NPR Deserves to be Taken to the Woodshed over this ignorant Clark Judge commentary
Yesterday on NPR, Marketplace aired a commentary by former Reagan speechwriter Clark Judge accusing MoveOn and its members of hypocrisy for supporting campaign finance reform, then accepting matching funds from philanthropist George Soros.
The commentary accused Soros and MoveOn of spending millions on negative campaigning. In fact, the ads you're funding through the Voter Fund tell the truth about the negative policies of the Bush administration instead of attacking Bush personally as Republicans are already doing to presidential challengers.
To bolster his argument, Judge gave the example of the Hitler ad submitted to Bush in 30 Seconds: "One now notorious ad that was posted on MoveOn's Web site even likened the Bush administration to Nazi Germany." He didn't mention that the ad was simply entered in a public contest or that it didn't win. He certainly didn't mention the ad that did win on Monday night and that will be shown during the State of the Union address and the Super Bowl.
Ask Marketplace to provide appropriate context in their commentaries and non-partisan coverage of campaign finance reform issues:
Elizabeth Tucker
Commentary Editor
letters@marketplace.org
The commentary failed to provide context for Judge's depiction: it didn't mention that the Soros money was a matching grant to encourage small donors to participate in the political process. It didn't mention that so far ordinary people have given $7.8 million to the Voter Fund in average donations of $35. And it didn't do justice to the complex matter of campaign finance reform and bringing people back into the political process.
The basic argument for campaign finance reform is that money should not give wealthy people access to decision-makers. Neither the Soros matching grant nor the MoveOn.org Voter Fund are buying anyone access to elected leadership. They are both making it possible for ordinary Americans to affect the direction of our country -- democracy in action.
Finally, Marketplace didn't mention that Clark Judge is a former speechwriter and special assistant to President Reagan and Vice President Bush, only describing him as "managing director of the White House Writers Group." The consulting firm is run by Judge and Peter Robinson, another former Reagan speechwriter and author of "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life."
ACTION: Please ask Marketplace to ensure their commentators follow the journalistic requirement of providing adequate and accurate context. Ask that their coverage of the complicated issue of campaign finance reform not be lead by partisans out to smear organizations promoting participation in democracy:
Elizabeth Tucker
Commentary Editor
letters@marketplace.org
Your comments will be taken more seriously if you are polite, professional, and firm.
P.S. You can hear the Marketplace commentary at http://www.marketplace.org.
The commentary accused Soros and MoveOn of spending millions on negative campaigning. In fact, the ads you're funding through the Voter Fund tell the truth about the negative policies of the Bush administration instead of attacking Bush personally as Republicans are already doing to presidential challengers.
To bolster his argument, Judge gave the example of the Hitler ad submitted to Bush in 30 Seconds: "One now notorious ad that was posted on MoveOn's Web site even likened the Bush administration to Nazi Germany." He didn't mention that the ad was simply entered in a public contest or that it didn't win. He certainly didn't mention the ad that did win on Monday night and that will be shown during the State of the Union address and the Super Bowl.
Ask Marketplace to provide appropriate context in their commentaries and non-partisan coverage of campaign finance reform issues:
Elizabeth Tucker
Commentary Editor
letters@marketplace.org
The commentary failed to provide context for Judge's depiction: it didn't mention that the Soros money was a matching grant to encourage small donors to participate in the political process. It didn't mention that so far ordinary people have given $7.8 million to the Voter Fund in average donations of $35. And it didn't do justice to the complex matter of campaign finance reform and bringing people back into the political process.
The basic argument for campaign finance reform is that money should not give wealthy people access to decision-makers. Neither the Soros matching grant nor the MoveOn.org Voter Fund are buying anyone access to elected leadership. They are both making it possible for ordinary Americans to affect the direction of our country -- democracy in action.
Finally, Marketplace didn't mention that Clark Judge is a former speechwriter and special assistant to President Reagan and Vice President Bush, only describing him as "managing director of the White House Writers Group." The consulting firm is run by Judge and Peter Robinson, another former Reagan speechwriter and author of "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life."
ACTION: Please ask Marketplace to ensure their commentators follow the journalistic requirement of providing adequate and accurate context. Ask that their coverage of the complicated issue of campaign finance reform not be lead by partisans out to smear organizations promoting participation in democracy:
Elizabeth Tucker
Commentary Editor
letters@marketplace.org
Your comments will be taken more seriously if you are polite, professional, and firm.
P.S. You can hear the Marketplace commentary at http://www.marketplace.org.
posted by A. J. Franklin @ 20:40
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