Where Is the Military's Line Between Psy-Ops and P.R.?
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:40 am PST
The Atlantic Wire - First of all, it's illegal to use propaganda on Americans, thanks to a law passed in 1948 that was meant to prevent Soviet-style manipulation of citizens. Second, using soldiers trained in propaganda on elected representatives would seem to undermine the principle of civilian control of the military. Think about it: Is it ok to use company resources to investigate your boss? Third, according to documents provided by Holmes, his superiors reordered priorities so that working congressmen took "priority over all other duties"--presumably including trying to make the Taliban and Afghan civilians like us. Full Story | Top |
SunChips: A Brief History of a Packaging Disaster
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:38 pm PST
The Atlantic Wire - This story just keeps on going. In the spring of 2009, Frito-Lay shared some exciting news with SunChips fans. The snack already felt healthy because, after all, the chips were whole grain and now, with new biodegradable bags made from plant material, it would feel environmentally responsible too! Full Story | Top |
Did We Just Watch a Preview of the Trump Stump Speech?
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:16 pm PST
The Atlantic Wire - Donald Trump likes to play the part of presidential contender. And, by many accounts, he did so convincingly just a few weeks ago at the Conservative Political Action Conference in D.C. But even Trump had to be surprised that he's now pulled into a virtual tie with President Obama in a new Newsweek/Daily Beast poll. Right? Nope, it looks like the business mogul saw it coming...because it also looks like he's trying out a potential stump speech on his YouTube channel. Here's his latest musings, beginning with explaining what it's like to be tied, effortlessly, with the president in the polls (0:14 in video):...I'm not that surprised because my message says that were tired as a country: we're tired of being ripped off by China, we're tired of being ripped off by OPEC, we're tired off being ripped off by almost everybody that does business with us. We're tired of giving state dinners [Or maybe "steak dinners"? The audio's tough to hear.] for countries and heads of countries where they do nothing but take advantage of us. So the poll came out and we're in a virtual tie and I haven't campaigned, so I'm not really though, despite that, that surprised because it's a message of common sense.... Full Story | Top |
Why Are Lobbyists Being Kept Away From White House?
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:54 pm PST
The Atlantic Wire - The Obama White House isn't crazy about lobbyists, and lobbyists apparently aren't crazy about that. Bloggers, meanwhile, find the whole thing hypocritical.To the Obama folks, a meeting with a lobbyist is like a date you take to a hidden Chinese restaurant where you're guaranteed not to run into anyone you know. Meetings between White House aides and lobbyists are held off-site, sometimes at a nearby complex of row houses, other times at a Caribou Coffee. Politico's Chris Frates reports that logs aren't kept at these meetings, but some lobbyists have recently been asked "to sign confidentiality agreements barring them from disclosing what was discussed at meetings with administration officials."According to Frates, "lobbyists are particularly stung by what they see as a double standard, with Obama bashing their profession as part of what's wrong with Washington while his staff routinely sits down with lobbyists to discuss key issues." While some lobbyists are hurt by what they think is a politically-motivated snub, others, like immigration lobbyist Tamar Jacoby, are just happy to have any face time with a White House staffer to promote their agenda. Jacoby told Politico, "The most important thing, for all the prohibitions, is that they're realizing that you can't govern in America without a.), getting the input of experts and b.), getting in touch with the business community. No matter how they do that, whether it's on the up-and-up or off-the-charts, so to speak, the important thing is that they know that they have to do it."Bloggers, though, are questioning the White House's motivation for hiding lobbyists. Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin, takes the Politico story as proof that her skepticism of Obama's transparency pledge was warranted. "Obama lied, transparency died," she writes. "See, I told you so." Red State's Erick Erickson is also not surprised, but curious as to with whom Obama's staff is actually meeting. "We know the White House is happy to have routine visits from the AFL-CIO and SEIU. And if they want those to be known, who exactly are they ashamed of you knowing about? Or scared?" he asks. Of the secrecy, Thomas Ferdousi at Pundit Press writes, "there's something Nixon-esque here." The Texas Insider also points out that this is not the first time the White House has been busted circumventing it's own transparency promise. It notes that such instances in which the Administration has avoided "public scrutiny of their actions [do] not speak well to its ability to operate with the unmatched level of transparency, participation and accountability promised by the President." Full Story | Top |
LOOK FOR THE UNION FABLE
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:30 pm PST
Ann Coulter - The good news out of Wisconsin is that public school students' test scores skyrocketed last week, mystifying educators. The bad news is many student-teacher love affairs were hard-hit without access to janitors' closets and locker rooms. Full Story | Top |
Oil Prices Briefly Plummet on False Rumor That Qaddafi Was Shot
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:12 pm PST
The Atlantic Wire - Oil prices fell by more than $2 a barrel in late Thursday trading based on rumors that Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffi had been shot. While Reuters says "there was no immediate indication of where the rumor had originated or any news report to substantiate it," CNBC cites the greatest rumor mill ever invented: the Internet. Full Story | Top |
Oil Prices Plummet on Rumors That Qaddafi Shot
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:41 pm PST
The Atlantic Wire - Oil prices fell by more than $2 a barrel in late Thursday trading based on rumors that Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffi had been shot. While Reuters says "there was no immediate indication of where the rumor had originated or any news report to substantiate it," CNBC cites the greatest rumor mill ever invented: the Internet. Full Story | Top |
McCain the 'Maverick' Is Now Most Conservative Senator
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:52 am PST
The Atlantic Wire - National Journal announced on Thursday that Senator John McCain--the Arizona Republican and 2008 presidential nominee--had emerged from the publication's analysis of 2010 Senate votes as the chamber's most conservative member, sharing the title with seven colleagues. Full Story | Top |
Wisconsin: Ground Zero in the Fight for Democracy
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:53 am PST
The Nation - The Nation -- Editor's Note: Each week we excerpt Katrina vanden Heuvel's column for the WashingtonPost.com here on TheNation.com. To read the full post, please visit WashingtonPost.com. As demonstrators in the tens of thousands flooded the Capitol in Madison, Wis., a sign captured the spirit: "I didn't think Cairo would be this cold." Even conservative Republican Rep. Full Story | Top |
Hollywood Bloggers Battle Over Who Owns a Scoop on the Web
Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:50 am PST
The Atlantic Wire - Internet evangelists often describe the web as a hyperlink and hat tip-based culture that, unlike the ink-and-paper world we're leaving behind, doesn't represent a zero-sum game for media companies. You're not admitting defeat when you link to a competitor's scoop, so the theory goes, but rather embracing the medium's free-love, rising-tide-lifts-all-boats ethos. In other words, one news outlet's success doesn't necessarily come at another's expense. Full Story | Top |
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