My Sockpuppet, Len

I have to confess:  I never knew what a sockpuppet was, and I’ve never practiced it myself – until this past week.

I read and sometimes comment (usually as N=1) on the Daily Nightly blog hosted by Brian Williams and containing the posts of correspondents, news writers, producers and Williams.  Sometime during the summer, Williams got tired of me complaining about the failure of NBC News to disclose conflicts of interest, and when I really complained about Russert’s testimony during the Libby trial, he (or whoever moderates his blog) stopped publishing my comments.  So I occasionally saved and pasted them on my own blog, just so others can determine whether I was making sense.

Last week, Williams was dancing on the ceiling about hosting Saturday Night Live. Remember last wek?  Democratic presidential candidate debate hosted by – Williams and Russert?  Wonder why the questions were distorted and focused on UFPs instead of Constitutional crises and unlimited executive power grabs?  Uh huh – all niters prepping for SNL.  So knowing that my comments wouldn’t be published under my known pseudonym, I became “Len”.  And here, for your reading pleasure – or emetic/laxative, depending on your need or gag factor, is the resulting post with comment section.

Friday Night Live

This week has been a juggling act. Even if you don’t count all the preparations required to host Saturday Night Live this weekend – and there have been plenty – it would have been a busy week. There was Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia, and – as always – there are the daily demands of my number one priority, which is Nightly News. It’s a busy news day, so I’ll keep it brief on the blog today.

There’s been a lot of attention paid to the fact that I’m hosting Saturday Night Live – below are  links to various press accounts on the subject. Just about everybody has been supportive and enthusiastic. I’ll be honest, I thought long and hard before accepting the invitation to host, and agreed to do so only after concluding that it would do no harm to the reputation and integrity of NBC News. As I’ve said before, I look forward to having a little fun on my night off, though I freely acknowledge that this is new ground for me.

http://ap.google.com…

http://www.nydailyne…

http://nymag.com/dai…

http://www.hollywood…

http://article.natio…

Yes, Williams doesn’t know how to make hyperlinks.  He’s so busy being gravid.

And here, Dharma-ists, are the resulting comments.  Whaddya think of my new sockpuppet friend? 

Good Evening Mr.Williams, I think you have done a terrific job this week juggling all your duties from Nightly News, The Democratic Debates and hosting Saturday Night Live this Saturday. I know you will do great! Looking forward to it! Now on to the broadcast. I know that Hurricane Noel is a dangerous storm, but I do wish our state of Georgia could receive some of that rain. We sure could use it! The In Depth report by Mr.Mott about the town in Tennessee called Orme that only gets three hours a day of water use makes one really feel badly for those people. Seeing how they have to turn off and turn on the valve shows how much this drought has seriously affected the country. I’m happy they received a grant and will be connected to Alabama for their water use. In the meantime I really hope it rains here in Georgia. Regarding the “Making a Difference” segment featuring your interview with Bono. I think it is wonderful how much money has been raised to help those people in Africa. Bono has certainly achieved great success from the “Red” fundraising campaign for HIV,TB and Malaria. This has helped so many people to receive the medicine they need. Finally, again I am looking forward to your hosting Saturday Night Live. You will be great!! Thank you for the broadcast Mr.Williams. See you Saturday Night! Peace to all!

Lisa McNeil,Alpharetta,Georgia (Sent Friday, November 02, 2007 7:14 PM)

good luck dude!  i’m sure you’ll kill!

sam, new york, NY (Sent Friday, November 02, 2007 9:17 PM)

Hi Brian alot of surprises today. Lindsey Graham got finial help with his campaign so he changed his vote. Nice to see the White House got Senators Schumer and Feinstein to change their vote.  I guess there’s always some way the parties can work together. I wonder what will happen if one of our troops are tortured by waterboarding what will these honest Law Makers say then. Michael Mukasey did good by saying he didn’t know if waterboarding was torture most likely when it’s done to an American he will finally understand. 

I feel bad for ABC and Mr. Gibson with the following:
ABC, the White House admitted to editing the negative aspects of the report and acknowledged that it was “inappropriate.
Most Americans still believe the News is fair/balance by the Media, we didn’t know the White House reviewed any and all information given to the public. May after we get a new President the Media will be able to do their job without interference.

I wonder what the diplomates will do now that they will be sent to the Green Zone. The only information that is given about the Green Zone is from the troops working their. It’s not a safe place and any place can be bombed at any time.  I don’t think it’s worth my life. What’s strange is how the Bush Administration is saying there’s no problem yet they wont go and stay there.  Most of the soldiers pray they live through the day, now the diplomates will know what our soldiers are dealing with everyday and night. 

I wanted to comment on the kids training. I thought about how most of the talented people with no training. I remembered Jennifer Hudson, Billy Holiday and so many great artist and then Wilma Rudolph who had polio and no medical treatment yet without training became the World fastest runner.  We will see talent that is natural and amazing and still wonder how and why.

Jackie Rawlings Riverside California (Sent Saturday, November 03, 2007 12:48 AM)

I hope to GOD that Brian does a skit with SNL’s ‘Penelope’ !!!

Anthony Joseph, West Warwick, RI (Sent Saturday, November 03, 2007 1:53 AM)

I was astounded to see Tom Costello’s report about conflicts of interest at the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Apparently, some of their high-ranking officials have been accepting trips paid for by some of the very industries they are supposed to be policing (the toy industry and the fireworks industry were mentioned).  The reason I was astounded, however, was because of the hypocrisy involved in broadcasting this report on NBC Nightly News.  Nightly News frequently sells sponsorships of news segments (like “Making A Difference”) to corporations while covering those very same industries.  And I have never once heard Brian Williams offer so much as a disclosure statement about NBC’s financial relationship with their news subjects.  GlaxoSmithKline is a frequent sponsor, as are other pharmaceutical companies.  (Ironically, GSK sponsored MAD on Friday’s broadcast.)  During Costello’s story, Craig Holman, from the organization Public Citizen (which describes itself as a “National Non-Profit Public Interest Organization”), says of the CPSC, “This is such a serious conflict of interest violation that it casts serious doubts over who this agency represents.”  What would Mr. Holman say about NBC News covering the pharmaceutical industry while accepting millions of sponsorship dollars from GSK, Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies?  At the beginning of Costello’s report, the words “Conflict Of Interest” appear on screen.  I think that phrase would apply to NBC News and their corporate partners.  Former CPSC Executive Director Pamela Gilbert is quoted as saying that the CPSC “needs a chairman of the agency that’s going to care more about consumers than about industry.”  Perhaps NBC News needs a chairman who cares more about the integrity of the news than about corporate sponsors.  And concerning Costello’s report:  People in glass studios shouldn’t throw stones.

Norman Charles, NYC (Sent Saturday, November 03, 2007 6:20 AM)

Yes, to Huntley and Brinkley about engaging in a little humor, but Brian, you are spending much more time making the comedy rounds than prepping for the presidential debates and reporting on the Constitutional crisis.  Why isn’t that important to you?

It sure is important to we the people as the remains of the Constitution go down in tatters and our nation now tortures, breaks treaties and plays by its own rules.  Don’t you think that is worthy of a little more attention and investigation?

How about some investigation about the US mercenary army, its contracted domestic spies and all of the other muck that is being perpetrated in our name.

If you love the comedy scene, then go for it – but not while you are in your current news position.  Too much, already.

Len NY, NY (Sent Saturday, November 03, 2007 1:11 PM)

Len, are you saying that Mr. Williams should do nothing else but report on the news? That he should have no other interests or activities, and no respite from depressing world events? How do you make the leap from hosting SNL one time to his not being concerned about anything going on in the world? He’s spending his own time on his SNL gig. He is not neglecting the news because of it. He’s a very humorous man, and I’m looking forward to watching him tonight on SNL.

Uber Bitsy (Sent Saturday, November 03, 2007 7:16 PM)

Brian,  what a great “Making a Difference” piece featuring the Red Campaign;  the impact it has had on the African Health care crisis in it’s 1st year is quite remarkable.
Also, Bono’s online vlog in which he thanks NBC for taking Nightly News to Africa to increase US awarenss of the fight against world poverty is a great testament your leadership.  Keep up the great work.

Roger Hill, Salem, CT (Sent Sunday, November 04, 2007 10:25 AM)

Uber Bitsy:

Yes, Williams IS neglecting to report the news. Since you find him so humorous, and he is actively working to encourage his visibility as a “news comic,” perhaps he should give up his managing editor position and simply read his news and comedy scripts.  They don’t sound very different, sadly.

And that “Making A Difference” segment should be turned over to the egregious harm made to our Constitution by Bush, Cheney, Rice, Gonzales, Ashcroft, Libby, Rove and all of the rest of the gang.  It should also include all members of Congress and the Supreme Court who voted to eliminate habeas corpus, allow and condone the use of torture, shred the fourth amendment and use fear to drive the foreign and domestic policy agendas.  Then Making a Difference can portray how Blackwater’s mercenary army and mercenary private domestic spies make a difference, how exposing a CIA agent working covertly on Iran nuclear counterproliferation is making a difference, how refusing to regulate the chemical and energy production industries is making a difference, and how the failure to provide oversight for the entire six year period that the Republicans held majorities in the House and Senate while Bush and his “4th branch” Cheney ran a war-profiteering scheme which continues to bleed our very precious national military and treasure.

If Williams was doing his job, his hair would be on fire for all of the stories he SHOULD be covering with named sources, declared corporate and personal conflicts of interest and fact checking for every assertion.

The rest of the world is looking at the US in shock and horror at what we are doing.  Why is it that no one here is reporting what everyone else knows?  Why is the segment of the American public that relies on television news deprived of actually getting it?

Enough of Britney, Paris and Hollywood.  Infotainment is the junk food of the American news diet.  Get rid of it, already.

Now that would be news.

Len NY, NY (Sent Sunday, November 04, 2007 3:46 PM)

SNL was hilarious to watch yesterday.  I was so surprised and excited when Mr. Brian Williams came on.

Priscilla, South Hadley, MA (Sent Sunday, November 04, 2007 5:21 PM)

What do you think about Williams’ performance:  as a standup comic, as a debate moderator and as a news anchor?  Am I wrong about my views?