa]

62. Turn off...

CBS. Write LTTE's explaining why you did so. Batiste is a patriot. :patriot:

[Bake]

64. Screw CBS. They've been dead to me for a long time.

Why should we care if CBS rehires the General? Let him go to a network with some integrity -- maybe as a regular on MSNBC/KO? I'm sure he'll do just fine.

Bake

[wicket]

70. K & R

:kick:

[Doremus]

71. Thank you! Email sent! n/t

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

72. He was brought on their...

...payroll with the expectation that they (CBS) would be able to influence what he had to say on behalf of Neocon war mongers.

When he insisted on telling the unvarnished truth, he had to go.

[tomg]

73. Anyone see the irony?

General Batiste had to resign from the military in an act of conscience in order to speak out against the mismanaging of a war that should never have happened in the first place. As an active member of the military, he could not directly oppose that war and continue to serve. He acted with honor and integrity both while in the military and in his decision to leave it.

Had CBS and the other news organizations been doing their jobs regarding investigating the run up to war, he would not have had to stop doing his job - to defend and protect this country as an active member of the military - in order to do their jobs - which, in this case, was to protect and defend the country by making sure that the truth came out. That they have fired him for doing what should have been their jobs in the first place is utterly shameful.

Sign the petition and write to CBS.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

74. Good observation...

...they not only don't tell the truth, they actively suppress it.

[DuaneBidoux]

75. I'm going to be flamed but I think CBS has every right to do this.

I am not going to say their motivations are pure because they may well not be but if I were in CBS'
s position and were making decisions about what analysts to hire I would not particularly want my consultants doing outside politics if I were going to at least pretend they were objective analysts on the air.

I would probably let him go if he were making ads that were pro-war as well. Now CBS may well have kept him if he had indeed made a pro-war ad. I still say that is their right (although I now also have the equal right to never watch CBS again--something that is likely).

[AJ9000]

103. While CBS claims it will not tolerate consultants engaging in outside advocacy...

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/11/cbs-fires-batiste

it apparently has no problem paying a former White House communications director to engage in the Bush administration’s advocacy on air. While being billed as CBS News’ “political consultant,” Nicolle Wallace has propagated talking points advanced by her old colleagues in the White House communications office. Some examples:

“The Democrats have to walk a fine line and be careful. People don’t want to turn on the TV and see every story being about the obstruction of people trying to do things.”

“Well, you know, people ask me all the time, ‘Do they get it? Do they get how bad things are?’ And the answer is yes.”

At the end of the day, no matter how discontent some voters are, they really don’t want to see Democrats in control of the Congress.

It’s apparently only advocacy when you’re opposing Bush. Americans United notes that it took two weeks for CBS to fire Don Imus for racial slurs, but two days to fire Batiste for speaking up on Iraq.

You can send a message to CBS:

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml

[sdfernando]

76. I sent them an email.

I sent them an email denouncing this move.....and I'm seriously considering blocking CBS on my cable service. I've already blocked faux & ABC, so its no big deal really. Mostly all crap anyway.

[IWantAChange]

81. Signed - Gen Batiste is a true patriot and a man of honor.

[petunia.here]

84. Fucking bullshit!

K&R
petition signed and delivered.
I'm sick of all the killing cheerleaders!
It's disgusting. :puke:

[williesgirl]

88. 130 sigs now. Here's what I wrote: recommended

I will boycott every sponsor of CBS News programs and write them to let them know I'll continue to do so until you rehire Gen. Batiste. God forbid you'd let someone tell the truth about this illegal war. I'll never watch your news programs again.

[Fluffdaddy]

90. unbelievable

[young_at_heart]

92. After 48 years with CBS News we left when Katie came along

I miss the old CBS.....after hearing this, I can only imagine how Dan Rather, Andy Rooney, etc. must feel.

[Faygo Kid]

114. Hell, don't forget Walter. CBS News is an embarrassment. How must he feel?

[Barrett808]

93. Is there a handy list of sponsors available?

I'll start faxing madly if there is.

[question everything]

94. Not perky enough as Couric?

Is it any wonder why CBS News - once the model of news reporting - is now in the sub basement?

[arewenotdemo]

122. Doesn't have the legs

:puke:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

99. my letter (real paper, not tubes of the internets)

Dear sirs:

I was shocked to learn that CBS News decided to cancel General Batiste's contract, possibly due to his involvement in the VoteVets video. If that is the case, shame on your entire organization. It was bad enough hiring a fluffy, empty-headed, untalented bimbo like Katie Couric, and pretend that by her reading a script, we were getting real news. It was even worse when her “Blog” turned out to be stolen by staffers from the WSJ. But when CBS News takes an experienced, knowledgeable, smart expert like the general, and fires him because he continues to speak truth to power, it is time to end any and all consumer relationship I may have with CBS.

Consider me a former viewer, one who will watch just enough news to make a list of your advertisers. I will then contact each advertiser, advising them of my decision to boycott your station and their products.

I almost considered asking you if you had any shame, when the answer became painfully obvious. Any company that promotes Couric as a real journalist, a news person, or someone who attempts to share knowledge, well-researched facts about current events, or even as an astute talking head, has no shame.

To suggest that I am angry about CBS' decision is an understatement. Perhaps some good will come of this. Perhaps a real news organization will hire him on after your ineffably stupid decision. But, the damage has been done. Who ever runs your news operation clearly has that part of their body containing their optical system so firmly implanted deep inside their processed food exit canal, that CBS deserves every bit of scorn, and eventual loss of viewership, that it is sure to get. Good job.

Very truly yours,


################

[Gregorian]

100. If they ran a single Swiftboat liars ad...

I don't know. I don't watch corporate media.

But I'll bet they did.

[meldroc]

104. Why rehire him at CBS?

I can see him getting a far better job at MSNBC, consulting and appearing with Keith Olbermann.

[Vinca]

105. Signed the petition.

Thom Hartmann says General Batiste has been replaced by the Bushbot Nicole Wallace. The corporate masters have spoken.

[McCamy Taylor]

108. Viacom is subject to WH blackmail, has been in violation of federal media ownership laws since 2000,

it owns over 40% of the nation's TV, law limits it to 35%. The FCC looks the other way, and in exchange, Viacom forces CBS to do things like rub Dan Rather's face in the dirt over the AWOL documents or supress Bill Bradley stories that Karl Rove does not like.

CBS is worse than Faux News. FOX makes no bones about what it is---a propoganda tool for the administration. CBS pretends that it is still an independent source of news. It stopped being independent back in 2000 when it decided that it would not comply with an FCC order to obey the law, but rather would hitch its wagon to George W. Bush and Karl Rove's promise---never kept---that federal media ownership rules would be relaxed. Instead of changing the rules, Rove has used Viacom's criminal actions to blackmail it into submission.

[DemSoccerMom]

112. 183 votes.

:kick:

[coalition_unwilling]

116. He spoke the truth and they set him free (with apologies to The

New Testament)

[MADem]

117. I've been called all sorts of rather offensive names on this very board for pointing out the obvious

It's not advocacy that is the issue, it's the WRONG KIND of advocacy.


Look, corporate America is making a fucking fortune off the war. A fortune. Every day the war continues is a day rife with profit for companies ranging from STAPLES to PROCTOR AND GAMBLE. It's not just the heavy industry/big machines/weapons systems clowns making the big dough, you'd be shocked at who does business with the Pentagon.

The whole "GSA Catalogue" full of shit made by the blind and by prisoners is going the way of the DoDo. That's not who supplies the bulk of the junk the military buys nowadays. Even those little Lighthouse for the Blind office supplies are being outsourced to Mitt Romney's Bain acquisition, STAPLES...and that is just one lousy little example. They do business with all sorts of companies, DELL, and COMPUSA, various fast food outlets like Burger King, Subway, Wendy's, Dunkin Donuts, and so on (they're on bases round the world) .... you name it--if the military needs it, they buy it, hand over fist, in bulk, from 'corporate America.'

As far as the military is concerned, if it doesn't put ordnance on target, it's outsourced. Servicemembers cutting grass at the ballfield? Hell no. Mess cooks? Rare birds, those, now. When you are talking tooth to tail, the tooth is in uniform, the tail is in civvies, getting paid as little as DOD can get away with and often isn't even US nationals (Example: Jamaicans working for less than US minimum wage at GITMO; Koreans and Filipinos in Baghdad).

Corporate America is getting RICH supplying the "tail" to support the uniformed tooth.

Corporate America OWNS these media outlets. Corporate America decides what's "acceptable" for you to hear over the air. That's why the "news" here is such shit. You get more "news" from the BBC in ten minutes than you get ALL DAY from CNN/MSNBC/FOX.

If you are PROWAR, you can say anything, offend anyone, do whatever you want on the air.

If you're antiwar, the "offense" police will be all over you like a cheap suit, and use whatever sin you've committed (and if you haven't committed one, they'll make one up, like they did with this guy) to DRIVE you from the stage of public discourse, so no one can hear you.

Don't believe me? Explain, then, why Rush "Barack, the Magic Negro" Limpballs hasn't been ridden out of town on a rail for that incredibly offensive minstrel song, which he first played TWO whole MONTHS ago, in MARCH?

I'll answer the question--he's PROWAR. His insults and commentary are "OK." They pass the corporate media test. It's lunacy, but that's how it works.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

123. the voice of reason often appears to be pissing into a windstorm

especially when the truth is so uncomfortable as yours.

[Barrett808]

126. Word.

I can't imagine who at DU would seriously disagree with your analysis.

[MADem]

127. People who couldn't understand that I wasn't "defending"

Imus's words or conduct, just putting them in context.

Imus was one of those guys who could say ANYTHING, insult ANYONE, do racial, ethnic, sexist "humor" (I don't know what to call it, the shit was just NOT funny, but it appealed to rightwing, male, likely voters who were his target audience) and his bosses would just nod approvingly and wink at him--he did it for DECADES. And no one cared. No one said a word.

As a registered Republican, while he was offending everyone and their mother, he always toed the party line on their key issues...until this war started going really sour. And over the last year, you could hear him really start to change--he started calling Bush and Cheney war criminals, saying they should be hanged, using the "I" word (impeachment, not that annoying "I-man" nickname he invented for himself). It was getting to the point where he was getting worked up on a regular basis, and I don't think it was his usual "act"--and he reaches tens of millions of people every HOUR.

He HAD to go!

So they waited until he did something offensive, which he always did, and then, when someone complained, instead of saying "Well, fuck you--that's his 'humor' you see--it's all just 'satire' and he does it to EVERYONE," they actually gave the complainers AIR TIME...for a change.

And then, they covered the controversy around the clock, and even pushed important stories coming out of Iraq to the back burner in order to keep the story front and center. It was absolutely BRILLIANT, too, the way they played that story to the hilt. They threw a bone to the left, by getting rid of an offensive racist/sexist, and they also shut down the one asshole who was effectively preaching an antiwar message to the racist, sexist far right.

[Barrett808]

132. Nice.

Does Imus know this is what happened to him? Seems his audience would be rather forgiving if he moved to another venue...

[MADem]

136. I dunno--all I know is he's suing.

He said CBS and GE/MSNBC hired him with the express knowledge of his controversial programming, and they hired him, not despite it, but BECAUSE of it. They kept giving him raises and better contracts, and some of the shit he spewed before the incident that got him fired was way "worse"--if you can characterize one hideous comment as somehow worse than another.

If he hasn't made the connection, his wife probably has. I think she's the one that got him thinking about the cost of the war in terms of human suffering.

If he did move to satellite, he'd be off the charts, at least at the outset. The challenge would be to keep the audience--having that "free air" venue ensured he could be heard in every single car commuting to work in America, damned near, and that kind of audience really drew the political guests. He'd have to see which guests would be willing to come back, too.

He's pushing seventy though--he may just say to hell with it. If he did want to do it, and were smart, he'd get himself a Black, female cohost, an Hispanic sidekick, and Asian, Arabic and Jewish regulars, and they could have an equal-opportunity insult fest--no victimizing, either--everyone gets to engage in full-bore smackdown. It actually might work...bring all segments of society together with a Kumbayah Insult Party...for some reason, that "mean shit" sells. Guess it makes the listeners, slogging off to unremarkable and miserable jobs, feel powerful, or part of a 'winning team.'

Rush is big on that--rallying the "little man" against egregious insults..and it works for him..

[graywarrior]

121. I don't know about you guys, but I am fucking sick of this crap.

[Truthseeker013]

130. CBS fires Gen. batiste over VoteVets ad

Congrats to the "liberal media" yet again...

[hisownpetard]

131. Hey, CBS! Firing General Batiste is as Un-American as You Can Get

Thank you, ALL of you DUers, who have gone to the trouble of posting email addresses to send our complaints to and petitions we can sign and phone numbers we can call, etc. From those of us who have good intentions but are somewhat contact-challenged - your efforts are tremendously appreciated!

When I heard about Gen'l. Batiste getting fired by CBS, I was apoplectic. Watching him interviewed by Keith last night, I remarked
about what a true patriot the man is - quitting his life-long military career in order to be able to share his (well-earned) opinions
about this waste of a war with the rest of the country. And then, today, this!

In a fit of frustration, I logged in to DU and found everything I wished for, and more! I want to say that I have called all
the numbers provided, to register my complaint. I have emailed my way to carpal tunnel and signed the petition and
written to every CBS sponsor I could find to let them know that neither I nor anyone in my family will watch CBS or purchase
any product their sponsors sell. And I sent a contribution to VoteVets so that the ad made by Genl. Batiste will continue
to be shown.

DUers - thanks again for being up on everything that's getting me down! I do believe we will be heard, anad I'm grateful
for your help.

[depakid]

133. Yet another example of why the corporate media isn't worth watching

Unless of course one enjoys being propagandized and misinformed.

[Barrett808]

134. I see the Freepers have a list of CBS sponsors...

But I'd like to use that only as a last resort.

[Arugula Latte]

138. Aaaaaaand this shit is why I'm on the Internet now, and not watching TV.

Keep digging your grave, television.

[Cha]

139. cbs..the company of fucking katie

couric that fired Dan Rather. corporate bastards shilling.