Madcow does it again

**Wild Cobra** · 08-14-2009

She lies, and gets caught. This time, and interesting letter follows to MSNBC. Part of letter:

Shirley & Banister Public Affairs has had no affiliation with grassfire.org or any of its affiliates since 2004. We DO NOT represent them in any way.

Your apparent source for this information is Public Citizen, a left-wing website, not a "watchdog" group. One phone call from a producer or researcher to our office would have set the record straight. However, your lack of research and your statements prove you are not interested in facts.

If a retraction is not forthcoming today we will pursue legal action against you, MSNBC, NBC Universal and General Electric.

from MSNBC Host's False Attack Leads to Threats Against Conservative

**Wild Cobra** · 08-14-2009

Here's some more info to show the lack of ethics and integrity of Maddow. The site she refers to has no entries newer than 5 years old. It specifically has Shirley & Banister Public Affairs as a consultant to Grassfire.

**Wild Cobra** · 08-14-2009

**Nbadan** · 08-14-2009

Anyone could have told her that, since the Grassfire connection was checked last winter and this is all old news. On the other hand, S&B has an absolutely fascinating list of current clients. (http://www.sbpublicaffairs.com )

For starters, it includes a large chunk of the old Movement Conservatives -- people like Richard Viguerie, publications like The American Spectator and Human Events, and paleocon groups like the American Security Foundation and the Intercollegiate Studies Ins ute, not to mention the National Rifle Association.

S&B also does PR for a large number of right-wing authors -- including Ann Coulter, Andrew Klavan, Joe Scarborough, John Hagee, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Texas Governor Rick Perry, John Bolton, and Alfred Regnery.

And there are some even more interesting clients on the list.

There's the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, which likes to pretend there is such a thing as Christian-bashing

There's David Bossie's Citizens United, which currently has a fast-tracked Supreme Court case underway that if it succeeds (which is uncomfortably likely) will allow for unlimited campaign spending by corporations in the guise of free speech. (Shirley and Bossie go way back together. Shirley was responsible for introducing Paula Jones to the world when Bossie was leading the Arkansas Project.)

There's the racist group, Federation for American Immigration Reform.

There's the Cardinal Newman Society, which appears to have been single-handedly behind the dustup last spring over Obama's invitation to be the commencement speaker at Notre Dame.

And there are any number of other hard right religious groups, both Catholic and Evangelical.

Fascinating bunch. I really hope Rachel keeps pushing this one.