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Pentagon Shill Returns to CNN to Talk About Iran
Brig. Gen. David L. Grange doesn't wear a star on his shoulder much since his retirement in 1999. But he's on the list of retired officers the Pentagon has cultivated in an effort to influence domestic news coverage of military matters.
In fact, Grange, a CNN analyst, was tagged as the most visible shill for the Pentagon since 2002.
The Pentagon suspended the analysts' program and its weekly briefings shortly after the Times published its story in April revealing the extent of the Pentagon's message massaging.
When Grange appeared again on CNN late last week, host Lou Dobbs made no mention of Grange's previous participation in the Pentagon program. But he did ask him about Iran:
[Special Thanks to TPM Reader LB for the tip.]
Here's a bit of the transcript:
DOBBS: Well, here is -- on another issue. Let's take a listen to what General Petraeus had to say today about Iran.(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, CMDR. MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: Iran continues to be a destabilizing influence in the region. It persists in its nontransparent pursuit of nuclear technology and continues to fund, train and arm dangerous militia organizations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOBBS: What are we supposed to do with that?
GRANGE: Believe it.
DOBBS: OK. Then what?
GRANGE: Then we take -- make sure that we take the diplomatic informational (ph), military and economic measures to make sure Iran understands the line in the sand that must be drawn.
Grange, who led much of the U.S. military operations in the Balkans in the 1990s, is now the president and chief executive of the McCormick Foundation, a Chicago-based charity.
Apparently, Grange doesn't really see himself as a direct surrogate. He told the New York Times that he thought all those background sessions with Pentagon leaders were "just upfront information."
But a Pentagon memo called them "message force multipliers." The Defense Department often paid their travel expenses and hired a private defense contractor to monitor everything the analysts said in public.
Josh
Zachary
Isn't the best shill someone who doesn't know he's a shill? Seems that way to me.
May 27, 2008 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Unbelievable, but actually, par for the course at this stage.
May 27, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to be snarky, but a Lt. General gets three stars.
May 27, 2008 1:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Six, if you count both shoulders. *g*
May 27, 2008 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Many of the "analysts" also held paid positions with private defense contractors. Did Grange double dip? Anyone know if he served on the board of a defense contractor the same time he was playing a subjective analyst for CNN?
May 27, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bush is mentally ill.
May 27, 2008 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Translation: we aren't getting anywhere in Iraq, so we're going to blame their biggest, most powerful neighbor for everything.
Anyone who knows anything about the history of the region - it doesn't take much to find out more than Lou Dobbs seems to know - is aware that Iran has been the biggest influence on it for, oh, a couple of thousand years. They fought the Roman empire to a standstill. Hell, they damned near conquered Greece and Egypt before that. Messing with them is really, really not a Good Idea.
And our government wants to start a war with them?
May 27, 2008 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
You've got the basic facts, but that was a different "Iran." Persia did indeed challenge the Roman Empire pretty successfully, but around the time Muhammad was receiving and writing down the Koran, they were washed up. Historians of Islam now think that part of the reason Islam spread so fast was because the Persians and Romans had worn each other out, and Arabia was perfectly poised (geographically) to move in.
Sorry for the lecture. I'm a history prof, and I've been on sabbatical, so I haven't been ABLE to lecture.
May 27, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
To paraphrase this hack general. "The United States continues to be a destabilizing force in the region." Full Stop, general.
May 27, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dobb's a shrill at will.
May 27, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hell...Lou is such a dweeb; he'll take the help of anyone who help him with his absolutely crazy positions. Lou Dobbs needs to go back to the 1820's where he could take on folks in a draw of his six shooters.
May 27, 2008 2:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
ain't you supposed to close down the confidence game if the mark learns that you're a crook ???
time to start tossing the rotten fruit at lou dobbs
May 27, 2008 2:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Although I think the Pentagon's message multiplier program was inappropriate and the general's participation in any way, unwise, I wish we could come up with a more respectful way of characterizing people who served our country with great distinction, than "Pentagon shill".
May 27, 2008 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll tell you what, as soon as they stop acting as shills for the Pentagon, I'll stop referring to them as Pentagon shills. Deal?
May 27, 2008 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good idea. How about "corrupt war-mongering Pentagon shill corporatist whore?"
May 27, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
You forgot loyal Bushie.
May 27, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
These patriots are doing America a great favor by extending this just and honorable war. As long as we don't give these ungrateful soldiers any more pay or benefit, what's the big deal? 100 years more in Iraq! At that time, we will review the benchmarks set by our puppet Gen. Petraeus and get back to you on our "progress."
May 27, 2008 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to Wikipedia, Grange was a two-star general (Major General) but did not serve as a two-star long enough, probably two years, to retire in that rank. Therefore, officially he is a Brigadier General (Retired).
He also is a highly decorated officer with three Silver Stars.
One can also infer that he is highly conservative based on his employment at the McCormick Foundation.
May 27, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Must use "Message Force Multipliers" to accurately describe how involved these guys were with their psyops propaganda for the pro-war bush administration and pentagon.
I want to make sure that they will be remembered as additional propaganda-spewing war criminals who should not be allowed to speak to the public without being called out for who they really are.
Geez - the least they could do is show a little humiliation and guilt for lying to Americans.
May 27, 2008 4:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
They weren't lying, they were attenuating reality to reflect favorably upon their infallibility . . .
May 28, 2008 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is this part of the gin-up propaganda catapult for attacking Iran?
May 27, 2008 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Problem is, I don't think CNN has any control over Lou Dobbs, as long as he makes his ratings or revenue number. They can't tell him what to say and who to include on his show. They can only tell Lou Dobbs himself to take a hike. I don't see that happening.
May 27, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
You can guarantee Bush will bonb Iran before he is out of office.
May 27, 2008 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Flash - US Corporate press caught propagandizing US colonial occupation in a resource-rich or strategically located country.
Criticism from the left is the "Rhetoric of Empire"....you aren't fighting the war efficiently....343 million borrowed/day for this war!!!
Necessarily, the revolution will not be televised.......
May 27, 2008 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
CNN has been in freefall for years.
May 27, 2008 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lou Dobbs is the biggest one sided gas bag there ever was. You can listen carefully and hear the War Drums beating again, now we are going to invade Iran.
This promotion of attack or reason for invasion is getting old, Grange was relived that he made it through the interview without Dobbs pissing all over him.
May 28, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink