Item Summary:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200805130001

Military analysts named in Times exposé appeared or were quoted more than 4,500 times on broadcast nets, cables, NPR

A New York Times article detailed the connection between numerous media military analysts and the Pentagon and defense industries, reporting that “the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform” media military analysts “into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks.” A Media Matters review found that since January 1, 2002, the analysts named in the Times article — many identified as having ties to the defense industry — collectively appeared or were quoted as experts more than 4,500 times on ABC, ABC News Now, CBS, CBS Radio Network, NBC, CNN, CNN Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR. (Read more…)

Full Item Below:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200805130001

Military analysts named in Times exposé appeared or were quoted more than 4,500 times on broadcast nets, cables, NPR

On April 20, The New York Times published an article by investigative reporter David Barstow that detailed the connection between numerous media military analysts and the Pentagon and defense industries. Barstow reported that “the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform” media military analysts, many of whom have clients or work for companies with an interest in obtaining Pentagon contracts, “into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks.” A Media Matters review found that since January 1, 2002, the analysts named in Barstow’s article — many identified as having ties to the defense industry — collectively appeared or were quoted as experts more than 4,500 times on ABC, ABC News Now, CBS, CBS Radio Network, NBC, CNN, CNN Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR in segments covering the Iraq war both before and after the invasion, as well as numerous other national security or government policy issues.

A spreadsheet listing each of the analysts’ appearances documented by Media Matters is available here.

The following chart lists 20 analysts included in Barstow’s article, the network or networks on which each analyst appeared, and the number of appearances made by each analyst since January 1, 2002, as tabulated by Media Matters:

Military analyst	Networks	Number of appearances identified by Media Matters
David L. Grange	CNN, CNN Headline News	921
Donald W. Shepperd	CNN	713
Barry R. McCaffrey	NBC, MSNBC, CNBC	642
James Marks	CNN	299
Rick Francona	NBC, MSNBC, CNBC	296
Wayne A. Downing	NBC, MSNBC, CNBC	270
Robert H. Scales Jr.	Fox News, National Public Radio	176 (Fox News) 73 (NPR)*
William V. Cowan	Fox News	189
Kenneth Allard	NBC, MSNBC, CNBC	180
Thomas G. McInerney	Fox News	144
Montgomery Meigs	NBC, MSNBC, CNBC	125
Robert L. Maginnis	Fox News	113
William L. Nash	ABC, ABC News Now	96
Paul E. Vallely	Fox News	81
Charles T. Nash	Fox News	54
Robert S. Bevelacqua	Fox News	48
Jeffrey D. McCausland	CBS, CBS Radio Network	43
Timur J. Eads	Fox News	28
Joseph W. Ralston	CBS, CBS Radio Network	19
John C. Garrett	Fox News	8

NOTE: Transcripts for all programs on CNN are available in the Nexis database, but for the other cable news networks transcripts are available for only some shows.

*This figure includes 31 appearances from 2005 and later, when — according to NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik — Scales was no longer serving as an official NPR consultant but rather was an unpaid guest.

Methodology

Media Matters used the Nexis database to tabulate appearances by analysts on networks with which they were affiliated that included discussions of issues related to national security or U.S. government policy. Instances in which analysts appeared on networks other than those with which they were affiliated were not counted. Media Matters counted as appearances both instances in which an analyst appeared as a guest on a show — either live during the show, or in a pre-taped interview aired during the show — either live during the show, or in a pre-taped interview aired during the show — and instances in which a report included a clip of an analyst’s commentary. The study was limited to appearances made after January 1, 2002.

Re-airings of news programs in their entirety were excluded from the study. However, instances in which the same report, interview, or quote was aired on different shows or more than once during the course of the same program were counted as separate appearances in this study. If an analyst appeared several separate times during the same show, Media Matters counted each one as a distinct appearance.

Nexis includes transcripts for all news programs on CNN but for the other cable news networks transcripts are available for only some shows; appearances on programs whose transcripts do not appear in Nexis were not included in this study.

Finally, the Times article reported that some of the analysts “pointed out, accurately, that they did not always agree with the administration or each other” and that “[m]any analysts strongly denied that they had either been co-opted or had allowed outside business interests to affect their on-air comments, and some have used their platforms to criticize the conduct of the war.” In conducting this study, Media Matters did not assess whether individual instances of commentary — or the analysts themselves — were supportive of administration policy.

In his suit, Miro Vranac Jr. accuses the Huddlestons [wife Mary is also named) of misusing more than $6 million of the Lyda Hunt Bunker-Mary Moreland Hunt Trust. The lawsuit alleges the Huddlestons spent the funds on “a number of misguided business ventures” and for “a sizable settlement of a dispute in Vietnam arising from one of Albert’s personal transgressions involving a female citizen of Vietnam.”…

The suit also alleges that Albert Huddleston asked the trust to award $20 million to his wife for projects in Iraq and South Dakota. When Vranac said he disagreed, Albert Huddleston became upset and threatened a lawsuit, the filing alleges.

ELK POINT, S.D. -- The Union County Board of Commissioners will send letters to anti- and pro-refinery groups informing them that campaign signs in the county cannot exceed 25 square feet.

Union County board chairman Doyle Karpen said Union County State's Attorney Jerry Miller told the commissioners during their meeting Monday morning that the county had received a complaint about signs reading "Vote No Hyperion" painted on 4-foot-by-8-foot plywood and displayed outside of Elk Point city limits. He said a county ordinance limits signs in rural areas to 25 square feet.

Miller said the county ordinance specific to election signs does not limit their size, but he believes the general sign ordinance applies to all signs. The law exempts only "on-site" signs, meaning business signs displayed on the business's property, from the size limit...

This strikes me as selective enforcement of the signage ordinance. First, it appears the election signage ordinance does not cover the size of electioneering signs.* Second, while I don't know for certain, but 4 x 8 signs are a standard size for campaign signs, particularly in rural areas. I can't believe prior to the Hyperion election that Rep. Herseth or Sen. Thune or Gov. Rounds didn't have 4 x 8s placed in locations in rural Union County. I'm sure I've seen such signs on I-29 as I've driven down the Interstate in Union County.

Today, Paul Waldman and David Brock are releasing a new chapter to their book, "Free Ride: John McCain and the Media." The new chapter is an update to the media coverage of McCain since the book was published and is available at www.mccainsfreeride.com/addendum.

Here is a sample from the new chapter:

As Free Ride was nearing its release, we began to hear an interesting argument from those skeptical of the case we make. "Look at that story in the New York Times suggesting that McCain might have had an affair with a lobbyist," some said. "Doesn't that prove the press isn't in the tank for McCain?" The truth, however, is that the Times story proves just the opposite.

The speculation about a possible McCain affair did not exactly set off a feeding frenzy among the press corps. Though one could argue ignoring such salacious rumors is exactly what the press should do, it is hard to imagine they would have been as restrained had it been a different candidate. Indeed, within hours, that aspect of the story simply disappeared from public discussion; instead, McCain and his press team managed to transform the controversy about him to a controversy about the New York Times.

• Pro-life politics, the Catholic Church, a former Republican, a legacy candidate and a cartoonist. Stir. Watch sparks fly.

• And religious virgins everywhere rejoice!

• One word: Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeee!

• "Mr. Brownfield, meet my genetically altered little friend!"
  

Dear MoveOn member,

Tomorrow could be Congress' last chance to exercise real oversight on the war. The media is paying less attention to Iraq,but we need to remind Rep. Herseth Sandlin that voters aren't—Americans are more frustrated with the war than ever before.

Can you call Rep. Herseth Sandlin right now and tell her that votersare tired of dumping billions into the unwinnable war in Iraq?Tell Rep. Herseth Sandlin that voters are looking for accountabilityfrom President Bush on the war and we want our troops home quickly.(We've included more details below.)

Here's where to call:

Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

Phone: 202-225-2801

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FHSD_01&cp_id=750&id=12592-8610329-3ruJID&t=3

According to news reports, Congress will have a series of separate votes. There'll be one vote on whether to give the president$162 billion to fund the war through next year—with no strings attached. That's a huge amount to spend on keeping troopsin Iraq, especially at a time when peoples' houses are being foreclosed and unemployment is going up at home.

Then, there will be separate votes on measures to redeploy our troops and hold the Bush administration accountable for theiractions during the war—measures that could ban torture, hold contractors accountable, and prevent President Bush fromcommitting our troops to a permanent presence in Iraq.¹

It's important that all members of Congress hear that voters do notwant the president to get another $162 billion blankcheck for the war. Can you call Rep. Herseth Sandlin and ask her toreject a blank check for the president and to support proposalsto bring our troops home and hold Bush accountable instead?

Thanks for all you do.

–-Nita, Michael, Daniel, Joan, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

• Read the Argus story: McGovern says Clinton should quit race for president

As I predicted, after last night’s poor showings, we’ll see considerable Superdelegate and other movement. The fact that the Clintons both worked for McGovern’s 1972 Presidential campaign and that he was an earlier supporter of Hillary’s make this a gut-wrenching loss for the New York Senator.

If she does come to Sioux Falls tomorrow, it seems a little awkward to me.

And one other observation.  Even among the most respected and classiest of politicians like Sen. McGovern, they are always seemingly “politicians.”  The retired ones still jump ship when they see their man or woman losing or in deep do-do.  As Pres. Harry Truman used to say about politics and Washington, DC, “If you want a friend, get a dog.”  Ouch.

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