Documents show media plotting to kill stories about Rev. Wright

[Grim17]

This is a story that is sure to be ignored by ABC, NBC and CBS.

The crisis reached a howling pitch in mid-April, 2008, at an ABC News debate moderated by Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos. Gibson asked Obama why it had taken him so long – nearly a year since Wright’s remarks became public – to dissociate himself from them. Stephanopoulos asked, “Do you think Reverend Wright loves America as much as you do?”

Watching this all at home were members of Journolist, a listserv comprised of several hundred liberal journalists, as well as like-minded professors and activists. The tough questioning from the ABC anchors left many of them outraged. “George [Stephanopoulos],” fumed Richard Kim of the Nation, is “being a disgusting little rat snake.”

Others went further. According to records obtained by The Daily Caller, at several points during the 2008 presidential campaign a group of liberal journalists took radical steps to protect their favored candidate. Employees of news organizations including Time, Politico, the Huffington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Guardian, Salon and the New Republic participated in outpourings of anger over how Obama had been treated in the media, and in some cases plotted to fix the damage.

In one instance, Spencer Ackerman of the Washington Independent urged his colleagues to deflect attention from Obama’s relationship with Wright by changing the subject. Pick one of Obama’s conservative critics, Ackerman wrote, “Fred Barnes, Karl Rove, who cares — and call them racists.”

Documents show media plotting to kill stories about Rev. Jeremiah Wright | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

 

[Catz Part Deux]

*I think the illusion that the media is non-partisan and fearlessly follows stories even into the halls of power is just that...an illusion. Our media has lost its autonomy over the past 40 years, and now serves merely to peddle and recycle corporate press releases. The last real act of journalism I read was the Rolling Stone article about McCrystal.

 

[TacticalEvilDan]

Is The Daily Caller considered a main-stream source?

 

[Josie]

Didn't we all suspect that at the time? At least all clear-thinking individuals did...

 

[Grim17]

Is The Daily Caller considered a main-stream source?

Maybe not. If the guru's in charge deem this not to live up to the standard of "main stream", then my apologies.

 

[Grim17]

Didn't we all suspect that at the time? At least all clear-thinking individuals did...

Those of us that put honesty above politics certainly did.

 

[The Dane]

This is a story that is sure to be ignored by ABC, NBC and CBS.



Documents show media plotting to kill stories about Rev. Jeremiah Wright | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

This is from your own article.

Michael Tomasky, a writer for the Guardian, also tried to rally his fellow members of Journolist: “Listen folks–in my opinion, we all have to do what we can to kill ABC and this idiocy in whatever venues we have. This isn’t about defending Obama. This is about how the [mainstream media] kills any chance of discourse that actually serves the people.”

“Richard Kim got this right above: ‘a horrible glimpse of general election press strategy.’ He’s dead on,” Tomasky continued. “We need to throw chairs now, try as hard as we can to get the call next time. Otherwise the questions in October will be exactly like this. This is just a disease.”

Reverend Wright, William Ayers, The New Black Panthers, Bowing to foreign leaders, Obama's actual birth place, Obama's socialst policies. There are all trumped up, deliberate smear campaigns designed to irradicate any notion of civil, logical discourse. They do not want to critically, logically and calmly discuss politics in this country because they will lose. They will lose. You need to wake up and smell the ****. Fox news is not "fair and balance" Fox news is not "the only one reporting the real news". They are a right wing propaganda machine working for, among and by the Republican party.

 

[invisiblgorilla]

This is a story that is sure to be ignored by ABC, NBC and CBS.

Maybe because realizing that outlets like The Nation have a progressive slant isn't actually news?

 

[TacticalEvilDan]

If this is a smoking gun, where's Fox News? :lol:

 

[danarhea]

Is The Daily Caller considered a main-stream source?

It's not exactly mainstream, but it does blast at both sides. They have an excellent article in there about the war between the 4 main Tea Party factions, and it doesn't pull it's punches either. Call it an equal opportunity basher. :mrgreen:

Still, I would put it in the same category as Raw Story.

 

[Frozengale]

This is from your own article.



Reverend Wright, William Ayers, The New Black Panthers, Bowing to foreign leaders, Obama's actual birth place, Obama's socialst policies. There are all trumped up, deliberate smear campaigns designed to irradicate any notion of civil, logical discourse. They do not want to critically, logically and calmly discuss politics in this country because they will lose. They will lose. You need to wake up and smell the ****. Fox news is not "fair and balance" Fox news is not "the only one reporting the real news". They are a right wing propaganda machine working for, among and by the Republican party.

The problem is that all media is biased. The other news channels aren't "Fair and balanced" either, that's why so many people go to Fox News is because they don't agree with one bias so they turn to another. To bash on just one news station is silly because they all suck, Fox just happens to be the ugly red-headed step child in a family of inbred hillbillies.

 

[Crunch]

This is from your own article.



Reverend Wright, William Ayers, The New Black Panthers, Bowing to foreign leaders, Obama's actual birth place, Obama's socialst policies. There are all trumped up, deliberate smear campaigns designed to irradicate any notion of civil, logical discourse. They do not want to critically, logically and calmly discuss politics in this country because they will lose. They will lose. You need to wake up and smell the ****. Fox news is not "fair and balance" Fox news is not "the only one reporting the real news". They are a right wing propaganda machine working for, among and by the Republican party.

Trumped up?

Are you trying to say that Barry didn't live next door to Bill? Didn't get a sweat heart deal on his house and some land from Bill? Didn't work for years with Bill? Didn't start his political career in Bill's living room?

Are you trying to say Barry didn't attend Jeremiah's church for 20 years? Are you trying to say that Jeremiah isn't a racist? Are you trying to say that Jeremiah didn't preach hatred of America to Barry for 20 years?

I'll leave the rest of your crap for others to tear down.... obviously you have either been living under a rock for the past 4 years, or you have a serious cool aid addiction.

Trumped up. :lamo

 

[Ziggae_6]

Is The Daily Caller considered a main-stream source?

About Us
Founded by Tucker Carlson, a 20-year veteran of print and broadcast media, and Neil Patel, former chief policy adviser to Vice President Cheney, The Daily Caller is a 24-hour news site providing original reporting from an experienced team of professional reporters, thought-provoking commentary and breaking news. In addition to hard news reporting and commentary, The Daily Caller features:

- Eye Street: Our up-to-the minute political blog with information provided in real time by The Daily Caller’s reporting team

- The DC Trawler: Washington’s most entertaining political blog – hosted by Jim Treacher

- The Online Video Hall of Fame: The best of online video in categories ranging from politics to guns

- S.E.’s Diary: The musings of political commentator, columnist and culture critic, S.E. Cupp

- Ask Matt Labash: A wry advice column with writer Matt Labash

- The DC Morning: An unvarnished morning e-mail summary of what’s really happening in political news



Read more: About Us | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

Yeah, these guys are seem pretty objective to me. Tucker Carlson and Cheney's former chief policy advisor. :lamo

 

[Grim17]

Yeah, these guys are seem pretty objective to me. Tucker Carlson and Cheney's former chief policy advisor. :lamo

The question wasn't whether they were objective. It was whether they were "main stream" or not.

If objectivity defined "main stream", then abc, nbc, cbs, cnn, the ny times, washington post and whole host of others wouldn't make the cut.

 

[Ziggae_6]

The question wasn't whether they were objective. It was whether they were "main stream" or not.

If objectivity defined "main stream", then abc, nbc, cbs, cnn, the ny times, washington post and whole host of others wouldn't make the cut.

Hey, I just report the facts. You decide whether this is considered to be mainstream. IMHO, it reads like a blog.

 

[The Dane]

Trumped up?

Are you trying to say that Barry didn't live next door to Bill? Didn't get a sweat heart deal on his house and some land from Bill? Didn't work for years with Bill? Didn't start his political career in Bill's living room?

Yeah you're relying completely on campaign ads for your knowledge. I think you mean he got a sweet deal, not a "sweat" deal. And no, that is completely and 100% false. It is absolutely nothing but lies. He "worked" with Bill, you mean he was briefly on the same board involved in education grants, where at the time Bill was described as a "toothless ex radical and distinguished professor OF EDUCATION." Wow that sounds like they were plotting all kinds of scary things. And again, no his career did not start in Bill's living room, once again obvious misinformation from political ads. Bill and Obama briefly met at a dinner party, in a home which WAS NOT Bill's, with several other prominent Democratic political leaders including standing senators and famous Rabbi's. The truth is that Obama started his political campaign in Chicago and if he bound to meet Bill Ayers eventually. However even regardless of Obama meeting Ayers...who cares? Everything Bill Ayers did that could be considered horrible was done when Obama was 8 years old. Are you actually trying to make the connection that because Obama met Bill Ayers a few times and they "knew" of each other that Obama had adopted the same radical ideas Bill Ayers had when he was 8 years old? No, that's completely ignorant and its an obvious guilty by association tactic used time and time again by Fox news.

Are you trying to say Barry didn't attend Jeremiah's church for 20 years? Are you trying to say that Jeremiah isn't a racist? Are you trying to say that Jeremiah didn't preach hatred of America to Barry for 20 years?

If you even understood the slightest, tiniest bit of history of how blacks have been treated in this country for the last 200 years then you would understand that black people, especially a preacher has every right in the world to be furious with white people. The reality is that the campaign add took the worst two minutes from those 20 years and tried to make it look like those sermons were a regular thing. Was Obama ever shown to be present at any of these sermons? No. Has he ever showed even the slightest bit of racism towards white people? No. Has he condemned Wright for his racist remarks and radical comments? Yes. Has he left the church to show that he is not in favor of such comments? Yes. Once again, what are you trying to show? That somehow by attending this church he's adopted a racist attitude towards white people? Has Obama ever said anything or done anything that would have shown otherwise that he indeed was racist? No.

I'll leave the rest of your crap for others to tear down.... obviously you have either been living under a rock for the past 4 years, or you have a serious cool aid addiction.

No you won't leave the rest of my "crap" for other people to finish. You'll just show how lazy you are. The truth is that Fox news and Republican campaign strategists are in the business of SMEARING their opponents. They won't try to logically and soundly argue policies, credentials and ideas. Well guess what happened this time with those tactics? They lost.

 

[Fiddytree]

To me it is common sense.

Anyhow, this caught my attention:

If you even understood the slightest, tiniest bit of history of how blacks have been treated in this country for the last 200 years then you would understand that black people, especially a preacher has every right in the world to be furious with white people.

No, this does not give him credibility. In this country, I am not my forefathers, and they are not me either. We are what we make ourselves, judged by man and judged by God with what we do with our time. I am not judged by the lives of those who came before me. I spend my days filling my mind with our country's history, and this does little to give me comfortability in those who wish to continue being destructive rather than reflective. Furthermore, I do not like preachers who focus their attention towards enflaming hatred rather than alleviating it.

 

[obvious Child]

Does anyone actually care about Wright? Honestly. Trying to give a damn. I just can't do it.

 

[TacticalEvilDan]

Why do you hate America?

 

[The Dane]

To me it is common sense.

Anyhow, this caught my attention:



No, this does not give him credibility. In this country, I am not my forefathers, and they are not me either. We are what we make ourselves, judged by man and judged by God with what we do with our time. I am not judged by the lives of those who came before me. I spend my days filling my mind with our country's history, and this does little to give me comfortability in those who wish to continue being destructive rather than reflective. Furthermore, I do not like preachers who focus their attention towards enflaming hatred rather than alleviating it.

Yeah this is my point. You don't know the history what so ever. You think that it all ended with slavery, but it didn't. Slavery ended, then they were share croppers. Then there were jim crow laws, then there was blatant outright racism, then there was segregation, the civil rights era, more racism under affirmative action. A black man has only truly been open to as much opportunity as a white man in this country in the last 30 years.

 

[jujuman13]

Yeah you're relying completely on campaign ads for your knowledge. I think you mean he got a sweet deal, not a "sweat" deal. And no, that is completely and 100% false. It is absolutely nothing but lies. He "worked" with Bill, you mean he was briefly on the same board involved in education grants, where at the time Bill was described as a "toothless ex radical and distinguished professor OF EDUCATION." Wow that sounds like they were plotting all kinds of scary things. And again, no his career did not start in Bill's living room, once again obvious misinformation from political ads. Bill and Obama briefly met at a dinner party, in a home which WAS NOT Bill's, with several other prominent Democratic political leaders including standing senators and famous Rabbi's. The truth is that Obama started his political campaign in Chicago and if he bound to meet Bill Ayers eventually. However even regardless of Obama meeting Ayers...who cares? Everything Bill Ayers did that could be considered horrible was done when Obama was 8 years old. Are you actually trying to make the connection that because Obama met Bill Ayers a few times and they "knew" of each other that Obama had adopted the same radical ideas Bill Ayers had when he was 8 years old? No, that's completely ignorant and its an obvious guilty by association tactic used time and time again by Fox news.



If you even understood the slightest, tiniest bit of history of how blacks have been treated in this country for the last 200 years then you would understand that black people, especially a preacher has every right in the world to be furious with white people. The reality is that the campaign add took the worst two minutes from those 20 years and tried to make it look like those sermons were a regular thing. Was Obama ever shown to be present at any of these sermons? No. Has he ever showed even the slightest bit of racism towards white people? No. Has he condemned Wright for his racist remarks and radical comments? Yes. Has he left the church to show that he is not in favor of such comments? Yes. Once again, what are you trying to show? That somehow by attending this church he's adopted a racist attitude towards white people? Has Obama ever said anything or done anything that would have shown otherwise that he indeed was racist? No.



No you won't leave the rest of my "crap" for other people to finish. You'll just show how lazy you are. The truth is that Fox news and Republican campaign strategists are in the business of SMEARING their opponents. They won't try to logically and soundly argue policies, credentials and ideas. Well guess what happened this time with those tactics? They lost.

Sonny, you believe whatever you want to believe, the majority of us ceased believing in the tooth fairy many years ago.

 

[Grim17]

Does anyone actually care about Wright? Honestly. Trying to give a damn. I just can't do it.

It's not about Wright, it's about the fact that our president attended his church for 20 years, befriended him, and considered him to be his spiritual mentor.

Wright is a racist idiot.... there's nothing special about that. The fact our president embraced the man and his views is what this is all about.

 

[Ziggae_6]

It's not about Wright, it's about the fact that our president attended his church for 20 years, befriended him, and considered him to be his spiritual mentor.

Wright is a racist idiot.... there's nothing special about that. The fact our president embraced the man and his views is what this is all about.

The Rev Wright story was great when nobody knew anything about Obama and people tried to portray Obama as a pleasant speaking Nigerian Muslim Socialist who had hatred for America. Its a non-story now and claiming that there was a conspiracy based on e-mail sounds alot like climategate of recent times. You can almost bet that most of these messages are taken out of context--the whole right wing smear is starting to be a too familiar strategy. Otherwise, why not publish all the messages of the e-mails? I really don't want to take some clown's word for it and find out six months later that they selected a few e-mail messages out of context. That's pretty easy to do.

 

[Barbbtx]

It's not about Wright, it's about the fact that our president attended his church for 20 years, befriended him, and considered him to be his spiritual mentor.

Wright is a racist idiot.... there's nothing special about that. The fact our president embraced the man and his views is what this is all about.

It's also about the fact that the MSM tried to black out the Wright story during the campaign. They went as far as suggesting that whenever it came up, change the subject and call them (Karl Rove, Fred Barnes) whoever racists. Jounalism really did die in 2008. They didn't act as journalists, they were doing whatever they could to get their guy elected, and to hell with the truth.
They also ignored the Bill Ayers story, which I thought was a lot more damning than Wright. And what about being mentored by Frank Marshall Davis. I really think if the Media would have investigated Obama and his past like they did Palin, Obama wouldn't be president today. Hillary would be.