Bush’s Newest Nominee For Broadcasting Board Oversaw Fearmongering Campaign On Wiretapping
Bush’s Newest Nominee For Broadcasting Board Oversaw Fearmongering Campaign On Wiretapping
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is the federal agency responsible for all U.S. government international broadcasting, including Voice of America and U.S. broadcasts into countries like Iran and Cuba.
Oddly, as Ari’s Freedom Switch points out, President Bush last week named Cliff May, President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to the BBG. From the announcement:
The President has nominated Clifford D. May, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, for the remainder of a three-year term expiring 08/13/09.
The scandal-plagued BBG has often been a dumping ground for Bush’s staunch conservative allies, including former chairman Kenneth Tomlinson. In 2006, a State Department Inspector General’s report showed that Tomlinson had abused his position and defrauded taxpayers by using BBG resources to support his personal horse racing operation. He also “requested and received compensation that exceeded the maximum allowed by law.”
May is an ardent Bush administration cheerleader and has a history of controversial remarks that make it unlikely he will be a diplomatic steward of U.S. broadcasting. Some examples:
– Attacks On Liberals: I’m not a big fan of his [Obama], but I’m going to put the best spin on it, which is that he understands the situation fairly well, certainly better than the Daily Kos does and some of those on the left who would like to see America defeated in Iraq as a demonstration exercise that U.S. power never, never can be used for good.
– Success of the Surge: Petraeus’ troops appear to be making progress against Iranian-backed militias as well. As a result, the threat of an Iraqi civil war has diminished and there is no “resistance” movement to speak of — not of Saddam Hussein loyalists and certainly not of patriotic Iraqi nationalists.
– Defense of Rumsfeld: “I would say the criticism should focus on how the job [in Iraq] could get done better. It shouldn’t focus on Rumsfeld the man and calling for his scalp.”
May’s Foundation for Defense of Democracies was also affiliated with a vicious fear-mongering ad campaign attacking freshmen Democrats. The ads — put out by the allegedly nonpartisan Defense of Democracies, the advocacy arm of May’s group — attacked these lawmakers as responsible for the lapse of the Protect America Act. They said that consequently, “new surveillance against terrorists is crippled.” Liberal CNN pundit Donna Brazile, who resigned from the Foundation’s board of advisers, said that “in the last few years, FDD has morphed into a radical right wing organization that is doing the dirty work for the Bush Administration.”
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I pray that very soon, EVERY AMERICAN will say God damn George W. Bush and the neocons.
They are TRULY the essence of PURE EVIL.
July 16th, 2008 at 4:50 pmAnd yet another scum bag that needs to be flushed when Obama takes office (if Diebold doesn’t steal the election yet again).
July 16th, 2008 at 4:53 pmDoes this guy take lessons from Bill Kristol on getting shit wrong?
July 16th, 2008 at 4:56 pmG.O.P.
July 16th, 2008 at 4:57 pm1854 – 2008
R.I.P.
It’s back-scratching time.
Ick.
July 16th, 2008 at 4:58 pmWhy, oh why, does the Administration have such a Huge problem with Reality? I know that it’s a human trait to ignore reality, but this is beyond unbelievable! One would think that, for once in nearly 8 sad years, the President would at least Try to do Something for the good of the country. Oh well, that’s just me beliving that actually facing reality and trying to deal effectively with it just might be a good idea! Once again, as has been pointed out So many times, Republicans Hate Facts (no namejacking intended)!
July 16th, 2008 at 4:59 pmImpeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
The season’s almost over, they know they’ve about to go down in defeat – and so they empty the bench of third-stringers, and give ‘em a little field time, so they can plump their resume’s.
Five whole months on the commission, before getting the boot.
At least May’s mom will be happy her son found honest work..
July 16th, 2008 at 5:02 pmPutting May in charge of government international broadcasting is similar to sending Bolton to the United Nations — both pretty much just say “FU” to the rest of the world and diplomacy be damned.
I wonder how long it will take to mend all the fences we have broken once we kick the current crop of fence-breakers out of the White House?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:03 pmFrom the BBG’s website: “On October 1, 1999, the Broadcasting Board Governors (BBG) became the independent federal agency responsible for all U.S. government and government sponsored, non-military, international broadcasting. This was the result of the 1998 Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act (Public Law 105-277), the single most important legislation affecting U.S. international broadcasting since the early 1950s.”
So I guess this happened on the other side’s watch?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:07 pmOval;
G.O.P.
1854-2008
B.I.H.
Burn In Hell
There, I fixed it for you.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:12 pm“in the last few years, FDD has morphed into a radical right wing organization that is doing the dirty work for the Bush Administration.”
This is true of every department, bureau, and office in the whole US Govt, right down to the broom closets.
It would take a purge of every appointee to any Federal position since 2002 to clear out the potential ‘terror’ cells of Xians, and pro-lifers, and war-mongers, and dirty tricksters, and corrupt and/or stupid, ill-trained attorneys. Fire ANYBODY with ANY degree from ANY Xian/Fundie diploma mill–you know, Regency, Liberty, the Holy Hocus pocus thing started in Florida by the Dominos guy, Bob Jones, Oral Roberts, Hillsdale College–summarily.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:17 pmFor starters…
Waddaya wanna bet putting May on this Board makes him eligible for some kind of special salary compensation, or other ancillary benefit that he’ll keep after Jan 19, no matter what…
7-2 for
July 16th, 2008 at 5:19 pmI wonder how long it will take to mend all the fences we have broken once we kick the current crop of fence-breakers out of the White House?
Probably an entire generation. My friend in England says that we have allowed ourselves to be pushed down so far, so fast that the reputation we have is one of fright and over-reaction. He also mentioned (he’s in the political press over there) that Obama has started to get some scrutiny due to his ‘moving to the center’, and away from his past positions.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:21 pmMiss H. Molly
Though it will take perhaps a decade to dig ourselves out of the mess BushitCo has dug for us, I sense the rest of the world will be much relieved that the evil empire of Darth is no more.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:23 pmIf we extend a hand and an apology, my hope is that most nations will welcome back a SANE USA.
Photo Caption: Hi! I’m a self satisfied, smug, unctuous, amoral, POS.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pmTrue RUC. It will, probably, take at least a generation of apologies and a$$-kissing to restore our image. Even then, their will be new generations of those with legitimate grievances against us.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:29 pmWaltB., You guess what “happened on the other side’s watch?”? A government agency was restructured? Now that’s some scandal. I bow my head in shame.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:30 pmNeocon fanatic Clifford May is a vicious, anti-American coward of the worst kind.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:35 pmSo what’s your point WaltB? An agency was created 1 month before the elections of 2000, and it is somehow Clinton’s fault that Bu$h and his handlers, in their attempt to establish a single party majority, infiltrated it with under-qualified right wing political hacks?
July 16th, 2008 at 5:40 pmWTF with you peoples’ obsession with Bill Clinton? Christ, he’s been out of office for almost 8 years!!!
If he requires senate confirmation, and any Democrat votes for him, I will start a campaign to have that senator censored. There is no reason to confirm anyone Bush nominates again. Period.
July 16th, 2008 at 9:24 pmsee ed schultz take on cliff may for that ridiculous statement -
“… the left who would like to see America defeated…”:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=568qPivTYUg
July 16th, 2008 at 9:25 pmAt least he didn’t select some crazy Zionist for the position.
Eh, I’m sorry, he did select some crazy Zionist for the position.
Excuse my faux paux. Matzo ball soup, anyone?
July 16th, 2008 at 9:58 pm.
Q U E S T I O N:
When the Rule of Law is forsaken for political expedience…
When the supreme leader does as he pleases and gets what he wants…
When legislation is passed that violates foundational values…
When the use of warrants is dismissed…
When the information society is left in the dark…
When the people are surveiled and monitored…
When the interests of other Nations out weigh one’s own…
When Human Rights are ignored for political pleasures…
When Communistic TORTURE is adopted as principle…
When one is held for life with no charges…
When a proper defense is withheld…
When one is refused to see the proof used against himself…
When people are denied a jury…
When “Papers PLEASE!” is your pass to VOTE…
When zones are mandated to control free speech…
When religion controls the political process and considerations…
When I can tell a court to F.O. and escape abroad for ‘vacation’…
When the cries of the people fall on deaf ears…
When an Oath of Office is just an inconvenient formality…
When the Governing Body ignores it’s Obligation and Sworn Duty…
When lies and promises can be overlooked for a quid pro quo…
Of an exchange to lie about secret promises that pad corporate intere$t$…
In all of that…
Where is America?
.
Oh, that IS America.
.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:08 pmThere is barely a VOA left,one station in the US now that is hardly surviving and several overseas sights have been closed. So Cliff May will probably kill off what is left. Thank goodness there aren’t any wars going on or any other countries with civil wars going on that might want to hear the Voice of America.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:43 pmCliff May is nothing more than a low down lying dog. I would have called him a pig, but that’ too good for him. Cliff May is a butt kissin scum sucking moron.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:03 pmThis sob is just as sorry as everyone in the Bush administrtaion…a lying, worthless dog.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:42 amThanks for getting around to this.
I wrote about May’s nomination almost a week ago and no one else on the Internet seemed to take notice. Thank goodness for smintheus at DailyKos who promoted my article to the front page so it would get some attention.
This is a truly repulsive nomination and the Senate must either reject it or not hold a confirmation vote at all.
July 17th, 2008 at 12:26 pmDid Clifford May accept money, as many Pentagon retirees did, to be a media spokesperson fopr the war for the past four years? I know he had a sweetheart deal with the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune.
July 17th, 2008 at 4:29 pm