Barry Nolan: The Story Behind My O’Reilly Protest
Barry Nolan: The Story Behind My O’Reilly Protest
Our guest blogger is Barry Nolan, a veteran TV journalist who was recently fired by Comcast Cable’s CN8 channel in Boston for protesting an award honoring Bill O’Reilly.
So, I’m that TV guy who got fired by Comcast over Bill O’Reilly. I protested the fact that O’Reilly was chosen to receive the Governors Award at this year’s Emmy Awards ceremony. That’s the highest honor that they hand out. The important word here is: honor.
Now granted – you won’t find a lot of Albert Schweitzers or Mother Teresas working in television, but at least the people who had been honored in the past had pretty much followed the part of the Hippocratic oath that says, “First, do no harm.”
O’Reilly was an appalling choice, not because of his political views, but because he simply gets the facts wrong, abuses his guests and the powerless in general, is delusional, and, well, you might want to Google: Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Plus there was that whole sexual harassment thing – the lawsuit he settled for an estimated $10 million. Not the kind of guy you normally think of when it comes time to pass out honors.
I found that most of my colleagues felt the same way. So, on May 10th at the Emmy Awards dinner, I quietly passed out a document that contained – not my opinion – but O’Reilly’s own words and quotes from his sexual harassment lawsuit. And that is what got me fired. I got fired from my job on a news and information network for reporting demonstrably true things in a room full of news people.
Normally, in the great scheme of things – this should be a total non-story. “Overpaid White Guy Gets Fired from Cushy Job for Shooting Mouth Off.” Yawn. But these are not normal times. After the word got out that I was fired – I started hearing from people from all over the country who were outraged. A guy in Texas who had once worked with O’Reilly and had seen a meltdown like the one on Youtube – a weather anchor in Arizona – a woman in China no less.
And it all got me to thinking about the myth of free speech. In today’s America, speech is only “free” when you are talking down to someone less powerful that you. Speak “up” – and look out.
In your work life, they can fire you, as I found out, for quietly saying something that is widely known to be true. Put a lid on it.
And in our role as citizens, we have been told by O’Reilly to shut up, or Fox Security may pay you a visit. We are called traitors if we simply speak the truth about the absence of WMD’s – the way the war is going – the disgraces of Abu Ghraib, of Gitmo, of waterboarding. Shut up.
So, when exactly do they think we have the right to speak up? To speak the quiet simple truth, to people who have more power than us?
Well, I think now would be a good time. The fog of fear is lifting. The balance of power is shifting. People are beginning to talk to each other again instead of shouting. I think it’s time to reclaim the right to free speech – even if it comes at a price.
Meanwhile, if anyone needs any lawn work done or his or her car detailed – give me a call.
His words ring so TRUE.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:08 amIf Nolan was the future of the mainstream media, I’d feel somewhat safer. But, I’m deathly afraid that Nolan is the aberration, not the norm…
May 27th, 2008 at 11:09 amAfter reading that I’m very sad I never got to see him in action on the job.
Truth, self-deprecating humor, good writing.
Everything we need.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:10 amAnd it all got me to thinking about the myth of free speech. In today’s America, speech is only “free” when you are talking down to someone less powerful that you. Speak “up” – and look out.
Free speech and objective journalism have always been a myth in our capatilistic society. And as the media consolidates more and more the myth becomes more and more evident.
http://progressiveworldreiview
May 27th, 2008 at 11:12 amNolan is definitely right about something, and yet he doesn’t even know it.
I have to edit one of his sentences.
Instead of “O’Reilly was an appalling choice” it should read “O’Reilly is appalling.”
That’s it. Nough said. O’Reilly is appalling.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:12 amBarry, I applaud your conviction and your courage to take a stance. It should not have required courage, since your stance is so reasonable and honorable. Yet, for some reason, people in power have tended to side with bullies lately. I hope that is coming to an end.
Thank you for speaking out. A lot of we little people without a real voice in the media apprciate what you’ve done. And I trust you won’t be looking for work very long.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:12 amHats off to you, Mr. Nolan. This might be a bit OT, but can anyone tell me how this seemingly endless variety of talking heads on every news program works? Other than the obvious “stars,” I rarely see the same faces twice. Does this revolving door have anything to do with the lack of substance on TV news?
May 27th, 2008 at 11:16 amMr. Nolan, thank you for sharing the truth; something Bill O’Really only pays ‘lip service’ to.
This narcissist has not only polluted the airwaves with hate, fear and misconstrued ‘facts’, he harasses those who disagree, pokes fun at the poor and instills a general climate of mistrust and hate at others.
Many of the things he’s done or said should be grounds for prosecution, including the phone sex debacle.
Those who speak the truth may be persecuted, imprisoned or subject to ridicule but they will ALWAYS BE RIGHT.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:17 amMr. Nolan embodies the spirit of a true American journalist. He saw something wrong and spoke up about it. Regretfully he got smashed down for his action, but at least he spoke up. Let’s hope that he’s right and the climate of fear is finally lifting. Unfortunately the “Liberal” MSM doesn’t seem interested in this change. They’ll keep on reporting on the next celebrity insanity and other bright, shiney things.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:18 amHere’s hoping that Mr. Nolan gets rewarded for his courage and gets another job with an organization that recognizes and appreciates it.
Impeach Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution.
Abu Ben Hussein Leporello.
It’s disturbing that someone could work so hard to land a job, only to lose it at the whim of a maniac — and possibly their livelihood. There’s something seriously wrong in a country always looking for ways to throw good people to the curb.
An education isn’t enough. A strong moral compass isn’t enough. Ethics isn’t enough. You’ve gotta have a corrupt inner circle of buddies if you want to stand the best chance of staying put and moving up. Only in neocon America.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:19 amMeanwhile, if anyone needs any lawn work done or his or her car detailed – give me a call.
Instead, Barry, why not try giving Keith Olbermann a call? An appearance (or even a mention) on Countdown might work wonders for your job prospects.
And thank you for standing up for free speech. Takes real guts these days, but, as you noted, people have grown tired of the ravings of Billo & his ilk. Winds of change have indeed started blowing. Could be gale force by 11/08…
May 27th, 2008 at 11:19 amMr. Nolan’s point-that those who do not agree with what is considered the popular viewpoint should then “shut up”-is well taken. I have been told that i do not belong where I live by one resident of my town and another said that I should move back to Russia because I have dared to be against the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. The hope is that Mr. Nolan will continue to voice his opinions especially against buffoons like the chickenhawk O’Reilly.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:19 amWelcome, Barry! The right to free speech can come at a very high price. The fact that you were fired for telling the truth shows the sad state of affairs facing this country.
We are bombared with so much propaganda, the only saving grace we have left is the internet and wonderful progressive blogs like ThinkProgress. So far so good, they have not interfered with that yet. We appreciate your sacrifice for the truth. Not many journalist would put their job on the line to let the truth be heard. I thank you personally for your integrity and sticking with your principles. It is nice to know that some journalists still honor their profession.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:19 amBarry is a New England institution. I remember when he used to do the evening news on WBZ with Sarah Edwards.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:20 amBarry Nolan you are a hero. You are someone I will tell my children about one day soon when they are old enough to understand. Thank you.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:21 amIf I were a previous winner of this “prestigious” award that was now given to the sociopathic blowhard O’Reilly, I would have immediately taken the award outside and blew it up.
Blew it up reaaaaaaal good.
The “honor” associated with such an award has just been flushed down the sh**ter.
Someone with Mr. Nolan’s decency will rebound, because our country is desperate for his kind of integrity and character in journalism. Hang in there, Mr. Nolan - and thank you sincerely for standing up for what is right and good.
O’Reilly couldn’t carry your jock strap.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:21 amFirst, Mr. Nolan, thank you for having the courage to speak your mind and to speak truth to power. In the battle of Nolan vs Comcast, it’s quite obvious which side showed bravery and which showed cowardice. Comcast should be ashamed of themselves.
And it all got me to thinking about the myth of free speech. In today’s America, speech is only “free” when you are talking down to someone less powerful that you. Speak “up” – and look out.
In your work life, they can fire you, as I found out, for quietly saying something that is widely known to be true. Put a lid on it.
What many people do not fully appreciate is that the First Amendment only stops our federal government from passing any laws restricting freedom of speech. It does not stop private citizens (employers or other groups) from exacting punishment for the things you might say. (To a certain extent, this makes sense. You wouldn’t want to hire an employee who was going to go on TV every day and tell the world your company sucks.) So, they were within their legal rights to fire you. But that doesn’t mean that they were morally right to do it, and nothing they say can change that.
I got fired from my job on a news and information network for reporting demonstrably true things in a room full of news people.
But you should try to tell as many people as possible about this. No news organization should ever fire someone for reporting the truth. Ever. We, as a country, need to decide if money really is the most important thing inthe world or not. Because as your experience demonstrates, there are people who believe that money is more important than the truth. And that cannot be a good thing for this country.
Good luck in your future endeavors, Mr. Nolan. I’m know that a man of your integrity can find work quickly. In fact, I’m sure there are a lot of newsrooms around the country who hate O’Reilly enough to want to thank you by giving you a job.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:22 amThis shows the power of Murdoch; he dictates whatever awards he wants for Faux NoNooz. Only hope we can start to take back the media in ‘09.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:23 amAnd it all got me to thinking about the myth of free speech. In today’s America, speech is only “free” when you are talking down to someone less powerful that you. Speak “up” – and look out.
First of all, I’m appalled that this happened to you in a country that was designed by men like Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson who arguably considered freedom of speech to be our greatest freedom (along with freedom from religion) - which is why they put them as the First Amendment.
Secondly, as a woman, I’d like to thank you for valuing the rights of women in this country. Men like O’Reilly see us a s objects. Thank you for standing up in part for an issue that doesn’t impact you personally. That’s my definition of a true American hero.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:24 amOnly in this crazy country does a man get canned right away for speaking the truth in the form of “quietly passing out a document” to his peers, and a man who refers to a group of outstanding athletes as “nappy headed hos” ON THE AIR only gets fired after overwhelming outrage from the populace makes it impossible to do otherwise.
And don’t even get me started on why Nolan loses his job while O’Reilly gets to keep his…
May 27th, 2008 at 11:25 amAnd oh, get this man a job. Come to Texas.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:27 amTrue true Barry. What is appalling is what happened to you. Keep speaking your mind. Our day will come.
This site gives me hope. As do you.
I don’t have a lawn but man the weeds are getting thick in the garden. Come on down.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:28 amI can’t wait to see dumbshit Bill-O squeal once Obama is elected president. “Mass race conspiracy! Mass race conspiracy! Takeover!”
Bill-O would molest every character on Sesame Street if he could.
Bill O’Reilly is a stupid white interloper.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:29 amMcWars Says: An education isn’t enough. A strong moral compass isn’t enough. Ethics isn’t enough. You’ve gotta have a corrupt inner circle of buddies if you want to stand the best chance of staying put and moving up. Only in neocon America.
Very true. It’s no longer “who you know”, but “whose ass you kiss”. I’ve seen some very incompetent people rise into some powerful positions simply because of the fact that they were sychophants to those at the top, while very competent people who were willing to speak truth to power were overlooked or worse. Disgusting work ‘ethics’.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:30 amThank you, Barry for making such a large sacrifice of putting truth to power. Someone of your talent will not be out of the job market very long.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:30 amOh yes. O’Reilly has some major issues.
Thank you, dear. There are some blogs that have paid work for the likes of you. You might try Josh at TPM. We LIKE truth-tellers ’round here!
May 27th, 2008 at 11:31 amThe FCC is one of those urgent, but less visible departments that our new President will have to work on cleaning up. We seriously need to divest the corporate media of our news media. It’s not just about media corporations owning multiple media outlets in any given market. It’s about the media corporations OWNING our news and treating it as if it were an entertainment revenue source, rather than the constitutionally mandated information purveyor necessary to the citizenry the press was meant to be.
The corporate media is destroying our nation. A truly free press is the only thing that will save us now. If you haven’t already, check out and contribute to Democracy Now! (and no, I’m not a paid schill, I just love what they do)
May 27th, 2008 at 11:32 amGreat account, unbelievable. It’s a “who you know” economy aka “Networking”. “What you know” has no market value in the neocon 21st century.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:35 amMr Nolan: Thank you for having the courage to speak up. As you note we’re often supposed to play pretend in this society. In your case, you failed to pretend that Bill O’Reilly is not a narcissistic abusive creep. And you’ve, unfortunately, paid a price.
As your experience shows, our media institutions are deeply corrupt, if not on a legal level (few laws apply), then certainly on an ethical level.
Please keep speaking out and make the most of this “opportunity.” And, thanks for keeping your sense of humor!!
May 27th, 2008 at 11:36 amGreat work, I hope you find some place new that knows what journalism means. Best of luck!
May 27th, 2008 at 11:39 amAppalling, but unfortunately not surprising. I know what it’s like to be a member of the craven media fired for speaking the truth, so I applaud your courage and trust that ultimately, what is true and right will prevail.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:41 am> Bill-O would molest every character
> on Sesame Street if he could.
Start drinking early today? Cant say as I blame you..
May 27th, 2008 at 11:42 amHow about Barry Nolan for Obama’s Press Secretary. What a refreshing upgrade from bimbo barbie that would be.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:42 amMcWars Says: Great account, unbelievable. It’s a “who you know” economy aka “Networking”. “What you know” has no market value in the neocon 21st century.
I have a friend with lifelong friends that came form extreme wealth. When my friend lost his job in the DotCom bubble burst in 2001, he also lost his home, car and retirement fund. He was pretty destitute. Although his wealthy friends were well connected and could have helped him out (a couple even owned successful IT companies), they wouldn’t. My friend is good at what he does, but because he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and therefore not in the Good Ol Boys Club, they wouldn’t help him. I think that realization hurt him more than his financial ruin.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:52 amUnbelievable, are you one and the same unbelievable that was here a while back? If so, welcome back.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:02 pmI second Mr. Nolan’s nomination for Press Seceretary for the Obama Administration!
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts.”
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
“We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
John F. Kennedy
“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
GEORGE ORWELL
May 27th, 2008 at 12:06 pmlivelongandprosper Says:
Unbelievable, are you one and the same unbelievable that was here a while back? If so, welcome back.
I second that welcome, Unbelievable.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:18 pmlivelongandprosper Says: Unbelievable, are you one and the same unbelievable that was here a while back? If so, welcome back.
I am. Thank you LL&P :D
May 27th, 2008 at 12:20 pmIf Edward R. Murrow came back right now and saw what is being done in the name of “Journalism”, he’d never stop throwing up.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:21 pmZimzone Says: I second that welcome, Unbelievable.
Thank you! It’s good to see everyone again!
May 27th, 2008 at 12:22 pmNarcissistic Personality Disorder — spot on, Barry. You did the right thing in protesting that loud-mouthed fool.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:27 pmContinue to fight the good fight!
May 27th, 2008 at 12:28 pmAnd I am happy to see you here, too, unbelievable. :)
The story you related about your friend demonstrates quite well one of the problems we have relying completely on Capitalism as a way of life. Eventually, scummy people who never earned a dollar in their life but were simply born into wealth, start getting the idea that because they are “financially successful”, that they are morally superior to the rest of us. Those kind of people I wouldn’t miss if they simply disappeared off the face of the Earth.
In fact, that would make a fun science fiction story - all the snotty wealthy people are transported to an Earth with no humans but other snotty wealthy people like them, and no one is around to do the dirty work they were used to having done for them. How will they ever survive? (Hint: They won’t - and that’s why it’ll make for great reading!) :)
May 27th, 2008 at 12:30 pmBTW Barry, I have a bathroom that needs painting…
May 27th, 2008 at 12:31 pmReminiscent of The Dixie Chicks days.
Our country is circling the drain because we read these stories, feel badly about them but do nothing more than blog about the situation. WTF aren’t we writing letters and boycotting the station that fired Nolan? What has happened to us?
May 27th, 2008 at 12:31 pmWayne, didn’t someone do a film similar to what you’re saying? Something like “a day without Mexicans?” I’m not being a smartass — unusual, I know — but I think there was a short film with this sort of theme.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:32 pmHey, that’s comcast for ya: always WRONG!
If anyone should be fired, it’s that psychotic moron BillO.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:38 pmZoooey:
May 27th, 2008 at 12:39 pmZooey: Lemme try this again
May 27th, 2008 at 12:40 pmSecretive power loathes journalists who do their job: who push back screens, peer behind facades, lift rocks. Opprobrium from on high is their badge of honor.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:41 pm— John Pilger
I expect that this incident will actually be a feature on your resume in the future. I had a professor once tell me,”If you don’t get fired at least once, your not doing your job right”.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:42 pmThanks, tokin liberal. That’s the one I was thinking of. :)
May 27th, 2008 at 12:45 pmCappy Says:
I expect that this incident will actually be a feature on your resume in the future. I had a professor once tell me,”If you don’t get fired at least once, your not doing your job right”.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I trust that this professor was on at least his second teaching job when he told you this? ;)
May 27th, 2008 at 12:51 pmNolan,
I applaud you! How hypocritical is Billo. He is always standing in judgement of others, and he himself got a pass on his little 10M indiscretion.
A new wave: C-Span - you will do well there! in the interim, I need a tree removed in my backyard!
May 27th, 2008 at 12:58 pmWayne A. Schneider Says: And I am happy to see you here, too, unbelievable. :)
Thanks Wayne. Good to see you here - though I thought by now you’d have been elected to political office… Or are you wiating ofr a spot on Obama’s cabinet? :)
The story you related about your friend demonstrates quite well one of the problems we have relying completely on Capitalism as a way of life.
Most definitely. And we’ve seen first hand how horrid of a system it is for running a country. How much longer you think until we get to Communism? Should we start a countdown? :)
In fact, that would make a fun science fiction story
Sounds like a great novel. Get to work… :D
They are going to fight it, but I think that with a Democratic President and Congress starting in January 2009, we’ll see some changes that ameliorate their control.
In fact, I recently saw two people having a discussion about one of the first discussions you and I had about campaign reform - almost three years ago. I think the average American is paying more attention. Perhaps the only legitimate legacy George W. Bush will be able to claim.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:03 pmI think the average American is paying more attention. Perhaps the only legitimate legacy George W. Bush will be able to claim.
Yeah, George was good for something! Actually I am impressed at the youth that Obama seems to have gotten out although the credit for that may well go to the intertubes.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:17 pmIf we had more Barry Nolans in our MSM, we’d be a hell of a lot better off. Hang in there, Barry, you’ll land on your feet.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:38 pmWe are called traitors if we simply speak the truth..
Consider the source. The GOP are nothing but a gang of thugs who could care less about a free press, much less the rest of the Constitution. Let’s call it what it is, corporatism, aka, facism.
The only real question is what are we going to do about it? Throw ‘em all out of office would be a good start (and a few Dems as well). The upcoming generation is under the dictatorship of a handfull of criminals from the 1950s - ain’t it about time to shift gears?
May 27th, 2008 at 1:39 pmBarry: my pals here have already said everything I wanted to say, particularly Ralph the Wonder Llama and whoever said you ought to get in touch with Keith Olbermann — I fervently second that.
I too have been on the receiving end of hatred from the reichwing that has spilled over from a message board into my real life. They’ve stalked me, done background checks on me, posted my personal information, tried to lose me my job and invited other crazies to contact my employer - just because I spoke out against the war and the Bush administration.
I have kept on speaking out, and now? I think the ‘times they are a’changin’, and this vast evil will be washed away. Hang in there, Barry. You’re a great man.
Best, best wishes,
~ A
May 27th, 2008 at 1:43 pmI lived in Portland, Or during the 80’s & remember Bill O’Reilly getting fired from a local affiliate. Didn’t know what the exact cause was - but he was an ass on the air & many of us tuned out. As I remember he went right from Portland to the national gossip show, (Inside Edition? I can’t remember the name). Perhaps a good journalist could find out the cause for his abrupt departure from Portland. ;)
I have sent complaints to every sponsor of Fox News & O’Reilly’s show & boycott their products for the escalating jokes & comments about assassinating a presidential candidate - the latest being Liz Trotta. O’Reilly is on my short list of offenders for this as well.
As a republican I am very unhappy about the way the “jerry springer” type shows disguised as main stream media control the airwaves & incite people to violence, racial hatred & criminal acts. There is no difference between the current situation & the “preachers” of the 80’s inciting followers to kill abortion doctors.
We should help those few journalists who are willing to stand against these thugs by contacting the advertisers who sponsor these shows & boycotting their products. After all, they do advertise to sell products..
May 27th, 2008 at 2:01 pmThe fact you got fired for daring to speak the truth shows just how we have fallen as a nation.
Sure, journalism has never been the high-and-mighty thing many think it is — the reason we have libel and slander laws is because of less-than-ethical writers and reporters. And books have been written about Hearst and his manipulation of the news.
But in the latter 20th century, we saw what journalism could be. Cronkite, Murrow, et al displayed an unending drive for the truth, deciding facts and reality should come before power and fear.
Sadly, most of those gains have been lost, and O’Reilly, Fox News, the Washington Times, and others are the reason. They care less about truth and more about spreading whatever those in power want shared with the masses … they prefer entertainment over honesty …. they concern themselves with ad revenue instead of ethics … and they don’t give a damn about being a government watchdog.
For Mr. Nolan to challenge the degeneration of our media — as manifest in O’Reilly — shows incredible courage. And the fact his employer fired him for doing so shows their stupidity, since this has gotten much, much more notice than it would have otherwise.
Thank you, Mr. Nolan.
Just remember to get all the Cherrio’s my son has dropped between the seats and shine the wheels. Thanks.
;-)
May 27th, 2008 at 2:26 pmMr Nolan, thank you for your courage and please know that there are more people than me who feel you did an honorable thing for criticizing O’Reilly who is not an honorable man. The awards committee should be thrown off the committee for chosing such a bully to honor this year. Best Wishes!
May 27th, 2008 at 2:54 pmMr. Nolan,
Thank you for risking your job to speak out against a loathsome ass like O’Reilly. I will never forget his shouting down as traitors anyone who dared to question the preemptive invasion of Iraq and the ‘evidence’ used as justification. He willingly adopted Cheney’s lying narrative of 100% certainty about Iraq having a nuclear program and being on the brink of attacking the U.S. It was manifest twaddle, yet he proclaimed it with the same arrogance that he shouted down the skeptics. O’Reilly has never had even the decency to apologize for his pre-invasion cheerleading. He doesn’t give a damn about America or Americans. He is a traitor to our country in the real sense of the word.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:29 pmThank you for speaking truth to power Barry!
May 27th, 2008 at 3:47 pmhey remember, its the wackadoo lefties that wield the heavy hand of “political correctness”.
ban dixie chicks from the radio. check.
fire barry nolan. check.
get duncan donuts to pull rachel ray ad because shes wearing a paisley scarf. check.
etc. etc. etc.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:22 pmThank you, Mr. Nolan, for choosing to protest the frankly disturbing decision to honor Mr. O’Reilly. Not only was your action based on principles with which I wholly concur, it was undertaken in a responsible and decorous manner. That I should find myself commending anyone for “merely” acting responsibly and for conducting himself politely is a testament to how far so-called American standards have fallen, but my gratitude is perhaps even more heartfelt as a consequence.
I am deeply saddened by your current situation and am disgusted by Comcast’s decision to fire you; I will be penning a letter expressing my displeasure to them shortly.
Thank you for writing about your experience and, please, continue to speak out about it; it would be even more of a shame if your sacrifice were quickly forgotten, like so many things are these days.
To any major media outlets seeking to reestablish credibility in the eyes of a disenchanted public, offering Mr. Nolan a position as ombudsman would seem a pretty smart first step toward your rehabilitation.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:13 pmSo how do we help this guy get a new job? THIS is the kind of person we NEED in the media. What happened to him is a disgrace.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:22 pmThe rule of free speech is not necessarily a myth.
But it is much misunderstood. Constitutionally, the only guaranteed protection for free speech is against interference by any government.
Your only real claim lies when and if any government entity or government person inhibits, interferes with, or prohibits your speech..
And some forms of speech are given higher protections than others…exp..Political speech..
The first amendment reads that there will be “no” interference by government…There were at least two absolutists on the Supreme Court who argued that “no” means “no” I believe the two were Hugo Black and William Douglas.
But Court rulings have made is clear that there is no absolute right to free speech.
Many people claim that our fighting in wars protects our right to free speech…but the only threats that we’ve ever really had to free speech comes from our government..either cities,states or fed.
So the real protectors of free speech..have always been lawyers..brave plaintiffs..{Larry Flynt included} and the courts…and the courts.
The battle for free speech is not on the battlefield in Iraq. The battle for free speech is in the halls and courtrooms.. and it will always continue to be a battle.
George Shieman gshieman@aol.com
quote of the day.. Heaven might be a great place,
May 27th, 2008 at 5:43 pmBut it ain’t San Francisco
Who and where can we call tp protest your firing and the award for BillO?
I would like a number to voice my opinion, thanks. And Mr. Nolan needs a job, we need to help him.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:50 pmYeah, Malkin has a protest brewing against Rachel Ray’s scarf. The Right has become a useless and ignorant bunch of stupid silly lilliputs deparate for power.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:52 pmAgreed, the Right gets drummed up about saomething they literally take the person out, The Left needs to follow suite. We need to get organized, make the phone calls and make a difference.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:54 pmI am so impressed Barry Nolan. I live near Boston and used to watch him on a local interest show; kinda lame. This Bill O’ episode has given me new insight into Mr. Nolan’s character and I find a man worthy of great respect.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:06 pmPerhaps Mr. Nolan can find a job in the Dem. White House.
First they limit our downloading limits and now freedom of speech of their employees…
Here is the contact info for their media relations…
Leslie Padilla, senior director, public relations
leslie_padilla@cable.comcast.com
Office: 610-650-1157
Cell: 610-329-3150
I say call her on her cell — lets run up her minutes!
STUPID IS WHAT STUPID DOES
May 27th, 2008 at 7:58 pmBarry — I had the pleasure of drinks, dinner and movie with you during a press junkett in LA during which we had the opportunity to talk politics. Now as then, you’re an upright guy! Thank you for taking a stand on Bill O’Reilly and the rest of what passes for journalism–that is until the facts start to come out — then it’s the Rush Limbaugh Dodge: “I’m just an entertainer.” I am horrified that people in other countries might watch O’Reilly and think he represents the character of the American people. He and Karl Rove are the Anti-Christ or at least Horsemen of the Apocalypse. An award for them??? I threw up a little in my mouth when I read it!
I’m sure your time as a “consultant” will be short-lived. Hopefully some TV executive blowhard will recognize that you should be on opposite of O’Reilly…and steal his ratings and ruin his rantings.
In the meantime — you’re right on the money: In today’s America you’re free as long as you don’t get out of the box. Just how much freedom of speech do you have when you start questioning policy and present a lucid argument? From one who has been called a Domestic Terrorist for protesting the cruelty at Long Beach (CA) Animal Control and seen a power-crazed, jack-booted imbecile beg those above her to invoke Homeland Security measures against me — trust me, the box grows ever-smaller!
It’s time to take America back! You’ve got bigger things than lawn work to do Barry :)
BTW — Isn’t it ironic that Scott McLellan is stumping for his new book and is whining that the White House Press Corps was too easy on the Bush Admin. during the run up the war. Hmmmm.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:59 pmAll of my respect is with you. The consequence you suffered reminds me of Sir Thomas More. That 16th century Chancellor of England braved great peril by refusing to condone Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon. She could not bear Henry an heir to the throne. In the end Sir Thomas willingly accepted the worst possible consequences in order to remain loyal to Rome and to his principles. A play by Robert Bolt, “A Man for All Seasons” dramatized these events. The 1966 motion picture version staring Paul Scofield won both the BAFTA Award and the Academy Award for best picture. You may find it comforting to find part of yourself in this great character. Watch this movie and feel satisfaction with yourself.
Warm regards,
May 27th, 2008 at 9:50 pmSignpainter
PS: The thing about narcissistic personality disorder is dead on and I’m glad to see someone else say it. I am a graduate psychology student and he is textbook - especially after seeing the youtube video.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:12 pmThere is a way for Comcast to get the message that this is wrong. Those with their service should cancel and tell them why. There are alternatives - phone companies / dish networks… Maybe a little bit of a headache, but unmasking a fraudulent award and protecting freedom of speech is worth it.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:20 pmUm, Mr. Olbermann, maybe you could put in a good word for Barry. We could all do with one less hour of Lockup and one more hour of real journalism.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:26 pmFox News is a cesspool. It is the ONLY channel that could stomach the swine billo. The fact that the mentally ill sexual abuser is still on the air and you are not diminishes our culture.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:31 pmHey fellas.
May 28th, 2008 at 12:19 amThis is Barry Nolan’s son here, and I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the support that’s being shown for my dad here. It means a lot to me and it certainly means a lot to him. If it gives any of you any further impetus to push for… something, I dunno, call it retribution, just remember… He has a son in college, a daughter in college, and a son in high school (me!) that he still needs to support. I know he can do it, but it’s definitely more than just a financial thing for us all here at home. For me it’s about free speech, the preservation of the constitution, and making tons of money so I can go to an obscenely overpriced college. Also I totally spend like 30 bucks a week on gas now, and Bill O’Reilly isn’t giving me any gas money.
Imagine: The Barry Nolan Show on MSNBC! Takes over the slot before Countdown which is a rerun of Hardball!
We need to create a new journalism school to teach future journalists on how to be real journalists.
May 28th, 2008 at 12:46 amMr. Nolan,
You did a gutsy thing. In my past career I usually spoke up, but it never cost me my job. And the older I get, the less constraints I have about following all of the “rules” that we inflict upon each other. ( I don’t mean the big things - murder, theft, etc. ) But the stupid little niggling little rules that are used to “keep us in line.”
I know that you will land on your feet. Thank you for demonstrating your integrity. We need more people to stand up and speak truth to power. With you as an example, perhaps more people will find the courage to do the right thing.
As for Billo’s award… it doesn’t mean much in the long run. He didn’t earn the “honor.” And that’s all that needs to be said.
May 28th, 2008 at 12:55 amDear Mr. Nolan,
May 28th, 2008 at 12:56 amUltimately, the forces in favor of silencing those who would speak the truth will not win. In the meantime, they’ll descend to whatever depths they may feel are necessary in an attempt to squelch the truth — and firing you is but one example. Drumming Bill Moyers off of PBS a couple of years ago is another. (He has since returned in my area, I am so very glad to say!) I believe that you will have the last laugh, however long it may be in coming. Thank you for lighting a candle in the darkness.
It’s not the first time Comcast has censored a viewpoint that management disagrees with.
I’ll never give Comcast a cent for TV or ISP.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:53 amWhile I completely agree that O’Reilly is the last person worthy of a journalism honor, protesting the award by passing out the sexual harassment document was decidedly low class and potentially harmful. While I do not quake at unfairness toward O’Reilly — although I do not condone it — the document and all it represents are obvious sources of embarrassment and anguish to the woman (whom, in deference to her clear wish to avoid publicity, I will not name) who filed the court papers. I cannot imagine that the gratuitous use of the court filing — its status as a public document notwithstanding — is anything less than painful to her. Nolan is a gifted writer. There was and is a market for a well-written protest for Reilly’s award. Moreover, there was a need for one. I wish he had seized that moment. I admire Nolan’s courage but not his tactic, since, besides O’Reilly, there was an innocent person’s interests at stake . I am not entirely convinced that, despite his noble intentions, Nolan did no harm.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:59 amNolan is a class act…I am sorry to see that he was fired for expressing himself. You would be fantastic on Bill Moyers’ show…why not give him a call at PBS?
May 28th, 2008 at 4:13 amthank you mr. nolan as a retire chief petty officer in the u.s. navy i have been wondering it is possible that our great military people active and retired continue to serve our country in the great mthod they do with the likes of the liars in the world today.thank you krj cpousnret.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:39 amThank you, Mr. Nolan. I admire your courage to speak the truth when no one else would listen. Its dissapointing to say the least that you lost your job just because YOU WERE DOING YOUR JOB. I hope everything works out for ya.
May 28th, 2008 at 5:06 amI do miss good journalism. Even though it cost you your job, I am so glad to see that you stand by your actions. I will be watching to see who hires you - it will be an indication that they are interested in truth and not simply entertainment and fluf!
May 28th, 2008 at 7:30 amClearly you gained more than you lost in this episode. You’re on a path that will help not only the expansion of your own awareness, but the awareness of others. Perhaps, fianlly, through people like you we will actually begin to see news on television news shows. Hang in there. It might be a bumpy ride for a while, but it will be worth it.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:50 amPersonally, Barry Nolan has always been a class A reporter and newsperson. That said, all you pundits who support freedom of the press should take a look at what is happening in Indian Country. 580+ tribes, many with tribal newspapers including some as large as the Navajo and Cherokee nations. Only a handful have an independent press. In my own Potawatomi tribe we have a tribal chairman who routinely arrests and jails dissidents for trying to practice freedom of the press. Six years ago seven of us were arrested for posting a campaign poster on a website. Only one brave reporter from Shawnee had the courage to write a story about that travesty of free press. We have a four billion dollar a year gaming industry and not one national reporter has the balls to write a story about that corruption, and it does exist. Travel well Barry, and while you are off work, do a story on John A. “Rocky” Barrett, the most corrupt tribal chairman in America.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:55 amThe people who fire those who speak up are not elected officials, they are cowards protecting their paycheck by eliminating those who tell the truth.
Politicians and the overly-privileged in this country hate truth and fear truth tellers. They feel that it is incumbent upon them to rid society of anyone who will point out the obvious and will call out truth to all.
May 28th, 2008 at 8:25 amBary Nolan
What courage to speak up….and speak up the Truth! We need more journalist like you.
O’Reily has been getting away with his nasty combative nature far too long. Just what kind of behavior is he promoting besides not always Telling The Truth.
It is about time more people spoke up.
May 28th, 2008 at 9:54 amMr. Nolan, I agree with you completely. It is an absolute shame what happened to you. I have no words for how much I loathe Bill O’Reilly.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:05 amMany of us here in New England are upset about Barry’s firing. He’s long been held in high esteem around here. I’m glad to see posted the contact person at Comcast but I’d like to know who exactly thought Billo should be “honored” for anything. Who were those people who nominated/confirmed him for this award? I’d like to let them know what I think of their choice and hold them accountable. O’Reilly is a disgrace and only Fox would have such a person in their prime time line-up. Any group who would “honor” this man should be held up to the scrutiny of the public. They should be viewed as condoning and promoting hate-mongering, falsehoods being presented on the airway as fact, sexual harrassment in the workplace, and the stalking of private citizens (as O’Reilly and his staff have been doing to targets of their rage). Those are the people who should be unemployed today, not Barry Nolan. I sure would like to work on making that happen.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:14 amBefore the “Fall of The Wall”, and under the glare of the International Rights Commission, a Russian citizen was free to practice any religion they wanted, and to speak as freely as they chose to, as long as they kept it in their heads. this was the same system that called the American press the “most oppressive information system in the world”.
Kruschev was right, they did not have to fire a single bullet to bring down America…
May 28th, 2008 at 12:05 pmBarry Nolan and I worked together for many years and I count him as a dear friend, I wish him all the best in the future.
After having spoken the plain truth he is rewarded by a cowardly employer with walking papers. And the saddest truth is by speaking the truth, by exercising his constitutional right to say what he thinks off the job, Barry likely ended his broadcasting career. I hope I’m wrong because Barry is one of the smartest people in the TV business. But as a veteran of the industry I can tell you the ‘little guy’ is never rewarded for pointing out the failures of ‘the big guy.’
Its a shame what’s happened to tv journalism. Barry’s right, its been replaced by yelling and bullying and personal opinion and invective.
I repeat, its a shame. But Barry and others who walk away from in it disgust are to be applauded.
Love ya’ Barry.
Diane Dimond
May 28th, 2008 at 12:09 pmI worked at WBZ when Barry was there, and he was always a class act. Now, Barry, you’re my hero! Seriously, I have the greatest admiration for you. Think how different our country and our world would be if other members of the press had stood up for what was right during this last, dark, eight years. If you don’t have a publicist working for you now, to get you on Olbermann or Dan Abrams (or better yet, Colbert or the Daily Show), you should hire one fast! (I mean that). Your story needs to get out there to a broader audience, and of course, the increased visibility might help get you out of the auto detailing business.
May 28th, 2008 at 2:18 pmWishing you every success in the world. Bravo!
this guy is going in my cool book.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:26 pmComcast, GE, Murdoch, Disney, RCA. That is the controlling force for almost everything you see, for everyone you see. The Electronic Plutocracy needs smashing.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:45 pmI know Barry personally. He is a good, honest person with a good sense of humor, a good journalist, a good father, and a good husband. It is a shame he is being bullied and punished for disseminating information.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:11 pmThank you Barry, for restoring a little of this cynic’s capability to believe in people doing the right thing, even at high cost. I’m going to add your “In today’s America, speech is only “free” when you are talking down to someone less powerful that you” into my list of best quotes.
Of course you’ll be fine - a man with both talent and integrity will pick up work in a timely fashion. Meanwhile, thanks for speaking truth to power, even a power as corrupt and sick as that of Bill O’Reilly and the organizations that support him.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:19 pmThis is a bit off topic, but throughout the years I’ve repeatedly asked Mr. O’Reilly for an autographed picture of himself to put on my holiday tree. I can think of no better way to celebrate the winter season . . . but alas, I’ve received no response. I’m beginning to feel ill feelings towards Billo? Could almost every reasonable person. along with Barry Nolan, be right about him? Should I find another way to celebrate the winter solstice?
May 28th, 2008 at 5:42 pmThank you for standing up for the truth and for what’s right, Mr. Nolan. You are fighting the good fight, and for that I am personally thankful.
Barry Nolan is proof that there is still journalistic integrity out there amid the noise… and in the end, he’ll come out on top.
P.S. You make me proud to call Boston home.
May 28th, 2008 at 5:56 pmIn today’s America, speech is only “free” when you are talking down to someone less powerful that you. Speak “up” – and look out.
Hah! You’re alright! I have to remember that one.
Thanks for doing what you did, BN. I am sure you will land on your feet.
May 28th, 2008 at 6:00 pmI saw and said “Hi” to Barry Nolan on a beautiful summer day at the Wayside Inn, I believe Candace Hasey (remember her?) was getting married (1982 ?). I wasn’t part of the wedding or anything–I was just there with my girlfriend at the time. I remember that day so long ago and think how far we’ve come since then… Then again, I don’t think we’ve come very far at all.
May 28th, 2008 at 8:22 pmWe all commend your actions and I’m sure are saddened by the response of your bosses.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:40 pmSurely there must be more like you in the field of journalism. We need people to talk together as you mentioned, people of position to force a larger recognition of the change desperately needed.
It just may take people like Bill Maher and John Stewart’s to force the supposed real journalists into taking a stand against those who would see free speech abolished, to get back to the core meaning of a journalist; the final check and balance essential to a successful democracy. Without the media far too many Americans go on unknowing and unaware.
Use your connections to bring people of like mind and like frustrations together, power is in numbers my friends its time to work together.
BUT…In Realamerica rat, Scott Mclellan signs a book deal that will make him a millionaire, O’Reilly is a millionaire and unscathed and rewarded. Is there something horribly wrong with the media situation in this country? Mr Nolan the lawn guys in my area are hurting, to many foreclosures and lack of income.
I suggest you re-evaluate, suck it up, and join the ranks of very “successful” media hacks regurgitating filth all over the newspapers and televisions throughout our Realamerica, and get back on track to that fine house in the Hamptons.
We have a war we want sold, we have an economy that needs remarketing.Mostly we have a straight talking media darling we are selling running for president. The bucks are out there to be had. You can learn to suppress your feelings. Go with the flow for a couple of years. There is a Young guy running for president, write stories about him being a Muslim, ridicule his positions, and his wife. OCme on get back in the swing of things. Hope I was some help.
R. Murdoch
May 29th, 2008 at 6:50 amThe media only does hard hitting undercover hidden camera ambush journalism on independently operated tanning salons owned by foreigner’s with dodgy visas or anyone too puny to sue them for invasion of privacy, libel and slander.
I would love to see some truth get in there: “Next on 60 minutes, independently owned muffler shops, are you getting ripped off? Are you paying full price for refurbished gray market mufflers? We took our hidden cameras into Habeeb’s Muffler shop. In our new policy of full disclosure lawyers for 60 Minutes have determined that Habeeb as an undocumented immigrant was in no position to deny our requests or take our invasion of his privacy to court. In fact our managing editor surmised that Habeeb posed no threat whatsoever as he was far too conditioned by the intrusive government he fled to even consider suing us. And though our hidden camera violated local wiretapping laws our attorneys assured us that Habeeb was too fearful of police to press charges.”
May 29th, 2008 at 12:10 pmYou are sooooo right! You’ll come out ahead!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pmLeah from Boston.
Good job Barry Nolan!
Comcast sucks!
O’Reilly sucks!
and Fox sucks!
And you’re right - freedom of speech is on it’s way out! The corporate masters and the war machine are really one and the same. O’Reilly and the others are part of it as you so painfully have found out. But don’t let them silence you, because if you do, Democracy is dead.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pmMr. Nolan:
The truth shall set all of us free. In time, we will associate your name with people like Daniel Ellsberg, Bernstein and Woodward, Sherron Watkins, Norreen Harrington and others who pursued the truth and ensured others knew it.
… and I wonder if you could kindly share or post a link to that document on O’Reilly’s sexual harassment lawsuit you quietly passed around …
May 29th, 2008 at 4:05 pmImagine putting Bill O’Reilly’s name even NEAR the word Emmy or Honor or Governor’s Award or…..Sane.
There should be protests if he wins a bass fishing contest.
Barry Nolan should be promoted for this, and somehow he will be.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:30 pmGreat, another so-called journalist who confuses Freedom of Speech with Freedom from Consequences.
Shoot your mouth off all you want, but if your boss thinks it reflects negatively on your job, guess what? You’re gone.
For the slow-witted: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Please point to the place in the 1st Amendment where a business can’t fire you for speaking out. Can’t find it? That’s because it isn’t there!
May 30th, 2008 at 9:04 pmSir,
I must disagree with you. You crossed your employer, who in turn fired you. That is unfortunate, you should have discussed this action that you determined to take in advance with your employer. If you had done that, I’ve no doubt that you would still be a news anchor today.
However, the government did not put you in jail, the FBI, CIA and the rest of the law types haven’t kicked in your door, beat you up and hauled you away. Today, I have written to three persons in China who had just that done to them. I have no idea whether my letters will actually reach them or not, I hope so, but, you see, they’re in a country that doesn’t have our first amendment rights, nor the second amendment rights to back up the former.
Your situation doesn’t fit. I’ve been laid off, because a supervisor didn’t like me, I’ve been canned because I didn’t show for work (get lazy get the opportunity to use it), I’ve been asked to retire because I didn’t measure up, and I’ve been laid off because, while they liked me, the new contract only had so many positions and the bosses had to make tough choices. None of that means that my rights were abused. Neither were yours, you made a choice, on your own, to put forward your opinion at the ceremony, you did so using some factual information to make your point. Your supervisors however, were obviously not consulted by you, disagreed with the manner and timing of your presentation and let you know it. Tough, polish off your resume and or retrain for a new job… I wish you the best in it.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:41 pmI’m not a fan of O’Reilly’s but I think it’s funny that a former host of “Hard Copy”, probably the sleaziest show ever shown on TV(and Nolan hosted it for eight years!),is criticizing someone else over a question of integrity. Complimenting Nolan as a paragon of virtue, as so many self-righteous people have been doing here, reveals a level of ignorance that helps to explain why you view things in such a black-and-white way (all good or all bad). The world actually has shades of truth. O’Reilly is biased, there’s no doubt about that. But so is Bill Moyers, who many of you here seem to idolize. Your own biases prevent you from seeing THAT.
A website like this should change its name to “Preaching to the Choir”, “The Echo Chamber”, or “I Have a Complex Because I, Myself, Feel Powerless, so I’ll Project My Own Sense of Inadequacy Onto the World at Large”.
Not a lot of food for thought here. Ironic, really. O’Reilly appeals to the group think folks, as does this website. So you’re not as different as you think.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:13 pmThank you for standing up and speaking truth to power. Let’s hope it will inspire many others engage in similar acts. I’d heard vaguely about this situation and then today saw a detailed post about it over on http://www.PDAmerica.org - Thanks, PDA!
To Betsie, people in this country are starved for inspiring examples of courage and ethical leadership, that’s why the outpouring of positive comments here, imho, and the alcollades for Bill Moyer’s journalism.
Abuses by the U.S. Corporatocracy are rampant. Media, The War, Off-shoring Jobs, For Profit Health Care, and on and on. The harm done to individuals and to entire communities is impossible to accurately measure, but it’s huge. I’m a nurse and nursing faculty member, so I know the health care issue best. For years alongside other activists I’ve tried to speak truth to power to advance the cause of health justice and fundamental health system reforms in the U.S., to little avail. It’s quite pathetic how the MSM is spoonfed false rhetoric (aka half-truths and lies) by the insurance industry then simply turns around and regurgitates it as “news” to the public. Case in point the Massachusetts Mandated Purchase of Insurance Law known as Chapter 58. For those who are interested in this issue, read on.
For quite a few years now, since 2000 when Massachusetts Blue Cross and Blue Shield set up their “foundation”, it’s been obvious to many serious health reform activists that real reform of the system in our state is next to impossible to achieve b/c MA Blue Cross Blue Shield has bought off just about everybody involved in helaht policymaking in this state.
You can buy off a lot of folks by doling out $21Mil in “grant money” over 8 years, which is what MA BCBS has done, so there’s not much opportunity to advance meaningful reform when that amount of hush money is used to silence almost all the advocates and the media. BCBS of MA also spends millions on manufacturing an endless string of self-serving “Reports”.
I used to regularly interact with executives BCBS MA, Partners Health Care and other industry power-brokers along with the state politicians and so-called community leaders, who all attend the frequent BCBS health policy forums. But after observing, year after year, the growing silencing effect of BCBS spreading around millions in hush money, I stopped attending the annual BCBS of MA “Health Access” events. BCBS has paid folks off in advance; they fill the hundreds of chairs and media spots at the JFK Library with people who need next year’s BCBS “grant money”, advertising revenue, and/or political support from the medical-industrial complex in the state (that’s led by BCBS and Partners), so everyone who’s there have all drank the Koolaid, so to speak, and they pretend that the Emperor has such pretty clothes on, all the while the state was going bankrupt from health insurance costs before passage of the Ch 58 law and now it’s much worse with NO SERIOUS COST CONTROLS IN SIGHT. (Senate President Murray’s cost control law is merely a drop in the bucket.)
BTW the MA Medicaid Policy Institute is an outfit of MA BCBS, and the chairman is none other than Richard Lord of Associated Industries of MA (AIM). And people wonder why so many employers have the state paying their worker’s health insurance costs in the form of Medicaid? Duh. Follow the money trail, folks. And look beyond the rhetoric of the spin miesters (aka paid liars).
It’s so discouraging that more people don’t look beyond the industry-sponsored rhetoric and demand the full facts when results of the “MA Health Reform” are being rolled out. At least Charlie questioned a few things. But how ’bout asking for a full reporting of how much state money per newly insured person this Chapter 58 law has us taxpayers doling out to buy HMO policies, to pay the 40+ Connector staff salaries (some make over $250k!), and to buy tens of million$$ in Ads and Marketing contracts!!!???? If and when we had these facts and figures we, the public, could assess what value we’re getting for our ~$1BILLION in new spending under this law.
Who’s speaking up about these abuses of public spending? Sadly, John McDonough, the outgoing CEO of a group in MA funded heavily by BCBS and HMO’s was the leading cheerleader from the “advocacy community” for this sham reform. It’s very depressing to think that McDonough is supposedly going to work for Ted Kennedy in DC on health policy issues…
I’ve blogged quite a lot on this topic, both in MA and nationally (when I can, having 2 small kids and 2 PT jobs). I came across a recent blog comment from another activist who offers an insightful big picture critique of the MA Mandated Insurance Law. She is responding to J McDonoughs post on his blog trumpeting the successes of incremental tinkering with the MA health care system:
Susan Says June 2nd, 2008 at 5:05 pm
http://blog.hcfama.org/?p=1663…
Bravo for what? For the continuation of our obscenely expensive, largely broken, and often harmful healthcare system? …
Folks, follow the money trail and think about “who wins and who loses” under the various [”healthcare reform”*] proposals. In case you haven’t noticed, the MA Plan is a sham that forces us all to pour more of our hard-earned money into the coffers of the insurance industry.
The public is waking up to the fact that commercial profit-driven insurance products, and all the bureaucracy that exists around them, are the root cause of so much waste in our current health care system. Make no mistake, the current MA Chapter 58 law is not about reform of the system. But it is very much about selling more insurance products.
Health care should be focused on people’s health needs, not on bogus market-driven product “choices”.[Or, in the case of Chapter 58, false choices since now it’s the law-you have to buy this product!]
For healthyblog [and BMG] readers who are interested in a real reform solution, namely improved Medicare-for-All, please look at the website for the statewide coalition Mass-Care [it includes HCFA MA and]… 100 other state organizations as members at http://www.MassCare.org
—–
* DEFINITION OF reform:
http://www.merriam-webster.com…
Function: noun (as in Healthcare Reform)
Date: 1663
1: amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved
2: a removal or correction of an abuse, a wrong, or errors
——–
People, please think independently about the situation that we’re struggling with for real healthcare reform in MA b/c it’s a dress rehearsal for what’s to come on the national stage. Sorry if this seems out of place or excessive on this post about Barry Nolan and Comcast, but it’s really all about the same thing… (I wonder how the Nolan family gets their healthcare coverage, has it changed since Comcast fired him?)
Does anyone else, after applying the critical thinking process, conclude that the MA Chapter 58 law that mandates the purchase of commercial insurance products would be more aptly described as state-sponsored extortion to benefit the insurance industry?
Visit http://www.defendhealth and take a look at 2 excellent articles on the homepage if you’re interested in learning the truth and not just the VERY SLICK and well-manufactured spin on this law:
“Lost in the Labryinth”, the first MA mainstream media piece to take a critical look at details of MA law, Boston Globe, Page A2, by Sam Allis, March 30, 2008
“Fraud in the Guise of Health Reform”, a western MA Attorney speaks truth to power in his article published in Feb. 2008 in the Greenfield Recorder.
These articles and other health reform materials are at http://www.defendhealth
June 6th, 2008 at 12:29 pm