pFifteen years ago, CMD's book ema href=http://www.prwatch.org/books/tsigfy.html title=reference on Toxic Sludge Is Good for You! target=_blankToxic Sludge Is Good for You!/a/em first exposed the hidden government and industry PR campaign a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=greenwashing title=reference on greenwashing target=_selfgreenwashing/a toxic a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=sewage_sludge title=reference on sewage sludge target=_selfsewage sludge/a as a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=biosolids title=reference on biosolids target=_selfbiosolids/a, an invented PR euphemism used to cynically a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=You_say_biosolids,_I_say_sewage_sludge title=reference on re-brand toxic waste as fertilizer target=_selfre-brand toxic waste as fertilizer/a given free to farmers. Today, unfortunately, the biosolids scam is bigger than ever. The a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Organic_Consumers_Association title=reference on Organic Consumers Association target=_selfOrganic Consumers Association/a (OCA) a href=http://www.organicconsumers.org/sludge.cfm title=reference on reports target=_blankreports/a that San Francisco has come up with an ingenious plot to trick city residents into taking their toxic sewage sludge back and disposing of it in their own gardens. San Francisco is having a href=http://www.sludgenews.org/industry/sludge.aspx?id=11 title=reference on Synagro, the corporate giant of the toxic sludge industry target=_blankSynagro, the corporate giant of the toxic sludge industry/a, 'compost' some of the toxic sewage sludge. Then they give it away to San Francisco's gardeners telling us it's 'high-quality, nutrient-rich, organic Biosolids Compost.' OCA has a href=http://capwiz.com/grassrootsnetroots/issues/alert/?alertid=14646196 title=reference on launched a grassroots campaign target=_blanklaunched a grassroots campaign/a calling on San Francisco's mayor to stop the practice, noting municipal sewage sludge routinely contains thousands of dangerous pathogens, toxic heavy metals, flame retardants, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, pharmaceutical drugs and other hazardous chemicals coming from residential drains, storm water runoff, hospitals, and industrial plants. /p

pCitizens in the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ukraine title=reference on Ukraine target=_selfUkraine/a are starting to see American-style campaign sloganeering and other tactics in the race between their Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, and her main rival, Viktor Yanukovich, for the office of President. Tymoshenko's banners, billboards and posters bear slogans like They talk, she works, They promise, she works, and They betray, she works. The ad campaign is significant because it is the product of the American political consulting firm a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=AKP%26D_Message_%26_Media title=reference on AKPamp;D Message amp; Media target=_selfAKPamp;D Message amp; Media/a, the company founded by a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama title=reference on President Obama's target=_selfPresident Obama's/a chief advisor, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=David_Axelrod title=reference on David Axelrod target=_selfDavid Axelrod/a. Axelrod's son, Michael, still works for the firm. Mr. Yanukovich is being advised by a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_J._Manafort,_Jr. title=reference on Paul Manafort target=_selfPaul Manafort/a, a Republican strategist from the firm a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Davis,_Manafort_%26_Freedman,_Inc. title=reference on Davis, Manafort amp; Freedman, Inc. target=_selfDavis, Manafort amp; Freedman, Inc./a, which has advised several U.S. presidents. Ukraine's outgoing president, Victor Yushenko, received American-style help and campaign advice from Hillary Clinton's campaign strategist, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mark_Penn title=reference on Mark Penn target=_selfMark Penn/a, who was president of the big American PR firm, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Burson-Marsteller title=reference on Burson-Marsteller target=_selfBurson-Marsteller/a. The Ukraine is a gold mine for big American political firms, since it is one of the largest countries in Europe, has obscure and weakly-enforced campaign laws, and the major Ukrainian political parties are backed by big businesses, with money to finance professional campaigns. /p

pspan class=inline leftimg src=/files/images/Palincribnotes.jpg width=140 height=120 align=right alt=Palin's crib notes /span class=caption style=width: 138px;iPalin's crib notes/i/span/spanEx-Alaska Governor a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sarah_Palin title=reference on Sarah Palin target=_selfSarah Palin/a is becoming more vocal and visible in recent days, and indications are that the upswing will continue. a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fox_News title=reference on Fox News target=_selfFox News/a is building a television studio in Palin's living room in her home in Wasilla, Alaska, so she will be able to reach her political base without leaving home. Palin also sends messages out to her 1.3 million Facebook friends, writes columns for newspapers, sends out Tweets and signs copies of her books for donors to her political action committee. Last weekend, she delivered a paid speech to the Salina, Kansas a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Chamber_of_Commerce title=reference on Chamber of Commerce target=_selfChamber of Commerce/a, headlined the national a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tax_Day_Tea_Party| title=reference on Tea Party target=_blankTea Party/a convention in Nashville and make an appearance in Texas to support Governor Rick Perry's re-election bid. She also emailed an endorsement for Dr. Rand Paul in Kentucky's Republican Senate primary and, through Facebook, and called for the resignation of White House chief of staff, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rahm_Emmanuel title=reference on Rahm Emmanuel target=_selfRahm Emmanuel/a, for using the term quot;retardedquot; in a private meeting. Palin also received some criticism for referring to a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama title=reference on President Obama target=_selfPresident Obama/a in her Nashville speech as a quot;charismatic guy with the teleprompter,quot; while referring to a href=http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/21288 title=reference on crib notes she had scrawled on her hand target=_blankcrib notes she had scrawled on her hand/a during the same speech./p

div style=float:right;margin:0 10px 5px 0;object width=220 height=344br / param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/Audjt-Y6xWwamp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp;rel=0 / param name=allowFullScreen value=true / param name=allowscriptaccess value=always /embed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/Audjt-Y6xWwamp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp;rel=0 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowscriptaccess=always allowfullscreen=true width=220 height=200/embed/object/div pIn a a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Audjt-Y6xWw title=reference on video target=_blankvideo/a posted on YouTube on February 3, House Representative a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barney_Frank title=reference on Barney Frank target=_selfBarney Frank/a (D-Massachusetts) explains how the right wing media machine creates and spreads a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=disinformation title=reference on disinformation target=_selfdisinformation/a in an effort to smear the left. Disinformation should not be confused with misinformation, the unintentional form of wrong information. emDisinformation/em is produced by people who intend to mislead their audience. /p h2Step 1: Fabricate the Lie/h2 pFrank tells how a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Fund title=reference on John Fund target=_selfJohn Fund/a, an editorial writer for the emWall Street Journal/em, told a lie about him in November of last year: In a speech at a conservative function in Florida called a href=http://www.campaignsolutions.com/fpm/restoration/ title=reference on Restoration Weekend target=_blankRestoration Weekend/a, Fund claimed that, after losing the special election in Massachusetts, Democrats a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Chuck_Schumer title=reference on Chuck Schumer target=_selfChuck Schumer/a and a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barney_Frank title=reference on Barney Frank target=_selfBarney Frank/a were going to propose a bill to create universal voter registration. Fund further stated that Democrats were going to add all welfare recipients and unemployed people to the voter rolls, and he called it felon re-enfranchisement. /p pIn reality, Frank explains, there was no such bill. /ppa href=http://www.prwatch.org/node/8882read more/a/p

pLast September, when President a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama title=reference on Barack Obama target=_selfBarack Obama/a gave a a href=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125292937349508441.html title=reference on major speech on Wall Street target=_blankmajor speech on Wall Street/a urging bankers to support financial reform, the CEOs of the nation's megabanks didn't bother to show up -- a move widely interpreted as a sign of disrespect. But those same CEOs found time to get to Capitol Hill to attend a two-day a href=http://www.zerohedge.com/article/2010-financial-services-university-fsu-educational-series-–-february-4-5-2010 title=reference on Financial Services University target=_blankFinancial Services University/a for the 20-something congressional aides who will be helping write the rules designed to rein in and reform Wall Street. The instructional seminar was organized by the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Financial_Services_Roundtable title=reference on Financial Services Roundtable target=_selfFinancial Services Roundtable/a, a powerful lobbying group for the finance industry. Many of the staffers in attendance were barely out of college, but they will soon be a position to help draft new rules that will govern how the megabanks can make their money. Richard Davis, CEO of a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Bancorp title=reference on U.S. Bancorp target=_selfU.S. Bancorp/a attended, as did Robert Kelly, CEO of the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bank_of_New_York title=reference on Bank of New York target=_selfBank of New York/a, who told the staffers that bankers support reducing the number of regulators watching the industry. (Kelly told the group the U.S. has zillions.) The CEOs did not mention the factors that led to the liquidity crunch, like the sky-high leveraged bets made possible by the lack of regulation, or how their actions blew up the economy and nearly destroyed the financial system. Instead, they talked about how the recently-passed credit card reform measures will hurt their companies. Nor did Kelly or Davis mention that the $800 million in revenue they'll miss after the rules go into effect is money they were taking from average Americans through unfair overdraft charges and predatory fees. /p

pOn the day that Punxsutawney Phil emerged to predict a long hard winter, Americans picked up the newspaper to read that a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=AIG title=reference on AIG target=_selfAIG/a, the bankrupt insurance giant, was going to pay out $100 million in bonuses to its failed financial products division. a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Kenneth_Feinberg title=reference on Kenneth Feinberg target=_selfKenneth Feinberg/a, President Obama’s pay czar, announced that these were “grandfathered” retention payments and that the unit had taken a $20 million dollar reduction in bonuses. /p pLike Bill Murray in the classic film Groundhog Day, we are being forced to live this day over again. /ppa href=http://www.prwatch.org/node/8880read more/a/p

div style=float:left;margin:0 10px 5px 0;object width=220 height=200br / param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/oRgCOXaiDjQamp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp; / param name=allowFullScreen value=true / param name=allowscriptaccess value=always /embed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/oRgCOXaiDjQamp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp; type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowscriptaccess=always allowfullscreen=true width=220 height=200/embed/object/div pThe political race between two doctors duking it out for the elective office of Parish Coroner in New Orleans has resulted in arguably the weirdest a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRgCOXaiDjQ title=reference on political campaign ad target=_blankpolitical campaign ad/a in history. The incumbent is Dr. Frank Minyard, who is running for a tenth term after serving 36 years in the office, and the challenger is Dr. Dwight McKenna, a convicted tax evader who spent nine months in federal prison for underreporting his income by $367,000 in 1992. Dr. McKenna has launched a campaign ad against Dr. Minyard that highlights a mini-scandal that occurred in the 1990s, after Minyard was sued for allegedly removing pieces of bone and corneas from bodies and sending them to transplant centers without permission. The ad portrays Dr. Minyard as a mad, Frankenstein-style doctor in surgeon's garb, complete with a bloody hand-print on the back of his white coat. He and his assistant, Igor, hover ghoulishly over a dead body that bears a toe tag that says DOA on one side and For Sale on the other. Dr. Minyard carelessly waves around what looks like a rubbery calf's liver, and tells Igor that they need to retrieve a heart, a spleen and a liver for tonight's sale. Igor sneers, Ye-s-s-s, Dr. Minyard, and a deep voice-over intones, Say NO to Dr. Minyard, and YES to Dr. McKenna. /p

pHouse Minority Leader a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Boehner title=reference on John Boehner target=_selfJohn Boehner/a (R-Ohio) a href=http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/79583-boehner-drawn-out-health-debate-has-hurt-the-economy title=reference on suggested target=_blanksuggested/a on a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fox_News title=reference on Fox News target=_selfFox News/a that the drawn-out process of passing health reform legislation is hurting the economy. Boehner told Fox News, “It’s the policies that are coming out of this administration and liberals here in Congress that are holding back employers ... And until there’s some certainty out there in the marketplace … I expect them to continue to sit on their hands.” Boehner left out information that Republicans have adopted a strategy to kill the bill by delaying it as much as possible. On December 1, 2009 Senator a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Judd_Gregg title=reference on Judd Gregg target=_selfJudd Gregg/a (R-New Hampshire) sent a a href=http://www.politico.com/static/PPM110_091202_minorityrights.html title=reference on letter target=_blankletter/a to all Republican senators listing procedural stall tactics, and on December 10, 2009, CBS News obtained a a href=http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/12/10/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5962642.shtml title=reference on strategy memo target=_blankstrategy memo/a issued by a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_National_Committee title=reference on Republican National Committee target=_selfRepublican National Committee/a chair a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Michael_Steele title=reference on Michael Steele target=_selfMichael Steele/a that urged Republicans to do everything in their power to block the health care bill from advancing in the Senate: I urge everyone to spend every bit of capital and energy you have to stop this health care reform, Steele wrote in the memo. The Democrats have accused us of trying to delay, stall, slow down and stop this bill. They are right. We do want to delay, stall, slow down and ultimately stop them from experimenting on our nation's health care. /p

pspan class=inline rightimg src=/files/images/golden_throne-ryan2.jpg width=180 height=263 align=right alt=T. Timothy Ryan, Jr. //spanThe a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Center_for_Media_and_Democracy title=reference on Center for Media and Democracy target=_selfCenter for Media and Democracy/a and a href=http://www.banksterusa.org title=reference on BanksterUSA target=_blankBanksterUSA/a are pleased to present our Golden Throne Award to a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=T._Timothy_Ryan_Jr. title=reference on T. Timothy Ryan Jr. target=_selfT. Timothy Ryan Jr./a, President and Chief Executive Officer of the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Securities_Industries_and_Financial_Markets_Association title=reference on Securities Industries and Financial Markets Association target=_selfSecurities Industries and Financial Markets Association/a (SIFMA). SIFMA is the leading behind-the-scenes lobby group representing big banks and investment firms, as well as broker-dealers and other peddlers of financial instruments, which a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Warren_Buffett title=reference on Warren Buffett target=_selfWarren Buffett/a labeled quot;weapons of mass destruction.quot; SIFMA lobbies Congress and financial regulators, and handles securities-related press for a href=http://www.sifma.org/about/members/ title=reference on some of the biggest players in the financial crisis target=_blanksome of the biggest players in the financial crisis/a--a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Goldman_Sachs title=reference on Goldman Sachs target=_selfGoldman Sachs/a, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bank_of_America title=reference on Bank of America target=_selfBank of America/a, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=AIG title=reference on AIG target=_selfAIG/a, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Merrill_Lynch title=reference on Merrill Lynch target=_selfMerrill Lynch/a, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citigroup title=reference on Citigroup target=_selfCitigroup/a, and a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fidelity_Investments title=reference on Fidelity Investments target=_selfFidelity Investments/a. /ppa href=http://www.prwatch.org/node/8876read more/a/p

pRepublicans are on the defensive. As we enter the 2010 election cycle, Republicans are a bit worried that Americans might remember how their maniacal push to deregulate Wall Street resulted in the collapse of the global economy on their watch. They need a new message to appeal to hard-hit voters. To the rescue comes renowned Republican strategist and spinmeister a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Frank_Luntz title=reference on Frank Luntz target=_selfFrank Luntz/a. Luntz, who has been reprimanded by American Association for Public Opinion Research for his misleading polling work, a href=http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/01/luntz_finds_the_words_to_kill_financial_reform.html title=reference on advises target=_blankadvises/a Republicans to keep it simple: 1) Never minimize the pain of those suffering from the crisis; 2) Acknowledge the need for reform that ensures it never happens again; 3) Then lie, lie, lie. The killer lie? Characterize any meaningful Wall Street reform legislation as “the big bank bailout bill.” In reality, the financial reform package passed by the Democratic House of Representatives would create a mechanism for the resolution of failing financial institutions that would shift responsibility for any future bailout from the taxpayers to the largest financial institutions themselves. These institutions would prepay into a crisis fund, much like the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=FDIC title=reference on FDIC target=_selfFDIC/a’s long-standing fund for failing banks. Various Republican proposals to unwind these institutions are far more likely to leave taxpayers holding the bag. emThink Progress/em points out that Luntz’ a href=http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/01/luntz-finance-industry/ title=reference on client list target=_blankclient list/a includes a group of financial institutions desperate to prevent the creation of a a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Consumer_Financial_Protection_Agency title=reference on Consumer Financial Protection Agency target=_selfConsumer Financial Protection Agency/a that would crack down on their deceptive practices. Among his clients are Ameriquest, the subprime mortgage dealer, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Express title=reference on American Express target=_selfAmerican Express/a, the credit card giant and a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Merrill_Lynch title=reference on Merrill Lynch target=_selfMerrill Lynch/a, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bear_Sterns title=reference on Bear Sterns target=_selfBear Sterns/a. The a href=http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/LanguageofFinancialReform.pdf title=reference on Luntz memo target=_blankLuntz memo/a is a warning to Democrats. If they don’t pass tough strong structural reforms that truly prevent the next crisis and communicate that message clearly to the voters, they will be defeated by the big lie. To read the memo which was leaked to the emHuffington Post/em, a href=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/01/frank-luntz-pens-memo-to_n_444332.html title=reference on click here. target=_blankclick here./a /p

pThe watchdog group a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_Responsibility_and_Ethics_in_Washington title=reference on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington target=_selfCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington/a (CREW) is asking a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barack_Obama title=reference on President Obama target=_selfPresident Obama/a not to attend this year's a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Prayer_Breakfast title=reference on National Prayer Breakfast target=_selfNational Prayer Breakfast/a, the signature annual event of a secretive, Washington, D.C.-based, conservative Christian organization known as a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=The_Fellowship title=reference on The Fellowship target=_selfThe Fellowship/a or The Family. News reports link The Fellowship to the introduction of a href=http://wthrockmorton.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/anti-homosexuality-bill-2009.pdf title=reference on legislation in Uganda target=_blanklegislation in Uganda/a (pdf) that would sentence homosexuals and people who are HIV-positive to death. Jeff Sharlet, author of a href=http://www.amazon.com/Family-Secret-Fundamentalism-Heart-American/dp/0060559799 title=reference on a book target=_blanka book/a about The Family, a href=http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=120746516 title=reference on reports target=_blankreports/a that the Ugandan legislator who introduced the bill, a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bahati title=reference on David Bahati target=_blankDavid Bahati/a, is a core member of The Family. The Fellowship has also designed the prayer breakfast to have the appearance of a government-sanctioned event; Sharlet a href=http://jeffsharlet.com/content/excerpt-from-the-family/#8 title=reference on says target=_blanksays/a the event appears to the world to be an official function of the federal government, and reports that when he attended the National Prayer Breakfast in 2003, he obtained his press credentials through the White House. The Fellowship also operates the C Street House, a Congressional residence for which The Family a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/17/AR2009111703700.html title=reference on illegally escaped paying taxes target=_blankillegally escaped paying taxes/a on the building by claiming it was church instead of a rooming house. C Street has also housed a number of ethically-challenged elected officials, including Senator a href=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/jul/10/news/chi-ensign_10jul10 title=reference on John Ensign (R-Nevada) target=_blankJohn Ensign (R-Nevada)/a, South Carolina Governor a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020202318.html title=reference on Mark Sanford target=_blankMark Sanford/a and Oklahoma Senator a href=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-06-21/ensigns-sex-scandal-enabler/full/ title=reference on Tom Coburn target=_blankTom Coburn/a. /p

pDavos is a small resort town in Switzerland best known for hosting the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=World_Economic_Forum title=reference on World Economic Forum target=_selfWorld Economic Forum/a (WEF), an annual meeting of global political and business elites. Every year the biggest boosters of the quot;neoliberalquot; economic policy agenda of deregulation, unfettered global trade and strict a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=International_Monetary_Fund title=reference on International Monetary Fund target=_selfInternational Monetary Fund/a (IMF) rules for poor countries, convene at Davos to pat each other on the back./p pNow that these policies have almost brought the world to ruin, one would expect these global titans to be self-reflective and perhaps even apologetic. Mostly they were absent./ppa href=http://www.prwatch.org/node/8873read more/a/p

pspan class=inline rightimg src=/files/images/dino.jpg width=120 height=120 align=right alt=James O'Keefe on Fox News /span class=caption style=width: 120px;biA Republican campaign attorney who agrees with the CU decision says he believes it threatens the political parties with extinction./i/b/span/spanThe a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Supreme_Court title=reference on Supreme Court target=_selfSupreme Court/a 's recent decision in the ema href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_United title=reference on Citizens United target=_selfCitizens United/a/em (CU) case -- which allows corporations to spend freely to influence elections -- is already having an effect. Donations are surging into the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Chamber_of_Commerce title=reference on U.S. Chamber of Commerce target=_selfU.S. Chamber of Commerce/a, as corporations start outspending political parties on lobbying and advertising. In 2009, the Chamber raked in $144.5 million, compared to the RNC's $71.6 million and the DNC's $97.9 million, and for the first time, the lobbying and grassroots advertising budgets of the Chamber have exceeded those of the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_National_Committee title=reference on Republican National Committee target=_selfRepublican National Committee/a (RNC) and the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Democratic_National_Committee title=reference on Democratic National Committee target=_selfDemocratic National Committee/a (DNC). In 2009, the Chamber financed a number of ad campaigns that largely worked. It scared the Senate away from considering cap-and-trade legislation and, with financial help from insurance companies, ran cutting ads opposing health care reform that arguably helped undermine support for that bill. Now it is spending in key states and districts to defeat financial reform legislation. The Chamber, a powerful advocate for big business, is organized as a 501-c-6, and does not have to disclose its donors. a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Benjamin_Ginsburg title=reference on Benjamin Ginsburg target=_selfBenjamin Ginsburg/a, a Republican campaign finance lawyer and partner in the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Patton_Boggs title=reference on Patton Boggs target=_selfPatton Boggs/a law firm who supports the CU decision, went so far as to say that he believes the political parties are quot;threatened by extinction.quot;/p

pspan class=inline leftimg src=/files/images/murrayhillmousepad.jpg width=150 height=130 align=left alt=Murray Hill mouse pad /span class=caption style=width: 150px;bMouse pad with Murray Hill's political slogan./b/span/spanNow that the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Supreme_Court title=reference on Supreme Court target=_selfSupreme Court/a has a href=http://www.prwatch.org/CitizensUnitedWronglyDecided title=reference on ruled target=_blankruled/a that corporations are entitled to the same free speech and political rights as American citizens, a href=http://www.murrayhillweb.com/company/company.html title=reference on Murray Hill, Inc. target=_blankMurray Hill, Inc./a, a a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=public_relations title=reference on public relations target=_selfpublic relations/a and a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=advertising title=reference on advertising target=_selfadvertising/a firm in Maryland has announced that it intends to run for Congress in Maryland's 8th Congressional district. In an undated a href=http://www.murrayhillweb.com/pr-012510.html title=reference on press release target=_blankpress release/a posted on the company's Web site, Murray Hill says, quot;Until now, corporate interests had to rely on campaign contributions and influence-peddling to achieve their goals in Washington. But thanks to an enlightened Supreme Court, now we can eliminate the middle-man and run for office ourselves.quot; Murray Hill states that it plans on spending quot;top dollarquot; to protect its investment in government, adding, quot;We bought it, we paid for it, and we're going to keep it.quot; The company plans to run as a Republican in the primary, and announced that it will run an aggressive, historic campaign that quot;puts people secondquot; or even third. Murray Hill will be the first corporation to test the Supreme Court's new ruling conferring political free speech rights on corporations. Murray Hill has designated a human to fill out the necessary forms to apply for its run for office, and it's political slogan is quot;Corporations are people too!quot; It has started a a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Murray-Hill-Inc-for-Congress/314963396608?ref=searchamp;sid=1142349892.780307729..1 title=reference on Facebook page target=_blankFacebook page/a and says it plans on using automated robo-calls, quot;a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=astroturf title=reference on astroturf target=_selfastroturf/aquot; lobbying, and computer-generated avatars to win over voters./p

pA group of pinstriped traders, upset with the bank-bashing rhetoric emanating from Washington, launched a Wall Street defense campaign the same morning that Treasury Secretary a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Timothy_F._Geithner title=reference on Tim Geithner target=_selfTim Geithner/a was being grilled by Congress. According to ema href=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100127/FREE/100129894 title=reference on Crain’s target=_blankCrain’s/a/em business magazine, the traders vowed to fight against further bank regulation and defend their right to “create wealth for the people.” The group rallied about 150 folks across from the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=New_York_Stock_Exchange title=reference on New York Stock Exchange target=_selfNew York Stock Exchange/a. According to theem a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/nyregion/28bankers.html title=reference on New York Times target=_blankNew York Times/a/em: “The fact that virtually all of the virtually all-male attendees wore suits and ties did make the gathering perhaps the best-dressed rally in history.” The feisty defenders of the Wall Street status quo kicked off their protest not on the street, but in the comfortable offices of John Thomas Financial, a three-year-old investment house. As CEO Thomas Belesis explained: a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/nyregion/28bankers.html title=reference on “It’s cold out.” target=_blank“It’s cold out.”/a The event appeared to be a thinly-veiled campaign rally for Bruce A. Blakeman, a Long Island Republican lawyer running for the United States Senate who contributed: a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/nyregion/28bankers.html title=reference on “My friends, we can’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg.” target=_blank“My friends, we can’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg.”/a To follow the antics of these reverse Robin Hoods visit a href=http://www.restorewallstreet.com/ title=reference on Restore Wall Street target=_blankRestore Wall Street/a. /p

pWe recently a href=http://www.prwatch.org/node/8851 title=reference on flagged target=_blankflagged/a that the Tribune Company was proposing bankster-style bonuses to its execs while cutting reporting and other staff. Despite the strong objections of employees and their union reps, a federal bankruptcy court judge, Kevin J. Carey, approved paying bonuses totaling $45,000,000 to executives at the media company. /ppa href=http://www.prwatch.org/node/8869read more/a/p

pimg width=100 height=130 align=left src=/files/images/trashcan.jpg alt= /After progressive historian a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Howard_Zinn title=reference on Howard Zinn target=_selfHoward Zinn/a died on January 27, 2010, National Public Radio ran an a href=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123081519 title=reference on unusual obituary target=_blankunusual obituary/a on its January 28 emAll Things Considered/em news program. a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Noam_Chomsky title=reference on Noam Chomsky target=_selfNoam Chomsky/a and a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Julian_Bond title=reference on Julian Bond target=_selfJulian Bond/a, two of Zinn's well-known friends, offered overviews of his life and legacy. But NPR's remembrance also included darkly insulting comments from conservative pundit a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=David_Horowitz title=reference on David Horowitz target=_selfDavid Horowitz/a: quot;There is absolutely nothing in Howard Zinn's intellectual output that is worthy of any kind of respect,quot; Horowitz said. quot;Zinn represents a fringe mentality which has unfortunately seduced millions of people at this point in time. So he did certainly alter the consciousness of millions of younger people for the worse.quot; Horowitz called Zinn's famous book, emA People's History of the United States/em, quot;a travesty.quot; While NPR arguably tries to balance news reports with views from opposing sides of issues, it has not consistently adhered to this principle in its radio obituaries. When NPR covered the death of a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=William_F._Buckley,_Jr. title=reference on William F. Buckley, Jr. target=_selfWilliam F. Buckley, Jr./a, a figure as strongly admired on the right as Zinn was on the left, NPR aired fully six different segments about his life and legacy -- none of which included denigrating comments from critics who opposed him. Buckely left no shortage of things to criticize, either. He supported white supremacism in South Africa and the American south, nuclear war against China and even supported the tatooing of AIDS patients' buttocks. So far, NPR has not explained why it featured David Horowitz's harsh trashing of the late Howard Zinn in its commemorative piece, when its extensive eulogizing of William F. Buckley included no critical guests./p

pIn his a href=http://www.c-span.org/Executive/State-of-the-Union.aspx title=reference on State of the Union target=_blankState of the Union/a address this week, President Obama urged members of Congress to be more transparent about their interactions with lobbyists. Yet this same week, members of the House Republican Caucus will attend a retreat sponsored by the non-profit a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Congressional_Institute title=reference on Congressional Institute target=_selfCongressional Institute/a, where they will mingle privately with lobbyists. The Institute's 14-member Board consists of top Capitol Hill lobbyists who work for the leading pharmaceutical companies, the a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Chamber_of_Commerce title=reference on U.S. Chamber of Commerce target=_selfU.S. Chamber of Commerce/a and major corporations, like a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Express title=reference on American Express target=_selfAmerican Express/a and a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Verizon title=reference on Verizon target=_selfVerizon/a. Ethics rules forbid lobbyists from directly financing trips and retreats for members of Congress, but there are a href=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/05/08/Worldandnation/Do_travel_rules_cloak.shtml title=reference on no such prohibitions target=_blankno such prohibitions/a on travel or retreats sponsored by non-profit charitable or educations groups, like the Congressional Institute. The Institute skirts ethics rules by restricting lobbyists from participating in sessions at the retreat, while only allowing them to mingle with lawmakers at receptions and dinners, which are closed to the public. Ironically, the most prominent guest scheduled to speak at this week's exclusive gathering for public officials is President Obama, who will speak to the Republican Caucus on Friday.br / strongLATE-BREAKING UPDATE:/strong President Obama's Q amp; A session at the Republican retreat was televised and can be viewed a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuG2TdgMn0 title=reference on here target=_blankhere/a. /p

pTrudy Lieberman of the emColumbia Journalism Review/em a href=http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/a_tale_of_two_jonathans.php?page=all title=reference on writes target=_blankwrites/a, a href=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jonathan_Gruber title=reference on Jonathan Gruber target=_selfJonathan Gruber/a is an economist from MIT. Jonathan Oberlander is a political scientist from the University of North Carolina. Both are health policy experts and, from what we can tell, both know their stuff. But the press has counted on Gruber rather than Oberlander to give gravitas to their stories. ...[T]he media relies way too much on the same sources, who utter the same thing again and again to different news outlets. The problem with this, of course, is that a particular view of the world spreads widely, perhaps reinforcing that view as the correct one -- which it may or may not be, depending on the facts and on which side of the river you call home. Gruber has been the cheerleader-in-chief for the Massachusetts health care plan, which is the model for federal reform. He sits on the board of the Connector, the state’s policy brokerage service, and thus has something of a vested interest in positively spinning the reform efforts there. Last year on the PBS emNewsHour/em, he told how premiums for individuals buying their own coverage in Massachusetts had dropped dramatically. But he didn’t mention how premiums for workers in small businesses had risen to sky-high levels in order to make that possible. /p

pThe debate over banks and banking came front and center this week. In his toughest language yet, President Barack Obama a href=http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/01/27/obama-vows-to-veto-financial-measure-if-it-isnt-tough-enough/ title=reference on vowed to veto target=_blankvowed to veto/a financial reform legislation that is not tough enough on Wall Street. The lobbyists are already trying to kill it, Obama told Congress in his a href=http://www.c-span.org/Executive/State-of-the-Union.aspx title=reference on State of the Union target=_blankState of the Union/a address. Well, we cannot let them win this fight. /ppa href=http://www.prwatch.org/node/8864read more/a/p