Media Stood Ready To “Shape” Their Coverage To Boost Hillary’s Health Care Plan

The Whistler • January 23, 2008

In all the hubub surrounding the primaries I missed the news a few days ago that some of Hillary’s papers from her participation in her husband’s administration had finally been released from the Clinton Library. Among those papers was this startling (or perhaps not-so-startling depending on your level of cynicism) revelation:

First, Senator Jay Rockefeller proposed that the federal government conduct smear campaigns against the opponents of the plan:

A “Confidential” May 26, 1993 Memorandum from Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) to Hillary Clinton entitled, “Health Care Reform Communications,” which criticizes the Task Force as a “secret cabal of Washington policy ‘wonks’” that has engaged in “choking off information” from the public regarding health care reform. The memorandum suggests that Hillary Clinton “use classic opposition research” to attack those who were excluded by the Clinton Administration from Task Force deliberations and to “expose lifestyles, tactics and motives of lobbyists” in order to deflect criticism.

Rockefeller had allies in mind for this effort:

Senator Rockefeller also suggested news organizations “are anxious and willing to receive guidance [from the Clinton Administration] on how to time and shape their [news] coverage.”

Wow. Media Matters should contact Rockefeller to disabuse him of the myth of the liberal-biased press!

Can you imagine what would happen if a Republican Senator was quoted as saying that certain members of the media stood willing and able to provide propaganda support for a certain conservative policy? The media would go nuts. There would be demands to know the identity of these would-be propagandists, and the witch hunt that would ensue among the Washington journalism rank-and-file would make what happened in Salem look like a traffic citation hearing.
So what has the reaction been now that a Democrat Senator has been quoted as such? Nothing, despite the fact that this story broke four days ago and involves a woman currently running for President. Which probably means that the media elites who stood at ready to shill for the Clintons back in the 1990′s are probably the same ones who won’t give this story any play today.

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http://Array 2Hotel9

Care to prove that? We are here waiting.
bureaubasher

So you’re shocked, just shocked to learn that a Senator might suggest to a White House advisor that opposition research be used to advance a controversial policy proposal. C’mon, if you’re want to maintain a shred of respect as a clever Hillary-Basher you’re going to have to do a little better than this.
carrick

Ellinas:

The Bush administration went as far as paying media types to shill for their policies.

Yep. The Bush administration had to pay for its shills. They work for free for Democrats. LOL.
carrick

Ellinas, what’s wrong with spending money on PR? Not spending money on it is equally stupid as spending money to pay journalist to shill for you.

But the facts are as I laid them out. Clinton never had to ask them to shill for him. They volunteered for the act.
2Hotel9

Ah, hidden so well everyone knew about it. Those devious bastards! Funny, all of that was done right out in the open. Now, J. Rock was advocating that the Admin gather defamatory information about critics of socialized healthcare and use the press, IN SECRET, to use that information to personally destroy said critics. And all this IN SECRET. Just like W having a public relations campaign right out in the open, where everyone could see it.

You forgot about W paying money to keep 3 newspapers in Iraq operating. 3 newspapers that routinely ran anti-American articles and op-eds. What a moron.
ellinas

Ah, hidden so well everyone knew about it.
2Hotel9 on January 23, 2008 at 11:27 am

It was hidden untill someone found out.

You asked for proof, you got proof.
robert108

Read “1984″ for the outcome you suggest.

That was the “punchline”, but it’s no joke.

As I have detailed in Reader Blog articles, both Hillary and Obama are followers of Saul Alinsky, noted Marxist organizer, and an advocate of takeover through the courts and the political process.
bureaubasher

The only difference is that they will all be in lockstep with Marxist ideology. Now, we have an actual debate. “The debate is over.” is the leftie mantra.

I know this must be a joke, but I think you forgot the punchline, Robert108.
ellinas

Care to prove that, e?
2Hotel9 on January 23, 2008 at 10:26 am

No, not proof. All of that was right out in the open. J. Rock and Hillary did their little tango IN SECRET. Slight difference.
2Hotel9 on January 23, 2008 at 11:33 am

Please make up your mind.
Why did you ask for proof in the first place?
robert108

I would like to hear you say this when we have a democrat as president.

The only difference is that they will all be in lockstep with Marxist ideology. Now, we have an actual debate. “The debate is over.” is the leftie mantra.
Read “1984″ for the outcome you suggest.
ellinas

The government should not be involved in propagandizing its own citizens.

Yes, better to leave that to George Soros and the leftie MSM.
robert108 on January 23, 2008 at 11:46 am

I would like to hear you say this when we have a democrat as president.
2Hotel9

Care to prove that, e?
2Hotel9

You have provided no proof.
Gray_Fox

I noticed Rob that you said “Democrat” instead of “Democratic” Party. So true. There’s nothing free or open about the Democratic Party.
2Hotel9

No, not proof. All of that was right out in the open. J. Rock and Hillary did their little tango IN SECRET. Slight difference.

Oh, and what a shocker! The Clinton Admin slashed its PR budget during its last year in office. I notice you skipped the other 6 years worth. Why?
ellinas

Changing your mind like a bitch 2Hotel9?
robert108

The government should not be involved in propagandizing its own citizens.

Yes, better to leave that to George Soros and the leftie MSM.
robert108

Changing your mind like a bitch 2Hotel9?

Trying for that “Master” rating, e?
ellinas

Care to prove that, e?
2Hotel9 on January 23, 2008 at 10:26 am

Yes! I will prove it.
ellinas

Commentator Armstrong Williams was paid $241,000 by the Education Department to help promote President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act in his syndicated column and television appearances.

Maggie Gallagher, herself a syndicated columnist, was found to have been paid $21,500 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publicize and promote the president’s marriage initiative in 2002

Mike McManus, who writes a weekly column that is syndicated in over 30 newspapers, and who Salon’s Eric Boehlert revealed was paid about $4,000 by HHS to train marriage mentors in 2003 and 2004. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. It seems that McManus’s nonprofit group, Marriage Savers, also received $49,000 from a group that received an HHS grant to counsel unwed couples who are having children.

A U.S. House of Representatives report filed this January found that in 2004, the Bush administration spent over $88 million on contracts with public relations agencies, as opposed to the $39 million spent in 2000 — the last year of the Clinton administration.

Google it and you will find more.
Bat One

So true. There’s nothing free or open about the Democratic Party.

Grey Fox,

There is nothing democratic about the Democrats!

I would like to hear you say this when we have a democrat as president.

e,

If we are ever to have democrat for president it will be a Republican… not a Democrat!
ellinas

The government should not be involved in propagandizing its own citizens.

A U.S. House of Representatives report filed this January found that in 2004, the Bush administration spent over $88 million on contracts with public relations agencies, as opposed to the $39 million spent in 2000 — the last year of the Clinton administration
ellinas

This should not come as a surprise to anyone. The Bush administration went as far as paying media types to shill for their policies.
http://www.wethepeopleforum.com/forum/forums.asp golfmann

I guy I know used to say:

“It was ever thus”…

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Media Stood Ready To “Shape” Their Coverage To Boost Hillary’s Health Care Plan

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