The head of Media Matters for America -- now out coordinating a new super PAC to help President Obama get reelected -- is operating his nonprofit organization in close coordination with the Obama White House, a new investigative report out Monday says.
David Brock, according to the Daily Caller, has collected a $250,000 annual salary for his work at MMFA, which includes daily screeds against Fox News Channel and other media outlets that allow conservative perspectives in their reporting.
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Brock's group, founded in 2004, is spending $20 million this year in a campaign to influence news coverage that sheds a positive image on the current administration as well as progressives and lawmakers in Congress.
And the campaign is going well, according to a former employee who told the DC that "virtually all the mainstream media" has used Media Matters' research.
"We were pretty much writing their prime time," the ex-employee was quoted saying of MSNBC.
Brock is also the head of American Bridge 21st Century, the political action committee that he has boasted would become a rival to Karl Rove's American Crossroads GPS.
Last week, the Obama reelection team dropped its objections to the use of super PACs, saying that the organizations are needed to compete against groups that are supporting Republican candidates.
American Bridge 21st Century and Media Matters share many of the same donors, according to Roll Call, which reported on Monday that the PAC raised $3.7 million from fewer than 50 individual donors and unions last year. Its sister nonprofit group, American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, raised an additional $2.7 million last year, and gave $223,000 of that money, which is not required to be reported, to the super PAC.
Roll Call added that Media Matters, which is classified as a nonprofit organization, raised $13.2 million in 2010, up from $6.7 million the year before, as reported in its most recent IRS filings.
While MMFA raises millions, the DC reports that the organization is in "regular contact with political operatives" in the Obama administration like senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, whom MMFA President Eric Burns and Brock met with in June 2010 at the White House.
The DC also claims Media Matters held weekly strategy calls with former White House deputy communications director Jen Psaki and other groups like the Center for American Progress. Psaki left the administration in October 2011.
Speaking at University of Pennsylvania last week, well-known Israel supporter and Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz reportedly warned the press about MMFA's operations.
"I have, and let me tell you, Max Blumenthal and Media Matters will be singlehandedly responsible for (Obama) losing this election," he is reported saying. The Democrats "cannot win the election and keep this affiliation with them."
It reported that Media Matters is also part of the Common Purpose Project, which meets weekly nearby the White House and is often attended by a representative from the Obama White House.
Media Matters is well-known for several campaigns against broadcasters and commentators. It is credited with getting Don Imus fired from his morning show on CNBC for a comment he made about the Rutgers' women's basketball team. Brock played a central role in that effort, the DC reports.
It also launched the "Drop Dobbs" campaign against then-CNN host Lou Dobbs, who now has a show on the Fox Business Network, over Dobbs' commentaries against illegal immigration.
"Media Matters produced and was prepared to run an advertisement against Ford Motor Company on Spanish language stations in Houston, San Antonio and other cities targeting its top selling product, pick-up trucks, in its top truck buying markets," an internal memo obtained by the DC reveals. Ford dropped its advertising from Dobbs' program before that happened.
The group is also responsible for the pressure placed on advertisers on Glenn Beck's former show on Fox News Channel. The DC reports that Media Matters worked with Color of Change, co-founded by former White House green jobs czar Van Jones. MMFA gave Color of Change's parent company $200,000 for a "campaign to expose Glenn Beck's racist rhetoric."
At the same time, Media Matters was working closely with MSNBC president Phil Griffin as well as with bloggers, reporters at the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, Politico and Washington Post reporter Greg Sargent, among others, to write Media Matters-directed stories, the DC reported.
"If you can't get it anywhere else, Greg Sargent's always game," a source reportedly with firsthand knowledge told the DC.
While commanding considerable influence in Washington media and political corners, the DC report describes Brock as "volatile," "erratic" and struggling with mania, a mental illness that manifests itself in grandiose behavior. He has reportedly admitted to drug use, specifically cocaine, and has previously discussed entering the psych ward at Sibley Hospital in Northwest Washington.
Those troubles may be the cause of what is perceived as paranoia on Brock's part, according to the DC, which reported that Brock maintained a phalange of bodyguards.
"He had more security than a Third World dictator," a Media Matters employee told the DC.
The need for personal security, including an assistant who carried a concealed weapon in Washington, D.C., despite very strict gun laws in the city, left Brock "terrified" that he would anger George Soros, a big source of funding for MMFA and a gun control advocate, a source told the Daily Caller.
@Cycloptichorn,
No argument, here.
There's a certain tribalism inherent in political parties, which is only human nature.
Interesting comments, Cyclo and DD, about the Republican confusion.
@Setanta,
What's even funnier is that the conservatives are dancing around the fact that our economy is improving, but the conservatives continues to lie about the progress - claiming they can do better without explaining how.
@DrewDad,
Thomas Friedman wrote:We need to hear conservative fiscal policies, energy policies, immigration policies and public-private partnership concepts
That's easy: just listen to Obama.
@cicerone imposter,
Even funnier is that the liberals continue to perpetuate Obama's lie that our economy is getting better, sadly we are all very familiar with Obama's chronic lying habit.
@H2O MAN,
Obama came out with his fiscal 2013 budget today. I commented on it on the "Where Is The Economy Headed" thread.
I am sure, H2O, that you saw the comments from the candidates. What did you think?
@realjohnboy,
I'm sure you saw Obama's pledge to give the Muslim Brotherhood $800 million...
@H2O MAN,
Um, No. Where did you see that? What did you make of the Repub candidates responses to the Obama budget?
This could be interesting. Indiana, like Virginia, has some tough rules for getting on the Republican Party primary ballot. A candidate has to collect 500 signatures in each of the 9 congressional districts.
Santorum fell 8 signatures short in one district.
The guy in charge of Republican primary is also head of the effort to get a win for Romney. He is declining to recuse himself. He says he will be "objective."
@realjohnboy,
You missed that?
It's in his fake ass non-budget.
@realjohnboy,
Did you hear that John? It's a fake-ass budget that the conservatives have already said "NO" to. No negotiations, just no!
@cicerone imposter,
Why would anyone say YES to a non-budget?
@H2O MAN,
Do you think that McConnell will follow through on his pledge to introduce a Republican budget in the next few weeks?
What did you make of the Republican candidates responses to the Obama budget plan? Paul's was amusing, eh?
@realjohnboy,
I have not seen any of the responses, but how can anyone call what
Obama just re-regurgitated any kind of a plan with a straight face?
I bet you were chuckling when you typed the question...
Finally, he reveals his present self:
Quote:""We are not auditioning for fearless leader. We don't need a president to tell us in what direction to go. We know what direction to go...We just need a president to sign this stuff. We don't need someone to think it up or design it...Pick a Republican with enough working digits to handle a pen...""
—Grover Norquist at CPAC
Interesting.
When George W. Bush was President, he proposed, along with Cheney and the rest of the gang, that the answer for them was an Imperial Presidency which wouldn't pay all that much attention to those pawns over on the Hill or whoever was in that marble building with all the stairs, the ones wearing robes.
Now that he thinks he's got enough of all of those rubes, both Hill and Court, in his pocket, he can reverse himself and reveal who he thinks is running this Democratic Republic.
Himself.
Oh, and, of course, his 1% backers.
And if enough of us peons keep carping about the lack of perfection in this current administration's efforts, he might be right.
Joe(They will have bought us all)Nation
Feb. 12, 2012. Where's that "groundswell" against Obama you think is happening, H2O? His lead is increasing.
@MontereyJack,
I don't get too excited about head to head polls this early. After the Republican convention Romney and Obama will take the gloves off, the super PAC's will start to weigh in and the poll numbers will start to settle.
@engineer,
Your right, however, the candidates have already been putting out negative ads against Obama and talk of him as much as they do each other. It is encouraging to me that so far it is not working. But your right, once a republican candidate gets settled on, (one wonders if that day will ever come) all those who were for the other guy will probably unite for the winner of the nomination and Obama's lead may shrink or disappear.
Another thing which gives me hope and I don't really see a big enthusiasm for any of the republican candidates but especially not for Romney.
