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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Tue Apr 21, 2015, 07:59 AM Apr 2015

The right’s new Clinton obsession just went mainstream:How a sketchy Hillary “exposé” hooked the NYT

Last edited Tue Apr 21, 2015, 03:41 PM - Edit history (2)

X posted in GD

Original Headline:

The right’s new “Clinton Cash” obsession: Why a sketchy new Hillary “exposé” that hooked the New York Times

New Headline:

The right’s new Clinton obsession just went mainstream:How a sketchy Hillary “exposé” hooked the NYT

The right's propaganda machine duped the media on the Clintons once before. Now they could be doing it again

HEATHER DIGBY PARTON


As the week began, the big news that had the political media all aflutter was the release of a new book called “Clinton Cash” which the right is claiming will blow the lid off of the Clinton campaign and have the Democratic Party throwing in the towel on 2016 in no time. (Or, at the very least, they’ll soon be desperately begging for former Republican Lincoln Chafee to officially take up the banner, which amounts to the same thing.) The book is about the nefarious doings of the evil Clinton Foundation, a non-profit supposedly dedicated to doing good works around the globe, but which conservatives say is actually nothing more than a corrupt organization dedicated to selling out the interests of poor people everywhere so that Hillary Clinton can destroy the world. Or something.

It must be said at the outset that investigating the Clinton Foundation is entirely appropriate. It is a major fundraising organization, lots of wealthy people from around the globe have donated money, some of whom are not such nice fellows. Now, the taking of money from bad people and using it to better the lives of poor people around the world should not automatically be suspect. Some people might even call such a transaction a form of restitution. But it is certainly worth looking into even the possibility of an improper quid pro quo between Hillary Clinton and these nefarious actors when she was Secretary of State (or now). Responsible journalists can and will undoubtedly be looking at all of this throughout the campaign as they should.

However, the man who wrote this book “Clinton Cash” is not a responsible journalist. (Well, unless you consider his affiliations with Breitbart News an endorsement of his integrity.) The author, Peter Schweitzer, is a long time Republican political operative whose credibility rests on books such as “Architects of Ruin: How Big Government Liberals Ruined the Global Economy and Will Do It Again if We Don’t Stop Them” and ”Makers and Takers:Why conservatives work harder, feel happier, have closer families, take fewer drugs, give more generously, value honesty more, are less materialistic and envious, whine less … and even hug their children more than liberals.” That latter literary masterpiece was actually a sequel to his earlier work called ”Do as I Say (Not as I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy.” Let’s just say there’s no mistaking Schweitzer for an unbiased journalist.

(Media Matters has compiled a full dossier on Schweitzer’s far right connections. They are as deep as they are wide.)

The fact that a right-wing propagandist would publish an “exposé” on Hillary Clinton is as surprising as Bill O’Reilly proclaiming himself to be a war hero. This is just how the right rolls. You’ll undoubtedly recall the work of fiction called “Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry” by another far right operative by the name of Jerome Corsi which, when it was published in 2004 took the election by storm. It was an audacious move and it paid off. One can certainly understand why they’d try it again.

more
http://www.salon.com/2015/04/21/inside_the_rights_new_clinton_cash_obsession_the_sketchy_new_hillary_expose_that_hooked_the_new_york_times/

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The right’s new Clinton obsession just went mainstream:How a sketchy Hillary “exposé” hooked the NYT (Original Post) DonViejo Apr 2015 OP
On May 3, 2011, Schweizer was hired as a foreign policy adviser to Sarah Palin EL34x4 Apr 2015 #1
Yes... awoke_in_2003 Apr 2015 #7
Old news Abouttime Apr 2015 #2
not just gop-ers but disgruntled du-ers as well Romeo.lima333 Apr 2015 #4
this is probably what randall paul was eluding to Romeo.lima333 Apr 2015 #3
Yep. He's even begging his Paulites to try to dig more "dirt" ... 66 dmhlt Apr 2015 #5
Both Mika and Joe were all in favor of this book today on Morning Joe... CTyankee Apr 2015 #6
Yes, it is Cosmocat Apr 2015 #8
K&R - It's absurd that they would use this as source material, especially since this author myrna minx Apr 2015 #9
You're on the ball Don. William769 Apr 2015 #10
bad people are unlikely to just 'give' money away quadrature Apr 2015 #11
 

EL34x4

(2,003 posts)
1. On May 3, 2011, Schweizer was hired as a foreign policy adviser to Sarah Palin
Tue Apr 21, 2015, 08:56 AM
Apr 2015

Sarah Palin employed a foreign policy advisor?

 

awoke_in_2003

(34,582 posts)
7. Yes...
Tue Apr 21, 2015, 09:57 PM
Apr 2015

for all those Alaska/Russian trade deals- and the fact that Putin's head might come into Alaskan airspace

 

Abouttime

(675 posts)
2. Old news
Tue Apr 21, 2015, 09:22 AM
Apr 2015

Nothing but rehashed unsubstantiated rumors just like the so called email scandal that is already long forgotten. Garbage like this rolls off the Clintons like water off a duck.
Suck it up GOOPERS, Hillary is our next President.

CTyankee

(63,912 posts)
6. Both Mika and Joe were all in favor of this book today on Morning Joe...
Tue Apr 21, 2015, 10:45 AM
Apr 2015

Some on the panel tried to push back a little but the fix was in. Mark Halperin did say this author was a right wing operative. Then they had on Media Matters David Brock and tried to belittle him for supporting Hillary. I expected it from Joe but Mika seemed eager to join in. I know she "says" she wants Warren, but it would help her image if she put a little distance between herself and Joe. Is that asking too much?

Cosmocat

(14,564 posts)
8. Yes, it is
Wed Apr 22, 2015, 08:22 AM
Apr 2015

That whole show is repulsive.

It is like an 80s after school special on enabling abusive fathers, with everyone having their roles.

The mother (Mika) as the dutiful wife, the kids each taking different roles sucking up to the father.

It is visceral that every stinking one of the sycophants they put around that table are in fear of Joe either going dead intern on them or, for them even worse, cutting off their cushy little gigs, if they dare challenge him or say something he will view as unfavorable.

My stomach turns, literally, watching the freak show.

Which I have sparred myself from the experience of for a few years now.

myrna minx

(22,772 posts)
9. K&R - It's absurd that they would use this as source material, especially since this author
Wed Apr 22, 2015, 10:02 AM
Apr 2015

has been debunked time and again. It's just like believing that hack - James O'Keefe about anything.

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