IS TODAY THE DAY?
UPDATE ON OUR CAMPAIGN
THE PEOPLE SPEAK

Today may be THE day. You all know what I mean. Indictments may be announced just in time for Halloween. There is anxiety in the suites of power and excitement in the streets of protest. Harriet Miers was forced to withdraw her Supreme Court nomination even as thousands of vigils opposed the war. Its hard to believe that the ice may break and the sun may shine. We have been disappointed so many times?..But as Jimmy Cliff sings, “The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall…

CNN reports:

Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is expected to announce the results of his two-year probe.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A curious and twisting episode that began in the sixth paragraph of a 2003 newspaper column could culminate Friday in criminal charges reaching to the top echelons of the White House. The special prosecutor in the CIA leak investigation, Patrick Fitzgerald, is
expected on Friday to announce the results of his probe, including whether a federal grand jury will issue any indictments, an attorney involved in the case told CNN.

Two lawyers involved in the case also have told CNN that as his investigation winds down the prosecutor is focusing on whether Karl Rove, President Bush’s top political strategist, committed perjury. Rove testified four times in front of the grand jury.

When this news ?breaks? it will be the only news on the air.

So that?s the lead?.and we should know in a few hours where it will lead. Will it force a major change in the Administration? I doubt it. Will it end the war? No way. That?s why we have to keep our eyes on the prize so to speak.

TELL THE TRUTH CAMPAIGN

Notice we have changed the name of our campaign slightly because we have learned that many other organizations are about to launch a “SHOW US THE WAR” campaign with sufficient resources to have more an impact. Mediachannel and all our members will be welcome to participate. I will pass on the details when I get them.

No one here wants to own this issue even though I have been raising it for years?.in this blog, on Mediachannel and other sites, with my film WMD and books etc. If others can do a better job of reaching more people and involving more organizations, all the better.

So as President Bush once said: “BRING IT ON.”

In the meantime, I am overwhelmed by all the response we are getting. It’s heartening. Read the pages of comments from our community. The scale of it all is impressive and growing. It is so clear that we have power if we can find ways of channeling it. We need to challenge the mainstream media and strengthen our own. We need to focus on the media as an issue and not get distracted because lives depend on it.

SPECIAL THANKS

I have to acknowledge all the help and support of our Mediachannel team led by David Degraw and now joined by Vicki Assevero. Special thanks to our new outreach coordinator Jackie Newberry who is doing so much from our new base in Houston. Also to readers like Joe Dunphy, and Sarah Meyers (I misspelled her name yesterday) and so many others. Keep it up and we can build this channel into a mighty force in the media and democracy movement.

Now on to your voices and comments that with one exception embrace and support our Tell the Truth About The War Campaign

WATCH THIS FIRST

From David Olson of Speakeasypro.com

URL ready for download.

http://www.speakeasypro.com/meaningful.html>www.speakeasypro.com/meaningful.html

The above URL is for downloading only. If you can’t host the piece, you can link to:

http://www.archive.org/details/Catpult>www.archive.org/details/Catpult

MEMO TO THE MEDIA

From Tracy Baker:

?Be the profession you were created for. Tell the truth, show the truth. In other words, grow some balls?

Pat Hays to the media: Redeeem yourselves:

? Now is the time for the media to redeem itself. They have a vulnerable target. They need to get off their backsides and do some investigative journalism. They need to stop whining about not having access to the President and the White House. No one told them that their jobs would be easy. They need to stop the embedded stuff…they compromise themselves in doing so. Do they want to win back our trust?….then start getting to the bottom of this. It is unraveling. It shouldn’t be that hard. People are defecting like rats on a sinking ship.

DO IT

Anita Ramsey writes from the Garden State:

“Hello Danny, Anita of Ramsey, NJ——-as usual you are right there w/what we could/should do. Besides staying active on the internet, signing petitions, emailing and calling the Capitol almost weekly, for the first time, on Nov 8th, I will vote for an independent incumbent for governor. They are the only ones addressing the real issues the tax payers wish to hear about. Corzine and Forrester have done nothing to PROVE that they will represent the tax payers. They have spent a disgraceful amount of money while our towns are having food banks at our supermarkets to feed the needy. So, I need to send a message and hopefully many other people will and cast a vote for the person out here telling us the truth because they live in the land we do, not the rich man’s wish to be a political celebrity. We have all learned, from the past number of years and so called elections, that we don’t have two parties. What is the difference between Dems + Reps are the corporations that own them and direct them.

Perhaps, if enough of states vote independent the media will cover the out come and realize that the American Citizens are uniting to have our country back where we will have a say in where our tax dollars go. What we need to listen to is that all these candidates are telling us the dirt behind each other. So it appears as though they are all linked to what is bankrupting the American Citizens=insurances, drug companies, oil, and deceit. If we could get people like Dean, Kucinich, Clinton and a few others to swing over to the real people’s side for government we will headed in the right direction. As usual Danny, I thank you for being out there risking your truth for justice.?

FOCUS ON VETERANS TOO

Linda Burke writes:

Here’s another untold story, and this one can be reported without risking life and limb! The Republican-controlled Congress has been systematically shortchanging the V.A. hospital system even as more new veterans desperately need their services. You can learn all about it on the American Legion website and the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) website. In particular, read about the narrow defeat of the Stabenow Amendment for stabilizing V.A. funding. The vote was divided along partisan lines, with Democratic senators voting to support the V.A., and Republicans voting to starve it.

This issue starkly illuminates the true priorities of the chicken hawk regime even as young soldiers are coming home mutilated in body and mind. It should have been front page news, but has been totally ignored outside of veterans’ organization websites. I’ve attached a copy of my letter to the editor on the subject.

WHAT THE MEDIA COULD DO

Pete Prammer has some ideas:

?Cut down on those “happy Iraqi” interviews in the Green Zone…..let’s have more interviews with average, everyday Iraqis, like Sunnis in Falluja and Ramadi and Shiites in Basra and Najaf.

?No need to show graphic blood and brutality……some candid” after-action” interviews with the innocent civilians, instead of just the usual “photo-op” with posturing army officers reporting another successful mission.

?Also, how about some stories about how some of our taxpayer money is really being spent, both by that new, “democratic” Iraqi governmentand by their American middle-men that we entrusted it to.

Thanks for listening!

THE PRESS HAS LET US DOWN

Rick Moniak writes all the way from Juneau Alaska:

?I am assuming you don’t accept attachments, so I am attaching this link

http://www.mfso.org/article.php?id=395

to a letter I wrote to Senator Stevens “demanding” he search for the truth about the war. I cc’d several newspapers. It was the third time I have contacted the Senator. I find it distasteful that no single newspaper has asked why the senate hasn’t investigated the full account of the so called flawed intelligence, and how they allow this most serious of issues to be played out as if our elected officials have a responsibility to their political parties. The constitution doesn’t recognize parties, nor do any of the amendments to it. But the GOP has been the ones clothing the emperor, who without their undeserved loyalty, would be exposed for what he is, a coward. They are all political cowards, fearing political retribution if they stand for their own integrity and convictions by asking questions that need to be asked, while my son and his fellow soldiers face real danger everyday.

“The press has let America down as well, acting like cowards while claiming allegiance to our soldiers safety.

“Thank you for allowing me a voice.

WHAT WE COULD DO

Dede Dancing writes:

?right on. call local television stations, and say “i want to see what’s going on in iraq”? i don’t watch tv, but of course i have friends and
family who do, who would be happy to make a call or two. or would that not be the way to help?

?peace soon?

WE AGREE

William Hay: ?Good idea! I concur.?

Kim Janek:

?Reform the media. I agree with Mr. Schechter’s article posted in Common Dreams.org.?

Gary Gilthvedt, Ph.D.

?I agree with Danny Schechter: Show the war, tell the truth. America responds to real news and to dish it out is a service to our democracy and future.?

Katherine Hodges writes:

? I am also in total agreement with Show the War - Tell the Truth. I want the lies of our government exposed. The 2000 KIA is sad and outrageous. There never were any WMD in Iraq. This war is based on lies and oil. Bring our troops home now!!!

FROM POLAND

joe marsh writes from Rybnik, Poland

WHAT’S THE NAME OF THE FRENCH NEWSPAPER THAT RAN THE GRAPHIC
SPREAD???

I agree with you 100000000000000000000000000000000 PERCENT.

Answer: Liberacion

“UNBELIEVABLY TRAGIC”

RD writes from Tennesee:

Agree completely and hope and keep trying with what I can do.

?However, looking at the precarious situation of the U S economy and our National financial situation . . . I seriously suspect the U S has allowed
‘itself’ to be maneuvered into an inextricable position. We are no longer FREE; the people have yet to realize where we are.

?The politicians cannot act for AMERICA FIRST without the threat of the plug being pulled and bringing wreckage to our economy (and bringing problems ON THEMSELVES TO ACCOMPLISH NOTHING. They will not chance it (regardless of Public Opinion against the ‘war’ and we will not withdraw FROM THIS AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM and American taxpayers (and the Nations financial future will continue to pay the price and the men will still be coming home dead or wounded.

?This is an unbelievably tragic situation.

?What is so bizarre is that the Religious ‘conservatives’ who wave the flag and who you would suppose would be first FOR Righteousness and Truth have been the easiest deluded.

?WE DO NEED FULL AND HONEST REPORTING, REGARDLESS, AND THE PUBLIC CAN PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR WHAT IS TO COME.

( very few people really want to be wrong but I really, really do )

?I AM SICK?

John Reynolds writes:

?I am sick of what has become of the the media in this country. I refer to it as Tabloid Media because all I ever see is coverage of
someintensely emotional story about a murder of some pretty white woman or “reporters” standing in the wind and rain of a hurricane somewhere.

What happened to real journalism that covers the real issues of our time and those that affect us everyday? Edward R. Morrow must be rolling over in his grave!!!!! Where is the truth being told about this war. the wounded, the cutbacks of funding of mental health care at the Veterans Administration, the cronyism of the administration, the civilian deaths in Iraq, the exorbitant cost of health care coverage, etc., etc., etc? The media should be beholden to no one, but they seem to be afraid of the administration, the Pentagon, and big corporations. It is no longer about informing the public about the truth, but about making money and not making waves. I am sick of it!!!! I will continue to go to Common Dreams, Buzz Flash, and other non mainstream sources for my information.?

Paul Brennan: ?I join.I will speak up at every opportunity.?

A GREAT IDEA

Stephen Berk, Emeritus Professor, US History CSU Long Beach writes:

?This is a great idea. I remember well that mainstream media showing of the war in Vietnam is what finally gave CBS icon Walter Cronkite the courage to speak out against the war. The war elites knew this, and ever since they have worked overtime to keep America’s imperial wars off the small screen. We need film of what is happening on the ground in Iraq, just as we had in Vietnam. When I was teaching I showed lots of films of the Tet Offensive and other marking events in Vietnam. How will historians visually document their lectures on the Iraq War? It is going to be much harder, what with the In-Bed-With-the-War propaganda journalism. This started with the Gulf War in 1991 (and I’ve yet to see any ground pictures of that) where CNN was highly touted for reducing the killing of hundreds of thousands to video games. And in Orwell’s America it’s been going on in spades ever since.