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O’Reilly: Drug-Addicted Homeless Vets “Don’t Want to Be Rehabbed”

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:08:43 -0600

This clip is from Jan. 23, but I haven’t been able to get to it until now. But it has some very interesting moments that expose Bill O’Reilly’s tactics, as well as his true feelings about homeless vets.

BOR continues his lie that John Edwards blamed homelessness among veterans on corporations and the economy — but watch the “proof” he uses. Around :30 seconds in, BOR shows a clip of Edwards talking about Exxon Mobil's record profits and how America’s top 1% is getting wealthier and wealthier as the rest of America struggles. Both are true — Exxon Mobil posted its biggest profit ever and the gap has increased greatly between the rich and the middle class/poor under the Bush administration. But after Edwards' statement about Exxon/Mobil, you’ll see something interesting: an editing transition known as a “wipe”, then Edwards talking about homeless veterans. This is the “proof” BOR is providing to his viewers that Edwards is linking the two.

To run from his earlier claims that there are no/not many homeless vets, BOR has been saying that he’s REALLY attacking Edwards’ dishonest “demagogueing” of the link between the economy/corporate profits and homeless vets. However, I have never seen nor heard of a clip or quote where Edwards does this. To my knowledge, BOR has never shown a clip or quoted any publication where Edwards has linked homeless vets and the economy/corporations. If Edwards was constantly “demagogueing” this point as much as BOR claims he was, I’m sure such a clip or quote would exist. If BOR had either of these, I’m sure he would show them endlessly. But he hasn’t. Instead, he has to rely on an edited clip to “prove” that Edwards linked them.

I know a thing or two about editing video, and BOR’s clip doesn’t fool me for a second.

With an edit, you can make it seem like anyone said anything. I also know that you can use edits while completely preserving the essence of what someone says. This looks like a case of the former, since Edwards’ first comment about Exxon/Mobil does not appear at all to be leading into his next statement about homeless vets. So it seems that BOR’s whole claim about Edwards linking the two is just a huge lie. And what’s amazing is how so many people believe it despite a complete lack of proof. If anyone has seen a clip or read an article where Edwards makes this link, let me know, because BOR has certainly never shown one that I know of. Until then, I’m very comfortable saying that BOR is just lying to his viewers again, misdirecting them with one lie to avoid apologizing for another one. This is a technique he’s used before, and it seems he has plenty of viewers who are dumb enough to keep believing it.

BOR goes on to prove how utterly clueless about the issue of homeless vets. He claims that the Veterans Administration has plenty of beds for every homeless veteran and that $37 billion is allocated to helping homeless vets. But in a discussion with conservative idiot Carrie Lukas and FOX contributor Col. (ret.) David Hunt, BOR’s stupidity is exposed by Hunt, who BOR expected to be a willing ally. Hunt explains that the VA doesn’t actually run homeless shelters, and the $37 billion is the medical budget for the VA, not the budget to help homeless vets. BOR lies again about Edwards, claiming Edwards said there are “Hoovervilles” full of homeless vets who are incapable of finding jobs. Anyone see the clip of Edwards saying that? Neither have I.

BOR then returns to his claim that homeless vets are all mentally ill drug addicts, and makes the stunning statement that homeless vets suffering from addiction "don't want to be rehabbed", essentially saying that homeless vets are homeless and addicted by choice. He goes on to say that providing help to addicted homeless vets “isn’t about owing anybody anything.”

I think this illustrates BOR’s (and republicans’) true feelings about the homeless, whether they’re veterans or not. BOR is simply incapable or unwilling to put himself in anyone else’s shoes and they might face obstacles that BOR has not. BOR has a job, a home, and isn’t a drug addict, so anyone who is homeless, jobless, or addicted CHOSE to be that way and, therefore, doesn’t deserve any help or sympathy. After all, they WANT to be that way. BOR has never served in the military, yet he is convinced that their lives and struggles are no different than his. It’s a good thing Hunt was there to try to explain that being in a conflict can leave soldiers mentally disabled, and our country has an obligation to help these people just as much as it is obliged to help those who are physically disabled. It’s an inconvenient truth that BOR simply will not admit to.

Two weeks after saying that the government is providing plenty of money and resources to help homeless veterans, that homeless vets are in their situation by choice, and that Americans don't owe homeless vets anything, BOR announced that he would support the creation of a new GI bill because the government isn't providing enough money and resources to vets and that we as Americans owe veterans more than they are getting. BOR had previously said that politicians can "do little" to solve the problem of homelessness among veterans.

If BOR really wanted to help homeless vets, he could find a much better way to do it than by supporting non-existent legislation that will take years to be implemented if it ever gets drafted and made law. There are homeless vets NOW who need help NOW.

Get this "Iraq war" charge off my bill!

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:29:51 -0600

100 years of war -- Not a joke.
Singing bomb bomb bomb Iran -- Out of tune, and NOT funny

We laugh, we yell, we worry. But, thankfully, we live in a time and a world where we can do something.

You stopped two FOX run debates using the FOX Attacks videos to spread the word, change people's opinions, and influence the media's story. You helped get advertisers to pull ads from Michael Savage's hateful radio program using the video. You spread the word about Rudy Giuliani on 9/11 with the investigative videos about the faulty radios and command center, and we saw how the public reacted.

And now, while Clinton and Obama are focused on winning the nomination, we have a job to do.

We can't let the media continue its love affair with John McCain. We can't let people see a straight shooter when what we really have is a shoot first, ask questions later kind of guy. We've seen this movie before, and we can't let the next few months pass by by without telling the real story. We will use humor at times, but this is a very serious campaign to use the horrors of war and the facts of the Iraq recession to reach people.

Will you invest a dollar for every year you think John McCain will keep us in Iraq? A dollar now could quite possibly save us from the decades of "more wars" McCain has promised.

Make an investment

At a time when all television spots are fundraised around helping a particular candidate win, there is a critically important role for online communications to play. We can reach hundreds of thousands online, instantly. Wired just did an article about this.

Brave New Films was on the case over a year ago with The REAL McCain, and it looked like America was through with him after that. But now he's back and more dangerous than ever. We must act now!

O'Reilly: We don't owe homeless vets anything

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:29:51 -0600

Bill O'Reilly continues his lie that John Edwards blamed homelessness among veterans on corporations and the economy (watch the edit around :42 where Edwards talking about Exxon Mobil's record profits is spliced to a different clip of Edwards talking about homeless veterans to make them seem connected). Edwards has never blamed homelessness among vets on corporations or the economy. BOR then attacks David Letterman.

BOR goes on to claim that the Veterans Administration has plenty of beds for every homeless veteran. In a discussion with conservative idiot Carrie Lukas and FOX contributor Col. (ret.) David Hunt, BOR claims that homeless vets suffering from addiction "don't want to be rehabbed" and that homeless vets don't need help because "it isn't a matter of owing anybody anything." BOR was clearly upset that Hunt, a reliable ally, repeatedly refuted all of BOR's claims that homeless vets get all the help they need, that the VA provides a bed for every one of them, and that homeless vets have chosen to be homeless addicts.

Two weeks after saying that the government is providing plenty of money and resources to help homeless veterans, that homeless vets are in their situation by choice, and that Americans don't owe homeless vets anything, BOR announced that he would support the creation of a new GI bill because the government isn't providing enough money and resources to vets and that we as Americans owe veterans more than they are getting. BOR had previously said that politicians can "do little" to solve the problem of homelessness among veterans.

O’Reilly’s “Big Announcement” to Homeless Vets: Maybe Someone Will Help You Someday

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:08:11 -0600

Last Thursday found me waiting in giddy anticipation for Bill O’Reilly’s “big announcement” about homeless veterans that he had been teasing for weeks. In a previous post, I had guessed that BOR would announce the creation of a charitable fund to help homeless vets or his support for legislation that would provide better services for homeless vets, especially those suffering from mental illness or addiction.

After all, BOR had magnanimously announced that he would help any homeless vet that was brought to his attention (after previously denying that homeless vets existed at all) and had loudly proclaimed that homelessness among vets is exclusively caused by addiction and mental illness (though those are really symptoms of a system that is doing a poor job of helping soldiers re-integrate back into society). As I said, I’ve gotten pretty good at guessing what BOR will do next — the only times I get it wrong is when I optimistically think that BOR will display some sort of decency, humility, or honesty. I guess that’s what I did, since, sadly, I was mostly wrong on this one.

BOR’s “big announcement” to help homeless veterans? BOR will “monitor” the creation of a new GI bill (which is yet to be drafted) to see if the federal government will someday help homeless vets by expanding every benefit offered to every vet and their families. That is, if this non-existent GI bill passes, which may take years and will constitute a complete overhaul of the GI bill — if it happens at all. BOR promised to have Peter King (R-NY) and/or John Kerry (D-MA) on his show once a month to check the progress and said he would harass any congressmen who objected to this new GI bill. Which does not yet exist.

That’s it. That was the “big announcement”. The word “homeless” was not mentioned once.

I guess we should all be happy that five years into a war that BOR vociferously championed while repeatedly calling for US soldiers to be on extended and repeated deployments without enough down time, training or the right equipment, BOR has finally realized that those soldiers have been getting the shaft. I suppose that he’s also realized that homeless vets might actually exist, that there truly are too many of them, and that maybe, just maybe, homeless vets aren’t solely to blame for being homeless. BOR deserves a cookie! Just like Bush did when he finally realized that Iraq didn’t have WMD; then finally realized that Iraq had no ties with Al-Qaeda; then finally realized that Iraq was experiencing an insurgency; then finally realized that Iraq was experiencing a civil war; then finally realized that maybe the US wasn’t making as much progress in Iraq as he said we were; then finally realized that Rumsfeld was doing a horrible job; then finally realized that hurricane Katrina had destroyed New Orleans; then finally realized that climate change was happening; then finally realized that the US economy was heading towards a recession. Of course, practically everyone in the country and world knew these things several months before Bush did, but what do you expect from people like Bush and BOR who are completely cut off from reality? If you had no idea what the hell was going on and constructed your reality based solely on materials extracted from your ass, you’d probably be pretty slow, too.

Now don’t get me wrong — overhauling the GI bill is way overdue, and it’s good that someone with a large audience is drawing attention to that. But this overhauled GI bill hasn’t even been drafted yet. I’m no expert on the passing of legislation, but it seems like that can take a really long time (unless you’re republicans trying to keep Terri Schiavo alive). Rep. King said that they might have a draft of this new GI bill done by the end of the month. This draft would still have to make its way through House and Senate committees, where there will be amendments, subtractions, pork added, deals brokered, squabbles, etc. Plus, this new GI bill would certainly be massive, expensive and would require major overhauls of the entire VA system and budget. That’s bound to raise some hackles, especially with such a divided congress, a lame duck president, an election, and massive deficits. Then you have to get the bill to a vote, which can take a very long time.

Since Bush and the republicans are posturing so much on being “fiscally conservative” and supporting “small government”, they may not be too excited about signing on to a massive expansion of government spending and services, even if it’s for soldiers — especially since republicans have been so willing to screw soldiers in the past. I’m sure the Bush administration would rather just punt on this so the next president, most likely a democrat, will have to deal with all the soldiers Bush sent to war — then republicans can complain about how democrats spend too much and support bigger government. Like the Iraq war, returning vets are another problem Bush didn’t plan for, won’t take responsibility for, and will leave for a future president to clean up.

So passing a new GI bill is sure to be a long, drawn-out, complicated ordeal that many politicians may not have the will or stomach to engage in this year. Meanwhile, there are over 200,000 homeless vets RIGHT NOW. As we speak. BOR’s “big announcement” will do nothing for these men and women until a new GI bill is passed. If that ever happens.

This is an unbelievably inefficient way to deal with the problem of vets who are homeless right now. BOR said he would help homeless vets, but all this looks like is a stalling technique so BOR can save face and claim that he’s doing something when he isn’t. If he really wanted to help homeless vets, why wouldn’t he throw his support behind the Homes for Heroes Act of 2007, which was introduced by Barack Obama last April and is cosponsored by Senators Reid, Schumer, Menendez, Brown, and Cantwell? This bill is specifically designed to help low-income veterans obtain affordable housing to address the problem of homeless vets. You can learn more about it here. Or BOR could donate some of his alleged $9 million salary, or mobilize his viewers to donate money to groups that help homeless vets.

Instead of helping homeless vets by actually helping them, helping groups that help homeless vets, or supporting an existing bill designed specifically to help vets get affordable housing, BOR is going to monitor the creation of a monster GI bill overhaul that faces endless obstacles and whose benefits would not be felt for years. But I guess we’re supposed to be happy that BOR has finally/sort of stopped blaming vets for their homelessness and has finally/sort of realized that it is the system that is letting down veterans. But instead of helping homeless vets, BOR has promised to hope that someone else might eventually help them.

So welcome to the party, BOR. You’re really late, but I suppose we’re supposed to be happy that you showed up at all. So have a seat and try not to sexually harass any of the guests. And I’ll get you your damn cookie.

Bill O'Reilly's "Big Announcement" to Homeless Vets

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:29:51 -0600

foxattacks.com
For weeks, Bill O'Reilly had been teasing that he would make a "big announcement" on Feb. 8 for homeless veterans. But all he announced is that he would monitor the creation of a new GI bill that hasn't even been drafted yet and would harass congressmen who vote against it. BOR acts like updating the GI bill is his own original idea.

In other words, BOR, who had previously said that politicians can't help homeless vets, will help homeless vets by monitoring the creation of legislation that could take months to be written, moved through committees, altered, amended, and voted on, then will take even longer to be implemented since it will call for a complete overhaul of the Veterans Administration — and that's if everything somehow goes well in the middle of an election year with a lame duck president and a divided Congress. Plus, the congressmen who will be most opposed to it will surely be republicans who will claim that it is too expensive.

So BOR is claiming to help homeless vets by monitoring legislation that will take years to have any substantive effect. There are vets who are homeless RIGHT NOW. They can't afford to wait. And they shouldn't have to.

Meet the “Non-Existent” Vets: Ryan Sussman

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:08:11 -0600

Ryan was the first vet I interviewed that day at U.S. Vets. As I talked to him, I simply couldn’t believe that Ryan was just 21. It’s not that he didn’t look young, but the way he talked and what he was talking about reflected the experiences of someone much older.

By the age of 18, Ryan was fending for himself and figuring out what to do with his life while I was enjoying the training wheels/daycare we know as college. During his two and a half years in the Navy, Ryan was grappling with the forces of life and death. When he got out, Ryan was forced to experience the warped priorities of our government and face a country that claims to revere soldiers while leaving them out in the cold. At 21, I was coasting through my senior year of college, trying not to think about the future. At 21, Ryan had done what he was supposed to, but had no idea what the future held. At 21, Ryan was homeless, and the country he served didn’t give a damn.

At 21, Ryan is a guy who should have his whole future in front of him. He should be looking at a world of limitless possibilities. That’s what America is supposed to be all about, right? But because he served our country and because our government has little interest in supporting those who served, Ryan, at 21, is in trouble. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen to him. One slip up and he could be out on the streets again. He feels like the country he served has turned his back on him and that he has no place in it. Ryan wants to get a job, have a place to live, and be just like everyone else. He’s not asking for anything special. He’s trying, but his government isn’t helping. If it weren’t for the good people at U.S. Vets, it’s hard to know where Ryan would be right now. He might just be another statistic, another number lost to addiction, mental illness, or suicide. A number with no name or face.

Bill O’Reilly wants to pretend that everything is great. That homeless vets want to be homeless, that vets with substance abuse want to be addicts. He wants to blame Ryan’s problems on Ryan, not the system and people who ignore him. I don’t mean to diminish him, but Ryan is 21. He’s just a kid. Where were you and what were you doing at 21? What had you seen and experienced? What had your country done to you? Ryan served his country for 2 ½ years. His country said it would welcome him back with open arms and help him get a good job at a good wage so he could make a good living because he deserves it. At 21, Ryan is living at U.S. Vets in transitional housing while millionaires who never served like O’Reilly shit all over him.

There’s something wrong with that picture. You know it. I know it. And Ryan knows it. In fact, Ryan has to live it.

If you want to help vets like Ryan, go to U.S. Vets and the Fitzgerald House. They spend every day doing what people like Bill O’Reilly won’t.

What is this "Iraq war" charge on my bill?

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:22:33 -0600

Now is not the time for progressives to be silent. With Clinton and Obama battling each other we MUST start telling the story of McCain and his support for war.

We have been barraged with folks asking us to take action. And we have.

In less than week, Jason, Leda, Philip and Lissette put together these two fantastic short videos. And we have a major BNF strategic campaign to reach hearts and minds.

We need $100,000 immediately (like in the next week), so we can continue making these high impact videos, full-time, around the clock.

Can you chip in $50? We've got to start now. Make an investment here.

While we're using a little HUMOR in our opening effort, the war is deadly serious, the deaths to Americans and to Iraqis. We have seen and experienced the terrible pain and suffering. But our job right now is to reach millions of people who have erected emotional walls to any more painful news of death and destruction. So we went to the personal, the cost to each and everyone of us. And we did it by hacking the techniques of Madison Ave, a joke that gets the attention, and then makes the point.

We're very excited about this campaign, so excited that we wanted to get you involved now before we even have a proper website set up for it. Please post a comment below with your ideas for future videos, a campaign song, a cartoon, and additional ways to get the word out.

Let's keep working together to tell America about John McCain's vision for our country: Less jobs, and more wars. I've got a hunch Joe Scarborough is going to regret ever making that joke.

Gawker Studies O’Reilly’s Comments on Veterans

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:38:12 -0600

Gawker was good enough to feature our story about the homeless vet petition delivery to the FOX building last week, as well as Bill O’Reilly’s flailing response, where he tried to make his viewers forget the many idiotic, dishonest, hurtful things he’s been saying about homeless vets by attacking Robert Greenwald, Xanadu, gossip stringers, and the fact that homeless vets don’t watch enough cable.

Turns our that a Gawker employee, Intern Mary, decided to do some investigating of her own to see for herself what BOR really says about veterans. Does BOR actually care about vets, or does he just use them as human shields to make political points? She searched around billoreilly.com and displayed her findings in a handy graph for your perusal (go here to see it bigger).

Less Jobs. More Wars.

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:29:52 -0600

What is this 'Iraq war' charge on my bill?

Meet the “Non-Existent” Vets: Fletcher C. Hicklen

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:41:58 -0600

Bill O’Reilly says he can’t find any homeless veterans. After a few hours of calling, I was able to find several hundred. One of them was Fletcher C. Hicklen.

To make FOX ATTACKS! “Non-Existent” Veterans, I had arranged to interview three veterans at U.S. Vets — an organization that provides treatment, transitional housing, and classes to homeless vets — but Fletcher wasn’t one of them. After shooting the interviews, my cameraman, Phil, and I walked around US Vets looking for a few vets who wanted to send a quick message to Bill O’Reilly. I met Fletcher in US Vets’ computer lab, where vets can learn how to use computers and have internet access.

Like most of the vets I met that day, Fletcher had a lot to say. He told me about how proud he was to serve. He told me what an honor it had been to shake the hand of George HW Bush when he came to Honduras aboard Air Force One to thank the troops stationed there. He also told me that vets get a “raw deal” in America and are not given the respect they deserve.

Fletcher also told me that he had spent many a night sleeping under a bridge when he was homeless in Michigan. He slept under a bridge where three men had frozen to death just a few weeks before. Fletcher told me he often went to sleep praying the same thing wouldn’t happen to him.

Sadly, there are tens of thousands of stories like Fletcher’s — and Bill O’Reilly is trying to ignore all of them from his windowless ivory tower. Does it help vets like Fletcher for BOR to tell millions of people that he doesn’t exist and that he doesn’t matter? Does it help America’s hundreds of thousands of vets when BOR tells his viewers that the government has no obligation or ability to help veterans who served their country (which BOR has not) and returned home mentally or physically scarred? Is it helpful for BOR and his viewers to blame homeless vets for their own homelessness?

Places like US Vets and the Fitzgerald House are dedicated to helping people like Fletcher. They know he exists, they know that the US government isn’t doing enough to help those like him, and they’re trying to give him a helping hand — not a hand out — so he can make a safe transition out of homelessness. The staffs at US Vets and Fitzgerald House spend every day helping the homeless vets that BOR wants so desperately to ignore. They spend their days dealing with the institutional problems that BOR wants to blame on the vets. They are picking up the considerable slack left by our government that claims to revere them. BOR wants to claim that addiction and mental illness are the main causes of homelessness among vets, instead of acknowledging that they are the symptoms of a system that does not help servicemen re-integrate back into society and get the services they have earned.

Fletcher is a proud man, and he deserves to be proud. He should not have to beg or wade through miles of red tape to get help — his country should offer it because he deserves it. And despite BOR’s assertions, Americans should be made MORE aware of the problem of homeless vets and what their suffering says about our country.

Homeless Vets vs. Bill O'Reilly, part 1

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:29:52 -0600

foxattacks.com Bill O'Reilly is attacking homeless veterans.. patriots who have served their country only to be humiliated by multi-millionaire draft dodgers like Bill O'Reilly.

Demand O'Reilly apologize to homeless veterans for his continued disrespect for our nation's heroes.

CNBC "Pornifies" It's Anchor Babes

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:08:13 -0600

Like we didn't know this was going to happen. How long before Mary Carey gets her own show?

The News Corp.-owned NYPost writes about a wardrobe function at CNBC.
"The suits at CNBC are said to be so worried about their blonde Fox Business Network competition that they've brought in a new wardrobe stylist to re-dress their anchorbabes, an inside source reports." "'All of a sudden, they wear nothing but form-fitting V-necks in bright colors and they've gotten all new clothes,' said our source." A CNBC rep said, "Not true. No wardrobe change."

Video is Fox News Porn, sure to be followed by the sequel, "Fox Business Porn"!

Brave New Films and the Young Turks Super Tuesday Ad

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:29:52 -0600

http://bravenewfilms.org/
Raise hell with Brave New Films and the Young Turks on Super Tuesday!
Live coverage starts at 4pm ET.

Smart. Brave. Live.

Bill O'Reilly attacks homeless vets... for not watching FOX News

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:08:14 -0600

Bill O'Reilly refuses to apologize for his repeated assertions that there are no homeless vets. Watch it here.

Bill never served in the military, and he makes more than $9 million a year. It is unsurprising that he's out of touch with the plight of the 200,000 homeless veterans living in America. So we found them, we videotaped them, and we brought a few to O'Reilly's doorstep in NYC.

Then he refused to even let them in the building, and proceeded to mock them on national television... for not watching FOX News!

Homeless people frequently don't have cable, Bill. Something you might learn if you talked to them.

America's veterans do NOT deserve to be insulted and humiliated any longer. Sign the open letter demanding an apology from O'Reilly, and pass it on to your friends.

O'Reilly Attacks Robert Greenwald Over Homeless Vets

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:42:11 -0600

sfdsfds

What you may not know about MLK. Spanish subtitles.

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:29:52 -0600

http://warongreed.org/dreams.php

Today we honor Dr. King's birthday. We all know him because of his historic impact on civil rights, but many don't realize that later in life he fought just as passionately for the rights of workers and against the entrenched institutions of injustice.

"Equality means dignity. And dignity demands a job and a paycheck that lasts through the week."

The War on Greed is exactly this kind of fight. The livelihoods of families have been directly attacked by the actions of buyout billionaires like Henry Kravis putting Wall Street's special interests ahead of his 800,000 employees... and pocketing $51,000 an hour in the process.

The first step must be taxing these buyout billionaires at a fair tax rate. It will not solve all the problems, but it is a strong and forceful beginning. With the presidential campaigns underway, it is the perfect time to force this issue into the campaigns the way we did with Wal-Mart and Iraq for Sale.

As our friend Rev. Yearwood, leader of the Hip Hop Caucus, has said: "We are facing a lunch counter moment for the 21st century."

Please join us at our virtual lunch counter by signing the petition to presidential candidates demanding they pledge to close the loopholes and tax the tax dodgers. Buyout billionaires are a menace to our economy. People are hurting, badly, and we must take beginning steps to bring the issue of corporate greed and economic equality to the nation's attention.

“I Was Off to Represent For My Fathers…”: Field Producer Robin On Veterans and the Petition Delivery

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:42:12 -0600

As we were organizing Thursday's petition delivery to the FOX building in New York, we put a call out for field producers to help cover the event. Robin Laverne Wilson answered that call, and we’re so glad she did. The following is her account of what happened yesterday, as well as her thoughts on the struggles veterans face and her personal connection to this issue. If you are interested in joining our army of field producers raising hell across the land, go here.

And with that, here’s Robin…
***************

I put on my brown military thermals, my chocolate chip cammies, my black bandana and my black boots. I was off to represent for my father, my uncle, their army buddies and all the people in my life that I knew and didn't know who had served this country and in some way, often the same way, got the shaft from it. Most of them are Black, like me. My home state, Texas, is practically one huge military base. It's my patriotic duty, as the daughter of a Vietnam War combat medic, to pick up my weapon and fight for the cause. I grabbed my gear and went into friendly warrior mode to help these vets broadcast their story. And believe me -- their stories are AMAZING.

There's Harold -- most people would not suspect him as homeless because he carries himself with such dignity and determination. He rides the train to sleep and keep warm between his job and school. He launders his clothing and is groomed. He is intelligent, lively and articulate. He is doing what any man is supposed to do -- work and educate himself -- yet he cannot find a home.

There's James -- a 77-year-old Korea vet with a cane and steel-gray Cherokee eyes who gets choked up and teary when he recalls the action he endured in combat. He's 77 -- how long has HE been fighting for respect, benefits and a home?

Carol has found homes for over 80 veterans, but there are thousands more. They are still on the street because the VA is pathetic and probably just as hard to fight as the war that got them into this situation. They're on the subway and under bridges because they're tired of fighting.

We shared our stories, and Nestor encouraged me to wear my father's colors. In the last few years of my father's life, he fought with the VA and DoD against HR Concurrent Receipt. My father served 20 years, including Korea and Vietnam. He had two open heart bypass surgeries, prostate cancer, radiation burn from prostate cancer, diabetes, gout, lupus, congestive heart failure, hypertension, several angioplasties and an arteriectomy, and undiagnosed and severely undertreated PTSD. He was declared 100% disabled, but he had to CHOOSE between his retirement pension OR his disability pay. Though he served his country, saw action, saved lives and struggled at many times afterward to stay alive, he and all other veterans were not entitled to both their pay for serving AND their compensation for being disabled. I imagine it hard to wear those colors after suffering those indignities. But he'd put out the flag on Independence Day, and is buried at Fort Sam Houston. In his honor, I wear his uniform and camouflage.

I've already been thinking very intensely about what it means for ME to be an American in a country that has not always been fair to my kind. I studied the Vietnam War and American Literature with the distinguished Professor H. Bruce Franklin and for the first time, in 3D, experienced and understood my father's experience. I sobbed in horror and sorrow when I fully comprehended why my father was so troubled, and how sad I was that I did not get it sooner. Years wasted because our country sends many poor men, especially men of color, to the frontlines of war. Then only to be spit out to waste away without so much as a home or help to address the psycho-spiritual damage war has caused. My catharsis of understanding was so powerful, I am sure that it also released my father of some of his burdens in the afterlife.

And I'd just spent Christmas break watching the ground-breaking and life-changing documentary series, "Eyes on the Prize," about the Civil Rights Movement. I'd seen it as a child with my father. At age 14, it made me join the NAACP to keep fighting. It made me want to make more such documentaries. Seeing it again, it cleared my perspective of my place in the continuum of struggle. Many people in poverty join the military as a way out, not to worsen their circumstances. Veterans issues are another prism in the fight for Civil Rights and access to opportunity.

The Freedom of Speech they fought for entitles me to wield my camera and document the truth, from my worldview. But the News Corporation security detail insisted that we stay behind their property line. One guard was particularly fond of only saying, "Step back, Miss," though there were several other cameramen and reporters. Not sure if I was being singled out for gender, color, or both. Perhaps all of the above, since sadly the directive was always given by the only Black male guard. Perhaps he hasn't read any Frederick Douglass in his lifetime and been enlightened, but I nonetheless stood my ground.

There was the back and forth between the producers with Carol and the veterans:

    "Thank you for your service... blah blah blah... I'm sorry, you have to have an appointment... yadda yadda..."
    "Could you step back, MISS!"
    "Yes, we'll take the petitions... you can't come... blah blah..."

They walk off without the petitions. They come back to get the petitions. No, nobody can come up and talk to Bill O'Reilly. Or his receptionist. Nonetheless, I am grateful that alongside us, MSNBC and The Daily News came out to cover and support their story. I just got off the phone with Carol. She's getting lots of calls. It's like Dan's film "When I Came Home" all over again. Maybe this time, many many more vets will find a home because of the media attention.

Dan and I left exhilarated, and the vets departed hopeful. After watching Dan's film and our report on the event, I believe that this is the beginning of another major movement in the fight for true democracy. If the political anti-war logic is not compelling enough, then we'll force them to look at the aftermath of the vets when considering the total cost of war.

Walking back to the train station, hungry, I wondered what it's like to live as a homeless veteran. At that moment I didn't have to stretch too hard. I grabbed the small handful of loose change in my pocket that I pilfered from my roommate's coin jar. I belong to another American underclass who have their own set of bureaucratic institutions to slay -- full-time college students. My school's administrative error delays my registration, which delays my financial aid, which leaves me temporarily insolvent. I counted the change and I counted my blessings.   I do have a roof over my head, an education, and food at home. I have a family and support system that would never leave me homeless, no matter the state of the economy. Riches are not solely money, so no matter how challenging things may be for the moment, I will not forsake those who struggle with no absolutely no resources. Just like how I'll pay back my roommate's quarters and dimes when my relief comes, I'll keep fighting to get what's owed to my father and other vets.

Robin Laverne

Countdown Features Homeless Vets Petition Delivery — And O’Reilly’s “Non-Existent” Apology

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:38:43 -0600

When the folks at MSNBC saw the improvised press event that started outside the FOX building yesterday when a group of homeless vets attempted to deliver our 17,000-signature petition to Bill O’Reilly, they sent over a camera crew and reporter to see what all the fuss was about. Little did we know that our story would be #3 on last night’s Countdown! Keith Olbermann does a great job of summarizing the (de)evolution of BOR’s lies and his increasingly irrational and erroneous flails as BOR tries in vain to blame everyone but himself for all the dumb things he’s been telling his audience about homeless veterans.

Just apologize, BOR. Apologize to the vets, John Edwards, and your viewers. Lying more and calling homeless vets mentally ill addicts isn’t going to make this go away. It’ll just make it worse for you and the homeless vets you continue to slander.

Please donate to U.S. Vets and Fitzgerald House. BOR doesn't want to help homeless vets, but you can.

FOX Denies Entrance to Veterans Demanding an Apology from O’Reilly — WITH VIDEO

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:08:15 -0600

You might’ve seen my earlier post detailing the amazing day we had delivering our petition to the FOX building in New York demanding that Bill O’Reilly apologize to the homeless veterans he denied and dismissed. Now you can see how it all went down.

We had the great fortune of having Dan Lohaus — director of the powerful documentary When I Came Home, which chronicles the struggles of a homeless Iraq veteran — filming the event today along with field producer Robin. Dan quickly cut together a short video of what happened. Enjoy.

Homeless Vets Petition Delivery to O'Reilly on Countdown

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:42:08 -0600

(1/31/08) A group of homeless veterans visited the FOX News building in NY to deliver a petition signed by 17,000 people demanding that Bill O'Reilly apologize to homeless veterans. The story was #3 on Countdown

Homeless Vets Attempt to Deliver Petition to Bill O'Reilly

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:42:09 -0600

Bill O'Reilly said there aren't any homeless veterans, and if there are, there aren't enough to matter and/or they're all mentally ill addicts. So we sent a group of homeless veterans to the FOX News building to show O'Reilly they do indeed exist. The vets brought a petition with 17,000 signatures demanding that O'Reilly apologize to all of America's homeless vets. Documentary filmmaker Dan Lohaus (www.whenicamehome.com) and field producer Robin W. captured the action.

FOX Denies Entrance to Veterans Demanding an Apology from O’Reilly

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:42:33 -0600

If you were around the FOX building in New York City today, you might’ve noticed that an impromptu press conference had broken out right in front. That’s because a group of veterans tried to deliver our 17,000-strong petition to Bill O’Reilly demanding an apology to homeless vets, and FOX wouldn’t let them in the door.

Two weeks ago, after hearing BOR’s second denial of the existence and significance of America’s 200,000 homeless vets, I took a trip to U.S. Vets in Inglewood, CA to see if I could find any of the homeless vets that BOR claimed he couldn’t find. I found them and talked to them. That night, BNF launched a video, FOX ATTACKS! “Non-Existent” Veterans, along with an open letter demanding that O’Reilly apologize for his factually-challenged statements. To date, over 96,000 people have seen the video and over 17,000 signed the letter.

So today at 3pm ET, five vets, Carol (executive director of the Fitzgerald House, an organization that provides transitional housing for homeless veterans), documentary filmmaker Dan Lohaus, and field producer Robin went to the FOX building to deliver the petition, along with a reporter from the Daily News and a local TV crew. But it wasn’t so easy.

FOX security wouldn’t let the vets in the building. They also wouldn’t accept the petition or promise that it would be given to BOR. The vets couldn’t go up to speak to BOR. BOR wouldn’t come down to speak to them. Some FOX brass came down (accompanied by security and police) to try to defuse the situation, but it didn’t help. MSNBC, whose building is across the street from FOX's, saw all the brouhaha and sent over their own camera crew to cover the action. A press conference broke out right in front of the FOX building as reporters asked the vets questions. Even BOR’s own stalkerazzi “producer”, Jesse Watters, was sent down to assail the vets and change the subject — he wanted to know if the vets had seen the video of BOR’s statements instead of focusing on the fact that BOR made them.

After a long standoff, Carol and one of the vets was allowed into the lobby to drop off the petition, though there was no guarantee that BOR would actually receive it.

It was quite a day. And you’ll be hearing more about it soon…

John McCain is Dr. Strangelove

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:08:15 -0600

Thanks to the casting sensibility of Arianna Huffington, we learned that John McCain has been channeling Dr. Strangelove! Duly inspired, Phillip and our Issues 2008 team jumped into action, and 24 hours later, here's the video!

Pass it far and wide and pitch us your casting ideas for John McCain in the comments.

MATTHEWS ATTACKS!

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:29:52 -0600

I didn't know much about Chris Matthews before I started working on this video for our friends at Media Matters. I don't have cable, so most of what I knew of Matthews was from clips on Crooks & Liars, which usually highlighted some ridiculous, silly, or clueless thing Matthews had said. For the most part, he seemed to me like a friendly, if sometimes goofy, newsguy with an annoying voice. Even his past and recent sexism seemed more like something you'd expect from your nice friend who sometimes makes people laugh semi-uncomfortably by being mildly offensive, especially when drunk. It's not the best thing in the world, but not that big of a deal.

But I think I might've been wrong.

I started watching clips of Matthews and I soon came to a very disturbing conclusion: Chris Matthews is the friendlier, smarter version of Bill O’Reilly.

Here me out on this. When BOR screams something outrageous, dishonest, and offensive, people get angry and want to hold him accountable and discredit FOX. But when Matthews goofily says something outrageous, dishonest, and offensive, most people just laugh and shrug it off because Matthews seems like a nice guy, not a lying, blowhard prick like BOR. If Matthews’ statements are allowed to stand without anyone vigorously challenging them, those statements are accepted as truth, or at least a reasonable interpretation.

Matthews was originally hired for a CNBC spin-off network by none other than Roger Ailes, the media/propaganda consultant for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George HW Bush and later the president of FOX News. Despite the low ratings for Matthews’ signature show, Hardball (which dwells just above Tucker territory), Matthews’ Sunday political talk show, the Chris Matthews Show, garners the second highest ratings of any Sunday political show for the Washington DC area.

What does all this mean? It means that a FOX News-approved personality is exerting a whole lot of influence over politicians and Washington’s media elite. Matthews is quite intelligent and has a somewhat folksy, friendly, regular-guy demeanor, which gives his opinions added weight. The media elite uses Matthews’ opinions to espouse what they consider to be “conventional wisdom” throughout the media, which influences what politicians think while also dictating what/how issues are presented to Americans through the media. This is important stuff. As the website tells us, media matters.

In comments I’ve been reading about the video, some people are saying that we should lay off Matthews and that he isn’t so bad. I disagree on two fronts. First, we should be closely monitoring ALL media to keep them honest. A democracy cannot function properly without an honest media to inform its citizens so they can make informed decisions. No media figure should be considered beyond reproach. That is why Media Matters and other watchdog sites are so important. Second, Matthews is bad enough. He would be an excellent fit for FOX. And if Keith Olbermann keeps stealing his thunder, that's very well where he may end up.

Check out MatthewsMonitor.com. It’s time to play Hardball…

Homeless Veterans — For Some, Not Homeless Enough

info@bravenewfilms.org (Brave New Films) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:42:31 -0600

The veterans I talked to for FOX ATTACKS! "Non-Existent" Veterans are homeless. But for some, including Bill O'Reilly, it seems that these vets are not homeless enough.

gregmonk5
Who paid these actors...i mean homeless vets to get the bluetooth head sets, the nice hair cuts, the sharp dresses.... hmm

Raziorizzo
While I am not denying that homeless vets do exist , I noticed , while watching the video, the a couple of people you described as " homeless vet" had a clean shirt and tie on. That just made me wonder.

CoachFogg
Was that a homeless man with a blue tooth ear piece for his cell phone! Yea he must be poor. what a bunch of BullS%^&.

TylerNull
Of all their baseless tactics, posing as a homeless vet is one of the NeoLibs most despicable.

Stankinlincoln
Notice how you didn’t see any ‘Homeless’ Veterans in this video? Once ‘Homeless’ yes but not ‘Homeless’. BravewNewFilms is a propagandist

To those who say that these vets are not homeless, I have a question: HOW HOMELESS DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE?

Should these men be wearing dirty clothes that stink of urine? Should their faces be grimy, their hair greasy and knotted? Should these vets be mumbling gibberish to invisible voices? Should all of their possessions fit in a shopping cart? Should they be living in tents or, perhaps, under bridges? Then will they be “homeless” enough for you?

Do these veterans have too much self-respect for you? Really, how the fuck do you want them to dress? How bad should their personal hygiene be until they satisfy your definition of "homeless"?

These vets are trying to get work, make a living, get some education, and have their own place to live, just like you and me. Several of the vets I spoke to were coming from or going to work. They need to dress well and look presentable, just like you do when you’re at work or school or trying to find a job. Then, when they get back to their room at US Vets at the end of the day, they get changed into more comfortable clothes, just like I and, perhaps, you do. Places like the Salvation Army and Goodwill sell very affordable business clothes, including suits and ties. In fact, you probably walk by homeless people every day without knowing it. You might even work with or have hired a homeless person — many homeless people have jobs but still can’t afford a place to live. The vast majority of homeless people don’t want people to know that they are homeless — being homeless against your will is nothing to be proud of.

Not all homeless people are completely destitute and sleeping on the streets. Being homeless could mean living in your car or staying in shelters. Maybe it’s sleeping on the couches and floors of relatives and friends. Maybe it’s finding an out-of-the-way piece of forest to pitch a tent and stow your stuff. Maybe it’s sleeping in an empty or abandoned building. In all these scenarios, you’d have shelter, but you’d still be homeless. A car is not a home. Your buddy’s couch isn’t a home. Having a place to stay out of the elements is not the same as having a home.

Being homeless does not mean that you are not allowed to have a cell phone and a Bluetooth earpiece. Have you ever tried looking for a job, finding an apartment, or staying in touch with people without a phone? A phone is a lifeline, a way to ensure that you can find people and people can find you. Being able to afford a phone does not mean that you are not poor or not homeless, even if you have an earpiece. These vets are trying to work their way up and rejoin society, and having stable communication is an essential way to do that. If you disagree, I ask this: In your estimation, how little should a homeless veteran have?

As Dwight Radcliff, president and CEO of U.S. Vets, told me, "These are proud men, and they deserve to be proud." They should have pride in their appearance and conduct. They should be able to go to a job interview or a class without everyone immediately knowing that they are homeless veterans, something they are working hard not to be. To imply that a homeless veteran should be incapable of conducting himself with respect and dignity is nothing less than an insult.

These men want normal lives, just like you and me. That’s all they want. What kind of country and people would deny them that?