Fair and Balanced

If you want a little view into the honesty of our media, you need only look at the discussion of the teabag protests today on Hardball. The segment featured two guests- a Republican congressman and one of the "grassroots" organizers of the protests who was, without elaboration, identified as working for the Heartland Institute.

What is the Heartland Institute? The producers of Hardball didn't think it was necessary to provide that information, and I am guessing that not more than one American in 500 has ever heard of it. So, I am going to answer the question here.

From Sourcewatch, here are some of the causes in which the Heartland Institute is involved:

Opposition to the the Kyoto Protocol aimed at countering global warming
Genetically engineered crops and products;
The privatization of public services;
The introduction of school vouchers;
The deregulation of health care insurance;
Opposing Tobacco control measures such as tobacco tax increases (the Institute denies the health effects of second-hand smoke);

The Heartland Institute also hosts conferences denying the existence of global warming.

Since 2005, the Heartland Institute has refused to reveal its sources of funding. Before that, major sources of its money were Exxon, various tobacco companies, and a host of right wing foundations which also contribute to the usual suspects- American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, Hoover Institution, Cato Foundation, etc. Among these contributors are a couple of oil billionaires, the owners of Wal-Mart, and Richard Mellon Scaife, the main source of funding for the Clinton impeachment.

So, this is the grassroots organizer of tea parties. He and his Republican friend were allowed to endlessly spin their lies about a non-partisan popular uprising, without one word of contradiction from anyone.

Well, that's why blogs like this exist.
I'm going to three tea parties today. I'll have more to say about them soon.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks for researching the Heartland Institute. I knew once the guy said he was an analyst at the Heartland Institute that any shred of credibility the Tea Party had as a "grassroots" organization went out the window. Barnicle's next point said: "So you're funded by a GOP sugar daddy; what's your claim to independence again?"
As usual, Barnacle did a piss-poor job. If he's not drinking before and during the shows, he should be.
April 15, 2009 at 5:55 PM
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