1) A story in the New Yorker from two days ago recently caught my eye.
"The Conspiracy Memo About Obama Aides that Circulated in the Trump White House."
newyorker.com/news/news-desk…
"The Conspiracy Memo About Obama Aides that Circulated in the Trump White House."
newyorker.com/news/news-desk…
2) What really caught my attention was the sub-title:
"The 2017 document, titled “The Echo Chamber,” accused former Obama officials of undermining the incoming Administration."
"The 2017 document, titled “The Echo Chamber,” accused former Obama officials of undermining the incoming Administration."
3) From the article:
The memo claimed that the “communications infrastructure” that the Obama White House used to “sell Obamacare and the Iran Deal to the public” had been moved to the private sector, now that the former aides were out of government.
The memo claimed that the “communications infrastructure” that the Obama White House used to “sell Obamacare and the Iran Deal to the public” had been moved to the private sector, now that the former aides were out of government.
4) Reporters were listed:
A list of nine reporters and commentators it claimed were part of the Echo Chamber, including The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, the New York Times’ Max Fisher, and NBC News’s Andrea Mitchell.
A list of nine reporters and commentators it claimed were part of the Echo Chamber, including The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, the New York Times’ Max Fisher, and NBC News’s Andrea Mitchell.
5) More:
The memo also claims that other former Obama Administration officials are part of the Echo Chamber.
Jake Sullivan, a former adviser to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, is identified as one of the leaders of the Echo Chamber.
The memo also claims that other former Obama Administration officials are part of the Echo Chamber.
Jake Sullivan, a former adviser to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, is identified as one of the leaders of the Echo Chamber.
6) Cont:
The former Obama Administration officials Tommy Vietor, Ned Price, Jon Favreau, Jon Finer, and Dan Pfeiffer are all listed as “likely operations officers.”
The former Obama Administration officials Tommy Vietor, Ned Price, Jon Favreau, Jon Finer, and Dan Pfeiffer are all listed as “likely operations officers.”
7) The New Yorker article is not friendly to the Trump Administration.
It is highly dismissive of any claims of an Obama Echo Chamber.
It is highly dismissive of any claims of an Obama Echo Chamber.
8) It references the term "Conspiracy Theory" several different times:
"The memo, circulated at senior levels in the White House, shows just how deeply the Echo Chamber conspiracy theory had penetrated business and politics"
"The memo, circulated at senior levels in the White House, shows just how deeply the Echo Chamber conspiracy theory had penetrated business and politics"
9) I wholeheartedly disagree with this characterization.
The Obama Echo Chamber was/is very real.
But don't take my word for it.
The Obama Echo Chamber was/is very real.
But don't take my word for it.
10) Let's see what Ben Rhodes & other Obama Administration members said about Echo Chambers and coordinated efforts w/the media.
nytimes.com/2016/05/08/mag…
nytimes.com/2016/05/08/mag…
11) From Samuel's article:
I asked Jon Favreau whether he or Rhodes or the president had ever thought of their individual speeches and bits of policy making as part of some larger restructuring of the American narrative.
He replied, “We saw that as our entire job.”
I asked Jon Favreau whether he or Rhodes or the president had ever thought of their individual speeches and bits of policy making as part of some larger restructuring of the American narrative.
He replied, “We saw that as our entire job.”
12) More from Favreau:
“The idea of someone with a masters in fiction who had also co-authored the Iraq Study Group and 9/11 Commission reports seemed perfect for a candidate who put so much emphasis on storytelling.”
“The idea of someone with a masters in fiction who had also co-authored the Iraq Study Group and 9/11 Commission reports seemed perfect for a candidate who put so much emphasis on storytelling.”
13) Tanya Somanader - WH director of digital response:
Handpicked insiders like Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic and Laura Rozen of Al-Monitor helped retail the administration’s narrative.
Laura Rozen was my RSS feed. She would just find everything and retweet it.
Handpicked insiders like Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic and Laura Rozen of Al-Monitor helped retail the administration’s narrative.
Laura Rozen was my RSS feed. She would just find everything and retweet it.
14) Ned Price - Rhodes assistant:
"There are sort of these force multipliers."
"We have our compadres, I will reach out to a couple people, and you know I wouldn’t want to name them — ”
"There are sort of these force multipliers."
"We have our compadres, I will reach out to a couple people, and you know I wouldn’t want to name them — ”
15) Samuel's response to Price:
"I can name them,” I said, ticking off a few names of prominent Washington reporters and columnists who often tweet in sync with White House messaging.
"I can name them,” I said, ticking off a few names of prominent Washington reporters and columnists who often tweet in sync with White House messaging.
16) More from Price:
I’ll give them some color and the next thing I know, lots of these guys are in the dot-com publishing space, and have huge Twitter followings, and they’ll be putting this message out on their own.”
I’ll give them some color and the next thing I know, lots of these guys are in the dot-com publishing space, and have huge Twitter followings, and they’ll be putting this message out on their own.”
17) Rhodes' own take on things:
"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That’s a sea change."
"They literally know nothing.”
"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That’s a sea change."
"They literally know nothing.”
18) More from Rhodes:
“We created an echo chamber,” he admitted, when I asked him to explain the onslaught of freshly minted experts cheerleading for the deal."
“They were saying things that validated what we had given them to say.”
“We created an echo chamber,” he admitted, when I asked him to explain the onslaught of freshly minted experts cheerleading for the deal."
“They were saying things that validated what we had given them to say.”
19) Samuel's on Rhodes:
"Rhodes’s war room did its work on Capitol Hill and with reporters."
"In the spring of last year, legions of arms-control experts began popping up at think tanks and on social media, and then became key sources for hundreds of often-clueless reporters."
"Rhodes’s war room did its work on Capitol Hill and with reporters."
"In the spring of last year, legions of arms-control experts began popping up at think tanks and on social media, and then became key sources for hundreds of often-clueless reporters."
20) Samuel's conclusion:
The way in which most Americans have heard the story of the Iran deal presented was largely manufactured for the purpose for selling the deal.
The way in which most Americans have heard the story of the Iran deal presented was largely manufactured for the purpose for selling the deal.
21) The authors of the August 23, 2018, New Yorker article are Adam Entous & Ronan Farrow.
Yes, there is a rather weak reference to Weinstein in the article.
Yes, there is a rather weak reference to Weinstein in the article.
22) Adam Entous has helped to report some major articles used to push the Trump-Russia Narrative. Which did real damage to real people.
"National security adviser Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials, officials say"
washingtonpost.com/world/national…
"National security adviser Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials, officials say"
washingtonpost.com/world/national…
23) More from Entous:
Justice Department warned White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail, officials say
washingtonpost.com/world/national…
Justice Department warned White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail, officials say
washingtonpost.com/world/national…
24) And this one - which likely came directly from leaks by James Wolfe.
FBI obtained FISA warrant to monitor former Trump adviser Carter Page
washingtonpost.com/world/national…
FBI obtained FISA warrant to monitor former Trump adviser Carter Page
washingtonpost.com/world/national…
25) Not only did the documents almost certainly come from Wolfe, it's probable the WAPO reporters received the unredacted version of Page FISA.
26) Almost like they were part of…an Echo Chamber.
/End.
/End.
