The White House, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more do-it-yourself vetting; Updated: NEA, you lie!
Last month, Big Hollywood’s Patrick Courrielche broke news on how the NEA was rustling up artists to help “serve” the White House political agenda.
Big Government’s Mike Flynn and John Nolte have a follow-up here.
(Updated: Courrielche has posted audio from the call contradicting the NEA’s spin here.)
And the Washington Times — which reported earlier this month that “…16 of the groups and affiliated organizations received nearly $2 million in grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in the 150 days before the conference call” — today reveals a partial list of “artists and influencers” on the NEA’s August conference call. One of the participants? Al Gore’s Current TV.
Here’s where you come in.
The Times is crowd-sourcing its investigation and wants you to help do the reporting the rest of the MSM won’t do (another example of do-it-yourself vetting!). The Times has posted Excel spreadsheet data of some of the call participants.
We invite bloggers and other interested readers to check out the names on the list for themselves. Some individuals are more well known than others. We’re looking for solid, well-sourced information we can use to expand our coverage and generate new stories. This is an example. Here are some ideas on what to start with:
Is the information about them accurate/up to date?
Have these individuals been involved in Democratic politics?
Are they campaign donors? To whom?
Since the Aug. 10 conference call, have any of these individuals been involved in political activism related to health care, environment or education, the subjects suggested by the NEA in the call?
Are they members of any of the 21 arts organizations that endorsed health care reform two days after the call?
Are any of them involved in other arts groups funded through the NEA or through state-level arts agencies funded by the NEA?
Do they have a history of being involved with dubious causes such as 9/11 “Truther” statements?
How many of them have written for The Huffington Post (we’ve noticed a couple)?
When you’ve got something good, stick links to the supporting information in our comments or a post on your blog or email us at kpicket@washingtontimes.com . We’ll do our best to stay on top of any new information and credit the person who dug it up.
A couple quick things to keep in mind. We’ve already attempted to contact the people on the list, so there is no need to follow in our footsteps. As they respond, we’ll add an updated tally in another post on the Water Cooler. Second, the people on the list are private citizens who were asked to be on a call where a National Endowment for the Arts official went way too far in pushing for artists and arts groups to get behind the administration agenda. The people on the call didn’t neccesarily do anything controversial or wrong. The NEA and the White House are the ones who have gone too far.
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Another excellent resource: The NEA Wiki page from Media Mythbusters. Check often for updates.
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Categories: Blogosphere,Hollyweird
Propaganda industry needs a graphic artists front. Where do you think Stalin and Hitler got all their neat stuff?
In the seriously depressed economy near where I live the local gooberment still has funds to set up ugly sculptures. A little research on this should be fun.
Still waiting on the 40′ statue of “The One” somewhere on MLKJ blvd.
You mean the Statue of Dear leader standing with one hand raised and pointing with the other clutching books with a group of wide eyed children kneeling at his feet looking up in adoration?
Yep, any quid pro quo should be investigated. Though like political contributions to politicians from lobbyists, it might be difficult. And, like monetary contributions to political campaigns this does not pass the smell test. It may not be illegal but on the surface, it is certainly susoect.
Let’s see who recieves future funding and how much support they provide to the administration in pursuit of it’s agenda. Maybe it is something that should be done whenever money passes between the Government and private parties, and between private parties and politicians.
{Note: Technically this is already done, unfortunately the information is available but not widely published. Unless, of course, the publisher has an agenda of their own.]
No. The statue with the leader standing on a crumpled US Constitution and a halo around his head.
OT:
People
I have bene thinking about this. Chewbacca references or references to mysterious arboreal human like creatures may not be racist in the minds of those who use them. But I can see how any term that describes an ape like creature, even from science fiction or popular lore, could be interpreted as such when used to describe a large and angry woman of African ancestry.
I don’t think First Klingon is racist, and it does sum up the inherent anger, but I saw on the internet comarisons between a particularly angry Michelle Obama and the salt vampire from the original Star Trek.
‘Salt Vampire’ may not have quite the ring, but is closest to reality.
Wow, I thought they just did that here. No kidding! We have objects of all shapes and colors all over the town, most of which I have no idea what they’re supposed to be. All paid for in city taxes.
But the citizenry keeps electing the same goofy libs over and over, go figure?
I LOVE what is happening in our country!!! No, not the blatant corruption…but the bravery and patriotism that is becoming more and more evident every hour. This is truly an historic time and I am so proud to be on the side of the truth! The liberal radicals are so delusional that they think they can get away with this stuff. Well, I believe that God was just waiting to see if We the People cared enough to pray and take a stand. We do care, and He is listening. The Heroes on FOX, the radio, and of course the blogs who are very visible, are in danger, but there are more and more every day standing up to the crapweasels. Turn over every rock…that is where the roaches go when the light hits them.
i read yesterday that prez obama is open to bailing out the newspaper industry. isn’t it curious that he only bails out the industries that are huge supporters of his? while he is talking of bailing out the newspaper industry, he is talking about “fixing” the internet and the talk radio businesses. hermann goering had nothing on this this guy when it comes to propaganda. hugo chavez in black face.
Yes, it does defy common sense when folks constantly complain about any level of Government, yet they tend to drink the koolade at the last minute and vote for the same sorry sacks…election after election.
Remember what Robert Reich told Charlie Rangel.
The stimulus had to be designed so as not to help white male construction workers.
Not sure what white construction workers did to cheese off Robert Reich and the Democrats, other than be white and willing to work, but there you have it.
OT…looks like the top General in Afghanistan is saying we MUST have more troops or we will lose. Obama is “thinking about it”. Yeah, just as soon as he finishes his date with Letterman and perhaps another vacation. One thing about this President, he takes his time with decisions like LIFE OR DEATH for our troops, but passing bills that no one has read must be done immediately. He has also said he won’t stop the CIA investigation. He MUST want to get us killed. How else do you explain this completely insane stand regarding our safetey, both here and abroad? Meanwhile, Congress can’t be bothered with the small stuff. They are too busy trying to destroy a person who made a mistake and has apologized for it. Lord, I hate these morons!
That sounds like an NEA project. I shall read my copy of the Constitution again but so far I have found no Constitutional authority or imperative for a National Endowment for the Arts. These dubious characters are the fools who gave us Piss Christ–no political agenda there.
The NEA needs to be dropped from the Federal budget.
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The NEA brings us offensive sick “art” in the name of weird wacko special interest groups.
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I remember the PISS CHRIST–a statue of Jesus Christ in a jar of urine. And a mosaic of the Virgin Mary done with poop. And a Robert Mappelthorpe photo shoot that showed an almost naked leather clad homosexual with the handle end of a bullwhip shoved up his rear end.
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Defund NEA now–their “art” makes normal people sick. Send them to the San Francisco Folsom Street Fair events to stage their stuff–at their own expense–not at taxpayer expense.
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John Bibb
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Breitbart is going to release something big this A.M.
http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/20/pregame-report-the-nea-conference-call/
Along with the other NEA. They both see themselves as teaching tools to change culture.
I keep getting kicked off of here and have to sign in again. Anyone else have this problem? Every time I pull up a new thread, it tells me I have to log in again. I wonder if this is the same kind of problem that is causing our numbering to be “inconvenient”.
Michelle hasn’t gotten back to us about the numbering…is anyone listening, or are we permanently stuck with it??
God Bless Breitbart real good!!
Well…
You’re not supposed to love this country…you’re supposed to do as Obama do…de-do-da-day.
Here’s some interesting facts about Obama and his Christian faith:
In June 2007, Presidential candidate Barack Obama declares the USA no longer a Christian nation.
WATCH NOW
In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a National Day of Prayer.
In 1988, President Reagan designated the first Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer.
This year, 2009, President Obama, decided to cancel the ceremony for the National Day of Prayer at the White House. The reason… not wanting to offend anyone.
On September 25, 2009 from 4am until 7pm, a National Day of Prayer for the Muslim religion will be held on Capitol Hill, beside the White House. As a Christian, it makes one wonder where the REAL direction of this country is headed…
I am not a troll, I am not a troll, I am not a troll.
Speaking of trolls, I notice a distinct absence of them lately. Have they all gone back under their rocks because they are in BIG trouble?? Ha!! Or, maybe LGM and ILMC finally got kicked off!
Or because they survived mandated O-damn-a Abortion?
I think it just got too hard defend the leftist agenda as we’re all just crazy anymore. To defend the indefensible…
They never let that stop them before. But hopefully you are right.
The NEA should be dropped from federal funding. This is the perfect time to use the concern that began with Obamacare to shine a spotlight on all the entitlement programs and eliminate as many as possible. It would go a long way to getting ourselves out of debt. A big one would be to drop any money going to the UN. Why fund those working against us? It is like sending money directly to Al Queda or the Taliban. No brainer.
Breitbart has done it again.
Courrielche audiotaped the entire call.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/09/21/explosive-new-audio-reveals-white-house-using-nea-to-push-partisan-agenda/
NEA is part of the Federal government.
Congress should abolish the NEA.
The next question is whether Buffy Wicks, Yosi Sergant, and any other US Government employee go to jail?
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy (Says Happyscrapper rubbing her hands together). I just made popcorn.
As he noted in his September 7 article and the post yesterday, Breitbart is watching all the networks, cable, the New York Times, and the Washington Post to see who covers the story.
Will Gibbs be asked about the story at today’s White House press gaggle?
happyscrapper, please pass the popcorn.
Defunding the NEA just might go down in history. Instead of the “shot heard roung the world” we would hear the “squeal heard round the world.” The collective high pitched porcine ululation from the so called artists community would be loud enough to induce universal deafness.
I have a neat exercise for all Dan Brown fans:
Do a search for “George Washington Zeus”,
then do a search for “Obama Zeus”.
You won’t believe the results unless you have read “The Lost Symbol.”
(I don’t get commissions from Brown, Washington, OR Obama!)
Well, that will cause problems for the artists whose work involves assembling two-ton pieces in the courthouse plaza.