Think Progress

FEMA’s fake journalists revealed.

By Matt on Nov 9th, 2007 at 7:00 pm

FEMA’s fake journalists revealed.»

CBS News has obtained a photo of the FEMA’s staged press conference from last month. “The photo, taken by a FEMA employee, is one of the only known photos of the press gallery of that event”:

femapresser.jpg

CBS has the rundown of who’s who in the photo here.

54







Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date

50 Responses to “FEMA’s fake journalists revealed.”


  1. Guido OBGYN Lover Says:

    What a disgrace. Only Republicans would do this.


  2. Buckie Boy Says:

    Is there nothing that Repukians won’t stoop too? They can’t even do a press conference honestly.

    Buck Fush


  3. helenahandbasket Says:

    This “episode” opens a window into the soul of the right wing/g.o.p., which is the utter disdain they have toward an open, free and vibrant press.


  4. Bob Says:

    This worked so well, I’m surprised the WH didn’t try it.

    Oh, wait.


  5. Keith H. Says:

    Hey, it was fox news, they do this kind of thing all day, every day.

    Only the faces, names and severity of deception change.


  6. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    Is there nothing that Repukians won’t stoop too?

    Comment by Buckie Boy — November 9, 2007 @ 7:21 pm

    Do you really have to ask?


  7. Vincennes Says:

    The Republicans are angry, ANGRY! So what are they going to do? Well nothing, of course. I mean it’s all Bill Clinton’s fault anyway and I’m sure Iran had something to do with it, but why should we punish anyone within the administration? That would be treasonous.


  8. tomazulob Says:

    CBS has named all the conspirators in the fake news conference because they are very upset. After all, if you need reporters that don’t ask probing and digging questions, if you need reporters that ask only softball questions, if you need reporters that act like they’re scared that they might embarrass the administration, then let professionals do it–like the reporters from CBS!


  9. burro Says:

    Potemkin News Network.


  10. dixie blood Says:

    Put these names in your “Useless American Facist” database, never forget these names:

    Nathaniel Fogg, Counselor to the Director and Deputy Director;

    John “Pat” Philbin, former Director of External Affairs;

    Michael Widomski, Public Affairs Specialist;

    Eric Heighberger, Special Assistant, Office of the Administrator;

    Cindy Taylor, Communications Deputy Director;

    Dan Shulman, Director of Legislative Affairs;

    Debbie Wing, Media Response Liaison;

    Aaron Walker, National Spokesman.

    These people are enemies of Democracy. They hate freedom and they hate free speech!!!

    They are enemies of the state!! They need to be charged with treason and tried forthwith!!!


  11. CVille Dem Says:

    Frankly, I didn’t notice a difference in the level of questioning that our “fearless” leaders often get. What does that say about our Main Stream Media?

    Did anyone ask Bush today what he meant when he said he knew “first hand” how terrible combat was? No; they asked other questions to change the subject from his embarrassing idiocy.

    It says a lot that no one “noticed” this latest sham until a news agency realized from the pictures that their lackeys weren’t there. They probably would have asked the same questions anyway.


  12. eve Says:

    dixie — I think they are the dorks that inspired The Office.


  13. dlet Says:

    Just imagine how REALLY screwed we would be if these people in these people in this administration weren’t such idiots and these lies they always tell actually were kept secret.


  14. Frosty Cupcake Says:

    #14:

    Unfortunately I have no doubt that they have many secrets they’re keeping from us still. No doubt at all.


  15. dlet Says:

    Cupcake,
    No doubt they do. I guess that’s what the paper shredder trucks have been for at the VP’s residence.

    My hope that the truly bad stuff will come out has slowly diminished as this Congress keeps sending out letters instead of subpoenas.


  16. ProDem Says:

    What a freaky looking sanitized room that is! Geeesh - there is no low too low for these Fascist Republican bastards!! Wonder what their kids are like?…..no never mind, just the very thought is nauseating!


  17. Frosty Cupcake Says:

    dlet:

    Wow. Shredder trucks that come to you.

    So many things wrong with Cheney, so little time.


  18. pete Says:

    No need for a shredder this time. There’s not a notebook in the room.


  19. joe cantwell Says:

    Dan Shulman, Director of Legislative Affairs;

    Comment by dixie blood — November 9, 2007 @ 8:15 pm

    isn’t he “tcdon”?


  20. blogbob Says:

    Don’t forget Bush’s “conversation with the troops,” when an intrepid CNN cameraman caught the DepAsstSecDef prompting the soldiers what the questions would be and who would say what in reply to the president.

    These people are all about deception, and when that fails, intimidation. Notice there has not been ONE report in the MSM about the vote to send the bill for impeachment of shooter to committee.


  21. Duck Soup Says:

    Everyone in that audience is a disgrace. There is no way they could not have known what they were being asked to do. In posing as journalists, they knowingly participated in an outright fraud on the American people. The propaganda out of this Administration is disgraceful. And the other posters are spot on - there is no difference between this Administration and Fox News. The two are joined at the hip. That is why I encourage everyone to refer to the FROPS, or FOPS, as in Fox-Republican officials and politicians. Anyone still in that boat is going to hell when they die.


  22. SP Biloxi Says:

    And the irony to this is that the Daily Show with Jon Stewart does a better job reporting the news than both the FEMA fake journalists and some of the real journalists and media and Jon Stewart is just a comedian.


  23. joe cantwell Says:

    Debbie Wing, Media Response Liaison asked:

    “is that a cucumber in your pocket or are you just happy to meet me?”

    good question.



  24. tarazan Says:

    Looking at the staged press conference in the picture looks like a Hollywood movie.
    The sad part is that these people in the photo assembled to fake a coverage story of a real disaster.
    And what makes it even more sad is that they are paid by the taxpayer.


  25. Zooey Says:

    Look at their body language. You can tell they know they’re lying.

    Bastards.


  26. Leftside Annie Says:

    Hey, kids!!! LET’S PUT ON A SHOW!!!!

    *eyeroll*


  27. Theresa Says:

    #19 wrote: No need for a shredder this time. There’s not a notebook in the room.

    Comment by pete — November 9, 2007 @ 9:10 pm

    Don’t need a shredder. They’re using BlackBerry(tm) type devices. Since we know the current e-mail track record of this current admin, no problemo. Those notes have piffed into the BushCo black hole.


  28. foreyes Says:

    I mean it’s all Bill Clinton’s fault anyway and I’m sure Iran had something to do with it, but why should we punish anyone within the administration? That would be treasonous.

    Comment by Vincennes — November 9, 2007 @ 7:40 pm
    —————-

    It wouln’t be treasonous. But please, don’t bring up Bill to justify what Hillary is all about. They’re one and the same and, at the same time, they’re different.

    The Kyl-Lieberman ammendment did not come up during Bill’s administration but during Hillary’s watch in the Senate. She voted for it.

    Does it mean that if she hadn’t voted in favor of it, she would still be the leading Democratic candidate for president? Probably not!


  29. Ditch Mitch KY Says:

    Do these impostors still have their jobs? I’m sure they remain on the FEMA payroll — this is BushWorld after all.

    Everyone of these FEMA executives knew exactly what they were doing when they posed as journalists. They should be fired immediately.

    BTW — I don’t see “Jeff Gannon” in this picture. Was he on WH assignment that day?


  30. Theresa Says:

    #31, only 9 of the 11 visible people have been identified. Gannon could very well be behind (yukka, yukka, yukka) the man to far right (BlackBerry(tm) very visible on the small podium).


  31. GSD Says:

    No Christmas bonuses for these asshats this year.

    -GSD


  32. gummitch Says:

    No Christmas for these asshats this year.

    -GSD

    Comment by GSD — November 10, 2007 @ 12:21 am

    Ohmigod, you’re part of the war on Christmas! Commieislamofascist!


  33. TC-12 Says:

    Where’s their press badges, their credential thingies hanging on lanyards? Don’t real journalists wear those? They should have went to Kinko’s and made up some fake credentials inside laminations. Insert cookbook recipes inside the laminations if necessary - it really doesn’t matter if the camera’s 20 ft away. If you’re gonna commit fraud, at least do it competently, do it right! (Or more correctly, do it Right.)


  34. GSD Says:

    Rumor has it the anti-Christmas Islamo-homo-commie-fascists are going to take Santa Claus out with a stinger missile.

    However Pres. Bush wants to build a missile shield in the North Pole to protect Kris Kringle.

    George Dubya, what a hero!

    -GSD


  35. Badger Says:

    Rumor has it the anti-Christmas Islamo-homo-commie-fascists are going to take Santa Claus out with a stinger missile.

    Comment by GSD — November 10, 2007 @ 8:38 am

    Bush has already taken Santa out with a 9 trillion dollar national debt, and a war paid for with borrowed foreign money.


  36. Duck Soup Says:

    Referring to the prior post, um, isn’t there a little difference between what goes on in a campaign versus in the operations of our federal government? This is a distinction that the Republicans, including Karl Rove, don’t understand. They politicize everything. It’s politics over the people rather than politics for the people. And at least there were real reporters at Hillary’s event.

    Now that said, I agree that if the accusations about Hillary are true, they are disappointing. I much prefer Obama, who is more principled and has a fresh approach.


  37. Badger Says:

    Comment by TCDon — November 10, 2007 @ 9:07 am

    OOOOOH! How terrible. Clinton prompts someone to ask what she would do about Global Warming.

    Compared to the 9 trillion dollar debt, the War in Iraq, Spying on American citizens, $100 a barrel oil, and the coming recession of ‘08, even a lightning rod like Hillary Clinton could beat the Republican candidate . The Republican candidates (except Ron Paul) won’t mention George W. by name, , but they offer the same failed policies.


  38. willyloman Says:

    Debbie Wassermann Schultz on Impeachment:

    “…when what we should be focusing on are… our efforts on expanding the Democratic majority and electing a Democratic President.”

    Let’s remind her that soldiers are dying and Cheney is looking to attack Another Country Illegally! Now is not the time to play partisan politcs!

    http://willyloman.wordpress.com/ 2007/ 11/ 10/ democratic-judicial-committee-member-schultz-on-impeachment/


  39. Clumberfeet Says:

    This makes the ‘fair and balanced’ channel look ‘fair and balanced’.


  40. Wayne Says:

    Comment by TCDon — November 10, 2007 @ 9:07 am

    And Clinton did it too!

    TCDum, why is this relevant to a government agency spouting propaganda in a false setting??

    Hillary has always been a DLC Republican Democrat.
    She isn’t getting my vote ( IN the primaries, at least. )
    My vote is going for the candidate that is using his office to actually fcking do something. You can guess who that is, it’s a very short list.
    And that isn’t Obama either.

    Please explain why your post is even relevant to the subject of this thread.


  41. gus smith Says:

    “These people are all about deception, and when that fails, intimidation”.

    Blogbob, more than deception and intimidation are the core of this administration. They are the embodiment of fascism.


  42. Wayne Says:

    Comment by TCDon — November 10, 2007 @ 9:58 am

    Were the reporters at Clinton’s event real?

    I bet you I can go to any Presidential cadidate’s even/rally and find some spinmiester in the crowd doing exactly the same thing.
    Have you actually ever been to such a rally?

    Who are you trying to kid here?


  43. tarazan Says:

    How do we know that major media outlets also stage questions and answers in presidential debates and television interviews…just because they are called journalists does not mean that every word they say is truly sincere,after all they are all called ’shows’


  44. Wayne Says:

    Comment by tarazan — November 10, 2007 @ 10:58 am

    Thats why I always say look at their ( Politicians ) record, see what they actually did, how did they vote. Judge them by that. Put aside the rhetoric.

    Look at they do, the hell with what they say.


  45. Leftside Annie Says:

    Hey, TeensyPeensy - you need to change your tape. This one is getting worn out.

    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!
    CLINTON DID IT!!

    *yawn*

    Not to mention the fact that you’re boring us all to tears, ya moron.


  46. jerseyboyblue Says:

    fire everyone who was involved or who had knowledge about it and kept quiet.


  47. MapleStreet Says:

    The more you look, the more it smells. Now we find out that the “journalists” weren’t FEMA flunkies but rather high up in the organization.


  48. sacopenapa Says:

    katrina! katrina! katrina!



Jump to Top

About Think Progress | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy (off-site) | RSS | Donate
© 2005-2008 Center for American Progress Action Fund
image Register imageimageRSSimageimage imageimage
image
image
View Most Popular
image
image
Visit Our Affiliated Site
image
image image
What We're About
image
image
Featured
image
image
Subscribe to the Progress Report



image
image
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.

Name:
Email:
Tip:
(required)



image
Reports
image
image
imageTopic Cloud
image

image
imageArchives
image

image
imageBlog Roll
image

imageAbout Think ProgressimageimageContact UsimageimageDonateimage