Politics

James Glassman: The Journalist Turned Journo-lobbyist's Bid to Be PR Czar

James Glassman, the nominee for Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, probably won't have much of an impact on how the United States presents itself to the rest of the world.

For one thing, he'll only have 11 months in the post. For another -- as his predecessor Karen Hughes proved -- putting shinier lipstick on the pig of U.S. foreign policy doesn't do much to assuage widespread anti-American sentiment. Still, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's January 30 hearing on Glassman's nomination provided some insight into Washington's evolving view of public diplomacy.

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Seeking Protection for Whistleblowers That's Worth Its Salt

Submitted by Judith Siers-Poisson on January 30, 2008 - 2:01pm

The case of Pierre Meneton is fueling demands for legal protections for whistleblowers in France. Meneton is a researcher for the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research. He is going to court on January 31, 2008, to face charges of defamation. Several industrial salt producers are suing Meneton for a comment he made during an interview in March 2006. "The lobbying of salt producers and agribusiness is very active.

Main Source:

Le Monde (France), January 29, 2008

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Canada's Chalk River Nuclear Reactor Up and Running Again, but Safely?

Submitted by Judith Siers-Poisson on January 30, 2008 - 11:45am

Linda KeenThe fifty-year old nuclear reactor at Chalk River in Ontario, Canada, is running again after the Canadian Parliament overruled the president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Main Source:

Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada), January 29, 2008

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Presidential Election Season Brings New, More Stupid 527 Groups

Submitted by Conor Kenny on January 27, 2008 - 5:56pm

The Huffington Post and TPM Muckraker highlight the newest activities of Roger Stone, whose past includes a stint as the "youngest dirty trickster" for Richard Nixon and a recent alleged prank call to

Main Source:

Huffington Post, January 24, 2008

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Lobbyist-Free Romney?

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on January 26, 2008 - 10:59pm

Although U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney "has cast himself as a Washington outsider and blasted his opponents' ties to lobbyists," in fact he "has more than a dozen federally registered lobbyists raising money for him and several others advising his campaign," reports Jessica Van Sack. Lobbyists involved in his campaign, according to a report compiled by Public Citizen, include former New York Rep.

Main Source:

Boston Herald, January 19, 2008

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Lobbying

Politics

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It's the War, Healthcare and the Economy, Stupid

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on January 19, 2008 - 12:12am

"Several of the leading presidential candidates have adopted 'change' as a campaign theme and have rushed to claim that they themselves are the candidates for change," notes Frank Newport of the Gallup polling organization. "But exactly what form that 'change' should take has been a little murky. Change is such a broad concept that -- like a Rorschach inkblot test -- an individual can read into it what he or she wants." To clarify things a bit, Gallup surveyed Americans to ask what type of change they wanted.

Main Source:

Gallup, January 17, 2008

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Swift Boating John McCain

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on January 18, 2008 - 12:30pm

"A shadowy group calling itself Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain has been busy," reports Kevin Connolly, "handing out flyers implying that in Mr. McCain's long spell as a prisoner of war in Hanoi, during which he was tortured, he gave information to America's enemy. The evidence? Well, there isn't any. It's a straightforward attempt to take one of Mr.

Main Source:

BBC, January 18, 2008

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War, What Is it Good For? Electing Democrats in '08

Submitted by John Stauber on January 17, 2008 - 7:58pm

Ryan Grim reports that the biggest and best-funded organizations in the liberal peace movement, primarily MoveOn and the groups in its Americans Against Escalation in Iraq (AAEI) coalition, are no longer advocating that Congress end the war.

Main Source:

Politico.com, January 17, 2008

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