Yes, that’s right, Mr. Moyers, the liberal hypocritical smug Prince of thug-journalism who raised concepts such as situational ethics and moral relativism to a high art form, will be leaving public television on April 30, 2010, according to a recent item in the New York Times by Elizabeth Jensen in her “Media Decoder” column.
“Mr. Moyers said he had been planning for some time to retire the program on Dec. 25, but was asked by PBS to raise the funds to continue through April, which he did,” writes Ms. Jensen.
The “program” to which she is referring is “Bill Moyers Journal,” which began in April 2007. It is a weekly no-holds-barred advocacy program on the Public Broadcasting System for the liberal agenda in America.
According to Ms. Jensen, Mr. Moyers said, that his program has recently been having a “good run of it … so I feel it’s time.” He said he was not quitting television work, although he has no new projects planned.
No word as to whether or not he will be taking a position in the administration of Venezuelan President Hug Chavez, although Mr. Moyers is well qualified to work with heads of state.
Our younger readers may not be aware that Mr. Moyers, who was born on June 5, 1934, first distinguished himself on the national stage as the White House press secretary for President Lyndon Baines Johnson from 1965 to 1967.
Mr. Moyers and President Johnson shared a long history of working together. Mr. Moyers had interned for then-Senator Johnson. In addition to several positions as a print media journalist for several newspapers in Texas, he also worked in the mid-1950s at KTBC radio and television stations, which were owned by Lady Bird Johnson.
It is ironic to note that Mr. Moyers is an ordained minister; when one considers the course, blunt, if not profane behavior that historians have characterized President Johnson’s rise and maintenance of power.
Mr. Moyers first came to Washington to work in the administration of President Kennedy in various capacities in the newly formed Peace Corps.
In an April 3, 1966 article in the New York Times by Patrick Anderson, “No. 2 Texan in the White House,” Mr. Moyers explained his relationship with President Johnson as “I work for him despite his faults and he lets me work for him despite my deficiencies.”
His quote from 1966 may have been the only hint at humanity he may have ever had in a career that has witnessed him, in his later years, become unbearably preachy, condescending, boorish, and blinded by his politically ideology, which has tarnished his conflicted and complicated legacy.
For every mean-spirited thing I have to say about Mr. Moyers, I have a half-dozen much nastier remarks for which I was held back by my shriveled but nevertheless functional sense of decency.
In a much-touted dust-up between Mr. Moyers and Fox News Channel personality, Bill O’Reilly in April 2007; Mr. O’Reilly may have said it best:
“I do know that Moyers has, for years, been heavily involved with people like George Soros and the far left. Yet PBS is paying him to produce documentaries that are purported to be "objective." Bill Moyers is not objective, has a problem with the truth, and should no longer be receiving taxpayer money. And that is the truth.”
This after Fox News aired a tape in which Mr. Moyers said: “The FOX News, the talk radio, The Weekly Standard have not only mongered for war along with the administration, not only embraced the administration's policies because they were "conservative", including going to war, but also mounted a slime machine to discredit any journalist who dared to stand against the official view of reality.”
Of course, since President Obama has taken office and has continued the war efforts, for which Mr. Moyers was so critical during the Bush Administration years – now Mr. Moyers seems to have forgotten that we remain at war.
This, in spite of campaign promises from President Obama that once in office, he would withdrawal American troops out of Iraq quickly and re-invent our efforts in Afghanistan.
Funny how that works.
On March 9, 2009, Bernie Goldberg said in an interview with Mr. O’Reilly about Mr. Goldberg’s book, “A Slobbering Love Affair,” that Mr. Moyers is among the top five “five worst offenders in the mainstream media.”
“No. 4 is Bill Moyers because he represents the most elite wing of the most liberal elite media. Bill Moyers is a true believer who these days is posing as a journalist. He's very civil and highbrow to an extent, but also despises conservatives.
“During the Bush administration, he said that the right-wing wrecking crews in government, right-wing wrecking crews were deliberately, intentionally, trying to destroy the United States of America. Really, Bill? I mean, right wing wrecking crews and the government are deliberately trying to destroy America? And he's on PBS.”
Fortunately for America, Mr. Moyers days on PBS are numbered.
Good riddance. Don’t let the door hit you on the behind as you are leaving.
Perhaps the only thing that might be as equally good for American would be if Katie Couric would also retire. We can only wish.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com.
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