What of Larry Johnson?
I doubt I'm the only one who recalls the common use of Larry Johnson's expertise and sources within the intelligence community at TPM. He was most prominently featured during the Plame/Wilson affair, but resurfaced countless other times, most recently with a TPMCafe post in January.
Recently, Johnson's proved himself to be among the worst when it comes to race-baiting attacks against Barack Obama, and today traffics in fourth-party rumors of racist diatribes from Michelle Obama as she keeps company with Louis Farrakhan:
Recently, Johnson's proved himself to be among the worst when it comes to race-baiting attacks against Barack Obama, and today traffics in fourth-party rumors of racist diatribes from Michelle Obama as she keeps company with Louis Farrakhan:
I learned over the weekend why the Republicans who have seen the tape of Michelle Obama ranting about “whitey” describe it as “STUNNING.” I have not seen it but I have heard from five separate sources who have spoken directly with people who have seen the tape. It features Michelle Obama and Louis Farrakhan. They are sitting on a panel at Jeremiah Wright’s Church when Michelle makes her intemperate remarks. Whoops!! When that image comes out it will enter the politcal ads hall of fame. It will be right up there with the little girl plucking daisy petals in the famous 1964 ad LBJ used against Barry Goldwater.I think Johnson's baseless vitriol speaks for itself, but I'm curious how this reflects on TPM's frequent employment of Johnson as a source, conduit for confidential sources, and expert commentator. TPM deserves a lot of credit for its Muckraker work, but the credibility of future reporting could be in doubt if the unsourced claims of someone who's been proven to have all the veracity and none of the tact of Ahmed Chalabi persist unquestioned in the TPM archives.
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this is uch a stupid rumor that's been going around. i worked for michelle obama at the university of chicago when she was running the community service center. michelle has not said anything having to do with the word "whitey" or any other derogatory remark. her husband has been a politician for most of their lives together and she is smart enough to refrain from making any gaffes of this sort.
there is no tape. roger stone believes himself clever. but really, how can you believe a guy with a tattoo of nixon on his back?
June 2, 2008 10:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
If such a tape existed, we would have seen it all over the airwaves by now. Hannity, Bill-O, and countless others whose reptilian lives depend on a steady stream of such poison would and could never sit on anything remotely controversial until October. As for Johnson, "why'd he" make up such a story?
June 2, 2008 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bill and Hillary would have paid every cent of their $109 million dollar fortune to get a copy, if such a thing actually existed. Every superdelegate would have had a copy within 24 hrs.
June 2, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm recommending this, and hope others will because it's about time we had a public discussion about who TPM chooses as featured blog contributors for the Cafe.
Larry Johnson was excellent on some intelligence matters but it became quickly clear thatr he's also rather right wing and sometimes authoritarian in his politics.
That said, who they choose as featured columnists at the Cafe is probably independent of the reporting that the staff does. Also, I doubt the contributors are paid. It's more a volunteer thing. So, like the disclaimers on DVD commentaries, their opinions are solely their own and not meant to represent Josh or TPM.
Still, how are these people chosen? Why Amitai Etzioni, who is pretty unpopular here? Why no real left wing foreign policy voices? Why Anne Marie Slaughter? Or Larry Johnson? Why don't the readers get much of a say in who we'd like to read?
June 2, 2008 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm more interested in frequently sourcing Larry Johnson for stories at TPM over the past few years than commentary at TPMCafe where the buck more or less stops with him. His website cites Roger Stone of all people as evidence that this reported video is true (of course, Stone cites the same details that Johnson did; it's circular reinforcement). How many TPM posts citing Johnson's expertise and connection in the intel community were based on no more than these friend-of-a-friend met someone who once saw a tape kind of anecdotes?
June 2, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Larry Johnson has a very thin intelligence resume. The guy, it seems to me, is basically a fraud who has parlayed his thin resume into a lucrative consulting business.
His commentaries relative to the primary campaign have been shrill.
Here's what he had to say in a December, 2007 Huffington Post piece.
The evil witch, bitch caricature of Hillary is a lie readily embraced by many in America. But it is not the Hillary I have met. I am not a good friend nor a close advisor. And I am not lobbying for a slot in a Clinton administration. I'm not ready for a pay cut and I like to sleep until 9 a.m. But I have been in her office twice and briefed her on issues concerning terrorism and Iraq. If you had asked me before my first visit in 2005 if she could be president I would have said, "There are two ways -- no way and no way in hell." Sadly, much of my initial opinion about Senator Clinton was based on the filth I had heard about her lack of character and private behavior.
Anyone who believed the "filth.....about [Clinton's] lack of character and private behavior" offered up by the billion dollar Clinton Hate industry during the Clinton White House years has to be a dumb ass.
June 2, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I always assumed Johnson was a relatively nonpartisan Republican like the Wilsons. When Bush sold them out, his personal sleaze ballery angered them into telling us what we wanted to hear for a time, without forcing them to fundamentally reevaluate the politics that made it necessary.
June 2, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Michelle Obama is on a panel talking about the shitty job that Bush has done. Through an email all I have is this,
Michelle Obama is saying:
Why’d he cut folks off medicaid?
Why’d he let New Orleans drown?
Why’d he do nothing about Jena?
Why’d he put us in Iraq for no reason?
Larry Johnson wants you to hear this:
Whitie cut folks off medicaid?
Whitie let New Orleans drown?
Whitie do nothing about Jena?
Whitie put us in Iraq for no reason?
Rush Limbaugh is spreading the rumor too but states that she is in the pulpit, ranting and raving. Pure trash!
June 2, 2008 1:39 PM | Reply | Permalink