Barack Obama: ISIS being contained

President Obama Doesn't Think ISIS Is 'Gaining Strength'

ABC News

Published on Nov 13, 2015

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos sits down with the president.

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Does America have a Government Controlled Media?

Well, I wouldn't say that we take a random sample to assess whether the country's media is biased.

I have a few 'journalists' in mind...

Let's take a look at 3 young turks of the news media, and analyze their political inclination (persuasion).

• Chuck Todd: Moderator of  NBC's weekly Sunday news program, Meet the Press. 

Before coming to the world of political reporting and analysis, Todd earned practical political experience on initiative campaigns in Florida and various national campaigns based in Washington, D.C.^[7] While in college, Todd worked for the 1992 presidential campaign of Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and later started part-time at The Hotline.

Todd resides in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife, Kristian Denny Todd, daughter Margaret, and son Harrison.^[17] Kristian Denny Todd is a communications professional and cofounder of Maverick Strategies and Mail, which provides direct mail and consulting services for Democratic candidates and progressive causes;^[17][18][19] she was spokesperson for Senator candidate Jim Webb.^[20] He received the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition for his work in journalism from Marymount University during its sixty-second commencement ceremony.^[21]

• George Stephanopoulos:  Today he is chief anchor^[4] and chief political correspondent forABC News, co-anchor of ABC News' Good Morning America, and host of ABC's Sunday morning This Week.^[5]
  Stephanopoulos is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.^[6]

Stephanopoulos was, along with David Wilhelm and James Carville, a leading member of Clinton's 1992 U.S. presidential campaign. His role on the campaign is portrayed in the documentary film The War Room (1993).

At the outset of Clinton's presidency, Stephanopoulos served as the de facto press secretary, briefing the press even though Dee Dee Myers was officially the White House Press Secretary. Later, he was moved to Senior Advisor on Policy and Strategy, when Myers began personally conducting the briefings (following several verbal missteps by Stephanopoulos) and David Gergen was brought in as the new White House Communications Director. The move was largely viewed as a rebuke to Stephanopoulos's handling of public relations during the first six months of the Clinton administration.^{[by whom?][citation needed]}

• Jay Carney: After more than three years as President Obama's press secretary, Jay Carney, 49, joined CNN on Sept. 10. Personally recruited by CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker, whom Carney met during the 1990s when wife Claire Shipman was White House correspondent for NBC News, Carney says he's not thinking about a long-term TV career. Rather, the former Time magazine D.C. bureau chief is keeping his options open while sparring with the likes of John McCain.

Prior to his appointment as Press Secretary he was director of communications for Vice President Joe Biden. Carney previously served as Washington Bureau Chief for Time magazine, a post he held from September 2005 until December 2008, and as a regular contributor in the "roundtable" segment of ABC News' This Week with George Stephanopoulos. President Obama announced he had accepted Carney's resignation as press secretary on May 30, 2014.

The White House Press Corps noted that while President Obama promised a more transparent administration, CNN's Brianna Keilar notes, "anyone here can tell you there's less access than under the Bush administration".^[9] Carney proceeded to cite the rise of internet journalism for making photojournalists obsolete, but promised the White House would do everything it could to rectify this problem. ^[11]



Well, does my assertion that these youthful democrats manifest a distorted and biased opinion impress anyone?  It simply baffles me how they can get away with calling themselves journalists, when they should more appropriately be called political agents promoting a party's agenda. 

Well does America have a government controlled media?

Just in case you had any doubts; By simply examining these three newscasters, I hope that now you can see that it does not.

Arsenio.

Resources

Wikipedia
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/obama-alum-jay-carney-new-733404
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Dan Pfeiffer: IRS Behavior ‘Inexcusable’ Whether or Not Illegal

US News | Syria News | More ABC News Videos

By Benjamin Bell
@benjaminbell
Follow on Twitter

May 19, 2013 9:38am

This morning on “This Week,” White House Senior Adviser Dan Pfeiffer told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that the legality surrounding the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service is “irrelevant,” but called the behavior “outrageous and inexcusable.”

READ MORE

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DeMint: 'Grateful' to Live in a Country Where People can 'Love Who They Want', Live the Way They Want'

May 06, 2013 06:00 AM

By Nicole Belle





I wonder how much input the Heritage Foundation had on Reince Preibus' GOP 'autopsy', that recommended that the GOP lighten up on the anti-gay rhetoric to keep from alienating the younger voters. Former senator Jim DeMint--who stepped down from the Senate to become president of the Heritage Foundation--certainly took the advice to heart and sounded decidedly un-DeMintlike during a panel discussion of Jason Collins on This Week:


MATALIN: It's all political. I grew up with the Bears and the Black Hawks and the Bulls, the last bastion of political correctness-free fun and entertainment. Now the liberals have politically invaded the last bastion of politics-free zone. We don't care who, as a sports fan, we don't care who you make out with, we just want you to make your shot. Make your shot.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Amen to that.

(CROSSTALK)

DEMINT: I'm just grateful we live in a country where people can love who they want and live the way they want.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Move on. Okay.


Wait, wha-whut? Is this the same Jim DeMint that said openly gay people shouldn't be allowed to teach in schools? The same man, when called out for that, defended himself by saying he didn't think unmarried pregnant women should be allowed to teach either? The same man who said that opposing gay marriage was necessary because same sex marriage hurt limited government? The same man who warned that Obamacare was turning America into Iran?

Could Jim DeMint be getting more liberal in his retirement, or is this just yet another cynical political ploy to fool more voters?


Source
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Pat Caddell Says: Media Have Become an "Enemy of the American people"

Published on Sep 27, 2012 by aimaccuracy

For full transcript please go to: http://www.aim.org/video/pat-caddell-the-audacity-of-corruption/

In recent remarks to an AIM conference, "ObamaNation: A Day of Truth," former Democratic pollster and analyst Pat Caddell said, "I think we're at the most dangerous time in our political history in terms of the balance of power in the role that the media plays in whether or not we maintain a free democracy." Caddell noted that while First Amendment protections were originally provided to the press so they would protect the liberty and freedom of the public from "organized governmental power," they had clearly relinquished the role of impartial news providers. Nowhere was this more evident than during the tragic death of a U.S. ambassador in Libya that was lied about for nine days, because the press and the administration did not want to admit it was a terrorist attack. "We've had nine days of lies over what happened because they can't dare say it's a terrorist attack, and the press won't push this," said Caddell. "Yesterday there was not a single piece in The New York Times over the question of Libya. Twenty American embassies, yesterday, are under attack. None of that is on the national news. None of it is being pressed in the papers." Caddell added that it is one thing for the news to have a biased view, but "It is another thing to specifically decide that you will not tell the American people information they have a right to know."

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ABC Officially Responds to Stephanopoulos-Emanuel Phone Call Questions

Thursday, Feb 05

ABC Officially Responds to Stephanopoulos-Emanuel Phone Call

Since last week's Politico story about the regular phone calls between former Clinton White House'ers Rahm Emanuel, George Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala and James Carville, several conservative outlets have raised the question of a conflict of interest.

Media Research President Brent Bozell has been one of the most vocal critics (Rush Limbaugh's callers also jammed the ABC News phone lines). Bozell, who makes a claim not part of the Politico story that these are "strategy phone calls," requested ABC respond to the story on Newsbusters and in an open letter. "With each passing day, ABC's failure to speak to and about this issue tarnishes further the network's reputation as a legitimate news entity," he writes.

Today, ABC responded to Bozell and other critics, although they say there have been several prior on-the-record responses ignored by Media Research Center. "To be crystal clear, George Stephanopoulos does not advise Rahm Emanuel nor anyone else in the Obama Administration," says the letter from SVP of editorial quality, Kerry Smith. "He reports on the Obama Administration. He speaks to Mr. Emanuel, a friend he has known for nearly two decades, as a source, just as he speaks to countless sources across the political spectrum each and every day."

Politico also later wrote "I don't think they have the story quite right," regarding Bozell's claims.

Click continued to see the full response letter from ABC...

Dear Mr. Bozell,

Thank you for your letter regarding George Stephanopoulos.

To be crystal clear, George Stephanopoulos does not advise Rahm Emanuel nor anyone else in the Obama Administration. He reports on the Obama Administration. He speaks to Mr. Emanuel, a friend he has know for nearly two decades, as a source, just as he speaks to countless sources across the political spectrum each and every day. That is his job as an anchor and reporter and one that he does according to the highest standards.

In your letter and public utterances you falsely assert that ABC News has been silent on this matter. That is simply untrue. Upon reading your press release last week, we reached out to the MRC to make it abundantly clear that you had totally mischaracterized the Politico story written by John Harris last Tuesday. Indeed, Politico posted a story last Friday by Ben Smith pointing out exactly how badly you had mangled the facts. In that post, Harris stated that, " The calls are certainly a fascinating Washington ritual, but by no means do I think that George Stephanopoulos is participating in strategy sessions. To my mind, he established his journalistic bona fides more than a decade ago, even as the Clinton administration was still underway, when he showed his willingness to report aggressively on Democrats as well as Republicans." To give further lie to your claim that ABC News has not responded to your distortions, our senior vice president was quoted in the Politico story saying, "George speaks to Emanuel, but he speaks to plenty of conservatives and Republicans every single day -- that's part of his job. The idea that there is some kind of daily conference call that George hops on is just nonsense and not true."

Furthermore, last Friday, a reporter from CNS News, which was founded by you and continues to be directly affiliated with the MRC, contacted our media relations staff

for a piece he'd been assigned to write on this very topic. We cooperated immediately and provided him an on the record response. We have since learned from your reporter that his story was killed.

You have said, "if the charges are false, provide the evidence. We will gladly accept it and consider the matter closed." From the moment you issued your first press release on the Politico story last week - and numerous times since - we have made it clear to you and your staff that your assertions regarding Mr. Stephanopoulos and ABC News are false and based on a willful and knowing distortion of John Harris' original story.

Sincerely,

Kerry Smith
Senior Vice President, Editorial Quality, ABC News

Posted by SteveK 12:57 PM

Source: http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/abc/abc_officially_responds_to_stephanopoulosemanuel_phone_call_questions_107871.asp

THE CLINTON YEARS

THE CLINTON YEARS


INTERVIEW: George Stephanopolous
As Communications Director of Clinton's 1992 campaign, he helped set up the War Room that responded aggressively to attacks. He then became an advisor at the White House, but left after Clinton's first term. He wrote a 1999 book on his experiences in the Clinton campaign and presidency, All Too Human: A Political Education.

Interview conducted June, July 2000 by Chris Bury

When you decide to join up with Clinton and Clinton decides to have you on the team, what is it about him that catches your eye? Oh, the smarts. The guy had thought everything through, both on the politics and the policy. When I interviewed for the job, it wasn't really an interview. It was me listening basically for an hour and a half to Governor Clinton just go through the entire landscape of the campaign. And in the very first time I talked to him . . . he said, "It's all going to come down to Illinois on March 17. If I win the game in Illinois, I win Illinois, and I'll get the nomination." That's exactly what happened. But he had it in his head back in September. I thought it was just to be a terrific experience. That this was a smart guy who was going to move the party a little bit, bring ideas into the campaign and have a noble loss. Even if he got the nomination, George Bush looked unbeatable. But I thought it would be a terrific, important experience. But at some level, I think even if Clinton thought that maybe what he was doing was a sort of doing a practice run, he also had this unbelievable inner confidence. You had to choose. You were torn between Kerrey and Clinton at that point? Yes. I interviewed with both of them on the same day. And it was entirely different experiences. Kerrey was attractive, I mean, cerebral in a different way from Clinton, not as earthy as Clinton, a little more ethereal. . . . What was also different about the interviews is that -- and now this has become common wisdom to everybody else, but at that time it was a new experience -- this notion of meeting someone who is not just in your face, but kind of in your skin from the moment he meets you. You just feel completely connected to him when he turns to you. The difference for me in the end was Clinton. I agreed with both of them on the issues. There weren't that many big differences between them on the issues. But Clinton made you feel like a part of his team from the minute you met him. Early in the campaign in November, there is a speech in Memphis. What's going through your mind as you're watching Clinton? It was in an arena that had been transformed into a church. There were about 15,000 or 18,000 members of the Church of God in Christ, which is basically an African-American church. Clinton had flown in from New Hampshire that day. We met with him a little bit before the speech, but then went out into the crowd to watch. We saw him, far away, surrounded by this circle of black preachers, almost looking like a fighter surrounded by his entourage. And he was completely composed. His face didn't betray any sign of emotion, or any sign that he was thinking. But what I later learned was that he was composing his speech in his head. And then when he got up to give the speech, I was completely blown away because it was this music where he tied together his experiences in New Hampshire with the economic challenges facing the African-American community. And then he gave this message that both talked about how we have to, yes, invest more in your communities, but we also have to take more responsibility. If you're on welfare, you have to work. Usually you would think a white politician, a Democrat, wouldn't do that before a black audience. And I kind of held my breath thinking, "Was he going to get booed?" And they cheered. And what I immediately went back to -- and maybe it was just something I was just wishing for -- but I thought, "My gosh, this is our Bobby Kennedy. This is the guy who can bring blacks and whites together the way that Bobby Kennedy promised to do back in 1968." And for a lot of Democrats my age, Bobby is even more of an icon than Jack. Bobby was the great hope, the first person that we really were aware of politically. And I remember thinking that night: maybe Clinton can do it. The campaign is just taking off in New Hampshire. In January, the Gennifer Flowers story breaks. How do you decide to deal with it when the Star hits? . . . This was supposed to be a nothing event. The debate had been the night before. This was an early morning stop at a coffee shop. Clinton had pretty much beat back Jerry Brown and most of his questions the night before. And we always started slow in the Clinton campaign. Mornings are not Clinton at his best time. So we weren't planning on doing anything big there. I was sitting with Paul, chatting with a few reporters, drinking a cup of coffee in the coffee shop, while they did their thing meeting with people. And then all the sudden, Hillary starts to do this kind of impromptu press conference. Reporters had gathered around. I don't remember much of what she said, except the words that everyone would soon know, "tea and cookies." And it was just like bam, all of us all of a sudden we perked up and said, "That's going to be a problem." Because it was just too good a phrase. You know it was just impossible for any reporter sitting there that day not to use the most resonant, rich, colloquial phrase she could possibly use to describe her choice to work in a law firm as opposed to staying at home. And we knew it was a problem. But nobody wanted to tell her, because that wouldn't be fun at all. And I was sitting there with Paul, like the old commercial, saying, "No, I'm not going to do it. You go do it." "No, I'm not going to do it -- you go do it." "Let Mandy do it." Because we knew it was a problem the minute she said "tea and cookies." And we knew a lot of people would take it as proof that she is this radical feminist who has no respect for traditional women. And we're going to have to try to clean it up. Of course, there was no cleaning it up, because the words were already out there. Why were you reluctant to tell Mrs. Clinton? Why this fear about informing her yourself? Because then I would become the embodiment of all those people across the country who called her a radical feminist who didn't respect traditional women. And I didn't feel like that at 7:45 in the morning leading into the Illinois primary. It would not have been pretty. That's kind of a weird thing with staffers. You get the opportunity to question your boss under the pretense that you're just playing the reporter, which is very true, and you're only doing your job by asking the toughest questions. But I think it's understandable for someone like Mrs. Clinton in that situation to say, "Who do you think you are, coming at me like that?" even if it's the right thing at this moment. So, no, I didn't gladly volunteer for that assignment. And I avoided it quite successfully. She took it pretty well coming from Mandy. We actually thought it would be a little better if it came from a woman, rather than one of these young white boys on the staff. She tried to fix it. She tried to say that she didn't mean to say any disrespect. I don't remember the exact words she used, but the damage was done. And I think "tea and cookies" was pretty much of a roadblock on the evening news that night. A little later, there is a focus group in Charleston, West Virginia, looking at video. And you're all gathered around watching with the governor. What happened? Yes. We're trying to figure out the damage that had been done, not only by the "tea and cookies," but just the overall primary campaign. . . . But the footage that was used for Hillary was footage from election night, 1992, in New Hampshire. where she did, She had this elaborate Nefertiti-style hairdo that night, one that I've never seen since, and had not seen before. And it really was something. We were all sitting around the focus group watching these dials, and up until that point they had been pretty steady. And then this picture of Mrs. Clinton comes on and the dial groups go like wild, and Clinton doesn't miss a beat. He just says, "Oh, they don't like her hair." I'm sitting next to James on the couch and he starts to grind his fist into my thigh because it was like someone farted in church and we were about to start laughing uncontrollably. And we were just holding it in and he's grinding his fist into my thigh. And we finally, we're not breathing, we finally run out of the room, get into the hallway, and just break up laughing. Looking back, it was kind of sweet that Clinton said that. His instinct was to protect her. He's a smart politician and he knew that we had a pretty serious problem coming out of "tea and cookies" and that a lot of people had very strong feelings about Mrs. Clinton. And he was just being protective of her in that moment. We didn't dwell on it that day.

Copyright ©2000 ABC News Internet Ventures.

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/interviews/stephanopoulos.html