Has anyone read "The Republican Noise Machine"....

[whistle]

...by David Brock? I heard he being interviewed on NPR today and it was interesting to hear his reasons for writing this book after having been an intricate part of the far right wing conspiracy under Richard Mellon Scaife as one of their paid writers. Now he claims he has had a complete reversal in attitude and wishes to set the record straight and expose what he learned about the vast right wing conspiracy and its workings. Here is a short excerpt from the new book and a link:

<snip>

With the right-wing media now a seemingly permanent and defining feature of the media landscape, if Democrats cut through the propaganda and win back the White House in 2004, they still face the prospect of being brutally slammed and systematically slandered in such a way that will make governing exceedingly difficult. There should be no doubt that the right-wing media’s wilding's of 1993—which led to Clinton’s impeachment four years later—will be replayed over and over again until its capacities to spread filth are somehow eradicated.

<link> http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/brock/excerpt.html

He also wrote "Blinded By the Right" which was the beginning of his awakening. How much can this person be believed? David Horawitz seems to think very cautiously:

<snip>

How Unreliable Is David Brock?
By David Horowitz
FrontPageMagazine.com | June 25, 2004

David Brock has written a new book called The Republican Noise Machine: How It Corrupts Our Democracy. In it, he purports to expose the vast right-wing media conspiracy, a menace Brock claims to know first-hand as someone who was once a cog in its malignant machine. First-hand knowledge is an important claim for Brock because, as a famous self-confessed prevaricator, he is aware that he stands on shaky ground as he attempts to extend the successful career he has made out of his confession of malfeasance and the political reversal it announced. A similar dilemma haunts the postpartum lives of other reborn dissemblers like Stephen Glass and Jayson Blair. Brock’s advantage over them in finding a readership willing to believe his stories again is that he is selling a message his new political allies are eager to hear.

As a conservative writer and publisher, I have the dubious privilege of appearing as one of the culprits in Brock’s profile of what he claims is a vast right wing media conspiracy. In a dozen pages of The Republican Noise Machine, Brock offers readers an account of my career as a cabalist of the Right and polluter of the nation’s journalistic airwaves.
<more>

<link> http://www.frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13925

What do DUers think? Comments, input.

[Reverend_Smitty]

1. I haven't read Republican Noise Machine but...

I read his "first" book Blinded by The Right. It was a great read, quite sad at times...when he was a conservative it seemed as if he was a lonely soul. It reminded me of a story about someone going through an addiction (in Brock's case Conservatism) and he had to reach rock bottom before seeing the light and entering rehab. I believe him, Blinded by the Right was like his soul clearing penance and who knows more about right wing smear tactics than someone who basically pioneered it.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. I read Blinded by the Right, and I've seen a lot of David Horowitz's

"writing" over the years, and if I had to choose which one to believe, I'd choose Brock, because Horowitz is a typical, incurably snide and nasty right-wing liar, while Brock has done a considerable amount of self-criticism, and it takes a big person to do that.

[Crunchy Frog]

3. I have read it.

It's excellent and I would reccomend it to anyone. I will probably have to re-read it because it's so full of important information, it's hard to absorb it all in one reading.

I absolutely think he's for real. You don't come out with the sort of things he's come out with, and make yourself that kind of a target if you're not for real.

He also has a website you should check out. It is quickly becoming one of the premier sites for monitoring the media, and with his background, he is uniquely equipped to do it effectively.

http://mediamatters.org/

It's hardly surprising that David Horowitz would be trying to discredit him. I would not give him any credibility. He is one of the premier RW liars who will say or do absolutely anything to promote their agenda. If you're willing to take his word over Brock's, there really isn't much hope for you.

I would strongly encourage you to read both of Brock's books as well as his web site and judge for yourself. It is very possible for someone to come over from the darkside, and when they do, they tend to have unique inside information and insights that are extremely valuable to our side.

[msmcghee]

4. I read them both . . and I keep them handy . .

. . for reference.

I can not imagine anyone conconcting the events he recounts. There is enough detail that it would very easy for anyone - Horowitz included - to reveal them as lies - if they were.

As far as I know no-one has shown any proof that he is lieing.

Until then, I'll believe every word he says.

PS I'll go further and say that anyone at DU who has not read both these books is not really serious about their politics and understanding the nature of the struggle we are in.

[madfloridian]

5. Excellent book, very long read, but worth it.

It is alarming to read, to see how long this has been going on. And yes, Mr. Borowitz is featured prominently....deservedly so.

[whistle]

6. Thank you all, I now know what to put on my Christmas Wish List

[NYCGirl]

7. David Brock is on Air America Radio with Al Franken every Wednesday. NT

[ailsagirl]

8. I like Brock and commend him for his courage

It couldn't have been easy being a "turncoat"

The repugs must despise him

[Nordic]

9. Horowitz is a psycho douchebag

is what I think.

I'm not sure why you would quote anything written by him.

[Lugnut]

10. I haven't but

It's on my very long "books-I-need-to-read" list. I did read "Blinded by the Right", which I thought was excellent. I think David Brock has sufficiently atoned for his contributions to the VRWC. It doesn't surprise me that Horowitz is pissy about him. I'd believe Brock rather than Horowitz.

[Starlight]

11. I took them both out of the library.

I skimmed through both but I didn't read either book in it's entirety. David Brock *seems* sincere, but I have a hard time totally trusting anyone who has done terrible things & now claims to have changed his evil ways. :shrug: