'Wash Post' Will Drop Sponsorship Of 'Freedom' March (not)

[Logansquare]

'Wash Post' Will Drop Sponsorship Of 'Freedom' March If It Turns Political
Editor & Publisher
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001014300


By Joe Strupp

Published: August 12, 2005 3:30 PM ET

"NEW YORK The Washington Post has no plans to withdraw its co-sponsorship of a controversial Sept. 11 memorial walk being organized by the Department of Defense, according to Publisher Bo Jones. But, he said the paper would pull out if the event turns out to be some kind of pro-war or political march."<snip>

Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie, Jr. declined to comment on the paper's involvement, other than to say, "it does not affect our coverage."

"But Rick Weiss, a Post science reporter and co-chair of the Washington Post unit of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, noted the hypocrisy of the paper's involvement, since it bars reporters from participating in partisan events. "It is dismaying, to say the least, that I can be fired for participating in a peace march while my employer feels free to co-sponsor an event that so blatantly beats the drum of war," Weiss stated."

[revree]

1. IT ALREADY IS POLITICAL.

WAPO sucks. This is already a redneck parade for more war and death in Iraq, Iran and has NOTHING to do with remembering the 9/11 dead.

[Eloriel]

4. I was gonna say -- whadya mean "IF" - ??? Sheesh.. n/t

[Cha]

34. Wondering how the 9/11 widows

and widowers and loved ones feel about this "Feel Good" hoedown?

[Copperred]

2. WARREN>>>COME ON....

You'd think their Board of Director...>WARREN BUFFET might speak up....

[Jacobin]

3. WaPo is a PNACing Warmongering Motherfucking Rag of a

paper....its glory days are drowned in the cesspool of neo-con bile and feces.

[indepat]

15. Even if WaPo is as bad as you depict, I like them even less

[Jacobin]

16. It was amazing to read the WaPo in the run-up to the invasion

My 'favorite' was Tom Frieman's column in December before the invasion titled (I kid you not) "Just Give War a Chance" wherein he railed against the tens of millions who were protesting against the invasion, claiming that if they were real 'flower children' of the sixties, they would approve of and support this glorious mission to re-make the Middle East into a democracy and 'rid the world of a tyrant'.

The naivete' and similtaneous criminality of this gang of PNAC enabling thugs is absolutely breathtaking. Their love of Bush* knows no bounds...none at all. It is despicable.

And now, this.....a fricking newspaper is spending money to further the conflation created by BushCo that 9/11 and IraqNam are connected. Fascist fucks.

[indepat]

19. Thugs in suits is how Howard Zinn described them in a recent article

in the Guardian.

[Cha]

35. "Fasism Sucks"! is what we

should write to the wapo. I'm going to be in Canada on that date but I imagine there will be plenty of Democracy Loving People in town to let wapo know that,too late, it already WAS "POLITICAL"!!

[carnie_sf]

61. Give War a Chance

I actually saw that on a button. I nearly puked.

[rocktivity]

5. Celebrating 9/11 and glamorizing the Iraq occupation ISN'T political?

We celebrate our freedom on July 4, our dead soliders on May 31, and our veterans on November 11, dont'cha know!

:crazy:
rocknation

[ClintonTyree]

6. The Post's moral compass.........

has gone terribly awry. This is such a crock of shit. The entire MARCH is political, they're just massaging bush's dick with shit like this. I'm sure there will be wall to wall coverage by the rest of our fair and balanced "Liberal Media" as well. Fuckers! :grr:

[Uncle Joe]

22. Katherine Graham must be turning over in her grave. n/t

[Media_Lies_Daily]

28. Oh, please.

Operation Mockingbird
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird>

In 1948 Frank Wisner was appointed director of the Office of Special Projects (OSP). Soon afterwards OSP was renamed the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC). This became the espionage and counter-intelligence branch of the Central Intelligence Agency. Wisner was told to create an organization that concentrated on "propaganda, economic warfare; preventive direct action, including sabotage, anti-sabotage, demolition and evacuation measures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance groups, and support of indigenous anti-Communist elements in threatened countries of the free world." <3>

Later that year Wisner established Mockingbird, a program to influence the domestic and foreign media. Wisner recruited Philip Graham (Washington Post) to run the project within the industry. According to Deborah Davis (Katharine the Great): "By the early 1950s, Wisner 'owned' respected members of the New York Times, Newsweek, CBS and other communications vehicles." <4>

[Uncle Joe]

33. Did she not stand behind her reporters

when they brought Nixon down?

[wishlist]

7. Links 9/11 to troops in Iraq plus feature pro Iraq Bush lover Clint Black

Wash Posts' owner has to be kidding to not see a pro-war connotation to Defense Dept combining a memorial event with effort to boost the troops.

[LisaM]

13. Well said. Email them just that. n/t

[wishlist]

20. Just sent email n/t

[Jacobin]

17. They couldn't see their hands in front of their faces

They are blind neo-con hacks to the core. They are part and parcel of the fascist regime and it is despicable and disgusting to hear about.

[Logansquare]

21. I had no idea that Clint Black served in Iraq..

I mean, he wouldn't write these lyrics if he hadn't personally put his flag-wrapped tushy on the line, would he?

IT MIGHT BE A SMART BOMB
THEY FIND STUPID PEOPLE TOO
AND IF YOU STAND WITH THE LIKES OF SADDAM
ONE JUST MIGHT FIND YOU

I'VE GOT INFRARED, I'VE GOT GPS AND I'VE GOT THAT GOOD OLD FASHIONED LEAD
THERE'S NO PRICE TOO HIGH FOR FREEDOM
SO BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU TREAD

It's funny, I can't find any mention of military service in his bio:
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/black_clint/bio.jhtml

[0007]

25. Kind'da looks like junior smirking away, 'eh?

[ClintonTyree]

40. Look at the poeple these C&W "stars" are catering to........

[0007]

42. Egads!

[kbm8795]

39. Exactly what do our troops have to do with 9/11?

If I recall correctly, our military had nothing to do with 9/11. . .the casualties were civilian and citizens of many, many different countries. The events of that date were not about a military triumph or engagement on the field.

One would think if this were to be a memorial observance, the government would be sponsoring activities to honor the dead of all terrorist bombings, including the domestic one conducted by wingnut Timothy McVeigh in Oklahoma City. It should be focused on the citizens who sacrificed their lives for the policies of the government, not the military which neither protected these people from the attackers nor has captured bin Laden.

And I'm not making this an anti-support the troops statement. Of course we all support our troops, but the Administration and the Defense Department is charged with protecting the citizens of the United States. Memorializing a day in which they failed to do that isn't something that should be turned into a celebration of military action later.

[uppityperson]

8. "IF"? nt

[displacedtexan]

9. Ahem. Here's Rick Weiss' contact info...

Edited to add: I sent Weiss a thank-you email, and I plan to email the others on this list and encourage them to speak up.


Rick Weiss
Work phone at Washington Post: 202-334-5514
e-mail: [e-mail]

But that's not enough. Here's the contact info for the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild Executive Council officers...

President:Bill Salganik
Work phone at Baltimore Sun: 410-332-6110
e-mail: [e-mail]

Vice President: J. Darlene Meyer
Work phone at Washington Post: 202-334-7007
email: [e-mail]

Secretary: Sheila Lindsay
Work phone at American Nurses Association: 301-628-5197
e-mail:[e-mail]

Treasurer: Mark Pattison
Work phone at Catholic News Service: 202-541-3263
email: [e-mail]

[Logansquare]

14. Thanks, displaced. n/t

[Jacobin]

24. Here's mine!! That was FUN. Thanks for the addresses!!

Your paper has taken a mighty tumble indeed. The sanctimonious, half-hearted, and lopsided coverage of the pre-invasion facts regarding the reason for the rush to invade will be truly something to behold when historians excoriate WaPo’s management and editors in 15 years (hopefully less).

My 'favorite' was Tom Friedman's column in about December before the invasion titled "Just Give War a Chance" wherein he railed against the millions in the U.S. and Britain who were protesting against the invasion, in effect claiming that if they were real 'flower children' of the sixties, they would approve of and support this glorious mission to re-make the Middle East into a Jeffersonian democracy and 'rid the world of a tyrant'.

How do you like the tyranny of chaos and occupation you have helped to create? Is it ‘better’ than Saddam? Do you guys really still believe that this ghastly illegal invasion and occupation is going to work? Are you guys that delusional? Do you know what Iraqi’s call American soldiers in Iraq? I’ll tell you. They call them “Jews.” Think I’m making this up? Google it.

The naivete' and similtaneous criminality of the WaPo’s gang of PNAC enabling thugs is absolutely breathtaking. Their love of Bush* and his neo-con Colonel Klinks knows no bounds...none at all. It is despicable.

And now, this.....a fricking newspaper is spending money on the 9/11 March started by the Pentagon to further the conflation created by BushCo that 9/11 and IraqNam are connected.

I really don’t see how you can look at yourselves in the mirror in the morning

[Logansquare]

26. I hope you didn't send that to Rick Weiss

He's the guy who said he was appalled by his newspaper's sponsorship of the event. If you actually sent it to the publisher, my apologies.

[Jacobin]

27. I did. Let him pass it along to his cohorts

If he works there, he is part of the problem. When he resigns, I'll apologize.

[Logansquare]

29. Well, I thanked him.

He may not need to resign after making those comments public.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

30. Since he has spoken out against this action by the Post, he's NOT....

...part of the problem no matter how hard you and others try to make it so.

It's about time you woke up and accepted allies in places where you least expect to find them.

One more point, nobody can resign or be fired from the captive mainstream media after being at odds with the same organization and hope to find another job in the same industry.

You owe this man an apology...the quicker, the better.

[Jacobin]

31. Just being a good German, no?

Sorry.

Trouble finding another job?

How about tens of thousands of dead and maimed people?...but, you're right, finding another good job in this market is so much more important. :eyes:

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. It's only going to get worse for the organizers of that piece of shit

they will wish they never did it.

[movonne]

11. Well I would say the only people invited are Repugs ...

that this is political...and the people that are sponsoring this are NeoCons....I wonder if this was scheduled before Cindy...

[underthedome]

12. I have a feeling this party is going to backfire on the White House. *nm

*

[jsmacdonald]

18. Tell the Post to co-sponsor Operation Ceasefire

The only way to support the troops is to support them coming home. If all the <i>Washington Post</i> is doing is supporting the troops without reference to politics, then encourage it to support both events.

Jim Macdonald
DC Anti-War Network (http://www.dawndc.net)
septemberACTION Collective (http://www.septemberACTION.org)
Operation Ceasefire (http://www.opceasefire.org)

[LisaM]

23. The whole thing is stupid

The day those moron Republicans get booted out of the office is going to be like the day Prohibition ended.

[NYC]

62. I'm chilling the champagne.

Good comparison.

[depakid]

32. Hypocrisy of the paper's involvement! LOL

Score another one for Pravda on the Potomac!

That paper really is a laughingstock.

My God, I'd be embarrassed to work there....

[ElectroPrincess]

50. Some of the front section reporting is NOT half-bad in the WP

The WP's true Republican cheerleaders are to be found within the EDITORIAL SECTION. Too funny, before * was selected in 2000, my local newspaper's editorials were more Right Wing, now the Kool-aide drinking, propaganda spewing morons are in the WP.

What's UP is DOWN in BushWorld? Indeed!

[depakid]

54. Dunno about that

The way they word even the front page articles is insidious. Their senior editors are little more than propaganda agents, if you ask me. CNN style at best. At least with the Moonie Times, people know what they're getting.

On another note, their so called science articles have become legendary in my department. I've seen no less than three since Christmas last year that were so innaccurate, quoted "unnamed sources" and made ouch ridiculous assertions and false statements of fact that when I brought a relevant one into class, everyone laughed at it!

[MrBenchley]

36. Here's the letter I sent them...

It is utterly shameful for a company such as yours, that is supposed to be presenting news to citizens objectively, to help sponsor any government propaganda event.

It is doubly shameful when it is an inappropriate event of such awesome bad taste such as the one planned for September 11th by the Pentagon. What exactly is it that Americans are supposed to be celebrating at this hoedown?
--Hooray! Our country was attacked and the guy who did it got away scot free!
--Yippee! 3,000 innocent civilians were killed here but the Pentagon has killed many more innocent civilians overseas!
--Yee Haw! $400 billion dollars a year spent on defense, but our military headquarters was a sitting duck!
--Yay! The fighter planes didn't get in the air in time!
--Huzzah! The anthrax killer is still on the loose!

What makes it even more appalling is that this celebration of "freedom" is demanding that citizens be registered and screened in order to be on public property.

This is disgusting in every way, and more befitting of Pravda during the Soviet Union's heyday than that of the free press in America.

[kbm8795]

37. What kind of bogus crap is this?

And that science reporter is right - the newspaper would definitely discipline or fire a reporter for exhibiting a direct political position - it creates a conflict of interest and limits a reporters ability to credibly write on certain stories.

For the newspaper itself to blatantly endorse an official Defense Department activity, obviously geared to bolster the wingnuts who pray away everything from prisoner torture to lack of funding for veterans, gives the appearance of innate bias on the part of the newspaper.

I would expect this kind of promotion from the Rev. Moonie-owned Times, but then the Times has to subscribe to the belief that Moon is the monarch of America and the still un-recognized Second Messiah.
I would expect more from the Washington Post.

Would it affect their coverage? Well hell yes - do ya think the newspaper is gonna trash an event that it helps sponsor? And do ya think that it will notice or report on any peripheral activities, any protests, any political activity? Heck no. . .and what's more, we can expect to see photos on page one and the newspaper tooting its horn about the event.

You can't present any more of a conflict of interest than that to the public.

[against all enemies]

38. "Triumph des W", Lani Riefenstahl-Director; Wash Post - Producer

[Oreegone]

41. You have to have a clearance

You have to have a clearance to be in the "Freedom March". You give them all your ID and they tell you whether you are "free" to march. This is George Orwell Bush's new Umuricah.

[Oreegone]

43. Speaking of clearance

Read this freeper thread as to the reasons why they would want you to sign up...man are these people clueless.
Let freedom ring, may I see your papers please.......???
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1460018/posts

[Logansquare]

I suspect the DOD will have plenty of recruiters there

I wish I could be there to see the America First Unless I Have To Enlist crowd knocking each other down to avoid them.

[brainshrub]

45. At the REAL Freedom March On Sept 24th, you won't need an ID.

Unless you go to one of the DU-Meetups that weekend, they might card you if you buy alcohol.

[brainshrub]

44. This is going to be a pro-war march.

This is going to be a pro-war march.

There's nothing wrong with a pro-Iraqi war march; but if it such a good thing, why the hell don't they just come out and say it?

The RW choses to hide behind feel-good terminology like "Support Our Troops" and "Freedom" march, when in reality they are thinly-veiled propaganda vehicles for yellow elephants.

If the Iraqi War was worth dying far, they wouldn't need to use such euphemisms.

[Logansquare]

46. I agree: people who are for the war have the right to march

However, a private organization isn't organizing this; it's our own DOD. It's a thinly veiled attempt to connect the Iraq war with 9/11, and get in a little "Anti-War means Anti-Troop" memes while they're at it. I'm disgusted that *our* tax dollars are funding part or perhaps most of this, and to add a cherry on top of the whole Orwellian exhibition, a major media organization is a sponsor. It's propaganda, and WaPo is a willing whore; a disgrace to the tradition of free press.

[brainshrub]

47. I disagree wholeheartedly. Why do you hate America?

LOL just kidding.

[davidinalameda]

48. willing whore?

I wouldn't go that far

even whores have standards

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

49. My LTTE

Horrendous. Macabre. Sick.
The remembrance of those who died on 9/11/01 should not be a party, especially in the Capitol.
This is clearly another attempt by the Bush Administration to link the attacks to the "war on some terror."
It is also vaguely reminiscent of other official state marches to mark various events in fascist regimes of Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Italy under Mussolini.
Why should the Defense Department sponsor such a thing? Don't they have a war to fight? Seems like this would logically be under the purview of the Department of the Interior, that is, if, of course it was not a blatant political event.
Your newspaper's planned participation in this event leaves me wondering about your motives as well. This seems to cast even more serious aspersions on national journalists in a confusing time of questions about the media's role in events surrounding the Bush Administration's official lies, war misconduct, constitutional abuses, and other serious crimes.
Should you continue in your support of this martial glad-handing, what little credibility you still have will be gone.
Sincerely...

[katinmn]

51. Look! Here's an action against it already!

https://secure2.convio.net/afsc/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=110&JServSessionIdr006=89petkknd1.app2b

Stop the Post from Sponsoring Military Propaganda

[ElectroPrincess]

55. Whoa! American Friends Service committee is run by QUAKERS

Oh yeah, homeland security will be all over this and keep us safe from those "evil" liberal Christians. Like the NUNS who protested and will be locked up for years, we need not worry about devout QUAKERS.

Don't you feel more safe already? This illustrious "freedom march" will clear the way for unyielding, no exceptions sedition-type legislation.

Got to keep those dangerous groups out of society. Yes, those evil devout liberal Catholic Nuns and Quakers Do-Gooders may just inspire the sheeple to work for PEACE.

Can't have that! ... else our war profiteering mega-corporations will not be able to steal more Billions from the American taxpayer (government funding). :sarcasm:

No, American patriot!

PEACE is WAR!

[nuxvomica]

64. Thanks for posting. I included a personal message, too.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

52. i find it hard to believe that those rw'ers are going to walk

from the pentagon to the mall.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

53. I'm thinking Democrats should drop sponsorship of the WP

I'm seriously considering it...

[trapper914]

56. If the Post knew anything about country music...

...they'd know that Clint Black hasn't been a headliner in years. The Pentagon wants him for one reason only...to sing that stupid Iraq and Roll song. How can the Post not see the political motivation for this event? How do they not question the timing of the announcement...just as Bush and the Iraq War reach all time polling lows?

If the Pentagon really wants to accomplish something, make it a real charity walk with the proceeds going for the securing of chemical plants and the inspection of shipping containers.

[ProudDad]

57. What's the main editor's or publisher's email?

I've GOT to send these clowns a letter about this! This is INSANE.

This is the paper that broke the Watergate conspiracy and printed the Pentagon Papers and they've sunk to the depths of co-sponsoring a pro-war event with the FUCKING WAR DEPARTMENT!!!!!

This is beyond the pale...

[ProudDad]

58. This is SICK, SICK, SICK

http://www.asyfreedomwalk.com/

[ProudDad]

59. I DON'T WANT MY FUCKING TAXES

to pay for this kind of SHIT!!!!

I'm sooooooooooooooooo Pissed.

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

I wish that plane had taken out the whole fucking building!!!

[ProudDad]

60. I sent him this letter

Thank you for speaking out against the appalling action of the Washington Post; their co-sponsoring of a pro-war rally.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a wonderful radio play on KPFA about the decision of the Washington Post to fight for publication of the "Pentagon Papers" in 1971. The intelligence, compassion and commitment to the spirit and the letter of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution displayed by the people at the Post back then made me feel a great deal of warmth and respect for those patriots who fought for the right to speak truth to power.

I am almost speechless with rage over this latest example of how far the Post has fallen since those days of honor. That my tax dollars are being used for this pro-war obscenity is bad enough, to hear of the collusion of an alleged instrument of the Fourth Estate gives me little hope for the future of this country.

<Me>
<Where I Live>



PS: I would appreciate it if you could forward this (without endangering yourself) to those in power at the Post with my urgent request that they disengage from sponsorship of this pro-war event. The Fourth Estate should NEVER prostitute themselves to the Executive branch of the Government in this manner; no matter what the excuse.

[kwolf68]

63. And still "they" will claim

Liberal media bias.

[tabasco]

65. I can scarcely believe there is any debate about this.

This is such an inappropriate event. If they actually have this concert and "celebration" on Sept. 11, it will be a national disgrace.

[buddha8]

66. Nuremburg Trials

A restaging across the Internet of Nuremburg Trials would do well to begin soon. High atop the list along with the bush crime family members should be the Washington Post stenographers for War and their NYTimes compatriots. They should be identified for all to see and they should be indicted,tried and then, hopefully, convicted for crimes against humanity. The blood of thousands upon thousands is on their hands. They hung German journalist-propagandists in 45' at Nuremburg. Hung them until dead. The Russerts and Blitzers should be put on notice and sentences need to be pronounced. They are bearing absolutely no accountability after agressively selling this War and its runup for high ratings and by the Government's urgings. We desperately need to hold these smiling villians accountable or else new wars sprouting up like mushrooms will be in our future for sure. Already as I speak, the Fall marketing for a War on Iran has begun. All the same tired cast of criminals and sociopaths will be dragged out willingly in front of the corporate cameras to spout endless and repetitive lies and to fear-monger ad infinitum. It is time to let these synchopantic and criminal journalists know that they have been identified and they will be tried in an international court.