The Truth About Thomas Lipscomb: Conservative Propagandist, Destroyer of Veterans

Thomas Lipscomb heads up the swift lie assault on John Kerry today on RealClearPolitcs. Lipscomb's claim is that the NY Times had "embarrassingly poor coverage of Kerry in the face of the Swift Boat Veterans' for Truth charges in the 2004 election." I must say I agree with Mr. Lipscomb, but not for the same reasons.

The NY Times did do a piss poor job of covering the truth about the swift boat lies. That fact has now been well documented by Eric Boehlert in his new book "Lapdogs" (see posts here and here).

So here's a little taste of the truth about Thomas Lipscomb: Thomas Lipscomb is a Conservative Propagandist and a Destroyer of Veterans...

The Right-wing Blogosphere's (and Lipscomb's own) Wildly Exaggerated Claim that Lipscomb Was Nominated for a Pulitzer for his "Kerry" Reporting...

Thomas Lipscomb is an independent investigative reporter who was nominated for a Pulitzer for his reporting on Kerry during the 2004 elections. He is a senior fellow at the Annenberg Center for the Digital Future (USC).

Funny thing about that claim that Lipscomb was nominated for a Pulitzer -- Pulitzer.org provides lists of all nominees and winners on their website - Lipscomb's name is NO WHERE TO BE FOUND in 2004 or 2005.

If Thomas Lipscomb would lie about being nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, ask yourself this question... "What else would he lie about?" Here's the answer - John Kerry's military service.

Need more clarification about Thomas Lipscomb? Let me lay it out for you...

Lipscomb Has Been Placed in Right Wing Circles in the Past by White House Flack and Press Puppet, Tony Snow:

“An old pal of [Lucianne] Goldberg” (so says Tony Snow)…

The Minions of Bill pounced on Linda Tripp the moment she made her way toward the grand jury room Tuesday. Catty reporters graded her hair style, accessories and accouterments - and pronounced her a well-dressed hag. Next came Clinton acolytes, saying Tripp taped Monica Lewinsky because she wanted a big-money publishing deal…. The problem with the scenario is this: It assumes that Goldberg and Tripp (both friends of mine; I gave Linda's phone number to Lucy more than three years ago) are at the same time evil geniuses and complete imbeciles. Thomas Lipscomb is an old pal of Goldberg's. He also has run three book companies and published authors as diverse and Che Guevara and H.R. Haldeman. (Tony Snow column, as published in St Louis Post Dispatch, 7/2/98)

Before Thomas Lipscomb Became a Full-time John Kerry critic, He Smeared Wesley Clark’s Service…

But in one astonishing statement three days before General Clark announced his candidacy, his former boss, General H. Hugh Shelton, raised the most serious questions about General Clark's military record, which is, of course, all he really has to run on. General Shelton, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9/11, said: "I've known Wes a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character, issues that are very near and dear to my heart." According to military historian Thomas Fleming, "This is the most critical statement by one senior military officer on the record on the conduct of another in the history of the United States armed forces." General Shelton is not alone in his opinion. General Clark is widely disliked in the Army. Many commentators wondered at the time why General Clark "came out of Europe early." It was unheard of for General Clark or any NATO commander to be relieved months before his tour was up and quickly retired. Now General Shelton has revealed that the reason General Clark was relieved involved issues of "integrity and character." Within the military code there could be no more damning statement. (Lipscomb op-ed, New York Sun, 10/7/03)

And, Just for Good Measure, Lipscomb Made His Bones Smearing the FBI, Too:

Lipscomb Has claimed FBI action re Elian Gonzalez “would have made Hitler’s Gestapo proud…”

Seven Aprils later Reno concluded another siege with another full-scale attack -- this time in a classic pre-dawn nacht und nebel raid in her home state of Florida that would have made Hitler's Gestapo or Dzerzinsky's Cheka proud of her. (June 2001 Lipscomb column, as published on “Jewish World Review” web site.)

Thomas Lipscomb Was a Handpicked Shill for Nixon Hatchetman, HR Haldeman...

Thomas Lipscomb, who grew up in Portland was H. R. Haldeman’s editor on THE ENDS OF POWER The former president of the New York Times book division, he is a nationally-syndicated columnist, the head of a number of organizations including digitalfuture.org (so new that the website is still under construction), and is the Berlin Bureau Chief for Oregon Magazine.

With a New Tin Foil Hat In Hand, Thomas Lipscomb Claimed to be an Expert On Kennedy Assassination...

Just last month… Lipscomb's latest guise was that of an expert on the Kennedy Assassination?!?!?!

A group of "assassination pros" this week will call for a "broader probe" into John F. Kennedy's assassination. "Among the new concerns" to be presented in DC today: "possible hanky-panky" with the Zapruder film -- "maybe to disguise another shooter" -- and "suggestions that a second brain was used in an autopsy coverup." Miller Reporting pres. Paul Kuntzler is "leading" the charge. "Among those questioning the old evidence": Times Books founder Thomas Lipscomb, who compared Zapruder to photos taken at Dealey Plaza. "One discrepancy: Two women at the slaying site are shown wearing white sneakers when they actually wore black shoes." His "stuff is so compelling" that Fox and ABC "are negotiating to buy it" (Bedard, U.S. News, 5/22 issue). (Hotline, 5/15/06)

Thomas Lipscomb is nothing more than a hack for the right-wing.

Let Thomas Lipscomb know you don't believe his lies -- tom@digitalfuture.org and while you're at it, let the Annenberg School for Communication know that Lipscomb is a disgrace to their organization -- digitalcenter@digitalcenter.org.