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Indybay Feature

The Next Armstrong Williams: Caplis accepted “payola” to attack Ward Churchill

by brubaker
An anonymous tipster working with, what was referred to as, a “faith-based think tank”, claims that KHOW/Clear Channel’s Dan Caplis accepted a “gift” from the unnamed group to spread the biased Ward Churchill story in an attempt to “frame the left”, the anti-war movement, and the 9-11 truth movement into “one package”. The person also stated this was a ploy to set-up an “Ideological Enemy” on “American Soil” and to re-invent Ward Churchill as a “sacrificial lamb”.
Details are sketchy.
The claims made by the tipster, if true in whole or in part, would suggest that the neo-conservatives are digging in their heels for another cointelpro-style battle in the homeland. Ward Churchill could be an ideal candidate for the neo-cons because of the fissure created in so many camps such as free speech, 9-11, racism, Native American rights, and the growing anti-Iraq War sentiment. Others have noted that this may be an attempt to push America back toward the right by evoking the emotions of 9-11. With the administrations campaigns to wage wars abroad waning on the world stage, a war at home may be up the neo-cons sleeves to eradicate or minimize their political enemies, which neatly falls into all of the above mentioned issues.
The fervor, credited with originating with Caplis, does follow the pattern of “talking points” that are handed down from producers to talent in both radio and television newsrooms (see “Outfoxed” for reference.)
It is also interesting to note that Ward Churchill has been at the forefront of ousting the governments CoIntelPro (Counter Intelligence Program) and has been critical of the lefts failure to react to repressive government tyranny, making him a very visible and controversial target of many groups.

The tipster also claimed to have tried to break the story elsewhere but is afraid for his/her life.
The FCC is currently investigating another DJ, Armstrong Williams, for accepting $150K to push Bush administration propaganda.
Caplis may have also violated ethics laws as well because both he and his co-host, Craig Silverman, are licensed attorneys.

The IMC has received this information second hand from a supposed corporate newspaper source who is being barred from running the story and has no further information regarding the whistleblowers or if any of the claims can be verifiable.
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Comments (Hide Comments)
by karl roenfanz (rosey ) (k_rosey48 [at] hotmail.com)
think back over the past few years, the wtc attacks, wmd in iraq (contrary to the u.n.) the hidden wounded and dead. sounds like the bush team misrepresentation .
by B.J
You guys are always up in arms about everything, seriously if you

just ignored these right wing jerks than who would they try and

piss off? they wont have anybody if you dont bother with them

and the people who belive their bull crap are the ones who would

believe that president bush went on a trade mission to a distant

star system full of right wing aliens.

This is just my opinion, it may or may not be correct.
by military fella
so, let me start with this: bush was in office for 8.5 months when the WTC attacks went off, and he's misrepresenting them? ok, look. american policy has been going on like this for quite some time. infact, the largest issue with the middle east was the iraqi starvation by trade sanctions during the 1st bush term. this cannot be blamed on bush jr. nor can any other terrorist acts that have been aginst the U.S. the cole was during clinton's presidency. yes, you lefties, your massiah, clinton was the prez when the cole was bombed. this is a national problem, and this left vs right bickering doesn't do any good. if you want to make a change, either get to the top and fold your position in the gov. or revolt and get rid of the government that wont listen to you. quit goin to starbucks and bitchin about the right, when you dont do crap yourselves to assist your views. i.e. get over yourselves. personally, untill something better is developed, i'd like to have technology and society progress under the pseudo protection of the U.S. government. but beware to reap the whirlwind if things dont change. nuclear proliferation is not our friend, and he's coming to town fast.
by cop
Um, myself and many others who read this website were out protesting the sanctions during Clinton's term, and we were out protesting in Los Angeles during the democratic convention of Al Gore. The police even started shooting rubber bullets at students out there. I was with someone in a wheelchair so it was fairly problematic even though we were on the far side of the crowd. Maybe this helped Nader throw the election to Bush? oh, I don't care.

Do a google search, and you will find (probably on indymedia) a bunch of pictures of us protesting regarding IRaq sanctions at the democratic convention in LA. We brought a bunch of fake coffins of iraqi dead children and confronted delegates with them.
by Jim Lippard
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_86_3530404,00.html

Ward Churchill appears to be a complete phony. I'd be wary about trying to make him a free speech poster boy.
by Caren
I don't believe this is a personal issue or that Dr. Churchill is being made into a poster boy. There are many professors being attacked and fired all over the place for their political views critical of the US government. Many if not most of these professors have been activily critical of COINTELPRO also. There is a right wing group with paid staff who's mission is to do this, Students for Academic Freedom, assisted heavily by right-wing convert David Horowitz. So, yes, support Dr. Churchill in the outrageous distortions of his articles and books, but please do so in a way that also includes the many others similarly attacked.
American Association of University Professors
Scholars at Risk Conference
by Is
Churchill is not trusted by a large number of people on the left particularly in Colorado and his supporters should stop trying to represent themselves as "Colorado Indymedia" as if there was some kind of consensus within rockymountain.indymedia

Typical Churchill B***S***
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