Andrew Breitbart 's smear of Sherrod resembles his attack on Kevin Jennings

The lgbt community would do well to remember that what Andrew Breitbart tried to do to Shirley Sherrod is the same smear job he attempted on Obama appointee Kevin Jennings. Through his websites and via writer Jim Hoft, Breitbart pushed a disturbingly large amount of lies on Jennings. From Media Matters comes this listing:

Blogger Hoft's smear campaign against Jennings. Writing for the website Gateway Pundit, Jim Hoft has authored a series of factually dubious attacks on Department of Education staffer Kevin Jennings and the organization Jennings founded and previously led, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Hoft's Jennings posts -- which he has labeled "Fistgate," even though many of those allegations have little or nothing to do with the sexual practice of fisting -- often draw upon the work of MassResistance, a Massachusetts based anti-gay organization that has been labeled a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Even conservative commentator Dean Barnett has stated that the organization "verges on being a hate group."

Breitbart eagerly embraced and promoted Hoft's false attacks on Jennings. Hoft's "Fistgate" attacks on Jennings and the GLSEN have been faithfully cross-posted on BigGovernment.com, and Breitbart himself has used Twitter to promote Hoft's work. Among the smears and distortions Breitbart has embraced:

• Hoft deceptively linked Jennings to "fisting" workshop he criticized. Hoft claimed that a 2000 conference sponsored by the Boston branch of GLSEN included "a workshop where GLSEN activists promoted 'fisting' to 14 year olds," citing a recorded exchange that occurred during a "Queer Sex and Sexuality" workshop at that conference. In fact, Jennings reportedly criticized some of the workshop's content when the recordings were first released in 2000, and the people involved in conducting the controversial discussion were state employees and contractors, not GLSEN employees.

• Hoft falsely claimed high-school students received "fisting kits" at 2001 GLSEN conference. Hoft falsely claimed that "fisting kits" -- which he placed in quotes -- were distributed at the 2001 GLSEN/Boston conference. But Hoft has presented no evidence that the kits distributed by Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts were actually intended for fisting. Indeed, while the conservative newspaper Massachusetts News -- cited by Hoft -- reported in 2001 that the kits were "intended for 'fisting' or oral sex," the paper described the kit's contents as "a single plastic glove, a package of K-Y lubricant and instructions on how to make a 'dental dam' out of the material" and offered no support for the claim that the kits were "intended for 'fisting.' " Even FoxNews.com has reported that Hoft "alleged that Jennings and GLSEN were involved in Planned Parenthood's purported distribution of 'fisting kits,' " but that the kit "was actually for making a 'dental dam' -- designed to prevent STD transmission during oral sex."

• Hoft falsely suggested Jennings' organization handed out explicit safe-sex booklet to children. Hoft falsely suggested that that GLSEN had distributed to children an explicit safe-sex booklet that included "a list of the local gay bars" and "Pushed Anal S*x in Parks With Strangers." In fact, a community health group -- not GLSEN itself -- reportedly said that it had mistakenly "left about 10 copies" of the booklet on an informational table it rented at a 2005 GLSEN conference at Brookline High School in Massachusetts; the group reportedly apologized for doing so; GLSEN stated that if it had known the booklets had been at the conference, it would have demanded they be removed; and the Brookline school superintendent reportedly said he believed no students had actually taken the booklet.

• Hoft falsely claimed Jennings "Pushed Books That Encouraged Children to Meet Adults at Gay Bars For Sex." Hoft falsely claimed that Jennings "Personally Pushed Books That Encouraged Children to Meet Adults at Gay Bars For Sex," citing MassResistance's falsehood that a book Jennings recommended to high school and college students, One Teenager in 10, "encourage[s] teens to, among other things, go to gay bars and have sex with adults to see if they like it." Media Matters for America has reviewed the book, compiled all references to gay bars, and determined that the book at no point encourages teens to "go to gay bars and have sex with adults." In fact, a majority of the youth testimonials included in the book that mention gay bars refer to them negatively.

Breitbart.tv also smeared Jennings. An October 6, 2009, Breitbart.tv post grossly distorted comments Jennings made to a GLSEN audience in 2000 to claim he "criticize[d] schools for promoting heterosexuality." In fact, in the audio files posted at Breitbart.tv, Jennings promoted a curriculum that demands "respect [for] every human being regardless of sexual orientation, regardless of gender identity, regardless of race or religion or any of the arbitrary distinctions we make among people," and said that efforts to promote a specific sexual orientation through schools were ineffective.

The irony is that in this particular case, the Obama Administration did not capitulate to the right-wing hatchet job. Jennings still has his job and the faux controversy faded away. 

Editor's note - Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters covered the entire smear campaign on Kevin Jennings and has an extensive listing of all the attacks - The War on Kevin Jennings - Chronology of a Failed Smear Campaign  Hoft and Breitbart's lies are in section 2 of that piece.

Rachel Maddow nails Fox News on tactics

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

When someone says it all, there is nothing left to be said.

Timeline of Sherrod debacle reveals disturbing coordination between Fox News and bloggers

The Shirley Sherrod debacle was bound to happen sooner or later. With the 24-hour-media constantly buzzing and  "senior analysts" of thinktanks constantly tossing out inaccurate talking points to fit their positions rather than educating the public, someone was bound to get stung.

The only thing that kept this situation from becoming worse was Sherrod's will to stand up herself rather than crumble under the glare of negative media attention.

Now despite the need to constantly harp on the White House and NAACP for the Sherrod debacle (and some of the harping is very legitimate), one cannot deny that the two entities got overcome by a coordinated right-wing swarm that made their heads spin before they even had time to assess the situation.

A timeline by the group Media Matters details how quickly the Sherrod story moved through right-wing circles. A brief excerpt is as follows:

Monday

11:18 a.m.*: Breitbart posts Sherrod video, calls her "racist," claims "Context is everything."

Fox News amplifies Breitbart's deceptively edited video

12:13 p.m.: Hoft runs with Breitbart video.

12:55 p.m.: HotAir's Morrissey: "Breitbart hits NAACP with promised video of racism."

1:40 p.m. (approximately): Fox Nation accuses Sherrod of "discrimination caught on tape" before she resigned.

1:49 p.m.: Ace of Spades picks up Sherrod story, calls it an example of "your government, working for you."

3:31 p.m.: Elizabeth Scalia of the blog The Anchoress raises questions about the editing of Breitbart's video.

4:01 p.m. Ace of Spades reports that CBS' NYC affiliate picked up Sherrod story, declares, "Breitbart gets results."

4:28 p.m. (approximately): Sherrod story hits Drudge.

4:50 p.m.: Breitbart tweets to Media Matters: "Tomorrow's gonna be a long day."

7:51 p.m.*: Big Government links to a FoxNews.com article reporting that Sherrod had resigned and USDA repudiated her remarks.

8:21 p.m.: Allahpundit questions the video's editing, but says he will "assume Breitbart's edit is fair to the spirit of her remarks."

8:50 p.m.: O'Reilly airs Breitbart's Sherrod video

9:04 p.m.: "Fox News Alert": Hannity reports that Sherrod has resigned and discusses the incident with Gingrich.

Say what you will about the right-wing, they know how to coordinate. And I don't think  a "we have to investigate this further" explanation would have stood up under the constant, coordinated buzzsaw of innuendo from talking heads and bloggers eager to take revenge for so-called left-wing abuses.

This wasn't an attempt to get a story - it was deliberate move to score points and the facts be damned.
And yet the rest of the media seems to be intentionally sidestepping any conversations about this interlocking of dubious bloggers and supposedly legitimate newsmen and women to the point of absurdity. Talking Points Memo had this to say today:

It's much easier to focus on Obama or Vilsack or 'what it says about race in America' or whatever other nonsense. Because most reporters are simply cowed by Fox and Breitbart and Beck and the rest of the organized forces of bamboozlement -- too afraid, too bewildered, too hapless to apply anything remotely approaching standards in analyzing the fourth estate of which they are the nominal custodians. So what we get is this 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak not at all' routine from reporters and journalists who should know better.

It shouldn't be a surprise. These same people who are sanctimoniously calling out the White House for falling for the conservative blog/Fox News coordinated blitz were some of the same ones who actually defended the so-called news organization last year when the White House took it to task.

Still irregardless of the how this entire thing ends,  progressives would be wise to not miss the forest for the trees.

The right-wing blitz consumed the White House and the NAACP with the skill of an army of fire ants consuming a grasshopper. And if those two entities fell so easily, imagine who else can be put in a harsh spotlight of lies and innuendo. Who else will fall under the right-wing buzzsaw before they have time to gather up a defense?

There is a small silver lining to the situation. My guess is that this incident will be Breitbart's signature moment, forever scarring his already highly questionable reputation. That link is severed.

But like some monster out of Greek mythology, the right-wing noise machine remains strong because for every one Breitbart, there are probably two or three others willing to stoop even lower to take his place.

Attack on lgbt parenting ignores the bigger issue

I've talked about Dawn Stefanowicz several times before. She is the woman who was raised in a family with a gay father. According to her, this caused several problems for her in her childhood. She travels to different areas of the world to speak out against lgbt parenting.

There have been times when I have said I felt sorry for her and then there are times when I said I didn't believe her. But I think her own words in this video say it all because it proves a point I had been trying to make.

While her story is sad and compelling, it contradicts the theme of her message. Stefanowicz didn't have a bad childhood because her father was gay. She had a bad childhood because she came from a dysfunctional home, period.

And those who exploit her words never seem to be able to address the problems with dysfuctional homes rather than to give the false impression that destroying lgbt households will somehow make things better.

Here are two of the families that Stefanowicz and those like her want to hinder:





Whether or not Stefanowicz's story is true, to hurt families these would be a real travesty.


Related posts:

Argentina legalizes same sex marriage and an old enemy resurfaces
  
Dawn Stefanowicz again?

Dawn Stefanowicz's book: Homophobia defined 

A funny look at lgbt villains

Maybe it's just me but I want to tone things down a bit with this piece from Infomania on lgbt villains.

Past Infomania posts:

A funny look at 'gay' commercials

An interesting and thought-provoking take on lgbt pride

Elena Kagan 'plays softball like a lesbian'

Conversion Therapy - a video with George Rekers in mind

Advice to closeted politicans - How to keep from being exposed

Why the phrase 'No Homo' is highly needed

Reasons why the 'sanctity' of proms MUST be preserved from Constance McMillen

Why gay marriage is 'wrong' 

LaBarbera releases 'Truth Academy' schedule and other Wednesday midday news briefs

Behold The Instructors and Curriculum for LaBarbera's 3 Days of Hate Conference - It's more the same -blah, blah, blah, the radical homosexuals are evil.

Gay rights group gets U.N. role - excellent news.

Poverty-stricken U.S. cities have HIV epidemics - A story which needs more attention.

Media across the board reject Breitbart's race-baiting lies - The COMPLETE case on how they smeared Shirley Sherrod.

Breitbart’s New Conspiracy Theory: The ‘Purported’ Farmer’s Wife Is A Plant - I put this up because I want don't want folks to forget how much of a sleazeball Andrew Breitbart is.

There are no winners in the Shirley Sherrod case

In the case of Shirley Sherrod, the USDA official forced to resign because of a doctored tape that made her unfairly look like a racist, there are no winners regardless of the outcome:

The Obama Administration - no matter how the Obama Administration reacted, it would have been a loss. If Sherrod didn't resign, the conservative media would have made Sherrod's case another notch in "the Obama Administration is racist against white people" narrative. Because she was quickly forced to resign, now those same folks are saying that the Obama Administration "acted too quickly."

NAACP - a huge embarrassment for the organization in terms of trust. What happened to Sherrod will be the talk in black churches and barbershops for months to come.


The American media - in 1980 when former Washington Post writer Janet Cooke was discovered to have created a phony story about an eight-year-old drug addict, she was blacklisted. In 2010 when Andrew Breitbart pushes a doctored tape, he is featured on media shows from coast to coast. There is something wrong with that equation. While the Obama Administration and the NAACP should be condemned for their rush to judgment, to ignore Breitbart's and Fox News's hand in hyping this controversy is a serious error that will continue to hurt the credibility of the American media. They shouldn't be allowed to walk back from what they did.

And the biggest loser in this case:


Shirley Sherrod - Sherrod is an innocent woman who became a pawn in an ugly game to discredit the Obama Administration. She has become the symbol of what's wrong with Washington, i.e. the inability to get anything done because the pursuit of immature playground games. As her case proves, playground games may be good for children, but when adults play them, people tend to get hurt.