I'm just askin'... (Wizbang)

One of the more despicable tactics in public discourse today is what I like to call "innuendo by inquiry." You can get away with all sorts of wild accusations and plant all sorts of vile seeds by simply couching the allegation in the form of a question.

It's despicable, but I can see its appeal. It's great for lazy people, and it's almost always guaranteed to be fun.

So I'm going to give it a whirl.

Apparently, last night Bill O'Reilly did a bit on George Soros and his funding of radical leftist groups, including Media Matters For America. (I say "apparently" because I didn't see it myself, but the evidence it happened is pretty definitive.)

Naturally, Media Matters doesn't care for this kind of attention. It's in the finger-pointing business; we're supposed to be looking at what it wants us to look at, not the finger-pointers themselves. Their most visible advocate in the blogosphere, Oliver Willis, who is "a member of the Technology and Online Community Department at Media Matters for America," immediately threw a hissy.

Now here's where I depart from what I know and engage in rampant speculation, carefully couched not as accusations, but questions.

1) Media Matters for America is, in their own words, a "Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." As a registered not-for-profit organization, I believe their books are required to be open. O'Reilly says that they get their money from Soros, laundered through his puppet groups. They say that's laughable. Why doesn't someone just dig up their financial statements and put numbers and percentages on this whole thing?

2) Willis gets very bent out of shape when someone accuses him of using his blog to shill for Media Matters. He says that it's simply complimentary, that his blogging is entirely his own and has nothing to do with his employer. Yet why do so many of his postings go up during regular business hours? I know I do the same, but I write my stuff in the morning and schedule it to publish at set times during the day. Does Oliver do the same, or is he blogging from the office, on company time? What is his employer's policy on using company resources and company time for personal matters? Or do they turn a blind eye because they see his blogging as part and parcel of his job?

3) To be perfectly blunt, I'm at least three times the writer Willis is. How do I get on the gravy train? I'm tired of living paycheck to paycheck.

Again, none of these questions contain a single verifiable fact (unless otherwise unavoidable) and are simple inquiries and opinions and vague notions. Anyone who says otherwise is itching for a fight.

Comments (128)

"Web-based, not-for-prof... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by _Mike_ | April 24, 2007 7:07 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

_Mike_:

"Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." [emphasis added]

This statement is curious. Are they saying that, by omission, they find Liberal misinformation acceptable ?

Curious.

Posted on April 24, 2007 07:07

That one word alone ought t... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 7:29 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

kim:

That one word alone ought to pull their tax-free status.
==================================

Posted on April 24, 2007 07:29

I thought proggs loved payi... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by nikkolai | April 24, 2007 7:33 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

nikkolai:

I thought proggs loved paying taxes. Oh, that's just for the little guys...

Posted on April 24, 2007 07:33

Don't be silly. Media Matt... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by cirby | April 24, 2007 8:21 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

cirby:

Don't be silly. Media Matters doesn't get money from Soros - they get money from someone else, who gets their money from Soros...

Posted on April 24, 2007 08:21

Mr. O'Leilly needs to stick... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by jFO | April 24, 2007 8:29 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

jFO:

Mr. O'Leilly needs to stick with his loofah fetish and stay away from female reproductive charts like the one he showed last night.

Posted on April 24, 2007 08:29

Liberal misinformation acce... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Gianni | April 24, 2007 9:01 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Gianni:

Liberal misinformation acceptable ?

Is there any other kind?

Can you imagine how much safer big blue cities would be if 'Tass' would make an issue out of a city like Philly averaging over 1 murder a day in 07?

How many murders so far this year in other big blue cities like NY, Newark, Detriot, DC, St Louis, Houston, Nawlins, Oakland, LA, etc etc etc and why isnt this a national news story? Oops, more liberal misinformation right? if they dont report it, they it mustnt be true.

Posted on April 24, 2007 09:01

How do I get on the grav... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by Pug | April 24, 2007 9:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Pug:

How do I get on the gravy train?

Coming from your perspective, I would recommend you contact the offices of Richard Mellon Scaife (who, of course, is never mentioned by Bill O'Reilly).

Posted on April 24, 2007 09:02

YEA! Now we can all agree t... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by bryanD | April 24, 2007 9:26 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

bryanD:

YEA! Now we can all agree that political conspiracies DO exist; it's not just red vs blue, or from which end to crack the egg, but there is indeed Big Money and Unseen Hands manipulating people and events!
Washington said it, Jackson said it, Lincoln said, FDR said it. But now that O'Reilly says it, it's finally True. Whatever, and say "hey!" to life!

Posted on April 24, 2007 09:26

Now about Project for a New... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by bryanD | April 24, 2007 9:30 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Now about Project for a New American Century....

Posted on April 24, 2007 09:30

the bigger point O'Reilly i... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by jp | April 24, 2007 9:52 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

jp:

the bigger point O'Reilly is making is not just that Soros is the puppet of Media matters, but that the Mainstream media read media matters to do their reporting, so by extension he's pulling the strings of Mass media.

Posted on April 24, 2007 09:52

Bryand: "YEA! Now we can al... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by Drago | April 24, 2007 9:55 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Drago:

Bryand: "YEA! Now we can all agree that political conspiracies DO exist;"

hmmm.

Conspiracy: "an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot."

So, Richard Mellon Scaife (who is worth about 1/8th of what the convicted felon Soros is worth), openly gives a couple million to the American Spectator for investigative reports on the Clintons in the 90's, and the PNAC, which openly lists it's members, it's beliefs, it's intent, and it's reports, is now a "conspiracy", according to Bryand.

Bryand, you keep using this word "conspiracy", I do not think it means what you think it means.

BTW, I'm anxiously awaiting for the next scenario wherein you use PRAVDA as your substantive basis.

Thats always fun.

Posted on April 24, 2007 09:55

jp, spot on.It's h... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by Drago | April 24, 2007 9:57 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

jp, spot on.

It's hardly a conspiracy.

It's just clear that Soros has established a large footprint in the MSM.

Of course, Bryand will have a link to Pravda or the state organ in Havanna or Caracas to prove us wrong.

Posted on April 24, 2007 09:57

I'm strongly of the opinion... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:06 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

I'm strongly of the opinion that Soros's money has perverted the progressive debate by debasing it. His efforts have chained the debate to a market of dollars and not of ideas. Soros has made a lot of money debasing currency markets, but he's not likely to garner political accomplishment by debasing the marketplace of ideas.

I call them Soros's Apprentice, and I forgive them for they know not what they do. George should know better, and I wonder why he doesn't.
===========================

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:06

As a registered no... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by jpe | April 24, 2007 10:07 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

jpe:

As a registered not-for-profit organization, I believe their books are required to be open.

Sources of funding are generally not disclosed on financial statements (I've been doing 501c3 financials for years and have never seen it), and are the only section of the federal form 990 not disclosed to the public.

Private foundations disclose their grantees, so you could find who and how much on Media Matters gets from PFs. They're easily accessed via Guidestar.org

All this just to see how much Soros grants to media matters seems a little silly, but everyone has their obsessive conspiracy theory mongering.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:07

His disinformation tactics ... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:07 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

His disinformation tactics are Stalinist. They do work.
============================

there is a post in the Hota... (Below threshold)

16. Posted by jp | April 24, 2007 10:10 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

there is a post in the Hotair thread, about Orson Scott Cards new book "Empire" which is apparently about a Soros like figure taking over a political party like this. Card is of course a card carrying democrat who is absolutely disgusted with them and their misinformation campaign.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:10

drago: It's a conspi... (Below threshold)

17. Posted by bryanD | April 24, 2007 10:15 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

drago:
It's a conspiracy or it's an accident. That's the two schools of historical thought. Take your choice. You can rectify things by one, or chase your tail with the other.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:15

Oh, bD, your commentary bel... (Below threshold)

18. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:19 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Oh, bD, your commentary belies your facade of cynicism. How cute.
================================

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:19

Why are you guys so upset w... (Below threshold)

19. Posted by Ozett | April 24, 2007 10:19 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Ozett:

Why are you guys so upset with Media Matters? Is it because they expose so much misinformation? I wouldn't think O'Reilly would want people to even see the site. Can you tell me any lies that MM has told?

Bryand: "It's a conspiracy ... (Below threshold)

20. Posted by Drago | April 24, 2007 10:22 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Bryand: "It's a conspiracy or it's an accident."

Hilarious.

Any "facts" behind this comment? Or did you get this from Vlad Putin's website?

Bryand: "That's the two schools of historical thought."

Beyond hilarious. "Two schools of HISTORICAL thought"!!!

Sorry, It's going to take about 5 minutes for me to stop laughing.

Bryand: "Take your choice."

Sorry Bryan, just because you lack the capacity to see other options, doesn't mean the rest of us have to be locked into your ridiculously limited set of choices.

But thanks, I needed a good laugh this morning.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:22

Ozett: "Can you tell me any... (Below threshold)

21. Posted by Drago | April 24, 2007 10:24 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Ozett: "Can you tell me any lies that MM has told?"

Ozett is probably a dopey lefty, but at least he/she has asked the most relevant question.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:24

Look at it with this perspe... (Below threshold)

22. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:25 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Look at it with this perspective. The energy in the progressive, and far left anti-war movement is there because of Soros money, surely not wholly or even in large part. But what part is there is artificial support. It's analogous to fundamentally unearned oil wealth funding an anti-enlightenment extreme political movement. The apparent strength of the resulting enterprise is false; it's fundamentally weaker than it appears because it's been erected rather than manufactured. Words fail; it's ersatz.
===============================

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:25

kim, your pithiness belies ... (Below threshold)

23. Posted by bryanD | April 24, 2007 10:26 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

kim, your pithiness belies a lack of expertise.
(Sorry.)

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:26

Well, ozett, since they are... (Below threshold)

24. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:30 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Well, ozett, since they are tax-free, my labor supports their efforts, which is biased. I don't care if they are liars; they are thieves.

Well, I do care about the lying, too.
===================

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:30

25. Posted by mantis | April 24, 2007 10:30 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

mantis:

How do I get on the gravy train? I'm tired of living paycheck to paycheck.

Two words: Pajamas Media. They're raking in the bucks, right?

Right?

Media Matters differs from ... (Below threshold)

26. Posted by not the senator | April 24, 2007 10:31 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

not the senator:

Media Matters differs from the Brent Bozell's conservative Media Research Center how? Don't they do exactly the same functions just from different political biases?

I'm sorry, I can't get too riled up about this one. Sounds like just fair play to me. I think Bill O'Reilly just get's bent out of shape when his own words are used against him.

Toughen up Bill, people don't like whiners.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:31

bD, I claim expertise at ve... (Below threshold)

27. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:31 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

bD, I claim expertise at very little. Haven't you noticed this is all opinion?
======================================

FYI: there are, of course, ... (Below threshold)

28. Posted by jpe | April 24, 2007 10:32 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

FYI: there are, of course, large conservative foundations that give to conservative think tanks, and the largest conservative donors to 527s outspent Soros in the 2006 election by a factor of at least 5:1 (much larger, IIRC, but my memory isn't what it used to be)

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:32

I was highly amused by the ... (Below threshold)

29. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:35 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

I was highly amused by the pithiness of your historical theory. So do you feel victimized or victimizing?
==================================

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:35

And the one that made the d... (Below threshold)

30. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:37 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

And the one that made the difference, jpe, hardly spent any money at all on its little wildcat, but boy did it swiftly hit a gusher.
=================================

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:37

"Sorry Bryan, just because ... (Below threshold)

31. Posted by bryanD | April 24, 2007 10:37 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

"Sorry Bryan, just because you lack the capacity to see other options, doesn't mean the rest of us have to be locked into your ridiculously limited set of choices_drago"

drago:
Something happens on purpose, or
Something happens by accident.

Is there a third way? If so, what is it? (Take your time)

32. Posted by jp | April 24, 2007 10:38 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Media Matters differs from the Brent Bozell's conservative Media Research Center how?
---

Differ by Lies and distortions and ommissions, many of each daily. On top of that, the mainstream media read Media Matters and it influences their reporting, unlike MRC.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:38

Kim, in regard to the tax-f... (Below threshold)

33. Posted by Ozett | April 24, 2007 10:40 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Kim, in regard to the tax-free issue, do you feel the same way about Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell? I believe they run tax-free organizations and they are both blatantly partisan.

Drago, I'm only a lefty right now because I believe incompetent crooks are running our country. I'm okay with much of the conservative philosphy....whatever the hell that is these days.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:40

Hee, hee, bD, most things h... (Below threshold)

34. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:41 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Hee, hee, bD, most things happen because of a combination of causes. There are not only three ways; there are an infinite number of ways to explain causation.
=============================

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:41

Incompetent? Domestically ... (Below threshold)

35. Posted by kim | April 24, 2007 10:44 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Incompetent? Domestically and internationally we are doing better this decade than last.

Criminal? There is no comparison between this administation and the last one.

You've been hornswoggled Ozett. The corporate media(MSM) is lying to you.
===========================

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:44

It's not my theory. I think... (Below threshold)

36. Posted by bryanD | April 24, 2007 10:44 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

It's not my theory. I think it was best expounded by Gibbon. (Of course, history proves its validity. It's an either/or proposition. Circular vs linear is just philosophizing)
http://www.ccel.org/g/gibbon/decline/home.html

Oh, here's the <a href="htt... (Below threshold)

37. Posted by mantis | April 24, 2007 10:44 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Oh, here's the O'Reilly segment in question, in case you haven't seen it. It's very amusing.

I believe incompetent crook... (Below threshold)

38. Posted by jp | April 24, 2007 10:44 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

I believe incompetent crooks are running our country.
-----

bigger question, what pulled your strings to make you think that? actual actions, or lies, distortions and ommissions from puppet masters like Soros about motivations behind alleged actions? All the war for oil stuff, should be shot out the window at fact first contracts went to china and russia, yet the charge by the left still exist.

Well at least you're admitt... (Below threshold)

39. Posted by Oliver Willis | April 24, 2007 10:50 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Oliver Willis:

Well at least you're admitting now that it's just pathetic jealousy. LOL.

Posted on April 24, 2007 10:50

there is absolutely no requ... (Below threshold)

40. Posted by fyi dude | April 24, 2007 10:51 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

fyi dude:

there is absolutely no requirement that a 501(c)(3) organization's finances are available to the public. you won't find it in the tax code or anywhere else. no nfp is required by law to publicly disclose their finances, so don't turn blue holding your breath and waiting to find published info.