THE WEEKLY SPIN, November 14, 2007 Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:23:39 -0600 (CST) THE WEEKLY SPIN, NOVEMBER 14, 2007 == BLOG POSTINGS == 1. The Failure of Oregon's Cigarette Tax: a Postmortem 2. Guest Post: Is This the Best We Can Do For Global Warming? == BE A CITIZEN JOURNALIST == 1. Featured Participatory Project: Record Whether Your Senator Voted to Confirm Bush's A.G. Pick == SPIN OF THE DAY POSTINGS == 1. Check out our Falsies! 2. P&G: Black Is Beautiful, But Buy Beauty Products 3. Nonprofit Organizations Become Big Money Political Weapons on the Right and Left 4. Torturing Evidence in Iraq 5. SpinMaster's Disaster Blaster 6. The Weekly Radio Spin: Corn Hucksters Fuel Poverty Debate 7. The How (But Not the Why) of FEMA's Fake News Conference 8. Praise the Lord and Pass the Prosperity 9. Shell Oil's Flower Claims Wilt Upon Examination 10. Fire-Safe Cigarette Laws Don't Light Any Fires Under Tobacco Companies 11. Another FEMA Faker Resigns 12. Please Forward This Smear 13. Berman Attacks Teachers -------------------------------------------------------------------- == BLOG POSTINGS == 1. THE FAILURE OF OREGON'S CIGARETTE TAX: A POSTMORTEM by Anne Landman The November 6, 2007 election brought a stinging defeat to Oregon's cigarette tax increase. The proposal aimed to raise the state's cigarette tax by 84.5 cents a pack to pay for health insurance for about 100,000 additional poor Oregon children who currently have no coverage. Measure 50, as the tax was called, went down by a wide 60-40% margin. Increasing cigarette taxes to fund health care is not a new idea, and tobacco industry efforts to defeat such measures aren't new either. What was new in this case was that tobacco interests poured a record $12 million into defeating Oregon's measure, making it the costliest election in Oregon's history. So stunning was the industry's effort that Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski openly accused the tobacco industry of "buying the election" in his state. OLD DOG, NO NEW TRICKS The tobacco companies trotted out their most formulaic and time-tested strategies to defeat Oregon's tax measure: They created front groups with grassrootsy-sounding names designed to push voters' emotional buttons. R.J. Reynolds formed Oregonians Against the Blank Check, and hired their longtime Oregon lobbying ally Mark W. Nelson to head the group. Philip Morris formed "Stop the Measure 50 Tax Hike," and funded it with money from their parent company, Altria Corporate Services. The companies then determined which populist-sounding messages pushed voters' buttons the hardest while omitting any mention of the subject of health. They then purchased vast quantities of advertising to push these messages relentlessly onto Oregon voters. To read the rest of this item, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6709 2. GUEST POST: IS THIS THE BEST WE CAN DO FOR GLOBAL WARMING? by Conor Kenny This is a guest post by Donny Shaw, who runs OpenCongress. A joint project of the Sunlight Foundation and the Participatory Politics Foundation, OpenCongress lets you research, track, and understand legislation in Congress. (That's not a rhetorical question.) As expected, the Senate has chosen to move forward with the the most lenient global warming bill among the several it had to choose from. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner's (R-VA) cap-and-trade bill, the America's Climate Security Act of 2007 was marked up favorably by the Private Solutions to Global Warming Subcommittee by a vote of 4-3. It will now move to the full Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for a vote before going to the Senate floor. The bill would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by about 63 percent below present levels by 2050 through setting limits on the emissions that manufacturers and utilities can release. It would also establish a carbon-trade market to encourage polluters to clean up their operation in the name of profit, but it contains loopholes that would give away many of the carbon credits instead of selling them at auction, thus severely weakening the incentives for reducing pollution. Another bill that has been competing for traction with Lieberman-Warner calls for mandatory reduction of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, closer to what many consider to be the scientific consensus as to what needs to be done to avoid the worst effects of global warming. And that bill would sell the carbon credit rather than give them away. To read the rest of this item, visit: http://www.prwatch.org/node/6687 == BE A CITIZEN JOURNALIST == 1. FEATURED PARTICIPATORY PROJECT: RECORD WHETHER YOUR SENATOR VOTED TO CONFIRM BUSH'S A.G. PICK http://www.prwatch.org/node/6713 Michael Mukasey was confirmed by the Senate last week in a contentious 53-40 vote. Mukasey's nomination gained controversy with Democrats as he largely endorsed the Bush administration's policies in the War on Terror and refused to say whether waterboarding violated anti-torture laws, though he said he found the procedure "repugnant." YOU CAN HELP KEEP CONGRESS ACCOUNTABLE by taking five minutes to record the votes of your senators in their "permanent records" - their Congresspedia profiles. Congresspedia's high traffic and search engine rankings mean that hundreds or thousands of your fellow citizens will find out how they voted. The instructions are at http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Project:Record_on_Mukasey If this is your first time editing on SourceWatch/Congresspedia, you can go to www.SourceWatch.org for help. Have fun, and thanks for your help! UPDATE ON THE LAST PROJECT (SCHIP): Quite a few citizens turned out to record their representative's votes on the State Children's Health Insurance Program. To see how your represenative voted, find them on your respective state portal or look them up by zip-code. If your representative's vote isn't there, here are the simple instructions for adding it. SOURCE: Congresspedia == SPIN OF THE DAY POSTINGS == 1. CHECK OUT OUR FALSIES! http://www.prwatch.org/node/6712 IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR -- TIME TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE FALSIES! 2007 was a year full of deception, manipulation, prevarication, and Orwellian spin. BUT NOW IT'S PAYBACK TIME! Every day, we at the Center for Media and Democracy are up to our ankles (and sometimes higher) in the corporate spin and government propaganda that PR firms keep churning out. We are all too familiar with the many ways that our information environment gets polluted. We have our "favorites," to be sure -- but now we want to hear what YOU think! At the end of each year, CMD issues the "Falsies Awards," to recognize the people and players that take spin and propaganda to new lows. WE NEED YOU TO HELP IDENTIFY THE WORST OF THE WORST HARD AT WORK IN 2007. We have put together a juicy selection of nominees -- but we need you to vote and tell us who deserves the Falsies this year. You'll see that it was a tough year for women, with breastfeeding under attack, mercury-laden fish being pushed, and disease-mongering to sell a controversial vaccine. Fake news also continued to elbow its way onto your TV screens, and war propaganda was even harder to avoid than last year. Follow this link to fill out your ballot. THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS 5:00 P.M. CST ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007, SO VOTE TODAY! SOURCE: The 2007 Falsies 2. P&G: BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT BUY BEAUTY PRODUCTS http://www.prwatch.org/node/6707 Procter & Gamble, the largest U.S. advertiser, has officially launched its multi-brand, multicultural marketing campaign called "My Black Is Beautiful." The campaign "began with P&G research that showed black women were frequent users of beauty products, spending at three times the rate of the general female population." But P&G insists "it's a movement, not just advertising." The campaign includes a video-rich website, "a special advertising section in the Essence December issue," upcoming "store and community promotions," along with "plans for a multi-city 'conversation tour,' and grants to community organizations to support young black women." The campaign will promote P&G's Olay skin care, Pantene shampoo, CoverGirl cosmetics, and Always and Tampax products. Associated Press reports, "Mass marketers generally have been slow to target a black female population that is increasing in income, education and professional advancement." SOURCE: Associated Press, November 12, 2007 3. NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS BECOME BIG MONEY POLITICAL WEAPONS ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT http://www.prwatch.org/node/6705 A recent Supreme Court decision that ended the ban "on political advertisements by corporations, including nonprofit groups, within 30 days of a primary and 60 days of a general election," together with increased scrutiny of "527 groups," may "push more spending on the 2008 [U.S. presidential] election out of the glare of public disclosure." A new South Carolina nonprofit called "Foundation for a Secure and Prosperous America" is an early example. The group is running ads in support of a veterans' healthcare bill that enjoys "nearly unanimous, bipartisan support in Congress." The ads include "glowing images of Senator John McCain," whose presidential campaign is "banking on a South Carolina victory." The group was "set up and financed" by McCain supporters, including Rick Reed, the co-producer of the 2004 "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ads. Unlike 527 groups, the new nonprofit "is allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts from individuals without any disclosure, as long as it can argue that it is more concerned with the promotion of an issue ... than the election of a candidate." McCain, who co-sponsored campaign finance legislation, has asked the group to stop running the ads and is discouraging his supporters from donating to the group. Meanwhile, MoveOn's Tom Matzzie has moved over to run a Democratic Party soft money machine "that will rival or eclipse what they created in 2004" says the Washington Post. SOURCE: New York Times, November 12, 2007 4. TORTURING EVIDENCE IN IRAQ http://www.prwatch.org/node/6704 According to a "privately contracted interrogator working for American forces in Iraq, near the Iranian border," U.S. intelligence activities in Iraq are skewed to find incriminating evidence against Iran. Micah Brose told The Observer that U.S. officials "push a lot for us to establish a link with Iran. They have pre-categories for us to go through, and by the sheer volume of categories there's clearly a lot more for Iran than there is for other stuff. Of all the recent requests I've had, I'd say 60 to 70 per cent are about Iran. ... We're not asked to manufacture information, we're asked to find it. But if a detainee wants to tell me what I want to hear so he can get out of jail ... you know what I'm saying." Meanwhile, the New York Sun reports that the $75 million U.S. program to aid dissidents in Iran has been moved to the State Department's Office of Iranian Affairs. The controversial program, which used to be under State's Middle East Partnership Initiative, has funded "training for Web site operators to evade Internet censorship, political polling, and training on increasing recruitment for civil society groups." The program's former director said that the move has "effectively killed" the program. SOURCE: The Observer (UK), November 11, 2007 5. SPINMASTER'S DISASTER BLASTER http://www.prwatch.org/node/6703 "Burson-Marsteller, the PR/lobbying firm run by Hillary Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, is handling crisis management for the owner of Aqua Dots, the bead toys with an adhesive coating that too easily turns into the date-rape drug, GHB," reports Marc Ambinder. "A source directly familiar with the arrangement confirms that Aqua Dots' manufacturer, SpinMaster, based in Canada, has turned to Burson Marsteller for help. Several children who swallowed Aqua Dots lapsed into comas, promoting a worldwide recall." SOURCE: The Atlantic, November 9, 2007 6. THE WEEKLY RADIO SPIN: CORN HUCKSTERS FUEL POVERTY DEBATE http://www.prwatch.org/node/6697 Listen to this week's edition of the "Weekly Radio Spin," the Center for Media and Democracy's audio report on the stories behind the news. This week, we cover threats against Nevada teachers, blacklisted flacks, and ExxonMobil's interest in polar bears. In "Six Degrees of Spin and Fakin'," we tell you how many steps it takes to get from "Army of One" to the anti-poverty campaign "One." The Weekly Radio Spin is freely available for personal and broadcast use. Podcasters can subscribe to the XML feed on www.prwatch.org/audio or via iTunes. If you air the Weekly Radio Spin on your radio station, please email us at editor@prwatch.org to let us know. Thanks! SOURCE: Center for Media and Democracy, November 9, 2007 7. THE HOW (BUT NOT THE WHY) OF FEMA'S FAKE NEWS CONFERENCE http://www.prwatch.org/node/6695 The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) internal investigation into last month's fake news conference found that FEMA press secretary Aaron Walker "directed aides to pose as reporters, secretly coached them during the briefing and ended the event after a final, scripted question was asked," reports Spencer Hsu. Walker submitted his resignation this week, at FEMA chief R. David Paulison's request. "Six minutes before the briefing was to start, Walker sent an e-mail telling members of [FEMA's] external affairs staff to be prepared to fill chairs and 'to spur discussion' in the absence of reporters. Walker specifically told Mike Widomski, deputy director of public affairs, which question to ask first and assigned press aide Ali Kirin to ask a sixth and final question. Off camera, Walker encouraged staff members in the room to continue asking questions, even as he pretended to cut off discussion, interjecting at one point, 'Two more questions.'" FEMA deputy director Harvey Johnson, who gave the fake briefing, said "he does not recall being advised that staff would be asking questions." Walker "did not apologize for his actions and said he had planned since September to leave FEMA to seek private-sector work in Utah." SOURCE: Washington Post, November 9, 2007 8. PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE PROSPERITY http://www.prwatch.org/node/6693 Iowa Senator Charles Grassley (Republican-Iowa) is investigating reports of lavish spending by Christian televangelists, including Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Eddie Long, Paula White, and Creflo Dollar. Many of the TV preachers are proponents of prosperity theology, which teaches that financial wealth is evidence of divine favor -- thus explaining why they dip into the donation box to buy themselves multi-million-dollar homes, luxury cars, private jets and other "blessings from God." Faith healer Benny Hinn, another televangelist targeted in Grassley's investigation, is using Ronn Torossian of 5W Public Relations as his spokesman. Torossian, who also represented Hinn earlier this year when he came under investigation by the IRS, stated that his client is obeying all relevant laws. SOURCE: Washington Post, November 7, 2007 9. SHELL OIL'S FLOWER CLAIMS WILT UPON EXAMINATION http://www.prwatch.org/node/6692 The British government's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that an advertisement by Royal Dutch Shell promoting its waste recycling breaks rules with regards to "truthfulness" and "environmental claims." The print ad claimed that Shell has "creative ways to recycle. We use our waste CO2 [carbon dioxide] to grow flowers, and our waste sulphur to make super-strong concrete." The environmental group Friends of the Earth challenged the ad's claims, lodging a complaint with the British government. The ASA agreed that, "in the absence of qualification, most readers were likely to interpret the claim 'We use our waste CO2 to grow flowers' ... to mean that Shell used all, or at least the majority, of their waste CO2 to grow flowers, whereas the actual amount was a very small proportion." Shell defended its ad as "a creative and striking way of drawing attention to the problem of waste disposal." The ad ran "last spring in newspapers in Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany," reports Associated Press. "The Dutch advertising watchdog also called the ad misleading, but complaints were dismissed by regulators in Belgium and Germany." SOURCE: Reuters, November 8, 2007 10. FIRE-SAFE CIGARETTE LAWS DON'T LIGHT ANY FIRES UNDER TOBACCO COMPANIES http://www.prwatch.org/node/6691 Most people don't know it, but cigarettes sold in some states are now more dangerous than ones sold in other states. Deaths and damage from cigarette-caused fires have motivated New York, Vermont, California and other states to enact laws in recent years requiring that only fire-safe cigarettes be sold in their states. Fire-safe cigarettes are made to go out when left burning unattended, unlike standard cigarettes that keep burning even when not being smoked. Manufacturers add burn accelerants like sodium citrate to cigarette paper to keep them lit when left in an ashtray, posing an increased fire hazard. A horrific cigarette-caused house fire that burned eight people to death in Baltimore, Maryland earlier this year has spurred calls by Baltimore public officials for a citywide fire-safe cigarette law. Interestingly, Maryland already has a fire-safe cigarette law, but it doesn't go into effect until July 1, 2008 -- too long to wait given the danger, according to Baltimore officials. In the meantime, cigarette makers are in no hurry to sell their fire-safe cigarettes anywhere they don't have to, leaving many citizens, including those in Baltimore, at a higher risk of cigarette-caused fires than people in states that already have self-extinguishing cigarette laws in effect. SOURCE: Baltimore Sun, October 11, 2007 11. ANOTHER FEMA FAKER RESIGNS http://www.prwatch.org/node/6689 The California wildfire press conference staged last month by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staffers, who asked questions of their boss as though they were reporters, has claimed a second job. FEMA press secretary Aaron Walker resigned, effective in early December. It is not clear whether Walker's resignation was voluntary. Meanwhile, fall guy #1, FEMA's former director of external affairs John "Pat" Philbin, has started fighting back. "People who know very little about what happened have drawn conclusions and now I'm battling to recover my reputation and what I believe to be a fairly stellar career," Philbin told PR Week. "People were working fast, on very little sleep, and they were just trying to get information out." Philbin shared with O'Dwyer's a letter he sent to the Washington Post, which states, "I was busy with meetings and unaware prior to the briefing that reporters had been given inadequate time to arrive and the phone line was listen-only. The staff tried to salvage the event. ... Mistakes were made. ... Because I was in charge, I take responsibility. ... However, neither I nor anyone else on the staff is guilty of any attempt to deceive." SOURCE: Editor & Publisher, November 7, 2007 12. PLEASE FORWARD THIS SMEAR http://www.prwatch.org/node/6686 An e-mail sent to millions of Americans claims that Hillary Clinton has refused to meet with mothers of soldiers killed in Iraq. Another claims that Barack Obama was educated as a Muslim extremist. In yet another e-mail hoax, Mike Huckabee's campaign manager has supposedly resigned, throwing his support behind Mitt Romney. None of these stories are true, but Christopher Hayes thinks they may be changing the game of politics. The anonymous "e-mail forward" has become a "new right-wing smear machine," he reports. "Rumormongering and whisper campaigns are as old as politics itself," but "never has there been a medium as perfectly suited to the widespread anonymous diffusion of misinformation as e-mail. ... For a certain kind of conservative, these e-mails, along with talk-radio, are an informational staple, a means of getting the real stories that the mainstream media ignore. ... Faced with dubious attacks, circulating below the radar, campaigns find themselves in a familiar bind, one that handcuffed Kerry in 2004 when the Swift Boat charges first cropped up in ads, talk-radio and e-mail. If you respond, you run the risk of bringing the original false accusation to a wider audience." SOURCE: The Nation, November 12, 2007 13. BERMAN ATTACKS TEACHERS http://www.prwatch.org/node/6685 Corporate-funded attack dog Rick Berman, who has previously attacked Mothers Against Drunk Driving, tobacco control advocates and critics of fast food, is on the warpath against teachers' unions. In a speech at the Conservative Leadership Conference in Sparks, Nevada, Berman said "everybody should be afraid" of unions and warned that the Employee Free Choice Act, currently being considered in Congress, could lead to explosive growth in union membership and "change politics in this country forever." Teachers' unions in particular need to be attacked, he said, because people normally tend to like and trust teachers. "We have to reposition these people in the minds of the public," Berman said. "If you don't, you will always be fighting Mother Teresa. ... We have to marginalize their unwarranted credibility." A Berman front group, the Center for Union Facts, has been running TV ads featuring actors posing as unhappy union workers, and print ads comparing union leaders to Fidel Castro and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. SOURCE: Las Vegas Sun, November 3, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Weekly Spin features selected news summaries with links to further information about media, political spin and propaganda. It is emailed free each Wednesday to subscribers. PR Watch, Spin of the Day, the Weekly Spin and SourceWatch are projects of the Center for Media & Democracy, a nonprofit organization that offers investigative reporting on the public relations industry. We help the public recognize manipulative and misleading PR practices by exposing the activities of secretive, little-known propaganda-for-hire firms that work to control political debates and public opinion. 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