One of your worst nightmares is coming to pass

[Stinky The Clown]

Politico

At its inception, a completely made up group of online pundits with mostly solid center or right wing leanings. A few years ago, they didn't exist. now they're treated as a legitimate nooz source by what used to the legitimate media.

The fact is, they're very much like the Heritage Foundation, but without the overt hate. Or very much like Fox News but without the completely over the top personalities. They work to be warmer and softer. And fairer and more balanced. Just by way of example, they put a funny looking guy like Roger Simon out there. He looks very nerdy. Not cool like the right wing used to look. He's more like an accountant than a Hannity.

The money behind the group is old, right wing money. TV Guide money. And they never tried to hide it. They admitted it up front, saying it was their intent to be neutral in presenting news and opinion. "Fair and Balanced" without the hype needed to sell that contextually absurd tag line.

I am alarmed when I see them as a source for an AP or AFP or McLatchy story. From zero to mainstream in a frighteningly short time. Just reading DU, I am amazed at how many posters use Politico as a source.

Just because their tone seems intelligent and professional doesn't make them credible. Look at them with a critical eye and you see it for it is. Fox News Dun Rite©.

Fox News is on the decline, to be sure. They've been outted and criticized. They're now viewed not so much as nooze as a sequel to The Cartoon Network. Even the backwash knows this and only stays out of intertial loyalty. And we win if they ultimately decline to second or third place in the ratings.

But then there's Politico ......

....... and that scares me.

[grasswire]

1. yep -- frightening from the get-go

They were put in place as a new Wurlitzer. Touted from the WH itself. Promoted by CNN and MSNBC talking heads. It was a clever, if diabolical, startup.

[crikkett]

45. promoted by Bush and Rove themselves at podiums shortly after the Gannon fuss came to light

every time I see Scotty McClellan I think of Jeff Gannon/Guckert.

[devilgrrl]

2. Thank you!

I'm sick of seeing their bullshit posted here! :mad:

[StClone]

3. We should start a list of REAL News.

And respected Opinion: Moyers, The Nation are two of the very few I trust.

[scarletwoman]

4. It's been very disturbing from the get-go.

We're seeing Politico operatives being seated right alongside the long-time broadcast news pundits on talking head panels, just as cozy as can be. Politico was granted instant legitimacy by the PTB and the corporate media.

It smells to high heaven.

sw

[enough]

5. See Glenn Greenwald's piece in Salon: "The right-wing Politco cesspool."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/05/30/allen/index.html

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Excellent article.

Thanks for that link! He summed it up perfectly, using the despicable Allen as the lead character in a morality play.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. And Politico was a big player at Take Back America when I was there in 2007

hmmm

[Marr]

7. Politico was always meant to be the corporate media's blog presence.

That was my impression from it's beginning. Remember all the attention Politico received from the corporate media when it launched? They promoted it big time, and had pundits from Politico on their opinion shows from day one of it's existence. These big-money "blog" outlets that are financed from above aren't really blogs at all, IMHO. They're just the corporate media operating in a new format.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Whatever they are, they have wored their way into the sphere of legitimate sources of *hard nooz*

Your comments are spot on.

But shame on the formerly legitimate nooz for citing them as fucking hard nooze source. That's like citing Letterman's Top Ten List as a legitimate nooz source.

[RoyGBiv]

9. Thank you ...

Every time I see a link to Politico, I cringe. From my admittedly non-scientific observations, they always seem to be attached to some sort of slam against Obama.

Their headline story today is very little but a veiled attack ad, veiled in the sense that it starts out marginally okay and then becomes increasingly critical. It's the variety of story that has been so popular these days, setting up terms to judge Obama's effectiveness that leave him in a no-win situation, condemning whatever he does with false rhetorical questions, e.g. Obama may have appeared presidential on his European trip, but if he woos the French and fails to get those votes of the citizens in Poughkeepsie, his trip would look "silly in retrospect." Indeed the entire piece is littered with language that suggests the trip was absurd, hidden within supposed praise.

I'll give it this. It's well done. The critical commentary comes across almost as subliminal.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. "I'll give it this. It's well done. The critical commentary comes across almost as subliminal."

The matter's nub is well summed in your post's final line. :thumbsup:

[Uncle Joe]

12. Probably another infiltration by the oligarchs in order to manipulate the American People's

perception of reality as this excellent Daily Kos diary examines.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/27/65732/1557/694/557641

History: How the US Government Was Overthrown In Three Easy Steps
by TocqueDeville

Sun Jul 27, 2008 at 04:01:36 AM PDT

http://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Hope-History-World-Time/dp/094500110X

P.S. After reading down the thread, I saw a post where the poster stated that should you read Professor Quigley's Tragedy and Hope get the first edition, apparently the second and third editions were altered beyond the author's intended message as to be akin to book burning.

Thanks for the thread, Husb2Sparkly

[hfojvt]

13. you make it sound like you think the AP is otherwise objective

When they often quote Republican spin as fact even without the help of politico. Or they report a "Republican said-Democrat said" without ever bothering to report 'the truth' which would involve the 'partisan statement' that the Republican is lying or wrong.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. You're correct, of course ..... but that's another story.

[redqueen]

46. Exactly... NO source should be met with anything but a critical eye.

No exceptions. None.

[defendandprotect]

50. Right . . . all of the news agencies changed hands over the last 10-20 years . . .

keep a critical eye on all of them ---

[eleny]

14. When I email to MSM about Politco I keep it all in the Subject header

When they have a guest on from Politico I'll send something like "Politico? What a joke." I figure most mail isn't opened and read.

Sure, they aren't funny. But I can still get to the point you've made. That at least *I'm* not buying their schtick.

[DylansDreams]

15. They are sponsored by and paid for by the corporate media...

which should tell everyone that they cannot be trusted. They have an agenda. They would love to tear down the independent bloggers.

[NMDemDist2]

32. Welcome to DU DylansDreams!

:hi:

[samdogmom]

17. The saddest fact from all of this is that it our "free" press mentality enabled this to happen.

We genuinely want to believe "journalists" are unbiased--so the vast majority of the public simply accepts "news" that comes over the standard airwaves or through the mainstream media (MSM)--WITHOUT QUESTION!

I find myself arguing with my husband ALL the time now. When I offer alternate "facts" behind the MSM stories...he doesn't believe me. He trusts the MSM over my internet, well-researched, in-depth FACTUAL stories. In fact, I think he's starting to view me as a "wacko".

I think Scott McClellan's disclosure that the Bush Administration planted stories on Fox may open the minds of a few more people about the trustworthiness of the MSM.

[davidnc76]

18. My favorite

I love watching MSNBC during the daytime. They recycle their news every hour, throw it in a tumble dry with these right-wing pundits who resemble Black America. Seeing this everyday makes me dry heave little chunks of bullshit. I mumble and flip back and forth between CNN and Fox, but always end up at MSNBC. Does the RNC throw these "token" black conservative pundits into the headlights of their audience for entertainment? It used to be that all Republican "experts" were old white men with starch shirts and monotone voices (with the exception of wonder boy Tucker Carlson). Who are these morons trying to fool? I have never in my life met a black American voter who stands beside the GOP! I see them on the television and look at them like a new breed of species.

[NMDemDist2]

33. welcome to DU davidnc76!

:hi:

[davidnc76]

36. Thanks AZDemDist6

For the welcome.

[Warpy]

19. They avoid buzzwords that alert people to the fact they're

reading a right wing propaganda site and that will fool a lot of people, perhaps some of them for a very long time.

However, you can't continue to push failed ideology in even the kindest and gentlest manner without making yourself look idiotic and eventually pushing yourself off to the fringe with the over the top lunatics.

This too shall pass. Oh, they'll hang around like a fart in a phone booth, but they'll have about the same power to injure after a while.

[cliffordu]

20. Yep. Excellent. K&R

[annabanana]

21. They are corporate media in an internet costume.... that 's all.

As long as everyone remembers their origin and calls them out on BS it should be ok.

[Joanne98]

22. I've only posted them once. The interview they did with Naomi Klein.

I read the whole thing first and thought she did very well considering who she was talking to. So I posted it. I agree. Politico is far more dangerous than Fox. I don't even read them.

[AntiFascist]

23. Politico who?

the fact that the MSM often cites them clued me in long ago. What is dangerous is when DKOS begins gaining more of the "legitimate" spotlight and becomes compromised. At least DU has avoided this so far. :)

[Disturbed]

24. Politico: The Stealth RWing.

99.99% of the Pundits on TV are RWing shills.

[happydreams]

25. What it really boils down to...

is that Homo Americanus Idioticus is just a very thickheaded son-of-a-bitch. The IQ level at DU has gone way down from years ago and that is because it has moved closer to mainstream--a population of veritable zombies. These websites aren't to blame its the fuckhead readers.

[gatorboy]

26. It's why I hate when someone posts a politico link here.

They were right wing trash from the get-go no matter how they're packaged. And that every news uses their pundits says it all. It's their way of trying to dress up Fox News now that Fox has become a complete joke.

[SoCalDem]

27. And the "sanitizing" of many rightwing radio/print hacks too... like

Glenn Beck
Mike Smerconish
Mike Barnicle
Hugh Hewitt


and many more.. these people are "offered" time on networks that are NOT FOX, and are given ample time to air their beliefs, then they take the "conversations" back to their "day-job" venues, for more dissection ..

These people are being "eased in" ...to make them less threatening, more likable.

I hear references to Townhall.com and Politico...all the time
..

Republicans KNOW language and the use of it.. That's why they choose the names of their websites & publications carefully.

Most people "out there" do not have the time to research things, and many don't even know which way a site "leans".. they hear Politico, and assume that it's a political news site..and that's it.

[Ghost Dog]

54. It is _abuse_ of language: The obfuscation, the constantly shifting meanings,

the doublespeak.

[aikoaiko]

28. Politico does not frighten me. eom

[Stinky The Clown]

29. Wow, I feel better

Thanks for that insightful reply. We are all illuminated.

:hi:

[aikoaiko]

30. You're welcome --

[DeepModem Mom]

31. I post from Politico quite a bit. I find many articles there that I don't consider biased...

at all. That said, I "vet" their articles as I do any other source, and more carefully than most. I don't post right-wing crap.

[scarletwoman]

37. Giving them traffic is NOT helpful.

I will never click on a Politico link, nor will I click on links to Drudge or Fox, or any other right wing site. I hate it that DUers post their links -- why drive traffic to the enemy? It's really counterproductive.

sw

[DeepModem Mom]

39. These are a few stories I've posted from Politico, having found links to them...

on CNN's Political Ticker:

*A look at Caroline Kennedy at work on Obama's VP search team

*Politico, making the strongest statement I saw in defense of the Obamas on the house mortgage issue, quoted by Media Matters for America: "Commenting on the article on July 2, Politico senior political writer Ben Smith wrote: 'While the GOP is making much of it this morning, it seems well short of the Countrywide story: There's no evidence that (the Obamas) dealt with the bank through a special side door for powerful people like the one Countrywide maintained.' Mike Allen, Politico's chief political writer, referred to the story as 'padded' and asserted that the Post wasn't 'sure it was news', writing: 'The tipoff that this story is padded -- and that they weren't sure it was news -- is that it includes irrelevant quotes about Countrywide, which was not the Obama lender.'..."

*Gore won't be going on the campaign trail; Nobel laureate shies away from partisanship

*Clinton, Obama crush GOP in funds race

*Re. Politico from Editor&Publisher: "The two top editors of the newspaper Politico and Politico.com -- each a former top Washington Post reporter -- admit the 'horse race' coverage of the current campaign has gotten totally out of hand, in the wake of New Hampshire."

*Politico article saying exodus of moderate Republicans could mean GOP losses: "The unexpected retirement of Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) marks the latest in an exodus of moderate Republicans that is pushing the caucus in a rightward direction and could potentially cripple the party’s chances of winning back seats in swing districts next year."

I don't mean to be argumentative, or disagreeable, and I understand the problem of Politico's ownership, but I found these particular stories, and others like them, valuable and/or interesting. I've never posted a link to Fox, or even been on that website; maybe Drudge once or twice in some bizarre circumstances I can't recall years ago -- so I think we have a common view on those sites.

[scarletwoman]

40. That's cool that the links are from elsewhere. It's giving hits to rw websites that bug me.

Yes, we have a common view.

Thank you,
sw

[mlevans]

44. The only problem I see with that

is the possibility that we may progress from insular to uninformed. It's often said one ought to keep one's friends close and one's enemies closer. While I don't agree either with specifically driving traffic to right wing sites, if we fail to keep track of their shenanigans don't we stand in danger of losing the advantage of knowing what sorts of nonsense they are up to? Posting and reading only materials from progressive sites strikes me as a little like talking to oneself; it's very easy to reach agreement in the conversation, but isn't especially productive. Is their stuff propoganda? Absolutely. But isn't it better to look at that propoganda and recognize it for what it is, rather than merely pretend it doesn't exist?

[defendandprotect]

51. Partly right . . . but it's a limited view of what liberal sites/info is like . . .

Liberals certainly discuss the issues brought up by the right wing ---

they certainly discuss what's actually going on because people do keep track of the right.

Many liberal organizations, from Planned Parenthood to ACLU and many, many others are

constantly showing us the reality of what's going on ---

[scarletwoman]

58. I think the mainstream media sources pick up the most salient information that shows up on

in the right wing sources. What doesn't spread beyond the lunatic fringe isn't of much concern. And plenty of libblogs spread the word about the most egregious stuff coming from the right.

[BlooInBloo]

34. I've squawked about this for forever. DUers just loves them some Drudgico....

Anyone can google "Greenwald politico" for the fully story.

[southerncrone]

35. When did the right-wing ever look cool?????????!!!!!

They always look like overly polished peachy-cheeked pervs usually with hair that's sprayed so stiff it looks like a toupee, even if it's their real hair!

NEVER have they looked "cool" in my estimation.

Your point, however, is very on point. Just another way the RW have insidiously slid their propaganda machines into place.

[spanone]

38. nooz reporting & analysis as a political tool is very dangerous....how do you know?

just what source do you trust?

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

41. What pisses me off even more is when supposed "progressive"

people like Bill Press on the radio quote Politico, or use it's views as a source to inform their views. UGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[progressoid]

42. Listen to Rush or Hannity. They LOVE quoting Politico.

[Ganja Ninja]

43. It had to happen sooner or later.

Most of the right wing talk machine has long passed it's "sell by" date. A new source that hasn't been around for most of the Bush II debacle was needed to con those people that have tuned out the long time right wing media machine.

[redqueen]

47. No different from any other source. (nt)

[ensho]

48. c-span helped promote them too - still have them on all the time

I think there are interior fights going on at c-span


you know the neo cons invade and occupy everything they can.

[karynnj]

49. You are definately correct on this and they are not our friends

The editor-in-chief is John Harris. All I need to know about what he thinks is fair political reporting was there in the excepted first chapter of his book on winning elections. In addition to a startling view that Matt Drudge is our Edward R Murrow, which warrants abject apologies to his family and anyone who respected him, there was his introductory story on the 2004 election.

He praises a Republican operative and Drudge for totally fabricating a story out of a routine John Kerry hair cut. The truth, Kerry went to a top place and had a $75 hair cut - no news, right? The Drudge story, complete with made up quotes was that Kerry paid $1000 to have his hair styled and colored and spoke of how he was very fussy about how it looked. The Kerry campaign immediately issued a denial with the salon that ended the story.

There was nothing clever that Druge and the Republicans did - all they did was lie and the lie was immediately countered. Yet, this was the story he chose to start the book. Now, his "choosing" is important because that is a large part of what the "editor-in chief" does.

Here's a link to their "about us" page that lists the people involved - and your description is apt.

http://www.politico.com/aboutus/

[harmonicon]

52. I'm not too concerned about politico

Lately, the AP has been doing just a fine job as a right-wing mouth piece. Compared to that, Politico is small change. In fact, I can't think of a single news source (not counting some independent journalists and small publications) that isn't pushing a conservative agenda.

[Rambis]

53. If you want to know what is happening in america

read a Canadian or European newspaper or magazines like the Nation because there is no news on television and in american media outlets. Media for profit, health care for profit,insurance for profit it, hows that working out for us?

[Divine Discontent]

55. thank you for the post H2S

I am thankful for your time spent writing up a great post. I noticed this about Politico but never put it to words, and certainly didn't see it as clearly as you have - thank you.


I've noticed an FM radio station that was bought out locally, and now they play hippie type and old pop rock songs, and it really seems in-between songs they have a mind-controlling 'brainwashing' agenda going on. The biggest thing we noticed was TWO different DJ's saying the SAME exact comment when playing an old song, about 12 hrs apart, in reference to "Smokin' in the boys room", when it was over, they murmered - "smokin in the boys room - well, I'd rather be smokin' in the girls room!" Which of course makes them look like perverts, or the guy who hung out with all the girls who was not very well closeted. So, it surprises me little that the right wingers are using mind control and trying to legitimize themselves as fair-minded voices on the web/tv/radio.


More at - - - www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable

[Divine Discontent]

56. I just read the politico story on McSame going after Obama's character

and as usual - I felt they often made references to the attacks being grounded in FACT that Obama isn't as American as McCain. Every time they should have stated a backing argument for Obama, they didn't. And I've felt that every time I see their editorials, now I know the truth thanks to you H2S!


We all should rate their crap a 1 star on yahoo, where I see it often.

[Dangerously Amused]

57. Thanks, important info. K&R.