"Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.” --Thomas Jefferson
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On Monday, June 25, CCRM called the top 20 (less one) sponsors of The CBS Liberal Views of Dan Rather. The purpose of the calls was to follow up on letters that were sent by the Citizens Coalition for Responsible Media to the CEOs of those companies, and to find out if we could get some sense of how sponsors were reacting to them. Those letters, mailed May 28-June 2, advised the executives:
We respectfully request that you discontinue advertising on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. Beginning on July 1, 2001, we intend to take the following actions against selected companies still advertising on his show:
Some comments about the calls: in almost every case, when we told the receptionist the nature of our call, the call was transferred to the CEO’s office. If it doesn’t say otherwise in the notes below, you can assume that the call got to the office of the CEO.
It would seem many, if not most, of the letters were initially ignored. As you will see below, however, the level of interest in what we’re doing seemed to go up a couple of notches after they received the follow-up phone calls.
Our sense is there is genuine concern among most of the companies about what we might do.
Following are notes from those phone calls:
S C Johnson(S C Johnson is a privately-held company)
Phone: 262-260-2000
Chairman: H. Fisk Johnson
Delegated to: Ms. Cynthia Georgeson, Director of Corporate Public Affairs
We were advised that the letter had been turned over to Ms. Cynthia Georgeson, Director of Corporate Public Affairs.
Ms. Georgeson’s secretary reported that Ms. Georgeson was in Lubbock, TX on business, but she would get a message to her that CCRM had called. The secretary said she was very familiar with the letter—that S C Johnson had held a meeting to discuss it.
Ms. Georgeson returned the call and left a message Tuesday morning to call back. After playing telephone tag for a couple of days, contact was finally made Wednesday evening.
Ms. Georgeson said S C Johnson takes these complaints very seriously. She asked if anyone had complained directly to CBS. When told that 50,000 messages of complaint were sent by supporters, she asked if CCRM had sent a letter to CBS. Yes, she was told. She said that CBS told her that NO letters were sent, and asked if she could get a copy. A copy of the letter that was sent to Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News (with copies sent to Mel Karmazin, CEO of Viacom and Dan Rather, waterboy for Tom Daschle and Hillary Clinton) was immediately faxed to her.
She was also informed that Procter and Gamble has been receiving our attention since April, and that P&G has since greatly reduced their advertising on the show. She asked who has been contacted at P&G and was told that initially we called Tom Millikin, P&G spokesperson and letters were sent to Alan Lafley (President and CEO).
She was also kind enough to leave an e-mail address for us to use to send her information about Operation Valentine and CCRM (www.fairpress.org).
Enterprise Rent-a-Car (Family owned company)
Phone: 314-512-5000
Chairman: Jack C. Taylor
Enterprise is not airing ads for the summer. They will soon decide, however, where their ad dollars will be spent for the next fiscal year. We were advised to call back on July 9 when the VP for Advertising, Mr. Steve Smith, would be back from vacation.
Gateway
Phone: 800-846-2000
Chairman and CEO: Theodore W. Waitt
Talk about management being insulated from the outside world! A woman named Holly answered the phone. She was asked to put us in contact with Mr. Theodore Waitt, Chairman and CEO. No, that wouldn’t be possible, what could she do to help? She was told the purpose of the call was to confirm if Mr. Waitt had received the letter. Well, if it was sent, she was sure he had. She was asked if we could speak with her manager. No, that wouldn’t be possible. When she was advised that it was in her best interest to put her manager on the phone, she relented and got him.
Her manager, whose name the dummy who made the call failed to write down, was told the nature of the letter and said he would check to see if Mr. Waitt had received it. He said he would call back if they hadn’t. About 10 minutes later he called, said they had no record of it, and asked if a copy could be faxed—it was. He said someone will call back in a couple of days. Three days later, no one has.
Mitsibushi
Phone: 714-372-6000
Vice President, COO: Pierre Gagnon
Delegated to: Ms. Gael O’Brien, VP of Corporate Communications
Mitsubishi said if they had received such a letter, they would have given it to Ms. Gael O’Brien, VP of Corporate Communications to handle. The call was transferred to Ms. O’Brien and a voice mail message left: calling to confirm letter, we intend to focus attention on sponsors starting July 1, and please call back if she hadn’t received it. No return phone call has been received.
Nestle
Phone: 818-549-6000
CEO: Joe Weller
We were told if the letter had been received, it would probably have been forwarded to Ms. Ann Fox, who is “in charge of advertising.” A voice mail message was left for Ms. Fox, similar to the one noted above.
On Wednesday, a woman from Mr. Al Seffle’s (sp?) office left a return message that she did not have the letter that had been sent to Mr. Joe Weller, CEO. She asked if a copy could be faxed, and that Mr. Seffle will look at it when he returns on July 3. A copy was faxed to her.
Abbott Laboratories
Phone: 847-937-6100
Chairman and CEO: Miles D. White
Delegated to: Kathy Babbington, General Counsel and VP for Public Affairs and Investor Relations
It was confirmed the letter had been received and had been forwarded to their General Counsel and VP for Public Affairs and Investor Relations, Mrs. Kathy Babbington. The secretary said that she would leave a message for Mrs. Babbington to call back. To date, she has not returned the call.
American Home Products
Phone: 973-660-5000
Chairman of the Board: John R. Stafford
Delegated to: Rich Feldheim, President of Media Buying
Initially, we were referred to Mr. Lowell Weiner, an avuncular gentleman from the Public Relations Department. He asked why we are so upset with Rather. We told him because he’s totally biased, and offered to send him 10, 20, 100, 200 examples. “Nooooo,” he chuckled, “I’ve watched him a couple of times.”
He transferred us to Rich Feldheim, President of Media Buying. Feldheim had seen the letter. “We take these things very seriously,” he said, but AHP has a policy of never telling anyone where they are going to advertise—they let their actions speak for themselves.
General Motors
Phone: 313-556-5000
Chairman of the Board: John F. Smith, Jr.
Delegated to: Dennis Bolen
GM had received the letter and fowarded it to Dennis Bolen to handle. She transferred the call to Bolen, who wasn’t in, so we left a voicemail: we appreciate and notice you seem to have reduced your advertising on Rather’s show, but are still concerned about so many commercials being aired by ditech.com, a GM subsidiary.
The Scotts Company
Phone: 614-719-5500
Chairman of the Board: Charles M. Berger
We spoke with a woman filling in for the assistant of Charles M. Berger, Chairman of the Board. She said she seems to remember Scotts having received the letter, but will confirm and have someone call back. No one did.
Pfizer
Phone: 212-573-2323
Chairman, President, CEO: Henry McKinnell
Delegated to: Lou Clemente, Vice President for Corporate Affairs
Pfizer received the letter, and forwarded it to Lou Clemente, Vice President for Corporate Affairs. A woman in his office said she will see if they had it, and may get back to us.
Bayer
Phone: 412-777-2000
President and CEO: Hugh Wehmeier
Delegated to: Colleen Kelly, Consumer Relations Group
We were advised that Bayer probably would have forwarded such a letter to their Consumer Relations Group. We called and left a message for Ann Coiley that Bayer would be a sponsor of Rather’s that could likely receive our attention after July 1. On Tuesday, Colleen Kelly from the Consumer Relations Group returned the call and left a message that they did not have the letter, asked us to fax it, and said they would respond accordingly. The letter was faxed that day.
Johnson and Johnson
Phone: 732-524-0400
Chairman and CEO: Ralph S. Larson
The woman I spoke with in Ralph Larson’s (Chairman and CEO) said they had no record of the letter, and asked that we faxed them a copy. We did.
Novartis
We did not have the correct number for Novartis. As I sit here writing this, I just realized I forgot to find the correct number and call them. Yikes! I shall do so soon.
GlaxoSmithKline
The letter was mailed to Sir Peter Walters whom we thought was the Chairman of the Board. GlaxoSmithKline, formed in the merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham, has undergone reorganization since the merger, and the CEO is now J. P. Garnier.
A new letter will be sent to Garnier, with an August 1 target date.
Merck
Phone: 908-423-1000
Chairman, President, CEO: Raymond V. Gilmartin
Delegated to: Donna Cary, Merck’s Director of Public Affairs-US Human Health
Merck received the letter and forwarded it to their Domestic Group. We were informed that our inquiry would be passed on to those people. On Wednesday, Donna Cary, Merck’s Director of Public Affair-US Human Health called and left a message saying she would be out of town for a couple of days, but to call her office and let her assistant know when a good time to call back would be. We finally connected Wednesday evening, and had a pleasant and interesting conversation.
When told why we are directing our attention to Rather, Ms. Cary asked, why him? She commented how all the network anchors were so, so…(pause), “liberal”? (We finished the sentence for her). She wondered what good it would do to get rid of Rather when someone very much like him would just take his place. She was advised that Rather is the worst of the anchors, and maybe getting rid of him will have an impact on how the rest report.
She said Merck recognizes there are inaccuracies in news reporting and maintained that Merck tries counter the incorrect information with accurate information presented in their advertising. When we commented that we hadn’t really seen that in their ads, she backed off a bit, saying that, no, she guessed those kinds of commercial probably haven’t been placed on Rather’s show.
She went on to comment how Merck has put together programs for a couple of journalism schools to help teach would-be journalists how to report on science issues. When asked which schools, she said the Columbia School of Journalism, for one. We asked her if she had some information related to those programs that she could fax to us. She hemmed and hawed for a moment, and said yes, she did and she would—she would have her assistant try to find it, but it may not be until next week before she could put her hands on it and fax it to us.
She also maintained that Merck is very careful about not advertising on violent television shows and in magazines with sexual content. She was complimented on that.
She was asked what she wanted us to do. She stammered a bit, and when we said, “you want mercy?” she laughed nervously and said, “yes.”
We told her we don’t see how we have any choice but to do what we’re doing with Rather’s sponsors, but that the information she provided would be passed along to our supporters.
Bank of America
Phone: 888-279-3457
Chairman, President, CEO: Kenneth D. Lewis
Delegated to: Dan Roselli, Brand and Communications Executive
A woman in CEO Kenneth D. Lewis’ office advised us that the letter had been received and forwarded to Dan Roselli, Brand and Communications Executive. She said Roselli was on vacation but would respond when he got back.
Interestingly, the letter was picked up at our PO Box on June 29, and was dated June 18 (the phone call was made on June 25.
In the letter, Roselli said:
Our selection of news programming is based on a desire to reach a broad audience with frequency. News viewers tend to habitually view the same newscasts. Consequently, we advertise on a variety of news programs, enabling us to reach a diverse set of viewers. We recognize that different reporters may treat the same story with a different point of view. Our Constitution protects that right. By advertising on various news programs as well as CNN, we believe we are supporting a balanced approach to news coverage across the airwaves.
From time to time, Bank of America has taken issue with the nature of certain reportorial coverage and has expressed those concerns to the management of the media outlet. Likewise, if viewers do not agree with the perspectives of the reporters or anchors on any network or cable provider, they have the right to express their concerns directly to the network of cable originator.
We appreciate your taking the time to provide us with important feedback.
Kraft
Phone: 847-646-2000
CEO: Betsy D. Holden
Delegated to: Barbara Ford, head of advertising
The letter was sent to Geoffrey Bible, whom we thought was CEO (Kraft was just spun off from Phillip Morris Companies and it appears they’ve made some management changes). Fortunately, it was received and forwarded to the person who is now CEO, Betsy Holden. It had been forwarded to Barbara Ford, head of advertising.
Ms. Ford was called and advised in a voice mail, July 1 is THE day, please call if she wishes to discuss. On Wednesday, Ms. Ford’s assistant called and left a message that said Ms. Ford is traveling and won’t be back for a while. She said Ford had forwarded her our message and she checked in Ford’s office but could not find the letter. She asked if “in the interest of time” could we please fax another copy. We did.
Aventis
Phone: 908-243-6000
President, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, North America: Jerry Belle
Delegated to: Chip Rouse/Lori Kraut, Communciations Department
It was confirmed that the letter had been received and forwarded to the Communications Department. We were referred us to either Chip Rouse (sp?) or Lori Kraut (sp?).
OUR PURPOSE FOR MAKING THIS EFFORT
The leftist bile being spewed by the media is doing great harm to our Constitution and is contributing greatly to the acceptance by the people of these United States of the continuing erosion of their liberties. They are, in effect, brainwashing the masses with their propaganda. We cannot allow this to go on and, for now anyway, we have the power to stop it.
Once again, we call on you for help. The media problem is so broad and pervasive that to address it all at once is simply not possible. We have made a conscious decision to focus our efforts on one highly-visible and blatantly unbalanced “news” personality—Dan Rather.
It is our view, that marginalizng Rather by continuing to expose his leftism, and by asserting that he is the poster boy for media bias, we are sending a message to ALL the media, and to ALL the companies the fund them. We ARE watching, we DON’T like it, and we’re prepared to do something MEANINGFUL about it. Whatever success we have with Rather will carry over to other media organs, so when they hear our complaints, they will take them seriously.
All of our efforts, Southern California Chapter, DC Chapter, CCRM and Free Republic at large, are obviously grating on Rather. His vitriol has gotten even more pronounced—if you can believe that!
We will wait two weeks before we announce a formal action toward a sponsor. It is our intent to add one sponsor every 2-4 weeks until Rather becomes fair and balanced, retires, or for as long as enough of us are willing to do this.
We will decide what to do with which sponsors over the next week or two. For the time being, judging from their reaction to S C Johnson (as described above), it appears that CBS may not be opening their mail.
Therefore, we suggest it would be appropriate for us to call Viacom, CBS’ parent company, on the phone and let our views of Mr. Rather be known. We recommend that you address these issues:
Viacom Contact Information
Phone: 212-258-6000
Fax: 212-258-6464
Chairman and CEO: Mr. Sumner M. Redstone
Please feel free to come back to this thread and post any feedback you receive from Viacom.
One ringy dingy, come on Freeper's!
UL OFF!
Tomorrow morning, I'll be making that call, as will family members and friends.
*ping*
The response from Merck is hilarious. Thanks!
Thank you for using the utmost tact and diplomacy in dealing with these companies, as it is the only approach that will get through to them. Be persistent, yes. But always be a diplomat. Raving and screaming makes it all too easy for them to brand you as a kook.
Michael
Now THIS is an activism effort! THIS is what "we" can do if we get up off our butts and take a stand. Imagine the impact if we could get half a million letters. Imagine the chagrin on CBS's face when they had to call Dan Slander into the office and fire his insulting a$$. Imagine the whoops of joy from conservatives everywhere on that proud day.
Thank you for this beautifully formatted and organized report, and especially, thank you for your hard work. You, and the folks like you, are the soul of conservative activism.
"...Viacom, CBS’ parent company..."
Viacom is, IMO, the corporate anti-Christ. I say this, and I'm not even religiously devout. Between their CBS news product polluting the minds of adults everywhere with socialist lies and propaganda, and their MTV product perverting our kids into acceptance of dangerous and anti-social "alternative" lifestyles... they've done more to unravel the fabric of the American family than any other media entity. A pox on their house.
I can't devote a regular amount of time to this effort, but I certainly will participate in your action when the time comes.
BUMP Very IMPORTANT advice, and correct. If they are haranged by abusive calls they will write us off. AMAZING work Be-Baw, well done. I'll be one making calls Monday.
Done Bump
BUMP!
Well done! This is a terrific effort. I wil be calling first thing Monday morning.
I frequently here Freepers say if you don't like something just turn the dial. This is a much better way to go - as the left well knows.
Absolutely outstanding work!
Be persistent, yes. But always be a diplomat.
Wise words--we all need to find calm and assurance and show those qualities when expressing our concerns.
It's hard to imagine that any of these corporate executives have much love for Dan Rather...they advertise on his show to reach a certain demographic. In order for us to be successful, we need to politely convince them that they would be better off financially if they took their advertising elsewhere.
*ping*... as we are all well-aware, the media is at war with not just "Republicans" and "conservatism", but actively supporting and promoting the socialists' agenda for us all, targeting our Second Amendment rights, and the Constitution itself.
On behalf of CCRM, I must say your kind words are greatly appreciated. There are a lot of people who put a lot of effort into this, and I am proud and honored to be associated with them.
BUMP Dan Rather !
Okay, I'm going to jump in here with some ideas.
I would like to take four companies, Enterprise, Gateway, Bayer and Bank of America. What I'll do is call them once a week to ask them what progress they have made in their position on advertisement.
With Bayer I'll point out that Rather's positions on scientific advancement and inquiry are such that, since he is a major shaper of public opinion, it is really not in their long-term interest to support him. And advertising dollars is what it is all about.
If there are any Freepers reading this that are good at "Rather research", it would help here if someone could come up with a really badly done science (biology) story from Sixty Minutes or CBS nightly news. A GM scare or something stupid like that. I'll wave that in their face and point out that taken to any reasonable extreme it will mean shutting down modern drug research as we know it. (Send it to johnringo@mindspring.com.invalid but take out the .invalid.(
"Come on, folks. Wake up and smell the coffee. You're contributing money to your worst nightmare."
Different take with Gateway. Their response was very suboptimal. I'll point out that this is an internet driven boycott building. Then I'll simply ask what is the one _critical_ component for internet surfing. Then I'll point out that, given the market, there is not a huge "brand identity" to computer shoppers; most people buy on the basis of price, experience and "brand feel". And that Free Republic _can_ shut down computer purchase from them of any of its members and can probably, through direct and indirect reporting, shut down computer purchase from Gateway of a sizeable percentage of the conservatives in the United States.
And there are alot more conservative computer _purchasers_ than there are liberal. You see, accountants tend to be conservatives.
"I understand that our corporation has always bought Gateway in the past, but there are rumbles that they're having trouble and we don't want to be caught out without support. Maybe we should consider a more stable manufacturer."
To Gateway: "We asked for your response. We asked to talk. We tried to play nice. Now are we going to discuss this like adults or are we going to rumble?"
Play nice with Enterprise, family owned business, etc. but point out that there are lots of "road warrior" conservatives who surf the net and they can just as easily switch to Alamo or Avis...(assuming they aren't advertising on Rather programs.)
Bank of America ditto Gateway. "There are a billion credit options in the US. I don't think you'll like it if we ask all conservatives in the entire US to begin shopping around if they are cutting a check to Bank of America. Especially if we give them a list of "preferred providers" with all the contact info they need."
(I need a list of Banks that _don't_ advertise with Rather.)
Hardball or softball depending on the people.
I'd like to ask other Freepers to take other companies. I took the ones that I took because I have backgrond to talk to them. I've _bought_ Gateway computers before. I have a background in bioloty. I've used Enterprise, etc. Pick four that you have a background on and understanding of. Pass this to other freepers and ask _them_ to pick just four. And put them under the hammer.
But play nice unless they are playing stupid. We WON'T settle for platitudes. Tell them if all we get are platitudes, then we WILL press for a wide-spread conservative boycott. We will speak in churches, we will lobby on the internet, we will shout it from the rooftops.
Take four. And put them under the Hammer.
Personal bump, sorry.
That should be "biology" and TAKE FOUR!
If every single Freeper takes four, they'll get the point. And four phone calls, once a week, isn't going to kill anyone.
So Take Four!
CBS Sponsor Feedback/CBS Cover-Up?
I LIKE IT!
At least one can say that CBS is consistant; they're equal opportunity LIARS! Running scared are they? Lying is almost always self-serving, so just who are they serving? The public? With up-to-the-minute news? Har!
A five minute phone call costs no more than a letter and probably takes less time(at least for me; I talk slow, but I type slower).
FGS
Supportive and ACTIONDual Bumps!
Another way to get through (maybe.)
Enterprise _is_ a privately owned business and it's not a particularly large one. I just sent a copy of this thread to an old Army buddy who is an Enterprise manager. We'll see what he says.
Do any Freepers know people _in_ these organizations? Even relatively low-level people in organizations have ways of sending messages. "Hi Mr. CEO. My name is Joe Worker and I just got sent an e-mail by an old aquaintance who says that conservatives are planning a boycott of our products. It also said that you had, apparently, not been informed of this. Consider this an FYI. Thank you for your time, Joe Worker."
Then TAKE FOUR ForGod'sSake. Take four of those sponsors and THIS WEEK call them, talk to them about what was reported and ask them what action they have taken in the interim. Be polite but firm. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PLATITUDES. Use the response which is "well, we often have issues but we believe in the freedom of the press..." THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS THE FREEDOM OF THE OWNERS OF THE PRESS. And the owners only believe in the bottom-line. If advertisers say "we're pulling our advertising because your liberal slant is costing us business" CBS will get the picture.
TAKE FOUR!
I really like your "TAKE FOUR" idea! BUMP!
Thanks. I think the slogan wil work and I think the idea will work. To reiterate (for people who jump to "last" VBEG), the idea is for EVERY Freeper to choose four sponsors from the list and call them once per week to ask what movement has been made on their advertising issues. If you get the run around, explain that there is a "drop dead" date at which time we will be _forced_ to initiate a boycott of their products. That we are very sorry but we are also very serious. And that all we ask is that they find a less liberal proponent for their goods and services.
Remember: TAKE FOUR! And put them under the HAMMER!
And another BUMP!
THIS is what "we" can do if we get up off our butts and take a stand.
Well Said IJ
I'll be calling Viacom tomorrow.
Excellent work!
I hope you posted this on the Free Republic Netork website - addressed to All Chapters.
I am going to email all the Florida Chapter members to call attention to this thread.
Just think of the day (not to very far off) when we have hundreds of FR Networks chapters and many thousands of members who can be "turned on" in an instant to GO ACTIVE
Many times large corps in the food industry do not feel the pain of a boycott of products as they produce many Private Label items. They are difficult to identify as they are produced under the the names of Private Grocers names and Drug store Brand names. Letters should be sent to all major food outlets and drug stores as well as the manufacturers to be certain they understand that we know the Private label business can also affect sales.
But always be a diplomat.
Good point; I should tattoo it on my forehead. It aint easy being the diplomat when dealing with the likes of this sewage; my God, the smell alone is enough to gag a maggott.
Viacom is on the "To Do" list.
FGS
Bump!
I should tattoo it on my forehead
AND look in the mirror once in a while, so you can see it. It may take two mirrors to make it look right though.
For those inclined to give cBS another piece of their mind:
CBS LIES!!!
Folks, we can't pay TOO MUCH attention to CBS; GO GET 'EM!!
FGS
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Okay, this week, I'm Take(ing) Four. Enterprise, Gateway, Bayer and Bank of America. What other Freepers intend to Take Four?
We need to be polite but firm. We respectfully request that they reconsider their decision to stand by a proven liar and a person who repeatedly takes the liberal slant on all news. And if they are unable to accede to our request to discontinue their support of Dan Rather, Sixty Minutes and the CBS Eveing News (is that all?) then we will be required to request a boycott not only by members of the Free Republic but also of all Conservative Organizations Everywhere.
If they are polite and seem to be considering it, get back the info and give some slack. If they blow you off, ditto. If they give you platitudes, be polite but firm. "Okay, you're bringing this on yourself."
If we can get just a _couple_ of these companies to break ranks, and get it _reported_ (Fox? UPI?), the others will start to get _really_ nervous. No company can afford to lose _any_ of its customer base.
So Take Four! And Put Them Under the Hammer!
What a great effort! I'll be in New York this week and I'll be happy to make a call to Viacom.
Can we go after Tom Brokaw (barf!) next? Can we, huh?
An additional resource occurs to me, which would have the corpoarate sponsors quivering: shareholders. One segment these CEOs listen to are the shareholders. Any shareholders of these corporations out there? (Shareholders need not be so diplomatic, but it wouldn't hurt...)
An additional resource occurs to me, which would have the corpoarate sponsors quivering: shareholders.
Copies of the letters sent to sponsor CEOs were faxed to their top institutional shareholders as well (where this information was available--it wasn't for OTC companies like Bayer and Nestle, the privately held firms, and a company like Mitsubishi that is traded on the Tokyo stock exchange). Could we do more with shareholders? No doubt...we may have to. Any specific ideas on how best to do this would be greatly appreciated.
You were appalled when, on that same show, Rather said Bill Clinton (who lied before a grand jury and to the American people) is an honest man.
An addendum that is enlightening regarding Rather's moral underpinnings, he also stated in the O'Reilly interview that:
"You can be an honest person and lie about any number of things." Wha?
FGS
Will be calling Viacom BUMP
It's too hot to do anything outside! Might as well call Viacom!
Dealing with shareholders: By getting the issue on the annual voting list. "We want the shareholders to vote on this issue to ban advertising on CBS..."
If you can identify any larger shareholders (somebody with a lot of votes) and convince them, then you have a shot.
A different approach would be to identify key members on the board of directors and get them to do the pitch.
Or perhaps identify some of the major investing institutes and get them to do the pitch.
Oklahoma FR Chapter emailed!
Thank you for your effort and organization. THIS is the way it really works.
Corporations HATE anything that publicly polarizes their company.
_______________________________________
"Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.” --Thomas Jefferson
You have reason to believe that CBS is covering up that they received tens of thousands of complaints about Rather...
CBS told their sponsor(s) they haven't received any complaints regarding Rather; that's a LIE! CBS told their sponsor(s) they haven't received anything from anybody regarding sponsors, boycotts, etc; that's a LIE! CBS told US they never received any complaints from US; that's a DAMN LIE! 50,000 UNvalentines....My God!!!
CBS has placed Freepers AND Free Republic under the heading of "INSIGNIFICANT". Nick Danger said 50,000 Freepers are not to be trifled with. I agree. I have taken it as a personal challenge; how about the rest of you?
Are we insignificant? I don't think so; I believe CBS will learn that the hard way.
GIVE 'EM HELL!!!
FGS
Well, well, well. . . . . As I sit here writing this on my Gateway notebook computer I see a route for some immediate mischief.
I need a good desktop computer for my system and have the router all set up and waiting. Gateway has one I wanted and they are just waiting for me to confirm my order. However, that order shall not materialize for Gateway. Never again!
Instead, Gateway's Chairman and CEO, Theodore W. Waitt, will receive a snail-mail letter explaining my position and pointing him to this thread. The VP of sales will receive a copy, as will whoever on the Board of Directors I can identify.
However, that letter will wait until the end of next week. Because, although I wholeheartedly agree with the arguments made by CCRM, I have yet another argument that points to the responsibility of the media to be the voice of the people in matters of government. Today's media, of course, is not. Rather it is a cheering section for an oversized liberal government that has run amuck.
Anyway, there's a point to be made here and I'm going to try to think it through enough to put it in writing so it makes sense. But, the point is that the Fourth Estate has become the propaganda arm of the socialist faction who's goal is to subvert our Constitutional form of government. So, instead of pointing to proposed government programs as contrary to the authority provided the federal government by our Constitution -- government's job description -- the media support the piling on of yet more big government socialism. Each edition of the nightly news is slanted to support various government programs that are both unauthorized by, and even directly against, our Constitution.
I want to send along an article like that with my letter to Gateway. Because, from my point of view sitting out here in the Foothills of Appalachia, the problem needs to be defined just as clearly as possible so that just as many people as possible can understand. And, to me, it is clearly a Constitutional issue: The national media does not support our Constitution.
So, my question to any business concern I contact will be simple: "Do you support a Constitutional form of government? If so, why do you support those in media who obviously do not?"
But, the point is that the Fourth Estate has become the propaganda arm of the socialist faction who's goal is to subvert our Constitutional form of government. So, instead of pointing to proposed government programs as contrary to the authority provided the federal government by our Constitution -- government's job description -- the media support the piling on of yet more big government socialism.
I find it extraordinarily distressing how far the press in this country has strayed away from its proper role as arbiters of the truth. It reminds me that, not only must we expose corrupt press "reporting", but we must also find more reliable sources of news and commentary (like YOURS, for example) and point people toward them.
Thank you, kind sir, for your mention of Citizens Coalition for Responsible Media in a recent article you wrote, A Clog in the Socialist Machine
I need a good desktop computer for my system and have the router all set up and waiting. Gateway has one I wanted and they are just waiting for me to confirm my order. However, that order shall not materialize for Gateway. Never again!
Bam! Hit 'Em With the Hammer!
Let me ask this. What if Gateway relents? And says "yeah, okay, maybe we shouldn't be supporting Dan Rather's lying habit..." (Never happen, by the way, the CEO is a major Dem contributor. Same with Michael Dell.) But let's say they geek (pardon the pun.) Do we go back?
HELL YES! One important point to make is that if the company _does_ come down on the side of balance and fairness (and that is all that _we're_ asking) then they will receive OUR VOCAL SUPPORT. (If they want it. If they don't for advertising reasons, that's okay too.)
Hit 'em with the Hammer! Everybody, Every Single Freeper, Take Four Sponsors For "yours." Call them up and, politely, let them know that they are on the edge of a precipice.
CBS can lie all they want. But if Every FReeper just calls _Four_ of these sponsors and states that they are appalled that they are supporting Dan Rather and the CBS evening news, since it has lost all semblance of unbiased reporting, then we might get somewhere.
TAKE FOUR!
CBS told their sponsor(s) they haven't received any complaints regarding Rather; that's a LIE!
When we announced we were boycotting Procter and Gamble, and issued a press release regarding it, CBS claimed they didn't get complaints about Rather "from viewers" of show. Not knowing their exact comments to SC Johnson, I would speculate that if you parse the words that were said, they would claim that they didn't lie.
All this reminds me of two memorable characters: Bill Clinton (whose ability to deny accusations brought against him while technically telling "the truth" was uncanny), and Lazarus Long, a fictional character created by Robert A. Heinlein. In Time Enough for Love, Long presents a lengthy list of different categories of lies--one being you can technically tell the truth, but still deny that something happened, even if it did.
It all depends on how you parse the words.
As a former Gateway employee, I can tell you that if a letter to Waitt has nothing directly to do with an active customer with an active customer ID, it goes into the trash. It's all he cares about. And, as a side note, getting Gateway to see your side of things might be harder than with most companies because Waitt is a hyper-lib. He moved from SD to California a few years ago because he felt a LOT more at home there. Ironically, I knew him as a little kid because my dad had business dealings with his dad.
will call monday morning. thanks for the heads up
Firstly a inquiry might be made amongst those of us concerned, either here on the forum or the chapter form. I am a shareholder of one of the companies named (yet regrettably an employee as well; I'm studying my options). It may not be necesaary to recruit a holder of a large number of shares; I've seen small shareholders raise a humongous stink in the annual meetings (yet it wouldn't be bad to recruit large shareholders...)
Next step might be to network with other outfits that share similar goals and determine if interested shareholders there might join in. Talk radio and internet venues might also prove fruitful in this regard
If enough independent shareholders band together to decry the situation, I guarantee alarms will go off in the corp. HQ's.
Another strategem: buy some stock to become a shareholder and thus have a bit more ground for voicing displeasure. Doesn't have to be many shares, and I realize this is idea has a self-defeating aspect to it, but it might get more bang for the buck.
Networking is the best approach: finding individual shareholders sympathetic enough to our POV to take action.
That's one reason for us to target our response. If persons who are _current or former_ customers of these companies, with some proof such as a customer ID number, then it carries much more weight than Joe Conservative.
And, yes, we have to recognize that many of the CEOs are hyper-libs. It's a convenient lie that the Republican Party is the "party of the rich." No, it's the party of the middle class. The _Dems_ are the party of the poor and the hyper rich.
So it will be an uphill struggle. But Take Four sponsors, contact them as both a customer and an activist conservative and prove to them that there is a REAL BOTTOM-LINE EFFECT to their decisions.
Take Four and Put 'em Under the Hammer!
To: be-baw
Special Intelligence Officer reporting for duty.
IMHO the power and focus of FreeRepublic has just doubled. Conservatives have, for a long time, ignored and let slide the power of the press, which communists, socialists, Gramscians and other fellow-travellers understand almost instinctively. Where does the invading army head first while occupying?
Contrariwise, domination of the press by an ideological minority damages our cause far more deeply than any number of legislative losses. Even the term, "liberal bias" is a concession to them, as it gives us an image of people who are simply 'skewed' left, an affliction come by honestly.
The New York Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post, MSNBC, Newsweek, Time, NBC, CBS, and ABC do not just 'happen' to move in lockstep to disorient public opinion. They are STATE MEDIA ORGANS. Worst of all, the state they represent does not exist yet. They are attempting to move the masses to a place where the victory of that state is ensured (think of them as performing a function analagous to Iago, and you're on the right track.)
Our advantage in this fight is the sheer mass of counterfactual materials our enemies must deal with almost constantly. The whole thirty year struggle to paint abortion opponents as monsters and extremists will be undone by the primetime broadcast of one partial birth abortion. Ditto for the facts on education, gun control, etc. They are the ones living in a cardhouse, and this is a weakness I urge all FReepers here to consider AT LENGTH. It will have many implications down the road.
If the sixty thousand or so people who come and go on this forum understand that, whatever their cause, guns, education, etc - that an attack on the media will win them nine-tenths of their battle - well then, OUR focus and power is magnified by a factor of a thousand or so. Now you understand how the press views the United States.
...information on how their pet causes are being LOST almost solely b/c of constant action of the STATE MEDIA ORGANS. And keep in your minds, at all times, the holy task of BREAKING the press, this malignant crusade of the whispering classes, which systematically undoes our communities, our families, the perpetuation of culture, and the survival of the ideals of the founders.
This isn't just a forum. Think of it as one of the Masonic cells where the First American Revolution was born. Dare I say, this one may be more important?
123 Posted On: 02/06/2001 04:02:16 PM By: enixus (enixus@aol.com)
One of my favorites.
FGS
be-baw, here's some info on Bayer......The others I'm still researching.....Which division of Mitsubishi was it? They do trade a ADR on a U.S. stock exchange....But not sure what division you are referring to. Let me know...and I'll see what I can dig up. Board members can be targeted also....if names are available.
BEST FRegards,
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
Bayer AG
5090 Leverkusen
Building W 1
Bayerwerk,
Germany
Phone: (800) 269-2377
Fax: (212) 571-3050
Bayer AG
OTC : BAYZY
Sector: Healthcare
Industry: Major Drugs
Top 6 as of 3/31/01 Institutional Holders
Institution Name Shares Held
MCKINLEY CAPITAL MGMT 30,840
FISHER INVESTMENTS 42,000
FAHNESTOCK ASSET MGMT 45,000
GLENMEDE TRUST CO 53,889
WORLD ASSET MGMT 378,003
BRANDYWINE ASSET MGMT 85,859
There are other reasons to boycott Gateway.
There customer service people are arrogant, ignorant, and utterly unable to comprehend consumer problems. We finally had to give up and ship a desktop PC back to them last year, because they simply could not ship the correct hardware, and refused to correct their multiple mistakes.
I'm not surprised that their response to FR was "suboptimal". Incompetent boobs.
Which division of Mitsubishi was it?
Mitsubishi Motors of America, Inc.
Thanks OO. And thanks for the information on Bayer. Can you freepmail me the URL you use to find institutional investors for companies that trade OTC?
Be-baw, you are doing a terrific job! We must keep up the pressure on these companies.
Be-baw, you are doing a terrific job!
Worth repeating!
Say, while we're making phone calls tomorrow, why not grace CBS with some more of our attention. Five minute phone call = postage stamp! Worth it? You bet!
CBS News
524 W. 57th St.
New York NY 10019
Mel Karmazin, President, CEO, CBS
CBS News President: Andrew Heyward
Director/Anchor: Dan Rather
Telephone: (212) 975-3691
Fax (212) 975-1893
FGS
Your group is doing OUTSTANDING work!
Networking is the best approach: finding individual shareholders sympathetic enough to our POV to take action
I know how to find institutional shareholders for companies that trade on the NYSE, but INDIVIDUAL shareholders...not a clue..any ideas?
Best Bump I ever made on FR - keep it up! Time for me to write some letters as a concerned citizen. Thanks and great work!
NOTE TO SELF: Monday morning - (1) WAKE UP; (2) CALL VIACOM!!!!!!!! The balance of the day...whatever...
This is just great work. (^:
Bank of America
SOFT MONEY DONATIONS: 1999-2000
NOTE: The donations listed may be made by individuals associated with the organization as well as by the organization itself.
To Democrats: $505,047 (78%)
To Republicans: $142,255 (22%)
Total: $647,524
I agree Dave. I have seen so many efforts through the years on FR go on and only have maybe 10 or 15 people get involved. This is amazing work. Anything that anyone needs for me to put my name or fax or bust some balls on the phone freep mail me and I will get crackin on them libs and the companies that pay them.
...we suggest it would be appropriate for us to call Viacom, CBS’ parent company, on the phone and let our views of Mr. Rather be known.
This FReeper will be making an angry, but polite, call to Viacom promptly Monday morning to let them know that I'd RatherNot have unconscionably liberal-biased Dan Rather as the news anchor for CBS News, and to tell them why. Furthermore, I will let them know that I no longer use Procter and Gamble products because of their sponsorship of Blather. By the way, I am really getting attached to my substitute products, and I am not missing my P&G products nearly as much as I thought.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you, be-baw, for the wonderul job you did in contacting all of the sponsor CEOs. This was truly a monumental undertaking, and we are very grateful that you performed this very important job. We are ready and willing to help in any way that you ask.
BTT, great hard work bebaw and associates. Abn1508, I like your ideas.
I think that it would be good to make it clear as to what about Dan Rather we are protesting by sending to all of the above companies a compilation of Rathers pro-liberal Democratic bias. I also think that we might not get these companies attention until we can PROVE to them that they will loose business. I was appalled at Bank of America's response....yes, CBS has a constitutional right to present the views it wishes, but I have a constitutional right to dump Bank of America (my current bank) and put my money in a bank with values closer to mine. Maybe we should consider putting a list of current Bank of America customers at freepers together and then sending the list of customers who will be changing banks to BOA....THAT might get their attention.
Huuuuuuuge Bump
On the issue of Viacom, Ask them about the 8 Million dollar book bribe they payed hitlary for something the never intends to write.
We will wait two weeks before we announce a formal action toward a sponsor."
Finally. People with the inspiration, leadership, and guts to stand up against this plague that has crippled us since the days of losing the war in Vietnam (thanks to the liberal media).
...
"I think that it would be good to make it clear as to what about Dan Rather we are protesting by sending to all of the above companies a compilation of Rathers pro-liberal Democratic bias."
Focus is everything.
Focus a large light on Dan Rather and let's see what maggots, worms, rats, and snakes crawl out from underneath his bed (his motivators and sponsors)!
BTT!
"Thank you for this beautifully formatted and organized report, and especially, thank you for your hard work. You, and the folks like you, are the soul of conservative activism."
Right-on!!!
Fantastic work! This bump's for you!
As a former Gateway employee, I can tell you that if a letter to Waitt has nothing directly to do with an active customer with an active customer ID, it goes into the trash. It's all he cares about. And, as a side note, getting Gateway to see your side of things might be harder than with most companies because Waitt is a hyper-lib. He moved from SD to California a few years ago because he felt a LOT more at home there.
That was an easy guess: that greasy ponytail behind his bald pate is pretty characteristic of some of these liberal buffoons.
The company I work for has a contract with Gateway to supply computers, and frankly, they are the biggest pieces of crap I have ever had the displeasure of using. And those stupid boxes: Waitt wouldn't know the business end of a cow if it kicked him in the head (although I suspect it may have happened a time or two already).
I am working hard to get our lab supplied by another vendor.
Next stop: Viacom!
Let me ask this. What if Gateway relents? And says "yeah, okay, maybe we shouldn't be supporting Dan Rather's lying habit..." (Never happen, by the way, the CEO is a major Dem contributor. Same with Michael Dell.) But let's say they geek (pardon the pun.) Do we go back?
Exactly that. We should outwardly support those who favor liberty. So, when we send a nasty letter to CBS sponsors, it would be very good if FOX sponsors received a favorable letter. It should never be just a negative program. These corporations need to know what we approve of, just as strongly as what we do not approve of. Else, they may not be able to decide exactly what to do.
For instance, if these companies pull all their advertising from CBS, they will give their money to NBC, ABC and CNN. That proves our momentary point and gives a success to point to, but didn't really help a lot in the long haul.
Telling them that we want "fair and unbiased" news gives them a hint. Stating that we expect to see Constitutional issues related from the point of view of the Founding Fathers does better. And adding that we are damn tired of seeing conservative ideals and programs discussed by talk show panels that are three to one socialists puts them on notice with a very direct statement. I want the panels to be made up of at least two real conservatives (not RINOs) and one good Constitutionalist. Let the three beat up on the socialist!
But, yeah, we must relate our support for those corporations supporting the "real" American way. Middle American will respect that. Most of the folks in the urban "blue" area will not care one way or the other -- but might learn something eventually. Our job is to get them exposed to correct information.
Meanwhile, Gateway lost a sale. They will not get that sale back. It's gone.
Tomorrow, I will wander over to a local computer sales and service store owned and operated by a couple good Republicans and have them build me what I want. They are a few miles closer than Gateway and I'll save quite a few bucks (or add more goodies). Besides, I always like to support local businesses when I can. I much prefer the completely open architecture they use, anyway.
:-)
You know, now that my time is my own (until I get a new position) I think I'll call a few 800 numbers as well.
PS. I don't recall if you noted it before, but No Foul Language, Please.
Going to dinner BUMP
.
I'm still with you be-baw and will fight to the end. I have only strengthened my efforts. Bump, bump, bump.
My compliments on your well-balanced and diplomatic approach. I'm looking forward to hearing more on what happens next.
Be glad to help..count me in and please keep me bumped
btt
This just in:
"Just wanted you to know I didn't forget that I promised to send you information on the educational program we have sponsored for journalism students. The brochure I have on it is odd sized and printed on gray paper so I couldn't fax it. I am mailing it to you. I will be on vacation until July 16th. If you have any further questions, perhaps I can answer them when I return?
Donna Cary
Donna Cary
Director, Public Affairs
U.S. Human Health
Merck & Co., Inc."
It was nice of her to send this on a Sunday, don't you think?
BUMP!
Awesome effort!!!!!! I agree that we should boycott CBS sponsors' products .. but we should also know the sponsors of O'Reilly, Brit Hume, etc. and reward them with our business and our letters of thanks. Anyone have access to that list? Nothing works like quarterly sales going down. KUDOS for your dedication and hard work ... it's a magnificent report and mission!!
I'm still with you be-baw and will fight to the end. I have only strengthened my efforts
Sir, you've hung with us from the beginning, and your efforts have been of great help. I'm proud to be on your team.
Guess she wanted to make the deadline. Thanks the the follow up and great report be-baw. My husband and I will be picking our Four tonight.
I do want to remind everyone to be sure and direct these sponsors to FOX or other conservative news forums (American Spectator etc.) for ads. Let them know that CBS is already losing viewership and their money would be better spent elsewhere.
Keep up the great work!
Ding-a-ling bump!
Waitt is an ultra-lib, but we've bought cattle from his dad in the past. This was before he became a deadhead of course. His dad was one of the major cattlemen in the area. As for their computers, they're basically the same as all the other clones out there. I have four of them. There isn't a dime's worth of difference between any of them. Want some bad PC's? Have purchasing buy HP PC's. I installed 76 of them on a work site two weeks ago and had 14 failures out of the box.
Well done, and great work! This is a shining example of conservative activism at its best.
Business hates controversy. It gives them headaches. We realize that these businesses are the ones paying Rather to insult and belittle conservatism under the guise of "journalism." Watch how fast CBS changes its "news" format when the source of its funding dries up.
Again, bravo!
Just another RatherNOT bump!
Good luck with SCJohnson. Sam Johnson's family company also operates a 'conference center' in Racine, WI. named Wingspread. Here in Wisconsin we call it LeftWingspread. A little too much Yale in the Company.
The Johnson fortune (and it is a very large one) has had the same effect on the family as it has had on Bill Gates' father and that Berkshire Hathaway guy. They don't mind at all spending other people's money on estate taxes, because to them a couple of hundred million is postage...
Count me in. The only way to get the attention of self-appointed gods in the media (like Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw) is to hit the sources that pad their pockets.
Sir, you've hung with us from the beginning, and your efforts have been of great help. I'm proud to be on your team.
Thanks for the kind words be-baw, but it is I who am proud to be a part of your team. You're the one that started this great attempt at getting our country back with the idea that we need to get the media in-line in order to achieve that task. I am just extremely glad that I can contribute to this cause. Keep up the fantastic work you are doing and I also want to thank the countless others helping in this matter. While being involved I have noticed many good things going on in the media world and I'm very excited about our progress. We WILL make a difference. Keep up the good fight Freepers.
Bank of America is about to lose an account. BUMP!
LaEnchilada Special for dinner; pass the bicarb.
It was nice of her to send this on a Sunday, don't you think?
Indeed it is, heh, heh. She really sounds like one of the good guys stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. I suspect there are many more out there that, given an opening, would come around pretty quickly. They apparently need this "news" viewer demographic, so the newsies are going to have to be the ones to get squashed. With us pushing from the outside and the sponsors pushing from the inside, who knows what can happen.
Maybe we can be the catalyst to start some rumblings in the weekly "staff" meetings and quarterly(?) board meetings. God knows we've got some allies in their ranks; they need to know there's many people in the real world willing to fight alongside of them.
Do you feel some momentum building here?
FGS
Bank of America is about to lose an account.
Hopefully one of many until they see the light.
FGS
Great job, guys. Your tenacity is indeed remarkable. Keep up the good work!
Bank of America is about to lose an account...
Ditto... They're gone the day after I get back from vacation.
Another thing to remember about Bank of America is that they bought out Nationsbank from North Carolina that was all throughout the South. Bet the Nationsbank shareholders would not appreciate the disparity in giving to the political parties since the majority of Nationsbank would come from Southern States which are Bush Country.
Check your email. I have a report on a sponsor contact that I made during my vacation. Think we should start targeting the Board of Directors who report to the stockholders. We also might want to put out a call to any Freepers that own stock in any of these companies. As a stockholder, they might be heard even more.
Thanks for sharing those nice tidbits about Gateway management. I'm increasingly amazed that entrepreneurs are liberals. The two just don't seem to fit.
Do they not understand politics - and do they pay no attention to how each party votes? They are ignoramous nerds.
Think we should start targeting the Board of Directors who report to the stockholders.
It may come to this in some cases, but at least in the case of P&G, our efforts directed towards management seemed to have the desired effect. How long it will last is another matter, but we will keep our eye on 'em won't we?
FGS
Be-baw, I just faxed a polite but tough letter to Mr. Sumner M. Redstone, Chairman and CEO of Viacom. Tomorrow, I will follow up with a telephone call. Thanks for all of the work that you have done in organizing this effort!!
CEO is a major Dem contributor. Same with Michael Dell
Are you serious? Where do you get this info. Please check out your sources before posting on here. Michael DELL was George Bush's technology expert. They are good friends. He campaigned with Bush. He gave Bush a lot of money, and he got a lot of other CEO's to come out for Bush. Eat your words!!!!
IM IN. I'm going to pick four tonight and begin making calls Monday morning.
LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE INSTEAD OF JUST GRIPING ABOUT IT! It will save me money to buy the generic brands anyway!!BYE BYE BLATHER!
I'm increasingly amazed that entrepreneurs are liberals.
It does seem to fly in the face of reason doesn't it? Seems to me that the old line companies are still pretty much run by a conservative lot; it's the new techie industry moguls that seem to list to the left. Hmmmm, is that why much of the manufacturing has been invited offshore by our gooberment?(Aw, maybe on another thread) Is the expanding service and techie industries where the pinks seem to be located? The product of our new and improved gummint skools?
FGS
'Entrepreneurs' like the bozos at Gateway know that they can buy "competition protection" from the democrats. What do you think that whole lawsuit against Bill Gates was about? It was BOUGHT from the Clinton justice department by Larry Ellison & Co.through MILLIONS of campaign contributions.Microsoft is a killing, bruising competitor, YES, but Reno was just abusing the power of her office to reward WJC's campaign contributors. THAT'S the real monopoly that someone in the DOJ needs to investigate. Look, I hate Microsoft, but I hate corrupt Attorneys-General even more. The whole MS suit was about nothing more than Clinton campaign contributions, period.It had nothing to do with the law.The slackers running Gateway think that if they contribute enough money to the right politicians, they don't have to put out a decent, competitive-on-it's-own-merit product.
Let me ask this. What if Gateway relents? And says "yeah, okay, maybe we shouldn't be supporting Dan Rather's lying habit..." (Never happen, by the way, the CEO is a major Dem contributor. Same with Michael Dell.) But let's say they geek (pardon the pun.) Do we go back?
Umm...you are a bit off on Michael Dell...he's a big Republican contributor and squarely in the Republican court (unless he's had a sudden change of heart I'm not aware of). If you are looking for a place to send your Gateway purchases to, Dell is a good bet (politically at least).
PS, you're 100% right about Michael Dell - he is a big Bush supporter& friend (so is his wife).I am writing this on my trusty Dell Inspiron, BTW which beats the heck out of all of those other demo-slacker laptops out there!!!!
oops, I meant to respond to pragmatic's comments about Michael Dell, not Gracey. Sorry.
The product of our new and improved gummint skools?
But once these guys become capitalists it seems they'd vote their pocketbook.
However, I surely don't understand Corzine from New Jersey. This guy's a leftist/socialist/communist type. I'm still flabberghasted by their stupidity, politically speaking. They are brilliant, ignoramous nerds.
You are right about Michael Dell and here are some more CEO's to add to the list of those supporting Bush/Cheney:
The following list represents the initial names on the growing list of Americans serving on the Americans for Bush/Cheney steering committee:
Business/Civic Leaders
John Corella, Jr.- President and CEO of the Corella Companies, a wholly-owned minority enterprise, Phoenix, AZ
Linnet Deily- Vice Chairman of the Charles Schwab Corporation and President of Schwab Retail Group for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., San Francisco, CA
Dorrie Scott Eades- President, PowerRide Motorsports, Falls Church, VA
Maurice R. (Hank)Greenberg- President and CEO American International Group, Inc.,Vice Chairman, Council on Foreign Relations, NY,NY
Lee Iacocca- Automotive Executive, formerly of Chrysler Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Herb Kelleher- Chairman, President and CEO, Southwest Airlines Co., Dallas, TX
James V. Kimsey- Founding CEO, Chairman Emeritus, America Online, Washington, D.C.
Betty Manetta-President & CEO of Argent Associates, Inc., Board member of the Minority Business Roundtable, Far Hills, NJ
Hugh McColl- Chairman and CEO, Bank of America, Charlotte, NC
Charles Schwab- Founder and CEO, The Charles Schwab Corporation, San Francisco, CA
Roger Staubach-Chairman of the Board and CEO, The Staubach Company, Dallas, TX
Sol Trujillo-Immediate past Chairman, President, and CEO of US West, Inc., Englewood, CO
Virgil Williams- Chairman and CEO of Williams Group International, Inc., Stone Mountain, GA
Al Zapanta- President and CEO of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce; Board Member, Minority Business Council, Washington, DC
Zig Ziglar-Author & motivational speaker, Dallas, TX
More were added as time went by but this was the initial list of business people for Bush!
Entrepreneurs' like the bozos at Gateway know that they can buy "competition protection" from the democrats
Guess you have a good point. Interesting that Gates is a mild Democrat - but he stayed clean - politically, so as to remain neutral. I agree with T.J Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductors. He says that the tech industry should stay out of Washinton politics and attend to their business at hand (I'm sure - to avoid the Microsoft/Oracle type events). He's a big CATO Institute man.
Again, you have an excellent point.
I once handled Sensitive Communications for a very large firm ....
Suggest you consider using a Who's Who book to obtain the home addresses the CEOs you are targeting .... When wives or children ask daddy about business mail at home it usually gets his attention. (Do not address the letters to the family as that will just piss off the Exec and harden his position.)
Also digging up the names and business addresses of board members for letters can be very, very effective. The last thing the Chief Execs and Senior company staffs want to do is to have to answer questions from board members about the prudent use of ad money or anything else for that matter. I doubt that the boycott threats will actually push them, but they most surely don't want to be questioned at board meetings.
Good luck.
I'd take it for granted that COMPAQ is in the Republican camp also, since they are a Houston company. However, I have no verification of that, as a FACT!!!!
oops, I meant to respond to pragmatic's comments about Michael Dell, not Gracey. Sorry.
It was appropriate that you responded to me also. I made the same comment BEFORE Pragmatic. LOL :-)
I don't know about Compaq. They've become so corporate - the original guys aren't even there anymore, that I suspect they are in the demo camp to buy protection from competition(though I can't say that for sure.) I think it's interesting to note,though, that the few companies who still have their visionary founders (Gates, Dell, et al)on board are willing to wing it without the Ted Kennedy's of this world helping to muscle out their competition legislatively, don't you?
Just send a FAX to Mr. Sumner and will follow up with a phone call tomorrow.
More were added as time went by but this was the initial list of business people for Bush!
Thanks so much for this list...mom. It's impressive - and I do business with several of them including Schwab.
IMO, It's important that we give KUDOS to those companies that are supportive of our Capitalist system and openly support non liberals - by calling and telling them we support them. The positive works as well as the negative.
Thanks for giving us the phone and FAX numbers of Mel Karmazin, President & CEO of CBS and Andrew Heyward, CBS News President. In addition to Mr. Sumner Redstone, I just sent a FAX to Mr. Karmazin and will follow up with a phone call tomorrow. Will do the same thing the next day for Mr. Heyward. One of the things that I said in my FAX is, "as a matter of principle, we will not continue to support liberal bias in the news by supporting its sponsors." Go CCRM!
*ping*
bump
Oops again, I re-read the posts, and you're right, it evidently WAS your Dell post that I was responding to - obviously it's time to hang it up for the night, I'm felony PWE (posting while exhausted).
I can't devote a regular amount of time to this effort, but I certainly will participate in your action when the time comes.
Thank you. We understand that lots of folks have a lot going on and, believe me, we respect that. If you could from time-to-time pitch in--make a phone call or write a letter--it would be fabulous.
If you could make time to call or fax Viacom sometime this week, it would be very much appreciated.
One ringy dingy, come on Freeper's!
Hear here!!
Thanks for getting rid of my UL!!
I'll be one making calls Monday.
Terrific!! Please feel free to come back here (or the next thread, assuming we make one), and let us know what they said.
And thank you for the very kind words.
I will be calling first thing Monday morning.
Excellent! Feel free to share with us what happens.
I frequently here Freepers say if you don't like something just turn the dial. This is a much better way to go - as the left well knows.
The left has wreaked incredible damage to our country because they are so persistant, AND (which is why we are doing this) have had willing accomplices in the mainstream media.
BUMP Dan Rather !
Sounds good to me! If you (and hundreds of others) can find time to call Viacom this week, we will be well on our way.
What a great effort! I'll be in New York this week and I'll be happy to make a call to Viacom.
Excellent! Thanks for the help.
Can we go after Tom Brokaw (barf!) next? Can we, huh?
I sincerely hope we are able to get Brokaw's and everyone else's attention after this. Hopefully, all the press who portray themselves as fair and balanced will actually start being so, once they understand that remaining biased will have negative consequences.
Thanks for getting rid of my UL!!
You are very welcome!
Great effort! Anything we can do to bring down the Biased Left Wing Media is a victory for America.
All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.....
Forgot author of paraphrased quote, but you get the idea.
Thanks to all you "good guys."
At approximately 9 a.m. EDT I called Viacom. Asked for Redstone's office and after I explained why I was calling, the call was transferred to the Corporate Relations Dept. I spoke with Loren.
I identified myself as being with Citizens Coalition for Responsible Media. When I told her I was calling to complain about Dan Rather, she said I called the wrong place--that I should call CBS.
I told her we already took up the issue with CBS--in fact we sent them tens of thousands of complaints and got no response.
She asked me what's the problem with Dan Rather? I told her about Rather's comments on The O'Reilly Factor--how he referred to a very credible rape allegation made by Juanita Broaddrick against Bill Clinton as a personal sexual matter; how he said that Bill Clinton was an honest man (despite his lies to a grand jury and to the American people). I also complained how Rather constantly demagogues against conservatives and for Democrats.
I told her we have already announced a boycott against Procter and Gamble, and that since we did, their sponsorship on Rather's show dropped markedly. I told her we intend to boycott other sponsors of the show, but would just as soon not have to.
She said she would forward the information to the appropriate parties at BOTH Viacom and CBS. She took my phone number and I asked her if I can expect a response from someone. She said she didn't know.
I reiterate, first check this thread to see how many are shareholders. Then perhaps author another thread calling for shareholders to take action. Then contact any like-minded conservative organizations and feel them out for advertising the cause to shareholders. Lastly, call/e-mail conservative talk radio hosts to see if they'd champion the cause to call for shareholder outrage, and additionally make forays to the various conservative internet forums and chatrooms to recruit shareholders.
You may get a few bites, but as far as influence goes, these would be all lunkers...
I'll begin making inquiries in the chatrooms I frequent.
*PING*
Morning cal, up late last night were we?
Just as soon as I get rid of this MONSTER headache, Viacom and CBS get some undivided attention. I hope we can really light up their switchboards and email servers TODAY!
FGS
Just received a faxed letter from Bayer:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate your comments about our sponsorship of The CBS Evening News.
Given the wide diversity of media today and wider range of public opinion on any given issue, applying standards of taste to programs is not a simple task. Any advertiser who purchases large packages of advertising runs the risk of having an ad run in programming that some might find offensive.
In making commercial buying decisions, we employ a program screening service and media buying service to assist us in making sure our commercials do not air during programs whose subject matter we judge to be exploitative tasteless and/or misleading.
We appreciate the opinions you have expressed and thank you for providing us with an opportunity to respond. While there may always be reasonable differences over what constitutes acceptable programming, we do try to exercise good judgment in selecting programs on which to advertise.
Colleen Kelly
Manager, Consumer Relations
Her phone number is 800-331-4536.
Her fax number is 800-704-7629
It is easier to support democratic socialism because the people vote their own money out of their pockets for taxes. The people set the rate. Corporations are captive but once the rate is set, they can bump prices to take care of the new rate as well as any "administrative" costs while pointing at the voters as the mandators of it. So, the people pay for the socialist programs twice (directly, then indirectly) and businesses are unharmed.
All large and growing corporations will support democratic socialism.
Be advised that credit reports are tied to phone numbers.
Cletus
Please click here for THREAD II
So, my question to any business concern I contact will be simple: "Do you support a Constitutional form of government? If so, why do you support those in media who obviously do not?"
I have read only partway down this excellent thread but your reply #45 seems a good place to jump in. IMHO, we should keep in mind that, although our perspective is political, we are talking to an audience that is bottomline motivated, liberal personal biases aside. It has always amazed me when rich people and entreprenuers support the left, and the left is what we are concerned with no matter the name. In that vein, it should be pointed out to them that by supporting the liberals and their handmaidens in the media, they are in fact supporting higher taxes on themselves and their companies, more government regulation of their businesses, less freedom in hiring and promoting, more exposure to lawsuits from Democrat-loving trial lawyers, and now, if the Senate version of the "Patients Bill of Rights" is the final version, possible extinction due to those same trial lawyers.
Businesses never prosper under the leadership of the left so why the attraction to them? The left must always, and I mean always, lie to get their way, so why the attraction to them? These are things which should be brought to the attention of CEO's. Do they think that because the liberals are such liars and crooks that CEO's can buy themselves a way out of those policies or are they such cowards that they are afraid of the wrath of the left? Have they forgotten that you can't cozy up to a viper and survive, cocktail parties, schmoozing at dinner, and pillow talk aside? A snake is a snake!
I know this is the kind of thing that is difficult to include in a well thought out campaign as this, but it is something that sooner or later must be gotten through some thick heads. Was Schindler's List Hollywood's way to suggest that cooperative businessmen can survive, even prosper, under a despotic regime? A snake is a snake!
So, the people pay for the socialist programs twice (directly, then indirectly) and businesses are unharmed.
Until the populace runs out of descretionary money because they are paying it all in taxes. Businesses are always harmed when someone else gets the consumer's money whether it be government or other competition. Government efforts to fight this, such as expanding the money supply and lowering interest rates, and business efforts such as loosening credit requirements, are only shortterm answers. Each eventually leads to inflation or bankruptcy.
All large and growing corporations will support democratic socialism.
Not the smart ones.
It is easier to support democratic socialism because the people vote their own money out of their pockets for taxes.
The leftist "victims" vote money out of other people's pockets. The media carries the victim's message; the corporations make the best of a bad situation. There are probably many, many boardrooms where the subject of the media "waterboys" comes up; at least in private conversations. I doubt most corporations like the Propaganda Ministry any better than we do.
FGS
Beware the corporate communications departments. They are filled with liberals (I worked there for years). Corporate goes to them to for direction and believe me they're full of agendas. Go straight up. The only thing that will move them is a decrease in sales. Continue the letters but stress that we are publishing their products on our site for a boycott until they change their policies. And if we can prove that we are getting this information out to other conservative groups that will strike fear in their hearts believe me and the Communications people will definitely not push it. A slow economy is just the time to do this. Remember to specify products to boycott and corporate will start tracking the sales to see if we're just a small bunch of "nuts" or something. As you said, target one company at a time, but I also think we should target one (or a few) products, as the companies will watch those products. One product is easy to boycott...
You write: Until the populace runs out of descretionary money because they are paying it all in taxes.
It will be at this point that we would be reminded of the quote (paraphrased due to not having on hand) that [para]once the populace realize that they can vote themselves into the largesse [para], the full effect of socialism will be realized.
Time has a way of skewing perspectives. Cletus
I couldn't agree more with contacting the sponsors that are doing their job. Never hurts to give encouragement!
For incoming "action reports" go to Thread II
It has always amazed me when rich people and entrepreneurs support the left, and the left is what we are concerned with no matter the name. . . . .
Businesses never prosper under the leadership of the left so why the attraction to them? The left must always, and I mean always, lie to get their way, so why the attraction to them?
Actually, the corporate lobby regularly uses the leviathan regulation bureaucracy to feather their own nest. What better way to keep down the competition than easy to pass regulatory law? Remember Detroit v. Japan Inc. with the cars? The cost of your new car raised $4,000 because of that! Remember what happened the year the Freon patent ran out? Add yet another $2,000 to the life of every car. All that was brought about by totally arbitrary laws and regulations.
Half of federal regulations come because of corporation lobbies -- business using government to help curtail the competition and protect their bottom line. After Roosevelt instituted socialism, business learned to use it for profit. Many unions are actually sponsored (in the background) by business just so business can keep a stable labor force. Most of the environmental whackos get their money from either business or business sponsored foundations.
The fact is, the regulatory agency bureaucratic part of government in the United States is an activist arm of both business and the non-governmental whacko far-left organizations. There is a very active incestuous relationship there. Quite often, business pays the far left whackos to raise hell about something because business wants a protective fix by government (Freon). Protect the bottom line, in other words. Labor suffers, government becomes more corrupt and we lose liberty. But, some faction of business is protected.
Our major media plays both sides of this coin. They are both major corporations and the far left (fascists) . And, not surprisingly, they have caused many laws, rules and regulations to be promulgated to protect themselves. So, today, the media have rights (they can violate laws that would get us busted) far exceeding those enjoyed by the normal citizen. For instance, they can receive stolen property and use it for personal (and corporate) gain with impunity.
CCRM is but a fledgling organization flapping its newly feathered wings. But, look, already . . . the draft from their little wings is already felt in major businesses' boardrooms! They already have the ear of captians of industry -- those most responsible for sustaining the propaganda arm of the socialists in the United States and instituting obnoxious regulatory laws detrimental to liberty.
That's quite a big deal, when you stop to think about it! Very impressive, indeed. So, the question is, while Free Republic and CCRM has the attention of these captains of industry, what, exactly, should be the message related? Exactly, what do us in the "red" zone of the country want from them? And, what's in it for their bottom line if they give us what we want?
I know what I want. But, I don't count. We need you, Jim, John, "be-paw" and a few thousand others to reach a consensus all will support with action. When that happens, everyone in business and media will be listening very closely. Bet on that!
When the message we want to relate is agreed on, then ALL of us must join together as activists and send postcards and make telephone calls. When that happens, I'll enjoy seeing folks like "be-paw" on the evening chat show circuit.
And, really, it's about damn time this happened!
Hugh McColl- Chairman and CEO, Bank of America, Charlotte, NC
McColl is the former chairman & ceo. He recently retired. He is mostly known as liberal, but has recently come out strong against bringing a lottery into N.C. So who really knows.
Zig Ziglar-Author & motivational speaker, Dallas, TX
Didn't he recently have Clinton share the stage with Elizabeth Dole and others at one of his motivational seminars? Not sure what to make of that one.
The leftist bile being spewed by the media is doing great harm to our Constitution and is contributing greatly to the acceptance by the people of these United States of the continuing erosion of their liberties. They are, in effect, brainwashing the masses with their propaganda...
preceding advertisement for CCRM by OPERATION AMERICA....(results may vary on an individual basis)
Thanks for your reply. I am aware that certain regulations, especially price control regulations, usually benefit the regulated rather than the pretend target, the consumer. That is probably why air travel has deteriated so badly lately. It is an effort by the airlines to reimpose regulations to protect them from competition. I was not aware of the expiration of the freon patent so I now see how that fits. However, what about OSHA and many other EPA regulations, as well as affirmative action (as well as the accepted extortion by Jesse Jackson), high taxes and all that stuff? Do you think business supports the Patients Bill of Rights as a means to get out of the benefit business and dump all that on government? What about quality of life? Do CEO's think their incomes will keep them insullated?
Thanks again for your insight.
Thanks for the info. Hard to tell on so many of these people as they seem to play both sides and hedge their bets.
I agree whole-heartedly.
Thanks for the list of firms to support with my purchases.
Most of what you ask will only be learned in retrospect -- after the non-profit groups file their reports. Then it's easy. Just follow the money trail. They try to cover that, sometimes three deep, but it can be followed.
There is, however, one significant point that I can answer: Everyone knows that FAA regulates commercial aircraft. What hardly anyone knows is that half of their official mandate as a government agency is to "promote and aide" the commercial airlines.
Well, government being made up of self-serving bureaucrats, they took that to mean that the FAA should provide major services to the commercial airline industry. So, taxpayers pay for airports, air traffic control and all the nuts and bolts that go along with that. Government even advertises for the commercial airline industry.
All that started so that folks in Washington could get their mail sent back home quicker -- and so started "air mail." After that, things got a little out of control.
One other inconvenient little point: If airports were private concerns, as all businesses should be, we would not see all those feral cops running around with nothing to do but disturb traveler's liberty.
Affirmative action is but a ploy by the socialists to keep the country divided. Most blacks -- especially those living in the inner-city -- had it much better in the 1950s. All neighborhoods were actually safe back then. Today, most inner-city neighborhoods look like war zones. Sound like them at night, too.
Employer paid medical insurance started during WWII when there was price and wage controls. Unions then corrupted the practice and helped drive medical prices sky high. The only way that mess will ever be corrected is through medical savings accounts. Government has zero business even speaking about medical treatment. They know that.
The regulatory morass was started by Roosevelt, an avid socialist/fascist. The U.S. Supreme Court tossed out all his silliness the first times the programs came up. Roosevelt threatened and coerced the court enough that a majority of justices turned traitor and allowed his socialism (the regulatory bureaucracy) to start. Most everyone in Washington knows very well the whole mess is totally unconstitutional -- they even admitted it, using those words, in two major congressional hearings. But, they also admitted that they did not wish to relinquish those unconstitutional powers. It would "be disruptive to government as we have come to know it," the attorney general testified before the Senate committee.
In other words: 'Yeah, we know it's unconstitutional. But, we are not giving up the powers.'
Some of those traitor Senators are still on Capitol Hill.
Any guesses what General George Washington would do to their necks if he were still alive? Yeah, he would call for Alexander Hamilton to bring him some good, strong hemp rope and start looking for a tall oak tree!
Here is my report, but there's not much to report. When I called Viacom, I gave my name and identified myself as a member of the Citizens Coalition for Responsible Media, and I asked to speak to Mr. Redstone. I was connected to his office, and spoke to a female (didn't record her name), who indicated that Mr. Redstone was out of town. Then I gave her my message about Dan Rather, and she said she would give the message to Mr. Redstone. I also FAXed a letter to Mr. Redstone last night and also to Mr. Karmazin, the President & CEO of CBS. I plan on calling again tomorrow.
You did everything we asked and more. You're one terrific newslady!
bump!
Be-baw, I also called Viacom today, giving my name and mentioning that I was a member of the national organization, Citizens Coalition for Responsible Media. After being connected with Mr. Redstone's office, I learned that he was on vacation. The receptionist asked if she could connect me with the Operations' Manager and I responded yes. The Operations' Manager's secretary told me the her boss was also on vacation. I gave this lady the information that we wanted Viacom to have and she said she would give this info to her boss.
I also had faxed a letter to Viacom last night. I am sure that Viacom is getting a heavy dose of FReepers on this CCRM crusade.
bump
This is so naive. For one thing, T. Waitt(sp?) of Gateway shipped computers to the communists under clinton. I doubt they give a rat's butt about shutting rather up.
I am sure that Viacom is getting a heavy dose of FReepers on this CCRM crusade
Great work, Patriot1! Thanks (again!)so much for your support.
Great job bump!
Done.
You're a good man kimosabe
Is it possible to get lists of all the products sold under the name of these companies? I know that sometimes it is hard to tell from looking at a label just who is marketing the product. It might be interesting to let those companies know that we have given those lists to our people. As an aside, all the letters we send and all the calls we make will be in vain if there is no follow-through. That may mean not buying a product that you actually prefer using.... and letting the companies know it. Today I will write the companies whose products I buy and let them know that I intend to do this.... and I will inform them that our numbers are many..... that elections of presidents are made by less than 50% of the population.... that if even 5% of that electorate stop buying their products, their revenue will be affected in a way that will not make their stockholders happy..... Keep up the good work! The best part of FR is the grassroots activism......
Is it possible to get lists of all the products sold under the name of these companies?
We expect to be able to come up with fairly comprehensive lists of all the companies' products as we did with Procter and Gamble.
To find a comprehensive list of P and G products NOT to buy (they're still advertising on the show), please go to Operation RatherNOT...Time to Set the Target
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