John Stauber's News Articles

Bush's Pro-War Front Group, 'Vets for Freedom', Rallies with Republican Senators

by John Stauber — July 17, 2007 - 9:28am
  • Topics: Astroturf, Activism, Iraq, Front Groups, Lobbying, U.S. Government, War / Peace

    • Vets for Freedom (VFF), the well-funded pro-war lobby group, is cranking-up its PR campaign on behalf of President Bush's war in Iraq with a news conference held July 17th in the US Capitol. A slate of pro-war Republican Senators including Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, Lindsey Graham, along with former Democratic (now independent) Senator Joe Lieberman, all participated with Pete Hegseth and other VFF lobbyists.

    In June 2006, I reported that:

    Citizen journalists on SourceWatch have been investigating and exposing the many Republican connections and the partisan pro-war political agenda behind Vets for Freedom,

    Blessed Unrest for a Wiser Earth: John Stauber Interviews Paul Hawken

    by John Stauber — June 19, 2007 - 9:11am
  • Topics: Corporate Campaigns, Activism, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporations, Democracy, Environment, Social Justice

    • My first introduction to author Paul Hawken's work was his 1994 book The Ecology of Commerce. It is essential reading for anyone grappling with issues surrounding capitalism, social justice and ecological sustainability. Hawken is, among his plethora of accomplishments, a highly successful businessman, but The Ecology of Commerce pulled few punches in its criticism of even those companies truly trying to set and reach a higher standard of business social responsibility.

    Democratic Spin Won't End the War in Iraq

    by John Stauber — May 24, 2007 - 12:13pm
  • Topics: Activism, Internet, Iraq, U.S. Congress

    • After several months of empty posturing against the war in Iraq, politicians in Washington have made what Democratic congressman James P. Moran called a "concession to reality" by agreeing to give President Bush virtually everything he wanted in funding and unrestricted license to continue waging the increasingly detested war that has made Bush the most unpopular president since Richard Nixon.

    This is the outcome that we warned against two months ago when we wrote "Why Won't MoveOn Move Forward?" In it, we criticized MoveOn for backpedaling on its previously claimed objective of ending the war in Iraq immediately. Anti-war sentiment was the main factor behind last year's elections that brought Democrats to power in both houses of Congress. Once in power, however, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed through a "compromise" bill, supported by MoveOn, that offered $124 billion in supplemental funding for the war. To make it sound like they were voting for peace, the Democrats threw in a few non-binding benchmarks asking Bush to certify progress in Iraq, coupled with language that talked about withdrawing troops next year.

    Statement of Josh Wolf, Journalist, on his Freedom from Jail

    by John Stauber — April 3, 2007 - 3:48pm
  • Topics: Journalism, Defend the Press

    • Josh Wolf, the video blogger and journalist, is going to be freed. Wolf was jailed on August 1, 2006 when he refused to testify or turn over unpublished video out-takes to a federal grand jury investigating a July, 2005 anti-capitalist demonstration. The statement below was provided on Josh's behalf to the Center for Media and Democracy by Lisa Cohen. For more information contact Lisa Cohen at: lisa.cohen32 AT verizon.net

    96% of MoveOn Members Did Not Show Support for the Pelosi Bill

    by John Stauber — March 21, 2007 - 1:05pm
  • Topics: Activism, Iraq, U.S. Congress, Politics

    • (NOTE: See an update on this issue at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6081 )

    On Sunday, March 18, Sheldon Rampton and I wrote "Iraq: Why Won't MoveOn Move Forward?", an article now widely circulated online.

    Iraq: Why Won't MoveOn Move Forward?

    by John Stauber — March 18, 2007 - 10:51pm
  • Topics: Activism, Iraq, Politics

    • MoveOn's vigils: candles in the wind?

    (NOTE: See an update on this issue at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6081 )

    This week marks the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. To commemorate the occasion, the online advocacy group MoveOn.org is organizing more than 1,000 candlelight vigils throughout the United States. "We’ll solemnly honor the sacrifice made by more than 3,000 servicemen and women, and we'll contemplate the path ahead of us," states MoveOn's website. "We cannot send tens of thousands of exhausted, under-equipped, and unprepared troops into the middle of an Iraqi civil war. ... Honor the sacrifice. Stop the escalation. Bring the troops home."

    MoveOn's 3.2 million members strongly oppose any continuation of the war, and the language above seems to suggest that MoveOn's leadership agrees. But MoveOn's organizing around Iraq has become notably ambiguous lately. Although it talks in general terms about bringing the troops home, specific timetables or meaningful steps in that direction are nowhere discussed. Most strikingly, MoveOn has adamantly refused to support the Iraq amendment from Congressional Progressive Caucus leaders Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey and Maxine Waters, which calls for "a fully funded, and systematic, withdrawal of U.S. soldiers and military contractors from Iraq" by the end of 2007.

    Sarah Olson and Leaders of 'Defend the Press' Call for Freeing Josh Wolf

    by John Stauber — February 6, 2007 - 8:29am
  • Topics: Journalism, Defend the Press

    • Sarah Olson, the journalist who with the Defend The Press coalition successfully fought a US Army subpoena in the Court Martial of Ehren Watada, is now very publicly supporting efforts to free the young jailed videographer Josh Wolf.

    Video of 'Defend the Press' News Conference in Watada Court Martial is on YouTube

    by John Stauber — February 5, 2007 - 2:17pm
  • Topics: Defend the Press

    • As the US Army court martial of military war resister Ehren Watada began today at Fort Lewis, Washington,

    A Victory for Press Freedom in the Ehren Watada Court Martial

    by John Stauber — February 4, 2007 - 12:15pm
  • Topics: Journalism, Defend the Press, U.S. Government

    • On January 29 — just six days after the public launch of the Defend the Press campaign — the U.S. military agreed to drop two charges that carried a maximum of two years in prison against Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada.

    Sarah Olson and Supporters Speak about Press Freedom in Watada Case at National Press Club on Thursday, February 1st

    by John Stauber — February 1, 2007 - 1:37am
  • Topics: Defend the Press

    • Contact:
    John Stauber, Center for Media and Democracy, 608-260-9713
    Scott Goodstein, Defend the Press Coalition, 202-256-8320 http://www.DefendThePress.org

    News Conference with Sarah Olson and Supporters

    WHEN: 2pm, Thursday, February 1, 2007
    WHERE: Zenger Room, National Press Club, Washington, DC

    SPEAKING:
    Sarah Olson, journalist released from US Army subpoena in Watada court martial case
    Linda K.

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