First to the term Russophobe in the title of this thread. It now seems that so-called conservatives are calling people who feel we can't trust Russia, "Russophobes".
Case in point:
This blogger seems to have a beef with calling out Russia on Georgia and labels people who call out Russia, as Russophobes.
What is interesting is the blogger's effort to discount the site by naming names and links Hugh Hewitt's name with the site.
RevokeTheGames.com and Other Astroturf Sites
The website RevokeTheGames.com appeared just ten days after the Georgia war started. Like many astroturf mushrooms that sprout up from time to time in American politics, it did not identify its backers or even who had set it up.
But one enterprising reader of La Russophobe Uncovered contacted me to let the world know what a simple WhoIs search on GoDaddy.com revealed: the website was created on August 16, 2008.The person listed as registering the site is Lynne Chapman of Trilennium Productions. Chapman is apparently hosting the website on the same server as TruthLaidBear.com, a sort of blog of blogs that ranks different sites according to traffic and provides information on the amount and type of visitors to bloggers. TruthLaidBear wasset up by NZ Bear, a psuedonymous Kiwi blogger promoted by Hugh Hewitt on his national talk radio show. Trillenium Productions apparently works with Hewitt on his books and public apppearances.
Who is Hugh Hewitt?
An Ohio native and former Reagan Administration attorney who now teaches at a small Christian college law school in Orange County,California, Hewitt has enjoyed considerable success in talk radio since going on the air in 2001. Mr. Hewitt is also an evangelical Christian who volunteers for YoungLife and other Christian groups reaching out to college students. As a former movement conservative myself, I happen to listen to Hewitt's 1.3 million weekly radio audience from time to time, and I have noticed Hugh repeating the phrase "rape of Georgia" many times whenever he invites a guest commentator on to his show to comment on the conflict.
In light of the connection between Hugh Hewitt's associate and RevokeTheGames.com, is this a phrase Hugh came up with on his own, or was it coined by some PR agency, perhaps Randy Scheunemann's Orion Strategies? This is speculation, but it is speculation that could be ended if Mr. Scheunemann and the McCain campaign would speak freely on the subject. But right now, they're staying mum (more on this in a future post).
Hugh Hewitt is Simply Getting Used
To date, there is no hard evidence linking Hugh Hewitt to La Russophobe, or La Russophobe to Scheunemann's PR shop. There is no evidence of payments to Mr. Hewitt from any PR firm. The obssessive compulsive (or paid) La Russophobe may have simply picked up Hewitt's website and run with it.
Unfortunately, Hewitt, like many other conservative Republicans (and Democrats) is clueless as to how the world in the last fifteen years has looked from Moscow, or how he and his middle American listeners are being exploited by people more interested in power games than spreading "freedom" in the former Soviet space. To his credit, Hewitt has never been shrill like fellow conservative talk radio jocks Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, or Mark Levin. He tends to be far more gentlemanly and regularly interviews journalists who disagree with his support for the Bush Administration and the War in Iraq.
But when Hewitt invite Pat Buchanan, or someone else who disagrees with his approach towards Russia on to his show? I won't hold my breath. Today there is even more political correctness on the American Right than there is on the Left, which since the Iraq War has become more friendly towards traditional foreign policy realists. And that breaks the heart of this soon to be ex-Republican conservative who is skeptical of what big government can accomplish at home AND abroad.
The credibility of the blogger is telling with regard to the statement made on Buchanan.
Years back when Buchanan ran on the Reform Party ticket, Buchanan spoke here in Alaska. And when he spoke about Putin, he spoke of Putin flying a Russian military jet and then spoke of concern about Russia.
The blogger knows nothing about Russia's government will, but correctly points to the change in heart that Buchanan had from those words he spoke in Alaska to what he has written now.
Buchanan is wrong today, it is that simple. And in the United States, journalists who oppose the power of government are not killed like they are in Russia.
When one Russian kills another Russian journalist, does this make the killer a Russophobe? Or just a coward.
This is something the blogger should think on before he writes asinine statements on people being Russophobes.
It will be interesting in the next few weeks to see if Governor Palin is asked questions on Georgia and Russia.
Update: Make that North Korea too, since they have ignored Obama and launched the rocket that could hit Alaska.
Kim Jong Il Awarded Honorary Title and Order by Russian Organization
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il was awarded the honorary title "Creator of Peace in the 21st Century" and the Order "Creator of Peace" first class by the Russian Federation of International Charity Organizations "World of Goodwill."
The certificate of the above-said title says: "The Russian Federation of International Charity Organizations 'World of Goodwill' has the honor to award the honorary title 'Creator of Peace in the 21st Century' to the great leader of the Korean people Comrade Kim Jong Il in praise of him who has conducted activities to create peace and protect arts and contributed to the noble ideal of goodwill and justice on the occasion of his birthday according to the decision of the plenary meeting of its members held on February 16, 2009."
Depicted on the Order "Creator of Peace" first class are an angel of peace holding a pigeon in a circle portrayed in the center of an octagonal star, its rays done in relief, laurels in the lower part of the circular frame and letters "Europe, Asia, Africa and America" on its either side.
Written on the certificate of the order are the following letters: "The Russian Federation of International Charity Organizations 'World of Goodwill' has the honor to confer the Order 'Creator of Peace' first class No. 1 to the great leader of the Korean people Comrade Kim Jong Il according to the decision of the plenary meeting of its members held on February 16, 2009."
A ceremony of conveying the certificate of the title and the order was held at the DPRK embassy in Moscow on Mar. 31.
Oleg Oleinik, president of the federation, handed them to the DPRK ambassador to Russia.
Nice to know Russia and China will not vote to sanction North Korea over the rocket launch. In fact they have the ability to veto such sanctions.
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