Left In Lowell

Everyone online is talking about this new NY Times report on the way the Bush administration used thinly veiled bribery to get retired military officers out on the airwaves to support Bush policies. It’s as big a news story as it sounds.

To the public, these men are members of a familiar fraternity, presented tens of thousands of times on television and radio as “military analysts” whose long service has equipped them to give authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-Sept. 11 world.

Hidden behind that appearance of objectivity, though, is a Pentagon information apparatus that has used those analysts in a campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the administration’s wartime performance, an examination by The New York Times has found.

The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.

In other words, those who took full advantage of the industrial military complex’s revolving door for outgoing military personnel. People who had every financial reason to support going to war and staying there, as their companies or clients were, and are, raking in millions.

This is the embodiment of what Eisenhower warned about.

[Retired military a]nalysts have been wooed in hundreds of private briefings with senior military leaders, including officials with significant influence over contracting and budget matters, records show. They have been taken on tours of Iraq and given access to classified intelligence. They have been briefed by officials from the White House, State Department and Justice Department, including Mr. Cheney, Alberto R. Gonzales and Stephen J. Hadley.

In turn, members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated. Some analysts acknowledge they suppressed doubts because they feared jeopardizing their access.

A few expressed regret for participating in what they regarded as an effort to dupe the American public with propaganda dressed as independent military analysis.

The article is pages long, and is something every American should read. Why now? Because the information has finally come to light:

Five years into the Iraq war, most details of the architecture and execution of the Pentagon’s campaign have never been disclosed. But The Times successfully sued the Defense Department to gain access to 8,000 pages of e-mail messages, transcripts and records describing years of private briefings, trips to Iraq and Guantánamo and an extensive Pentagon talking points operation.

The documents released by the Pentagon do not show any quid pro quo between commentary and contracts. But some analysts said they had used the special access as a marketing and networking opportunity or as a window into future business possibilities.

Disgusting. Those are your kids, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, cousins…your tax dollars…and your country, your media, which have been used, abused, and cynically manipulated for years.

Many also shared with Mr. Bush’s national security team a belief that pessimistic war coverage broke the nation’s will to win in Vietnam, and there was a mutual resolve not to let that happen with this war.

The free press won’t suit us, because they might report things that make people unhappy, so we’ll just stop that little nagging inherent right of all Americans dead cold.

It goes on. Read it.

MissLaura at dkos flawlessly tears down another mainstream media perpetrated wall about woman, and blogging. If the storyline don’t fit, just ignore it and use other examples…

Reporters start with an easy premise: The bloggers their readers are most likely to have heard of are men. Markos Moulitsas. Duncan “Atrios” Black. Josh Marshall. The problem is, all too often, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Recently, Megan Carpentier of Glamour magazine’s blog Glamocracy asked Markos why there aren’t as many female political bloggers. He answered:

I disagree with that notion. The Daily Kos executive editor, a blogger, of course, is female. Digby is female. Jane Hamsher is female. There are other prominent women (including seven on Daily Kos) writing in group blogs. [links added]

That answer didn’t fit the premise of Carpentier’s piece, so it wasn’t used. To maintain her premise, Carpentier also sloughed off Arianna Huffington in a sentence — sure, the blogger who’s building a freaking empire, who appears on television the most and whose site was recently written up in the New Yorker is a woman, but…

It’s telling that this writer didn’t bother to quote the founder of one of the most trafficked blog sites ever created. What Markos had to say was counter to the story Carpentier had to tell, so to her it’s useless. Funny, I once thought journalism was supposed to find the story, not make it up and then fit the facts. We have the Bush administration for that. MissLaura goes on:

But who the media chooses to quote is just a little bit relevant to which bloggers are best known. Blog audiences can be earned entirely within the blogosphere, it’s true, through stellar writing that draws links that funnel readers. But appearing on television or being cited in the traditional media can boost your prominence … It’s a truism in the blogosphere that links are currency, but it’s as true that traditional media mentions are currency, albeit of a slightly different sort. Links get you more traffic, but media mentions get you the kind of external validation that leads to still more media mentions.

She quotes at length a Chris Bowers post looking at the disproportional influence his own blog (myDD.com) has, despite several other blogs which have far more traffic (including Jane’s Firedoglake). MissLaura then ironically points out that the media, having perpetrated the promotion and references to these blogs, wonder why the blogosphere is doing to prevent all these women from getting positions of prominence. Right. MissLaura then concludes:

Megan Carpentier wrote a really stupid piece for Glamocracy, and her failure to quote Markos rejecting her premise makes you wonder how many other people she left out because what they said didn’t fit her narrative. But she didn’t pioneer this kind of stupidity. She was rerunning a hackneyed story the traditional media has been telling about blogging for quite some time. There are lots of different stories to write about blogs and gender — never mind “prominent” bloggers, why does it seem that state bloggers are so disproportionately male? How do women and men blogging together at group blogs get treated differently by readers or the traditional media? Is it the case that men started the earlier blogs, and if so, at what rate have women been catching up? Whose blogging is more likely to lead to paid work as an institutional or campaign blogger, as a journalist, as a consultant? Do meat-world credentials play a different role in how male and female bloggers are received? These questions don’t get asked, going unmentioned to leave room for the fortieth retread of “why are the three bloggers the laziest journalist can think of all men?”

Chalk up one more instance of why the MSM will continue to be mocked and criticized by bloggers everywhere.

[Cross posted at BMG of course.]

I want to thank everyone who made the trek to Lowell for today’s gathering, and hope everyone had a good time, and that you felt it was productive.

I also want to extend gratitude to Governor Patrick’s Chief of Staff Doug Rubin and DSC Chair John Walsh for participating, and to Rep. Jamie Eldridge and DSC member Kate Donaghue as well.

One thing that struck me during the conversation we had (in retrospect, we had enough people that we should have gone into our finished basement to chat, but at least it was sunny and breezy in the sun room!) is how many of us raised our hands in answer to Kate’s question of who was involved in some way with the DSC, town committees, or other Democratic organizations. We do walk the walk, it would seem to me.

Though we are not looking to become a formal, top-down organization, it felt like there was enthusiasm for more events and coordination among us. (The expression herding cats did come up. It’s apt.) I’m satisfied that the conversation moved forward, and I hope other attendees are too.

If fellow progressives could not attend but are interested in getting into the conversation, please contact Ryan (darthDOTadams AT gmail.com) so he can get your email and put it on the list. Some concrete ideas came up near the end of the chat session and they are pretty cool ones. Big Secret Ideas. Well, no, but we’re still in discussion so I’m not going to promote them yet.

John, Doug, we will be contacting you with some things we want to propose soon. But I assume you knew that was coming.

Til next time…though not in Lowell. We want to make sure we have events around the state. Anyone in Western MA want to host next time? (Summer is coming. BBQ in the Berkshires sure makes an appetizing alliterative sound…)

Yes, lost, not “will lose.” And before the inevitable Clintonista pile-on in comments (I know it’s coming), sure, I’ve been hard on Clinton in the last couple months, but honestly, this downward spiral has been hard for me to watch. Because despite my dislike of the Republican-Lite DLC neoliberalism espoused by Bill Clinton et al., man, did we do ever so much better as a nation under him compared to the rotten Bush sandwich (before, and after)…he, who actually cared about governing, making it work for us, appointing the opposite of total hacks to positions where they could do some good, and spreading some of the economic happiness around (though the consequences of “Free” Trade have undone much of it).

AMERICAblog notes the general consensus about Hillary Clinton’s campaign:

Last year, word was that Team Clinton basically went around to donors and others with a clear message, which I’ll paraphrase here:

Get on the bus, NOW. If you don’t get on the bus, NOW, you will never get on the bus. This is the winning bus and we’re going remember who didn’t get on early because when you try to get on, there won’t be any seats left.

…
The arrogance of that campaign, and the sense of entitlement, permeated everything they did. John and I learned first-hand that if you weren’t 100% with them every step of the way, even if you went far out of your way to help them on numerous occasions, you were persona non grata - not needed. Not that we ever wanted to be needed by Team Clinton, but we saw how they treated people who ever strayed from the reservation. And we weren’t the only ones to experience the special charm that is Team Clinton. Lots of political types — and reporters — we’ve spoken to have similar stories of how they too were mistreated by the campaign. It’s a window into the character of the campaign, and its leader - and it isn’t pretty.

I know campaigns are partisan, by necessity. Sometimes, even bitter. But this is the losingest strategy I’ve ever seen! Even if you win, you lose. I mean, you have to have an eye on the big picture, and keep that door open a notch…because rancor among the party with those people - voters, donors, activists - who were with the other guy are so necessary to court to your side in the general election, if you actually win the primary.

Hillary Clinton is doing her level best to live up to the standard right wing characterization of the “unhinged left.” Because unhinged is the only thing that can describe this attitude, and the way she has run this race once she began slipping behind. She’s done it to herself, man.

Let the pile-on and justification wars begin…

Update: More evidence. Ug. Even repeating discredited KARL ROVE TALKING POINTS that are a year old!

The superdelegates ought to come out and say who they are for, so we can end this. I’m with Chairman Dean.

If you aren’t interested in meeting a bunch of liberal bloggers or are looking to be OUTSIDE on this beautiful day, the community garden from 11am to 4pm is sure to please. I stopped by early today to get my fabulous rain barrels (I believe they may have brought some extra so if you didn’t order ahead but still want to buy one, stop by 220 Aiken Street anyway). The city is having Earth Day activities there as well, with gardening workshops, activities for kids, and lots of vendors and info booths on getting green.

I’m sort of envious, as I of course had to leave to get ready for our blogger event later on, so if you are at a loss how to get outside and soak up the sun, here’s your chance!

We’re wrapping up preparation for the blogger partay! tomorrow. Also known as “cleaning the house.” I believe I have emailed everyone, who signed up, directions and information for tomorrow.

If I am mistaken, and missed you somehow, it’s Ryan’s fault. Just kidding, and you can email me at lynne [at] leftinlowell.com, and I’ll forward said directions that lead to the Secret Lowell Liberal Headquarters. Er. I mean, my house. Remember, it’s $10, and if you haven’t paid yet, bring the money to the gathering and we’ll forgive you. If you are a poor broke student, we’ll forgive you regardless and people have offered to pay your way if you need it.

If you haven’t told Ryan you need a ride, or that you need picking up from the train at 12:53, email him to do so ASAP! darth.adams [at] gmail.com

Food at 1pm, so bring your appetite! Then, after we gorge, a short loose agenda of discussion follows. If enough people hang around into the evening, there are lots of restaurants and bars and stuff. (You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here! Kidding. Kidding.)

If you have to miss tomorrow, don’t fret. Well, you can fret all you want, don’t think I’m trampling on your fretting civil liberties, but we do hope to make this sort of gathering a regular thing again, and think it would be good to host events around the state. Maybe at a location near YOU!

Oh, and there is wireless at the house. We don’t live like animals! So bring your laptops, handhelds, whatever you desire.

The “Forgotten Parts of America” tour. Oh, too many jokes to make here. Too many. Head. Hurts.

This is hilarious:

John McCain plans to spend next week reaching out to African-Americans, displaced factory workers and people living in poverty — voters not usually associated with the Republican Party.

Victims of neoliberal/conservative Free Trade, of racism, and of economics - you mean, all voters left out of the Ownership Society by corporate welfare Republicans. Wonder how well that will go over?

Via DK.

Next week, MassVOTE is coming to Lowell to host a discussion on Senate bill S.2514, a bill to allow same-day registration in Massachusetts. Same-day registration is working in many other states, and makes it far easier for people to vote, enfranchising people. From MassVOTE:

This year, hundreds of neighbors in and around Lowell will come out to vote for the first time. Some just turned 18. Some are proud new citizens. Others recently moved here. And some have been eligible to vote for years, but will come out to vote this year because they will look at Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, or another candidate, and get inspired.

Unfortunately, every year, some would-be voters show up Election Day only to discover that they missed the registration deadline, or they are still registered at an old address, or their registration form got lost. Election Day Registration would ensure that all these citizens get a chance to vote — protecting the right to vote for all of us.

S.2514, the bill for Election Day Registration, is now out of committee and awaiting a vote in the State Senate. How would it work in Massachusetts? Who benefits? We would like to invite you to come find out.

Wednesday
1pm-2:30pm
ONE Lowell
9 Central Street, Suite 203
Lowell, MA 01852

More info after the flip: (more…)

I’m a bit under the weather (I hate spring colds) and am real busy doing work and getting ready for this Saturday’s progressive blogger get-together. Ryan has a nice write up of our loose agenda for the day. It starts at one and you can sign up here via Paypal ($10 per person). At this late date, if you want to pay by check or cash, you can sign up by sending me an email (lynne at leftinlowell.com) with your name, town, and nickname, and bring the money when you come on Saturday. I would like to have a headcount by tomorrow so please tell us if you are interested. As Ryan says there’s rides for people coming in from out of town, or coming in by train from Boston.

Otherwise, consider this an open thread.

[Bumped again, last notice! Register by Thursday so we can get a last head count. We would like to have the money in hand so we can go out and buy the food. ]

Update 3/31/08: The event starts at 1pm, with lunch trays from local restaurants!

So we’re at it again. It’s been over a year since our last big BlogLeft Massachusetts event in Worcester Lowell, but hey, in some of our past literature, we’ve called ourselves “an unchained association of regional liberal bloggers.” I still like that description.

So liberal bloggers, commenters, readers, lurkers, all are invited to come. From Ryan:

It’s been a long time since we’ve all had a joint bloggers event, and it’s time to change that. On Saturday, April 19th, Lynne, Mike and I are hosting a Blog Left Massachusetts event in Lowell. It’s mainly going to be for fun, but we also have some ideas we’d like to discuss with all of you to both expand and empower the Massachusetts Blogosphere. Not only that, but we’d love to hear from all of you on your ideas.

I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that the spirit of civic engagement in this state, and the idea that we in the netroots are able to make a big difference, has at least been somewhat diminished. We’ve all been frustrated, and we’ve lost a few great bloggers over the past year or so. We need to discuss ways of becoming greater than the sum of our parts, and ways to attract new members - and Lynne and I have a few big ideas in those regards; we’re hoping we’re not alone. So please plan on coming.

The cost will be $10 for food and the like, and we’ve set up a Paypal account, or you could send us a check. If you want to pay by check, send me an email, lynne (at) leftinlowell.com (replace the (at) with an @) and I’ll give you the address to send it to. Include your full real name, nickname, the place you mainly blog (if any) and town. Your information will be kept confidential (not to be posted on a website). Or, you can register with Paypal, below:

Once you register, we’ll send you the information about the gathering, including directions. This meeting will have some discussion, as we have some ideas and want others’ ideas, but as Ryan says its primary purpose is to get together and reconnect.