POLITICS: "Stolen Honor" Producer, Carlton Sherwood, Revealed as Homeland Security Contractor

Originally posted by BlackJackal
If you can't kill the message kill the messenger. Famous Democrat tactic, how classy

Kill the message? I'm promoting it! It's the 30 year old story that's never been told you've heard a million times.

Go download all the free clips and audio files you want. Or spill the 499 pennies for the full pay per view. Who cares?

That form of distribution is legal! But not on Sinclair.

Anyway, why would lauding the extensive depth of political campaign experience of the men behind the movie be shameful for them? Is it their statements to the contrary you find so distasteful? One man was promised an appointment by Bush! The other awarded Homeland Security work! Good for them. And Cordier, I just can't get enough him!

Is that something to hide or be ashamed of?

What's Bush said about all this anyway? Still on the "527's should be outlawed" (I got me a network to do it for free) kick...

You can't be proud of this. :shk: Though I kind of am.

One way or the other there will be "fair time" for this in the public interest even if on other networks. These guys want to be news. Let them be news.

You really can't complain about the repurcussions or Bush backlash either when all is revealed.

[edit on 13-10-2004 by RANT]

So, is the point of this thread that only certain people should be allowed to make political movies?

If Michael Moore was John Kerry's brother-in-law (which he might be, for all I know ), I wouldn't be yelling, "Hey! He can't make anti-Bush movies then!" These people have the same rights & freedoms we do, so if they want to make the movie, good for them. Of course, we as potential viewers have the rights & freedom to watch & agree with movie, watch & disagree with the movie, or just not care about the movie at all...

I bet that we'll see both this movie and Fahrenheit 9/11 on TV in prime time before the election. Which is fine -- because that's what the U.S. is all about!

I suppose this interesting tidbit is known to most, but thought I'd add it to the list of Bush Administration connections to "Stolen Honor" and it's airing on public airwaves.

On top of Producer/Documentarian Carlton Sherwood being a Tom Ridge Homeland Security contractor, and Owner/Publicist Charles Gerow being a Bush appointee (among other things), and "Honor" star Ken Cordier being a Bush campaign advisor and SBVT 527 member, and Sinclair being the hugely outspoken financial supporter of Bush-Cheney that it is...

The final FCC decision to allow the airing of "Stolen Honor" came Friday from the son of Colin Powell for crying out loud.

"Don't look to us to block the airing of a program," Powell told reporters after the FCC's monthly meeting in Washington.

By "us" you mean the Bush appointed Powell family Michael?

Appointing his Secretary of State's son to Chair the FCC was one of Bush's first priorities as President in 2001.

President George W. Bush named Powell as Kennard's successor Monday in one of the first official acts of his new administration.

And as Bush-Friendly as the Sinclair monopoly may be rightly described, Chairman Powell may equally be described as Sinclair friendly.


FCC chairman Michael Powell, Colin's smooth, ambitious son, has never met a media merger he didn't like.

We may be too close to the present "mind job" were all enjoying from this particularly incestuous Administration when it comes to it's everyday blurring of the lines between private and public sectors, news and public relations, polluters and policy and ideology and reality... but the nepotism is getting ridiculous. Brother-Govenors determining Presidential elections (probably twice) and child benefactors determining the content of public airwaves in elections? Once we're finally free of this nonsense, history will not be so kind.

[edit on 18-10-2004 by RANT]

Not only has the Sinclair stock taken a hit, been downgraded by Lehman, Legg Mason and other Wall Street analysts, and media experts believe that shareholders will surely file a lawsuit because of mismanagement, but advertisers have begun to pull commercials on Sinclair affiliates.

The FEC probably would have an issue with it, but they claim that it would take weeks to process the paperwork and file the motions involved in getting it off the air. All Kerry can hope for is that they will do so in time to award him equal time.


NY Times

www.alternet.org...

And BTW, I have posted in other threads about this, but I have seen Stolen Honor (it is available online for download) and it is not fact-based in any way, nor are the claims made by the POWs very credible. Their stories are heartwrenching, but no evidence is presented. Being that there have been widespread accounts of torture being discontinued in the camp in which they were held after Ho Chi Minh's death in late 1969 (by John McCain & other POWs that were held with them-and this was long before the film was ever made), and Kerry didn't make his testimony until 1971, their claims that they were tortured and held longer because of Kerry's statements just don't make sense. A couple of the men also make claims that they were tortured over recordings of Kerry's actual voice, which doesn't make sense either.

See it for yourself and make your own judgements (I'd wait for the free broadcast instead of wasting $4.99 for the download like I did), but considering the fact that several of these men are Swift Boat Vets, several of these men were involved in a GOP Vietnam Vet dog-and-pony show since the early 90's--campaigning for Bush Sr., Jeb Bush, & Bush Jr. long before Kerry was in the picture, every one involved in the production & marketing of this film is a Republican operative in one way or another, and the director of the film has refused to name his financiers, I think the motive here is obvious. They are just trying to use emotional stories to sway viewers, but the lack of credibility is glaring.




[edit on 19-10-2004 by Banshee]

Originally posted by BlackJackal
If you can't kill the message kill the messenger. Famous Democrat tactic, how classy

Unbelievable. A detailed case is presented to demonstrate that the production falls under the rules governing poltical ads, and you blather on something thats apparently becoming a motto in this thread. Do you cover your eyes with your hand or do you use an actual blindfold? THe messenger is whats in dispute here, the message hasn't been presented, or apparently even made yet. It doesn't matter how soft it goes on Kerry, who is certianly open to completely valid and damaging criticism, its the fact that the production's presenting itself as an unbiased news report 'documentary' that is entirely fraudulent, and its the fact that the company involved is paid as a contractor or at least was up for bid with the homeland security department that makes this entire episode horribly dishonest.
I have to say that I'm a Registered Republican, and there's a lot of crap I don't like about Kerry at all, but this kind of bull# is intolerable.

thundercloud
So, is the point of this thread that only certain people should be allowed to make political movies?

No, the point is that dishonest liars shouldn't get away with lying. These producers are obviously biased, and that disgusting pig moore obviously is too, but at least he knows he can't pretend that he isn't, and at least he knows that that crap pile of propaganda "Fahrenheit 911" is in the Drama section of the video stores, not the Documentary section. Make all the anti-kerry movies you want, but this is bull crap. Complete and utter crap. These people are funded into one pocket from homeland security and then use their money to create a feature length add, present it as news, and then force it onto the air a day or two before the election? Garbage, complete and total garbage. This crap is over with, this kind of junk is enough to motivate people who have half a brain not tolerate it anymore. Kerry's not much better, but at least we all know he's a weak flip-flopping unfocused unprincipled hack, as opposed to someone whos pretending to not know that controlling media outlets to mass-produce propaganda and forcing it on public airwaves isn't wrong. What else are people that allow this patently un-american lying to occur capable of? Why should anyone trust them?

lmgny
the Sinclair stock taken a hit, been downgraded by Lehman, Legg Mason and other Wall Street analysts, and media experts believe that shareholders will surely file a lawsuit because of mismanagement, but advertisers have begun to pull commercials on Sinclair affiliates.

Well thank god the system has some ability to self correct. If all those stock holders and analysts can see that there is a problem, maybe the public can see that there is another sort of problem.

On all counts.

Originally posted by lmgnyc
See it for yourself and make your own judgements (I'd wait for the free broadcast instead of wasting $4.99 for the download like I did), but considering the fact that several of these men are Swift Boat Vets, several of these men were involved in a GOP Vietnam Vet dog-and-pony show since the early 90's--campaigning for Bush Sr., Jeb Bush, & Bush Jr. long before Kerry was in the picture, every one involved in the production & marketing of this film is a Republican operative in one way or another, and the director of the film has refused to name his financiers, I think the motive here is obvious.

And this last point keeps growing and growing.

Don't think I've mentioned yet who Sherwood's other boss is... the CEO of WVC3 that contracts counterterrorism ops for the Bush Administration with his "documentarian" employee.

None other than Bill Cowan!!!

Recognize him?


You should if you watch FOXNEWS! He's one of their most frequently used analysts for "independent" views and articles on the military and terrorism. Thick as thieves. All of them. The government. The media.

And "Stolen Honor" is smack dab in the middle of all of it.

You're right lmgnyc, it's nothing more than emotional opinion piece (and a big fat infomercial), but the hard links to the Bush administration (and it's complicit media arm) grow and grow by the day.

Can't wait for the National analysis and exposure to follow once this Bush produced bomb drops on a C- market near you.

EDIT: Oh, and as you'll see from the linked FOX articles by and editorials on Cowan, he's most frequently cast in the role of "Con" in the "Fair & Balanced" debates on Fox News. He's the backroom Bush contractor they call in to softly counter the argument's of front room "Pro" Iraq War people.

He says alot of things like "war is hard" and "expect things to get worse" just to keep the media coverage fair. Good for him.

And his specialty is psy-ops. Or isn't that obvious by now?

[edit on 18-10-2004 by RANT]

Is cowan the guy who's usually stammering when he speaks on fox news? Looks a little like him.

Originally posted by Nygdan
Is cowan the guy who's usually stammering when he speaks on fox news? Looks a little like him.

Could be Nygdan. He's got a goatee sometimes, and he does pick and choose his words carefully with alot of backtracking. Can't be too anti-Bush when he's your boss yaknow. (;

In other news...

Yahoo Breaking News

Sinclair Broadcasting Shareholders Demand Officers Return Profits From Insider Trading; Conf. Call Today 1 PM ET
1 hour, 41 minutes ago

To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor
Contact: Julie Wolk or Alex Howe, 202 822-5200
News Advisory: Telephone News Conference at 1 p.m. EDT Today

SINCLAIR BROADCASTING SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND OFFICERS RETURN PROFITS FROM INSIDER TRADING

Officers Who Ordered Stations to Show Anti-Kerry Film Also Sold Stocks at High Mark, then Drove Values Down

DETAILS:

Famed shareholder attorney William S. Lerach will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. today to discuss insider self-dealing by officers of Sinclair Broadcasting, the Baltimore-based television chain that is forcing its affiliates to show a propaganda film that attacks presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites). He will release a set of demands aimed at making Sinclair executives disgorge millions of dollars in unjustified profits taken out of the firm when stock prices were high during the past 12 months. Yesterday the company's stock fell a further 8 percent after being down more than 50 percent from the year's beginning, as advertisers pulled back to avoid the station's self-generated political controversy. Lerach and Patrick Daniels, San Diego-based partners in Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman Robbins, the nation's most successful securities litigation firm, will discuss actions it will take against Sinclair. Lerach Coughlin is a 140-member firm with offices in nine cities that has prosecuted hundreds of shareholder class action and derivative lawsuits, recovering more than $25 billion for clients. (For more on the firm go to: www.lerachlaw.com...)

The conference call of shareholders began 15 minutes ago.

Now be honest. What Bush supporter doesn't wish these people would just go away now. TOO LATE!

Veteran Featured in "Stolen Honor" Sues Filmmaker for Libel

Washington, DC, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- A veteran shown in a film critical of John F. Kerry's anti-Vietnam War activism is suing the producer of the movie for libel, the New York Times said Tuesday.

In a suit filed Monday in Philadelphia, former U.S. Marine Kenneth J. Campbell says the film, "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," libels him by deceptively editing his statements.

There's those darn tricky conservative editing techniques!

The film accuses Kerry, the Democratic president nominee, of making up atrocities he later presented as fact to a U.S. Senate committee in 1971.

A lawyer for Campbell, now a professor at the University of Delaware, said the film was selectively edited to remove footage that puts his statements in a different light.

"It edits little clips to make it look like they're just making up instances," Campbell's attorney David Kairys said.

Hmmm. Sherwood cries fowl, and Sinclair notified of pending libel litigation.

In related news, after opening today at the very conservative price of $6.66 a share, Sinclair continues to drop to rock bottom after it's recent loss of hundreds of millions (and hundreds of advertisers) amidst brewing legal problems (no matter what Michael Powell says is ethical).

EDIT: For those that think the libel charges on "documentarian" Sherwood won't stick consider his arrest in 1983 for illegally taping and publishing interviews and making false allegations that Vietnam Veteran Memorial organizers were stealing funds in an effort to block the DC tribue to veterans. (Just read that on a press release).

This Moonie is one bad egg, and bad news for his boss Bush.

[edit on 19-10-2004 by RANT]

The Brady Campaign says an inside source at NRA breaks silence on Stolen Honor funding:

Can it be true that the NRA is behind the Stolen Honor "documentary" attacking John Kerry to be aired in part or in its entirety by Sinclair Broadcasting?

We have received credible information from a source inside the NRA that the NRA is a significant funder of the Stolen Honor "documentary" which is scheduled to be aired on 62 stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting in late October. This "documentary" is the source of much controversy as it is a blatant political attack on a presidential candidate days before an election and is being aired by a broadcast company owned by supporters of President Bush. They are characterizing it as "news" and claiming not to be subject to election laws.

The NRA has made no secret of its disdain for election laws and using its resources to try and get around these laws and impact the election. The NRA has a history of trying to circumvent these laws by attempting to buy TV stations, expressing desires to broadcast from Mexico or even from a ship offshore in international waters. By allegedly funding this "documentary" and working with an existing pro-Bush broadcaster to air it, they are succeeding where they have failed in the past. They need to be stopped from making this end-run around our nation's election laws.

Consider this:

The Assistant General Counsel of the NRA, James H. Warner, appears in the "documentary" as someone who is highly critical of John Kerry. Is this just a coincidence?

We have been told by a source inside the NRA (whom we cannot identify to protect him and his family) that the NRA is a significant funder of Stolen Honor. The producers of Stolen Honor, Red, White and Blue Productions, a for-profit company, brag on their website that they have received funding from "individuals and entities nationwide" and are actively soliciting contributions. Since when do for-profit companies or news organizations solicit donations?

There is no reporting of contributors by Red, White and Blue Productions. No accountability. Nothing. Is this just an attempt by the producers to circumvent campaign finance laws and allow their supporters to hide their identities? (more)

I'm sure there's at least token NRA money behind it (which will now be conveniently found and linked), but this "timely" leak smells fishy to me. It's a red herring in my humble opinion to take the heat off the real source, which will prove less than desirable to Sherwood/Gerow/Sinclair and ultimately Bush-Cheney Inc.

It wouldn't suprise me at all to see the NRA or even the Rev. Sun Myung Moon take some lumps for Karl Rove or whoever is really behind the latest Kerry smear. This 11th hour "confession" likewise is just a bit too timely for my taste.

Designed perhaps to get people to stop digging in the horribly checkered pasts of these hacks? NEVER!

I realize that Sinclair is an obviously conservative group with ties to past and present administrations. I have no problem with that. Not because I'm a 'Bushie', but because the showing of this film actually has inspired so much hatred from the left that there must be something to it, just as that propaganda Moore film brought so much from the right, although from a much smaller audience and much less media frenzy (wonder why?). It smacks of hypocrisy to hear the mainstream media lambasting Sinclair for showing portions of the entire film as 'propaganda' and politically motivated (which, let's be honest with each other, it is) when so many prominant members of the mainstream media have voiced, or implied, support for Kerry.

For instance:

Remember the memo from ABC regarding not treating the candidates equally? In addition, ABC aired a show recentlyin which they tried to 'set the record straight' about Kerry by going into the communist Vietnam and interviewing ex-vietcong under the watchful eye of a government official. Real unbiased there. Wonder how those ex-gooks remembered with such clarity an event 30 years old? I wonder how they remembered the events so very differently than the candidate himself? And I wonder why Ted Koppel held the communists' views as gospel truth, even when exposed for the bias by none other than the head of the SBVFT, brought on as a ploy to attempt to look balanced?

Consider the faux pas committed by CBS several weeks ago.
Consider Tom Brokaw and Sam Donaldson supporting and contributing to the Kerry campaign, Sam even said as much on the Sean Hannity radio program just a couple of days ago.
Consider Wolf Blitzer's obvious holding up and promotion of Kerry and his agenda on CNN.

Ted Koppel Comments on The Patriot Act

ABC News Admits Left Leaning Bias


It is of little doubt , at least to me, that the mainstream media is left leaning. The evidence is in the vehement way they deny their bias, then their very own correspondants go out and as much as endorse the lefty candidate, and contrive stories less than balanced showing a clear favoritism to the DNC puppet candidate. Sinclair makes no qualm about being a conservative outlet. The difference is that they are willing to admit it, and because they are willing to admit it, the left rails against them. But when the major media publishes op/ed pieces contrived and purported to be called 'news', they are given a free pass. Why? because that's the way the game has always been played. Unfortunately, the American public isn't buying such drivel anymore. At least we can thank Al Gore for one thing: He invented the internet