A local PR firm is claiming credit for Rathergate push from blogs.
Creative Response Concepts (CRC), the VA-based agency promoting the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, used right-wing blogs and news sites to turn a CBS report casting doubt on President George W. Bush's National Guard service into a potential black eye for both the network and the Democrats.Read Charles Johnson's note concerning these guys. For the record I've never heard of them or been contacted by them either.
Update: On the bring down Dan front, check Jim Geraghty's suggestions.
Update 2: CRC has apologized quickly and sincerely (full text in the extended entry). If you want to know why so many of the blogs covering this story were upset read the last paragraph of this post from Allah.
CRC President Greg Mueller released the following statement:
"Please understand, we never meant to imply that the blogosphere is something we did, or even could, control or direct. No one controls the bloggers. The extraordinary depth and breadth of their talent and resources only breeds one thing: a fierce independence much needed in the country. They are a force the PR industry and news media need to pay greater attention to.
"In the interview with PR Week, we tried to communicate that the bloggers, and then CNS www.cnsnews.com, were moving this story, which we then began pushing to conservative media, news websites and "mainstream" press.
"If anything, we're just proud that our client, CNS News, provided some hard news reporting to add some gasoline to the already rampant wildfire that the bloggers had started. Do we deserve credit for that? Not nearly as much as the guys at PowerLine, Instapundit, LittleGreenFootballs, INDCJournal, Allahpundit, and so many others deserve."
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Comments (9)
- The last wheel just fell ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Hunter | September 17, 2004 5:53 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
- The last wheel just fell off the wagon -
">http://ratherbiased.com/news.html#45>
1. Posted by Hunter | September 17, 2004 5:53 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 17, 2004 17:53
2. Posted by Hunter | September 17, 2004 6:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
- The original piece -
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/Vote2004/staudt_bush_040917-1.html
2. Posted by Hunter | September 17, 2004 6:02 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 17, 2004 18:02
3. Posted by Jim Kouri | September 17, 2004 6:54 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Col. Staudt, former commanding officer of the Texas Air National Guard, tells ABC News that no one gave Bush preferential treatment and that Bush was well respected. He also says that he did not pressure subordinates to do anything on behalf of Bush.
3. Posted by Jim Kouri | September 17, 2004 6:54 PM |
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Posted on September 17, 2004 18:54
4. Posted by Jumbo | September 17, 2004 7:52 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
As to the subject of the post, "Master Manipulators" crap like these guys are trying to pull needs to be nipped.in.the.bud.
4. Posted by Jumbo | September 17, 2004 7:52 PM |
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Posted on September 17, 2004 19:52
5. Posted by -S- | September 17, 2004 8:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I agree with Jumbo (^^).
Trying to give this P.R. group the benefit of the doubt, however, perhaps what they've released to the public is just a Press Release explaining what their actions were. Do they actually SAY in print or video that they were responsible for "breaking the story"?
I do get from that article, on the other hand, that there's a definite allusion to that line of credit, content speaking.
Bloggers need to now straighten out THIS area of the Rathergate/Fraudgate issue because I see an Oliver Stone film in the pipeline, wherein the SwiftVets own the Kinko's in Abilene, have hired Burkett to get Karl Rove because Castro wants another viewing of Micheal Moore's "documentary..."
Aargh. The flow of reality and how it unfolded really needs to be clearly charted now and not later. I'm not informed enough about the series of events, otherwise I'd work on a flow chart visual tonight/tomorrow.
BUT, I'll certainly be happy to compose that sort of imagery if someone else composes the information with certainty...who did what, wrote what and when.
I bet LGF could come up with some sort of flow chart and/or graph about this, however, and pretty thoroughly, reliably.
5. Posted by -S- | September 17, 2004 8:35 PM |
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Posted on September 17, 2004 20:35
6. Posted by The WASP | September 17, 2004 9:57 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I would still like to know this:
Has there ever been any evidence that Bush didn't complete his requirements? or is it just another talking point/conspirecy that made it all the way to 60 minutes?
6. Posted by The WASP | September 17, 2004 9:57 PM |
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Posted on September 17, 2004 21:57
7. Posted by caltechgirl | September 17, 2004 10:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
How about this, restore SOME of CBS's cred by saying that it was a PR firm and not just some random people who brought up the story, i.e. busted by the professionals, not the amateurs, and therefore not as derelict in their duty to the truth.....
7. Posted by caltechgirl | September 17, 2004 10:05 PM |
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Posted on September 17, 2004 22:05
8. Posted by Chris W. | September 17, 2004 11:43 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
There is a retraction up already. LFG, Allah and Reynolds have it up.
8. Posted by Chris W. | September 17, 2004 11:43 PM |
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Posted on September 17, 2004 23:43
9. Posted by firstbrokenangel | September 17, 2004 11:53 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
On CNN, they have their question of the day. It says: Do you believe CBS or President Bush. Guess who's ahead? So no, the mainstream media is not putting this down at all.
~cindy
9. Posted by firstbrokenangel | September 17, 2004 11:53 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 17, 2004 23:53