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Ear to the Ground

Washington Post Makes a Really Bad Decision

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Posted on Jul 2, 2009
Background: Flickr / Tracy O

For a mere $250,000, lobbyists and captains of industry were invited to “an off-the-record dinner and discussion at the home of [Washington Post] CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth.” Invitees were promised unfettered access to the paper’s reporters as well as “key Obama administration and congressional leaders.”

Weymouth has since canceled the event, and the paper’s executive editor said the flier advertising the function was “not at all consistent with the preliminary conversations the newsroom had” with the business side.

Politico:

Washington Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said today she was canceling plans for an exclusive “salon” at her home where for as much as $250,000, the Post offered lobbyists and association executives off-the-record access to “those powerful few” — Obama administration officials, members of Congress, and even the paper’s own reporters and editors.

The astonishing offer was detailed in a flier circulated Wednesday to a health care lobbyist, who provided it to a reporter because the lobbyist said he felt it was a conflict for the paper to charge for access to, as the flier says, its “health care reporting and editorial staff.”

With the Post newsroom in an uproar after POLITICO reported the solicitation, Weymouth said in an email to the staff that “a flier went out that was prepared by the Marketing department and was never vetted by me or by the newsroom. Had it been, the flier would have been immediately killed, because it completely misrepresented what we were trying to do.”

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By Anarcissie, July 4 at 10:48 am #

There’s an amusing account of this story today in the New York Times.  What’s amusing about it is the deft way the Times writer pretends that there is anything abnormal about government influence being bought and sold through the agency of the corporate media.  Additionally, we find out that the publisher lied about her involvement, in best media-government style.  The fact that we find out about this in the Times must mean it was already found out and published elsewhere.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/business/media/04post.html

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By christian96, July 3 at 11:37 pm #

Anarcissie—-What does my post have to do with the
article?  I’ll let you use that great intellect of
yours to figure it out?  Be careful, IT’S DEEP!

Report this

By Anarcissie, July 3 at 7:04 pm #

christian96:
‘The Tale of 2 Joe’s (or Why California Is Bankrupt) ...’

What’s this, some more Christianity?

And does it have anything to do with the subject at hand?  If so, what?

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By christian96, July 3 at 5:28 pm #

The Tale of 2 Joe’s (or Why California Is Bankrupt)

Alive and growing in every state… Especially CA… Joe Legal vs. Jose Illegal
Here is an example of why hiring illegal aliens is not economically productive for the State of California…
You have 2 families…“Joe Legal” and “Jose Illegal”. Both families have 2 parents, 2 children and live in California.
“Joe Legal” works in construction, has a Social Security Number, and makes $25.00 per hour with payroll taxes deducted.
“Jose Illegal” also works in construction, has “NO” Social Security Number, and gets paid $15.00 cash “under the table”.
Joe Legal…$25.00 per hour x 40 hours $1000.00 per week, $52,000 per year; now take 30% away for state federal tax. Joe Legal now has $31,231.00.
Jose Illegal…$15.00 per hour x 40 hours $600.00 per week, $31,200.00 per year; Jose Illegal pays no taxes… Jose Illegal now has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage $1000.00 per month, $12,000.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $19,231.00.
Jose Illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the state and local clinics at a cost of $0.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal makes too much money,is not eligible for food stamps or welfare. Joe Legal pays for food $1,000.00 per month, $12,000.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $7,231.00.
Jose Illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps and welfare. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.
Joe Legal pays rent of $1,000.00 per month, $12,000.00 per year. Joe Legal is now in the hole minus (-) $4,769.00.
Jose Illegal receives a $500 per month Federal rent subsidy. Jose Illegal pays rent $500.00 per month, $6,000.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $25,200.00.
Joe Legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after work.
Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family.
Joe Legal’s and Jose Illegal’s children both attend the same school.
Joe Legal pays for his children’s lunches while Jose Illegal’s children get a government-sponsored lunch.
Jose Illegal’s children have an after school ESL program. Joe Legal’s children go home.
Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the same police and fire services; but Joe paid for them, and Jose did not pay.
Don’t vote/support any politician that supports illegal aliens… 
Its PAST time to take a stand for America and Americans!

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By tropicgirl, July 3 at 1:27 pm #

Ha! I am sure you are right.

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By Anarcissie, July 3 at 12:25 pm #

tropicgirl:
‘Why can’t some reporter find out who the “key Obama administration and congressional leaders” were that were in on this…?’

Anyone who would sit in the same room as Larry Summers.

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By tropicgirl, July 3 at 12:13 pm #

Why can’t some reporter find out who the “key Obama administration and congressional leaders” were that were in on this? Can someone do a little more reporting here?

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By Rocker Red, July 3 at 12:06 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

During the move from Web 1 to 2.0 , the post websites became much more “demanding”. Craigs is free for a lot more and easier. Sites like this TD - better reporting.

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By katydid, July 3 at 9:28 am #

Has anyone seen the picture of the “embassy” at the top of the article at Alternet?  You could billet the whole frikking military we have in Iraq in there.  Can you imajine the american peoples reaction to this fortress if it came in the frontpage of this countrys newspapers.

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By PSmith, July 3 at 1:59 am #

HEY WASHINGTON POST - NEOCONS

THANKS for the last eight years. And the magnificent enabling that you did. Hope that you still have some of the loot, ER, ‘donations’, for that. Pity your readers aren’t so lucky, with their savings, pensions, bank balances, credit cards, houses, financial system, economy, currency and Empire gone or soon to go. But we guess that, like Madeleine Albright on causing the deaths of one million Iraqis by sanctions, including five hundred thousand children under five, you think that it was worth it.

AS your employer now throws you out, don’t let the door hit you as you leave. Sorry to hear about your pension. But really what did you expect? They were Neocons. AND it all happened before. In 1991.

CIA MAN REVEALS 2008 NEOCON PLAYBOOK. IN 1991.

“John Stockwell: The CIA and the Gulf War”. http://www.serendipity.li/cia/stock2.html
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Stockwell/John_Stockwell.html

A huge national debt, deliberate war, financial crimes, financial crises, a fraudulent bailout and fears of a repeat of 1920’s Germany, with a financial collapse followed by the rise of a police state. 2008? No, it was a CIA man describing George H.W. Bush and the New World Order, in 1991. 

Meet the 2008 New World Order Playbook. Same as the old New World Order Playbook. They match right down the line. Above are SIX points of matching. Add death squads, drugs and torture and we are up to NINE points of matching. Book ‘em Danno! 

ALL of which agree with Noami Klein’s The Shock Doctrine. What a surprise. Information truly is shock resistance. http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine.

Meet the Neocons having _you_ for lunch - http://exiledonline.com/class-war-101-meet-the-reptiles-who-are-making-meat-out-of-you/

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By Outraged, July 3 at 1:20 am #

Article quote: “By bringing together those powerful few in business and policy-making who are forwarding, legislating and reporting on the issues, Washington Post Salons give life to the debate. Be at this nexus of business and policy with your underwriting of Washington Post Salons.”
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked Thursday in the briefing room if anyone from the White House was invited to attend the salons, and what the policy is for attending such events.

“I don’t know if anybody here was,” Gibbs said. “I think some people in the administration, writ large, may have been invited. I do not believe, based on what I’ve been able to check, anyone has ACCEPTED the invitations.”(emphasis mine)

Gibbs said that the White House counsel would review such invitations and that they “would likely exceed” what would be considered appropriate.”

Go Obama….. AND his admin….. you bet.  Obama is certainly NOT the first administration to be messed with, undermined, nor had their OVERWHELMING share of “dirty dogs” (think Eisenhower… Kennedy).  Take note America, take NOTE. (Investigate, check it out…..don’t outrightly trust me…. but if you do, go for it)

It isn’t Obama….it wasn’t others…. IT WAS, AND CONTINUES TO BE, the corporate ideologues/players (the we have a “absconded with your dollar”, “folks”...lol )..... THEY are your nemesis, THEY are the “dirty dogs”..... THEY like to play “games” and the “games” THEY play… are not what THE MOST OF US, would ever enamor.

The mantra is: “trust no one”.....but how would it work out IF we trusted….. each other?

Whoa, Bessie…now THAT is power.  Anyone…. anyone one at all….., convince me, or anyone of us, “DUMB AMERICANS” (check history).... what’s WRONG with this picture…?

My Thanks to Politico, we’re ALL in this together…. (political leanings, aside… of course) hey, we can “battle” our differences under “friendlier skies”......

Of course, this comes from one who can’t “tear across the perforation” types….. what the hell is with that anyway…...?!

Hang tough, America.  And fight…..this is YOUR day.

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By Anarcissie, July 3 at 12:28 am #

Quite right, Folktruther, but in this case the blatant hustling for bribes and the furious backpedaling is hilarious.

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By coloradokarl, July 2 at 11:42 pm #

Why do I think this has been going on all along? someone got pissed and let the rat out of the bag. Let us take back America one vote at a time. vote with our pocket books and make Government smaller.

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By Folktruther, July 2 at 11:22 pm #

How is that any different than what the American media does routinely.  Money talks, and the American media tells us what it says.  The plutocracy, which the media calls a Democracy among its other fairy tales, rules through the truth organs, money organs and violence organs.  The disgrace here is that it is done openly, instead of secretly.  That is why their public phamphlets were canceled.

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