WATERLOO REDUX - PERSONA NON GRATA
WOW. How much must the Neo-Conned hate David Frum right now??
Fresh off of his withering critique of the GOP defeat on Health Care Reform, Frum slapped Rupert Murdoch when he stated;
"Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us and now we're discovering we work for Fox."
OUCH!
Now Frum is continuing his quest to de-mystify the farce that the Neo-GOP has become. It's sort of too bad he chose CNN to launch this salvo since apparently no one watches CNN anymore. Regardless, Frum's statement is very telling, and a further indictment of the cottage industry Murdoch and Fox have carved out for themselves selling anger, fear and lies.
"What that means is that Fox, like Limbaugh, has an interest in pushing the Republicans to the margins, making people angry. When people are angry and alienated, they don't vote. They succumb to feelings of helplessness. What people need right now are feelings of power, that they can make a difference by participating in politics."
DOUBLE OUCH!
Frum again took to his blog to defend himself from allegations by the Flying Monkey Brigade, launched in a scathing Wall Street Journal Op-Ed and an attack piece by AEI Fellow, Charles Murray, that follow the Neo-Con standard playbook for stifling dissension coming from within the ranks - Denounce, Discredit, and Destroy. They did it to Colin Powell when he dared speak out, and there have been countless others who have been brought to heel before the Great Unelected One and his EIB throne.
Frum, however is far more intelligent (I can't believe I just said that) to be cowed by the Murdoch/Limbaugh clan, and breaks down his termination/resignation soap opera, revealing the ever-more radical direction some would like to see the GOP take, and implying that he was excommunicated from the sect because of, among other things, the supreme sacrilege of criticizing The Leader.
"I did attend for example the 2009 World Forum, and was fiercely scolded by Lynne Cheney for my criticisms of Rush Limbaugh. This year I was not invited at all, despite having obtained for the conference some of its most distinguished international guests."
He suggests that in chasing the money AEI was pandering to Neo-Con fringe elements who refuse to hear anyone say anything remotely critical of the party and the unfortunate direction its taken, and thus they had to sever ties with Frum. That suggestion clearly struck a nerve with Murray who retorted;
"Regarding donor pressure: The idea that AEI donors sit down to talk with AEI's president about who should and shouldn't be on the staff, or what the staff should write, is fantasy. David has never seen the slightest sign of anything like that at AEI. He can't have. He made it up. AEI has a culture, the scholars are fiercely proud of that culture, and at its heart is total intellectual freedom."
One would think that the co-founder of the AEI think tank would have some idea of the behind the scenes workings. Maybe not. But the facts do indeed seem to contradict Murray's version of the events. The Waterloo piece was posted Sunday, March 22. A Wall Street Journal editorial denouncing Frum is published the next day, Monday,March 23. Frum notes that he is 'summoned to lunch' by AEI President Arthur Brooks, mid-morning of that same day. At that lunch he states that he is told by Brooks that AEI wishes to 'terminate his salary, office, benefits, and research assistance.'
Intellectual Freedom? Sure. 24 hours after he publishes a piece critical of the party he's cast-off? I don't buy it.
Frum rebuts further talking points designed to discredit him alleging that he was malingering on the job, by pointing out all of the work he's done for the cause. It is interesting to note that Frum seems to make special note that some of his work for the GOP seems to be diametrically opposed to the current modus-operendi of the Flying Monkeys - that is to say, "Screw the electorate. MAKE MONEY." In defending his (paid) position at AEI, Frum notes his body of work and curiously states that he has;
"...written speeches on an unpaid basis for politicians I admire. I worked pro bono on a presidential nomination campaign. Then, there was the campaign to oppose Harriet Miers nomination. " (emphasis mine)
That's quite a subtle backhanded slap at the fee-based Neo-Con cheerleaders and paid spokespersons that currently populate the top of the heap. Frum is saying; Yes, I get paid for my job, but it's not purely for the paycheck like some others.
So, the Neo-Cons have denounced Frum, discredited him, and are now trying to destroy him. But it seems he's not going down without at fight. Expect some harsh rebukes from Murdoch's people in the coming days.
Fresh off of his withering critique of the GOP defeat on Health Care Reform, Frum slapped Rupert Murdoch when he stated;
"Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us and now we're discovering we work for Fox."
OUCH!
Now Frum is continuing his quest to de-mystify the farce that the Neo-GOP has become. It's sort of too bad he chose CNN to launch this salvo since apparently no one watches CNN anymore. Regardless, Frum's statement is very telling, and a further indictment of the cottage industry Murdoch and Fox have carved out for themselves selling anger, fear and lies.
"What that means is that Fox, like Limbaugh, has an interest in pushing the Republicans to the margins, making people angry. When people are angry and alienated, they don't vote. They succumb to feelings of helplessness. What people need right now are feelings of power, that they can make a difference by participating in politics."
DOUBLE OUCH!
Frum again took to his blog to defend himself from allegations by the Flying Monkey Brigade, launched in a scathing Wall Street Journal Op-Ed and an attack piece by AEI Fellow, Charles Murray, that follow the Neo-Con standard playbook for stifling dissension coming from within the ranks - Denounce, Discredit, and Destroy. They did it to Colin Powell when he dared speak out, and there have been countless others who have been brought to heel before the Great Unelected One and his EIB throne.
Frum, however is far more intelligent (I can't believe I just said that) to be cowed by the Murdoch/Limbaugh clan, and breaks down his termination/resignation soap opera, revealing the ever-more radical direction some would like to see the GOP take, and implying that he was excommunicated from the sect because of, among other things, the supreme sacrilege of criticizing The Leader.
"I did attend for example the 2009 World Forum, and was fiercely scolded by Lynne Cheney for my criticisms of Rush Limbaugh. This year I was not invited at all, despite having obtained for the conference some of its most distinguished international guests."
He suggests that in chasing the money AEI was pandering to Neo-Con fringe elements who refuse to hear anyone say anything remotely critical of the party and the unfortunate direction its taken, and thus they had to sever ties with Frum. That suggestion clearly struck a nerve with Murray who retorted;
"Regarding donor pressure: The idea that AEI donors sit down to talk with AEI's president about who should and shouldn't be on the staff, or what the staff should write, is fantasy. David has never seen the slightest sign of anything like that at AEI. He can't have. He made it up. AEI has a culture, the scholars are fiercely proud of that culture, and at its heart is total intellectual freedom."
One would think that the co-founder of the AEI think tank would have some idea of the behind the scenes workings. Maybe not. But the facts do indeed seem to contradict Murray's version of the events. The Waterloo piece was posted Sunday, March 22. A Wall Street Journal editorial denouncing Frum is published the next day, Monday,March 23. Frum notes that he is 'summoned to lunch' by AEI President Arthur Brooks, mid-morning of that same day. At that lunch he states that he is told by Brooks that AEI wishes to 'terminate his salary, office, benefits, and research assistance.'
Intellectual Freedom? Sure. 24 hours after he publishes a piece critical of the party he's cast-off? I don't buy it.
Frum rebuts further talking points designed to discredit him alleging that he was malingering on the job, by pointing out all of the work he's done for the cause. It is interesting to note that Frum seems to make special note that some of his work for the GOP seems to be diametrically opposed to the current modus-operendi of the Flying Monkeys - that is to say, "Screw the electorate. MAKE MONEY." In defending his (paid) position at AEI, Frum notes his body of work and curiously states that he has;
"...written speeches on an unpaid basis for politicians I admire. I worked pro bono on a presidential nomination campaign. Then, there was the campaign to oppose Harriet Miers nomination. " (emphasis mine)
That's quite a subtle backhanded slap at the fee-based Neo-Con cheerleaders and paid spokespersons that currently populate the top of the heap. Frum is saying; Yes, I get paid for my job, but it's not purely for the paycheck like some others.
So, the Neo-Cons have denounced Frum, discredited him, and are now trying to destroy him. But it seems he's not going down without at fight. Expect some harsh rebukes from Murdoch's people in the coming days.
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