Yosi Sergant : The Next Van Jones?
EmailABC News' Yunji de Nies reports: Last week, FOX News' Glenn Beck spent a solid amount of airtime blasting Yosi Sergant – then-National Endowment for the Arts' spokesman – accusing him and his agency for using government tax dollars to create propaganda for the Obama Administration. Today, the NEA says Sergant has been reassigned. So is he the next Van Jones?
At issue: a conference call Sergant led on August 10th. A number of artists and arts organizations were invited to participate, via email. One line in the invitation Sergant sent on August 6th reads, "A call has come in to our generation. A call from the top. A call from a house that is White. A call that we must answer."
On that conference call, Sergant appears to encourage the listeners to create art to further the Administration's agenda – by promoting the United We Serve campaign and create art specific to areas of health care, education and the environment. LA filmmaker Patrick Couriellech was on the call and secretly recorded it.
He told Beck, "We were told several times throughout the conference call that we were selected for a reason, that these are the people that helped Obama come into the office. They used the HOPE poster and the will.i.am as specific examples of how this group played a role in getting this man elected."
Couriellech blogged about the call and turned the recording over the Beck because, "This is not what the government was meant to do it. And this is not what the National Endowment for the Arts was meant to do. They are there to promote the arts, increase access to the arts and be a leader for education in the arts. Not the push issues."
Sergant seemed to know he may have been treading shaky ground. In another portion of the call, he says, "This is just the beginning. 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."
Sally Gifford, a spokeswoman for the NEA, said that Sergant had been reassigned, but declined to comment further, calling this a "personnel matter." In a written statement the agency defended the conference call, saying that they had participated in it, "with arts organizations to inform them of the President's call to national service. The White House Office of Public Engagement also participated in the call, which provided information on how the Corporation for National and Community Service can assist groups interested in sponsoring service projects or having their members volunteer on other projects. This call was not a means to promote any legislative agenda and any suggestions to that end are simply false."
Administration spokesman Shin Inoyue said, "The White House did not and has not asked for him [Sergant] to resign," and referred the matter back to the NEA. UPDATE: Inouye said the White House does not believe the incident reflects a politicization of NEA funding. “The United We Serve effort is an attempt to get Americans from all walks of life to answer the President’s call for people to get involved with their communities,” he said.
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You should credit big hollywood and washingtontimes, not beck… they’re the ones who really did this story…
Posted by: yarrrrr | September 10, 2009, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
“A call has come in to our generation. A call from the top. A call from a house that is White. A call that we must answer.”
Shades of the brown-nosing lesson plans cooked up by White House aides and the Department of Education trying to leverage Obama’s speech to school children into an Obama lovefest.
When are these cretins going to realize that their attempts to get the rest of us to worship at the altar of The One like they do is just downright creepy?
Posted by: Bridget | September 10, 2009, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
Gee. Some bloggers dig up flagrant — and likely illegal — politicization of the NEA. I’ve known about this for weeks. What do you “real” reporters do with your time, anyway? Sit around and watch the fax machines?
Posted by: mesquito | September 10, 2009, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
That’s funny. I just read on a conservative blogger’s site where MSM would credit Beck and/or Fox for this one too, when in reality Big Hollywood and Washington Times did it. Not as much red meat in those two entities. And lo and behold, here it is. Beck scores another one.
Posted by: Axey | September 10, 2009, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
Thanks yarrrr. We should not be surprised that people like Yunji are trying to spin this as Beck vs. Obama with Obama as the underdog and being picked on.
This was a blatant abuse of power by a political hack in the NEA. The National Endowment for the Arts is a nonpartisan government group meant to support the arts, not the President’s agenda. No matter what party affiliation.
The countdown begins for the race card to come out and play again. It’s the only card in the deck for some desperate people out there.
Posted by: Aaron | September 10, 2009, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
the title of this entry suggests that sergant was swiftboated, just as jones was.
both got trapped by their own words. period.
Posted by: kelli | September 10, 2009, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
=== that sergant was swiftboated, just as jones was.
both got trapped by their own words. period.===
That is the true definition of being swiftboated. Facts you don’t want mentioned get brought up.
Posted by: Axey | September 10, 2009, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
I agree with the other comment. This is originally from Big Hollywood, not Beck. But it is alike in that only Fox and the Wall Street Journal covered this story. It was simply ignored by the main stream media just as with Van Jones.
I think the government should not be in the business of the Arts anyway and the agency should be eliminated. But while they are, as a government entity they are obligated to politically neutral.
Posted by: Tere | September 10, 2009, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
“A call has come in to our generation. A call from the top. A call from a house that is White. A call that we must answer.”
Is it just me, or is that among the most hilarious statements ever issued by a government agent?
Posted by: Ed | September 10, 2009, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
I guess that’s what happens when a leftist campaign flunky tries ever so hard to sound “artistic.”
Posted by: Ed | September 10, 2009, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
Van Jones almost made a Nixonesque exit.. ‘.. won’t have him to pick on anymore..’
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | September 10, 2009, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
Who cares who scores credit. If there’s guys like Van Jones and Sergant apparently being a menace to our country, being removed from power is all that matters.
If VJ was such a great guy why didn’t Obama go to bat for him?
Posted by: keys2truth | September 10, 2009, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
Does anyone besides me sense a pattern of behind the scenes activities by a supposedly “transparent” administration that promised to change the culture of Washington? Did I just think he meant change for the better, or did he mean self-serving change?
Maybe he means it when he says he will hit his enemies hard.
Posted by: keys2truth | September 10, 2009, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm
Why aren’t more news outlets looking into the various czars and appointees?
Doesn’t the MSM ever want to get back out in front in the area of investigative reporting?
Posted by: WhereWasThePress? | September 10, 2009, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm
What’s that I hear–crickets?
The MSM won’t touch this story, Van Jones, or the new scandal with ACORN.
The MSM is not looking out for average Americans they are protecting Obama at all costs.
Even as they continue to lose viewers and credibility. Good riddance MSM.
Posted by: max | September 10, 2009, 6:16 pm 6:16 pm
That is the true definition of being swiftboated. Facts you don’t want mentioned get brought up.”
Hmmm you mean Jerome Corsi the birther author Swift Boat veteran’s group, quite a few who recanted or were proven liars?
Wiki has a nice summary of their idiocy.
“A major part of the SBVT controversy centered on the group’s testimony. The SBVT statements were accompanied by sworn affidavits, although one affiant, Al French, later admitted he had no firsthand knowledge of what he had sworn to.
The first SBVT ad was contradicted by the statements of several other veterans who observed the incidents, by the Navy’s official records, and, in some instances, by the contemporaneous statements of SBVT members themselves.”
Posted by: Ryan C | September 10, 2009, 6:21 pm 6:21 pm
I asked a friend of mine the other day how she could still support Obama given all that has come out about him.
The radicals, the ridiculous spending, the power-grabbing, the takeover of banks and car companies, the apology tours.
She actually said–”Oh I don’t get into all of that”.
How many millions of people are like that? Still in the dark, too lazy to be informed, still depending on the nightly news that doesn’t bother to report the truth?
That’s why America is in trouble.
Posted by: bailey | September 10, 2009, 6:33 pm 6:33 pm
can’t Obama find anyone with normal, mainstream views and beliefs to head up prominent agencies and positions? Does he have any friends who aren’t radical or have fringe, unpopular views? This character Obama is really scary.
Posted by: Ed | September 10, 2009, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
Yosi Sergant is not a “political hack” as some on here have stated. I know him personally and he is a man of character and creative genius – without question one of the best things that has ever happened to artists and our community. Glenn Beck – to make a buck – twists the truth and attempts to appeal to your baser instincts. Recipe for a better country: more Yosi Sergants and fewer Glenn Becks.
Posted by: Tim Sheridan | September 10, 2009, 7:21 pm 7:21 pm
All I know is that I’m getting mighty sick of seeing Obama’s face and hearing Obama’s voice. Does the man realize that not everyone’s in love with him?
Posted by: Kathy | September 10, 2009, 7:39 pm 7:39 pm
Tim, I called him a hack, and I stand by my comments. I do not know him, but he sure acted like a political hack by politicizing the NEA. That department should not be used to promote a President’s agenda. Coming from someone who sounds like he is in the artist community per your comment, I would expect you to be equally offended that a President would want to abuse the NEA like this for his political gain. Maybe Yosi has done great things. I know he was partly behind the Hope poster that has been credited for helping Obama win the election and per you comment, I am sure he has done other great things for artists, but these comments and his implications were just plain wrong. And I don’t see how an artist could defend him.
Posted by: Aaron | September 10, 2009, 7:46 pm 7:46 pm
I figured the next Van Jones would take a little while to screw up and out himself, but if you read the transcript of the call, it is pretty disgusting how a government agency is being used to help a president’s party politically. They knew that what they were doing and talking about was immoral or at the very least on the edge and that more than anything else should say that they need to be canned, not just reassigned. There are more people than Sergant involved in this, it isn’t over yet, which is how it is different than Van Jones. The thing left to find out with the Jones appointment was who in the admin ok’d him being appointed without the vetting that is done for every other administration employee.
Posted by: Jason | September 10, 2009, 7:47 pm 7:47 pm
And again, this was not Glen Beck’s doing. Nor did he or Breitbart or others twist the truth. Yosi went down on his own soundbites, his email, and his attempt to cover it up.
Again, he may be a good man, but this action was pretty lame and he deserved to lose his position over it.
Posted by: Aaron | September 10, 2009, 7:49 pm 7:49 pm
I am an artist and this man needed to go.
Liberals think they have a lock on the creative community and it just isn’t so.
Many of us are independent and some are even conservative but we are forced to keep a low profile because of people like Yosi.
Posted by: Peppah | September 10, 2009, 8:50 pm 8:50 pm
“appears to be saying”, What the hell are you talking about? He did encourage them to create art for furthering the Obama cause. Why can not a liberal press call it fairly???
Posted by: ferv888 | September 10, 2009, 8:55 pm 8:55 pm
Obama surrounds himself with such a target rich environment, so many targets, so little time. But the Right bloggers are taking them out one at a time, only doing the job the MSM won’t do,
Posted by: Travis | September 11, 2009, 3:45 am 3:45 am
I m going to disregard the foolish comment by Canuck. Having lived in the LA and dealt with NEA, what Yosi did was reprehensible and NOT in keeping with the mandate of the NEA.
BECK had NOTHING to do with this story. BIG HOLLYWOOD broke this attempt to enlist the arts community to become propogandist for Obama’s political agenda. Good Riddance Yosi. The more we shed the spotlight on the truth of what this admin is doing, the better.
Bush NEVER politicized the NEA. Can you imagine if he had asked artists to create works that supported the war in Iraq. Lefties would be vituperative.
Posted by: Canadian Who Knows The Truth | September 11, 2009, 10:38 am 10:38 am
er-uh Yunji you might want to correct the storyline. Why mention Beck in the first graph? it was Breitbart’s Big Hollywood blog that broke the story, Beck eventually carried the story. This is why most Americans are distrustful of the media, i.e., the complete story is not told. what happened to writing a story with Who, What, Where, When, Why and How?
Who broke the story? Big Hollywood
When did they break the story?
Why did they report on this?
Where was it reported?
How did they find out?
Posted by: Peterk | September 11, 2009, 11:21 am 11:21 am
I guess your going to blame Glenn Beck for the Acorn scandals too.
Where is your coverage??
Whatever happened to taking responsibility for your own actions?
MSM wonders why their ratings are tanking.
Sorry, America IS waking up!!
Posted by: JusttheFacts | September 11, 2009, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
Amen, Kathy! President Obama, with his incessant speeches and public appearances is beginning to remind me of those vile statues and mega wall-portraits that we’ve seen in corrupt regimes where the “dear Leader” can’t quite get enough of himself…a leader that has to keep reminding his country just who is in control. YUCK! Our country is far more than just the President, and Obama seems to have become much too full of himself. He and many others in Washington are totally tone deaf and that is pretty scary. I’m glad that the country is turning up the volume because it seems that is what it will take to have Washington, D.C. hear us.
Posted by: Pamela | September 12, 2009, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
Bush never politicized the NEA? Please. He just worked hard with others to defund it.
Posted by: Rita Silver | September 13, 2009, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
Reading the various transcripts and listening to clips of the call, what is most interesting is how ignorant these various officials at the NEA and the White House sound. “Specific Asks” “Really Cool” “Really Honored” It’s like the cast of Dawson’s Creek is running the country.
Posted by: Bart | September 21, 2009, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
Isn’t this basically bribing and blackmailing? Support Obama and his madman egotism and we’ll fund you?
Strict and immediate legal action against any and all of these people will put an end to this. A year in the slammer for these ‘squakers’ would set good precedence.
Posted by: funnominal | September 22, 2009, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
These ‘artists’ are really the product of the ‘self-esteem’ based educational system where everyone is considered ‘smarter’ than average.
Posted by: funnominal | September 22, 2009, 4:01 pm 4:01 pm
ABC should be ashamed of themselves. You use Glenn Beck as your resourse? Why aren’t you doing the research on your own. You people are useless and you wonder why your ratings are down and continue to go down? WHY Don’t you have people that are willing to ask the tough questions and actually report the truth? Americans are AWAKE and ALIVE never to be asleep again. Don’t you get it yet? The propaganda you spread is appauling and disgusting.
Posted by: Christine | September 22, 2009, 9:54 pm 9:54 pm
“Those liberal artists”,”self-esteem’ based educational system” or “smarter”……..
Please!! Can you sound anymore insecure?
Opinions fueled by lifelong bitterness doesn’t help anything.
Posted by: R.C. | September 27, 2009, 2:42 am 2:42 am