After ‘Inappropriate’ NEA Conference Call, White House Pushes New Guidelines

First ACORN, now this. Why does the Obama Administration have to get caught with their hand in the cookie jar before they (are forced, kicking and screaming) to do the right thing?

Good lord, this is just PR BS… they got caught and now they’re just covering up… and CREW is funded by Soros… it’s always interesting to how they cover things just what they ignore and how far they push…
What was Yosi Sergant doing at the NEA anyway?
Why is Winner & Associates anywhere near this project after the astroturfing they did against Palin?
I got a lot more questions but I gotta go to lunch…
Astroturfing the NEA: Winner & Associates in on the Scheme?

Nothing to see here, move along…

Caught again.
Obama….
The constant lying.
The staggering arrogance.
The dangerous narcissism.
The astounding incompetence.
The Obama Buffoon wants to put as much of the private economy under government control as possible to create his nanny state utopia where he is the boy king.
Let’s continue to stand strong against Obama in every way and get Congress out of the hands of the insane Pelosi and Reid in 2010.
Obama is a smug, smirking con man. Nothing more.

“First ACORN, now this. Why does the Obama Administration have to get caught with their hand in the cookie jar before they (are forced, kicking and screaming) to do the right thing?”
Posted by: Scammer | Sep 22, 2009 12:57:47 PM
Because they believe–with good reason–that the leg-tingling mainstream (OLD) media will protect them by first ignoring these disclosures of corruption–and then aggressively working to smear those who uncover the corruption. But the new media (like talk radio, internet, and Brietbart) have finally learned new strategies to avoid the tricks of the ABC/NBC/CBS/NY Times/WaPo mouthpieces for the DNC.

“It’s not what the NEA was created for, it’s not supposed to be helping the president’s agenda; that’s not the point.”
Precisely.
Their mistake?
Assuming all “artists” back Obama’s agenda. The NEA will learn from this and, in the future, will keep their circle smaller only including the most liberal and loyal artists amongst them, but they won’t stop.

The BO administration continues to try to change this country into a Banana Republic or the USSR. Dictators are big believers in posting signs everywhere, preferably with a big picture of the dictator on it, but always boasting about the many successes of the State. BO has already taken credit for reducing carbon emissions and saving us from a financial Armageddon – it’s all about massaging the massive ego of the dictator!

So is there where crap like this sprouts from?
Will Ferrell insurance movie:
(and yes, I know it came from MoveOn.org but its not like the loonie left is that original anyway.)

This reminds me of all the things that Obama’s groupies created during the campaign – with no thought as to if it was appropriate or even legal.
Creating his own Obama For President seal was just one example. They didn’t even think about if the seal was appropriate, insulted anyone’s sensibilities, or was even legal. It was just a “cool thing to do.”
The campaign was run by a bunch of “yes we can’ers” just thinking up “neat stuff”, like a 20-something “dockers” think tank.
Now they have invaded his administration and still have no clue. This won’t be the end of the gaffs. Too bad the MSM, except for Fox, will continue to look the other way. I doubt they will even get in any legal trouble. They’ll just worm their way out of it.

Follow the money. Not only were these people asked to help with Obama’s agenda 16 of the 21 on the call were given 2 million dollars within 150 days before the call from stimulus money. Does this break the law? Are you supposed to mix politics and grant money? I smell Watergate. However, in todays MSM climate, Watergate would never happen because EVERYONE knows ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC are all in the tank and will do anything to make sure this president succeeds. Jake, man up, ask some hard questions. Believe me, we aren’t stupid. We get it.

Just more lies and obfuscation.

Again you will NOT see any of this on World News, nightly news or cbs evening news

One man at the NEA, not an administration employee, made suggestions as to the topics of art to be created, he was chastised and reassigned and this is a big deal?
Wow, the far right has a really short memory of the shenanigans going on in the Bush Administration.

OK, so they’ve been caught…all they will do now is move farther underground. They will not change their goals, they will just be more careful. These people are relentless socialists.

You can’t believe a word out of these people. If this was Bush’s White House, there’d be a huge drumbeat for impeachment by now. Let’s turn all of our everything over to the U.N. – the media does a poor poor job informing the public. I can’t believe the world is trying to hijack us for more $$ over “climate change.” Is all the money going to form the sunspots that is affecting current weather? And now the WH wants Humana NOT to inform their clients of what healthcare reform will do to their policies. And what about Afghanistan. SHAMEFUL!

Lies make Chris Matthews legs tingle.

And some feign outrage about parents not wanting Obama speaking directly to their kids. Anyone who thinks this Administration doesn’t attempt to politicize everything they do in ways not seen before is already brainwashed and not paying attention.

Who are the lame artist groups or artists that even contemplated signing on to this Big Brother art event?
What ever happened to freedom of thought, freedom of expression, down with Government control, Big Brother?
These artists groups or artists that did not blow the whistle on this should be ashamed.

Someone should be fired from our government for doing this… who is it!

Establish “new guidelines…” Come on Jake, those things we have called “laws” are insufficient. If laws were broken, they should be investigated. If the administration rewarded “favorable” work on healthcare etc., through grants–or denied grants because of “unfavorable work” then that should be investigated as well.

This administration is filty and corrupt and they have no shame for their actions.

Seems like Quid Pro Quo. Someone needs to do some serious explaining here but then this is Lord Obama accountable to no one.

THERE ARE ALREADY LAWS FOR THIS YOU IN THE STATE RUN MEDIA……….CAN YOU IMAGINE THE OUTCRY IF BUSH AND CHENEY HAD ASKED FOR THE STUDENTS OF THIS NATION TO WRITE ON HOW THEY COULD HELP BUSH AND CHENEY ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVES……CARTER CREATED THIS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO DUMB DOWN HIS VOTERS…..WHEN THERE IS MORE IN THE TEXTBOOKS ARE ADULTERING LYING UNDER OATH IMPEACHED SLICK THAN WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN COMBINED………HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM………..
MY PARENTS ARE BOTH 30 YEAR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND THEY ALWAYS SAID “NO MORE MONEY FOR THE SCHOOLS” NOTHING GETS TO THE KIDS, THE PRINCIPAL JUST BUYS NICER FURNITURE………
AND ALL THOSE REPUBLICANS (HALF THE COUNTRY PEOPLE) WHO PAY THOSE MAFIA UNION DUES JUST HELP TO SPEND 600 MILLION ELECTING DEMOCRATS – SCREW THE KIDS……….NOPE GET RID OF THIS COMMIE DEPARTMENT AND DO IT NOW….

I have some problems with the answers presented:
1) They did not “encourage”, they solicited (it’s like saying that prostitutes “encourage” instead of solicit) PLUS – Buffy Wickes uses the words, “the Asks” which is a well-known term for soliciting for volunteers and donors.
2) They do not need “new” guidelines, there are laws on the books that cover this. There are legal ramifications – this is not a wrist slapping incident. There are real laws that have been broken. They are soliciting for assistance on the President’s campaigns for national policies.
3) They were soliciting for assistance (the White House campaigns for health, education, energy, and etc.) to a select group of artists and art groups, many of which receive grants from the NEA. Again, targeting a select group for solicitation is a common practice for seeking volunteers and donors.
It does not just look bad, it is bad. There is a whitewash and a lot of CYA lies. It has every piece of a planned and purposeful abuse of White House power. It is solicitation. Period.

There’s no accountability with this corrupt and incompetent admin…it’s always someone ele, misperception or right-wing critics…01/20/12 Hurry!

The WH possibly violates the law and then pretends they don’t know any better.
That makes everything OK.
The WH didn’t know about the NEA the way Obama didn’t know ACORN could get $8 Billion from the stimulus.
It’s no wonder Obama and the WH are losing credibility daily, hourly.

THIS IS WHY YOU VOTE REPUBLICAN EVERY SINGLE TIME……NOT THAT THEY ARE ANY BETTER MIND YOU, I MEAN THAT BUT BUT BUT …….THE MEDIA WILL MAKE SURE WE KNOW EVERY SINGLE PIMPLE ON THEIR BUTTS……….ONLY UNDER DEMOCRATS DO WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE DANGER AFTER THE ELECTION…..OBAMA IS MAKING SURE THAT THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AND THE STATE RUN MEDIA ARE WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH……NOW THAT IS A GOOD THING….

And the nutroots keep making excuses. It’s Bush’s fault. Take no responsibility, as usual.
Another meaningless denial. The theme of this administration is “do what you can – just don’t get caught! But if you do … OBFUSCATE!” Anyone else remember the term Plausible Deniability?

You mean new guidelines so they won’t get caught again, don’t you.

Obaaama brayed that he would lead “the most transparent administration” in the history of blah, blah, blah. But the Dems are hiding in locked offices and running scams.
The only thing transparent about the Obaaama administration is their corruption. They are transparently corrupt and clueless. Time to flip congress to the GOP and stymie this amateur leftist.

“White House officials say they are enacting specific steps to make sure such a call never happens again.”
—————————–
Yeah, next time they’re gonna have to be a LOT more careful…

Beck broke this story over a week ago, where is the mainstream news these days? Did ABC just wake up to the fact that maybe this White House is not the Change that everyone was hoping for!

Could you imagine if Bush had done something, ANYTHING like this?
MSM is to blame.

Valerie Jarrett’s White House Deputy Buffy Wicks stated on the Aug. 10 call: “I’m at the Office of Public Engagement here at the White House… we work under Valerie Jarrett, she’s one of our fantastic leaders and Tina Tchen… I’m actually in the White House and working towards furthering this agenda, this very aggressive agenda… we need you, and we’re going to need your help, and we’re going to come at you with some specific asks here… We need your guys’ help to promote this.”
Will the Obama White House (Shin Inouye) retract/revise/clarify their denial: “the Aug. 10 teleconference ‘was not meant to promote any legislative agenda.’”?
Will NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman retract/revise/clarify his denial: “This call was not a means to promote any legislative agenda and any suggestions to that end are simply false.“?

I’m going to scream from the rooftop
“I can’t take it anymore”! Where are the great investigative reporters? Nah, we the public have to wait for a 20 year old posing as a prostitute to get any information about the corrupt ACORN group.
Where is the media? Thank you Jake.

So the millions of us who didn’t vote for Obama are actually giving our taxes to the NEA to support Obama’s agenda?
That’s quite a racket Obama and the WH have going.
So this is how Obama brings change to Washington?
He may be impeached before 2012.

I notice you forgot to mention the most damning part of the call. The instigation of all of this by a white house staffers. Among the Obama Administration officials on the call were Buffy Wicks (who works for Valeri Jarret, Obamas right hand in the white house), Office of Public Engagement and the lead White House official on the President’s Serve.Gov initiative to promote national service. Also on the call was Nell Abernathy, Director of Outreach for Serve.Gov. One of their main goals on the call, it seems, was to encourage artists to produce works that would reinforce the President’s call for service; specifically through the Serve.Gov web-portal.
Some of the highlights of her comments. You all REALLY need to go to Biggovernment and read the WHOLE transcript.
* “I just first of all want to thank everyone for being on the call and just a deep deep appreciation for all the work you all put into the campaign for the 2+ years we all worked together.”
* “We won.”
* “I’m actually in the White House and working towards furthering this agenda, this very aggressive agenda.”
* “We’re going to come at you with some specific asks here.”
* “I hope you guys are ready.”
Later in the call, “specific asks” were delivered by Yosi Sergant, then Communications Director of the National Endowment for the Arts. What were the “asks”? They were for this pro-Obama arts group to create art on several hotly debated political issues, including health care, energy, education, and Community Support (organizing).

Anyone remember how totalitarian and socialist governments in 1930-1945 Europe employed artistic propoganda to further their agenda?

New guidelines? What about following the “old” guidelines, as in just not violating the Hatch Act? That worn-out liberal canard of “if we have offended anyone, we won’t break the law anymore” is sure getting pretty stale.
Just how intelligent does someone have to be to know that tax-dollar-funded propaganda by the White House idiots is extremely offensive to the folks who actually foot the bill?
Obama agenda so long as he’s not caught or “no one is offended” amounts to:
Cheating on taxes is OK, at least when hiring a tax cheat to catch tax cheats.
Funding Acorn’s nefarious activities with federal tax dollars is OK, or at least not a very big deal to Obama.
Spending tax dollars to propagandize for political agendas is OK, until it is exposed.
Taxes are not taxes because they are really an investment that benefits the taxpayer, per the ObamaDictionary.
And health care reform is true reform only if it destroys individual liberty.
The next elections will bring real reform saving America from the lunatic demwits in Congress and the White House.

obamas next interview with the msm…so mr president, how are you and michele doing these days?, what did you and michele have for breakfast?, did you and michele eat anything out of her fabulous garden yet? how do you and michele deal with your on greatness on a day to day basis? may we kiss your ring mr president?

Who needs the NEA when they have GE’s media in the tank?
It’s a symbiotic relationship. GE sells their agenda.. health reform, or the Green Movement while ignoring the criticisms of Obama.
Obama gets the Social Justice and wealth redistribution for his constituents in unions and community organizations.
GE gets the billions from green technologies such as wind turbines from the upcoming Cap and Trade taxes.
Instead of putting Cap and Trade money into proven technology that Obama has endorsed in Iran and the UAE and on which Europe depends, we go for the pitiful wind energy.
Think about that when you see the programming on GE’s Bravo, CNBC, Chiller, Focus Features, Global Networks, MSNBC, NBC Entertainment, NBC News, NBC Sports & Olympics, NBC Universal Television Group, NBC Universal Television Stations, Oxygen, Sleuth, Syfy, Telemundo, USA Network, Universal HD, Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Weather Channel, iVillage, etc.

The NEA will sponsor large comrade obama street posters like they do in Venezuela for comrade hugo chavez.

Again, let’s abolish the NEA.
Good art can find its own market. We don’t need government subsidizing bad art, and we don’t need artists backing bad government.
The NEA should not exist.

BHO is a stone liar.
Otherwise, he’s a very nice looking man.
Any questions?

I am going to love watching the next Administration prosecute the current group of crooks and thieves in the White House.
As well as committing crimes against America, they can’t tell the truth if their lives depended on it. All of them are just like my ex-wife…..don’t let the truth stand in the way of a good story.
BTW…ABC……your news readers all need to be replaced…they suck!

Our money going to a corrupt organization like ACORN who totally supported Obama.
And now our money to the NEA also in the tank for Obama.
Both groups claim to be nonpartisan.
Why is anyone surprised at the anger
Americans feel? Our taxes support corruption and keep it going–and Obama keeps giving them more.
The Old Liberal Media once again is NOT looking out for us AT ALL!!!

I heard this on FOX a while back. Old news to FOX viewers. Obama’s thugs sure hate Fox. Obama disses Fox. I know they watch FOX. They fear FOX. Politicians used to fear most of the media, because the newspapers and television used to have ethics. To know this administration only fears a few should scare Americans. Can you say Freedom and Liberty? Can you say PROPAGANDA?

Never in the history of U.S. government …. Can you say….
Posted by: AtlasObjectivist | Sep 22, 2009 2:06:16 PM
Never? Can you say… read some books? Learn some history? Dip a toe into reality? Learn the difference between making some gaffes and actual corruption. Actually, were you awake during Bush’s administration? Ever hear of Nixon? Grant? Harding?
Let me guess. You don’t think Rand was eccentric either, and you’re about to go Galt if things keep going like they’re going.
Eyeroll.

It’s funny that ABC hardly even mentioned this story except to say that they are fixing it. ABC had to try real hard to find a way to spin this in a way not detrimental to Obama. Why didn’t they talk about it when this first hit. Gee maybe because they didn’t want to say anything damaging about this administration.

The press is a joke. Anyone that works for ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN or MSNBC and claims the title journalist is making a mockery of the profession. They sold their souls long ago to the chosen one, Obama. At what price? No one believes them or listens to them any more. The people are way ahead of the press on all of the corrupt goings-on by the thugs in this administration. The brooms will be cleaning house in November of 2010. Sad that we are stuck with Obama until 2012, unless he sacrifices our troops and the people demand impeachment for dereliction of duty to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Obama is using federal funds to promote his own political agenda. This is criminal. Had Bush done this, the Democrats would have impeached him. I am so sick of Obama’s arrogance.

What do you expect from a president who doesn’t know that a TAX IS A TAX.

“This is all being sorted out. We are participating in history as it’s being made, so bear with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely.”
Meaning: We are talking with our lawyers and those that support our liberal agenda to learn the code words we can use to stay with in the law.

has the msm reached a point of embarrassment as of yet, or are they still feeling a tingly sensation running up their leg when obama steps into a room.

GUIDELINES!?!?!?!? Why not the typical it is obviously illegal and we will prosecute mindset. Where is Eric Holder? Where are the US justice department lawyers subpoenaing the alleged and obviously guilty parties? The FBI, CIA. Oops!!! The CIA has been rendered irrelevant with no mission with all policies now at the FBI. But then consistency is not the norm when it is birds of a feather but anything that supports excessive governmental policies is A OK.

To: Where’s my Money
Apparently CREW is heavily funded by George Soros and Melanie Sloan was a political operative for Biden, so “inappropriate” is about the best you can get as a characterization.

Oh yes the WH is going to investigate.
Kind of like they investigated the Black Panthers. Or the way they are looking into ACORN?
Gibbs/Obama will use their classic line:
There are more important things to worry about. The American people are more concerned about jobs.
How about this: stop wasting our money
you bunch of liars.

“White House officials say they are enacting specific steps to make sure such a call never happens again.” ……Translation: WH is enacting specific steps to make sure they don’t get caught again.
**Didn’t they use the same line when Obama authorized the flyover in New York City????

We usually get a fair shake out of jake but this time he’sealy dropped the ball or is he carrying the water. Who knows but he definitelty fails to mention the outright electioneering preperations for 2012 that was eluded to on the call and also conveniently fails to mention the white house employees on the call. WHY? ABC news trying as always to minimize any damage and promote any posiitves for the Democrats. Why do they even call it news anymore. Why not just call it what it is. Liberal ministry of information talking points. Long live Karl Marx in the MSM braintrust.

It’s only inappropriate if BHO’s staff gets busted. If a Republican does it THEN it’s illegal.
How about prosecuting these people? After all, BHO is a constitutional lawyer so he knows better. Rahm Emmanuel has been in Congress and in DC long enough to know it’s illegal, etc. etc, etc. They are in charge. If BHO doesn’t know any better it shows he’s incompetent. If he does know better he should be impeached.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse!

This administration has been amateur hour from day one.

Thank you Jake Tapper for reporting on this.
I’m sure the Administration will do everything to sweep this under the rug and out of the spotlight by saying :
“Let me be clear — NEA and the White House just misspoke. There was a misunderstanding and we didn’t know anything about this. We will look into it.”
Same rhetoric as all of the other scandals, different day.

This story does not mention that Buffy Wicks, a White House employee working for Valerie Jarret spent half the time of the call addressing the group.

If the comments were harmless and misguided, then they are perfectly defensible and need no shift in policy to address. This looks more like getting caught with one’s hand in the cookie jar. And just because the last admin was corrupt is no excuse to defend the current one’s corruption. Wouldn’t be nice if we could say “nobody does that” rather than “everybody does that” when it comes to bad behavior?

The Obamateurs are at it again. Screw all of them—-big time. They are dead in the water. Hillary will resign and prepare to pick up the slack and restore some credibility to the party. What a bunch of wastrels.
John Galt for President. Come on down!!!

Alyson, I’ve got a bridge to sell you…
Posted by: Sal | Sep 22, 2009 2:19:48 PM
***
Actually, I’ve got a bridge to sell you since you’re reading comprehension skills leave so much to be desired, and you seem to fill in blanks all on your own. Nice distortion of your point– kinda fits right in with the right wingers can’t read it straight to save their lives.

Contra Bill Burton’s attempt to mollify people with ears of their own, the problem is not that comments from Sergant and Wick were misunderstood. The problem is that their remarks were overtly propagandistic when properly understood according to uncontroversial lexical and grammatical conventions.
In other words, Mr. Burton, it’s not the listener’s fault for hearing badly. It’s the speakers’fault for signifying treacherously.

oops, I meant nice distortion of *my* point, which is in direct reponse to most corrupt admin ever– and had nothing to do with it being a-okay cuz other admins were corrupt. Just get sick of the over-the-top rhetoric, but Sal, of course, can’t comprehend that.

BUSTED!! I can’t wait to see what the next gross misuse of power by this megalomaniac cult of personality “dear leader” will be!

As a member of the White House staff was in on the conference call and led the discussion, this was hardly done without White House planning and approval.
Odd how Jake Tapper lets Bill Burton shush him away “If some of those involved were concerned..” Remember when the press used to be concerned? If it weren’t for Fox and Breitbart, we wouldn’t know anything, and the MSM would be acting like the groupies they are.
Jake Tapper is over 40 days late to this story.

impeach obama if this was bush the state run and owned media would be calling for it.
Posted by: mr ed | Sep 22, 2009 2:30:20 PM
***
See? Over the top rhetoric. No investigation, just impeach. And who owns the media? Not the state. Corporations. Eyeroll.

This call was made by a whitehouse staffer. They knew exactly what they were doing. The media should get out of the tank and do their jobs and investigate. What’s this nonsense about new guidelines? I guess now that they have been caught, possibly breaking laws, they find it necessary to write new guidelines. Maybe they should publish the old ones so we can see what criminals they all are.

Wow, ABC, congratulations for finally getting around to this story! Glen Beck reported this inn depth LAST MONTH!!!

Would be nice if ABC or any other MSM actually did the original exposing of such acts. From Acorn, the NEA, to Obama’s “questionable” appointments, we’ve had to get it all from the blogosphere and to some extent Fox.

A good summary of the call.
***
Documentation gathered by Big Hollywood’s Patrick Courrielche and the Washington Times, coupled with a newly revealed audio recording of the full conference call, points to eight troubling facts that put the full context of the call in a very disturbing light.
1. The NEA did not want it known they had any part in organizing the call. When the Washington Times asked Yosi Sergant, the NEA’s then-Director of Communications (he was “reassigned” on Sept. 10th after the story broke) about the call, he claimed the NEA was only a participant and that Skolnik had set up the call.
2. We know Sergant lied to the Washington Times. The NEA did send the email invite for the conference call. Worse, Sergant himself sent it, letting this group of artists and art organizations know the call would focus on “core areas of recovery,” starting with “health care.”
3. We know that United We Serve (with the ACORN-related Serve website) claims they were merely a participant in a conference call arranged by someone they referred to as an “individual interested” in their group. It seems obvious they mean Michael Skolnik.
4. Michael Skolnik was not merely an “individual interested” in United We Serve, but in fact was asked by the White House and the NEA to round up artists on their behalf. We know this because in the newly revealed audio of the call, Skolnik says so.
5. The conference call audio makes clear that everyone addressing the artists and art organizations are fully aware they’re speaking to pro-Obama partisans; the same artists who helped the president win the 2008 election.
6. While addressing this group of Obama supporters, United We Serve, The Office of Public Engagement and the NEA repeatedly focus on four areas where “national service” is most needed … and health care always comes first.
7. We know that both Nell Abernathy of United We Serve and Buffy Wicks with The Office of Public Engagement heard and did not dispute Michael Skolnik’s opening statement asserting he had brought these artists together at the request of the White House and NEA, and that one of the goals of the call was to “push the president and push his administration.”
8. The remainder of this piece will prove a pattern shared by all three “guest” speakers: Sergant, Wicks and Abernathy:
* As mentioned above, all know this is a gathering of pro-Obama supporters.
* All make clear they want these pro-Obama artists and art organizations to funnel their activism through Serve.gov, which we now know filters activists to ACORN.
* When it comes to specific areas of activism, health care comes first.
***

obama is taking America down from the inside, it was his plan from the get go and msm is helping him do it.

conservative base anger prompting article. plain and simple
Then why reassign Yosi? Nothing wrong was done! That’s just bowing to right wing pressure!

ABC, don’t pretend that you were on top of this story the whole time. You had your fingers in your ears for a long time, just like you have done with the ACORN disaster, the 9-12 demonstrations, and any other issue that can damage the Obama admin. You shill for the Democats, so don’t try to appear fair.

I look forward someday to having adults back in the white house. Hopefully in 2012 we can make that happen.

artists sellout to the man…..

Funny thing is that Obama hand picked the ppl he surrounded himself with and now either ignores or takes light action on all the stuff they are doing… all the stuff that Obama was doing for his entire career as an ‘organizer’ (read thug) with the same people he did it with back then. And the media and Obama supporters remain oblivious or lazy.

Not to worry, they will investigate themselves and find no evidence of wrongdoing. It was simply poor judgement on someone’s part. This is not an administration occupying the White House, it is a regime.

New guidelines?!? What the hell was wrong with the old ones? Why are they rewriting the guidelines so they can’t be accused of breaking laws? Does no one care?

The late Jesse Helms was right. Its time America cuts off funding to the NEA and The United Nations.

it is really scary to think where we would be without Fox

obama is an embarrassment.period.

WH: Get Linda Douglass (sp?) on this right now. If there is anything “fishy” about what is going on then she’ll let us know….

remember halliburton and the libs fierce attack on cheney for “profiteering” or some other claim…after all that, i never heard much come of it.
now, fast-forward…anyone curious as to Obama’s relationship to jeffrey immelt and GE? the ties seem a bit inappropriate as GE is on the road to great profit through Russia & the greening of our economy…why is the MSM not as concerned and alarmed by this as they were with halliburton and cheney?

Any conservative groups on that conference call? I seem to remember Wicks saying they all worked together to get Obama elected so I doubt it. And that PR firm was part of it. Come on Tapper, you could be a contender if you follow the story.

So what exactly are you reporting, Jake?
I see nothing here that hasn’t been up on BigGovernment for days.
Why do I even bother checking “Political Punch”?
You’re all washed up, MSM. Maybe start doing some investigative reporting for your fellow Americans and you can save yourselves.

Jake,
If you would like to dig deeper on this story instead of fluffy FLOTUS, check out more of the story on Breitbart’s Big Hollywood.
There are photos of the websites for NEA and the Artist’s Fund (501 c3) that show (ahem) “inappropriate” links to health care support for Obama.
You could really have fun with this one. The WH corruption is thick and rife. Please keep their feet to the fire, Jake.

A community organizer that taught ACORN how to cheat the system is running the white house. Expect more of the same. Obama is trying to convert our government into a taxpayer funded version of ACORN. Funny how progressives are always talking about the corrupt corporations and evil rich people, yet they are grabbing power, with complete disregard for the constitution and corrupting every branch of our government, all with the funding of George Soros, who hates America. Is Obama really that smart, or is he just a puppet? Does anyone ever stop and wonder, if George Bush were doing this, would the media cover it? Only 24/7.

After watching some of the “tough questions” from the media this weekend for Obama, is it a surprise that these kinds of things only show up after Fox exposes them? Why are all of the MSM “journalists” missing some of the most shocking behavior by people on the American tax payer’s dollar?

For those wanting to ‘clean the house’ in 2010, I ask that you use your brains. Picking someone just because they have a R or D after their name is ludicrous, insipid, and shows the lack of fortitude needed to ensure a constitutional republic stays safe from enemies within.
The lesser of two evils is still evil.
A story to illustrate my point (I have posted this on other sites, so please forgive me if you find this redundant, and also feel free to repeat and repost it, as written.):
You are baking brownies, and a Democrat and a Republican offer advice on making the brownies better. The Democrat tells you that adding 6 pieces of cat poop to the batter will make them the best brownies. The Republican, aghast, tells you that no more than 3 pieces are to be added. They leave to talk to their buddies, arguing as they go. They come back 10 minutes later, and the Democrat says that he was mistaken, and 12 pieces need to be added, and the Republican says that the Democrat is utterly clueless, and tells you that only 6 pieces of cat poop should be added to the brownie mix.
How many pieces of cat poop do you add to the brownie mix if you intend on eating them? How many pieces do you put in if you plan on serving them?
To answer the first question, 0. The second, 0. Apparently Congress has the answer as 0 for the first and 6-12 (depending on who is in power) for the second, as they always seem to expemt themselves from laws they pass on to us.

Hey what’s the problem, this is Illinois and Chicago Politics at it’s best.

To: funny and Tariq Aziz
Please give Jake a break. He is a legit reporter who has different hoops to jump through than bloggers. He also has a job description and boss that bloggers don’t.
If you want to help. Give him legit information to work with not mindless criticisms. Thanks.

You Lie!!!!!
These words of wisdom will be repeated many times in the next 3 plus years of Socialism indoctrination.

who is thinking that “socialist realism” will once again be a popular art form under Obama’s aegis? Look forward to grand artworks in public spaces of our “dear leader” coming soon!

Its sad that Jake Tapper has come to the point of just rewriting other investigators stories. Got so used to it during the election by rewriting Obama news releases that he assumes thats how it is done.
WAKE UP JAKE! WAKE UP!

===He also has a job description and boss that bloggers don’t. ===
Stenographer for the WH? I didn’t realize that reporters covering the WH couldn’t follow up on questions they ask the WH. They could in the last administration.

Obama is a bad bad dude. He and his cronies are out to push their un-American vision on America and they will use every means available.
These Whitehouse folks are not in need of education and new rules – just a bit of honesty. But if that caught a hold of them they would probably get fired.
Corruption at the Top!!

President Obama does not have time to focus on this problem, cause frankly George, this country has more pressing problems. For instance, has anyone been able to dig up some dirt on Beck yet? PLEASE!! Somebody, give us some dirt on BECK!!! WE REALLY NEED TO SHUT THIS GUY UP!! Oh, and have my new internet czar shut down that website, I think it’s BIGGOVERNMENT. It’s uh, uh, national security threat. They have declared war on my trickle up poverty program!!

FOX broke this story some time ago.

The NEA must be disbanded. It serves no purpose other than to use tax payer money for elitist garbage that a wealthy few like to call ART. Art is something that does not need taxpayer funding, it is something that doesn’t have to be explained. You don’t look at a painting by Monet and wonder if its art… you don’t even look at a Pollock and wonder if its art or not…. but you do look at any thing pushed by the NEA and wonder… and not always if its are or not but also if its child pornography.

This is old news Jake! Pushing agendas witha socialist attitude is what this administration is all about. News Flash to the white house: Your lies are withering not sprouting!

Why not blame it on Bush?
Seriously, I give half props to ABC for actually reporting this. Yes, they are a little late to the game, but it’s better than ignoring it at all.
Now, the question is ABC, do you have what it takes for dig a little deeper.
Sad news, if this involved another administration, there would be investigating, but since it’s MSM’s The One, this will be swept under the rug as usual.

Tapper is a good mostly honest reporter, at least I have found nothing negative about him. Obama and the administration are his problem. They may not lie, but they do not tell the truth. They are so crooked that a smake could not follow them. Congress is included in that statement. This phone call was a sample of being open to the public, but they are now closing that one too. We could trust amadinajajehad more, at least he tells the truth about himself and is not afraid to confront the president.

obama is as dirty as they come

Not only was the NEA call inappropriate, it was most likely illegal as well. So how’s that hope and change working out for everyone? To me it sucks…

In agreement: disband the NEA.
Obama=NO TRUST

Let’s not be hating on Jake. He’s taken a tremendous career risk by even reporting on this story. Network news will once again start reporting news, someday. But they need to start with baby steps and work their way up to actual investigative reporting. ABC should be encouraged for being one of the first to report real news for a change. MSNBC will be the last. They are quite comfortable reporting only the news that comes from the black holes formerly known as the cranal cavities of Chris “Tingly Feeling” Matthews and Keif Overbite.

Are they ever going to stop campaigning and begin governing.

No one is going to investigate this any further are you kidding…. The congress is democrat controlled, the senate is democrat controlled, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN are democrat controlled.
Proof of that no ones going to investigate this, well what about ACORN! who investigated them? A couple of college kids. But guess what, ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, ACORN, and the democrats have investigated, dug more into the background of those kids than they have yet of ACORN.
The only network who doesn’t seem to be in bed with Obama and the democrats is FOX.

I’m stunned. An ABC reporter just committed journalism, and actually reported a story that puts the Obama administration in a bad light?
How will Jake Tapper ever get invited to another DC cocktail party? Oh the humanity!

As a creative person, I’m appalled. As an American, I’m done with these bozos. As a Chicagoan, I’m not surprised.

Hey there RepresentedMajority, we’ll see in 2010 if your smugness is warranted. Meanwhile, keep on laughing at the outrage of those of us in the “minority.” If you truly don’t see a problem with the Whitehouse using the NEA to promote its agenda then I guess you’ll be fine when the next conservative adminstration does the same thing.

Meh, I don’t really care about the NEA stuff, at least what I’ve seen.
So a bunch of elitists are backing Obama… that’s a surprise?
If you want me to be surprised… have the NEA give me money to recreate Andres Serrano’s 1987 photo using a Barack Obama action figure in place of the crucifix.

Since when does the president need to issue guidelines to tell his underlings not to be corrupt? After every revelation there is an effort to appease the offended. Heres a suggestion for a single guideline.
“if you commit even corrupt act you will be immediately fired and prosecuted intensely.” No other guidelines are needed.

What exactly is a “good government group”? He uses the term twice in the piece and I’ve not seen it before.

This administration is so rife with corruption it confounds the mind. This administration is constantly in reactive mode making corrections for all the wrongs it does. This is habitual. There is no moral leadership

Wow, welcome to the party ABC, only a few weeks late. Fox News, which is one of the few networks actually doing, you know, journalism any more instead of cheerleading for the WH, has been on this story since August. I do give some credit for at least reporting it, albeit only at the point it became impossible to continue spiking the story. Seriously, journalism in the main is dead, replaced by state-run apparatchiks who merely reinforce the party line. Obama and Chavez have a lot in common, the media should shut up on asking hard questions and just get in line.

Keep feeding them with the trite, Jake. they’ll keep their collective small mind off important issues like global warming & healthcare or other significant issues that impact their lives and their childrens.
Feed the angry mob, Jake.
You should be ashamed of yourself.

Don’t worry when the next President is elected the new AG will have to look into all these illegal operations committed by Obama and friends and then we don’t want to hear that your are not to go after the out goingAdministration

FOX News has embarrassed the media outlets into at lest making an attempt to do news, albeit months late.

Obama is a one term JERK like Jimmy Carter

The weirdest sculpture I ever saw was in a New York gallery. It was a 4-foot high pile of horse manure covered in blue powdered tempera paint.
Something like that would be appropriate art for this administration.

-Keep feeding them with the trite, Jake. they’ll keep their collective small mind off important issues like global warming & healthcare or other significant issues that impact their lives and their childrens.-
Tripe, that’s the word you’re looking ofr. BTW, AGW is a hoax. Al Gore flew in on his Gulfstream and told me so himself. As for gubbmint healthcare, I’ll pass you when you’re waiting on line. Enjoy it!

Betsy my dear, check my other posts on this article and you will see I was the first to defend Jake.

Jack, you must not talk so poorly of the democrat party and how they hated Bush so much, and showed so much hate and disrespect for the office of the president. That is what you meant, right?

malclave, it’s taxpayer $$$$$ funding the NEA. You can’t use taxpayer money to fund the promotion of a political agenda.

Obama’s group has the main theme of creating a wide spread foundation for themselves and what ever it takes to do it is within their guidelines

Love it how ABC takes credit for a story that fox first aired 3 weeks ago..
Just love it how ABC come late to the party…

the NEA is a worthless left-job organization. dismantle them

Since so many people are interested in rooting out corruption, as they should be, and the stuff with ACORN and the NEA, I thought you all might find the latest POGO (project on government oversight) blog interesting.
“..Congress rushed to cut off all federal funding to ACORN days after several ACORN employees were caught on camera giving advice to a couple posing as a prostitute and a pimp on ways to evade the law.
The House’s bill is called the “Defund ACORN Act”. The bill specifically targets ACORN, but it also applies to “any organization” or its employees who are charged with violating federal or state election, campaign finance or lobbying disclosure laws or filing a fraudulent form with any federal or state regulatory agency.
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) is particularly interested in the fraud provision. Recognizing that there are probably worse offenders than ACORN in this area, Grayson is looking for help in coming up with a list of organizations that have committed fraud against the government or employed someone who did. Rep. Grayson will put his list in the Congressional Record as part of a legislative history that judges and lawyers can use to interpret the law.
POGO’s Federal Contractor Misconduct Database is a great place to start. At last count, it includes 87 instances of government contract fraud – federal and state – involving 43 contractors. You might want to focus on Lockheed Martin, which has 11 government contract fraud instances, or Northrop Grumman with 9 contract fraud instances including this $325 million False Claims Act settlement from earlier this year.
Bear in mind that, since 1994, ACORN has reportedly received a total of $53 million in federal funds, or an average of roughly $3.5 million per year. In contrast, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman respectively received over $35 billion and $18 billion in federal contracts last year. (Their totals since 2000 are $266 billion for Lockheed and $125 billion for Northrop.)
Congress should clamp down on contractor fraud and waste, but it needs to keep a sense of proportion. If ACORN broke the law it, should be punished; however, Congress also needs to crack down just as rigorously on the contractors who take an even larger share of taxpayers’ money and have committed far more, or far more egregious, acts of misconduct. POGO hopes the mentality behind bills like the “Defund ACORN Act,” combined with the new contractor / grantee responsibility database and mandatory misconduct reporting rule, reflects a new zero-tolerance attitude toward contractor misconduct.”
- Neil Gordon
Maybe y’all could get on Lockheed Martin next, or does it make a difference to you whether you’re going after community activists, artists and/or libs? Hmmm….

Hm, efforts via the FCC to influence radio , TV station ownership, putting as many people as possible on the public trough, speaking to nation’s children.
Another country – taking over all radio stations – as of today, (previously took over TV stations) providing government programs for as any people as possible, taking over the court system, and proclaiming support for Obama. What country and “leader”? Venezuela and its president – while people march in the streets against his rule.

Hey Jack, have you noticed the common denominator in these posts? I’m not seeing a big mandate for socialism here. Maybe it’s all ‘astroturf’ being orchestrated by Republican staffers in DC…?

This administration requires constant watching – every time they are “caught” they then make changes, but they keep trying to get away with questionable behavior in the hopes that they won’t be brought to light. Stay alert and don’t let them wear you down. 2010 here we come!

GUTS? ABC can become America’s Network if and only if, it has found the guts that NBC, CBS, CNN and the liberal papers are lacking. George S. was the only one to at least ask the President some serious questions concerning Acorn and the looming taxes that Obama is going to heap on the average person. The other networks are in the tank for Obama, but I am holding out hope for ABC to be a true journalistic news organization on regular t.v.

N.E.A. = No Ethics Allowed…

It’s me again Jack; I’ll be I voted for a black man before you did. Remember Alan Keyes…Where were Jesse Jackson’t tears when Alan was running?

The current administration seems to do an awful lot of correcting, explaining, and apologizing. I can’t ever remember a previous admin (Repub or Dem) doing as much.

Team Obama’s string of initiatives, from the call for citizens to report and identify “fishy” information about health care, to the initial attempt on the part of the National Education Association to encourage school kids to “get behind” the president, and now this incident with the National Endowment for the Arts. It all reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” where, as the inhabitants of a house under siege would block one entrance, the birds swarmed in from another. As that entrance was boarded up, the birds found yet another way in. Such is the way of the determined statist. As he finds one avenue blocked, he tries another, often simultaneously, hoping to confuse and distract. They’re wiley, these guys. Hats off to the public and to the conservative media for keeping an eye on this bunch of roosters.

Hey ObamaisAcorn, I sincerely hope that when CWII breaks out that you my friend are on the front line. Cheers.
,

I find it a bit amusing that many who support Obama blame all their woes on Glenn Beck.
The reality is that he is just one manifestation of decades of excessive government and corruption in both parties. Rail against Glenn Beck all you want; it doesn’t change the fact that the American people are waking up.

Obama, the President that has spent more money than Bush, Clinton and Bush in less then 9 months.

“After ‘Inappropriate’ NEA Conference Call, White House Pushes New Guidelines.” This is code for, “We got caught so let’s start the spin machine and make people think we are taking care of this matter.”

Why is it that after the White House is caught red handed they throw someone under the bus and no one in the White House is punished? Oh wait I know. That would be rascism.

I’m sorry, we “misunderstood”? The elitists in the White House are actually trying to convince us that what we heard ‘isn’t really what we heard,’ just like with the ACORN tapes, where what we saw ‘isn’t really what we saw.’ Come on. This isn’t spin. This is spinning out of control.

Hey Jake,
How about reporting to the American public as to how many federal employees involved in this conference call violated the Hatch Act.

Jack: It’s actually very sad that our first (sort of) Black President is so very lame. He is setting back Black national politicians a few decades!

seems ACORN and the WH are employing the same process; issue a memo re proper procedures. It’s like they’re one in the same. Imagine that

Guideline #1—-no talking to anyone in the media other than those on the approved sycophant list.

The Marxist-Leninist Czar Van Jones, now this. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
You’re done. The only question is whether the American People wait until 2010 to do it.

‘Inappropriate?’
How about ILLEGAL.

@Jack,
I have been refreshing regularly to see if you were ever going to make a coherent, intelligent comment. Judging by you last comment injecting race into the discussion and your utter lack of any rational counterpoint, I have my answer. This has NOTHING to do with race (I voted for Allen Keyes in 2000 myself and would happily vote for JC Watts if he ran for office) but with actions that are inappropriate AT BEST and illegal at worst. In either case, they are reprehensible. Please, in the future, try to make a reasoned response. That is the only way a true dialogue can ever happen about anything.

The only feeling I have , is that if it comes to Dem Presidents, I miss the Clintons!!!!!
OMG it’s come to this!!!!!

when it’s about race everyone says it’s not about race, now it is crystal clear.

The article doesn’t mention the most damaging quote that showed the entire meeting was limited to only those involved int the Obama Campaign:
From Ms Wicks: “I want to thank everyone for being on the call and really a deep, deep appriciation for all the work you all put in the campaign for the 2 plus years we have been working together. I was the field director in California…..

The “Administration” is not stupid. They knew what they were doing. The problem is they can’t get out of CAMPAIGN MODE.
Time to start running the country & stop trying to manipulate the citizens.

Silly rabbit, rules are only for conservatives…if you think the punishment will be anything stronger than “letter of reprimand” or “reassignment” you’re naive.

Political activities? Any cause in some way could be construed as political. What’s wrong with getting involved? No one is saying as to what extent or with what to involve yourself. It’s called being charitable. An idea that is not conservative or liberal. Something the 20- 30 something generation is lacking. We’re raising a whole generation of spoiled lazy adults with no compassion or drive to help their fellow man. An extended ME generation.

If all of the negative things conservatives say about Obama are based on race, why do we dislike Carter so much? He is a white-christian-southern man. Could it have anything to do with how bad a president he was and how Obama is following his lead?

National Endowment For Obama

Busted again ! Everyday, it just gets better and better.This administration is a joke.

black acorn, marx social !!!
I dunno what that means, but I’m angry and I’m gonna say it even if it’s not connected and makes no sense.
I’m glad to follw the rest of my conserva-clan, no matter what they do or don’t know.

whoof..that’s the sound of this being swept under the WH rugs.
When will a journalist get a good set of “johnson’s” to start asking some serious questions. If it walks like duck and quacks like a duck..it’s a freaking duck. In the short 9 months Barry’s been in office how many times does this kind of stuff come up? Geees…come on guys.

art is beauty. the beautiful hate here is an idiot’s artform.

This was no “misunderstanding”. This was, as evidenced by Yosi Sergant’s statement above, an effort to do an end run around the Hatch Act. IMO, this Administration is full of nothing but criminals.

With all due respect to those who correctly see malfeasance in the Big media vis-a-vis the Dems, ABC’s Jake Tapper, for one, gets it. He’s had more pieces exposing O’s troubles than all the other MS media outlets combined.
Good on ya, Jake! Keep up the good work!
-

A government paying artists to advance the leader’s political interests and policies.
What is it? 1933?

Cool! Now we have our own propaganda ministry like the Germans and the Communists had!!!
The dear leader has spoken!

AFTER the video is released exposing the Acorn talent, Acorn reforms….AFTER an audio tape emerges exposing the White House and NEA “inappropriateness” the White House reforms. Can any of these “groups” consider just for ONCE not initiating “inappropriate” behavior instead of just scamming everyone as much as possible until they get caught?! Just a thought.

Are you kidding this is just like Castro’s Cuba! Pay off your buddies with tax payer grants and get all kinds of support from them in the way of “ART”. All I can say is ABC, NBC, CBS etc;. We are in trouble in this country because of jerkoff news orginizations putting there heads in the sand.

Has anyone else noticed that the pro-Obama art all has the flavor of “People’s Art” from the Soviet Era.
That was when there were Artist’s Unions and Writer’s Unions; all slaves of the state.

If it isn’t anything to be worried about, and they weren’t up to “no good” why did they have to say during the phone call: “so bear with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely.” That is the part that got my attention. Why wouldn’t it be “safe” for them to speak to each other if they weren’t doing anything wrong? It seems somewhat suspect to me…

And this stupid Congress is funding this organization with tax monies. Shame of the House and Senate and for anyone else that supports this crooked administration.

So when the health care debacle is shown for what it is…..will the White House then issue another apology?

WOW….
………………
did we ever vote a mistake
………………….
or what?

Every day it seems there is another gob of slime oozing out from this liberal administration, and congress. Yet the liberal use tunnel vision in order not to view the truth all about them. “lie”, LIE, Lie”, that is all they know how to do. One other thing I always liked clowns, so would prefer you use the more appropriate term of buffoon when talking about the administration or the leader of this buffoon brigade.

The NEA was working on setting up a propaganda machine for Obama. That was exactly the point. That’s why they had to use code words to speak to each other safely. This was from the call… “This is just the beginning,” Sergant says on the call. “This is the first telephone call of a brand new conversation. We are just now learning how to really bring this community together to speak with the government. What that looks like legally. We’re still trying to figure out the laws of putting government websites of Facebook and the use of Twitter. This is all being sorted out. We are participating in history as it’s being made, so bear with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely. And we can really work together to move the needle to get stuff done.”

I wonder if the people that work for Obama are put into a room to swear alegence to Obama every morning. I bet the most of the reporters do. I feel the same way about the news media as I did when Bush was making the weapons of Mass destruction speech. The media seemed awful dumb then as well. Hear no evil see no evil just give me a juicy sound bite.

Robby Jackson wrote:
A government paying artists to advance the leader’s political interests and policies.
What is it? 1933?
No, it’s 1917…and we’re witnessing the destruction of another nation.

Memo to the White House: This is tax payer money being used by a president that can’t get himself out of the campaign mode. Were no laws violated? Where is ANY ONE in Congress speaking out about this arrogant display of usurping the arts for your own personal gain (Obama). I love the arts, but I don’t need these dweeb Obama supporters in the arts spending by tax dollars to advance his facist leaning agenda. Let the arts and croissant crowd support the arts, let’s see how much support they get. I want my money back in my pocket so I can select which art to support.

The administration is going to turn this into an all-out war, because they refuse to accept the fact, the health care plan is not wanted, is not popular, and is just plain stupid, unless it is a national health care plan that covers everyone, irregardless.
Guess they just don’t hear well.

CAEMI…you read the posts and names wrong…I didn’t post that. Mine was above my name. Not below.

Art can only thrive when capitalism is strong.
The renaissance blossomed at exactly the same time and place as the first experiment in free markets and broad ownership of property… Italy in the 1300s.
Art exists upon the largesse of wealthy patrons and, more broadly, discretionary income.
Any artist- or collection thereof- (NEA)who is willing to exist upon FedGov dollars truly deserves the misery they’ll endure.

What a sad time in this country when the White House gets caught on tape arranging propaganda with taxpayer money and only a few press people cover it. This administration is as corrupt as they come. And the lack of attention from most of the media is even sadder.
What a sad time when a lower-level functionary gets caught NOT arranging propaganda (he distributes no money, authorizes no projects, does absolutely zip other than cheer artists from the sidelines) but takes a ding from someone wishing to do harm to the arts on a blog.
There was never any hint that taxpayer money would buy art of any kind. The White House acted where it didn’t need to act — to make things clear. Let’s not fuzz things up again, eh?
The opposition to this administration is as corrupt as it is possible to be under the First Amendment, and one hopes that common sense, good manners and propriety might get a grip on these gomers soon.

How come all of these organizations have to do everything under the cover of darkness? Why can’t you liberals come out and stand up for what you believe in? Everything with you guys is covert and “under the radar”. Stand up for what you believe in and do it out in the open and quit hiding. The problem you have is you all could never get anyone to win any office without drifting back to “center right”. You guys are weak.

The more we hear race is the reason for wrong doing the more Obama becomes a JOKE. Judge him on the content of his character and his actions. Nothing more or less. So far his actions have not been good. The 787 Billion stimulus was not written by Obama but he was all for it. And in there was a LOT of PAYOLA and little HELP for the American people. Now he is campaigning for Health care but HE has written nothing and is talking about air. NO BILL or proposal exists that has what Obama is promising today. Presidents DELIVER proposals for what they want. Obama is a joke.

As long as you consider this reporting, I will continue to consider FOX as the only news on TV. Its for this reason that I have not watched ABC on TV for years.
ABC needs to remember that their agenda should be to shine the light of truth ON EVERY POLITICIAN IN WASHINGTON DC!!!
You should not determine who who you will criticize by seeing if there is a “R” or a “D” after their name.

Defund the NEA and Acorn and all of its possible incarnations.

A quick conversion point for the current administration:
Inappropriate = Illegal JT >>>> No JT not in the Obama dictionary. Just like he has redefined TAX he is now redefininf Illegal to mean no big deal.

People! We have a Statist in charge of OUR COUNTRY! Our Liberties are systematically fading before our eyes. Open them up wide, keep them open, and see how this man is really changing OUR COUNTRY! He ran on “Hope for Change”, but he’s not changing OUR COUNTRY by hoping it will, he is changing it through doing it by putting to work “progressive ideology” i.e. Marxism. The thing with Marx was he didn’t try to hide behind any sort of Patriotism for his country to succeed in his agenda. On the other hand, many people were duped into voting for Obama by Obama. Then again many people were not (duped).

Why is this any different than the EPA using the organization “PTO Today” to reach out via local PTO organizations to fill the brains of children at 6000 public schools with ‘projects’ and ‘pledges’ to “fight climate change….. which just happens to mesh perfectly with Obama’s next big agenda item, Cap and Tax?
hmmmm?

This president is a Marxist and leading this country down the same path as Chavez is taking Venezuela. His connections to the TIDE organization should be enough to change the minds of anyone that voted for him.

the more time passes the more this administration looks crooked, sneaky, underhanded and just plain not to be trusted.
And this guy ran on ‘change’?
The best trick the devil ever pulled was to get everyone to believe he didn’t exist.

The WH organized these calls and now they are running from the facts! Buffy Wicks (campaign worker for Obama) funnelled hundred of thousands of dollars from ACORN and now works in the WH and planned this NEA conference call…..WAKE UP!!! Our government is now run by corrupt ACORN organizers and the media is blind and deaf!

so what if he broke the law?, like I said in a few weeks this will blow over, and btw, I can’t wait for health care reform to pass…lolol.

Sorry Jack…I AM black and I know this is crazy. Bush eroded our liberties for eight straight years, and now it is known that Obama will utilize the next four years to do the same. This is not just Marxist, or Statist or socialist or whatever label you want to give it…this is a global order being perpetuated by the central bankers and the Oligarchs that actually run this country. Obama is simply executing their agenda.

CHRIS, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. THE PRESIDENT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS HIS ADVISORS AND THERE ARE MANY ILL ADVISORS SURROUNDING THIS PRESIDENT. THAT IS TOO BAD. HE COULD HAVE SUCH POTENTIAL FOR THIS COUNTRY, YET SO MANY ARE USING HIM FOR THEIR OWN AGENDAS, AND HE DOESN’T SEE IT. NOT BECAUSE HE IS BLACK OR BIRACIAL, BUT BECAUSE IT IS WHAT HE IS EXPECTED TO DO.

President Bush was white, and the left hated him. Evidently, there can be no reason for disagreeing with someone except for the color of their skin. The natural conclusion is that all liberals are racists who hate all white people, because they disagreed with Bush’s policies. Does this demonstrate to Jackie and his little friends how silly they sound?

Everything about the Obama administration is inappropriate.

WOULD LOVE TO VOTE WITH MY WALLET, BUT IT WAS THROWN UNDER THE BUS….AND IS FLAT AS A PANCAKE….YET, THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO SUCK MORE LIFE OOUT OF IT…

none so blind as those that see the truth and do not recognize it.
Posted by: jack | Sep 22, 2009 3:08:04 PM
———–
Most likely what 95 percent of the commentors here are thinking about you right now, jack. How many scandals, or outright lies will it take for you to open your eyes and see? Sadly, I’m sure you’ll have several more opportunities soon.

Inappropriate?
How about illegal.
Obama thinks he is above the law. WE THE PEOPLE have news for you and the rest of the left kooks in this country.

I believe it is inconceivable that Jarrett (“Senior Advisor” and “Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs”) initiated this activity without the President’s full knowledge and consent.
The “training” activity appears to be an attempt to just cover-up how far up this goes.
Glenn Beck provided relatively convincing information that this was not some isolated incident by an untrained or improperly underling…just as the pervasive problems with ACORN aren’t exclusively the province of “rogue” employees.
The investigation with audio tapes of conference calls indicate the trail goes all the way to Valerie Jarrett (the one who got Van Jones his former position), who is so closely associated directly with the President that they supposedly consider each other to be as family.

At what point will it take for congress to intervene??

“Sorry Jack…I AM black and I know this is crazy. Bush eroded our liberties for eight straight years, and now it is known that Obama will utilize the next four years to do the same. This is not just Marxist, or Statist or socialist or whatever label you want to give it…this is a global order being perpetuated by the central bankers and the Oligarchs that actually run this country. Obama is simply executing their agenda.”
Ummm, exactly what liberties did you have eroded under Bush?

Why is it that most of the media is ignoring this story? Why also is it that the obama administration engages in these shenanigans, and does not change course until someone catches them? This is similar to what happened with Van Jones as well as the lesson plans sent out to schools before the Obama speech to kids. Where is the media who is supposed to be holding this President accountable?

I can’t say that I’m shocked that federal government employees acted “innappropriately” in an 8/10/09 conference call where National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) employees joined with White House staff to discuss ways of using taxpayer dollars to fund art projects that would promote President Obama’s agenda.
While it’s wrong in multiple ways, it’s not Obama’s problem as much as it’s a problem with government at every level.
More on the systemic problem in a moment, but first off, exactly what do we need the NEA for?? Why is money forcibly taken from me and every other taxpayer to pay for “art” that we have no say in? It isn’t like without government support, there wouldn’t be any art. In fact, many of our richest and most famous citizens are artists, and their money comes from the voluntary patronage of their fans.
Put another way, if whatever art is being funded wouldn’t survive from the willing patronage of American citizens, then why should we fund it with the involuntary taxation of American taxpayers? Isn’t forcing someone to pay for something they don’t want contrary to freedom and liberty?
While I’m sure the White House at least wishes this call hadn’t been made public, and maybe even that it hadn’t happened, this is in no stretch of the imagination a problem unique to President Obama. At the local level, public employee unions (police, firefighters, teachers, office workers, garbagemen, you name it) take money from the wages that taxpayers fund, give it to the politicians who negotiate their contracts, and the politicians sweeten the deal. The politicians get campaign money, the unions get power, the public employees get paid and the taxpayers get screwed. The same thing happens at the state level. In California, the union for the correctional officers (the CCPOA) wields enormous influence in state elections. At the federal level, politicians get contributions from entities that benefit from the local projects that they fund from their earmarks.
So this cycle of taxpayer dollars being spent in a political fashion, while disgusting, is certainly not a problem unique to Obama, it happens every day at every level in our society.

“This is similar to what happened with Van Jones as well as the lesson plans sent out to schools before the Obama speech to kids.”
You mean those evil lesson plans that suggested kids write about helping the President by, oh, let’s say, working hard and staying in school?

This administration breaks the law daily. Or is it just me thinking this.

Seems a near weekly occurrence that the arrogance of this administration and it’s lemmings is being uncovered.
Keep it up you arrogant SOBs…your time is short.
Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Get ready to fall and be destroyed !

All Hail the Head Nanny What’s In Charge!

“arrogance”
“arrogant SOBs”
“haughty”
Come on, T.J., just come out and say it. You know you’re dying to use the U-word.

I recall a great deal of Statist art in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the mid-20th century supporting their respective beloved leaders and the collective goals. Are we really determined to go down that road again? “Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it.”

looks like it’s time for obama to appoint an ethics czar…then we won’t have anymore of these problems. maybe he could appoint the impeached bill clinton or the convicted felon sandy berger…they would be perfect candidates for the position.

“And what did he ask of them? Work hard and stay in school.” posted by Rudy
Too bad it wasn’t left at that.
More on the NEA phone call, and it’s “specific asks” to the arts community….
Within 48 hours of this phone call, 21 arts organizations endorsed President Obama’s health-care reform plan.

Bill Burton (as Obama) is incapable of being sincere and honest. His “apology” is standard Leftwing-avoidance denial of any wrongdoing (and thus, no apology at all, just words that point the finger/blame at those who “took offense” not at the instigator of the offense().
This is one situation (among many, unfortunately) whereby Obama and his ‘associates’ have been clearly identified as urging on a Cult of Personality “in service” to Obama USING the Presidency/U.S. public resources to service a “leader” — which, incidentally, is exactly what Hitler was all about.
When people compare the two as I just did, it’s frowned upon because it’s quote so ugly but it’s a reality — Obama is representing A MAN (himself) as government, attempting to replace or supplant our Republic with dedication to himself. Again, exactly what Adolf did.
And Bill Burton is just attempting his same old sneaky sniping here in what’s quoted. He’s not sorry, he’s not actually apologizing, he’s telling those ‘who may have taken offfense’ tha they are deficient (they “took offense” perhaps to the grandiose leader).

Hilarious, if it weren’t tragic!
I bet that since May, not one 2-week period has gone by without something illegal, immoral, unethical or “inappropriate” occurring that has a link to the president.
From ACORN, to Gates-Gate, to NEA funding, to take over of car mfrs, to healthcare disaster, to SEIU, to Van Jones, Cap and Tax, to czars, czars and more czars, to NY Gov Patterson, NY fly overs with jumbo jets, to practice Potomac river attacks, to Czech/Pole missile defense, to bowing to dictators, to Hassan Nemazzee, to cabinet level tax cheats, to unimaginable deficit spending, to govt control of private banking, to Pelosi, to destroying intelligence assets, to the wrong side of Honduras, etc., etc., My God — it never ends!!!!!
And then before the presidency, you had Dohrn, Ayers, Marshall, Rezko, etc., Well you get the drift…..
Does that make me a racist if even one or two, or seven or 14 or 18 of the above bothers me?
Has it sunk in yet? Independents? young voters? Is this, or is this not a flawed president? Is he or is he not a socialist? Is he or is he not incompetent? Naive?
Are you paying attention?
(uh…sorry…was that out loud?)

Amazing what sort of “support” a White House conference call and a little stimulus pork can gin up.
Some tidbits from the press release:
“As national arts service organizations representing thousands of nonprofit arts organizations at the state and local level as well as serving thousands of individual artists across the country, we call on Congress to pass a health care reform bill….
We call on Congress to pass:
*A health care reform bill that will create a public health insurance option
*A health care reform bill that will support arts in healthcare programs, which have shown to be effective methods of prevention and patient care.
Millions of cultural workers stand ready to assist our leaders with solutions that protect all Americans and its creative sector with guaranteed universal insurance coverage deserving of the wealthiest nation in the world.”
creepy, creepy, creepy

“Burton added that the White House will be issuing a formal memo for White House staff “to that effect and will be doing training sessions and personal visits with staff here to make sure the message gets across.”
Training sessions. Right. Aren’t they proposing “training sessions” to rectify the systemic lawlessness permeating ACORN?

Unbelievable – another major story, ignored by the national mainstream media for weeks now (it was a hot story on Fox News the week before the Obama effort to get school kids to help in his agenda); the White House reacts to Fox News again – realizing that they’ve been caught doing stuff that 90% of the country would be enraged about – if they found out.
ABC News here should have given credit to Fox for looking out for the American people.

Where are the nutless Republican Congressmen? Worthless, worthless and shameful. If they are IN throw them out. At least you KNOW where the Democrats stand.

Talk about your “Vast Left Wing Conspiracy”! How big does it have to get before America wakes up to what is happening to us?
Let’s face it folks — Obama killed the American Dream!

There should be a congressional investigation on this and the outcome- should be obama impeached!

Late again ABC, but at least you covered it.
It appears that “FOX is first,” and is the only network that is not in the tank for Obama.
Who says? That fact was “said” loud and clear by the actions of Obama in not appearing on FOX as part of his ineffective weekend media blitz.

Vote them all out a new broom sweeps clean. Yes to term limits No to benifits for Congress or Senate!

WHAT A SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!
ACORN……NEA……WHO’S NEXT?

The great thing about the internet is that you can come here or to one of the neocon blogs and think, wow, people have lost all perspective and focus and really think this drivel is way more important than it is and are highly susceptible to conspiracy theories when a Dem is in the WH, but then you can read Kevin Drum or Freddie at The League of Ordinary Gentleman blog on the shiny new toy du jour for the conservative movement (the Great NEA Conference Call Scandal) and Perlstein on the largley overhyped scandal that is ACORN, and you realize, all is still okay. There will always be wingnuts, but there will always be sane folks with common sense and perspective.
So take heart libs and progressives (not that you’re worried, but in case you, like me, have family or friends that don’t get out much and think like the wingnuts) as Kevin puts it: “… there’s good news here for liberals: if this is the direction Breitbart and Glenn Beck and the rest of the crew are going, they’ll soon be taken about as seriously as Abbie Hoffman and the Yippies. The first stunt is kind of cool. The second one, not so much. The third one is a yawn. There’s just no there there. Unless there’s another shoe to drop on the NEA call, this is a nothingburger. But there’ll be more. The old admonition to always leave ‘em wanting more is good advice for any kind of theater, including political theater, but I don’t think the wingers get that. They should have quit while they were ahead.”
I don’t think they “get” much. LOL.
For the rest google, Kevin Drum Star 6, the league of ordinary gentlemen soft bigoty meet low expectations part II, and columbia journalism review rick perlstein ACORN.

Shame on you, Jake, for not identifying Melanie Sloan as the fiercely partisan leftist that has worked for John Conyers and Charles Schumer. You might also have mentioned that CREW is a leftist organization, not a nonpartisan “good government group.” You should have also read the Hatch Act, and solicited the opinion of honest lawyers, whether this corrupt move by Jarret’s group was a violation, WHICH IT CLEARLY WAS. Did you have to get this piece vetted through Axelrod’s office?

This was ILLEGAL ccording to the Hatch Act “May not: organize or manage political rallies or meetings”. If I had listen to this audio with no context, I would have said it was a political meeting.

What world do these people live in?
The “WEALTHIEST nation in the world”? We are in debt way beyond our eyeballs, our childrens’ eyeballs, and our grandchildrens’ eyeballs. How is that “wealthy”? (answer: It isn’t)
Our nation is running on credit (bonds sold to other countries) AND accounts supposedly guaranteed for the contributors (Social Security, etc), AND currency that the Fed just decides to print out of thin air, AND “creative” account book juggling by monetizing our own debt. These credit cards will inevitably get snipped and the balances become due.
From post by Bridget Sep 22:
“Millions of cultural workers stand ready to assist our leaders with solutions that protect all Americans and its creative sector with guaranteed universal insurance coverage deserving of the wealthiest nation in the world.”

Thank you, Jake. Thank you for your courage and commitment.

This is a clear violation, but let’s look for bigger fish than this. This one will get minimized. Believe me Obama is cooking political meth, and things are getting snooped, it’s only a matter of time. This is yet another evidence of a tide of illegality by this admin. Pick your battles. Van Jones was a great hill, ACORN was a great hill. There will be many more.

This is way more than “inappropriate” this is illegal. They are in violation of several laws and regulations. Where is Waxman? He wrote the last one. I realize that we have a crooked Attorney General but this is getting absurd. The press better wake up.

I’m sure Nobama “didn’t know anything about this”. Just Like Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, Rev. Wright, ACORN, Van Jones, etc., etc. Sounds pretty dumb to me! You better watch out Jake Tapper – they will get you fired, just like John Stossel.

Don’t they have a phrase for this?
Isn’t it called PLAY FOR PAY?
Isn’t that a crime?
Isn’t that also called influence peddling? Isn’t that a crime?
I think we have to investigate Obama’s staff under the RICO laws.

Nothing they do surprises me anymore.

Yes. This is the kind of reporting we want and need from ABC. We’ve been waiting and hungering for a long time.

“Inappropriate”. Sort of a understatement. Are the new guidelines a way to keep on doing what they were doing but not get caught?

“They have been used to influence our children in our teachers union run and Federal Government funded schools.”
Are you talking about National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) or National Education Association (NEA)?

The N.E.A., Education Dept., Commerce Dept. and others should be defunded and shut down. Want to save money ? Start here.

Lady Churchill – as has been stated, THIS IS NOT ILLEGAL. You saying it is so does not make it so. And this DID NOT COME FROM THE PRESIDENT OR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. Stop the lies.

White House….you lie!

Will these be like the guidelines on ethics and transparency that Obama announced on his first day in office, and then violated over and over again?

No this story doesn’t work. We want to know why this is taking place. Clearly lines were crossed here, just like the ACORN scandal. We need answers, not some quick little cover up so that we forget about it.
The left is claiming that there is corruption on the right with defense contractors, etc as well. It doesn’t matter, we want to clean up the corruption and keep the heat on our representatives, and those that work for them and those that are contracted by our government. The goal is the clean up the corruption where ever it is, including in the mainstream media.
Maybe that is where our focus should be next, is to see how many ‘inappropriate’ ties there are between our government and the mainstream media and clean those up as well.

If ABC has any journalistic integrity left they will NOT see this story as a “standalone” issue involving a few overzealous staff, rather they will do their job and look at the big picture..How this episode is just one in a string of seemingly “unconnected incidents, yet the players in all these groups have the same common thread over and over. Look at the connections of ACORN, SEIU, Apollo Alliance, Tides Foundation, Color Of Change NEA etc..look far enough into the list of directors, founders etc.. and the same names and thought patterns keep coming up over and over again.

The character of a leader can be seen within the actions of the people under their influence.

This kills me. “INAPPROPRIATE?” lol! No, Mr. President, is is worse than inappropriate, it is is extremely UNETHICAL if not ILLEGAL! This President lacks any type of moral compass as evidenced in his same word, “inappropriate” for the ACORN shenanigans.
We need to clean house, people! One dirty politician at a time, no matter which side of the aisle they slither from.

what on earth is this administration doing? using the NEA as a propaganda arm. i guess we’ll soon get some “trash the messenger” stories about how the artist who taped this call and exposed the corruption is a right-wing activist who studied art at jerry falwell’s university and whose art is “christian” themed (que the horror movie music in the background).

Is anyone really surpirsed by this???
Bamma Boy and his gang of thugs must go!!!
2010 and 2012 can’t come fast enough.

Why isn’t the “investigative arm” of ABC doing an in depth report on this for the nightly news? Oh I forgot it is the “All Barack Channel”

“This call was not a means to promote any legislative agenda and any suggestions to that end are simply false.”
Could any reasonable person listen to that call and believe this statement? Ridiculous. They really must think that the American people are idiots.

>In the call, Yosi Sergant, then the >NEA’s communications director, seemed >to encourage the listeners to create >art to further the president’s goals >by promoting the United We Serve >campaign and create art specific to >areas of health care, education and
>the environment.
It was at this sentence that I stopped reading the article. I’ve heard the recording on another network, you know the one that is being targeted now. Actually I’ve heard it twice and he didn’t “seem” to encourage but actually did. That got him in trouble, although someone was probably directing him, then he was demoted and later left of was let go. I can’t rember which but it doesn’t matter. What does matter is your inability or unwilliness to report accurately. This is just a small example of what happens in the media these days. It becomes especially transparent when you pull a story from another source, such as an overseas paper. It is amazing how many details get left out from stories sometimes.