Armstrong Williams outed by a FOIA, shouldn't all rightwing hosts be ?

[EVDebs]

Shouldn't all these media rightwingnuts be examined with Freedom of Information Act requests in order to see if taxpayer dollars are being used to fund their 'disinformation' and 'propaganda' activities ? Sure, they'll claim "national security" exemptions, but at least we'll be able to question them about it !

Operation Mockingbird continues to this day, and Carl Bernstein's Rolling Stone article from Oct. 1977 "The CIA and The Media" sorely needs to be updated.

[McCamy Taylor]

1. Who told them where to look?

I still think it came straight from Karl Rove himself. African-american reporter working for agency which was headed by an african-american man since retired, pushing an agenda which was altruistic as opposed to most of the White HOuse iniatives which are purely mercenary. That means most of the flack is going to land on the journalist and maybe the Secretary of Education. Great media smokescreen to keep the liberal media busy so they have less time talking about WMD, Iraqi Prison Abuse, Votergate. Minimal long term danage to the White House, Bush or Rove. Sure there is a risk, but Rove loves to take risks.

[pk_du]

2. Oh - but they are!....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 11, 2005

CONTACT: Naomi Seligman, 202.588.5565

CREW Files FOIAs to Uncover Government Agency Dealings with PR Firms


WASHINGTON, DC — In light of recent reports that conservative journalist and pundit Armstrong Williams received $240,000 from the Department of Education (DOE) through a contract with Ketchum Public Relations, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today has filed a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to 22 government agencies, including all cabinet agencies.

Last week, Williams admitted to supporting the "No Child Left Behind" program in his radio broadcasts, television appearances and columns in exchange for the large payment from DOE. The agreement is in violation of the Publicity and Propaganda clause included in annual appropriations bills for decades.

CREW has now filed FOIAs with 22 agencies requesting copies of all contracts with public relation firms, including Ketchum and Fleishman-Hillard. Both firms have contracted with the government resulting in similar controversies, and in violation of the Publicity and Propaganda clause. The Williams case is the fourth that has become public. Previously, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized the Department of Health and Human Services for having Ketchum create fake news footage in support of the new Medicare Bill. GAO is also investigating another contract between Ketchum and DOE and a contract between the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Fleischman-Hillard.

"This type of covert propaganda, has no place in a healthy democracy," Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today. "It is particularly outrageous that the government continues to engage in this sort of illegal activity despite the fact that the GAO has said that it is illegal."

Sloan continued, "The question now is how extensively has the Administration used propaganda to shore up its controversial policies? Did it pay any commentators to speak out in support of the Patriot Act? Is it paying anyone now to convince the public that Social Security is in crisis? By filing these FOIAS, we hope to answer these questions."

Copies of the FOIAs filed by CREW are available by contacting Naomi Seligman by phone at 202.588.5565 or [e-mail].

http://www.citizensforethics.org/activities/20050111/

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. It can't hurt to try

and I still want to know about that direct line from CNN to the White House.

[EVDebs]

4. Try CNN and Psyops by counterpunch at

http://www.counterpunch.org/cnnpsyops.html

The intelligence and militaryintelligence/signalcorp have been on an anti-liberal jag since the JFK, MLK, RFK murders. As you can see, they can and do get away with things now and then.

Read up on MLK family's feelings about Military Operations Groups in Wm. Pepper's books. They were worse than the FBI.