Stonewalled: My Fight for Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation, and Harassment in Obama's Washington
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letter of objection to Holder for seizure of AP phone records, 300
letter to White House on press restrictions, 89, 406–7
nonbiased reporting, 20–23
perpetuating propaganda lexicons, 234, 236–38, 249, 255, 256–58, 271, 273–74, 277–79, 381–82, 386–87
and powers that be, 28–32, 37, 45–46, 97–99, 322–23, 404–5
and special interests, 46–50, 146–47
and spin strategies, 64–66, 134–35, 145–46, 253–54
story-choice process, 85–86, 192, 193–94, 234, 258–59, 262, 360–62
and substitution game, 25–26, 43, 107
waning interest in Benghazi story, 401
waning interest in Dreamliner story, 397–98
waning interest in Obamacare rollout, 246–47, 264–65, 275–77
See also journalists; news managers; specific news outlets
New York Times, 81, 137, 237, 286
9/11 terrorist attacks, 19, 176, 213–14
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), 242
Nordstrom, Eric, 180, 181, 183
NPR News, 257–58
NSA. See National Security Agency
NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board), 393, 397, 398
Obama administration
Associated Press phone records seizure, 299–300
and Benghazi attack, 3–4, 162, 163, 195–200, 203, 209, 224
Benghazi attack and anti-Islamic video/spontaneous protest theory, 173, 197, 198, 204, 207, 209–13, 220, 377, 401–3
Benghazi attack talking points, 195, 198–200, 201, 203–5, 215, 218–20, 383–87, 401
deflection strategies post-Benghazi attack, 188–89, 201–2, 207–10, 211–16
“Demand Letter 3” on gun control, 115, 116, 120
electric vehicle projections, 153–55
and FOX News reporter Rosen, 301
green project funding, 139, 140, 141, 142–43
journalists on, 320–23, 404, 405–6
and Operation Fast and Furious, 19, 107–8, 122–32, 135
out of the loop, 201–2
and Petraeus’s affair, 201
photographs of president’s work life, 165–67
response to green energy taxpayer waste stories, 145–46
stimulus plan, 143–45, 147–49
threats to news sources, 316
transparency issues, 88–91, 320, 405–6
War On Leaks, 298–301, 307, 316, 337, 342
See also Obamacare rollout; specific government entities
Obama administration pushback
Benghazi attack ARB report, 333–35
Benghazi story, 72–73, 164, 165, 167–69, 170–74, 385–87
C-SPAN story on Oval Office decor, 74–76
Obamacare rollout, 229–31, 255–57, 262
silencing opposing views, 352–53, 354–55
Obama, Barack
on Benghazi attack, 171–72, 196, 210–11, 223, 370–77, 378–82
CBS News popularity poll, 258
election campaign, 2012, 370, 371–72, 375
executive privilege for protecting documents, 110, 136
gaffes of, 25–26
Obamacare rollout
enrollee stats, 227–32, 280–81
“glitch” in HealthCare.gov, 234–35
insurance cancellations, 235–37, 238, 260–62, 275, 281
Obama administration pushback, 229–31, 255–57, 262
Obama administration’s PR campaign, 232–38, 253–54, 262–65, 272–74
potential for death spiral, 238–40
waning interest in stories about, 258–59, 260, 261, 262–63
See also HealthCare.gov; HealthCare.gov security issues
Obama, Michelle, 361
obfuscation
O’Connor, Jennifer, 262, 266–68
Office of the Director for National Intelligence (ODNI), 205
Operation Fast and Furious. See Fast and Furious ATF gunwalking scandal
O’Reilly Factor, The (Fox program), 310
O’Reilly, Kevin, 122–23, 124, 127
Paley, Bill, 49
Palin, Sarah, 25
Panetta, Leon, 160
Parker, Doug, 58, 59
Park, Todd, 260
Patel, Jerry, 288–91, 306, 308–9
PATRIOT Act (2001), 305
Paulson, Hank, 39–41
Pelley, Scott, 346, 355–62, 381, 386–87
Pentagon PR machine, 44, 45
Peters, Joanne, 229–30, 266–68, 275
Petraeus, David, 198, 199–202, 205, 215
Pew Research Center polls, 91
pharmaceutical industry, 62, 63–64, 68–71. See also vaccines
Philippines, 176–77
photographs of president’s work life, 165–67
Pickering, Thomas, 333–35
Pistole, John, 31–32
Poe, Ted, 208
Poling, Hannah, 39, 146–47
political campaigns
conflicts of interest, 38–39
Democratic primary, 21–23
politicians’ gaffes, 25–26
presidential, 143–44, 370, 371–72, 375, 380–81
political-industrial complex
and Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, 41–43
news media and powers that be, 28–32, 37, 45–46, 97–99, 322–23, 404–5
PR machine, 43–46, 397–98
and TARP, 39–41
See also corporate authorities
politicians
corporate payoffs, 38–39
and Deepwater Horizon oil spill, 41–43
and information, 3
and stimulus spending, 156
and TARP, 39–41
See also Congress
PolitiFact.com, 281
polls, 91, 258, 407
PR campaigns
for Dreamliner, 397–98
government’s campaign, 43–46
mine and pump PR strategy, 64–65, 232, 252, 267–69
news as, 54–57, 58–59
Wikipedia articles for promoting, 63
See also controversialize PR strategy; government PR campaigns; pushback PR strategy
Prism computer program, 304–5
privacy and civil liberties of Americans, 312–14, 315, 318
public interest
about, 390
and green projects, 141
media’s failure to serve, 55–56, 59–60, 77–78
and obfuscation of stories, 98–99, 108–9, 317–18
public opinion, 23, 27, 91, 258, 407
public relations. See government PR campaigns; PR campaigns
pushback PR strategy
from CBS executives, 71–72
effects of, 73
Ford Explorer rollovers–Firestone tires, 67–68
journalists pushing back against, 76–77
media’s response to, 66–67
and news managers, 73, 76
from pharmaceutical industry, 68–71
See also Obama administration pushback
push-me-pull-you and internal politics, 238–39
Qaddafi, Muammar, 178, 179, 181–82, 402
al-Qaeda in Libya, 176–77, 180, 181, 183–84, 195, 199, 204–5, 383
Quayle, Dan, 26
Rapido y Furioso (Univision report), 137–38
Rather, Dan, and Rathergate, 366–68
Red Cross, 18, 72, 180, 185
Reines, Philippe, 170
reporters. See journalists
Reporters Without Borders, 89
Republican Part
y, 226, 247, 265, 351
Reuters News Service, 247
Rhodes, Ben, 170, 198, 220–21, 381, 401, 402
Rhodes, David, 153, 220–21, 309, 382, 402
Rice, Susan, 197–98, 199, 215, 401
Risen, James, 90, 404
Roberson, Darryl, 162–63
Rosen, James, 301
Ross-Taylor, Allyson, 67
Roth, Philip, 63
Ruppersberger, Dutch, 198
Russian intelligence on Boston Marathon bomber, 314–15
Sanger, David, 320
Sanofi-Aventis, 62
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 23
Saturday Night Live TV program, 232
Schmaler, Tracy, 124, 129, 131
Schneider, Claudine, 26
school lunch fraud investigation, 360–62
Schultz, Eric, 107–8, 125, 128–29, 334, 335
Scotto, Michael, 27–28
Sebelius, Kathleen, 232–33, 274–75
Securaplane, Tucson, Arizona, 391–92
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 19, 176, 213–14
sewage dumping story, 15–16
Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois, 33
Sherwin-Williams earmark, 35–36
Shevlin, Pat, 50–52, 149, 155–56, 346, 355–62, 381, 394
60 Minutes (CBS News), 67, 196, 223, 366–68, 375–82
Smisek, Jeff, 59, 398
Smith, Sean, 159
Snowden, Edward, 304–7, 316, 317–18, 320, 337–38, 343
Society of Professional Journalism, 322
Solyndra, 143
Soros, George, 108
Southwest Airlines, 59–60
special interests, 46–50, 60–64, 146–47, 347–51. See also corporate authorities
spin strategies, 64–66, 134–35, 145–46, 253–54
Spirit Airlines, 59
spying on American public
car cyber attacks and listening devices, 326–27, 329
Congress on, 305–6, 310–12, 331–33
electronic eavesdropping, 1–2, 5–9, 296–97, 316, 328–31
government PR campaign, 311–12
government technician on potential for, 328–31
journalists, 86–87, 91, 320–23, 404, 405–6
journalists on, 320–23
monitoring government employees, 337
PATRIOT Act as rationale, 305–6
scenarios for data uses, 319–20
surveillance of reporters, 86–87, 299–300, 304
trusting government with personal secrets, 312–14, 315
See also Attkisson’s computer hacking episodes; National Security Agency
State Department
and attacks on embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, 206
on Kerry during Coup in Egypt, 19
and Libyan Ambassador’s security, 185–87, 188–89
on security requests prior to 9/11 attacks, 19
See also Accountability Review Board
Stevens, Christopher, 159, 182–83, 185–86, 188–92
Stevens, Ted, 33–35
Stewart, Jon, 233
stimulus plan, 143–44, 147–49
Strickler, Laura, 147, 148, 149–50, 151
subprime mortgage crisis, 38–39
substitution game
about, 24–25
and blurring faces of the accused, 52
Bush:Obama, 25–26, 141–42, 278, 403
liberal:conservative, 348–49, 350–52
Palin:Obama, 25
and Quayle, 26
Republican:Democrat, 43, 247
Waxman:Issa, 106–7
Sullivan, Margaret, 320
Summa, Keith, 357, 358
Sunshine, Al, 48, 49, 77–78
Taco Bell and CBS This Morning program, 54–56
Talking Points Memo, 347, 349
Tanzania, 206–7
TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program), 19, 39–41, 143
Tavenner, Marilyn, 241, 243, 275
taxpayer waste/watchdog reports
congressional earmarks, 32–37
IG findings on HUD, 362–64
school lunch fraud investigation, 360–62
and stimulus plan, 143–44, 147–49
and TARP, 19, 39–41, 143
See also government PR campaigns; green energy projects and taxpayer waste
telephone problems
home phone, 2, 5–6, 7, 293–94, 316
smart phone, 284, 295–96, 330–31, 343
using burner phones to circumvent, 283, 296
Tepper, Len, 175
Terry, Brian, 94–95, 98, 104, 118, 119
Tesla, 154
TGI Fridays and CBS This Morning program, 57
Think Global and Think City cars, 139–40, 154
Thomasson, Scot, 97
tobacco companies, 18
Today show and Dove products, 56
Todd, Chuck, 238
transparency issues of Obama administration, 88–91, 320, 405–6. See also Freedom of Information Act requests
transportation issues, 390. See also Dreamliner
Transportation Security Administration (TSA), 31–32, 44
Trayvon Martin shooting, Florida, 52
Trenkle, Tony, 243, 266
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), 19, 39–41, 143
Trusty, James, 133
TSA (Transportation Security Administration), 31–32, 44
Tsarnaev, Tamerlan, 314–15
Tubbs Jones, Stephanie, 35–36
Udall, Mark, 305
Unarmed Truth, The (Dodson), 340–342
United Kingdom and Libya relations, 184
Univision report on Fast and Furious, 137–38
US Airways–American merger on CBS This Morning program, 58–59
USA Today, 401–2
U.S. attorney’s office, 124
vaccines
and autism, 18, 39, 68, 69, 146, 405
corporate defense of, 146–47
money for endorsements of, 62
reporting on issues with, 68–71
Vanderboegh, Mike, 95, 100, 108–9
Van Susteren, Greta, 209
Vega, Dag, 74
Verizon, 10–13, 286, 293, 305
Vietor, Tommy, 164, 165, 167–69, 170–71, 173–74, 218–20
Voth, David, 102
waiver memo for security issues in HealthCare.gov, 241, 243–44
War On Leaks (Obama administration), 298–301, 307, 316, 337, 342
War on Terror, 176–77
Washington Post, 81, 116–18, 254, 337–38, 389
Watkins, Annette, 39
Waxman, Henry, 106–7
Weich, Ronald, 109–10
Weinstein, Jason, 133
Wen Ho Lee, 18
Where’s Snowden operation, 317–18
whistleblowers
and Attkisson’s security breach, 285–86
citrus canker in Florida, 16
controversializing PR strategy, 65, 79, 232
Dodson’s message to, 341–42
Dreamliner whistleblower, 391–93, 395, 396–97, 398
Fast and Furious, 130, 136, 341, 369
federal employees as, 73, 89, 316
Grassley’s use of, 95, 100
marginalization used against, 366, 396–97
Obama’s War On Leaks vs., 342
public opinion about, 27
raw sewage dumping, 15, 16
Snowden as, 317–18
tips for news reporters, 15, 16
White House photo office, 165–67
White House redecor
ating issues, 74–76
Wide Receiver gunwalking operation, 133, 134–35
WikiLeaks, 298
Wikipedia, 63–64
Wilkinson, Monty, 118, 120
Wood, Andrew
on Benghazi attack, 224–25
biographical information, 175–77
counterterrorism force commander in Libya, 177, 178–81, 185–87, 188
in Libya during attack on British ambassador, 184
and Stevens, 182–83, 186–87
Woods, Tyrone, 159
WTVT CBS station, Tampa, Florida, 16–18
WTVX CBS News television station, Vero Beach, Florida, 15–16
Wyden, Ron, 305, 310–12
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, 62
Young, Don, 33
Zapata, Jaime, 120–22
Zimmerman, George, 52
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SHARYL ATTKISSON has been a working journalist for more than thirty years. She has covered controversies under the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, emerging with a reputation, as the Washington Post recently put it, as a “persistent voice of news-media skepticism about the government’s story.” She is the recipient of five Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting. Her work has appeared on the CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, 48 Hours, and CBS This Morning.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
CREDITS
Cover photograph by Heidi Gutman
Cover design by Robin Bilardello
COPYRIGHT
STONEWALLED. Copyright © 2014 by Sharyl Attkisson. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN: 978-0-06-232284-5
EPub Edition November 2014 ISBN: 9780062322869
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