John Stauber's News Articles

Iraq: The "Gift" That Keeps On Bleeding

by John Stauber — August 20, 2007 - 10:24pm
  • Topics: Left Wing, Iraq, U.S. Congress, Politics, War / Peace

    • Shortly after the November 2006 election the Democracy Alliance, an exclusive group of about 100 Democratic Party millionaire activists, met in Miami, Florida. Members and their guests heard their keynote speaker and liberal legend Mario Cuomo analyze the Democratic Party in the wake of its stunning electoral victories that had given Democrats control of the US Congress. Cuomo criticized the Democratic Party for lacking vision, big ideas and a winning political argument. His recipe for future Democratic victories was simple: "You seize the biggest idea you can, the biggest idea you can understand. And this is what moves elections."

    Cuomo then dared to voice an inconvenient truth: "Now it's 2006 and we're all rejoicing. Why? Because of Iraq. A GIFT. A gift to the Democrats. A lot of whom voted for the war anyway." The former New York governor challenged his partisan audience, "If Iraq is not an issue, then what issues do we have to talk about? … Where does that leave you? It leaves you in the same position you were in in 2004 – without an issue. Because you have no big idea."

    SourceWatch Tracks the Pro-War Lobby and Vets for Freedom

    by John Stauber — August 15, 2007 - 9:37am
  • Topics: Citizen Journalism, Right Wing, Iraq, Front Groups, Terrorism, Third Party Technique, U.S. Congress, Lobbying, Public Relations, War / Peace

    • SourceWatch citizen journalist Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a dogged and prolific investigator of the pro-war lobby. AI began digging into the pro-war front group Vets for Freedom in June 2006. AI's research exposing the neoconservative agenda and Republican operatives behind VFF has been used by scores of journalists. Just do a Google search for "Vets for Freedom" and you'll find AI's work in our SourceWatch article right at the top of your returns, next to the VFF's own website.

    Pro-war funding appears plentiful for VFF as it gears up to lobby Congress in September. Here's some of the latest from AI and the VFF article on SourceWatch:

    "Coffee with the Troops" at Yearly Kos Fuels Debate About the Netroots and the War

    by John Stauber — August 6, 2007 - 2:10pm
  • Topics: Left Wing, Activism, Internet, Iraq, Democracy, Politics, U.S. Government, War / Peace

    • You can watch some powerful video of our August 5th Coffee with the Troops online at AfterDowning Street, Alternetand on YouTube. We filmed the entire event, which was attended by more than one hundred people at the Yearly Kos Convention Sunday in Chicago.

    Yearly Kos "Coffee with the Troops" Features Iraq Veterans Against the War Sunday, August 5

    by John Stauber — August 5, 2007 - 12:02am
  • Topics: Internet, Iraq, War / Peace

    • (UPDATE: Read the post-event report at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6321 )

    Leaders of the Iraq Veterans Against the War are speaking at Yearly Kos Sunday morning, August 5, 9:30 a.m. at a Coffee with the Troops organized by the Center for Media and Democracy and moderated by CMD founder and Executive Director John Stauber. The event is open to the public and will be held in Regency Ball Room C/D on the 2nd level of the Hyatt. Garett Reppenhagen, Aaron Hughes, Josh Lansdale and Geoffrey Millard will speak and answer questions about the growing resistance to the war among active duty troops.

    David Callender: Yearly Kos Convention Draws Skeptical Eye

    by John Stauber — August 3, 2007 - 12:35pm

    (UPDATE: Read the post-event report at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6321 )

    David Callender, Madison, Wisconsin, reports in the Capital Times, August 3, 2007:

    What's being billed as the nation's biggest gathering of "netroots" -- left-of-center bloggers and other social activists -- is drawing a skeptical eye from some Madison-area participants.

    The second annual Yearly Kos convention, an outgrowth of the

    "Coffee with the Troops" at Yearly Kos this Sunday in Chicago

    by John Stauber — August 1, 2007 - 12:20pm
  • Topics: Activism, Internet, Iraq

    • UPDATE: Read the post-event report at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6321

    What can the Netroots do to end the war in Iraq? The Center for Media and Democracy is hosting a "Coffee with the Troops" during the Yearly Kos convention this Sunday in Chicago, August 5, 9:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Ball Room C/D second level.

    Yearly Kos Events with the Center for Media and Democracy

    by John Stauber — July 31, 2007 - 11:47am
  • Topics: Activism, Internet, Iraq, Politics, Tobacco

    • UPDATE: Read the post-event report at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6321

    The Center for Media and Democracy is hosting a "Coffee with the Troops" at Yearly Kos this Sunday in Chicago, August 5, 9:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. This is one of four Yearly Kos events with CMD staff. It features national leaders of Iraq Veterans Against the War and examines where online activists now stand on Iraq as the war drags on and campaigning for 2008 intensifies. Will the Netroots follow the lead of Democratic Party officials, candidates and strategists? Or, will online activists and bloggers help unite and mobilize a stronger, independent movement against the war?

    News Release: Patti Smith's August 5th Gig will Benefit the Center for Media and Democracy

    by John Stauber — July 30, 2007 - 7:08pm
  • Topics: Arts / Culture

    • Contact:
    John Stauber, Executive Director, Center for Media and Democracy
    608-260-9713

    (NOTE: This info is updated at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6329)

    Beat poet, writer, punk rock legend and Rock And Roll Hall of Fame member Patti Smith and her band will crank it up this Sunday, August 5, 7:30pm, in Madison, at the Barrymore Theater. Their appearance will benefit the work of the Wisconsin-based Center for Media and Democracy (CMD).

    Hundreds of Smith fans packing the theater will have an opportunity to bid on items in a silent auction, with auction proceeds fully supporting the work of CMD.

    CMD's "Coffee with the Troops" at Yearly Kos Features Iraq Veterans Against the War

    by John Stauber — July 25, 2007 - 9:07am
  • Topics: Internet, Iraq, Politics

    • UPDATE: Read the post-event report at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6321

    The Center for Media and Democracy is sponsoring a "Coffee with the Troops" in Chicago on Sunday, August 5, 9:30 a.m. during the Yearly Kos extravaganza in the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. The room is Regency Ball Room C/D on the 2nd level of the Hyatt.

    Join Sheldon Rampton and me for coffee, pastries and a moderated discussion of how online activists can better support our troops in their own resistance to the war in Iraq. We'll be discussing the war with Garett Reppenhagen, Aaron Hughes and other soldiers who are the backbone of Iraq Veterans Against the War, IVAW.

    Pro-War PR Front, Move America Forward, Caravanning to DC

    by John Stauber — July 20, 2007 - 7:56am
  • Topics: Astroturf, Iraq, Front Groups, Terrorism, Public Relations, War / Peace

    • The pro-war front group Move America Forward has announced that it will caravan across the United States September 3 - 17 on a trip to DC to lobby for the war in Iraq.

    Syndicate content