Category: Public Affairs
Krugman: Hired Guns
Paul Krugman‘s OpEds in the New York Times are always clear and deliver a powerful message. I think his OpEd from yesterday might be one of his best.
Debat Update: NPR’s On the Media
This is interesting listening — NPR’s On the Media interviews Laura Rozen of MotherJones.org about the latest news on the evolving scandal over credibility involving ABC News and the network’s consultant, Alexis Debat, who has a bogus resume and credentials. In a separate interview on the subject, On the Media Interviewed ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider.
Debat: The Lie that Got So Big
There is an interesting update about Alexis Debat – the con artist who conned Washington — by Barry Rubin in Israel Insider. Rubin alleges that Debat threatened to kill him. If Debat was on the payroll of ABC News at the time, it might lend credence to that old adage in the news business, “he’d [...]
A Political Leader with a Clear Voice
Washington, D.C.’s mayor, Adrian Fenty, is an impressive guy. You tend to forget his political affiliation because he is an inspiring leader and sends the message that he works for the people of D.C. rather than playing politics. That’s very unusual in this city. His is a refreshing style of leadership that I hope will [...]
Who Wasn’t Employing Debat?
Alexis Debat, who sold his apparently phony expertise as a “Homeland Security” and “terrorism expert” to ABC News, the Nixon Center and George Washington University, apparently was also getting money from the Pentagon through a defense contractor. This fact and even more on this unbelievable story of the guy who conned an astonishingly gullible Washington [...]
Where is the French “Expert?”
Alexis Debat — now described by Wired as “The French Defense ‘Expert’ Who Snookered Washington” — apparently is maintaining a low profile. I would not be at all surprised to hear that he’s got a movie/book deal. This thing reminds me of “Catch Me If You Can” with Tom Hanks. Really, when you think about [...]
Everyone’s Got a Price
Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has sharp criticism of the Bush administration’s massive federal spending and concern about the subprime mortgage meltdown but … he’s kept quiet until now. Why? Well, Greenspan clearly saved his criticism for a new book he is hyping in a major media blitz. Heck, the guy didn’t want to hurt [...]
Powell: “Who is this Guy?”
Former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, is one of the latest figures to question a fraudulent interview with former ABC News reporter and consultant Alexis Debat. Howard Kurtz in Monday’s Washington Post quotes Powell as saying, “I didn’t realize the guy had created a whole industry of false interviews.”
World Media Focuses on Debat Story
It is interesting to see the increasing number of news organizations that are reporting the unfolding story about Alexis Debat and whether he conned Washington and the media. Just do a Google News search. Debat was an ABC News reporter and consultant on issues of terrorism for more than four years even though he lacked [...]
Debat’s Story in His Words
I contacted Alexis Debat via email regarding the serious allegations about his professional work. I also told Debat that I would post any reply from him verbatim on this blog. Debat has taken me up on my offer, and his statement, which I received by email, is below. Much of it has already appeared in [...]
