Repugs weekly meeting to lay out upcoming week's talking points

[Democrat 4 Ever]

A couple of weeks ago on AAR someone was talking about the weekly meetings that are conducted by Repugs in Washington to lay out the talking points, specific wording and jargon to be used by all pundits in the media. That is why every thing sounds so similar - they are literally getting their marching orders from Rove and the White House.

I cannot remember who made this statement and I have searched through AAR's archives to see if I can find the exact quote with no luck. Evidently I don't remember enough of the quote (or the speaker) to effectively find the discussion (or I hallucinatling the whole damn thing). The speaker went on to add that the meetings originally started with about a dozen people but has grown (either through actual attendance or by fax, email and teleconferencing) to include almost 200 people including several people in the MSM.

Somebody help me out here - does anyone know anything about this? Isn't this something we need to bring up and call them on. Doesn't this smack of additional propagandizing through the media - whether they are paid or not? I am not surprised that the pundits get together and outline their plan of attack but I do get really a cold chill at the back of my neck that the media is in on it, too. This is go Nazi like.

[KissMeKate]

1. Dems need to adopt the practice

This is the way Repugs dominate the news cycle.

If the media wont be responsive to the truth, then we have to resort to manipulating them, GOP style.

Its time to play dirty, democrats.

[rodeodance]

3. I agree

[yurbud]

2. Grover Norquist runs it--Here's links to a couple of stories

They even invited ralph nader once to pump up what they thought would be a spoiler campaign.




http://commonwealinstitute.org/information.html#weekly

[Democrat 4 Ever]

4. Thank you for the links. I am so pissed this isn't a major deal.

Why aren't the Democratic pundits calling these people on this every time they get on air? I would love to see them asked on air, "Are you part of Norquist's weekly meetings to get the repugs talking points for the White House and the lobbyists?"

The spokesperson on AAR specifically said that the group now numbers over 200 and includes many people from the media itself. I want people to have to answer that question on air. We can either force them to stay honest or make each one of them out to be the lying liars that they are (sorry - stole that from Al). Make them come clean on how their information is arrived at. This is no different than paying "journalists" to get out a message. They are just using lobbyists and bagels as the currency instead of government contracts.

[yurbud]

6. Good idea. Send that suggestion to mediamatters.org

that should be asked along with "Are you getting Bush payola?"

[TexasLawyer]

8. Jon Stewart

The "Daily Show" is the only almost-MSM that consistently calls Fox, and the RW talking heads on the crap that they're pulling.

[electropop]

9. That's right, it's Norquist.

It's described in insider detail in David Brock's "Blinded By The Right." I think these days KKKarl Rove has joined in as co-host.

And yes, we need to do this too. They have dumbed down the population below our ability to communicate with them. Now we need a major R&D effort to dumb down our own rhetoric, at least until we can save the education system in this country.

[Love Bug]

5. I heard that, too

I think it was Joe Conason who said it, but I could be wrong. You are referring to "The Talking Points Memo."

[yurbud]

7. David Brock wrote two books on how tightly connected right pundits are

Blinded by the Right
and
the Republican Noise Machine

If you are mad now, read either of these and it will be worse.

Brock is a gay guy who wrote the hatchet piece on Anita Hill, then grew a conscience and pulled out of the right wing machine.

[liveoaktx]

10. Vid Clip from last year-KO faxed talking points for interview with Wilson

My jaw dropped when I saw this.

Olbermann Talking Points