"Bill Moyers explains what we need to know about community activist Saul Alinsky, and why New Gingrich might be so afraid of him."

Bill Moyers, 02/03/12. (image: Moyers and Company/PBS)

Bill Moyers Makes Newt Gingrich Look Like an Idiot

Bill Moyers, Moyers and Company

07 February 12

Truthdig writes: "The PBS headliner rises to the defense of Saul Alinsky, 'a patriot, in a long line of patriots, who scorned the malignant narcissism of duplicitous politicians and taught everyday Americans to think for themselves and to fight together for a better life.'"

"Newt Gingrich has been slandering (Moyers' word) the late community organizer in his campaign appearances, although his crowd 'knows nothing about the target except that they are supposed to hate him,' says Moyers. By explaining who Alinsky was and even how Gingrich himself has adopted at least one of Alinsky's talking points, Moyers shows that the candidate, who claims to be a historian, is either ignorant of Alinsky, or is deliberately misleading people. - PZS"

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-215 # Innocent Victim 2012-02-07 12:46

Going after Newt Gingrich is easy for Bill Moyers. Why doesn't Moyers go after Barack Obama and show him for the servant of the wealthy corporations that he is?

+117 # Bill Clements 2012-02-07 22:36

When we speak of servants of the wealthy and the corporations, everybody knows by now which party is faster at dropping their trousers on the way to bed where their wealthy corporate tricks wait to be serviced.

+56 # Holyone 2012-02-08 13:51

Mr. Moyers has no more than you do to document such an allegation. We have Newts words and Newts claims as testimony to PROVE Mr. Moyers premise.

This is why Newt is so easy. As you imply, it would be hard to prove that Obama is a servant of corporate wealth.

Even the Wealthy Corporate Community don't suffer from the illusion that Obama is their servant, they have made this abundantly clear. They call him a Socialist and say that he wants to take their money and give it to the middle Class.

Good job Mr. Moyers.

-22 # tomo 2012-02-09 21:43

Holyone: The reason I feel quite sure Obama will be re-elected is that I feel quite sure the corporate planners who matter recognize clearly that they have never had a better servant than Barack Obama. Mute you TV, and watch where the action goes. There has never been a smoother transfer of money and power to the "top" than is going on right now.

-5 # RMDC 2012-02-11 06:11

Holyone says, "it would be hard to prove that Obama is a servant of corporate wealth.:

Are you kidding. Look at his appointments -- Larry Summers, Tim Geithner are the most prominent. Obama is little more than Bush III. Have you not read about the settlement with banks over their fraudulent loans and foreclosures.

+13 # kyzipster 2012-02-09 10:03

You obviously don't know Bill Moyers record.

-70 # indian weaver 2012-02-07 14:31

our country's authorities now regard dissent to be the same as disloyalty it appears, but dissent is the foundation for freedome and democracy. our rulers' corruption and shattering of our constitutional law, and lawless international actions make the government themselves disloyal to those bastions of hopeful freedoms. with a collapsing rule of law in evidence by this government's actions over years now, we're all afraid to criticize our rulers by now, maybe even including moyers and his producers? isn't that a nasty thought to consider, and what it means for us? why would anyone believe anything obama says by now, so why interview him. he has no credibility. it'd be a waste of valuable airtime even if the interview happened!

-21 # tomo 2012-02-09 22:02

I have to wonder what is in the HEADS of those who sprinkle indian weaver with red marks. There is no question that Gingrich is an easy target. But if you're going to "speak truth to power," why not go after Barack Obama--the present and future President of the United States? I've watched Moyers for years--and I greatly admire him. But I can't help believing this guy (Moyers) is engaged in some form of lifetime "community service." I suspect there are few people in the United States across its whole width and height who know better than he does where the bodies are buried. When he skitters about proving Newt is an idiot, I find myself wondering what real task he is hiding from. Newt has already abundantly proved that Newt is an idiot. Nobody can do it better. As for Bill, he has been on the inside of the inside all his life. He's not getting any younger. C'mon Bill, it's time to spill the beans.

-4 # tomo 2012-02-09 22:06

Indian weaver, I wrote an eloquent second to your position, but it didn't make it across the filter.

+2 # tomo 2012-02-10 08:38

Correction: It DID make it across the filter.

+8 # pamitty 2012-02-10 16:29

You 2 must sit before the TV and guzzle fox fake news all day. I just hope that the right-wing-nuts go so far that even you see thru their lies.

+5 # hwatt 2012-02-12 00:24

Correction: it WASN'T eloquent.

+114 # walthe310 2012-02-07 15:30

Moyers shows that the candidate, who claims to be a historian, is either ignorant of Alinsky, or is deliberately misleading people. - both

+55 # Capn Canard 2012-02-08 18:29

walthe310, nice. I've always had a gut feeling that Gingrich is a charlatan... a failure as an academic. The speeches I've heard him deliver or any "lecture" come across as poor attempts to bully students rather than as coherent argument. And I believe that he believes he can get away with bullshitting the people because he believes his doctorate is a shield that protects him from the unwashed masses. He is the epitome of mediocrity! The apogee of self-centered egomaniacal white trash.

+46 # Radsenior 2012-02-07 15:46

Bill Moyers does so well, Newton's nerds cry fowl!

+58 # Willman 2012-02-07 19:00

If this country didn't have a large amount of people who think like the "Grinch" or his ilk over the last century, we wouldn't need "radicals" such as Alinsky or community organizers.

+56 # L mac 2012-02-07 19:13

Newt should be defined as a "shrub"(as in bush) which bends to whatever "breeze" (crowd) he happens to be in front of.
Newt the historian is truly an oxymoron.

+28 # freeportguy 2012-02-07 22:07

"deliberately misleading people"? Newt?? Oh, as if he would ever...

+37 # dyannne 2012-02-08 11:52

I want a Saul Alinksky T-shirt!

+35 # Lennie 2012-02-08 15:03

Bill Moyers for President.

+42 # cypress72 2012-02-08 15:32

Newt is a pompous, arrogant, blowhard and has been caught in numerous lies of late. If he is the Republican nominee he will be soundly defeated by President Obama.

+47 # Bill Clements 2012-02-08 23:32

Moyers is a National Treasure; Gingrich, on the other hand, is a national disgrace. If Gingrich truly was an historian, he would not only know who Saul Alinsky was, he would laud him for being a great American hero who genuinely championed the poor and the powerless. Instead, America gets a GOP idealogue (and narcissist) who resigned as speaker of the House because he lost the trust of his own party.

+24 # Organizer 2012-02-09 03:43

One of my favorite Alinsky quotes, when asked what direction the country would be going in the future was, "I don't know for sure...but it will either will be towards a true participatory democracy or what I call "Native American Fascism"...(he was not talking about the American Indians)...sad to see us go so far in the latter direction

-19 # Steve5551 2012-02-09 15:31

Is Bill Moyers a member of the Tri Lateral commission?

+27 # wleming 2012-02-09 15:58

compare moyers sane commentary with the diatribes at fox news and the timidity of the other networks... what happened to the media in this country? you shouldn't ask.

+18 # Larry 2012-02-10 02:16

Constructive memo to Newt--If you want to be accepted by academia (rather than merely pose for your base of anti-semitic right-wing rubes) as a legitimate historian, you must not only read history,you must also understand it, and even more important, not lie about it. By Swiftboating Saul Alinsky, even as you hypocritically co-opt his slogans and strategies, your own historical record in this regard is only one for three. Newt, this is hardly a reassuring predictor of your performance--or our future--should you ever be re-elected to public office.

+3 # fixerguy G 2012-02-11 08:05

Mr. Gingrich: You ARE FIRED! In fact you're ALL FIRED. We The People no longer need any of you lying politicians!

-8 # globalcitizen 2012-02-11 20:08

Liberals will not admit that they are part of the problem. They will not admit that theya are a class ideology. They will not admit that they appease Fascism, they will not admit that they have become FASCISTS, ENABLERS OF THE POLICE STATE, POLICE FASCISM, AND EMPIRE:

A SOCIAL MANIFESTO AND THEORY OF HISOTRY

http://asocialmanifestoagainstclasshistory.com/

Liberalism has become fascist through class and empire betrayals.

-4 # globalcitizen 2012-02-11 19:54

So 196 plus stupid liberals voted down their own servility to Fascism......clearly clueless how both class parties serve class Fascism, class Empire. I will take on all Gingrich despots, and all Liberal class whoring, Empire thugs:

A Social Manifesto and theory of History

http://asocialmanifestoagainstclasshistory.com/

The 196 idiots who voted against the general critique of both despotic parties are clueless, arrogant, and stupid...... care to take on this argument????? Try thinking, instead of limiting yourself to pointless class parties, Liberalism included.

-4 # globalcitizen 2012-02-11 19:59

Bill Moyers unintentionally makes both conservatives and liberals look stupid, arrogant, cluelesss, defenders of the class system, Empire and Fascism.

0 # Vardoz 2012-03-23 09:06

Since the recent threat by one congressman to gather Facebook passwords, we will no longer use Facebook. I called my rep and told him that we were withdrawing from Facebook not only because the govt is threatening to invade our facebook passwords but also because they are spying on everything else. We are fed up and I hope many follow because Facebook is a big business that is used to invade and assault everyone's privacy.

As the world is in the throws of irreversable Global Warming threatening our very existence, the NSA is spying on everyone and spending billions to do it. I asked what the objection was to warrents for spying so that there was some accountability and it seemed to work very well for decades? They don't answer the question. I asked if all regard for the Constitution was gone?
I didn't need an answer for that one. Just imagine if thousands stopped using Face book! If you want to join in call your reps and tell them. 202-224-3121.

We are just sick of being abused and very upset that we are living in a lawless nation where we can be taken away without any legal recourse at all. They have taken away our right to due process and now they are spying on us in such a vast way it would shock Orwell.

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