The Water Cooler is written by Washington Times staffers.
By David Mastio — Published September 17, 2009 Comments
On Sept. 13, Americans for the Arts emailed The Washington Times a letter objecting to an editorial published online on Sept. 11 and in the Sept. 14 print edition of the paper. They published both on their web site on Sept. 14 and you can read them in full there.Below are the allegations of mistakes and distortions made by America for the Arts and The Washington Times' reply (in the order that the issues were discussed in the letter and then the memo): Were the arts organizations that endorsed healthcare reform on the NEA conference call? Did the arts organizations do anything more than reiterate an old position? When did the NEA chairman and the Americans for the Arts president meet? Was it fair to allege that Americans for the Arts Action Fund is Democratic?
by David Mastio — Published September 17, 2009 Comments
Americans for the Arts: “The health care statement by the 21 arts groups was begun and finished well before August 10. The nation’s arts groups have a long history of advocating to presidential administrations and Congress, not the other way around. In December 2007, almost two years ago, Americans for the Arts released a widely publicized policy brief that included items on health care and the arts to all Presidential candidates. And in March 2009 we issued another policy brief on health care and the arts that was drafted in agreement with more than 80 national arts organizations. ...(from the supporting memo) There never was an endorsement of Obama's health reform plan. ... The statement reiterates arts policy positions on health care consistent with at least two years of similar advocacy by Americans for the Arts ...” The Washington Times: The Times has not published anything about when groups began ...
by David Mastio — Published September 17, 2009 Comments
Americans for the Arts: “Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch and NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman did not meet on August 27 or 28. They did meet earlier in August as chronicled in the informal podcast posted on the Americans for the Arts blog. They didn’t discuss health care.” The Washington Times: The National Endowment for the Arts has still not confirmed, denied or provided a date for the meeting. Confusion came from the comment of an NEA spokesperson and the fact that Mr. Lynch posted a podcast on Aug. 28 that begins “I am really excited to have just met with Rocco Landesman ...”. According to Mr. Lynch, the meeting was on Aug. 12. The Times regrets the error. The point was never the date of the meeting, but the fact that Mr. Lynch and Mr. Landesman met in close proximity to the Aug. 10 conference ...
by David Mastio — Published September 17, 2009 Comments
Americans for the Arts: “The Washington Times deliberately omits the fact that the PAC of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund … also gave donations to 26 Republicans running for Congress. … (and) by implying that the arts and the needs of artists are somehow a Democrat issue dishonors the hundreds of thousands of Republican elected officials, arts patrons, board members and arts leaders across America who should be recognized for their ongoing strong arts support.” The Washington Times: The Times did not omit anything. When The Water Cooler blog first reported the donations, we linked to OpenSecrets.org's database of 2008 donations by Americans for the Arts Action Fund PAC – including the Republican ones. According to OpenSecrets.org, 82% of Americans for the Arts donations went to Democrats in the 2008 election cycle. Readers could judge for themselves whether our emphasis on the Democratic donations was fair. Americans ...
by David Mastio — Published September 17, 2009 Comments
AFA: “ None of the 21 arts organizations, to my knowledge, were on the August 10 conference call, which was reported as for artists, arts marketers, and producers. ... Americans for the Arts did not even learn about the conference call until we read news reports about it in September.” The Washington Times: According to both a participant in the conference call and a partial list of participants compiled by one of the organizers and obtained by The Times, Kerry Washington was on the call. The document describes Miss Washington as “actress/arts activist. She sits on the board of The Creative Coalition and Americans for The Arts (arts and arts education advocacy organizations) and serves on the board of two organizations committed to the use of theater arts for social change: V-day and The People Speak.” On the Americans for the Arts website, Miss Washington is described in this way: ...
by David Mastio — Published September 16, 2009 Comments
Americans for the Arts: The link to the audio of Mr. Lynch's podcast was not deliberately removed. “Artsblog had a podcast plug-in failure” because of automatic updates. Mr. Lynch, in a telephone interview also states that the I-Tunes version of the podcast was always available. The Washington Times: Exactly what happened cannot be independently verified. No widespread problem with the software has been reported and the arts advocacy group says they never got the call from The Washington Times. If all that is true, it is an amazing confluence of unfortunate events..
by Kerry Picket — Published September 16, 2009 Comments
Former President Jimmy Carter is throwing his two cents in on Congressman Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) outburst on the House floor last week. Mr. Carter is calling Mr. Wilson's "you lie" accusation towards President Obama during the President's address to Congress last week an act of racism. While these racism charges are debated, it should be noted that Mr. Carter referred to Mr. Obama as "this black boy" in August of 2008 during the last presidential elections. I uploaded this video at Media Research Center's Eyeblast.tv at the time. Transcript is below: JIM LEHRER: And do you think that -- if it happens that he is elected, or even just being nominated, is -- will send positive ripple effects throughout the country on the race issue?JIMMY CARTER: Around the world. Around the world. And I think it already has sent a wave of approbation and admiration in many countries around the world, ...
by Kerry Picket — Published September 16, 2009 Comments
The Washington Times obtained a partial list of participants on the August 10 teleconference call hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts, the White House, and United We Serve. The list was apparently sent out by Russell Simmons's political director Michael Skolnik. However, when the Washington Times asked Mr. Skolnik if he could authenticate the list, he only responded he could not authenticate the excel document we sent: (click on the image of the email exchange to enlarge) That's funny. Mr. Skolnik's electronic signature was part of the excel document along with his company name, Soze Productions. Moreover, The Washington Times also has a screenshot below of an email from Mr. Skolnik showing that he sent out the list of names, associations and contact information. (click on image to enlarge). The email also shows that Mr. Skulnik was scrupulously correct in keeping the focus off politics and on the ...
by Kerry Picket — Published September 14, 2009 Comments
By Anthony Bowe - Online Editorial Intern A number of bloggers are alleging that Human Rights Watch (HRW) has been using fake names to seed the Internet with supposedly independent defenses of the organization. The "offense" called "sock puppetry" by bloggers is among the most reviled tactics in the online spin wars. The alleged sock puppetry has come in defense of HRW senior military analyst Marc Garlasco on several conservative blogs. Garlasco has been criticised for his hobby of collecting Second World War memorabilia, including Nazi medals. The fake commenters apparently appeared first on the Elder of Ziyon blog, where user name Dash K., wrote: "...Instead of dragging this man's name through the mud, perhaps it would be better to consider his record, his position at a leading Human Rights NGO (which, despite claims to the contrary, is not anti-Israel since they criticize Israeli and Palestinian tactics alike when either ...
by Kerry Picket — Published September 13, 2009 Comments
Updated with quote from Rep. Franks-9/14/09 An overlooked quote by a Michigan teenager picked up by the Associated Press regarding the murder of pro-life activist James Pouillon illustrates why many in the media are ignoring this story.: Later on Friday students outside the high school said Pouillon was a fixture there and regularly held graphic signs of aborted fetuses. "I can see someone spitting on him or punching him, but shooting him is pretty stupid," said 16-year-old Curtis Wisterman. Pro-life activists regularly disagree on the techniques and actions that are used to show their opposition towards abortion, but when a young individual appears to be taught by others, who likely know better, that pro-lifers are subhuman and deserve whatever violence comes their way, that is troublesome. The general media silence on this story implies there are two classes of individuals in the abortion debate. When violence befalls a well known abortionist, ...
by Kerry Picket — Published September 11, 2009 Comments
(This post is an edited draft of the editorial that will appear in the Monday, Sept. 14 Washington Times.) National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman owes American taxpayers an explanation. Last month, a top NEA official gathered artists and arts organizations in a conference call that also included a White House official and clearly asked the arts community to get behind the administration's agenda, including the current top priority health care. A mere 48 hours after the request, 21 art organizations led by an arts lobbying organization, Americans for the Arts, released the first of two public statements endorsing health care reform and urging Congress to act. Such a meeting would be disturbing enough – a grant-maker backed by the White House asking grant recipients to support the administration agenda crosses the line from persuasion to coercion. Artists and arts groups who want funding from the NEA to ...
by Kerry Picket — Published September 11, 2009 Comments
In 2005, FoxNews.com reported the NEA's reputation had made marked improvements among its stark critics in Washington, including longtime detractor Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C). Ms. Myrick stated she had a "renewed confidence in the agency" and applauded the NEA's "concerted effort to spread resources to more communities, national initiatives and higher standards for grant-make," FoxNews.com said. Since the controversial August 10th teleconference call led by the National Endowment for the Arts, the White House Office of Public Engagement, and United We Serve, her confidence appears to have been undermined. On Friday, she released this statement to The Washington Times: "While I appreciate the NEA's support for community service, I was troubled that the NEA participated in a conference call to encourage members of the art community to use their creative talents to build consensus for the President's policy proposals. Because the NEA's grant programs offer substantial support for many artists, this discussion could have been interpreted ...
by Kerry Picket — Published September 11, 2009 Comments
UPDATE- NARAL Responds to Michigan shooting: “Today’s shootings in Michigan are tragic and our thoughts are with the families so deeply affected by this senseless violence. Although law-enforcement officials still have not commented on the shooter’s motivation, we understand that one of those murdered today was an anti-choice activist. NARAL Pro-Choice America emphatically condemns violence as a political weapon to silence opposition. We know all too well the chilling effect that shootings and other forms of violent intimidation have on people who have strongly held beliefs about this most personal issue.” - Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America UPDATE: Man charged in 2 deaths (updated below) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Following the murder of Doctor George Tiller, a Wichita abortionist, NARAL Pro-Choice America released a statement that was not only heavily political but also attacked pro-life activists as well. Today in Owosso, Michigan, pro-life activist James Pouillon, 63, was shot several times in ...
by Kerry Picket — Published September 11, 2009 Comments
Last night, the Water Cooler pointed out that the Americans for the Arts removed audio of Bob Lynch discussing a meeting with new National Endowment for the Arts Chair, Rocco Landesman. This morning, audio of this issue suddenly reappeared. Did Americans for the Art discover transparency overnight suddenly? Here is the un-excerpted original audio that was downloaded before the initial removal of the audio from the site. Sept. 16 Update: Americans for the Arts disputes our interpretation of this event, stating that the disappearance and reappearance of the audio link was the result of a badly timed technical glitch with some of their software. -- David Mastio
by Kerry Picket — Published September 10, 2009 Comments
On August 12, a group of 21 arts organizations endorsed President Barack Obama's health reform plan only 48 hours after a conference call in which a top National Endowment for the Arts official asked arts groups for help in advancing the administration's policy agenda, including health care. One reason the arts organizations may have been so swift to follow the administration's suggestion is that 16 of the groups and affiliated organizations received nearly $2 million in grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in the 150 days before the conference call. According to a Washington Times analysis of NEA records, more than $1 million of that total came from the stimulus package. (see timeline) The explosive questions are obvious and so far the administration is not talking: Is it ethical, or even legal, for a federal official from a grant-making agency to ask grant recipients to endorse the administration's ...
