Powerful PR Firm Helps Campaign to Get Glenn Beck Off The Air

News Busters ^ | 8-13-09 | Noel Sheppard

[STARWISE]

As NewsBuster Matthew Vadum reported Wednesday, a race-baiting group named Color Of Change -- co-founded by President Obama's "Green Jobs Czar" Van Jones -- has launched a campaign to get companies to stop advertising on Glenn Beck's television program.

Recent press releases from COC concerning Beck have listed as the contact "Brandon Hatler -- Sunshine, Sachs & Associates."

As Variety reported in May 2007, SSA is a powerful New York-based public relations firm with quite an impressive list of clients:

Current clients include Ben Affleck, Jon Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jimmy Fallon, the Farrelly brothers, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, John Mayer, Bette Midler, Michael Moore, Tyler Perry, Barbra Streisand and Michelle Wie.

On Monday, COC published the following press release concerning Beck listing Hatler as contact: Story Continues Below Ad ↓

"We applaud GEICO and all of the other companies who have stepped forward to pull their ads from Glenn Beck," said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. "Beck's rhetoric is dangerous to the fabric of our democracy, and we are heartened that so many big companies feel the same way. We won't stop here -- we're going to continue our fight to see that as many of Beck's advertisers pull their support as possible."

Two weeks ago, ColorOfChange.org called on its 600,000-plus members to sign a petition urging companies who advertise on Glenn Beck to cut off their advertising support of his work. More than 75,000 members responded to the call by signing a petition directed at advertisers.

As RBO uncovered last week, SSA also represents Van Jones's Green for All, "a national organization working to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty."

When you add it all up, a current member of the Obama administration is co-founder of a group trying to get a conservative talker off the air, and is being assisted by a powerful New York PR firm.

And America's so-called journalists couldn't care less.

[kcvl]

What Is ColorOfChange.org?

ColorOfChange.org exists to strengthen Black America’s political voice. Our goal is to empower our members—Black Americans and our allies—to make government more responsive to the concerns of Black Americans and to bring about positive political and social change for everyone.

We were heart-broken and outraged by the catastrophe that followed Hurricane Katrina. And we were devastated to realize that no African-American organization or coalition had the capacity to respond on the necessary scale.

Hurricane Katrina made it clear that our lack of a political voice has life-and-death consequences. With no one to speak for them, hundreds of thousands of people—largely Black, poor, and elderly—were left behind to die.

James Rucker serves as executive director of ColorOfChange.org. Prior, James served as Director of Grassroots Mobilization for MoveOn.org Political Action and Moveon.org Civic Action and was instrumental in developing and executing on fundraising, technology, and campaign strategies.

Dani McClain joined the ColorOfChange campaign staff in the winter of 2008. Dani is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and before ColorOfChange worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covering education.

Former Staff
Van Jones (Co-founder, inactive)
While Van hasn’t been active in the work of ColorOfChange in recent years, we are proud of where his work las led him. After helping ColorOfChange get started in 2005, Van moved on to other pursuits. In 2007, he founded and served as the executive director of Green For All, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for low-income communities connected to the greater effort of addressing climate change. Van now serves as Special Advisor for Green Jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

******

I thought we were all supposed to be color blind. I guess that’s just the rules for white people.

******

emand governors put people above politics

A group of Republican governors is refusing to accept federal stimulus funds that are intended to expand and extend unemployment benefits. Most of these governors are in states where Black unemployment is more than two times that of Whites, and all of them are doing it score political points.

http://colorofchange.org/campaigns.html

[STARWISE]

“Now “Color of Change” has bullied at least five of Beck’s big advertisers — SC Johnson, Progressive Insurance, Geico, Procter & Gamble and Nexus Lexis — to pull their ads from Beck’s national cable program. Jones, the founder of “Color of Change,” was named Special Advisor for Green Jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality — a key administrative post — this past March.”

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=33134

[nutmeg]

Interesting post in #48... thanks. Unfortunately it appears that Berkshire Hathaway/Warren Buffett own just about everything...

[G Larry]

Cavemen are bad marketing for straight guys.

Those 2 are a bit gay.

[Bernard Marx]

I heard Glenn Beck state that Progressive Insurance has pulled out of his show.

Progressive was founded by a Communist and is run by his son, a big pal of Soros -- and a huge contributor to Far Left causes. Its name means just what it says.

[Frantzie]

O’Reilly is a RINO POS.

[prisoner6]

Make sure to let the companies know. I've already called GEICO.

prisoner6

[Salamander]

They may have threatened and he may have repeated it but sure as anything, there she was pimping her stupid empty boxes tonight.

Soon as the commercial came on, I groaned to hubby “Oh God! I thought they got lost!”

Right now Hannity is rerunning and the lizard freak is yapping in my ear.

3,000,000+ viewers and *growing*?

Those companies want lots of money-spending eyes glued to the tube.

They’re not stupid.

Beck reruns at 2AM.
I’ll keep an ear to the TV and see if she shows up again.

[they may run different ads for late night...I’ve never bothered to pay attention, really]

[dajeeps]

I thought of something else to fight back with. WalMart does a lot of business with Berkshire Hathaway, SC Johnson and P&G. I think I’ll write to them about this situation also.

[nutmeg]

ping!

[Salamander]

We’ve had people pimping their companies to us and we take great delight in telling them we why we’re saying NO.

[dajeeps]

Try AllState. They refused TARP.

[Minus_The_Bear]

some FR pings behind this could help...

http://supportglennbeck.com

[Salamander]

Their loss, not ours.

Somebody else will take up the slack.

[STARWISE]

Van Jones, who admitted he was a Communist

Speaking to the East Bay Express, Jones said he first became radicalized in the wake of the 1992 Rodney King riots.

"I met all these young radical people of color -- I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.' I spent the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary. I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th. By August, I was a communist."

[Arizona Carolyn]

Newsbusters left out the ColorOfChange.org is Luis Farrakhan’s group.

[Kryptonite]

I'll sign that Petition.

Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) and Progressive - really nothing needs to be said more than that - their own names reveal everything.

Thanks be to God that my right-wing Dentist is the spittin’ image of Beck, and just as enjoyable to hear. Made the novocaine shot and three fillings very easy to take today.

[Arizona Carolyn]

P&G as well as Lexus Nexus...

[beaversmom]

I think they were just modern angry metrosexual Neanderthals—not gay :)

[Minus_The_Bear]

[Arizona Carolyn]

O’Reilly is a huge Beck supporter (clearly if you watched BOR you would know that)... and if anyone goes to bat at Fox for Glenn it will be BOR.

[STARWISE]

Good idea.

[Will88]

Minority groups have played the boycott game for years, and conservatives and many others have always acted as if boycotts were a dishonorable, anti-capitalist tactic that is beneath them.

Threatened boycotts have had some success, and this one might also. But if companies knew there were far larger groups out there who would boycott those who caved in to threatened boycotts, then companies would fast learn to ignore all threats of boycotts, which is what they should do, anyway.

Conservatives and silent majority types might need to organize and join the boycott business until companies decide to ignore everyone.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I missed that, when did he say it? BTW Progressive is owned by Peter Lewis who is a huge friend of Soros and they have banded together to push through this movement so it’s not a shock.

[shield]

Boy, are you right.

[Arizona Carolyn]

It’s Farrakhan’s group, who knows where they got the 600K number, probably set there on our tax $ and cranked out letter after letter with fake names to apply pressure, you know when you don’t work for a living there is a lot of time to cause mahem.

[dajeeps]

If anyone is looking for auto insurance in the Rochester, NY area, my Allstate agent is Sam Nash and he’s really great. I’ve only had one claim in the 20 or so years I’ve done business with them, which was last year, and had no problems whatsoever. They are fantastic.

http://www.allstateagencies.com/SamNash/Welcome/

[STARWISE]

Signed !

What’s the money being requested for ?

[Arizona Carolyn]

As far as I know it is Geico, Proctor and Gamble, Lexus Nexus, and Progressive.

[STARWISE]

O’Reilly is a huge Beck supporter (clearly if you watched BOR you would know that)... and if anyone goes to bat at Fox for Glenn it will be BOR.

~~~

Absolutely! BOR KNOWS how much Glenn
enhances FNC .. especially the bottom
line.

[STARWISE]

And Lawyers.com

[Salamander]

*If* the wind happens to blowing the right way, maybe.

I don’t trust BOR.

He switches “sides” so often that I get dizzy trying to watch him.

I’m still waiting to see what this “showdown” between FOX and Obama he’s blustering about comes to.

That One will probably come BOR’s show again and he’ll lob him some more softballs.

[Mamzelle]

Calling Dave Horowitz.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I bet we all spend a heck of a lot more money on their products than Luis Farrakhan’s Color of Change group...

[elizabethgrace]

Although evil, this campaign is little more than a distraction. Glenn Beck’s program gets high ratings and I’m willing to wager his ratings will increase thanks to the thuggery.

[Salamander]

Gimme a list.
I’m in.

I sent this to Geico:

Since you have decided to boycott Glenn Beck, we’ve decided to boycott you.

~We’ll~ lose nothing.

You, however, will lose 3 million+ viewers/potential customers.

Not the brightest business move that I’ve ever heard of.

[Those of us boycotting you actually *own* cars, homes, boats and motorcycles...we don’t use bicycles, taxis, mass transit or other “green” transportation. Think about that.]

[Arizona Carolyn]

he is an Independent, he is not and has never said he was a Republican ergo he cannot be a RINO... in addition he is a huge and vocal supporter of Beck and had tremendous and growing ratings for his program, which means he can bring a lot of pressure to bear with these people going after Beck... sheesh, people stop shooting ourselves in the foot and when you have a friend in your corner appreciate it.

[MeekOneGOP]

"We applaud GEICO and all of the other companies who have stepped forward to pull their ads from Glenn Beck," said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. "Beck's rhetoric is dangerous to the fabric of our democracy, and we are heartened that so many big companies feel the same way. We won't stop here -- we're going to continue our fight to see that as many of Beck's advertisers pull their support as possible."

- - - - -

Fight fire with fire! How many of us have Geico for our
insurance/financial services? Not me, but if I did?:

Bye-bye, Geico!

- - - - -

Pingin' my General Interest AND Texas Lists cuz I thought you'd wanna know! ...

Ping! Ping! Ping!

[Arizona Carolyn]

Like I said you clearly do not watch BOR, he and Beck are thick as thieves and it’s an obvious mutual admiration thing, Beck seems to be having a positive affect on BOR who has started to go bonkers on Obama...

[Salamander]

Any more?

I’ve hit all those.

[nutmeg]

Try AllState. They refused TARP.

Thank you... several other FReepers (on another thread) recommended All State as well.

[Salamander]

Pat survived the 60s ~and~ knows how the Dems work.

He’ll be fine.

[eyedigress]

Any organization that wants to alienate over half the populous isn’t very savvy. Just ask the Lame-Stream Media.

[Salamander]

“A bit”?

I take it you’ve not seen the “Let me be myself” apron-sobbing angst ad, yet?....:)

[TADSLOS]

God, I do love a great backfire when I see one. Beck, Limbaugh and the shrieking leftists attempting to silence them by pressuring capitalists who rely on the great unwashed mobsters of middle America to buy their products. This is a trifecta of quality entertainment. Louis B. Mayer couldn’t produce something this awesome.

[pissant]

Beck will kick their asses

[Salamander]

Last night was the first time I’ve watched him since the pre-election Obama love fest.

Hadn’t watched him for *years* prior to that.

[Frantzie]

O’Reilly said he saw Obama’s birth certificate and called “borthers” like me - crazy. No thanks.

[Arizona Carolyn]

He also said Obama’s people were loving the Birthers as it drew attention from the healthcare debacle. At this point we have to choose our battles and unless you understand Alinsky’s rules, which Obama is following, then they get the upper hand and they win... he may or he may not have a real birth certificate, but no one is going to hear it, the media is protecting him, but we can stop healthcare, cap and tax and other things if we keep our eye on the ball... people need to get their heads on straight this battle is too important.