Is Harper Morphing into Newt Gingrich?

Written By: FurGaia
Date: 2006-05-25 08:49:06
<a href="/article/224906338-is-harper-morphing-into-newt-gingrich">Article Link</a>

Crowley described how Gingrich made use of the media around the country to foster his agenda, first targeting the Democratic House speaker, Jim Wright: <blockquote>The conclusion Gingrich correctly drew was that a well-orchestrated media campaign could bring down even the most powerful Democratic leader--which could begin the downfall of the entire Democratic majority. By the mid-'80s, he had chosen as his first target no less a figure than the House speaker himself, Jim Wright, whose personal finances were the subject of rumors and innuendo. For months, Gingrich hounded the Washington press corps and editorial boards around the country with every scrap of information he could find to support his (highly quotable) claim that Wright was "the least ethical speaker in this century." The relentlessness of Gingrich's pursuit became a story of its own, as chronicled in John Barry's The Ambition and the Power, an exhaustively detailed 1989 account of Wright's rise and fall: "Wherever Gingrich traveled for a speech ... he would talk about corruption in the House, and the corruption of Jim Wright. He told his audiences to write letters to the editors of their local newspapers, to call in on talk shows, to demand answers from their local Congressmen in public meetings, What are you doing about Jim Wright? ... He sought out local political investigative reporters or editorial writers, and urged them to look into Wright. Perhaps the local paper would write an editorial condemning the way Jim Wright ran the House, or, better yet, about corruption in the House, or about Wright himself. Perhaps local reporters would raise the issue with local congressmen. Perhaps they would write about Wright's affairs." Though Gingrich's initial charges were thin, the drumbeat he started led to the 1987 revelation of an unseemly book-publishing deal that benefited Wright. The dollar stakes were relatively small--about $50,000--and there was no apparent legislative quid pro quo. But, thanks to the environment of suspicion Gingrich had so laboriously created, Wright was effectively finished; he resigned in 1989. The moral of the story: Prophesizing a downfall can be self-fulfilling. [<a href="http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050124&s=crowley012405">Full text</a> - googling for "Learning from Newt" provides access to the full text]</blockquote> In The Republican Noise Machine, author David Brock wrote the following about Gingrich and the media: <blockquote>No matter how much he trashed the news media, Newt Gingrich had a keen understanding of how it could be used to forward the political agenda of the Republican Right. "We are engaged in reshaping the whole nation through the news media," he said. [...] Unlike liberals, whose conception of the media was as a place for the airing of a wide range of diverse views through which the public could discern its opinions and make informed decisions, conservatives such as Gingrich saw the media as a propagandistic extension of their political campaigns.</blockquote> If all that sound familiar, it may be because Harper is indeed taking his cues from his southern comrade. Thus his 'threat' (<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/05/24/harper05242006.html">here</a> and <a href="http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/24052006/2/national-harper-says-ll-avoid-national-media-re-biased-against.html">here</a>) to speak from now on only to local media can be traced back to the US conservatives. On the use and the role of local media in the US conservative permanent campaign, the same author Michael Crowley wrote another very interesting article entitled <a href="http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/forums/index.php?act=Print&client=printer&f=239&t=21790">Local Yokels</a>. When Gingrich went after the media, it all ended up in <a href="http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2003/05/31/fcc/index.html">deregulation</a>, which wreacked havoc in the US. So maybe there is a plan after all behind dear Stephen's temper tantrums. Yet another case of caveat emptor when evaluating this guy's actions! [Edited for spelling May 26--Ed.] [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on May 26, 2006]

a real incompetent person, loser takes bad advice from the others still..

This real Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hide Mr. Stephen Harper is clearly upset by the reality of the bad news media coverage he gets, and contrary to the lying spin doctors, my neighbors have expressed dismayed, shock, upset over Stephen Harper now and his dark side, his not keeping his own promises, Stephen Harper his not doing anything even about the gas price increases as he had mentioned before he would. Once a liar always a liar. What a reputation to have now too Canada wide.

How the PM Mr. Stephen Harper still wrongfully discriminatorily treats anyone at all, even one person, in Canada is still being watched by all, the civil and public servants, other reporters, and the citizens too, for in reality in the main street Canada the PM forcing the journalists now who are only doing their proper jobs to now become martyrs only makes the PM look more inhuman. uncompassionate, out of touch, aloof and disrespectful and also makes Mr. Harper, and his staff, Party, cabinet undeniably really look as they are hopelessly unable to rise to any level of Maturity.

This immature childish fight of Stephen Harper with the Ottawa News reporters is for real cause Harper's reputation is being damaged by the exposure of what he really is.. and what makes it worse is that unacceptably fact that he is a professing evangelical Christian Missionary Alliance Christian who is both a liar and a hypocrite in his political and Christian practises now as well.

STEPHEN HARPER ALSO KNOW FOR CERTAINTY HE AND HIS CABINET CANNOT HOPE TO WIN REELECTION WITHOUT THE NEWS MEDIA SUPPORT, HE IS HOPING THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA WILL BE DIFFERENT, The news media in BC and in Alberta may go along with him but the news media Quebec, Ontario for certainty now does not. Paying for advertising out of one's pocket is too costly.The free bad punblicity he is getting is also costly.

Harper and his Tories promised now to be different when in fact they are clearly the same bad politicians as the Liberals . That Truth Hurts everyone.

Of course Harper isn't keeping his promises. Harper is a Straussian - his mentor is the same person that the Project for the New American Century looks upon as their founder. 
 
Strauss believed that people are too stupid to govern themselves and that a strong leader had to do what was "right" despite what the public wants. He rationalized that it is fine and appropriate for this "leader" to lie about anything and everything to keep the people in line while carrying out his dictatorial agenda. 
 
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Strauss">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Strauss</a>

Oops, here's a Tyee article on Strauss, Bush, and Harper 
 
<a href="http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2005/11/29/HarperBush/">http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2005/11/29/HarperBush/</a>

<a href="http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Weston_Greg/2006/05/25/pf-1596517.html">Case in point</a> May I suggest that that column and the many more that are bound to come out in the coming days, months - and heaven fordid, years - be disseminated to family and friends. As I wrote in one of my previous posts, Harper's structural and ideological support comes from american neocons. Canadians are never that vicious! At some point, we the public need to take a stand and shout out loud: Enough! Not in Canada!

That "Case in point" article should be posted for full comment Fur Gaia.
Yikes.

I find there is a weak minded, mean spirited following that has hyjacked the Conservative party. The PCs NEVER spewed this much hatred and intimidation towards the general population. As much as I agree that the Liberals need a complete overhaul there is only one way to look at this. Harper and his followers are just mirrors to our dark side and it appears that we all need to do some self-examination where that aspect is concerned or this is not where we would be.

So, thanks to the "dark ones" for showing me a part of myself I find most distateful but nonetheless is a part of who I am. Until I raise my own consciousness you will always be there to remind me of that aspect of myself I find hard to accept and love. A prayer by 4Canada.

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"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." Friedrich Nietzsche