Roll out!
For those who have not yet read Dana Houle’s post about Jane Hamsher’s duplicity, you should do so. The article speaks for itself. For my part, the revelation is unsurprising. Also unsurprising? That her acolytes rush to defend her, usually with some version of the “Obama sucks” song.
I suspect, however, that while their cognitive dissonance won’t permit them to draw the obvious conclusion — that Hamsher has played them like a fiddle, spouting her special brand of Obama Derangement in order to loosen their wallets — it is still necessary to draw attention to her chicanery in the hopes that the media will stop treating Hamsher like she is some Progressive darling when she so plainly is nothing of the sort. (And when she selectively edits her appearances on the MSM in order to make herself seem more politically savvy than she is.)
I’m sure I need not remind you of Jane’s purported loathing for people who attack Democrats from the outside. You know… veal pen and all that. So what does one call heading up a company that sells ads for Republicans? Elephant Pen, perhaps?
What does one call a person who heads up a company that sells ads for Republican and who simultaneously systematically attacks Democrats (Obama, Reid, etc.), while seemingly doing NOTHING ELSE?
Ratfucker. That’s what.
In fact, Matt Osborne of Osborne Ink and Crooks and Liars wrote about Hamsher’s ratfuckery months ago — “Nixon Had A Word for People Like Jane Hamsher” — and drew this response from Kevin Gosztola: “Jane Hamsher is No “Ratfucker” (And She Shouldn’t Be Required to Show Progressive Credentials Either) – with Updates.” Even Gosztola, however, had to recognize a bit of double-dealing:
[Osborne] goes after Hamsher for using a web ad company that took money from BP. Fair enough, but this seemed to be something that happened because BP purchased ads as part of their greenwashing campaign. BP effectively tried to intimidate ThinkProgress, Crooks and Liars, AmericaBlog, Eschaton and other liberal blogs relying on ad revenue from Common Sense Media. It threatened to pull ads if they were found to be appearing near posts that were “offensive” or critical of BP. Pulling the ad, of course, would mean loss of ad revenue, which is often the life’s blood for blogs. Those familiar with Firedoglake know they had a BP Oil Disaster campaign that was funded by donations. It is likely that they took a minimal amount of money if any.
Needless to say, Osborne clearly woke the beast. At Netroots Nation this past weekend, Osborne was offered a paid writing gig in “the movement,” (his words) but was informed that he “would need to “dial back” his criticism of Hamsher.
Seriously.
Ask him.
Or read his twitter stream from June 17.
Or read the below Chirpstory:
You tell me: What exactly is progressive about this woman? That she is tolerant of other views in her blog space? That she takes a hard-line against the use of racist dogwhistles? That she would never employ blackface to make a point? That she takes a hard stance against using the term “nigger” to describe Democrats and ensures that her moderators and diarists do as well?
Oh right, she does the exact opposite of those things.
So, the answer is nothing. There is nothing progressive or righteous about Jane Hamsher, as far as I can tell. She’s fleecing her readers and taking advantage of the Progressive movement in the same way that Arianna Huffington did.
So now can we require her to show her progressive credentials?
Well what if I were to tell you that she has been instrumental in rolling out a Primary Obama bus billboard that will be covering — wait for it — only black neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.
Yup:
The “Primary Obama” campaign over at www.epicstep.com was successful and the bus ads are finally placed. Because it took the company so long to place the ads they decided to give us six ads instead of one. Perhaps they are sympathetic to the cause?
Here is the original ad.
I had to reformat it to fit on a bus instead of a billboard but the message is the same.
Heavy Downtown coverage from 16th Street NW eastward into portions of Northeast DC coverage including Capitol Hill, Chinatown, Metro Center, Union Station, L’Enfant Plaza, Mt Vernon-convention center neighborhood, McPherson Sq, NoMa, Thomas Circle, Logan Circle, Columbia Heights, Mt Pleasant, Adams Morgan, Shaw, U Street Corridor, Cardozo.1
I grew up and have lived in DC for years. I have one question for Jane Hamsher:
Why no coverage in Dupont Circle? Georgetown? Cleveland Park? Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring? You know — where the white folks are?
Could this be the reason?
Much better would be to go on the offensive, IMO. I.e., exploit this dustup [sic] (with West’s blessings, of course), to take things to a higher level. Specifically, West, with the NPA’s backing, could undertake an education program, with the initial target the US black community, of teaching them about, say, Obama’s Top 10 betrayals, and Obama’s Top 5 betrayals of Afro-Americans.
Nah, couldn’t be.
Jane would never do that.
1 For your Google-fu since I’m not going to link to FDL, use these search strings to find the relevant posts: (1) “Jane Hamsher is No “Ratfucker” (And She Shouldn’t Be Required to Show Progressive Credentials Either) – with Updates” and (2) “Primary Obama Bus Ads go live in Washington D.C.!!!”
[cross-posted at Balloon Juice]
I wonder if Hamsher would be willing to appear in any of the areas in D.C. where these ads are running and make a real live speech about primarying President Obama while standing beside one of these buses as the residents board, or get off, it? I think not. I don’t think she’d like the response she’d receive.
Thanks for writing this ABL. I’ve been asking for some time just what the hell is so “progressive” about anything that Hamster spouts off or does. Oh, well, unless of course being a fucking media attention whore qualifies as “progressive”. This bus stunt is a joke and so is the so-called New Progressive Alliance that’s apparently in on it. But I’m sure The US Black Community is most grateful for Mz Jane’s wonderful attempt to reedjoomicate them about the evils and betrayals of Mr. Fake Black President Obama Who’s Really a Republican. Fucking assholes.
“fucking obnoxious privileged children living on the battles fought decades ago.” Bazonga.
How progressive is it for Jane to “slime” Caroline Kennedy with sexist language? (not repeating)
Kanye said it best “She doesn’t care about Black people.” Actually she is contemptous of them. Perhaps she needs a plantation built?
OMFG.
What a fucking chickenshit coward John Cole is.
“Banned at Balloon-Juice!” is the “Banned in Boston!” of the 21st century. This will probably kill our server. :-)
What did I miss?!?! Are you now persona non grata at John Cole’s joint
Wow. I’m a little drunk and not quite sure how to react. Right now I’m laughing my ass off.
I can’t in good conscience continue to post there anymore, which is a shame because I’m gonna have a lot of shit to say in the run-up to the election.
NOBODY PUTS ABL IN A CORNER!!!!111one
In Soviet Union, birthday boy spanks you.
Those DC locations just look like Figaro was trying to cover downtown locations where the federal government workers are. I don’t see how you can make a race thing out of those areas, those are not predominantly black areas.
Oh no. I’m a native Washingtonian who now lives in Silver Spring. ABL has called this one 1000% correct. I know DC and it’s obvious that Jane wants to target those areas that are predominately African American.
Hahaha! And a scant hour after removing ABL’s post from Balloon-Juice, Cole blinks and reinstates it with his objections noted at the end.
I didn’t even have time to draft an online petition!
Cole is a wishy-washy fool. Probably can’t take a piss without seeing what direction the wind is blowing. You guys are too good for BJ and should stay well away.
NO WAY. Cole banned you? Oh that’s some serious bullshittery there. Is he crushing on Hamsher or something?
My opinion is that a lot of unbright dudes (and to be equal opportunity, perhaps dudesses)do. I think she sends out perversion pheromones or something.
So many things to make me want to beat my head against the wall, so little time.
From the HP link in the first tweet:
One way to ensure Democrats do not take progressive votes for granted is to stop voting for Democrats, Choi said.
Didn’t Schultz say that once? How well is that working for the people of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio….
Terrific article by Dana Houle. She who claims to be a progressive and demands that the president must be a progressive purist, well the discovery makes her words laughable. It doesn’t matter how many of her followers try to defend her, there’s no way to pretty-up the fact that she sells ads, etc., to Republicans. They’ve been dang hood-winked and their egos are too large to admit it.
I’m guessing the following is from JH’s website?
Because it took the company so long to place the ads they decided to give us six ads instead of one. Perhaps they are sympathetic to the cause?
No, they’re probably not sympathetic to the cause. They’re probably Republicans.
I was stunned to read:
At Netroots Nation this past weekend, Osborne was offered a paid writing gig in “the movement,” (his words) but was informed that he “would need to “dial back” his criticism of Hamsher.
Oh my. Talk about silencing one’s critics. And these people call themselves progressives? I have to wonder if JH’s bloggers are also required to “dial back” positive words about PBO. This revelation also makes me wonder how many bloggers have sold their souls to the company store…
This is one of the reasons why I have lost so much respect for the netroots. All of these accusations of President Obama and Dems as “sell-outs” are complete projection. It is the height of intellectual dishonesty and informational degradation to assert that because of their financial and relationship investment within this lefty new media “movement,” one must alter criticism of BP or Jane Hamsher. Shame on these people, really. Particularly the people who have witnessed Hamsher’s horribleness yet won’t stand against the crowd because she’s part of the clique (i.e., the person who noted that Osborne would likely have to dial back his criticism of Hamsher yet told stories which indicate what a horrible person she is). This is Mean Girls on steroids, parasitically attached to a bona fide effort to create positive change. Hamsher doesn’t seem to be very popular with netroots readers. Yet she’s part of the handful of people who control blog spaces in the nutroots. Thus, she was allowed to sit on a panel at nn, and was able to completely hijack that convention and have it yield a media message of progressives supposedly hating President Obama. Over and over again the voices of liberals are co-opted, with self-destructive messages, memes and narratives used to get individuals media fame at the direct expense of progress.
ABL, please stand your ground, and thank you for writing about more GOP-enabling hijinks from Hamsher. Also educational is hearing yet another story of the manner in which Hamsher uses purse strings to silence disapproval of her disgusting behavior and obvious wish to help the right to displace President Obama, no matter the terrible price which the country would pay if that happened (for example, if the next POTUS is Republican and gets to select S. Ct. appointees, it’s over). She is a complete disaster for progressive politics IMO.
Standing O, gn. How I wish I had your way with words.
I did read in an article that 80% of people polled at NN approve/strongly approve of PBO. The media, however, loves to focus on the negative.
starshine, I thought that your comment was perfect and had a terrific insight about Hamsher shamelessly accusing other people of silencing her and her followers, while attempting to use her personal connections within the netroots clique to indeed silence critics. It’s so ridiculous that the netroots is controlled by a handful of people who are ideologically out of tune with their own readership! What gives? Huffington, Hamsher, Moulitsas, etc. shouldn’t be trusted to be the voices of liberalism. I’ve seen all demand purity of President Obama while making numerous concessions to the status quo and holding themselves to a far different standard. The situation is untenable. That 80% of nn convention attendees approve of President Obama yet the biggest media story is of a panel of sour, nasty people bashing POTUS and OFA speaks to how moderates are being used to give credibility and a megaphone to the fringe. This situation has to change IMO.
Please, please stay at BJ. Anything that makes some people reveal themselves (ultimately, perhaps, to themselves) is good. I can’t promise to get in early enough to make much of a difference in the threads, but I do enjoy slapping down the odd idiot when I can. It’s unworthy of me, but kinda fun.
Sorry, just trying to find my mind..which ABL just blew to hell and back w/this writeup. I had no idea. No I ain’t stupid, I just don’t spend hours on end online reading everything about The Hamster. Now I have like 10 tabs open in my browser reading everything I can find.
Obama has pissed me off, I ain’t gonna lie. And I say I will consider voting third party but I know I won’t. Would I rather have Obama than any R running the country? In my final analysis..yes I would.
My brown ass might not be the brightest bulb on the tree but if you work against your own self-interests, like Janey seems to be doing..doesn’t that make you a Republican? Or perhaps she is just working both sides of the street like a good capitalist?
I hate to say this, but I don’t see Balloon Juice being able to handle ABL for very much longer. There were some Twitter instances where John revealed a side that makes me think that. I hope it doesn’t happen, but I’m not that confident that John isn’t bowing to pressure from the money blogs or some other reason. We need a new consortium of left blogs, not a group think thing, but a group who is dedicated to advancing liberal (fuck the word progressive) causes. Forward looking, critical of POTUS when appropriate, but with the goal of registering our complaints, not hurting him and thus helping the GOP. I’ll stop before I get preachy.
Your piece was solid, ABL. Anyone who doesn’t think Jane Hamsher was aware of and approved of the bus ads is fooling themselves, to put it politely. To put it not so politely, has their head up their ass or is afraid of the vindictive Janey Hamsher.
yep.
the swiftness and viciousness with which a bunch of brand-new commenters rushed to slag me was unlike anything i’ve ever seen.
notably, they don’t come HERE to slag me. i think hamsher thinks if she sends enough minions to complain about how awful i am, cole will bow to pressure.
he won’t.
he might have pulled my post for a hot minute, but he never banned me. i think he was truly worried about legal liability which, as i told him, is silly.
and if he ever got sued by hamsher or whomever, i told him i’d fly to west bumfuck and defend his ass pro bono.
if she wants to silence me, she needs to come after ME. going after cole isn’t going to fly. cole isn’t just the BJ overlord, he’s my friend.
so in conclusion,
try harder, firebaggers. it’s going to take a lot more than the weak display yesterday to shut a bitch up.
\m/
Hamsher is as much a progressive as is Rupert Murdoch.
She’s as deeply entwined with the Libertarian psychotics as is Greenwald. And that somehow, those fancying themselves “progressive” put any stock in either shows us why things are in the state they’re in on the left. Really, why is it so easy to misdirect lefties into fratricide?
Because lefties want to be honest, and fair, and principled. It truly is beneath contempt, the people taking financial and emotional advantage of that.
I have no problems whatsoever with honesty and fairness.
Principles, though, are a two-edged sword. They are fine things we can employ to inform us and provide a foundational guide for life.
They can also become a substitute for such things. See Glenn Greenwald as an example. His “principles” instead have formed him a carefully constructed set of abstractions that sit at variance with, and often in opposition to, the real lives of real people.
In those instances, principles become their counterfeit – ideology.
Ideology demands, even requires, that such real-world concerns subordinate themselves to a purity of thought. That is dangerous.
I have friends who survived (though some of their family members did not) either Mao or Pol Pot in turn. I had distant family members live in the Poland divided by Germany and Russia in 1939. Those are just a small set of examples of what happens when people become less important than ideological coherence.
So, principles, yes, fine, so long as they are in the service of improving the lives of those who live in the three-dimensional space we call the real world, and so long as we have the good sense to employ the proper principles for the matter at hand.
Hamsher and Greenwald, along with far too many others, either demand rigid adherence to ideals over such things, or subvert the honest folks who would live as I describe above.
No less than the most extreme of the far right wing, such people represent overt danger to society.
I’m also going to go a bit deeper, on further thought.
What is it with our side and the concept of “losing pure” anyway? The notion that somehow a Dennis Kucinich* loss would be more noble than a Barack Obama win? Progress is not made by quantum leaps, it’s made by steps, one following the other, with the occasional detour and retrenchment. That’s how life always has been and always will be, and to say that it doesn’t have to be is pure (that term again) counterfactualism.
* Someone please tell me how a guy who could not win a statewide election in his home state can get elected President, if you are able. I don’t see it ever happening.
But how do the More Thoughtful Black Co-Citizens feel? That’s the real question! ;)
dunno what it is about Hamsher, but she sure scares the shit out of a lot of men.
It could be the disembodied testicle collection she keeps over her mantelpiece, but who knows.
Anyway, this is far from the first time Cole has gone whimpering for forgiveness, proverbial tail between legs, when he was afraid of pissing her off. Witness his APOLOGY to ddope the other day. That was sickening.
ABL, I think the only proper response to the Hamsher flying monkeys who showed up to comment on your post is “Hey now, I don’t go to Jane’s blog and knock Grover Norquist’s cock out of her mouth, do I?”