by Bill Lackemacher [courtesy of Blog for America]

The Mainstream Media ignored them. We won't let their stories go silent!
Please join us tomorrow evening, Wed. April 2nd, for this important event!

WHAT: Sacramento for Democracy's April Meeting
WHEN: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 7:00 - 9:00pm
WHERE: Arden-Dimmick Library
891 Watt Av (Watt & Northop Ave)
map: http://tinyurl.com/2ly68v

Were you able to watch Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan last month? Like many of us, you were not able to see this important event. As expected, the corporate, mainstream media completely ignored this testimony. Are they afraid that the American people will learn the truth about our occupation of these two countries?

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Reuters has a story on the wire with the headline: "Poll: Most Americans don't read political blogs."
 
I can only think the story was written for the mainsteam media, the top client of Reuters. The headline should have been "Nearly One Quarter of Americans Read Political Blogs Regularly."

Think about it. How many folks -- besides us political junkies -- care about political news at all. Given that less than half of all Americans vote at all, it's amazing to me that nearly one quarter of Americans read political blogs "regularly."

The big surprise was on the demographics, where, once again, mainstream media thinks the Internet is a kid's toy. The largest audience for political blogs, says the article, is ages 63 and older. And that just happens to be the age group that votes the most.

Here's the article. Read it and weep.
 

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

In the highlight reel this morning is this story from the Contra Costa Times, which picks up on several of my recent posts here on the California Majority Report exposing the heavy Republican donations to the so-called "bipartisan" redistricting effort being put forward by Governor Schwarzenegger and other big Republican donors.

The fact that the mainstream media is picking up on the story is significant in itself. Redistricting has gotten more positive press than Obama in the early days; this is the first article that goes beyond the concept of redistricting and focuses on the flawed nature and motivations of the "Voters First" initiative.

The article notes the heavy contributions by Schwarzenegger contributions and big name Republicans.

If they don't fix that, they're in trouble," Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and the Media at Sacramento State University who has served on the Voices of Reform board advocating redistricting reform, said in the article. "If Democrats don't start contributing, people will say who's this helping, and whose ox is being gored?"

There's more...

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Mary Lyon

The last few days offer a lesson in contrast in how dissenters in this country can expect to be treated. The evidence appears at opposite ends of a spectrum - both undesirable extremes. It looks as though, if you want to raise your voice against the establishment, you'll either be completely ignored, or severely shocked, several times, with taser guns. Perhaps this is the only kind of choice issue that the establishment supports.

Over the weekend, numerous large-scale events were held all over the country, from the thousands who formed the word "IMPEACH" on the beach near San Francisco to the tens of thousands who marched in Washington D.C. And my-oh-my what coverage! All over everywhere - NOT. I saw precisely NOTHING on CNN, and MSNBC, with the standard slant you'd expect from Pox Noise, overinflating the underwhelming numbers of pro-war protesters and low-balling the size of the anti-war crowds. I was struck by the way the large demonstrations were placed on "ignore" by the networks. The coverage I did see, I had to seek out on the internet, where there were scores of photos taken by multiple participants. There were many wide shots that showed the proverbial sea of humanity fading far back into the distance. Wherever it was, they filled the place.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Okay, so I have to admit I often like what I read by Tony Quinn, the well-regarded, oft-quoted, co-publisher of the non-partisan "Target Book." But for crying out loud, Tony is a life-long Republican. Do you think the mainstream media could start identifying him as such?
 
In the past two weeks, Quinn penned a favorable review of the Republican power grab in the Sacramento Bee, and was cited as "editor of the non-partisan Target Book." In the LA Times, when attacking a Democratic redistricting plan, he got the same billing. And here's how NBC-TV11 listed him today: political analyst.
 
Funny that his bio for the Target Book doesn't mention that he's a Republican. Readers have no idea that the work he lists there for redistricting for the Assembly for 1981 and 1991 was for Republicans. Nor that he obviously has a confict of interest in more turnover and competitive elections as editor of a publication that thrives on such things.
 
Being on the young side myself, I had no idea he was a Republican until I was talking to Steve Maviglio the other day about one of Quinn's op-eds. He seemed startled I didn't know.
 
I'm proud to be a Democrat, and I'm sure Mr. Quinn is proud to be a Republican. Hopefully the mainstream media will let their readers know as well.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

It is really the fault of the mainstream media. Reacting to critical pressure from the right, editors everywhere caution reporters not to be “partisan” in their coverage – which means not to favor the Democrats or Republicans.

Republicans know this – and exploit it to their advantage.

Typical is the latest outrage revealed in the hearings on the Justice Department’s firings and their relationship to Republican Party efforts to intimidate poor and minority voters out of exercising their right to vote.

Ohio Republicans sent thousands of letters with first class postage, “return requested – do not forward” instructions to minority voters. If the voter does not sign the “receipt,” the postman brings with the letter (because he’s not home or doesn’t want to sign for a letter with Republican Party stamped all over it), then he’s “challenged” at the polls for residency fraud.

Labeled “vote caging”(for locking up a likely Democratic vote),

The tactic has been tried and blocked by Federal Courts – in Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina and now Ohio.

by jra [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Cross-posted at votehope2008.org

The mainstream media has discovered Vote Hope, and it seems like they can't quite get their heads around it.

While we are thankful for the publicity (any press is good press as long as they get the url right!), it's clear that it's going to be a little difficult for some people to grasp an independent campaign that isn't designed to ruthlessly smear someone. News stories published in two places today, both the L.A. Times and MSNBC's "First Read", are focusing on the past history of negative independent campaigns, rather than on the reality of what Vote Hope is trying to do in California.