NEA Chairman Defends Controversial Conference Call (Puh-leaze)

ABCNews.com/Political Punch ^ | 09/22/09 | Jake Tapper

[OldDeckHand]

ABC News' Yunji de Nies reports:

This evening, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman released a statement on the controversial August 10 conference call, led by then-NEA communications director Yossi Sergant. On that call Sergant seemed to encourage artists to help support President Obama's agenda, which has now prompted the White House to issue new guidelines to prevent such a call from ever happening again.

At the time Sergant himself seemed to sense he was on shaky ground, telling the group, "This is the first telephone call of a brand new conversation. We are just now learning how to really bring this community together to speak with the government. What that looks like legally. We're still trying to figure out the laws of putting government websites of Facebook and the use of Twitter. This is all being sorted out. We are participating in history as it's being made, so bear with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely. And we can really work together to move the needle to get stuff done."

The Administration's attorneys do not believe Sergant violated the law, however just today White House officials met with the chiefs of staff of the executive branch agencies to discuss rules and best practices.

[OldDeckHand]

Why this isn't a bigger story, and why every Republican isn't demanding a special prosecutor, is beyond me. There were several laws broken during this conference call, IMHO.

Does anyone know if ABC actually had this on either Good Morning America or their World News broadcast?

[Psycho_Bunny]

This is a non-issue compared to the actual issue: why is there an NEA in the first place?

[libertyhoundusnr]

Lame denial followed by another “We won’t do that again ever”. Won’t be the last....

[ETL]

Quote from a related article...

"Courrielche said the now ubiquitous Obama 'Hope' poster by artist Shepard Fairey and musician will.i.am's 'Yes We Can' song and music video were offered as 'shining examples' of the artist group's [NEA's] clear impact on Obama's landslide election."

“I wanted to make an art piece of Barack Obama because I thought an iconic portrait of him could symbolize and amplify the importance of his mission. I believe Obama will guide this country to a future where everyone can thrive and I should support him vigorously for the sake of my two young daughters. I have made art opposing the Iraq war for several years, and making art of Obama, who opposed the war from the start, is like making art for peace. I know I have an audience of young art fans and I’m delighted if I can encourage them to see the merits of Barack Obama.”

-Shepard Fairey
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Also by Shepard Fairey, Obama's personal icon artist (no joke - more on Fairey at my FR Home page)...

http://www.duckywaddles.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=171
________________________________________________________

http://www.duckywaddles.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=744
________________________________________________________

"Stalin Lenin", Shepard Fairey,
limited edition silkscreen, signed
and numbered. 18"X24" *SOLD OUT*
Source: http://www.duckywaddles.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=429
________________________________________________________

Again from Obama's "Hope" and "Change" artist, Shepard Fairey...

"Bush Hell"

Source:
http://www.thegiant.org/wiki/index.php/Special:Search?search=bush&fulltext=Search

[longtermmemmory]

this is typical.

Acorn, now the NEA and before it was Obama and before it was clinton and after it was pelosi....

they all use the Nixon defense, deny deny deny....

another day another lie from Obama.

time for democrats to go go go.

[PGalt]

BTTT!

[SWAMPSNIPER]