The
Buffalo News recently ran the article,
Former vets with GOP ties boost war effort in blogs. The article tells the story of the group
Vets for Freedom and their attempts to provide positive, pro-war reports for publication in several US market newspapers, (
Buffalo News, NY Daily News, The NY Post, and the
Richmond Time-Dispatch).
Several months after revelations that a Pentagon contractor was paying Iraqi news outlets for favorable war coverage, former White House spokesman Taylor Gross approached at least four major newspapers, including The Buffalo News, with the offer.
None of the offers were accepted by any of these publications; however, they were able to have op-eds published in The New York Times, (subscription - 5/31/06), The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Post, and other publications. They have contributed to a number of articles in additional newspapers, and there is an article posted at townhall.com that they have authored.
The key players in this group have, in their own ways, ties to the GOP.
The following selected quotations are from an interview by Amy Goodman, (Democracy Now! - 6/27/06), with John Stauber, Executive Director of the
Center for Media and Democracy and co-editor of the publication
PR Watch. He has co-authored several books including "Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq". The complete transcript can be found at
Former Bush Spokesman Urges Newspapers to Run Pro-War Stories by Former Vets With GOP Ties. (all emphasis are mine.)
JOHN STAUBER: Well, Vets for Freedom is a very interesting organization. I call it a Republican front group. It might be more accurate to call it a Republican-financed, pro-war group geared toward helping the Republicans keep control of Congress and the Senate this November... Its founders have been vigorously attacking Democrat John Murtha for his position advocating withdrawal from Iraq. And as the Buffalo News reported just this Sunday, Terry Gross [sic], who was a spokesman for President Bush until last year and is now a P.R. operative and who managed the 2000 Florida debacle for the Republicans, managed their media in the Florida recount --
That would be Taylor Gross, former White House Spokesman who worked directly for Press Secretary Scott McClellan. He is now part of The Herald Group. This group has agreed to volunteer to work for the Veterans for Freedom.
JOHN STAUBER: I think these so-called "news reports" coming from David Bellavia, one of the Vets for Freedom founders, is exactly what this organization is all about. When Bush's former spokesperson, Taylor Gross, pitched the Buffalo News and the New York Post and other papers to have Zirkle and Bellavia of Vets for Freedom reporting for them as embedded journalists, I believe this was an effort to be able to portray these pro-war Republican advocates as journalists. And again, they state clearly on their website, which is maintained by the Donatelli Group*, the same organization that provided similar services to the infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, they maintain on their website that they are all about changing the media coverage of the war in Iraq to make it pro-war, pro-mission coverage, now, we see, even to the point of trying to portray themselves as embedded journalists.
David Bellavia attended President Bush's 2006 State of the Union address as a guest of Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-NY, Clarence. Wade Zirkle, Executive Director, served as regional field director for republican Jerry Kilgore's 2005 campaign for governor of Virginia.
*The Donatelli Group's clients include a vast array of GOP'ers and their organizations. Here are a few for your review: Republican National Committee 2002, 2004, 2004, 2006, 2006, 2006; 2004 Republican National Convention; National Republican Congressional Committee; National Republican Senatorial Committee; Bush-Cheney 2004; McCain for President; Numerous Republican Senators including: Conrad Burns (MT), John McCain (AZ), Mitch McConnell (KY), and John Warner (VA); Numerous Republican Congressmen including: Rep. Tom DeLay (TX), Rep. JD Hayworth (CA), and Rep. Katherine Harris (FL); 20 different states' Republican Parties; American Conservative Union; Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association; Virginians for Death Tax Repeal; Americans for a Better Country ("Pro-Republican group that aims to counter the efforts of Democratic groups to defeat President Bush."); and the Judicial Confirmation Network ("Republican-organized web site [that] has direct connection to the White House and is promoting the meme that the Senate has 'an obligation to bring these nominations to the floor for a fair vote.'). This is a small sampling of the Donatelli Group's Republican clientele.
But it's interesting to note that when Taylor Gross was pitching these guys, he didn't say to these papers, "Hey, I'm Taylor Gross. I was a spokesperson for President Bush until last year." He simply said, "I've got some brave vets, and they can provide nonpartisan, unbiased coverage for you on the cheap from Iraq. Would you like them as embedded reporters?" ... There's no questioning their valor or personal passion or commitment, but I think this effort to embed them and get them reporting for papers like the New York Post and the Buffalo News was actually an effort to provide them a veneer of journalism. And it's all fallen apart, because the Buffalo News has revealed it.
(Thank goodness that
somebody vetted this.)
...There's been no legs to the Buffalo News story, no wire services have picked it up. And yet, the Washington Post, the L.A. Times, the New York Times, have all run op-eds from these guys, without any reporting on who they actually are.
The following is from the Vets for Freedom blog section of their website:
Zirkle and Bellavia were in Iraq and, according to their website, arrived in New York late Wednesday (6/28) evening. Lets take a look at some of their blogging efforts while they were in Iraq:
6/28 - From Ramadi: Everywhere a child showed up to greet the soldiers we stopped. Children's hair was tossed as a sign of affection. A PKC gunner kicked around a new hand sewn soccer ball with two of the kids.
Girls in cheap plastic sandals smacked the back end of a donkey as it squealed down the road. I chased after the donkey yelling, "papa.. papa". The Iraqis and the children all laughed. It was hard to remember this was home town of so much grizzly violence.
(The only things missing here are the flowers and candy.)
6/27 - From Ramadi: To say that the 1st Iraqi Division is tested is a vast understatement. These boys have fought in Fallujah, Ramadi, Solmon Pak, Baghdad, Sadr City, Najaf, Tele Far, Mosul, Hit and almost every other named operation since 2004. The are comprised of Christian, Sunni, Shia and Kurds. The lack of attention given to these units baffles me. Not only am I witnessing Shia soldiers giving aid to Sunni civilians, but it is happening in the "worst" Sunni real estate. Surely, if a sectarian civil war was as close as we are told, there would be some sign amongst the people here. I guess immediate security trumps future designs.
(There is no civil war - I repeat - There is no civil war!)
6/25 - north of Ramadi: Embedding with this new Iraqi Army has given me renewed promise about the future of Iraq. In a media world saturated with doomsday scenarios and impending defeat, there are many meaningful, positive developments happening in Iraq. The emergence of a new Iraqi Army is one of them.
(I'll tell you - that MSM has it ALL WRONG! What's the matter with these people?)
6/23 - From Ramadi: The training of Iraqis have come a long, long way in the past year. I believe the MiT Team concept is the future of Iraq. However we have a ways to go. I firmly believe that we must support this mission to help Iraqis stand up on their own. It would be foolish, tragic and dishonorable to prematurely withdrawal our troops and abandon the Iraqis.
(Do you hear that - you "cut & run" traitors? If we leave, Iraq is doomed, doomed!)
6/20 - From Baghdad: Ascending over Baghdad into the night sky was a beautiful and peaceful sight. At 300 feet and rising, Baghdad looked like any sprawling American city. It was hard to comprehend the violence and strife that has taken place over the past three years amongst the millions of glimmering lights below us.
(Sounds just great! YearlyKos '07, anyone?)
6/18 - From Baghdad: Baghdad is absolutely beautiful. I mean shockingly majestic. This is a city for years we have been told is unsalvageable and I was amazed to see this level of cleanliness.
(They are really pushing us to book the convention there next year, aren't they?)
6/14 - GWOT Vets Gaining Traction in Races; Lieberman in Trouble?
Senator Lieberman's situation deserves special--and immediate--attention. This is a man who six years ago was his party's vice presidential nominee. Now this man of principle, who has consistently avoided the temptation of partisanship and revisionism throughout his career, is in the fight of his political life against and unknown in a primary, of all places. Why? Because he understands the threat and believes in the mission. Where other Dems have yielded to the hate-mongers and reverted to banal blather about past mistakes, Senator Lieberman has done what is best for the most and focused on the future. And for this he is demonized.
(How about that! More GOP support for Lieberman!)
5/30: But Hagel and Murtha are definitely off my list. Because of the Vietnam experience, they should know better than anyone not to do what they're doing, yet they lead the charge to stir up enough anti-war sentiment to force our surrender. They lead the charge toward instilling courage and confidence in our enemies who know they only have to defeat the American will, not the American troops.
(Those stupid, treasonous bastards!) This is the only "Hagel" reference I saw. As for Murtha, however, they have several posts regarding their distaste for him.)
Conclusion:
When you read stories regarding Iraq, keep a lookout for the following Veterans for Freedom names as either authors or contributors to the article: Wade Zirkle (Executive Director), David Bellavia (Vice Chairman), Owen West (Vice Chairman), Knox Nunnally (Secretary), Mark Seavey (Co-Founder), Joe Dan Worley (Co-Founder), and Chris Niedziocha (Co-Founder). They may not have been able to secure contracts with the newspapers they've approached, but articles written by or information contributed from them do appear in our newspapers. When you see these names, you now know where the theme of the information is coming from. Do not be fooled!