John Dean: The Cover-UP Has Failed-Our Political System Needs For Murdoch & His Cronies To Be Gone

[kpete]

The Watergate scandal did not end well for Nixon, and this current scandal will not end well for Murdoch.

.....................

The Cover-up Has Failed: How the Hacking of the Phones of a Young, Missing Girl, and of a Group of Soldiers Proved to Be the Last Straws for the Public

Public outrage erupted with the report, on July 4 of this year, that News of the World had hacked the voicemail of a missing and murdered schoolgirl, Milly Dowler. In that instance, Murdoch’s men literally removed voicemail messages from Ms. Dowler’s phone while the search was still underway. And heartbreakingly, this activity regarding Ms. Dowler’s voicemail provided her parents and investigators with false hope that she might still be alive.

And, as if that were not enough, it was reported that some 4,000 British citizens had also had their voicemail hacked by Murdoch’s people. To make the hacking even more despicable, it was reported that among those hacked were the families of soldiers serving, injured, and killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

................

Accordingly, new revelations have continued to flow, including charges of cover-up, police collusion, and more nefarious and illegal news-gathering techniques. These ranged from reporters’ assuming false identities, to the hiring of mobsters, to the paying of bribes—with callous editors relentlessly pushing for headline stories to be acquired by any means necessary, legal or illegal. Clearly, Murdoch has lost control. The cover-up has been breached, and as scandals proceed from phase to phase, the situation seldom improves for the perpetrators.

.................

Our political system needs for Murdoch to be gone, along with the cronies he has encouraged to pollute our politics. Nixon’s finest act as president was to resign. There could be no more fitting end to the unfolding saga for Murdoch than for him to do likewise. When this scandal threatens to take away his fortune, if not his freedom, he may actually do the right thing, and resign. For the public good, that cannot happen too soon.

the rest:
http://verdict.justia.com/2011/07/14/rupert-murdochs-watergate/

[Kingofalldems]

1. Kick and Rec one million times

[WillyT]

2. HUGE K & R !!!

:kick:

[aquart]

3. How pleasing that the crucial date was July 4.

Independence Day.

[donheld]

4. K & R, but

The number went down about 3 recommends when I did :grr::grr::grr:

[Major Hogwash]

5. Unbelievable! The morons!!! They hacked the voicemail accounts of 4000 British subjects!!

I hope they fry Murdoch's ass for this!!

[Major Hogwash]

6. Who the phuck do they think they are???

I just can't believe this crap.
Where are the pitchforks and torches?
I'm ready to fry that bastard in hot oil.

[The Wizard]

7. Murdoch's world wide

propaganda operation has to be stricken from the landscape. Murdoch and his minions have served to facilitate murder and thievery on a world wide basis. Public horse whippings would be a good start. When is Sean Hannity going to be sucker punched?

[AlbertCat]

8. he may actually do the right thing, and resign.

Uh huh..... riiiiight.

[Overseas]

9. K&R. I hope more is revealed about their US activities.

I'd love to see this scandal lead to Murdoch's resignation and more media reform in the USA, breaking up the conservative conglomerates that dominate our mass media.

[snot]

10. The crucial question is, what if any SYSTEMIC REFORMS might have prevented the abuses?

Even if we can't possibly hope to see such reforms enacted in our country or the U.K., perhaps others could benefit from this mess.

E.g., what if one's Constitution recognized the news media as an official "fourth estate," and incorporated provisions designed to ensure the news media's independence from other interests -- e.g., that no purported purveyor of news could be directly or indirectly owned or controlled by any entity or person having ANY business or other interests in anything OTHER than news media?

One could still expect various efforts to wire around such restrictions, which might or might not eventually succeed; but I think history shows that thoughtfully-designed checks and balances built into the basic structure of a system can be very effective, at least for a pretty long time, and at worst are certainly better than leaving the system wide open to looters.

E.g., even though election fraud involving paper ballots is possible, the evidence shows there's a heck of a lot less of it than when we have electronic voting. It's worth the effort to make transgression DIFFICULT.

[russspeakeasy]

11. Thanks, kpete...

[MissDeeds]

12. K and R!

[burrowowl]

13. John Dean

knows what he is talking about.

[fascisthunter]

14. John Dean has been very consistent over the years

well, as long as I have been paying attention.

[Faygo Kid]

15. Get lost, Rupert, and take Roger Ailes with you.

Creeps.

[hay rick]

16. "a cancer on American and British democracy."

Murdoch's epitaph, for sure. He is the progenitor of our mainstream media and his removal at this point would make precious little difference to an American journalism establishment that is thoroughly corrupted.

[DFW]

17. Murdoch's resignation at this point would be like a bandaid on a malignant tumor

Major surgery is needed, starting with the disbanding of Fox "News" and the returning
of the Wall Street Journal to being strictly a financial newspaper.

"Remember the deficit!" is this year's version of Hearst's 1898 "Remember the Maine!"

[mmonk]

18. I had rather he fight. I think if he does, more crookedness will be revealed.

[Major Hogwash]

19. This is such a good article, I think in light of the news today, we should thank John Dean.

I'm jus saying . .


LoL

[Stuart G]

20. kick