Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Pittsburgh's Proud Propagandist

If you haven't visited Ariana Huffington's new blog, The Huffington post, you might have missed a great story. Scott Baker, according to his bio at news channel 4, is very accustomed to Pittsburgh viewers referring to him as "that guy who's on with Sally and Michelle." You still don't know who Scott Baker is? Scott Baker is also the man behind the Teresa Heinze "Shove It" story.

The Huffington Post | The News Wire: "Scott Baker, News Anchor, WTAE-Pittsburgh
'I’m the Guy Who Taught Jeff Gannon Everything He Knows About Journalism.' | permalink

I’m the guy who taught Jeff Gannon everything he knows about journalism. Okay maybe not everything. I’m still not clear on (sorry all hyperlinks on this one freak me out) his evident self-description of “Position: Top.” Except that I now gather that it has endangered the nuptial bonds of Julia and Brad. But I suppose I bear some responsibility for having lectured at the two-day journalism seminar Gannon attended.

Just when it seemed like the Gannon/Guckert story was about to fade away for lack of interest (something slightly less than the interest in “Topic A with Tina Brown”), along comes the new Vanity Fair to re-energize the matter when Gannon himself couldn’t even pull an invite to the White House Correspondents Association dinner.

This is what I get for trying to teach a simple little seminar on media career strategies? Jeff Gannon as my star student? I had more modest goals. Most kids trying to dive into media careers fail miserably. So maybe I can nudge them with a few helpful ideas. Hoped for result: entry level job in, say, a small market television station. Not so hoped for: center square of odd journalism scandal.

The Vanity Fair article calls it a seminar for “aspiring right-wing journalists.” My mantra to the students involves getting rid of the “right-wing” and esteeming the value of solid day-to-day journalism. Good old-fashioned storytelling.

TV commercials for weight loss programs often have tiny disclaimers about the thin person in the ad. “Results not typical.” I’m kind of hoping this is like that. But with my luck Corey Clark will soon be claiming I’m the guru of his love life.

Posted May 9, 2005 03:03 PM"

Do you think that News channel 4 will be inserting these little tidbits from Bakers first Blog entry on The huffington post into his bio? I highly doubt it.

It is also interesting to note that in Baker's bio News Channel 4 mentions that "For 10 years, he has taught career philosophy seminars for thousands of students interested in media careers." What Baker refers to as teaching "a simple little seminar on media career strategies" might seem much more inspirational if it were not for the fact that, as reported on by Will Bunch at Attytood, Baker is not simply teaching journalism philosophy seminars, but right wing journalism philosophy seminars.

But Baker has another job -- one that he doesn't list on his resume, although he does (sort of) 'fess up in his Huffington Post post. It turns out he teaches journalism to young conservatives at the Leadership Institute School of Broadcast Journalism, founded by Karl Rove associate and former national Young Republican director Morton Blackwell. And anchorman Baker is not just their star instructor -- he's also a graduate (scroll down).

Bunch also reports on the known fact that Morton Blackwell, a very good friend of Karl Rove, was also behind the "Purple Bandage" protest of John Kerry's Purple Hearts by the GOP before the election. Do you find any of these links disturbing? If you don't you haven't been paying attention to the fake media out there funded by our tax dollars and pushing the GOP agenda.

Scott Baker... Is he just another Jeff Gannon, Armstrong Williams, Maggie Gallagher? It would be too convenient to blow this off as concidence IMHO. I am sure that more will come of this in the Blogosphere, but I won't be holding my breath for this information to come out in the MSM. They won't even report on the biggest news of the last month (BBC proof of bush and Blair conspiring to make us go to war with Iraq). Why would they care about telling us the truth? No profit in that...

Monday, May 09, 2005

Thanks for tanking the economy bush!

Some more serious news for radical right wing bush supporters to ignore (as per usual...)

BBC NEWS | Business | GM and Ford downgraded to junk
GM and Ford downgraded to junk
Standard & Poor's (S&P) has cut the debt ratings of US carmakers General Motors and Ford to 'junk' status.

The US credit rating agency said its decision reflected tough global competition in the market and slower sales of both firms' leading vehicles.

The downgrades, affecting debt worth about $290bn (£152bn), are the largest cuts to junk in a single day.

A junk status rating suggests that a company is more likely to default on its debt.

Rising costs

With both GM and Ford facing difficult times, analysts had predicted cuts to junk status later this year.

But many were surprised at the speed of S&P's decision.

Last month, GM reported a net loss of $1.1bn in the first three months of 2005, largely due to flagging sales and the rising cost of employee healthcare.

Rival Ford also reported a 40% drop in first-quarter net profits, to $1.21bn, citing falling US sales and rising prices for raw materials.

S&P cut GM and General Motors Acceptance Corp's long-term credit ratings to 'BB', the second-highest junk rating.

S&P's outlook on the new rating is negative, which means another downgrade could be possible in the next 24 months.

Meanwhile, S&P cut Ford and Ford Motor Credit Co's long-term credit ratings to 'BB+', the highest junk rating. The outlook on the new rating is also negative.

GM and Ford, which are the world's number one and three carmakers respectively, said they were disappointed with the downgrades.

Both companies stressed they had ample cash reserves.


The economy is tanking, the market is tanking, inflation is rising, unemployment is sucking unless you want to call flipping burgers a career.

I wonder how happy the soon to be laid off auto workers will be knowing that GM and Ford have plenty of cash on hand? Do you think they are glad that bush is pushing for dismantling social security so they can try and scrape together enough of their oncoming unemployment checks for "investing" in the bush privatization scam?

The only thing worse than Reaganomics? Reaganomics in the incapabable hands of a warmongering fool...