Howard Kurtz & Republican ties

[Bussardre@aol.com]

Maybe this  (see article below) explains why Howard  Kurtz, media watchdog,  
ignores the misinformation and statistical  lies on education so many 
journalists cite  from right-wing think  tanks. More of that self-censorship by 
journalists? Perhaps so.  

--Billee Bussard
(semi-retired journalist)
 

Author's Note: Knowledge is power folks. This is not  about trashing Howie's 
wife. Let's just have some basic disclosure. By way of  disclosure, my wife is 
the Head Nurse of the National Cancer Institute at the  National Institutes 
of Health. No Conflict. - LJ

Howard Kurtz, Unreliable Source  
By Larry C. Johnson 
t r  u t h o u t | Perspective  
Tuesday 30 May 2006  
I'm writing at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic.  Lufthansa is now offering 
wireless internet on board the airplane, and the  connection is amazing. Anyway, 
it is time to blow the whistle on Howie Kurtz and  his hypocrisy. Kurtz, the 
media reporter for the Washington Post, tries to  present the persona of the 
objective journalist. But a review of his pieces  shows a decided tilt to the 
right and a tendency to be an apologist for the  Republican administration. Why 
is that?  
It's all about love. You see, Howie's wife, Sheri  Annis, is a Republican 
consultant/activist. I don't begrudge the lady making a  living. I just think it 
is important that Howie disclose his conflict of  interest on this front. Yes, 
Howie's wife is fair game. She is not undercover.  She is not doing 
classified work. But, she is carrying water for the Republican  party and little Howie 
is more than willing to drink from that cup. Hey, as  someone who has been 
married for 30 years, I fully understand the power of the  wife.  
I first dealt with Howie when he wrote the story on  Robert Greenwald's 
documentary, "Outfoxed."  
Howie, acting as a journalist, wrote the following  diatribe:  

Robert Greenwald, an admirer of Michael Moore, is trying to give  Fox News 
Channel the kind of cinematic spanking that Moore just delivered to  President 
Bush in "Fahrenheit 9/11."  
"Fox is not a conservative network, it's a Republican network," and its  
fair-and-balanced slogan is "ridiculous," the Los Angeles director says in  
explaining why he sought funding from two liberal groups - and took out a loan  - to 
make the documentary "Outfoxed."  
But Greenwald, whose last movie was "Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the  
Iraq War," makes no effort at fairness or balance himself. Not only did he  
avoid contacting Fox, and indulge in some misleading editing, but the film  also 
features a parade of the network's liberal detractors - including Al  Franken, 
Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders, the group Fairness and Accuracy in  Reporting and 
out-of-the-closet liberal columnist Walter  Cronkite.
That, my friends, is the work of a political hack.  Start with the fact that 
Michael Moore is not the central focus of the film.  Then consider that the 
facts Robert Greenwald presented are not refuted because,  surprise, surprise, 
they can't be refuted because they ARE FACTS!  
So, the next time you read little Howie, just  remember, he certainly appears 
to be carrying water for his wife to ensure she  stays on good terms with the 
Bush White House.  
  
____________________________________

Larry C. Johnson is CEO and co-founder of BERG  Associates, LLC, an 
international business-consulting firm that helps  corporations and governments manage 
threats posed by terrorism and money  laundering. Mr. Johnson, who worked 
previously with the Central Intelligence  Agency and US State Department's Office 
of Counter Terrorism (as a Deputy  Director), is a recognized expert in the 
fields of terrorism, aviation security,  crisis and risk management. Mr. Johnson 
has analyzed terrorist incidents for a  variety of media including the Jim 
Lehrer News Hour, National Public Radio,  ABC's Nightline, NBC's Today Show, the 
New York Times, CNN, Fox News and the  BBC. Mr. Johnson has authored several 
articles for publications including  Security Management Magazine, the New 
York Times and The Los Angeles Times. He  has lectured on terrorism and aviation 
security around the world. 
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