Foreign governments with U.S. writers on their payroll?
“A range of mainstream American publications printed paid propaganda for the government of Malaysia, much of it focused on the campaign against a pro-democracy figure there.
The payments to conservative American opinion writers — whose work appeared in outlets from the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner to the Washington Times to National Review and RedState — emerged in a filing this week to the Department of Justice. The filing under the Foreign Agent Registration Act outlines a campaign spanning May 2008 to April 2011 and led by Joshua Trevino, a conservative pundit, who received $389,724.70 under the contract and paid smaller sums to a series of conservative writers….
Trevino’s subcontractors included conservative writer Ben Domenech, who made $36,000 from the arrangement, and Rachel Ehrenfeld, the director of the American Center for Democracy, who made $30,000. Seth Mandel, an editor at Commentary, made $5,500. Brad Jackson, writing at the time for RedState, made $24,700. Overall, 10 writers were part of the arrangement.”
You take secret, undisclosed money from a foreign government to write hit pieces in U.S. media against a man, in this case Anwar Ibrahim, who is struggling to bring democracy to his country and was beaten and imprisoned for years for daring to challenge the dictatorial government? (Russia has apparently run similar pay-to-say operations.)
Much of Trevino’s work under the Malaysian contract has been removed by the outlets that published it. But you can get a taste of its amoral quality from this piece that was published as a rebuttal to a Trevino column.
And here’s a Rachel Ehrenfeld piece, condemning Ibrahim for “careless sexual behavior” among other things.
We already know of course that “you can’t believe everything that’s on the Internet.” But paid agents of foreign governments masquerading as American journalists takes things to a dangerous level and says a lot about the character of those involved.
UPDATE: Among those named as receiving money from Malaysia in Trevino’s belated filing as a foreign agent is Christopher Badeaux. Here’s a small sampling of his Malaysia-related work at RedState.com:
“Najib Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, has been on a more or less singular crusade to convince the Muslim world — and the West — that there is a path for moderate Islam in the world, that Islam does not equal terror, and that the taking of a life is contrary to Islam and civilization. His speech at Oxford was of a piece with that….
The salient point here is not whether we agree with the prime minister’s theological assertions, but rather we can appreciate the extraordinary effort he is making here, and the importance for the United States of his efforts.”
And:
In Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of Malaysia’s opposition, has apparently been caught in adultery, with video evidence that Dartmouth scientists say nearly certainly implicates him. The major dailies are calling on him to resign. For three years, after failing to topple the governing party in the 2008 elections, he has crisscrossed the planet telling anyone and everyone who would listen how corrupt and evil the governing party is. And yet despite all of this — despite his stated certainty that his opposition coalition of socialists, Islamists, and yuppie liberals is the only chance his country has to avoid certain doom at the hands of the centrist coalition that has been re-elected time and again in Malaysia, he has refused to resign.”
– Jay Bookman
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1,428 comments Add your comment
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 3rd, 2013
8:57 pm
There’s only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures and the Dutch. ~Nigel Powers in Goldmember
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
8:58 pm
wow, Corbin what’d we do ?
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 3rd, 2013
8:58 pm
Corbin, does that mean that Normal is coming back? (Please?)
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
8:59 pm
I don’t care how you feel about my comments or where you stand.
No of course you don’t. You only care about Christian bashing. I got that with your initial rude post when someone mentioned a show on the Bible. That’s cool, be as rude as you want, but you KNOW I’ll give it right back in spades. But while I’ll be rude to YOU, I won’t call you an idiot for your religion nor will you ever hear me harp on anyone’s religion. I am intellectually honest, moral, and ethical. As such I believe in the freedom of religion, self expression, and ice cream.
But you party on Garth, you bash Christians every time someone says the word Bible if that’s what it takes to make you feel like a real man. It doesn’t shake my faith a bit. But I do find it tiresome and quite frankly, something I would have thought was beneath you. But then I have been wrong before…….
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
8:59 pm
JamVet
One thing I hate is the toleration of intolerance.
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:01 pm
There’s only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures and the
Dutchfrench. ~Nigel Powers in Goldmember++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There ya go jam. I corrected that for you. And NOW I am really gone. I had to send a business email lol so I snuck back by for a second.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:01 pm
Fred™
They have an opening at the Vatican……
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
March 3rd, 2013
9:01 pm
Take care, Normal.
And stay off of ladders.
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:02 pm
Good night to all y’all. Corbin Sharpe says “good bye forever. Corbin will blog no more forever.
WTF? Now I CAN’T leave. I have to see why Corbin is leaving. Can someone fill me in so I can play my game dammit?
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:03 pm
Frog: I’m not a catholic, what is your point? Are you applying to be Pope? I don’t think you have the prerequisites.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
March 3rd, 2013
9:03 pm
Recon (and other Vietnam Vets):
Check this out !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR2C-gm5GkA&feature=related
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:05 pm
Fred™
With your saintliness you would be a perfect candidate….intellectually
honest, ethical, moral all needed in the Vatican…
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:07 pm
Me a Saint? Now you’ve gone from being an ass clown to being totally stupid. Why? You got your fee fees hurt? You are a FROG not a tadpole. You can survive this.
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
9:07 pm
Was it something I said Normal?
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:08 pm
Here ya go Frog, just for you. A little song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnxkfLe4G74
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
9:08 pm
You have to be gay to be the Pope.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:10 pm
You think my feelings are hurt ? I must remove intellectually
from the honest but you still qualify for the Vatican. Throw
your hat in the ring..
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
March 3rd, 2013
9:10 pm
“Can’t we all just get along?”
Rodney King
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:11 pm
Corbin is loosely quoting Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce I think (no pun intended josef) Who said: From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:12 pm
You think my feelings are hurt ? I must remove intellectually
from the honest but you still qualify for the Vatican. Throw
your hat in the ring..
Wow. Now you choose to be deliberately insulting. Alrighty then chief. You can bite me like Doomy and be placed on the same ignore status as he is. Enjoy.
Josef
March 3rd, 2013
9:15 pm
Frog
And like I said earlier, this is where it degenerates into the “well, he started it.”. What happens, though, is that in the sh*t slinging we wind up offending people not the target…it’s why I made the point of SOME…
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:15 pm
Fred™
Rushbot, Foxbot, stupid asinine assh-t assclown, not directed
at you, just reflected from you ….good times…
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:17 pm
Fred™ 9:12
thanks.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:18 pm
josef
your points belong to you, I have no need of them, but thanks anyway.
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:20 pm
josef: I’m not offended and his jackassery was intended towards me and kept up towards me. He was given many chances to stop but he chose not to. Remember what I said about being a MS boy? I need no part time friends. You can argue with folks but if they are bound and determined to terminate then terminate it is.
Fred ™
March 3rd, 2013
9:21 pm
As you can see. For yourself josef. Mr. Frog seems to be hell bent for leather to join the JM. Doomy, td club. Let’s not stand in his way.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:22 pm
Gee Fred what was it I said ?
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:34 pm
getalife
You have to be gay to be the Pope
……………………………………………………..
at the very least you have to wear a dress that buttons up the back..
Josef
March 3rd, 2013
9:35 pm
Well, this appears fruitless, so’s I guess it’s time for this fruit to hit the road…
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
9:36 pm
frog,
And those red shoes are fabulous.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:37 pm
Josef’
have a good night…
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:38 pm
getalife
they are reported to be prada, but the devil wears those…
drew
March 3rd, 2013
9:39 pm
Sorry…but being an unemployed writer for the past year, I would write for anyone that paid me. Why, isn’t that the American way? Yeah, that is sarcasim.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
March 3rd, 2013
9:40 pm
“I look at what’s happening right now — I wish I were there,” Romney told Chris Wallace, in a taping conducted last week in California. “It kills me not to be there, not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done.”
Well, alot of us wish you was there, Mitt, instead of this Kenyan Muslim Socialist. I can see it now—a bunch of gays, libruls, geezers, poor folks, and your average middle class ne’er-do-wells stripped buck nekkid and bent over with their hands tied to their feet when you walk up behind them and start unzipping . . .
I got to stop myself from thinking about it anymore. It’s so exciting it’s got to be unChristian.
Have a good night everybody.
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 3rd, 2013
9:42 pm
Life has drama in it. Some just seize on it more than others.
I’m lucky, the music can always set me free…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZFnDYUScp0
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:44 pm
JamVet
a doobie without the brothers can set you free also….
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:47 pm
JamVet
did you click the video 0311 posted earlier ? I wish I could have
flown those jets….
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 3rd, 2013
9:47 pm
frog,
Yeah, baby. And I thought about it earlier, but I had some work to do, and I don’t trust these old brain cells to do good work anymore when I’m altered!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT-RMDfh6ck
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:50 pm
Fred™
Here’s a song for you,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ebiwO4O70
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 3rd, 2013
9:51 pm
Yeah, good stuff; a lot of Phantoms of course…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEm2afF8Iyo
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
March 3rd, 2013
9:55 pm
Update from the “Bible” on the History Channel
Moses 1
Pharaoh 0
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 3rd, 2013
9:56 pm
Since there is no telling how much longer we’re gonna be able to spin the tunes, I’m gonna go full bore until they pull the plug!
He might like to fight
Oh but boy does he love to play
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xit9PL_Ube8
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
March 3rd, 2013
9:57 pm
Headline: “Basketball personality Rodman says North Korea leader wants Obama to call”
Well, there you go ………….. why do we need Kerry ?
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
9:58 pm
0311 9:55
Ya learn something new every day….
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 3rd, 2013
10:01 pm
LOL, Scout.
Watched part of Fiddler on the Roof this weekend and Tevye keeps misattributing quotes from the Bible. (mixing up Moses, David & Abraham.) What a fine film; I just love it.
I always think of RC when I play this one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNQ2FRzPCz8
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
10:11 pm
scout,
He should call him and we are talking to Iran.
You still have China and Russia as “enemies” in your minds but globalization makes them trading partners.
We should open the markets up in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, etc…. to increase jobs and revenues.
It is a whole new world out there and they all need WalMarts.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
10:14 pm
getalife
Nixon opened the door to China, our President could do
the same with Cuba and North Korea.
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
10:17 pm
You are correct frog.
We did it in Vietnam.
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
10:18 pm
We don’t need anymore enemies after aq.
We need a free and globalized world with free trade in all countries.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
March 3rd, 2013
10:24 pm
They call me MISTER JamVet. :
We had better be careful.
Someone on here will tell us to get a room if we keep this up !
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
March 3rd, 2013
10:27 pm
Final tally:
Moses 11
Pharaoh 0
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
March 3rd, 2013
10:28 pm
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Napoleon Bonaparte
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
10:29 pm
0311
the movie followed the book, I guess….
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
10:33 pm
0311
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Napoleon Bonaparte
………………………………………………………………………..
shorter, Proceed Governor…
appleseed
March 3rd, 2013
10:41 pm
Rodman to N Korea.-According to Jacobson Gross should be freed from Cuba.Some progress in those areas.
td
March 3rd, 2013
10:44 pm
Wow!!! People actually get offended because someone said they should be responsible for their actions, not depend on government and their first and most important duty while on earth is to parent the children they produce.
appleseed
March 3rd, 2013
10:45 pm
Frog the movie followed Bible,Yes but skipping lots.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
10:48 pm
appleseed
a typical movie trick, sometimes lying by omission….but
I hope not this time…
G Mare
March 3rd, 2013
10:54 pm
barking frog – may I call you frog?, “proceed, Governer” is one of my favorites from the debates, along with the line about horses & bayonets.
I want to go on here, speculating about where our country would be had Mr. Romney been elected. BUT, am just not up for the bashing I would incur from certain quarters. Didn’t somebody say something about discretion being the better part of valor?
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
10:57 pm
The cold war and w’s failed occupations are over.
Time for peace and prosperity.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
10:58 pm
G Mare
call me anything you like. speculate away. from what you
have said you are too mature to be concerned about what
people say. I have always found valor to be a complete lack
of discretion….
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
11:06 pm
getalife
we seem to be in a state of war for a few and prosperity for
a few…that should change, soon, I hope…
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
11:17 pm
“that should change, soon, I hope…”
“We are broke” so that should help.
td
March 3rd, 2013
11:21 pm
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
11:17 pm
“that should change, soon, I hope…”
“We are broke” so that should help.
If we would get our spending problem resolved (to much on means tested entitlement programs) then we could have the money to support the military at the appropriate levels.
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
11:26 pm
td,
Taxes and cuts are done.
Immigration is next.
Good luck.
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
11:30 pm
getalife
We are broke” so that should help.
…………………………………………………
if the debt is paid tomorrow, how will you be affected ?
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
11:33 pm
“if the debt is paid tomorrow, how will you be affected ?”
The gop will blow it out again so what is the point?
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
March 3rd, 2013
11:34 pm
Police dog finds — then fires — ditched handgun
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
11:36 pm
getalife
The gop will blow it out again so what is the point?
……………………………………………………………………………
exactly, and the democrats tax and spend, and republicans
borrow and spend but we need infrastructure and healthcare
for everyone so at election time we choose our poison and
soldier on….
td
March 3rd, 2013
11:39 pm
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
11:26 pm
td,
Taxes and cuts are done.
Immigration is next.
Good luck.
I have no problem with the Rubio plan. Borders closed, overstayed visa problem fixed, employers punished and the people that came here illegally will not be rewarded because they will have to pay fines, back taxes and get in the back of the line.
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
11:44 pm
td,
King said rubio was playing them for suckers.
td
March 3rd, 2013
11:47 pm
Isn’t infrastructure and healthcare spending? Do we not already spend as much on healthcare as we do on defense spending? How much should we be spending?
td
March 3rd, 2013
11:48 pm
getalife
March 3rd, 2013
11:44 pm
Who is King?
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
11:50 pm
td
How much should we be spending?
……………………………………………
as much as it takes to treat the sick….and repair the
infrastructure
td
March 3rd, 2013
11:58 pm
barking frog
March 3rd, 2013
11:50 pm
In other words, the government should pay for all the healthcare needs (universal healthcare). What programs are you willing to cut to get the infrastructure repairs?
Oscar
March 3rd, 2013
11:58 pm
We need to make long term uts in entitlements – mdiare, health care and social security, and make big cuts in defense.
And we need to cut out most of the tax deductions/loopholes so that more taxes are collected.
To figure out how much to cut and cutout we have the congressional budget office to make those estimates. We should look ay those numbers and decide.
The answer to ow uch we should spend is that we should spend only what we can afford, after looking at future estimated reveues. You don’t decide what to spend before you know how much in comeyou will have.
G Mare
March 3rd, 2013
11:59 pm
Thanks, frog. Thanks, too, for calling me mature. Sure beats Fred calling me an old biddy! May have to research that discretion/valor thing. As for speculation: we would be involved in another unwinnable war in the Middle East (Iran), SSI would be ‘voucherized,’ Roe v Wade would be overturned, the rich would be getting even richer, and TS for the poor, the veterans, the people who counted on pensions, the small farmers, the minorities, the immigrants, and anyone who believed in life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness for all, not to mention the women & children who would continue to be starved & brutalized without VAWA, and the old people like me who would be homeless on the streets if our children could not help us.
President Obama is far from perfect, but I think he at least has a conscience, unlike Mr. Romney & too many Republicans.
Oscar
March 4th, 2013
12:00 am
td – We can’t afford to continue to spend what we are spending on health care.
barking frog
March 4th, 2013
12:01 am
td
What programs are you willing to cut to get the infrastructure repairs?
……………………………………………………………………………………….
any that are determined unnecessary…
Oscar
March 4th, 2013
12:03 am
Talking in circles gets us nowhere.
Oscar
March 4th, 2013
12:04 am
We have to look at estimated revenues and decide what we can cover. Not the other way around.
Oscar
March 4th, 2013
12:05 am
All programs are deemed necessary by some one.
td
March 4th, 2013
12:06 am
Oscar
March 4th, 2013
12:00 am
td – We can’t afford to continue to spend what we are spending on health care.
Agreed. We should at least start charging a premium and co-pay for Medicaid (sliding scale).
barking frog
March 4th, 2013
12:07 am
G Mare
you have valid points but I don’t think Romney could
have accomplished all that he wanted although with
a republican House he may have been more successful
at getting legislation that he wanted and also sitting in
the oval office often brings on a different perspective.
td
March 4th, 2013
12:11 am
G Mare
March 3rd, 2013
11:59 pm
“President Obama is far from perfect, but I think he at least has a conscience, unlike Mr. Romney & too many Republicans.”
Unless you have ever looked into the eyes of a lifetime welfare recipient and see the total look of hopelessness. Then you would understand how destructive the welfare state has been on humanity. To give someone their subsistence is for them to totally lose all hope in being a productive citizen and it is a crying shame.
BTW: Glad to see you are getting back healthy enough to come on again.
barking frog
March 4th, 2013
12:12 am
How about we legislate a 50% cut on Medicaid provider pay
and that any provider that refuses to treat a Medicaid patient
loses his license.
G Mare
March 4th, 2013
12:43 am
Seems a possibility, frog, as healthcare costs are way out of control!
td, you MAY have a valid point, but how is gutting Headstart & meals for poor kids in school, not to mention meals on wheels for the elderly, going to change that? Obviously, it won’t/can’t. Without proper nutrition, the kids can not learn & the poor, sick, elderly will die in the streets. Didn’t Jesus say something about the least among us & being our brother’s (sister’s) keeper?
Normal, back from blog Hades
March 4th, 2013
4:31 am
Good Monday morning, all y’all…I’m out of the closet…again!
Normal, Plain and Simple
March 4th, 2013
5:44 am
Back at work…Gawd, it is cold this morning…
barking frog
March 4th, 2013
6:50 am
Looks like it’s all Normal here.
SouthernGent
March 4th, 2013
7:08 am
What is the difference between this and the planet Mars paying for your, Luckovich and Maureen’s exploration of Uranus?
Any group who has Soros funding his message doesn’t have any moral ground to stand on to criticize anyone. Having said that, I think any paid journalism is suspicious. Yours included!
Normal, Plain and Simple
March 4th, 2013
7:14 am
Yeah barking,
For good or evil, Normal’s here to stay…
TaxPayer
March 4th, 2013
7:16 am
Any group who has Soros funding his message doesn’t have any moral ground to stand on to criticize anyone.
Sheldon Adelson, billionaire funder of Mitt Romney’s campaign and crook extraordinaire say What!!
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 4th, 2013
7:16 am
Yeah! Normal is back! And he’s……………. normal!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZzEzDkeHzI
Normal, Plain and Simple
March 4th, 2013
7:29 am
Yes Jam,
My time as/with Corbin was good for what ailed me at the time and I spent that time in deep reflection of my life…some of which I said yesterday morning. And while I realized things about myself that I never suspected before, all in all the experience was good for my psyche. Call it a good closet cleaning. But Normal has returned to fight Conservatism at its core and to make America Socialist!
Doggone/GA
March 4th, 2013
7:30 am
Welcome “back” Normal!
Bosch
March 4th, 2013
7:38 am
Normal is back, Bosch is back – we march on against teh stupids!
Bosch
March 4th, 2013
7:40 am
Now, where’s that little red haired vixen?
They call me MISTER JamVet.
March 4th, 2013
7:40 am
Even though td flamed you for it, I thought that post of yours yesterday took great courage to share with us, Normal! I can only imagine the pain that you have relived over and over and relived again as you typed that.
I used to think that my family was particularly dysfunctional. (One brother institutionalized, another a functioning alcoholic), but then as I grew up and started really seeing the world, I learned that virtually all American families are screwed up! Not that their pain made me feel any better, just that to some extent or another it is, dare I say it? Normal!
So we soldier on and do the best we know how. And make each other stronger and better in the doing so…
We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. ~Dalai Lama XIV
Thomas heyward Jr
March 4th, 2013
7:51 am
Probably alot of Corbins out there.
.
lol
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yietmUdqJos&feature=youtu.be