|
Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.
Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.
Posts by Robert Greenwald
Before the Next Debate: Reach People Who Don't Know the Real McCain
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on October 6, 2008 at 6:28 AM.
I was in a deep conversation with some Brave New Films supporters recently. They were enthusiastic about the value of our videos in spreading the truth and motivating support, but they kept asking, “How do you reach people who don’t agree with you?” Seems like a good time to explain why we ask you to forward the videos, Digg them, and encourage people to get their own free Brave New Films video subscription. Before the attacks of the next debate, it is critical to get this information to as many people as possible.
Every day, our 20 videos on John McCain are seen by several hundred thousand people searching and browsing the Internet for information on McCain. They are literally typing in “john mccain” into Google, where our video is the #4 result. The same search on YouTube yields several more videos from The Real McCain series, which will only increase in the coming weeks. So far, these videos have received over 11 million views.
Think about it, if you didn’t know much about John McCain, what would you do? Probably two things. Type “john mccain” into Google, and ask your friends what they think.
That’s where YOU come in. When you get an e-mail from us with our latest video, what happens in the next 24 hours determines how far the video will reach outside the audience who would typically watch it. The more views on the video, the higher it goes on YouTube’s most viewed pages, seen by 60 million people a month. The more people who Digg it–a critical tool to reach those outside the choir–the better chance we have of getting on the Digg homepage, which is seen by 20 million people a month.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
John McCain: Economic Disaster
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on September 30, 2008 at 7:32 AM.
John McCain does not have the ability to fix this economic crisis. After declaring the fundamentals of the economy strong, he created a political circus in Washington last week by mucking up bailout negotiations; a deplorable stunt, considering he and his political cronies helped cause the current meltdown.
It was McCain and his economic adviser Phil Gramm who pushed for the deregulation that helped lead to the banking crisis, and it was McCain's crony Rick Davis who had deep lobbyist ties to Freddie Mac. Don't let others be fooled by McCain's economic grandstanding because the reality is his policies and principles will only exacerbate our financial hardships. That's why you must spread this video.
McCain is being deceitful with his sudden populist message and support for regulation; his economic policies still favor our nation's wealthy elite. Call out McCain's economic dishonesty. Send this video to friends and ask them to sign up for a free Brave New Films video subscription to know the latest on TheRealMcCain.com. Then, post it on your blogs and spread it on networking sites like Digg and Reddit. These are some of the best ways to reach people who are not following this debate closely.
Let's make sure everyone knows McCain can't get us out of the mess he got us into in the first place.
Friday's Debate: Ask McCain to Release his Medical Records
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New PAC on September 24, 2008 at 6:56 PM.
53,491: People who have signed Brave New Films' open letter calling for a full, public disclosure of McCain's health records.
2,515: Doctors who signed the open letter urging McCain to release his records.
1,173: Pages in McCain's medical records dumped on the media in a publicity stunt last May.
20:. Journalists allowed to review his records for the 2008 election.
3: Hours those journalists were permitted to review them.
0: The number of tape recorders, cell phones, cameras or photocopying machines allowed in the room.
How many of you will write in urging PBS' Jim Lehrer to ask McCain about his health records during Friday's debate?
This debate will deal with foreign policy, and McCain's health issues constitute a national security issue, especially when you consider how his secrecy about medical records echoes the Bush administration's legacy of lies. Will McCain's health limit his capacity to make tough decisions regarding diplomacy and military action? We don't know, because McCain is keeping his medical records a tightly held secret, made available to just a handful of journalists for three hours under close supervision.
Send a quick e-mail to Jim Lehrer, moderator of Friday's debate, with the subject line: "Ask McCain to Disclose His Health Records in Full." Then, donate to Brave New PAC today so we can get this ad on the air. We have the right to have an open discussion about this grave issue, and now we have the chance to bring transparency and accountability to politics.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Nancy Pelosi Breaks Down Bush's Shock and Awe Bailout Plan
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Meet the Bloggers on September 24, 2008 at 11:12 AM.
Join us live at 2:30 pm ET/11:30am PT today, when we bring you a special episode of Meet the Bloggers featuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The economic meltdown will be the topic of today's show, and Speaker Pelosi will discuss the $700 billion Bush-Paulson bailout plan.
Speaker Pelosi will be joined by bloggers Roberto Lovato (Of America) and Matthew Yglesias (Think Progress). Both have written extensively about the bailout, and they will talk about the dire need to amend Paulson's plan to benefit taxpayers and victims of the financial crisis, as well as calls for strong regulation and public oversight to prevent another crisis like this from recurring.
The economic meltdown and Bush's shock and awe bailout plan are happening so quickly this show simply could not wait until Friday. Check out some of the articles below to get informed about how the proposed bailout will affect Wall Street and Main Street. Then, join us for the discussion live today at 2:30 pm ET/11:30am PT.
McCain's Green Economy: Drill, Baby, Drill
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on September 19, 2008 at 8:12 AM.
When it comes to the environment, John McCain only has the interests of Big Oil at heart. That's why he has over 22 Big Oil lobbyists advising him. That's why he favored lifting the moratorium on off-shore drilling -- a move that prompted Big Oil to donate over $1 million to his campaign. And thanks to the League of Conservation Voters, we've got the proof!
The senate will likely be voting next week on these issues. Please call Senator McCain's office in Washington (202-224-2235), and tell him to stop siding with Big Oil and start supporting clean energy. Make everyone aware of McCain's deep ties to Big Oil by forwarding this video to five people and telling them to do the same. Don't forget to Digg it!
Then, tell everyone you know to tune into Meet the Bloggers today at 1pm ET/10am PT, when our topic will be the environment, sustainability, and Big Oil vs. innovation. Our special guest, environmental journalist Simran Sethi, will be joined by bloggers Kevin Grandia (DeSmogBlog.com), Brad Johnson (ThinkProgress.org) and Kate Sheppard (Grist.org) to discuss where both of the Presidential candidates stand on the environment.
Check out some of the articles below to learn more about the raging battle between sustainability and Big Oil, and then join us at 1pm ET/10am PT to be part of the conversation.
If you missed a previous episode of Meet the Bloggers, you can always find them in the archives.
John McCain's Health Records Must Be Released!
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on September 14, 2008 at 10:57 AM.
The state of John McCain's health is an issue of grave concern for all Americans, regardless of political persuasion. Given the fact that he has been treated for an invasive melanoma and other maladies, it is important that he release his full health records.
For a very brief three hours in May, McCain released 1,173 pages of his medical records to a carefully selected group of reporters. They were not allowed to make any copies or phone calls. Why such secrecy?
We have enlisted a group of doctors from around the country to lead the effort to make sure the public is able to see and make judgments for themselves. Secrecy is not of service to our democracy, transparency is.
Cancer is a serious issue. That's why 30 medical doctors have already signed our open letter telling McCain to issue a full, public disclosure of all his medical records. Send this video far and wide to request that McCain release his full health records. Ask every medical doctor you know to sign onto the letter, and be sure to sign the letter yourself! McCain's records must be made public and soon.
While McCain doesn't really care about our health care, we all should care about the health of McCain.
SEIU Head Andy Stern Knows How to Restore America's Middle Class
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Meet the Bloggers on September 13, 2008 at 11:42 AM.
When you're talking about the rights of workers and the urgent need to help them unionize, there's no better person to talk to than SEIU President Andy Stern. On yesterday's Meet the Bloggers, Stern was our special guest to discuss the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a vital piece of legislation that, if passed, will go a long way toward restoring the middle class in our country. EFCA would enable workers to unionize, allowing them to demand fairer wages and much needed benefits like health insurance.
EFCA would bring balance to the work place. As Michael Whitney of American Rights at Work indicated during the show, this bill would effectively reduce the colossal disparity between Fortune 500 CEOs making an average of $6,153 an hour and the majority of workers earning an hourly federal minimum wage of $6.55. What's more, EFCA would give workers a voice when it comes to negotiating jobs and contracts, which, as JackandJillPolitics.com blogger Baratunde Thurston pointed out, is especially important for minority workers. And with mega employers like Wal-Mart resorting to unionbusting tactics and electioneering in order to prevent their employees from supporting pro-union candidates, the time to support EFCA is critical.
That's why we dedicated our entire show to this issue, and that's why we partnered with American Rights at Work to create a new video called Your New Job, as well as a petition to help EFCA pass. Get this video and the petition to everyone you know who cares about fairness and wants to help restore the middle class in America. And get it to them now!
Meet the Bloggers airs live every Friday at 1pm ET/10 am PT. And if you missed any previous shows, you can always catch them here.
What's Wal-Mart So Afraid of? Four words: Employee Free Choice Act
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on September 12, 2008 at 8:36 AM.
What's Wal-Mart so afraid of? They're up to their old tricks, using scare tactics to intimidate employees against supporting pro-worker candidates. So what's got them backed into a corner? Four words: Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).
EFCA would effectively enable workers to unionize and secure contracts without fear of being fired or reprisals from union-busting companies like Wal-Mart. It's a crucial bill for workers' rights. It could single-handedly restore the middle class. And it's the reason we've partnered with American Rights at Work to bring you our latest video.
Send this video to every person who cares about fairness and wants a middle class in America, and get them to sign the petition to ensure that EFCA passes. And while you're at it, let your friends know about Meet the Bloggers because today at 1pm ET/10am PT, our special guests SEIU President Andy Stern and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney will be discussing the importance of EFCA with bloggers Baratunde Thurston (JackandJillPolitics.com) and Michael Whitney (American Rights at Work).
Check out the articles below on EFCA, get informed, and join us on the show's live blog at 1pm ET/10 am PT, when we'll stand up to Wal-Mart, and stand up for workers' rights.
And if you missed any episode of Meet the Bloggers, you can also watch them in the archives.
McCain's Distortions: I'm John McCain and I Approve This Message
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New PAC on September 11, 2008 at 11:40 AM.
We have to spread the truth about McCain ourselves because it's clear the corporate media won't. NOW. FAST. FURIOUS. EVERYWHERE.
We are in the two-minute drill with no timeouts. No more sitting on the sidelines and allowing the McCain campaign to rack up points with countless distortions.
Watch the video and forward it to everyone you know.
As we've seen with The Real McCain 2 (nearly 4.5 million views and counting!), once the truth gets out, it's hard to stop. In the last few days we have seen a disgusting descent into the worst of sleazy smear politics. We need to spread the facts and the truth. Send this to your friends and relations, especially if they are unsure or undecided -- they're more willing to believe you than a talking head! Vote this video up on Digg and Reddit, and rate, comment, and favorite it on YouTube.
Spread the truth. Don't wait. It starts with you.
Henry Rollins and Paul Waldman Spurn the Media's Love for McCain
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Meet the Bloggers on September 6, 2008 at 11:43 AM.
The corporate press has been in bed with John McCain for years. What's more, whenever the GOP smells the slightest whiff of objectivity from the media, they immediately cry foul. That was the discussion of this week's Meet the Bloggers, in which punk rock icon, actor, and spoken word artist Henry Rollins filled in admirably for Cenk Uygur, who was at the Republican National Convention. Rollins led a charged, insightful conversation with bloggers Jonathan Kim (FOX Attacks!), Liliana Segura (AlterNet.org) and Paul Waldman (Media Matters) about the ridiculous bias we've seen from FOX News and the mainstream media throughout this election.
Waldman, who co-authored Free Ride: John McCain and the Media with David Brock, talked about all the ways in which the McCain campaign and the GOP have manipulated the media. If you need any proof, just watch the heated exchange between CNN's Campbell Brown and McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds featured in this segment. As Rollins and Waldman pointed out, Bounds jumped down Brown's throat when she asked him to name one instance of real foreign policy experience from McCain's VP pick Sarah Palin. Once Bounds exhausted his talking points, he went on the defensive, accusing Brown of belittling Palin. But as Waldman concluded, Brown was simply doing her job, something not enough journalists are doing these days.
Of course, the worst perpetrators of media bias are the folks at FOX News. What sparked the idea for yesterday's show was Brave New Films' latest video, FOX Attacks Obama Just Like Kerry, which documents all the ways in which FOX has been reusing the same smears and distortions of John Kerry from 2004 to malign Barack Obama. Jonathan Kim, who runs our FOX Attacks! blog and created this latest video, talked with Rollins about the "FOX effect."
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
FOX Using the Same Attacks on Obama They Used Against Kerry
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on September 5, 2008 at 8:20 AM.
Did you see Barack Obama go on The O'Reilly Factor last night—right into the belly of the beast? While we didn't want Obama to appear on FOX initially, he wisely chose the same night John McCain delivered his RNC speech (the same night FOX received some of its highest ratings) to make an appearance. Talk about stealing the GOP's thunder!
Obama was no doubt trying to appeal to conservative voters, since 88% of FOX viewers voted Republican in 2004. But FOX won't let their conservative base go without a fight. That's why O'Reilly needled and interrupted Obama, trying to get him to simplify many of his answers—a far cry from the softballs O'Reilly lobbed at many prominent Republicans like Rudy Giuliani in the past. And that's why FOX has been attacking Obama with the same relentless smear tactics that they used against John Kerry four years ago. Watch them use the exact same attacks.
Don't let FOX repeat its history of distortions. Send this video to everyone you know! And get a copy to networking sites like Digg as soon as possible. Make sure everyone knows that FOX is always willing to distort, slander, and smear—whatever it takes to advance their conservative agenda.
And for more on how damaging FOX and the corporate media have been, tune into Meet the Bloggers today at 1pm ET/10am PT. Our guest host, punk rock icon Henry Rollins, will be joined by bloggers Jonathan Kim (FOX Attacks!), Liliana Segura (AlterNet.org) and Paul Waldman (Media Matters) to discuss the media's overt bias.
Check out Michael Moore's Newest Documentary for Free!
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on September 4, 2008 at 7:12 PM.
No one can make a documentary with as much political savvy, humor, and creativity as Michael Moore. And no one is as willing to tackle our elected officials with the same tenacity. After unleashing Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and SiCKO in recent years, Moore has set his sights on the Bush administration and our nation's voter turnout in his latest film, Slacker Uprising, which chronicles his 62-city swing state tour of college campuses just prior to the 2004 election.
Here's the best part. To maximize the reach of his message and as a thank you gift to his fans, Moore is adopting a novel approach to distributing this film. He's teaming up with Brave New Films to distribute the movie online, completely free of charge. Sign up now on http://slackeruprising.com and you will be notified when the film is available for free download on September 23.
You can also buy the DVD for $9.95, which will start shipping on September 23 and features extras like: Special Guest Joan Baez – America the Beautiful, Why People Like George Bush?, My Pet Goat, The O'Reilly Factor for Kids, Just Add Water and Heat - More Ramen and Clean Underwear, and more. Or should I say, Moore!
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Former POW Says McCain Is "Not Cut Out to be President"
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New PAC on September 2, 2008 at 9:45 AM.
"To see McCain resort to playing the POW card when answering legitimate questions, in my mind, cheapens that experience. And by cheapening his own experience in war, he degrades all of our experiences in war. He turns the horrific incidents we've all seen, touched, smelled, and felt into a lame excuse to earn political points. And it dishonors us all."John McCain has been exploiting his prisoner of war experience every chance he gets. He has used this story to justify everything from not knowing how many homes he has to his healthcare plan to his marital infidelities to his taste in music. The McCain campaign is even using his POW story in paid ads. But now a veteran who was a prisoner with McCain in Vietnam is explaining loud and clear that being a POW does not qualify McCain to lead our country.-- Brandon Friedman, a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan
We are sure this video will draw an onslaught of right-wing attacks, but we bring it to you because it is our job to continue to convey the truth together and give these issues national attention. As Dr. Butler has said, McCain does not have the temperament to have his finger near the red button. Get this video to everyone you know-friends, family members, coworkers, and especially those who don't share your political views. The video is designed to reach them. Get it on your social networking sites like Digg. And get it to every blog, newspaper, and TV station that has ever overplayed McCain's POW story. It is time to fight back with truth!
The mainstream press has already begun to call out McCain for overusing his POW story. And it's cut across all political persuasions.
Remember how Joe Biden got the press to refer to Rudy Giuliani as "A noun, a verb, and 9/11"? Well, let's actually take Andrew Sullivan's lead here and get the media to boil McCain down to a similar phrase: "A noun, a verb, and POW." Considering how often the McCain campaign invokes his POW story, isn't that what they're already doing?
Michael Moore Returns for an Encore Appearance on Meet the Bloggers
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Meet the Bloggers on August 29, 2008 at 8:12 AM.
If you found yourself saying last week's episode of Meet the Bloggers wasn't long enough, then you're in for a real treat. Legendary activist filmmaker Michael Moore returns today to talk about the broken election system and the first ten things the Obama administration should do if elected. Joining Mike will be nationally syndicated author and blogger David Sirota, as well as Cheryl Contee of Jack & Jill Politics.
Meet the Bloggers is a viewer-driven show, which means we need you to sound off and voice your opinions in our live blog and online polls during the show. We need you to submit comments and make suggestions about which guests you'd like to see in the future, or which issues you'd like to have discussed. And we need you to build this show by getting your friends and coworkers to check it out.
No other news show offers the same level of in-depth analysis that is enhanced by comments from its audience. So tune into Meet the Bloggers today at 1pm ET/10am PT, and help us raise the level of political discourse in our country. And if you missed any episode of the show, you can always check them out in the Meet the Bloggers archive.
McCain's Million Dollar Parking Lot
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on August 28, 2008 at 6:29 AM.
Not only does John McCain have at least 10 properties he can't remember, but he also owns a parking lot in Phoenix Arizona worth between $1.4 and $2.4 million. That's over $1 million more than the average American home!
It's no wonder McCain has said time and time again that the "fundamentals of the economy are strong." He's living in the land of affluence, and has no concept of just how terrible our economy has become under President Bush. According to the U.S. Census, 37.3 million people were living in poverty in 2007. 45.7 million (15.3 percent of the population) don't have health insurance—a staggering number that has risen by 6 million since Bush took office in 2001. And yet McCain extols Bush's economy and proposes his own policies that would sink our country further into debt.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said that when it comes to the economy,
"I think John McCain is wrong. He doesn’t even know how many homes he has. … We’ve seen the McCain position as just a continuation of the Bush Administration. It’s President Bush’s policies that got us into the mess that we have now. And it’s not only a short term crisis, it’s long term and it has to be addressed. Workers are having a tough time. The wage inequality that’s out there is unbelievable, and health care and retirement security are threatened. Those are some of the reasons that we’re not supporting John McCain."
When we launched McCain's Mansions, you recognized that McCain is out of touch with hard-working Americans. That's why you spread it around and got the mainstream media to take notice and question McCain on this issue. It exposed McCain for the elitist he really is, and turned our ailing economy into a number one issue for Democrats.
Now's your chance to keep the economy front and center by spreading McCain's Million Dollar Parking Lot. Let everyone know that while the majority of Americans are struggling to make mortgage payments and pay for necessities like health insurance and gas, John McCain has a parking lot worth $1 million more than the average home.
EMAIL
PRINT
3 COMMENTS
PERMALINK