Trusted Institutions? Be careful... And Always Read The Small Print And Between The Lines

Color of Change I trust. The Congressional Black Caucus PAC... uh, no. Color of Change sent this out yesterday to its members regarding the Senate race in Maryland which pits an inspiring black woman with a proven super-progressive record in Congress, Donna Edwards, against an unaccomplished white-bread hack and captive of Wall Street, Chris Van Hollen, the former failed DCCC chairman who lost 36 House seats running the inept and corrupt organization.

A Washington, DC Political Action Committee (PAC) that claims to speak for Black people but is really a mouthpiece for corporate power recently made two very big announcements that could impact important upcoming elections. Two weeks ago, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, with it's lobbyist-dominated Board of Directors, made a high-profile endorsement of Hilary Clinton and quietly decided not to endorse, fellow CBC member, Rep. Donna Edwards' historic bid to become only the second Black woman to be elected to the Senate.

The lobbyists sitting on the CBC PAC’s board represent the worst of the worst-- companies that are notorious in the mistreatment and exploitation of Black people. The depth of corporate influence over the CBC PAC is so troubling because its endorsements carry the name of the Congressional Black Caucus, trading off a name that is wrapped in the moral authority of the civil rights movement. For hours, media incorrectly reported that the Congressional Black Caucus and not the CBC PAC endorsed Secretary Hillary Clinton for President. Meanwhile, the CBC PAC's corporate board members and donors who represent private prisons, big tobacco and the anti-worker National Restaurant Association were nowhere to be seen. This is wrong and the CBC must act to stop it now.

The Conscience of Congress?

Founded in 1971 by Black elected officials like Shirley Chisholm and Ron Dellums, the Congressional Black Caucus has built its reputation as “the Conscience of the Congress,” often voting as a powerful bloc and joining together as a singular voice for Black people. The CBC PAC, on the other hand, was founded in 1994 and is an entirely separate entity that trades on the name of the CBC and is made up of Washington lobbyists and 8 (out of 46) Black Caucus members. In fact, when the CBC PAC rolled out its Presidential endorsement earlier this month, it was so widely reported as coming from the CBC itself that more progressive members of the caucus had to issue public statements clarifying that the PAC does not represent the full caucus and that they had not been consulted on the endorsement decision.

The day following the endorsement in the Presidential race, Politico reported that the CBC PAC would not be endorsing Rep. Donna Edwards, a progressive hero, CBC member, and one of two Black women candidates in a competitive primary vying to become only the second Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. According to reports, the decision was largely driven by CBC PAC board member, Al Wynn, the Congressman-turned-lobbyist who lost his seat to Edwards in 2008. Black voters ousted Wynn for his corporate ties back in 2008 but thanks to the corporate board of the CBC PAC, he is still speaking for Black people. If corporate lobbyists on the CBC PAC's board can decide to withhold support from someone like Rep. Edwards, why are they being allowed to operate under the banner of the Congressional Black Caucus?

Bought & Bossed

Although the Koch Brothers are absent, the lobbyists sitting on the CBC PAC’s board represent the worst of the worst-- companies that are notorious in the mistreatment and exploitation of Black people. As The Intercept reported:

Members of the CBC PAC board include Daron Watts, a lobbyist for Purdue Pharma, the maker of the highly addictive opioid OxyContin; Mike Mckay and Chaka Burgess, both lobbyists for Navient, the student loan giant that was spun off of Sallie Mae; former Rep. Albert Wynn, D-Md., a lobbyist who represents a range of clients, including work last year on behalf of Lorillard Tobacco, the maker of Newport cigarettes; and William A. Kirk, who lobbies for a cigar industry trade group on a range of tobacco regulations.

And a significant percentage of the $7,000 raised this cycle by the CBC PAC from individuals was donated by white lobbyists, including Vic Fazio, who represents Philip Morris and served for years as a lobbyist to Corrections Corporation of America, and David Adams, a former Clinton aide who now lobbies for Wal-Mart, the largest gun distributor in America.

Ironically, both Democrat Presidential candidates have shunned contributions from private prison lobbyists, while the CBC PAC remains silent about its relationship with them. The CBC PAC has taken thousands of dollars from Akin Gump, the lobbying firm that has made millions of dollars lobbying to protect their private prison client, Corrections Corporation of America over the last several years. Black caucus members should be leading, not following the disastrous trend towards more corporate control over government.

In addition, the CBC PAC has taken in even larger amounts directly from the Political Action Committees of harmful companies and industries. Anti-worker groups like the National Restaurant Association have given thousands to CBC PAC while they have worked to keep worker wages and benefits at a minimum. Other corporate donors include pay day loans company Cash America, Big Tobacco front group PURO PAC, and the telecommunications companies that worked to bring an end to an open and free internet.

As if it wasn’t bad enough to use the brand of the CBC as a front for corporate lobbyists, the CBC PAC board members used the event of their Presidential endorsement to deride young Black voters who may favor a different candidate. On a stage bought and paid for by some of the biggest corporations in America, Rep. G.K. Butterfield painted a picture of naïve and uninformed voters claiming “many of them are inexperienced and have not gone through a presidential election cycle before." Young Black voters were a decisive factor in securing victory for President Obama in both of his elections but the CBC PAC would rather criticize young people than their own corporate benefactors.

We saw this type of targeted corporate influence during the net neutrality debate, with big telecom lobbyists lining up to cut checks to Black leaders willing to destroy the open Internet. In fact many of the Black elected officials who opposed net neutrality also sit on the board of the PAC alongside bad corporations. This form of “civil rights washing”-- of wrapping dangerous policies in a cloak of support from Black gatekeepers-- cannot be trusted or lifted up as the voice of Black people.

To continue on, the CBC PAC must be remade.

To be clear, Color of Change has not endorsed any candidate for President. This isn’t about Hillary or Bernie, although they both have improved their stances on racial justice issues under pressure from the Black community and our allies, they still have room to grow. This is about changing the CBC PAC to stop it from representing itself as the voice of Black communities when it is dominated by some of the worst corporations for Black people.

Blue America has endorsed Donna, who we've known since 2005. We know her intellect and character will make a difference in a Senate dominated by corrupt servants of the special interests like Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. Her opponent, Chris Van Hollen, is just another vile Mitch McConnell/Chuck Schumer wanna-be. The best thing that can be said about him is that he's ineffective. Please consider giving what you can to Donna's grassroots campaign by clicking on the thermometer below:

You Can Help Turn Off FOX Spew...

- by Noah

...or, at least you can make a statement. Do not go quietly into the night. Perhaps, we can at least slow the wingnut plans for a new Dark Ages.
      
In case you haven't seen this or been aware of it... It's been obvious, to me, for a long time, that FOX made deal with several like-minded corporations to get their programing in public places. In New York, the Hudson News outlets are one prime and very ironic example. You walk in to buy a magazine or paper and there it is, the FOX 24-Hour Freak Show, a perfect storm of misinformation for the masses. I suppose it might come down to a "free speech" matter, but it is a very Orwellian and very twisted thing. Now, a couple of Progressive organizations, CREDO and Color Of Change are trying to do something about it. Meanwhile, we are an inch away from being one of those countries where the have banners and posters of "The Great Leader" all over the streets and plastered on all available surfaces and FOX is determined to lead the way. 

During the Republican 2004 Hate-Fest and "9/11 In Your Face" Exploitation Convention here in NYC, FOX either bought or was given airtime even on outside monitors, around the city. One was located on a wall at the corner of 7th Avenue and 34th Street, right on the MACY'S building, right out in public in a neighborhood where one used to have to go inside and pay if you wanted to see obscenity. The air in New York can get dirty and smelly enough without the machinations and warped views of a foreign media company owned by a power-mad Aussie opinion manipulator named Rupert Murdoch and Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a man with his own with highly questionable connections. It's hard to walk into chain restaurants or around airports without being exposed to Fox's incessant lies and twisted propaganda. I don't need to sit down and eat my breakfast knowing that it soon may come back up because I have to see Newt Gingrich's ugly mug on the screen, while I'm eating or any other time. It used to be the irritating idiocy of mindless soap operas and utter lunacy of Jerry Springer and Sally Jesse Raphael. Bring 'em back.

And here they are... taking over Monday Night Football:



The case from Credo and Color of Change:

FOX is poisonous-- and it spreads and is legitimized partly through public TVs. It's why CREDO is joining with Color of Change to launch Turn Off FOX-- a massive campaign to get FOX turned off in stores, restaurants, and other public places.

Will you join us in calling on businesses in your community and across the country to stop airing FOX, and declare your own household a "FOX-free zone"? With thousands of our signatures to back them up, Turn Off FOX members will visit local businesses that play FOX, explain how divisive and dangerous it is, and ask them to turn it off.

...Some people watch Fox at home because it reflects their view of the world; but there are others who see it on TV in public places and assume that it's legitimate news. FOX News is often on in bars, restaurants, airport lounges, stores-- appearing to be real news, while spreading lies, hate, division and promoting the political agenda that was confirmed with FOX parent company News Corporation's $1 million contribution to elect Republican governors.

The goal of Turn Off FOX is to reduce the number of public TVs showing FOX News, while spreading the word about FOX's poison (and how it works) to those who don't know.

Signing up for the campaign is just the first step. We make it easy for you to tell us about businesses playing FOX. If you're willing to talk with them, we'll provide you with straightforward materials that explain why they shouldn't be a party to what FOX is doing. And if there are businesses you know that want to tell the world they would never play FOX, you can help them declare themselves a "FOX-free zone."

As businesses Turn off FOX and stand up as FOX Free, and as we encourage our friends and family to do the same, we'll help make clear, to people across the country, what FOX is about. And we'll reduce their ability to do harm.

Join us in standing up to FOX, and we'll give you a free Turn Off FOX sticker. And then please ask your friends and family to do the same.

Not... Binder... And... Binder... Too-- Glenn Beck Gets No Love (Except From Red Lobster)

Nearly 5 dozen national advertisers and countless local advertisers have sworn off underwriting the vicious, racist far right Fox TV show hosted by sociopath Glenn Beck. The newest batch who have joined the advertisers boycott of the TV hate-talker include Mercedes-Benz, Binder & Binder, Capital One, The Dannon Company, Discover, HSBC, ICAN Benefit Group Insurance, and Infiniti.

In a phone conversation with ColorOfChange.org on Wednesday, Kathy Adkins, a Capital One spokesperson, confirmed that Capital One had instructed Fox News not to run the company’s ads during Beck’s program. “We don't plan on running any more ads on the Glenn Beck Show,” said Adkins.
 
“We have checked with our advertising area and have confirmed that a few ads ran on the Glen [sic] Beck Show as part of a FOX TV buy at the beginning of August,” said Tommy Shi, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Mercedes-Benz USA, in an email to ColorOfChange.org, “but no ads have run since on that show, nor are there plans to do so moving forward.”

“Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) considers its commitment to Diversity and Inclusion [sic] an integral part of its corporate culture and business strategy,” Shi added. “We believe that MBUSA's success is dependent on embracing the various cultures, nationalities and convictions of our associates and market that translate into meeting consumer needs and expectations for relevant products and services.”

“Discover is committed to supporting a wide variety of programming that features a diversity of talent, topics and opinions,” said Mai Lee Ua, Project Manager for Public Relations at Discover, in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “Our current TV buys do not include any future airings on the Glenn Beck Show." Ua later added, “Our ads will not run during the show”.

“Infiniti has not placed any advertisements on this program for several weeks, and have no current plans to advertise on it in the future,” said Kyle W. Bazemore, Senior Manager of Product Communications at Infiniti, in an email to ColorOfChange.org. Bazemore later confirmed, “We have indeed instructed Fox not to place our ads on this program at this time.”

“We ceased advertising on the program and have no future plans for advertising on it,” said Cindy Savio, Vice-President of Public Affairs for HSBC-North America, in an email to ColorOfChange.org.

“We have requested that they [Fox News] re-schedule the spots,” said Dick Summer, Communications Director for Binder and Binder, in an email to ColorOfChange.org.
 
“Dannon doesn't plan to run any more ads on the program and we have informed the network of this,” said Michael J. Neuwirth, Senior Director of Public Relations for The Dannon Company & Danone Waters of America, in an email to ColorOfChange.org.

...Four weeks ago, ColorOfChange.org called on its members to sign a petition urging companies who advertise on Glenn Beck to cut off their advertising support of his work.  Shortly after reaching 150,000+ signatures, ColorOfChange.org began emailing those who signed the petition, asking them to call five major advertisers who continued to refuse to pull their ads: Clorox, Experian (creator of FreeCreditReport.com), Lowe’s, Red Lobster and Vonage. To date, Red Lobster is the only company in the group that has not yet responded. ColorOfChange.org still continues to reach out to those companies found running advertisements during Glenn Beck’s programs.
 
Previous companies who have corrected advertising errors and/or pulled their ads entirely include Airware Inc. (makers of Brez anti-snoring aids), Allergan (maker of Restasis), Ally Bank (a unit of GMAC Financial Services), Ancestry.com, Applebee’s, AT&T, Bank of America, Bell & Howell, Best Buy, Blaine Labs Inc., Broadview Security, Campbell Soup Company, ConAgra, Clorox, CVS, DirecTv, Ditech, The Elations Company, Experian (creator of FreeCreditReport.com), Farmers Insurance Group, GEICO, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson (makers of Tylenol), Kraft, Lawyers.com, Lowe’s, Men’s Wearhouse, NutriSystem, Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance, RadioShack, Re-Bath, Regions Financial Corporation, Roche, Sam (Store and Move), SC Johnson, Sanofi-Aventis, Sargento, Sprint, State Farm Insurance, Traveler’s Insurance, Travelocity, The UPS Store, Verizon Wireless, Vonage and Wal-Mart.

On the other hand, with very passive TV viewers, white males over 70, Beck, O'Reilly and Hannity rule the ratings roost. In the other demographics, like the ones, ad buyers seek... the Fox hate talkers don't do very well. But at least the mayor of Mt Vernon, Washington, Bud Norris, is-- like Red Lobster-- sticking up for Beck. Beck himself is on a McCarthyite rampage against ColorOfChange founder Van Jones, actually shrieking to the elderly audience left watching his show that there are “Communists in the United States government.”

Memo to self: remind Ice-T, "no more Red Lobster."

Jim Cramer Tells His Audience That Investing In Glenn Beck's Sinking Ship Is A Great Idea

If Glenn Beck weren't one of the most negative and divisive forces on the American political scene you could almost feel sorry for him. With the latest batch of 16 advertisers pledging to stop underwriting his hate-filled, anti-American propaganda, there are now 3 dozen former advertisers who have told Fox News that they're fed up with the unbalanced hatred and racism. Among the companies who have joined the boycott of Glenn Beck's dementia are AT&T, Campbell Soup, Clorox, FreeCreditReport.com, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Farmers Insurance, Lowe's, Sprint, UPS. They all agree with ColorOfChange that Beck's offensive racism is over the line.

Interestingly, Lowe's has gone a bit further, much to their credit. In an e-mail to ColorOfChange, Meliski Cox, a spokesperson for Lowe’s wrote, “While we will continue to advertise on news programming, including FOX News, there are certain programs on the FOX Network that do not meet Lowe's advertising guidelines, including The O’Reilly Factor and Glenn Beck Program." The spokesman for Clorox was also very clear that his company is finished with Beck's repulsive approach:

“Per our advertising standards, we don't advertise in programs that display exploitive sex or violence, treat ethnic, religious, or political groups in a disparaging manner, present facts inaccurately or distort them to blatantly partisan advantage, and treat individuals or groups in a demeaning manner,” said Adam Oberweiser, a spokesperson for Clorox, in a phone message to a ColorOfChange.org member. “We have had limited advertisements on the Glenn Beck Program in the past, however the statements he made during that show would not adhere to our programming standards. Furthermore, we will not be advertising on his program in the future since he did violate our own advertising standards.”

Meanwhile, on Monday Jim Cramer was defending Beck, calling him a nice guy. I'm sure Blondi thought her master was nice too-- until he had his doctor, Werner Haase, test a cyanide capsule on her (and ordered her dog handler to shoot her 5 pups in the bunker). Listen to Mr. Suave calling the vicious racist and violence inciter "a nice guy" and insuring investors that Fox News' parent company is still a great buy because the advertisers will all come back in the end. Following Jim Cramer's investment advice is the surest route to the poor house anyone has ever devised.




UPDATE: Palin Solidifies Her Losers Club Bonds

Quitter Sarah Palin is urging Glenn Beck, who is under pressure by the defection of a rapidly growing list of three dozen advertsiers. to hang in there. She hasn't started tweeting yet but she's been playing aound on Facebook:

"FOX News' Glenn Beck is doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House.

"Monday night he asked us to invite one friend to watch; tonight I invite all my friends to watch."

Palin is referring to Beck's attack this week on the background of Van Jones, who the Los Angeles Times describes as "a White House environmental advisor and co-founder of an African American political advocacy group that organized an advertising boycott of his program."

Will Glenn Beck's Hate Rant Show Be Non-Commercial?

The heroic Color of Change effort to get advertisers to back away from underwriting the venomous racism of Fox News' worst inciter, Glenn Beck, is really bearing fruit. Yesterday Wal-Mart, Best Buy, CVS and 5 other mainstream advertisers asked that their ads no longer by run on his program. That brings the total to twenty national advertisers who have now dumped Beck. No wonder he's weeping on the air all the time!

“We are heartened to see so many corporate citizens step up in support of our campaign against Glenn Beck,” said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. “Their action sends a clear a message to Glenn Beck: Broadcasters shouldn’t abuse the privilege they enjoy by spewing dangerous and racially charged hate language over the air. No matter their political affiliation, hate language doesn’t belong in our national dialogue.”

“Walmart [sic] today confirmed the retailer pulled ads from the Glenn Beck show on August 3rd,” said David Tovar, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart, in an email to ColorOfChange.org.
“While advertising on Fox is part of our communication plan, we had not requested time on Glenn Beck’s show specifically,” said Carolyn Castel, Vice President of Corporate Communications for CVS Caremark, in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “We have instructed our advertising agency to inform Fox to ensure Glenn Beck’s program is not part of our advertising plan.”

“Our position is simple,” Castel continued. “We support vigorous debate, especially around policy issues that affect millions of Americans, but we expect it to be informed, inclusive and respectful, in keeping with our company’s core values and commitment to diversity.”

In an email exchange with ColorOfChange.org, Lisa Svac Hawks, Director of Public Relations for Best Buy, stated that any advertisements for Best Buy that were placed on Glenn Beck’s show were done so in error. Svac Hawks pledged that Best Buy will correct any mistakes made.

“We did not specifically place our ad on the show,” said Amanda Borichevsky, a spokesperson for Travelocity in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “We buy ads in bulk and then they are placed somewhat randomly. However, we have now specifically asked that our ads do not appear during this show.”

“We reviewed our commercial schedule, and based on your feedback, we’ve put any programming featuring Glenn Beck on our “do not air” list,” said Aziz Mottiwala, Senior Marketing Manager for Allergan, in an email to ColorOfChange.org. “This means that you will no longer see any Restasis ads during programming featuring Glenn Beck. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.”

“Ally advertises on a broad spectrum of programs to reach our potential customers,” said a Customer Care Representative for Ally Bank. “Our advertising is not an endorsement of editorial content on any program. We have ceased to advertise on the Glenn Beck program.”

In a phone conversation with Dwayne Sigler, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Broadview Security Systems, Sigler told ColorOfChange.org that Broadview’s advertising is bought based on network, not particular programs, but that “given the considerations, we have requested of Fox News not to include us in the rotation that would have our commercials running on Glenn Beck’s show.”

“…We are no longer airing our commercials on the Glenn Beck Show…” said Mary Beth Mayer, spokesperson for Re-Bath, in a phone message to ColorOfChange.org.

Who Will Pay For Glenn Beck's Racism And Hatred On Fox Now?

The Color Of Change campaign asking advertisers to stop underwriting Glenn Beck's outrageous incitement of racism, civil discord and violent rage has been very successful. Mainstream advertisers are telling Fox they want their ads pulled from Beck's shows. Normally an advertiser just buys a run of ads and they are placed across all programming. I know; I work with the Blue America ad buyer, Jacquie Propps, and we just placed our second flight of cable TV ads in Arkansas explaining the unhelpful role Blanche Lincoln has taken in the health care debate. When I went over the list of where the first 1,000 spot ran, I noticed that right in there with spots on The Fugitive, Anderson Cooper 360, Reba and Larry King Live, shows that all reach the kind of mainstream audience we were looking for, were several ads in Little Rick, Pine Bluff and Fayetteville on Beck's show. We were aghast and asked the cable operators to pull the ads that started running yesterday from that show, which they were able to do before any had run. Whew! Color of Change didn't have to ask us; we were self policing. And many of the Beck advertisers were in the same place we were. They didn't even know their spots were underwriting TV's biggest hate monger.

Color of Change has so far persuaded GEICO, Proctor & Gamble, Lawyers.com, Progressive Insurance, SC Johnson, Ally Bank, Men's Wearhouse, Sargento, Travelocity, Radio Shack, ConAgra (maker of Healthy Choice products), Roche, Sanofi-Aventis. Here's part of a letter from Radio Shack to Color of Change:

This confirms that there is no advertising we (RadioShack) [are] buying on the Glen Beck Show or anywhere on the Fox News Channel. What viewers are seeing on FNC and Glen Beck is manufacturer advertising that has tagged their messages with "RadioShack" as the retail destination to purchase their product(s).  In this most recent instance, it is most likely the product called magicJack that has tagged our name throughout their commercial.

We've asked magicJack to immediately cease and desist running all commercials with our name tagged in the spot on FNC. In fact, I just received verification from one our merchants that magicJack has confirmed the commercial will be pulled from the Fox News Channel rotation ASAP.

With Beck weeping and whining that Color of Change's campaign is being orchestrated by powerful forces out to get him, the campaign got some added impetus today when conservative blogger-- and former Bush speech writer, David Frum published a piece on the violence the "reckless right" is fomenting. His point is that irresponsible and hysterical fanatics like Beck, Limbaugh and Hannity are using raw and dangerous extremism to court the kind of ratings that attract advertisers-- very weak-minded people who sit in front of their TVs all day-- people with no lives who are open to suggestion, whether about buying a product or working themselves up into racist, murderous passions.

A man bearing a sidearm appears outside President Obama’s Aug. 11 town hall meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., under a sign proclaiming, “It is time to water the tree of liberty.”

That phrase of course references a famous statement of Thomas Jefferson’s, from a 1787 letter: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants.”

Earlier that same day, another man is arrested inside the school building in which the president will speak. Police found a loaded handgun in his parked car.

At an event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona last week, police were called after one attendee dropped a gun.

Nobody has been hurt so far. We can all hope that nobody will be. But firearms and politics never mix well. They mix especially badly with a third ingredient: the increasingly angry tone of incitement being heard from right-of-center broadcasters.

The Nazi comparisons from Rush Limbaugh; broadcaster Mark Levin asserting that President Obama is “literally at war with the American people”; former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin claiming that the president was planning “death panels” to extirpate the aged and disabled; the charges that the president is a fascist, a socialist, a Marxist, an illegitimate Kenyan fraud, that he “harbors a deep resentment of America,” that he feels a “deep-seated hatred of white people,” that his government is preparing concentration camps, that it is operating snitch lines, that it is planning to wipe away American liberties”: All this hysterical and provocative talk invites, incites, and prepares a prefabricated justification for violence.

And indeed some conservative broadcasters are lovingly anticipating just such an outcome.
Here’s Fox News’ Glenn Beck clucking sympathetically that white males are being driven into murderous rage by “political correctness.”

Here again is Beck chuckling as he play-acts the poisoning of Nancy Pelosi.

Just yesterday, the radio host Sean Hannity openly contemplated violence-- and primly tut-tutted that if it occurs, the president will have only himself to blame.

Hyperbolic accusation and fantasy murder may well serve a talk-radio industry facing a collapse in advertising revenues-- down 30–40 percent over the past two years, reports NewMajority.com’s Tim Mak.

As revenues dwindle, hosts feel compelled to intensify the talk-radio experience, hoping to win larger audience share with more extreme talk. It’s like the early days of the pornography industry: At first a naked woman is thrilling enough, but soon a jaded audience is demanding more and more, wilder and wilder.

For the radio hosts, it’s all mostly a cynical marketing exercise. But the audience? Not all of them know better.

In April, the Department of Homeland Security released a report warning of the danger of right-wing political violence in the United States, and mainstream conservatives erupted in offense.

...It’s not enough for conservatives to repudiate violence, as some are belatedly beginning to do. We have to tone down the militant and accusatory rhetoric. If Barack Obama really were a fascist, really were a Nazi, really did plan death panels to kill the old and infirm, really did contemplate overthrowing the American constitutional republic—if he were those things, somebody should shoot him.

But he is not. He is an ambitious, liberal president who is spending too much money and emitting too much debt.

Color of Change has turned the tables on Beck and on Fox News. The ad revenues they were hoping to generate by ginning up racism and bigotry among paranoid seniors and angry low-information, anti-intellectual viewers is instead decreasing as more and more advertisers decline to have their products identified with Beck's divisive Goebbels-like ranting. Soon no one will be buying ad space on Beck's show but shady companies trying to hoodwink feebleminded elderly folks into buying gold.

Progressives Urge Beck Advertisers To Stop Enabling The Extremism

Do you know who pays for the racist campaign against Obama? GEICO, NutriSystems, Proctor & Gamble, and... United Postal Service. Yep, those are the advertisers who pay for the TV time so that deranged sociopath Glenn Beck can get up and spout his divisive hatred and racism. And today the top online civil rights group Color of Change urged its 600,000-plus members to petition companies who advertise on Glenn Beck’s radio and television shows to urge them to cut off their advertising on Beck’s programs. The mobilization comes after Beck called President Obama a “racist” who “has a deep-seated hatred for white people” during an appearance Tuesday on Fox and Friends. [Video below]

Color of Change has also been urging CNN to fire their own racist shill, Lou Dobbs for his gratuitous birther campaign, which CNN irresponsibly uses to pump up lagging viewership.

“What Beck is doing is race-baiting at its worst, it's dangerous and it's hard to imagine any company wanting their brand associated with it,” said James Rucker of ColorOfChange.org. “Beck has now shown that his extreme views are more appropriate for a street corner than a major media program. He no longer deserves the backing of mainstream advertisers.”

ColorOfChange.org's decision to hold companies accountable for where they spend their advertising budgets is significant because of the increased consumer power of African-Americans. A 2008 report by the market research publication Report Buyer forecasts that the buying power of the country's African-American community will hit $1.1 trillion by 2012.

Please sign their petition.



UPDATE: Ratings Plummet For Cable News Hatemongers

If CNN is trying to get ratings with Lou Dobb's hate show-- which is what Bill O'Reilly claims (and who would know better?)-- the tactic is failing. His ratings have taken a serious hit since he started his psychotic birther campaign according to today's NY Observer.