Why Yearly Kos Is Being Attacked

In case you want to understand why Bill O'Reilly is freaking out about Yearly Kos, and why he's leading the charge by the conservative noise machine to discredit the progressive movement, I think you have to read this story.

A July 23 Daily Kos diary by "nyceve" noted that three medical correspondents -- Robert Bazell and Nancy Snyderman of NBC News and Susan Dentzer of PBS' NewsHour -- "all participate on the AHIP [America's Health Insurance Plans] Speakers Network." AHIP describes itself as "the voice of America's health insurers" and "the national association representing nearly 1,300 member companies providing health insurance coverage to more than 200 million Americans." Its board of directors consists mainly of insurance-company executives. A July 25 Roll Call article (subscription required) described AHIP as "the lobbying group for the health insurance industry." The Daily Kos diary also noted that none of the bios for the three journalists on the websites of NBC or PBS disclosed the journalists' roles with the AHIP Speakers Network. Each of the reporters was, indeed, listed on AHIP's website as part of its speakers network, but all three names have since been removed from the list.

The diary highlighting Bazell's and Snyderman's ties to AHIP was posted on Daily Kos less than a week after Media Matters for America noted that their colleague Jim Miklaszewski, NBC chief Pentagon correspondent, reportedly took $30,000 from the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce to address its Business EXPO 2007. During his talk, Miklaszewski reportedly attacked Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, calling him a "loser."

So a diary on a website broke the news that major media reporters were literally working for a health insurance industry lobbying group, and after the revelation, they were all scrubbed from the website.

This is the real reason why progressive bloggers are being targeted. Because they represent a threat. A very real threat to upset the conservative corporate media consensus and move the country in the direction it wants to go. The media is a stakeholder in that status quo, and so they must turn out their attack dogs. Very little of this may be conscious; but the overall thrust is unquestionable.

I am proud to stand with my progressive colleagues and friends and announce that we will not be cowed into submission, that this is a new world and we will be heard. And now I'm about to jump onto a plane, so let that be that.