spin strategies, 64–66
See also political-industrial complex; pushback
cosmetic industry and American Cancer Society, 61–62
“Could U.S. Military Have Helped During Libya Attack?” (CBS News, Attkisson), 164
Counterterrorism Security Group (CSG), 4, 167, 171
Countrywide Financial “Friends of Angelo” VIP mortgage program, 38–39
Couric, Katie, 111, 151–52
credit card scam video, 50–52
Creed, Greg, 54, 55
Cretz, Gene, 181–82, 186
CSG (Counterterrorism Security Group), 4, 167, 171
C-SPAN story on Oval Office decor, 74–76
Cummings, Elijah, 266, 272–73
Daily Beast, 81
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 206–7
day-of-air news reports, 52
Defense Department PR machine, 44
Defense of Marriage Act, 248
Democratic Party, 21–23, 43, 253, 266–67, 272–73
DesJarlais, Scott, 259
Dodd, Chris, 38–39
Dodson, John, 100, 101–3, 104–5, 115, 340–42
Doherty, Glen, 159
Doritos, 54, 55–56
Douglass, Linda, 236
Dove products and Today show, 56
Dow Kokam, 147–49
Downie, Len, 320
Dreamliner
Boeing’s PR crisis mode, 397–98
CBS News and original story, 393–97
lithium-ion battery or charger technology, 391–92, 398
and NTSB, 393, 397, 398
whistleblower, 391–93, 395, 396, 398
Due to Circumstances Beyond Our Control (Friendly), 49
earmarks of tax dollars, 32–37
Earnest, Josh, 75–76, 166–67
East Africa bombings, 206–7
Egypt, U.S. Embassy attacked in, 161, 214
electric vehicle batteries, 140, 147–48
electric vehicles, 139–43, 153–55
electronic eavesdropping, 1–2, 5–9, 296–97, 316, 328–31
Elkhart, Indiana, 139–40
Emanuel, Rahm, 33
Emmy nominations and awards for investigative reporting, 78, 137, 147, 157, 348, 351, 398–400
Engates, John, 263
English, Tonya, 102
Enron, 18
Ephedra, 19
Every Child by Two program, 69
FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), 392, 398
Facts Are Stubborn Things (video), 236
Fager, Jeff, 137, 145, 356–57
Fast and Furious and Attkisson
about, 92–94
ATF team list, 102–3
awards for reporting, 78, 137
CBS losing interest midstory, 111–12, 121, 132–33
CBS News broadcasts, 96, 99, 105, 124
and Dodson, 101–3, 104–5, 115, 340–42, 369
and Grassley’s letter, 95
gun shops’ concerns about selling to Mexican cartels, 116–17
information-gathering process, 66, 78, 92, 95–96, 102, 112–13
Ingraham interview, 132
and Justice Department, 129–30, 131, 132
and Media Matters, 108–9
potential sources, 95, 99–102
White House briefing, 125
White House caseworker Schultz, 107–8
White House Document Dump, 124–25
Fast and Furious ATF gunwalking scandal
about, 92–94, 114, 138
Border Patrol agent murdered, 94–95, 98, 104, 118, 119
and Congress, 105–6, 107
distribution of weapons, 121–22
Dodson’s book on, 340–42
and government spin, 66
gun control as motivation, 114, 115–20
ICE agents murdered in Mexico, 120–22
Justice Department denial tactics, 19, 96, 109–10, 113, 122–23, 129–33, 135–37, 341
Obama administration PR campaign, 97–99, 107–8
post-exposure scrambling, 120
success statistics, 115
Thomasson’s memo, 97, 98–99
Wide Receiver compared to, 135
FDA (Food and Drug Administration), 19, 44
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 392, 398
Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), 242
Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) system, 243, 249–50, 254
FEST (Foreign Emergency Support Team), 167–69, 171
firearms trafficking in Mexico-border states. See Fast and Furious ATF gunwalking scandal
Firestone tire-Ford Explorer rollovers, 18, 67–68
FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) court, 305
Fisker’s Karma, 140–41, 154
FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act), 242
FOIA. See Freedom of Information Act requests
Folkenflik, David, 257–58
“Follow the Money” reports. See taxpayer waste/watchdog reports
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 19, 44
Ford Explorer rollovers, 18, 67–68
Ford Transit Connect, 154
foreign beneficiaries of stimulus plan, 147–49
Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST), 167–69, 171
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court, 305
FOX News, 99, 272, 301, 310
Foxx, Virginia, 33
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA requests
for Benghazi attack information, 172
and Deepwater Horizon oil spill video, 42
for HealthCare.gov security documents, 252, 273
Judicial Watch’s successful lawsuit, 401
and Obama administration, 278, 303
for payroll records of government contractors, 148
redacted text when fulfilled, 406
rejection of, 88, 90
Friedman, Jen, 262
Friendly, Fred, 49
Fryer, Teresa, 265–71, 275
Geithner, Timothy, 146
Gerberding, Julie, 39
Gerstein, Josh, 321
Gerth, Jeff, 237
Giffords, Gabrielle, 103–4, 151–52
Gil, Darren, 111
Gillett, George, 102
Goglia, John, 393
“Golden Padlock” award, 91
Gonzales, Alberto, 311
Google chat, Obama’s, 90
Gostin, Lawrence, 243
government
blanket denials, 66, 110
bugging potential, 328–31
and car cyber attacks, 326–27, 329
citrus canker coverup in Florida, 16–18
corporate control of, 37
electronic eavesdropping, 1–2, 5–9, 296–97, 316, 328–31
lies of, 15–16, 18
news release or press conference scripts, 27–28, 31–32, 124–25
sewage dumping story, 15–16
smokescreen strategy, 97–99
as source of “real” news, 79–80
spin strategies, 64–66, 134–35, 145–46, 253–54
transparency issues, 88–91, 320, 405–6
trusting with personal secrets, 312–14, 315
government PR campaigns
about, 43–46, 321–22
for Fast and Furious, 97–99, 107–8
for Obamacare rollout, 232–38, 253–54, 262–65, 272–74
for spying on Americans, 311–12
Where’s Snowden operation, 317–18
Graham, Lindsey, 39–41, 199, 220–21
Grass
ley, Charles, 95, 104, 106
grassroots movements, faking, 60–64
green energy projects and taxpayer waste
Abound Solar, 156–57
Beacon Power, 144–45
electric vehicle batteries, 140, 147–48
electric vehicles, 139–43, 153–55
internal opposition at CBS News, 148–51, 152–53
Solyndra, 143
Grimm, Michael, 27–28
gun control as Operation Fast and Furious motivation, 114, 115–20
Gun Runner Impact Teams (GRIT), 126
gun sales in Mexico-border states. See Fast and Furious ATF gunwalking scandal
Hall, Jim, 393
Ham, Carter, 162, 186
Hastings, Michael, 170, 322–23, 326
Health and Human Services Department (HHS), 229–30, 241–44, 251–52, 264, 270, 277
HealthCare.gov
CBS News reports on, 231, 239–40
and CMS, 231, 241, 243–44, 260, 265–66, 270, 275
congressional committees and hearings, 226–27, 244–46, 251, 255
“glitch” in, 234–35
private briefing for corporate officials, 263–64
See also Obamacare rollout
HealthCare.gov security issues
CBS News reports, 251–53
experts on, 242–43, 245–46, 247, 254
FFM system, 243, 249–50, 254
Fryer testimony on, 265–71, 275
internal memo on, 249–55
Obama administration misrepresentations, 274–76
Obama administration pushback, 255–57, 262
waiver memo advising CMS, 241, 243–44
Herman, Edward, 47
Her Way (Gerth), 237
HHS (Health and Human Services Department), 229–30, 241–44, 251–52, 264, 270, 277
Hicks, Gregory, 191
Hiltzik, Michael, 273–74, 277
Hoffman, Jennifer, 252, 266, 268–69, 271, 272–73
Holder, Eric
and congressional questions on targeting of news reporters, 331–33
congressional testimony on Fast and Furious, 130–31
House contempt vote, 98, 136, 137
and Operation Fast and Furious, 98, 119–20
and Petraeus’s affair, 200
Hollywood and the Pentagon (documentary), 45
homogenized news, 85
Horton, Tom, 58
Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD), 362–64
housing mortgage crisis, 38–39
Huffington Post, 81, 108, 326–27, 350
Hurley, Emory, 124
Hurricane Katrina, 142, 278
Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents murdered in Mexico, 120–22
Ingraham, Laura, 132
inspectors general
about, 298
and Attkisson’s criminal complaint against hackers, 295, 297–98, 323–24
on Fast and Furious, 136–37
on HealthCare.gov, 240
and HUD taxpayer watchdog story, 362–64
investigation of Attkisson’s computer intrusions, 323–24
insurance cancellations and Obamacare rollout, 235–37, 238, 260–62, 275, 281
Interior Department and Deepwater Horizon oil spill, 41
internal opposition
about, 358–59, 365
costs of, 389–90
and incremental developments, 193–94
as reflection of personal bias, 155–56, 247–49, 354–55
internal opposition at CBS News
to Benghazi stories, 194–95
broadcast producers, 80–82, 111–12, 147
and Giffords’s campaign staff, 151–52
green energy projects and taxpayer waste, 148–51, 152–53
and Pelley, 355–62, 381, 386–87
waning interest in Fast and Furious story, 111–12, 121, 132–33
waning interest in HealthCare.gov story, 258–59, 260, 261, 262–63, 270
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 44
investigative reporting
about, 29–32
awards for, 78, 137, 147, 157, 348, 351, 398–400
copycat comfort vs., 80–85, 357
Investigative Reporters and Editors conference, 86, 87, 91
Logan Symposium, 403–6
Obama administration as threat to, 90–91
Pelley–Shevlin regime vs., 355–62
playing it safe vs., 48–49, 52–54, 77, 79–80, 362–64
punishment for, 78–80
See also journalists
IRS (Internal Revenue Service), 44
Isham, Chris, 73, 170, 286–87, 309, 383, 400
Issa, Darrell, 106, 107, 108, 266, 272–74
Jackson, Alphonso, 39
Jackson, Jill, 37
Janisch, Jennifer Jo, 139
Jaquez, Rene, 111
Jones, Beth, 210, 402
journalists
attention span of, 192–93
“bought,” 353–54
copycat comfort vs. real reporting, 80–85, 357
media appearances, 132–33, 344–45, 348–49
negating biases, 20, 22–23
and Obama administration, 320–23, 404, 405–6
and Obama administration’s War on Leaks, 298–301, 307, 316, 337
opinions expressed by, 24
potential for being spy targets, 291
and propaganda campaigns, 238
pushing back against pushback, 76–77
response to computer intrusions, 303
veering off script, 27–28
See also investigative reporting; news media
Juarez, Mexico, 111
Judicial Watch, 401
Justice Department
Attkisson banned from press conference in, 124–25
and Attkisson’s computer hacking episode, 303, 331–33, 338–40
and Fast and Furious gunwalking scandal, 19, 96, 109–10, 113, 122–23, 129–33, 135–37, 341
ignoring congressional request for information, 331–33
on media privacy concerns, 300
spying on journalists, 86–87, 91, 320–23, 404, 405–6
and Wide Receiver gunwalking scandal, 133, 134–35
Kaplan, Rick, 22, 34, 96
Karl, Jonathan, 383, 385–86, 402
Kelly, Gary, 59–60
Kennedy, Patrick, 169, 185, 187, 206, 208
Kenya, 206–7
Keteyian, Armen, 357–58
Kinzinger, Adam, 208
Kirby, David, 405–6
Korean beneficiaries of stimulus plan, 147–49
Kroft, Steve, 196, 375, 376, 378–79
labor unions’ criticism of stimulus money to foreign companies, 148–49
Lamb, Charlene, 180–81, 188
Laszewski, Robert, 279–80
Leno, Jay, 231–32
Leon, Michael, 391–93, 395, 398
Lewis, Jerry, 33
LG Chem, 147–49
Libya
attack on British ambassador, 184
and Benghazi attack perpetrators, 402
counterterrorism military team in, 177, 178–81
Operation Papa Noel by pro-Qaddafi elements, 179
Qaddafi and pro-Qaddafi forces, 178, 179, 181–82, 402
rally for al-Qaeda supporters, 183–84
security status in, 180–82, 184–85, 186–87, 188–89
and Stevens, 182–83
See also Benghazi attack
Lidsky, Harry, 338–40
lithium-ion battery or charger technology and Dreamliner,
391–92, 398
Logan Symposium, University of California, Berkeley, 403–6
Los Alamos National Laboratory, 18
Los Angeles Times, 273–74, 277
Lovell, Robert, 163–64
Lummis, Cynthia, 260
MacAllister, Hope, 102
Maddow, Rachel, 351–52
Manufacturing Consent (Herman and Chomsky), 47
Markey, Ed, 42
McAllen Case, 288–91
McCain, John, 40, 199
McDonough, Denis, 164
McGregor, Richard, 321
media. See news media
Mediabistro blog, 402
Media Matters, 108–9, 145–46, 347–51
Merck & Co., Inc., 62
Merida, Kevin, 321
Meyer, Josh, 321
military spending, 44, 45
Miller, John, 369
milquetoast news, 85
mine and pump PR strategy, 64–65, 232, 252, 267–69
MITRE, 274–75
Molinoff, Joel, 324–25
Morell, Mike
and Beacon Global Strategies, 170
and Benghazi attack talking points, 200, 201, 203–5, 218–20
and CBS News, 216–18
on removing “Islamic” from talking notes, 211
Mother Jones and Vanderboegh story, 108
Mozilo, Angelo, 38–39
Mueller, Robert, 200
Mulholland, John, 161
Murphy, Jim, 67–68, 69, 70–71, 193
Murrow, Edward R., 49
Murtha, John, 36–37
Myers, Lisa, 29
Nairobi, Kenya, 206–7
Nakoula, Nakoula Basseley, 359–60
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 67
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 242
National Security Agency (NSA)
data collection by, 19, 304–5, 337–38
and Snowden, 304–7, 316, 317–18, 320, 337–38, 343
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), 393, 397, 398
NBC News, 56–57, 100, 194, 247, 312, 402
Needles, Jim, 102
Nelson, Bill, 42
Newell, Bill, 102, 116, 118–19, 122–23, 127–28
news managers
avoidance response, 50–53
capitulation to special interests, 46–48
and Geithner, 146
interference in news reporting, 50–53
manipulation of, 49
and pushback, 73, 76
as roadblocks, 236–38
strong-arm tactics, 346
news media, 15–91
astroturf effect, 60–64
biases/favoritism in, 20, 23–24, 26
broadcast producers, 80–82, 111–12, 147
copycat comfort, 80–85, 357
day-of-air reports, 52
Gallup poll results, 407
homogenized, milquetoast news, 85
Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation, and Harassment in Obama's Washington Page 42
