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Commentary by TrueDialog.org's Founder, Carl Lindemann December 27, 2007 - Catching up on an Eventful Year, Looking Ahead There has been much happening here on many fronts. Unfortunately, I've been more engaged in hands-on work (especially with the Ethics Commission) than writing about it. There's something of a New Year's resolution here to remedy this... First, as far as the Media Bloggers Association, I will have much to say about the response to the investigative report issued last month. Here's one telling detail - since the investigative study came out, the MBA has removed the Senator Susan Collins campaign operative's contact information from its website. Fortunately, the purged listing still appears in Google's cache. Also, the membership page featuring the prohibition against speaking critically (that is, freely) about the organization has moved and apparently cannot be accessed without registering. Here's a shortcut to regain direct access. Highlights of what's ahead include comments from James Joyner, part of the MBA's leadership in creating its ethics guidelines. He has offered an intriguing view on the ethics examined in TrueDialog.org's investigative study about the group. Apparently, he believes it's OK for political operatives promoting stories to grease the palms of their media contacts. He also has what appear to be novel ideas about what's appropriate as far as granting anonymity for sources. Meanwhile in Maine, 2008 will see the Maine Legislature weighing in on reforming the state's Ethics Commission. This is, in part, a response to TrueDialog.org's exposing the former Commission Chair Ginn Marvin's failure to disclose a key relationship as well as raising issues about her conduct and qualifications to serve. You can be sure there will be much to discuss about this. Until then, best wishes for '08! *** You're invited to join the dialog. Please send comments below: *** November 17, 2007 - Free Speech at the Media Bloggers Association? Robert Cox, the president and founder of the Media Bloggers Association, claims that he is an avid supporter of First Amendment rights. So why is it that members of his organization who participate in public discussions critical of Cox's activities might find themselves facing reprisals and "...disciplinary action including expulsion from the MBA”? (see note 12-27 - updated link here) *** November 11, 2007 - Remembering Armistice Day The distance between recognizing the bittersweet peace that was the original Armistice Day and today's "support our troops" Veteran's Day is well worth contemplating. *** November 6 - "Lindemann is surely a political operative, but a rather mysterious one." Who – or what – lies behind TrueDialog.org? The answers may satisfy the curious, but not the critics. *** October 19 - Susan Collins, the Viceroy of Maine I thought Susan Collins was seeking reelection as a U.S. Senator. Now, it seems she's appointed herself Viceroy of Maine. Apparently, she would like to enjoy the powers similar to those once held by J. Paul Bremmer, the Viceroy of Iraq, to grant immunity for the contractors (eg. Blackwater) working on his behalf. *** October 18 -The Senator & Accountability for Underlings Senator Collins' campaign operative has finally posted a highly visible disclosure statement on his site. His relationship to the campaign is no longer tucked away in his bio. Bravo! However, this hardly answers the issues raised in my opinion piece published in the Bangor Daily News last month. In fact, this policy underscores what's problematic about such an arrangement. It enables stealth smear campaigns: *** October 12 - Collins Cries "WOLF!" into the Right Wing Echo Chamber What is the reality behind the Collins campaig'ns big "news" item? According to Fox News, what's afoot is something like this: an ultra-Left conspiracy between Google, MoveOn.org and Al Gore (really) has set out to censor Susan Collins, stomping her First Amendment rights in a ruthless quest to remove her from the Senate. *** October 11 - Collins Victimized Yet Again? It seems that Senator Collins is the constant victim of inappropriate attacks, investigations, and now - censorship! However, the "story" being touted by the Collins campaign has some serious problems in terms of journalistic integrity. *** October 3 - The "Authentic" Susan Collins Catching up with the many absurdities the are coming to light around the Collins campaign - where to begin? Let's start with the "authentic" persona that Senator Collins is attempting to create on her "blog". *** September 18 - Collins' Home: a Poodle on the Porch, an Attack Dog Out Back It appears that Senator Susan Collins has decided that it is OK for her paid staffers to conduct a smear campaign at arms-length from her "official" sanitized stance. This is a bad policy that embraces the downhill race typified by Karl Rove's "Swiftboat" strategy. *** September 14 - Some Gave All, Others Gave Briefings The President's address was the climax of a six-week media blitz trying to dampen increasing public discontent over the occupation of Iraq. What we're supposedly experiencing is accountable, democratic government. Is that what we've witnessed? *** September 5 - The Dutson Defense Reactions to my piece in the Bangor Daily News include comments from Lance Dutson himself, the Maine Web Report blogger/Collins campaign's Director of Internet Strategy. What Dutson says here should be of great concern to his patron, Senator Collins. *** September 3 - A Tuna and Cat Food Casserole from the Collins Campaign Say you’re a small tuna fish cannery owner and you develop a strategic alliance with a nationally renowned cat food manufacturer. Suddenly, you decide it’s a good idea to mix in some of your business associate’s product with your own. What’s your responsibility to consumers? *** September 1 - Blogging for Fun & Profit or a Free Market Approach to News The line that separates being a public relations "flak" and a news reporter "hack" continues to fade, much to the detriment of journalism. In Maine, Lance Dutson's Web log boasts that his "Maine Web Report is your alternative to the decrepid (sp) pandering of the Maine's old media"...
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August 23 - Summer Break, Marking the Passing of Michael Deaver These past few days mark the passing of Reagan aide Michael Deaver, "an expert at media manipulation" known "for focusing on how the president looked as much as what the president said." *** August 16 - Maine Heritage Policy Center & a Measure of the "Turd Blossom" Legacy The pending retirement of Karl Rove hopefully marks the beginning of the end of the Culture of Spin. Rove, appropriately nicknamed "Turd Blosson" by George W. Bush, turned spin into substance. *** August 14 - A Moral Meltdown at the Maine Ethics Commission The much-needed discussion about the problems surrounding former Ethics Commission Chair Jean Ginn Marvin almost happened at the agency's monthly meeting yesterday. Almost. *** August 11 - A Portrait of Probity: The Ethics of the new Ethics Commission Chair It has been a long week going back and forth with the Ethics Commission's new Chair, Michael Friedman. That Friedman refused to consider legitimate issues surrounding a Commissioner's qualifications and conduct was obviously a surprise to some staffers. *** August 6 - "Earmarking" and Authenticity Transparency was the new political virtue born in the post-Watergate reforms. For all the value transparency brings exposing hidden financing for front groups promoting candidates and causes, it has significant limits. The New York Times notes the failure of transparency to reign in wasteful spending in Congress. *** August 4 - "Clowns to the Left of me, Jokers to the Right..." Maybe we should blame the simple plot lines of Hollywood summer action flicks. It's as if every day brings a new episode of the Die Hard franchise. Consider the Kennebeck Journal's "Maine Heritage Policy Center Has Rival: Progressives form own think tank." *** July 31 - Authenticity & Matters of State We have some important decisions to make about Iraq. The war of words is on to decide what's right. Will we be able to separate reality from spin to make the best choice? *** July 28 - Clouding Minds with Simple Slogans As promised, let's take a look at how spin killed and political compromise (or progress) in one of the central issues of the recently ended legislative session in Maine, how spin obstructed tax reform efforts. *** July 26 - Don't Rain on the Media Parade? An interesting letter in the KJ, "Hallowell Day Parade Ruined by Politics" points to some of what's wrong with a polarized politics - and partisan media. Things went over-the-top "when (what appeared to be) a secular-progressive, far left group proudly marched by with their Bush-hating, seditious 'Impeach Bush' dribblings." *** July 22 - Charity Begins at Home with our Presidential Candidates The presidential campaigns are in full swing. Many candidates are involved with many public spirited activities and organizations, generating a generous amount of positive messaging... *** July 17 - Justice Trickles Down at the Maine Ethics Commission At yesterday's monthly meeting of the Maine Ethics Commission, the first step towards what appears to be Jean Ginn Marvin's inevitable departure took place as she lost had her position as Commission chair. *** July 16 - When did Maine Heritage Policy Center Become a Political Committee? Is MHPC a political committee? If so, when did it become one? Ethics Commission Chair Jean Ginn Marvin's fate rests on this according to Kevin Wack's story in today's Portland Press Herald. Unfortunately for Ginn Marvin, the more appropriate question is - when wasn't it a political committee? *** July 14 - As Maine Goes for Censorship Scott Fish, the Editor/Owner of As Maine Goes, the state's conservative "public square" for discussion, presents himself as a supporter of First Amendment rights. Sadly, it seems that Fish only believes in free expression as long as it does not embarrass his political allies. *** July 12 - The Guardians of Democracy In Massachusetts, grumbling discontent over the state ethics commission has boiled over, forcing the executive director out. In Maine, the state ethics commission is meeting on Monday under a cloud following TrueDialog.org's call for an investigation of the Ethics Commission Chair Jean Ginn Marvin. This may be a slow boil like in Massachusetts, but it will boil over in time. *** July 10 - Where are the Whirling Dervish Dems? The misuse of Spin is not exclusively a Republican or conservative phenomena, to be sure. Still, there isn’t an across the aisle equal to the term “Rovian” and attempting to find balance by saying “Carvellian” seems dated. The reality is that Karl Rove has no equal, and those claiming otherwise are spinning wildly. *** July
8 - Why the Bad Grades for the Maine Legislature? Part I In
Maine, the post mortem on the legislature continues on the state’s
opinion pages. The first wave in the immediate aftermath was generally
positive and congratulatory. Now, with distance, a more sober, somber
assessment is coming forward. What’s written between the lines is how
obstructionist PR tactics managed to derail much of the hard work done by
the citizen legislature. *** July 7th - Let’s ID the Voter ID Spin Shops Who is behind the American Center for Voting Rights and where are they now? Poof! the organization’s disappeared as reported in Richard L. Hasen’s “The Fraudulent Fraud Squad” published in Slate on May 18. Those operating through spin shops to manipulate and confound honest discussion of voter fraud demonstrate that, for them, the appeal to principle is just another talking point. *** July 5th - Post Launch Blues I don’t know if all writers share this malady, but I sometimes have a sense of post publication regret. This sense of incompletion is gnawing at me today after finally launching TrueDialog.org yesterday. What are my regrets? What have I left out? *** Greetings and thank you for visiting. There is much to report and much to comment about. Please be sure to check the news section to see about our first official action - calling for Maine's Governor and the state's legislative leadership to investigate the conduct of the Chair of the state's Ethics Commission. The Wages of Spin Project Spin Shop Ideas & Essays Spin Shops, State by State
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