Front Groups

Exelon's Nuclear Plant Is Excellent, Say Exelon-Funded Group, Study

by Diane Farsetta — August 27, 2007 - 9:35am

"Two lobbyists with lengthy resumes in New Jersey government set up a conference call with the media last week to announce the formation of the New Jersey Affordable, Clean, Reliable Energy Coalition (NJ ACRE), notes an Asbury Park Press editorial. The coalition will "advocate for nuclear energy and, more specifically, a 20-year license extension for the aging Oyster Creek plant" in Lacey, N.J.

Main Source: 
Asbury Park Press (New Jersey), August 23, 2007

YouTube Wars - Freedom's Watch vs. IVAW. Which is Real Grassroots, Which is a Front Group?

by John Stauber — August 23, 2007 - 9:22am
  • Topics: Astroturf, Internet, Front Groups, Terrorism, Politics, Propaganda, War / Peace

    • What's the difference between a slick pro-war front group exploiting Iraq veterans to pour gasoline on the fire in Iraq, and a grassroots group of Iraq veterans leading the battle at home to end Bush's war of occupation?

    Watch these YouTube videos and decide for yourself.

    The latest addition to Bush's pro-war lobby is Freedom's Watch, and they have

    The Pro-War Lobby's Latest Addition is Freedom's Watch

    by John Stauber — August 22, 2007 - 8:27pm
  • Topics: Right Wing, Iraq, Front Groups, Pundits, Terrorism, Lobbying, Politics, Propaganda, War / Peace

    • The business of pro-war propaganda is booming as "Freedom's Watch" joins Vets for Freedom, Move America Forward and other pro-war advocates for a stepped up war in Iraq in line with the Bush/Cheney Global War on Terror.

    Ari Fleischer, former White House PR flack who jumped ship into the private sector shortly after the 2003 US invasion, is the public face and a founding board member of Freedom's Watch, which is being rolled out this week with emotional advertisements featuring wounded veterans imploring Americans to keep the money flowing for the occupation.

    One such advertisement is up on YouTube. Once again the war in Iraq is being falsely linked to and justified by the terror attacks of 9/11, one of the Bush Administration's Big Lies that was was used to mislead America into war. In the Freedom's Watch advertisment on YouTube a war vet with prosthetic legs beseeches:

    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:

    Vets for Freedom and VoteVets Are "Valuable Public Relations Tools" for Politicians

    by John Stauber — August 14, 2007 - 9:07am

    The Associated Press examines two dueling partisan lobby groups composed of military veterans, "valuable public relations tools" for politicians in the debate over the war in Iraq. VoteVets "has spent about $850,000 this year on political ads. ... Its board of advisers includes ...

    Main Source: 
    Associated Press, August 14, 2007

    Global Warming is STILL Good for You!

    by John Stauber — August 9, 2007 - 7:35am

    Five years ago in their book "Trust Us We're Experts," CMD's Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber exposed the propaganda machine selling Americans the idea that global warming is good for us.

    Main Source: 
    Newsweek, August 13, 2007

    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.

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

    by John Stauber — July 17, 2007 - 10:28am
  • 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,

    The Spin Doctor Will See You Now

    by Diane Farsetta — July 3, 2007 - 4:14pm

    "If I had to do it all over again, I don't think I would use the Ontario system," said Canadian cancer patient Lindsay McGreith. "I would get my wife to drive me to Buffalo, because I know in Buffalo you'd get looked after, whereas here you'd just sit for seven and a half hours. ...

    Main Source: 
    Health Care America via MultiVu, June 29, 2007

    "Sicko" Makes Them Sick

    by Diane Farsetta — June 21, 2007 - 11:44am

    "A multifaceted counteroffensive against Michael Moore's film about the health care industry" is beginning, reports Elizabeth Solomont.

    Main Source: 
    New York Sun, June 20, 2007
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