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Politifact "False" in Minimizing Koch Support for Walker

by Brendan Fischer — June 24, 2012 - 9:42am
  • Topics: Election 2012, Democracy, Media, Politics, Wisconsin Protests

    • It may not be uncommon to find fault with Politifact and its "Truth-O-Meter," (see update at bottom), but a recent rating by Politifact-Wisconsin was so far off we had to comment. The following letter was published in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on June 23:

    Dear Editor:

    PolitiFact recently rated "false" a claim that the Koch brothers gave twice as much to Gov. Scott Walker as Tom Barrett raised. It is PolitiFact that deserves the "false" rating. In rating the claim "false," PolitiFact wrote, "There is no proof of how much Americans for Prosperity, which gets money from the Kochs but also other sources, spent on Walker's behalf."

    News

    STUDY: Right Wing Spins Media with "Job-Killer" Claims

    by Emily Osborne — June 22, 2012 - 10:13am
  • Topics: Election 2012, Democracy, Media, Politics

    • The media is indiscriminately using the term "job-killer" to describe government policies and programs, but without verifying or substantiating the claims, according to a new study. Use of the phrase by major media outlets has exploded since President Obama took office and rapidly circulates throughout the press with little or no fact checking of the "job killer" allegations.

    News

    Dude, You're Getting Dumped: Dell Computers is 20th Corporation to Dump ALEC

    by Brendan Fischer — June 21, 2012 - 12:12pm
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Democracy, Politics

    • Dell Computers confirmed today that they will not be renewing their membership in the American Legislative Exchange Council Education (ALEC). Dell, whose ads in the early 2000s included the slogan "Dude, You're Getting a Dell," was a member of the ALEC Education Task Force and is the twentieth corporate member (and the twenty-fourth private sector member) to drop their ALEC membership in recent months.

    Op-Ed

    Suspicious Minds: Will There Be a Special Session in Wisconsin?

    by Mary Bottari — June 20, 2012 - 9:49am
  • Topics: Democracy, Wisconsin Protests

    • Two things will happen today in steamy Wisconsin, where temperatures are set to break 95. One election will be certified, while another will be recounted. The confluence of events have some wondering if a window of opportunity has been created to allow the Wisconsin GOP to pull a fast one.

    News

    GOP Fights for Control of WI Senate, Calling for Recount and Hyping Voter Fraud Allegations

    by Brendan Fischer — June 19, 2012 - 7:49am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Democracy, Politics, Wisconsin Protests

    • Although Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker survived his June 5 recall election, Democrats won control of the senate when John Lehman (D) prevailed over incumbent Sen. Van Wanggaard (R) by a 1.2% margin. But as the Center for Media and Democracy predicted, Wisconsin Republicans are raising the spectre of "voter fraud" to cast doubt on Lehman's victory and justify Wanggaard's request for a recount -- which could return control of the Senate to Republicans.

    Op-Ed

    Trained on Koch: Daily Caller Claims Fake Rebuttal of CMD on ALEC Role Promoting "Stand Your Ground" Laws

    by Lisa Graves — June 18, 2012 - 9:54am
  • Topics: Corporate Campaigns, ALEC Exposed, Crisis Management, Right Wing, Third Party Technique, Corporations, Democracy, Propaganda, Public Relations

    • Tucker Carlson's website, the "Daily Caller," recently posted a story claiming that a Florida state legislator had rebutted a purported claim by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) "drafted" Florida's "Stand Your Ground" (SYG)/"Castle Doctrine" law. But we did not make that claim.

    Press Release

    CMD Asks Elections Board to Investigate Tea Party Group Supporting Walker

    by PRW Staff — June 14, 2012 - 1:46pm
  • Topics: Democracy, Politics, Wisconsin Protests

    • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2012

    CONTACT: Sara Jerving, sara@prwatch.org

    "Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama" Spent Tens of Thousands of Dollars on Ads Backing Walker in the Recall Election, But Did Not Comply with State Election Law

    The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has filed a complaint requesting that Wisconsin's elections board investigate a Tea Party-affiliated group from California that spent tens of thousands of dollars on ads supporting Governor Scott Walker in the June 5 recall election, but did not register as a political committee in the state or report its funding and spending, as required by Wisconsin election law.

    News

    Can Brats Build Bridges in Wisconsin?

    by Emily Osborne — June 13, 2012 - 10:25am
  • Topics: Public Diplomacy, Democracy, Economy, Politics, Public Relations, Wisconsin Protests

    • On June 12, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker held the "Beer and Brat Summit," touted as an effort to bring lawmakers from both parties together, although some lawmakers from both sides of the aisle found reasons not to attend this PR event. Brats are a Wisconsin tradition but even they have become politicized over the past year with one of the major brat makers financially backing Walker's political campaign.

    Walker's PR Plan to Use Beer and Brats

    Ninety-eight state lawmakers -- 60 Republicans, 37 Democrats and one independent -- said they planned to attend the event, which offered a spread of beer, brats, and other specialties from the Dairy State.

    News

    ALECexposed at Netroots

    by Sara Jerving — June 9, 2012 - 9:52am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Democracy

    • Advocates and researchers converged this week in Rhode Island to talk about work exposing the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The group, including the Center for Media and Democracy's Executive Director Lisa Graves, was gathered for a panel at Netroots Nation, a conference which brings together bloggers, social justice advocates, labor and organizational leaders, grassroots organizers, and others. Each in their own way, the panelists talked about how through ALEC corporations are unduly influencing and corrupting American democracy. CMD launched ALECexposed last July after a whistleblower gave Graves "model" bills that had been voted on by ALEC corporations and legislators behind closed doors on ALEC task forces.

    News

    Wisconsin State Journal Used Erroneous Data in Front Page Recall Story "Mountains of Money are About Even"

    by Brendan Fischer — June 7, 2012 - 7:50am
  • Topics: Election 2012, Democracy, Media, Politics, Wisconsin Protests

    • Just weeks before Wisconsin's June 5 recall election, the banner headline for the Sunday edition of the Wisconsin State Journal declared "Campaign donations: Despite rhetoric, the parties' mountains of money are about even," a puzzling title because all evidence showed Governor Scott Walker with a significant financial advantage over challenger Tom Barrett. Former University of Wisconsin Professor Kathy Barton looked at the numbers used in the analysis and found numerous errors that caused donations to be overstated by an estimated $13 million.

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