Eric Alterman on C-SPAN....NOW! n/t

[in_cog_ni_to]

[ihaveaquestion]

1. He's great!

Paraphrasing here ...

Bush clearly lied on more than one occasion:

"We have found weapons of mass destruction."
"Saddam Hussein wouldn't allow the inspectors into Iraq."

How could Bush not know what was going on? He's the president! How could Cheney not know? How could Powell not know? How could Condoleeza Rice not know? These are clearly the most incompetent group we've had in the white house.

You go Eric!

[RebelOne]

2. Watching it now.

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. Did you hear the freeper call in about CLINTON??

Clinton, Clinton, Clinton! GEEZUSFUCKINGKRIST! They are so OBSESSED with Clinton. WHAT THE HELL DOES CLINTON HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING GOING ON, NOW???

Alterman said it best....Clinton lied about his personal sex life and the chimp (my word) lied about sending our kids to war. What's more important?

[KharmaTrain]

4. One Day I Wish He'd Look Forward

I think Eric's great and if anyone's chronicled the lies of this regime, this is the man. I agree 1000% about his assesment of the media, but one thing bothers me when I see him or Paul Krugman or anyone who is critical of the Conservative media.

The question is...what would you suggest be done to balance the media? It's one thing to be a critic, it's another to critique and offer a solution. I put this out as a rhetorical exercize since as long as there's not an alternative, all the citing and blaming now is falling on deaf ears.

AAR is a first step in the right direction...but we have a long, long way to go. I've studied this problem extensively over the past 15 years, and am just seeing some waking up to what's happened here. It's gonna take years to play catch up. The good thing is many are now awake to how dangerous the right wing media is, now to neutralize it...but how?

Cheers!

[IrateCitizen]

9. It's actually quite simple, and you already know the answer...

That answer is ORGANIZE.

The RW takeover of out media and governmental institutions is the result of a near 40-year crusade, tracing its roots all the way back to the defeat of Goldwater in 1964. The RW invested money and time into vast organizing efforts -- from the think tanks (Heritage, AEI, etc.) to the foundations (Scaife, Olin, etc.) to the Christian Coalition -- that have now paid off huge dividends.

While the RW has more money than we do, we still have more numbers. But what will turn the tide involves hard work, and a lot of it.

It's a simple answer, but not really the one a lot of us want to hear. It will take a good deal of two things to overcome the RW -- hard work, and time.

[HootieMcBoob]

11. Alterman addresses this in his book

"What Liberal Media".

[KharmaTrain]

14. Our Discipline Is Our Problem

I sense we're preaching to choirs here, and points very well put. I think the progressive and liberals still have miles to come to realize what it will take to virtually invent their own media and make it as powerful as what the right wing has built since the 60's.

Organize is a virtue and a bain. Trying to get the various groups on the left and center left just to agree on a parade route requires international negotiations. Some have been outright dismissive of the viewpoints of others...especially those on the far right...thus letting those messages go out over the airwaves for years uncontested and unfilitered.

Here I go playing in the past as well, and not what I want to see nor do. The great thing that's developed out of this election cycle is a new awakening from many in this country; especially those under 30, and a new interest and activism in politics and progressive and liberal ideals like I haven't seen since the early 70's. The DFA movement is one of the greatest things to happen to the Democrats in ages and here's hoping Dr. Dean's efforts continue and the movement grows.

That said, in addition to these new voices and "foot soldiers", there's also a new financial infrastructure...as witnessed by the growth of MoveOn, that show Democrats have the same financial resources as the Repugnicans...now can we develop a long-term, cohesive information pool that can counter all the lies and misrepresentations that our nation is now paying in both blood and capital.

Cheers!

[Skidmore]

5. I get the distinct impression that he's giving Brian Lamb

an early morning case of indigestion.

[Stephanie]

6. He's great. Mark Shields, please step aside

Eric Alterman deserves your slot. We need fighters like this. Call them on it when they LIE.

[PA Democrat]

12. Yes, he was wonderful

I have never seen someone who addressed the right-wingers who called as effectively as Eric.


I loved the guy who was trying to claim that Bush's job numbers were as good as Clinton's. When Eric cited the stats and asked the guy for the proof of his claims, the guy then went on a nasty diatribe and called him "unpatriotic and subversive".

Lamb cut him off and Eric said, "I liked that speech better in its original German."

[soothsayer]

7. Love him! A voice of reason. An island in the storm. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Refreshing!

[PA Democrat]

8. Every single right-winger that has called in has been a total nutcase

One woman just said that they had video of bin Laden making trips into Iraq over and over again.

[ElectroPrincess]

10. His wrap-up statements were "picture perfect"

Damn! We're blessed to have an intelligent fact-checking voice in the corporate media.

Kudos Eric!?! Thanks for your voice and please consider being a guest on Air American radio OFTEN.

[AmerDem]

13. Alterman KICKED ASS,

Everyone should watch this later in the day when it reapears or watch it on C-Span archive. I haven't seen anyone from our side stand up with such force and having all the facts on their side like Alterman. This was a must see!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

15. I just saw this at 4 PM-Eric Kicks ass!

:bounce:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

16. He kicks freeper ass on phone calls

"that diatribe sounded better in the original German"