Connect with us

Andrew Breitbart’s “Big” Days Are Over

Published

on

Andrew Breitbart, blogger and publisher of such salacious sites as “Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Hollywood,” “Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Journalism,” and “Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Peace,” (sensing a theme here?) is currently in the hot seat for his “Andrew Breitbart Presents Big Government” “exposé” that has since turned into an embarrassment for the Obama White House, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the NAACP, and, now, for Andrew Breitbart himself.

You already know the story. In “Video Proof: The NAACP Awards Racism–2010,” Breitbart published a highly-edited video of Shirley Sherrod, the USDA’s director of Rural Development in Georgia, which supposedly was Breitbart’s “proof,” showing racism in the Obama administration and, what he claimed was his true goal, showing that the NAACP supported racism.

In fact, as we all know now, the entire, unedited video showed everything but (and Breitbart had to place a “correction” at the top of the piece.)

It actually shows Sherrod relaying a personal experience that happened twenty-four years ago, and what the media is collectively calling a “transformation” in Sherrod’s feelings about race and race relations.

In the past 48 hours, now that the full facts have been discovered, Sherrod, who was fired by Secretary Vilsack, has been offered another job by the Secretary, the Obama White House has had to spend hours explaining where they went wrong, and the NAACP had to retract their statement condemning Sherrod.

But the story seems to be ending here, and there is oh so much more.

Breitbart has yet to pay any price for his false and blatantly erroneous “reporting.” And he must pay a very steep price, for this is not his first transgression.

Of course, you’ve heard of Acorn, the “Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now,” which, thanks in large part to Andrew Breitbart, his protegé James O’Keefe, and his right-wing media friends at Fox News and their subordinates, the GOP, is now defunct.

Media Matters calls the practices of the Andrew Breitbart – James O’Keefe partnership “dishonest and illegal,” and writes, “Breitbart’s “strategy”: Withhold evidence and “deprive” people of “information.”

But wait — there’s more!

Calling Breitbart a “smear merchant,” the L.A. Times today reports,

“In September, NEA communications director Yosi Sergant was forced to resign the position following since-discredited reports on Breitbart’s Big Hollywood blog claiming Sergant was using the NEA as a White House propaganda tool. The misleading NEA claim was made using a fragmentary, unauthorized telephone recording.”

But wait — there’s more!

The L.A. Times also writes,

“In December [Breitbart’s] Big Government blog claimed the White House Christmas tree was adorned with the likeness of Chinese Communist dictator Mao Zedong. The decoration turned out to be an ornament that included a famous painting by Pop artist Andy Warhol.”

With America truly in crisis, can we afford to allow the “dishonest and illegal practices” of Andrew Breitbart to waste our time and cloud the judgment of ordinary citizens? Of course not!

It’s time to make Andrew Breitbart pay a price, the only price a right-wing hack understands: one that affects his wallet.

I’m asking you to join me and let Andrew Breitbart’s advertisers know that they are funding lies that are truly harming America. Yes, Andrew Breitbart has a right to publish what he wants. Those who feel defamed, libeled, or otherwise vilified have the right to sue him as they wish, but we, as Americans, have the right to hit him where it hurts.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
 
 

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

News

Jim Jordan Demands Merrick Garland Hand Over Documents Authorizing Special Counsel’s Trump Investigation

Published

5 mins ago

on

June 6, 2023

By

House Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding documents related to Special Counsel Jack Smith‘s two-tiered investigation into Donald Trump.

Chairman Jordan’s letter (below) comes just days before Smith’s grand jury is expected to reconvene after a short hiatus, and one day after Trump’s legal team met with DOJ investigators, including Smith.

Jordan is asking Garland to hand over an unreacted, full version of the memo that authorized Smith’s appointment as Special Counsel to investigate Trump, along with all supporting documentation. NBC News first reported on the existence of the letter.

Jordan, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, is claiming his request is part of his committee’s investigation into “the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) unprecedented raid of President Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022.”

READ MORE: ‘This Is It, Make No Mistake’: ‘Nihilistic Moron’ Trump Heading for Another Indictment Says George Conway

The letter in part states, “we write to request an unredacted copy of the memorandum outlining the scope of Mr. Smith’s probes regarding President Trump and any supporting documentation related to his appointment as special counsel. Accordingly, please provide the Committee with an unredacted copy of the memorandum outlining the scope of Special Counsel Smith’s investigations pursuant to his appointment on November 18, 2022, and any other document describing, listing, or delineating the authority and jurisdiction of the special counsel as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 20, 2023.”

Legal experts across the board anticipate Smith will ask the grand jury to indict the ex-president on a litany of federal felonies centered on his unlawful removal from the White House, retention, refusal to return, and possible sharing of classified and top secret documents. That indictment appeared even more likely after it as reported Smith has audio of Trump admitting he held on to a Pentagon document he knows is classified, and allegedly said he would like to be able to share it. Some experts say an indictment could come as early as this week.

Read Jordan’s letter below or at this link.

 

Continue Reading

News

‘This Is It, Make No Mistake’: ‘Nihilistic Moron’ Trump Heading for Another Indictment Says George Conway

Published

1 hour ago

on

June 6, 2023

By

George Conway mocked Donald Trump as a “nihilistic moron” for risking years in prison by hoarding classified documents at his private resort at Mar-a-Lago.

The former president appears to be headed toward a second indictment, after he was charged with fraud in Manhattan, and panelists on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” discussed the latest developments in the quickening investigation by special counsel Jack Smith in the Mar-a-Lago case.

“There is a sense of real panic growing at Mar-a-Lago, reflected in Trump’s Truth Social tweets but also those even calmer heads in the room say, ‘Look, we’re concerned, we feel like a charge could be coming.'”

Trump’s attorneys met Monday with officials at the Department of Justice to argue against an indictment, and conservative attorney George Conway said that showed an indictment was likely imminent.

FROM EARLIER: William Barr: ‘Unguided missile’ Rudy Giuliani completely to blame for first Trump impeachment

“We are approaching the very end,” Conway said. “I kept hearing this ear worm in my head as I was coming to the studio this morning, ‘This is it, make no mistake.’ We’re getting down to the final strokes of this race, and what’s clearly really remarkable about it is that of all the things that this man has done, eight decades of lying and cheating and stealing, this case, this documents case, is probably the easiest, shortest, simplest and yet carries the most severe penalties, likely penalties, of any of the cases, any of the legal issues that he’s ever faced.”

“Now people will say, you know, he really, in a just world, he would go to jail for what he did on Jan. 6, the weeks approaching Jan. 6,” Conway added. “And I kind of agree with that, but for this man who is basically a nihilistic moron, for him to go to jail potentially for a long time, these Espionage Act charges bring very heavy sentences to potentially go to jail for something so pointless and silly and useless as keeping these documents is actually kind of fitting.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license

Continue Reading

News

‘Recycling Stale and Debunked Burisma Conspiracy Theories’: Raskin Refutes Comer’s Claims as ‘Effort to Smear Biden’

Published

15 hours ago

on

June 5, 2023

By

It is an internal FBI document used to record an informant’s unverified statement, and House Oversight Committee Chairman Jim Comer wants it.

On Monday after weeks of threats and intimidation, Chairman Comer announced he will seek to obtain a contempt of Congress conviction against FBI Director Chris Wray, who refused to hand over to the committee the document, known as an FD-1023, which allegedly contains allegations of unlawful activity by then-Vice President Joe Biden.

Ranking Member Raskin late Monday afternoon released a statement slamming Comer.

READ MORE: Comer Struggles to Defend Need for Internal FBI Document on Biden as He Seeks Contempt of Congress for Director Wray

“As the FBI explained at length during today’s briefing, and in previous conversations leading up to today’s accommodation, releasing this form publicly could place the Confidential Human Source in grave danger and undermine the integrity of FBI programs and investigations going forward,” Reskin said in a statement. “Yet, rather than acknowledge these legitimate law enforcement concerns, Chairman Comer has declared his intent to hold Director Wray in contempt of Congress to further promote debunked Republican conspiracy theories.”

“We now know what I had long suspected: that Chairman Comer’s subpoena is about recycling stale and debunked Burisma conspiracy theories long peddled by Rudy Giuliani and a Russian agent, sanctioned by former President Trump’s own Treasury Department, as part of the effort to smear President Biden and help Mr. Trump’s reelection campaign,” Raskin revealed.

Announcing,”here are the facts,” Raskin wrote, “the FD-1023 form, which we reviewed first-hand today, records what a Confidential Human Source told the FBI about conversations he had with individuals in Ukraine. The source, who has been described as highly credible by the FBI, told the FBI he could not provide any opinion on the underlying veracity of the information provided by these Ukrainian individuals.”

“Chairman Comer’s actions prove that his interest in issuing this subpoena was never about seeking the truth, but was always about weaponizing the powers of this Committee to hold Director Wray in contempt as part of MAGA Republicans’ efforts to discredit and ultimately ‘dismantle’ the FBI.”

READ MORE: ‘Indictment Anytime’: Experts Explain Significance of Trump’s Attorneys Meeting With DOJ – Warn Plea Deal Possible

Indeed, then-President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an infamous July, 2019 telephone call, to “do us a favor though.”

“I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it,” Trump said, according to a declassified transcript released by the White House.

On Sunday Rep. Raskin told CNN Comer “admitted” this is an attempt to help Donald Trump. “It’s all about the 2024 campaign.”

Watch the video above or at this link.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2020 AlterNet Media.