Mary Bottari's News Articles

News

Leaked Audio: Fox News Offers to Run Petraeus for President

by Mary Bottari — December 5, 2012 - 1:23pm
  • Topics: Media

    • The Washington Post's Bob Woodward obtained an audio recording of a conversation between David Petraeus, the general turned CIA Director who recently resigned in the midst of a sex scandal, and Fox News contributor Kathleen T. McFarland. The conversation took place in spring 2011 in Kabul, during the time that Petraeus was the commander of U.S. and coalition forces there. McFarland is a national security analyst for Fox News and has a long resume working for GOP administrations going back to Reagan.

    News

    Koch Carbon Kings a Driving Force Behind the U.N. Deadlock in Doha

    by Mary Bottari — December 5, 2012 - 8:48am
  • Topics: Energy

    • A new report by the International Forum on Globalization details the role of David and Charles Koch in undermining international talks to address the rapidly escalating problem of climate change. As the United Nations meets in Doha, Qatar this week, the goal is to create a framework in which the governments of the world make internationally binding commitments to cut carbon emissions fast enough to keep climate change within the agreed threshold of 2C.

    Op-Ed

    The Devolution of American Media: In Madison Take-No-Prisoners Politics Gives Way to “Power Shopping”

    by Mary Bottari — November 28, 2012 - 8:25am
  • Topics: Media

    • As a news hound and a mom, I have an early morning routine for catching up on developments while getting the kid ready for school. I head downstairs, snap on the radio, start making coffee, and packing a kid-friendly lunch. The kitchen radio is permanently tuned to 1670 AM WTDY's "Sly in the Morning" show because I know that Sly has been up since 4 a.m. reading half a dozen state and national newspapers, scanning the front pages and the classifieds for the critical, the controversial, the funny, and the obscure.

    Op-Ed

    As Top Aide Is Sentenced to Jail Time, Scott Walker Lands in the Hot Seat 

    by Mary Bottari — November 20, 2012 - 11:32am
  • Topics: Right Wing, Democracy

    • Just a few days after a triumphal speech at the Reagan library, where Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker laid out his vision of a state without taxes and a privatized school system, Walker's name came up in a different context. In the sentencing hearing of top aide Kelly Rindfleisch.

    Op-Ed

    This Is What Plutocracy Looks Like: Romney Suggests Obama Bribed Voters

    by Mary Bottari — November 16, 2012 - 8:51am
  • Topics: Election 2012

    • Failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney was caught on tape in another candid moment with big dollar donors. In an attempt to explain his stunning loss, Romney alleges that President Obama bribed the electorate with "gifts":

    News

    Hide the Kids, the Elderly, the Sick & the Poor! Paul Ryan is Headed for the Cliff

    by Mary Bottari — November 15, 2012 - 8:35am
  • Topics: Economy, Real Economy Project

    • After an electoral shellacking and exit polls that show the vast majority of Americans are on Barack Obama's side when it comes to the major issues of the day, Paul Ryan is headed back to Congress convinced that he espouses "very popular ideas" and calling the 2012 results "a very close election."

    With this mind-set Ryan is prepping to turn the "fiscal cliff" austerity debate to the advantage of the Social Security bashers and Medicare slashers.

    News

    Mark Pocan Takes "Fighting Bob" La Follette’s Seat in the U.S. Congress

    by Mary Bottari — November 9, 2012 - 9:42am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Democracy, Economy

    • One of the most significant developments for American progressives this election season was the election of Mark Pocan, who won Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District seat with 68 percent of the vote. The popular and populist Pocan is likely to hold the seat, which was once held by Progressive Party champion Robert M. La Follette, for many years to come. Pocan represented the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) area in the state legislature and CMD worked with him on our ALEC Exposed project.

    News

    No Retreat, No Surrender: Obama and Springsteen in Madison for Final Push for Baldwin

    by Mary Bottari — November 5, 2012 - 3:43pm
  • Topics: Election 2012, U.S. Congress, Politics

    • MADISON -- With polls showing Wisconsin Senate candidates Tammy Baldwin and Tommy Thompson in a statistical dead heat, Obama swept into Madison, Wisconsin for an early morning rally on his final day of campaigning. The Obama campaign hopes to lock up the state and give a boost to Baldwin, as the candidates addressed a wildly enthusiastic crowd against a backdrop of blue skies and a white State Capitol building, that looks a heck of a lot like the U.S. Capitol. On the plane with Obama, one of his most effective bridges to those few remaining undecided voters, Bruce Springsteen.

    Op-Ed

    Hurricane Sandy Endorses Obama: Storm Provides a Counter-Narrative to the Hundreds of Millions in Fossil Fuel Campaign Contributions

    by Mary Bottari — November 2, 2012 - 10:33am
  • Topics: Democracy, Energy

    • -- Mary Bottari and Sara Jerving

    The fossil fuel industry has paid a hefty price for the privilege of framing the political discourse about America's energy future. Hundreds of millions have flowed into campaign coffers from energy companies attempting to purchase complete freedom to drill, frack, and burn. Huge "dark money" groups, the Koch's, Karl Rove, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, join dozens of oil and gas industry associations in pouring money into television ad campaigns demanding "energy independence," while trashing wind and solar.

    News

    The Anatomy of a Lie: Right-Wing "Media Trackers" Strikes Again with Libelous Smear

    by Mary Bottari — October 31, 2012 - 8:13am
  • Topics: Right Wing, Propaganda

    • The Wisconsin-based, right-wing website Media Trackers reached a new low on Monday when it printed a libelous story against the partner of State Rep. Mark Pocan, accusing him of sending bizarre text threats to a volunteer for Chad Lee, Pocan's opponent in his race for Congress. Although Media Trackers took down the story late in the day, the damage had been done. It was picked up by right-wing sources in Wisconsin and across the nation. The organization's "mea culpa" fails to apologize or take responsibility for its role in the smear and the outlet still has a picture of Pocan and his partner Phil Frank on the front page of its website with a note that it would "continue to follow developments in this story" -- as if there were a story to follow.

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