Patterico's Pontifications

11/25/2009

ACORN, Dreier, and the Media

Filed under: Media Bias,Politics — DRJ @ 12:00 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Andrew Breitbart at BigGovernment considers the media’s coverage of ACORN and finds it lacking. Specifically, he notes a September defense of ACORN and a recent Editor & Publisher article on the same topic — both of which were co-authored by Peter Dreier — and the lack of disclosure of Dreier’s longstanding relationship with ACORN:

“At the end of the [September] piece Professor Dreier offers the following biography: Peter Dreier, E.P Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics and director of the Urban & Environmental Policy Program at Occidental College.

Why did Professor Dreier choose to leave out the critical information regarding his advisory relationship to ACORN? Isn’t sitting on an advisory committee of ACORN the definition of a conflict of interest in writing a fair and balanced piece on the organization? In fact, Dreier has been shilling for ACORN at least since 2003.

Now Editor & Publisher has repeated the same critical error — as it doles out advice on the niceties of proper journalism.”

You may recall Patterico was among the first, if not the first, to raise this issue (and obtain a partial correction) following a Dreier op-ed in the LA Times. Now Breitbart adds another twist:

“In his Editor & Publisher piece Dreier also chose not to disclose that he co-authored an L.A. Times article with a “community organizer” who was featured on Big Government a few weeks ago admitting that ACORN is a deeply political organization that worked “under the grapevine” to get Obama elected.

Perhaps you remember the audio taken by Gary Hewson who confronted Alvivon “Bon Bon” Hurd at a rally in front of local Fox TV in Los Angeles (not Fox News) on November 13: ”So the main thing what happened is when Obama ran we did a, we didn’t never say who we were going to run but it sort of undercover that we were going to put Obama in,” Hurd told Big Government’s Gary Hewson who was taping her at the public rally.

At the time we didn’t know who the chatty and refreshingly honest ACORN organizer was, but tips and a confirmation received Monday night show that she is a longtime left-wing community activist, and a voting precinct inspector who published an article in the L.A. Times with none other than… Peter Dreier. Shelter the Wealthy, Lock Out the Rest? Peter Dreier and Alvivon Hurd, March 26, 2001.

Not only is Dreier pushing Media Matters talking points against the journalists who brought you the ACORN story, he’s also an ACORN advisor and a former writing collaborator of the woman who admitted in no uncertain terms that Hannah Giles, James O’Keefe and I are absolutely correct that ACORN lies when it claims to be a non-partisan organization.”

Time for a correction, LA Times and Editor & Publisher?

— DRJ

48 Responses to “ACORN, Dreier, and the Media”

  1. Do Not expect a correction or acknowledgement from either LASlimes or E&P. Both are in denial about everything. They both live in a world of lies.

    PCD (1d8b6d)

  2. The correction will come shortly, when they’re both out of business.

    Dmac (a964d5)

  3. Don’t hold your breath, unless blue becomes you.

    AD - RtR/OS! (b005ed)

  4. On this Thanksgiving I’m thankful that we have folk like DRJ and Patterico at the front grabbing some common sense and tossing it to us like a life saver. Thanks DRJ.

    GM Roper (85dcd7)

  5. Patterico and DRJ, it’s your blog. But you might suggest to Mr. Breitbart that Professor Dreier has been teaching for some time at Oxy, and not all of his students are reflexive liberals.

    It might be interesting to ask those students about the course materials he has assigned. Or even look on his website.

    Transparency, again.

    Eric Blair (c8876d)

  6. Eric: http://employees.oxy.edu/dreier/courses.htm

    Tons of community organization material. Money for community organizers, a lot of racial grievance talk, bla bla bla.

    He doesn’t require a textbook, of course. A few paperbacks, and tons and tons and tons of LA Times and NYT articles.

    Ms Hurd didn’t write any of them, though.

    Dustin (cf255c)

  7. #6–and apparently his students also watch movies as part of the course work in that fascinating class called Movements in Social Justice, or whatever.

    Rochf (ae9c58)

  8. Editor & Publisher, along with the LA Times, are leftist political organizations that spread inaccurate information.

    There is no reason for them to exist.

    Apogee (e2dc9b)

  9. Check out Obama buttboy and E & P editor Greg Mitchell’s blog, the E & P Pub. High traffic for him is maybe two comments a week, and he regularly posts John Stewart’s YouTube clips as examples of important, cutting edge journalism.

    Mitchell is a no-talent lefty drooler to whom accuracy has no value.

    Matador (e01f85)

  10. Why not respond to the statements in the article itself?

    “ACORN responded by firing the employees involved and initiating an internal review by former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger”
    But I he’s a member of the “democrat” party.

    “In some offices, ACORN employees asked them to leave; at least two offices called the police. In at least one office, a staffer, concerned that the couple was engaged in illegal child sex trafficking, used a cell phone to record video of them.”

    And of course “52% of Republicans, 18% of independents, and 9% of Democrats think ACORN stole the election for Obama.”
    Anyone here believe that?
    Of course.
    As with global warming it’s a conspiracy of thousands and thousands of people, to elect Barack Obama, the first [secret] muslim president, and take over your white christian country.

    Meanwhile your arch enemy by delaying his decision has forced Karzai to at least pretend to clean house before sending more troops to Afghanistan. Such competence must horrify you. And meanwhile…
    “US builds up its bases in oil-rich South America
    From the Caribbean to Brazil, political opposition to US plans for ‘full-spectrum operations’ is escalating rapidly”
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-builds-up-its-bases-in-oilrich-south-america-1825398.html

    Obama is behaving just as you would like: supporting a right wing leader and alienating the populace in other countries.
    Ain’t it awful when an evil socialist muslim steals your fire?
    And Limbaugh thinks their should be a coup. And did you here Dana Perino say there was no terrorist attack on her bosses watch?

    If you want a republican who knows what he’s doing elect a democrat.
    What a country.

    bored again (d80b5a)

  11. Did someone pass gas?

    AD - RtR/OS! (b005ed)

  12. Careful, we’ve got a 5150 drooling in aisle #10.

    Old Coot (166f79)

  13. BA, you seem to be saying that Obama is a terrible president when it comes to a coherent foreign policy. Good point. Indeed, if I wanted a republican who acted that way, I would be better off electing the guy who is acting this way, who is a democrat. Another good point.

    Dustin (cf255c)

  14. Whoops. Someone spilled the bongwater again. Notice the handwaving from someone how actually has the temerity to accuse another person of doing PR for a political figure.

    Of course, what BA does is beyond PR. And he or she does it free!

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  15. “YOUR country”?

    Could it possibly be that Big A-hole is yet another Western European socialist tool, valiantly attempting to lecture us ignorant fops over here in the colonies?

    Icy Texan (917558)

  16. No, IT, this individual is just a trustifarian student, living off Daddy and resentful of the fact by acting out as snarky and oh so superior….without actually doing any thinking beyond ra-ra talking points.

    Oh, I could be wrong. But you gotta admit, that is the way the person posts!

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  17. “Could it possibly be that Big A-hole is yet another Western European socialist tool,”

    Well… my family has been in this country longer than yours has- and well before it was a country- but other than that, you’re pretty much on target.

    bored again (d80b5a)

  18. Oh, c’mon, BA. Now you are Native American?

    And how do you know the other poster isn’t? Which makes me suspect you really are a bored undergraduate student. The “I’m a member of an aggrieved group in order to gain authority” is very common among lazy contrarian trolls like yourself.

    I cannot wait until Dana sees this post! Until then, why not raise some of your own Native American pride:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoRa-S8mckI

    You are such a tiresome poseur.

    Your name isn’t “bored again.” It’s “boring again.”

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  19. By the way, hi Mike!

    You teach this kind of person, as I do. I say sophomore politics student earning about a 2.3 GPA. What do you think?

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  20. I say sophomore politics student earning about a 2.3 GPA. What do you think?

    Sounds about right, Eric!

    Mike LaRoche (c23539)

  21. Hey, John, I wasn’t the one who was claiming:

    “…my family has been in this country longer than yours has- and well before it was a country-..”

    That was “boring again.” And I though the Paul Revere and the Raiders song was a good chuckle. I could have posted Cher’s “Half Breed,” right?

    Hey, maybe “boring again” is from Atlantis! Or Lemuria.

    Fact is, birds are nesting in the branches of his long wooden nose.

    I’m with you, based on your post: the content of the character is more important than ancestry. A lot of folks in DC don’t agree with that, though. Sigh.

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  22. Heh, I just hate the PC “native American” bovine byproduct. They’re American Indians. And being partly Mexican/American Indian myself, I have standing. Just sayin’. 😉

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  23. Hey, maybe “boring again” is from Atlantis! Or Lemuria.

    “Boring again” definitely seems like an Art Bell/George Noory fan. Probably thinks the moon is an optical illusion, created by mirrors strategically placed on Uranus.

    Mike LaRoche (c23539)

  24. Not on my anus, Mike. That kind of thing needs to be discussed over at “The Atlantic” these days. Right?

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  25. I cannot wait until Dana sees this post!

    Eric, I just don’t have time to take this too seriously because surely you know, I’m very busy: It’s the night before Thanksgiving and I’m getting my mourning clothes ready for tomorrow, wherein I will contemplate the attempted genocide of native peoples, the stealing of our land, the relentless assault on our culture, and most importantly, diminished casino profits suffered this year!

    Dana (e9ba20)

  26. Speaking of Cher’s “Half Breed” I gotta wonder what people will think when I tell them that my grandson (who isn’t done “cooking” yet) is less than half white. I mean, since my daughter and I show off our Irish heritage so well (red hair, easily sunburnt, quick to anger, etc).

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  27. The whole ethnicity thing gets divided up in unusual ways. What I like, John, is that more and more students “refuse to state” their ethnicity. Which is good news.

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  28. Heh, I’ve been marking “white” on all these forms for all these years. Lately I’ve been considering marking “latino/biracial” to see if I get them good jobs. Ya know?

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  29. I may have some Indian -or native American- blood, but I have ancestors who came over around 1700. We freshen up the line every hundred years or so.
    I’m a pure bred American mutt.

    bored again (d80b5a)

  30. So, Blood Alcohol Content, you can’t even be certain your family was here when mine was? Lot o’ good your “my lineage is better than yours” claim did.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  31. And, oh, by the way, my daughter has an even more enriched Indian heritage than do I. And her son? Roman heritage and early-1700s American heritage and African heritage. Go figure.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  32. Re #32: so many straight lines, so little time.

    As I say, John, this guy or gal is just snotty undergraduate poseur. I see them every semester, often on academic probation.

    But this one earlier claimed to be some kind of Wall Street whiz. Replace the “Wall Street” with “cheese,” and we are onto something. Or maybe the person is a Nobel Prize winner.

    Still, it’s more threadjacking.

    Getting back to Dreier, I still think it would be very interesting for Andrew Breitbart to speak to some former students of Professor Dreier. It could really shed some light on his veracity when it comes to discussing his subject matter.

    Dreier is not what anyone would call an unbiased source. And his background is (surprise) Chicago politics.

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  33. Oh, and John? Did you catch the:

    “… I have ancestors who came over around 1700. We freshen up the line every hundred years or so….”

    First, didn’t you like the “royal plural”? Second, doesn’t this person’s bragging sound like DCSCA’s schtick?

    And in the final analysis, it sounds to me like the puffery of imperialistic slaveholding aristocracy. Why, people with that kind of background should pay reparations, don’t you think?

    Eric Blair (bc43a4)

  34. Why, people with that kind of background should pay reparations, don’t you think?

    LOL

    I’ll be standing in 3 different lines for that. And my grandson will be standing in 4 different lines for that.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  35. So we’re of similar heritage, Mr Hitchcock, (minus the “Roman”).
    I was accused of being something else.
    Our politics is different, not our nationality.
    That was my point.

    “First, didn’t you like the ‘royal plural’? ”
    My ancestors=plural. My family=plural.

    If you were interested in policy, you’d be happy when a democrat followed the republican lead. But since your interest is party partisanship more than anything else, you get pissed off.
    It’s Army-Navy or Auburn – Alabama, with more real hate.

    But no, contrary to the opinions of the majority of the US military, Saddam Hussein was not behind 9-11, and contrary to the opinions of 52% of republicans ACORN did not steal the election for Obama, and Obama is not a Muslim, and the moon landings were not faked.
    If it makes you feel any better contrary to the opinions of 35% of democrats, Bush and co. did not know about 9-11, but contrary to the opinion of most republicans they still lied like hell about being in control of the situation afterwards. I don’t like Obama much, but I’ll give him credit when I think he deserves it, and give him none, or worse, when he deserves that.

    Bush was a disaster for the country, and your response now is Palin. 70% of the population think she’s unqualified to be president.
    That’s a relief.

    bored again (d80b5a)

  36. bored again, once again you are making up lies out of whole cloth.

    It is interesting that you feel this need to lie about others so much. But I guess that’s what makes you a Democrat.

    SPQR (df1098)

  37. “bored again, once again you are making up lies out of whole cloth.”

    You’re the one who’s lying, punk.

    52% of republicans
    huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/19/poll-majority-of-republic_n_363984.html
    The 86% of the military believing Saddam and 9-11 was in 2006. Stars and Stripes:
    stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=34538&archive=true
    Look that up too.

    bored again (d80b5a)

  38. I’m a pure bred American mutt.

    As are we all, you ignorant git.

    Dmac (a964d5)

  39. BTW, using an assinine source like The Lost Gabor Sister’s rag is truly hilarious.

    Dmac (a964d5)

  40. bored again – How was Bush a disaster? Please be as specific as possible.

    daleyrocks (41a3a0)

  41. #17 – bored again
    Well… my family has been in this country longer than yours has- and well before it was a country- but other than that, you’re pretty much on target.
    — Good guess. My family consists of German and Irish immigrants (late 1800’s). You might also note that I put my statement in the form of a question, while you arrogantly asserted as fact something that you did not know was true.

    Here’s another slightly important tidbit to contemplate: What does your ancestry, and length of time your family has been in this country, have to do with anything? I was talking about how you act! Consider this quote that you included in your first post:
    “In some offices, ACORN employees asked them to leave; at least two offices called the police. In at least one office, a staffer, concerned that the couple was engaged in illegal child sex trafficking, used a cell phone to record video of them.”
    — What is your point? that because they sometimes did the right thing, to expose and criticize all of the times when they did the wrong thing constitutes a witch hunt? Wrong is wrong & bad is bad, buddy!

    Oh, and this pathetic diversionary (Hey, look over there!) tactic of citing poll numbers regarding what some people believe? Give it a rest, huh? Video evidence from those undercover ACORN office visits are damning — period.

    Icy Texan (66eab9)

  42. “The Lost Gabor Sister”

    Dmac, not that you’re looking for a compliment from me, but that was sheer brilliance,
    The Huff&Puff piece just links to the poll result though.

    going to gain some weight now.
    happy thanksgiving

    bored again (d80b5a)

  43. 46.

    It’s got to be tough to gain weight when there’s a sign on your forehead: “Space for rent within.”

    either orr (291505)

  44. Yes, but with all of that bouyancy, it’s in no danger of drowning.

    AD - RtR/OS! (9653bd)


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