Piers Morgan on Rupertgate: 'Murdoch victim of a 'witch hunt'
Piers Morgan, the former editor for Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World, dedicated a segment of his CNN show Monday to defending the media mogul.
Former New York Post reporter Vicky Ward, who is a personal friend of Murdoch's, joined Morgan.
"Piers, I just got a call an hour ago, and Rupert wanted to tell me personally that, you know, he's not okay," Ward reported. "Ever since he met with Milly Dowler, the murdered girl's parents, he hasn't felt the same. His voice has been cracking, people around him are very concerned, his children are very concerned. This is a man who is more devastated than he has ever been in his entire 80 years, and you know, he is appalled at what's gone on on his watch, and I think he's as anxious to get to the bottom of it as we all are."
"I just cannot accept -- although there is this huge witch hunt going on to bring him down personally -- I don't accept that he himself would be party to illegal activity," Morgan asserted.
"I completely agree with you, Piers," Ward replied.
"He became a friend to me when I was at The New York Post, he would stop by my office and talk to me. He wanted to know what tomorrow's headlines were. He would not in any way want to interfere with a story. This is a man who cares so much about his legacy. He once said to me, 'All I want is for my kids to be decent people.'"
"I wouldn't want this to become a kind of valedictory, he's perfect kind of segment," Morgan said finally.
"The one thing about Rupert is that -- yes, he can be ruthless, but actually we can just talk about this, he's ruthless, but also entrepreneurial. He built an empire, often at great personal risk. But tomorrow I expect to see a very, very sincerely contrite person [when he appears before parliament]," Ward concluded.
The CNN host was drawn into the News Corp. phone hacking scandal when Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders called for Morgan to be questioned.
The following entry from Morgan's diary had made Sanders suspicious:
"Apparently if you don't change the standard security code that every phone comes with, then anyone can call your number and, if you don't answer, tap in the standard four digit code to hear all your messages... I'll change mine just in case, but it makes me wonder how many public figures and celebrities are aware of this little trick."
UPDATE: John Amato
Digby wrote up some transcript of Gordon's post from Newstalgia where Piers Morgan makes an arse out of himself:
Morgan: I have a lot of sympathy for the people at the top because I don't think they had a clue what was going on. And I think it's one of those situations where until you know exactly what the scale of the problem is it's very hard to deal with it.But what I do find stomach churning was your mate Hugh Grant on here the other day.A guy who has used the media. This is my problem with all the phone hacking victims. They've all used the media over the years to feather their nests, buy their houses flog their movies, sell out their concerts and now they're squealing like little pigs ove them edia and I just think it's perspective time again.
The Guardian is leading the charge on phone hacking. They believe it's wrong for any newspaper to publish material that has been gained unlawfully and yet the Guardian was the newspaper that published Wikileaks, which is openly an illegal form of material that's been acquired illegally that was very dangerous to many parts of the security services and the armed forces. They knew that and willfully published it and their arguments is well it was all in the public interst. Really? Colonel Ghadaffi's lovers? Which is one of the Wilileaks revelations? That's in the public interest?
There is no difference. It is sanctimonious, hypocritical bilge by the Guardian by the BBC -- sorry, they've piled in too -- by stars like Hugh Grant. The BBC, in my experience when I was a newspaper editory, you break a big juicy story, a big old scandal, and then what would happen is the Guardian and BBC the next day would say, "there are disgusting revelations in the Daily Mirror or news of the World so repellant that we are now going to talk about them for the next 20 minutes" and in the case of the Guardian we are going to run 17 pages.
You can't have your cake and eat it. If the BBC and the Guardian feel so strongly about this pruriant form of journalism then they should never cover it again.
He's right about the mainstream media being perfectly happy to run with scandals, but I think he's rather purposefully missing the point. Hacking into celebrities' answering machines is criminal. Hacking into crime victims' answering machines is just sick. And turning it all into a backscratching exercise with the police is a threat to a free and democratic society. Yes, the Ghadaffi lovers story exposed in Wikileaks was not really a matter of national interest. But "big juicy scandals" of the tabloid variety are hardly the main thrust of Wikileaks. And as far as I know, Wikileaks hasn't been blackmailing politicians with threats to expose their dirty personal laundry if they refuse to play ball. (It's possible, but I haven't heard of it.)
Piers Morgan is a prick. And sooner or later CNN is going to have to deal with this. At the very least the celebrities who are his bread and butter should ask themselves if it's worth whoring themselves out to someone who clearly has no respect for them whatsoever. He apparently thinks that if you use the media to sell something you've completely given up your rights
CNN hasn't had to face the chin music of hiring Morgan in the first place after he was part of News of The World hierarchy and has been beating his chest in defense of Murdoch--nonstop.
Well, well. Come on, CNN. Piers Morgan is a suspect - complicit. What else would he propagandize?
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
I was still sleeping when this post went up.
Yes Piers himself has said in a diary and his book 'The Insider' (oooh that title just smacks of "don't you want to be me?") he did the same, so of course he'd think it was ok.
Just for the record because I haven't been able to stand the guy for 20 years:
me-oww!
I find it hilarious that the ONLY people defending Murdoch are his employees and his former employees. Do these people think the general public can't put 2 and 2 together?
edit: Piers Morgan is a douche.
the douchiest.
me-oww!
As scary as that may sound...
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Poor Rupert, it'd be so terrible if he suffered some terrrrible trauma (like the overwhelming sadness from the death of
that young girlhis empire) and dropped dead.Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
Two prominent ones I've seen on a regular basis: Piers Morgan and Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay, at least, knows what he's doing and talking about, and there's some entertainment value watching him do the "psycho drill sergeant" routine on Hell's Kitchen. Piers, not so much; he was a prick when I saw him on America's Got Talent, and it's no joy to see that he hasn't changed a bit. Fuck him sideways with a rusty cattle prod coated with barbed wire and broken glass and dipped in lemon juice.
"Whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, the Republicans are not the least bit interested in solving it. They are interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it."
This makes a Hannity job look like criticism.
I've seen some stuff, man. And some thangs...
I've never watched Piers Morgan and now I never will. I don't think Murdoch and his minions could be be punished enough. Maybe the Brits have enough backbone to see this through I'm sure our current administration doesn't.
Rupert can go cry into his big pile of money for all I care.
The book of the year...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058KSKHW
Quick somebody give Piers a Heimlich before he chokes on Rupert's d*ck.
He says Rupert was ruthless, says it twice even BUT....he built an empire. Does building an empire excuse his despicable, horrible, illegal actions? Exactly how? Big crimes, big empire it's a draw? Huh? Rupert is a piece of shit and he's going down. Wave bye bye Piers.
Rupert can go
crydie into his big pile of money for all I care.Fixed it for ya.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
Rupert has on his own volition over the course of about twenty years, completely used the media to expand his personal fortune and power. The man started out with the privilege of knowing the news industry from his parents Australian holdings, had the money from the start and made the conscious decision to corrupt the national and international discourse.
The man deserves no sympathy and should be tried in this country on the RICO statutes as his "empire" has basically amounted to nothing more than criminal enterprise -- a protection racket for corporate interests worldwide. If the politicians, pundits and entertainment personalities don't play ball and support the corporate meme, Rupert's thugs will do the dirty work, get the goods on you and slam your life on tabloids, in the Fox News television media and in the "respectable" news outlets of the WSJ and USA Today. God, I haven't even studied him very hard, I'm certain that his tentacles reach into other news outlets as well.
As someone who believes in the meaning of democracy and believes in the advancement of our democratic values and representation to reach peace, equality for all and quality of life for all, this kind of news makes me sick. It strikes at the very heart of what we have been fighting against. Even the Founding Fathers as the wingnuts love to refer to -- knew damn well that without an educated and informed population, democracy is absolutely impossible.
This bastard show rot in his crocodile tears.
USA Today is owned by Gannett, not News Corp.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
because I distinctly remember him buying it in the early 90s and the bruhaha over how he changed it all around, much like what he did to WSJ.
Murdoch and his son are on tv live right now apologizing for their crimes, looking like two deer stuck in the headlights. Piers is a lying scumbag. Go eat your croissants a-hole.
Embrace diversity
that the FCC that was created to prevent the kind of corporate monopolization that has occurred in our news stream, should be beefed up and charged with the mission to finally go after these bastards, refuse to grant them their over reaching power to purchase every information outlet out there and the Fair Doctrine needs to be brought back to life -- that was killed by the one who started this overthrow of democracy -- St. Ronnie.
May I also add that this makes pretty clear to me that I am not conspiratorial idiot when I kept saying that Obama is being conciliatory because he has no choice -- he's been extorted and yes, he's a whimp and all the rest, but with a wife and kiddies, I'm sure his willingness to go for broke and sacrifice his life and that of his children to speak the truth is not really on the table.
I'll bet that we'll never learn how far Murdoch and the corporate tentacles have corrupted our government.
Curiously, Rebekah Brooks is absent.
It's too early for popcorn...
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Or maybe he really is one?
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
It's a bitch when the tables are turned now with Rupert having his past life dug up instead of the innocent people he was illegally reading emails. Rupert and his sick Faux Noise are wetting their pants, so now they must come out in droves to lie and lie and lie as usual.
Rupie: "You mean lying?"
Yes, asshole, glad you understand English!
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
This guy's show is terrible. The last time I watched, Billy Ray Cyrus was his guest. Are you serious, Piers? A man was just awarded the Medal of Honor and your guest is Billy Ray Cyrus. How about having non-show business people on your show more often?
No, let him keep doing his star-fucking schtick. It's all he's really good for, actually.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
CNN - The Most F*cked up Name In News. So, they have a couple of Murdoch's own lackeys on, giving their take on the Rupertgate scandal, and this is supposed to be honest journalism. It's pathetic, really. I mean, you expect this kind of shit from FOX because,as we all know but what still seems to remain a dirty little secret amongst the rest of our corporate owned media, FOX is nothing more than the propaganda arm of the GOP; lying and disinformation is what they do. But the honchos at CNN still think this is the late 80's and early 90's and CNN is THE go to network for news. CNN has become a joke. Everybody knows it - except for CNN
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
without their lawyers whispering in their ears... ;)
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Just like the rest of the common whores...
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime"
I suspect that Murdoch is the epitome of that expression and shills like Morgan were part of the "banality of evil" that enabled it.
Now, Morgan is merely trying to stay out of jail.
The monster behind a media empire
Despite his loud complaints about "big government," Rupert Murdoch built his business empire by hitching his fortunes to the wagons of many different politicians.
Embrace diversity
It's always been true. There hasn't been a single industry built without government assistance of some kind. You name the industry (railroads, steel, aviation, communications) and you'll find they all flourished with the help of the United States government, either through direct cash assistance, the creation of favorable market regulations, etc). That's what makes the Ayn Rand groupies so absurd. They long for an economic system which never existed in this country.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
But what I do find stomach churning was your mate Hugh Grant on here the other day.A guy who has used the media. This is my problem with all the phone hacking victims. They've all used the media over the years to feather their nests, buy their houses flog their movies, sell out their concerts and now they're squealing like little pigs ove them media and I just think it's perspective time again.
Really, Morgan? All the families are using this to make movies and sell concert tickets? And what have the parents of that dead teenager gotten out of this? I'm sure they'll be delighted to know that you've called them pigs. Fucking prick! The only two media people I trust anymore are Amy Goodman and Keith Olbermann. The rest are just a bunch of vicious fucking sociopaths.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
Technically he is a Warlock and referring to the process by which he is being brought to justice as a witch hunt is sexist. And by the way, that's not devastated, that's de-vastated, a medical procedure in which the last of his veins and the blood they contain are removed. It is a step on the conversion from Warlock to vampire.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
but I can't help but think that Murdoch will weasel his way out of this somehow, with the help of all the other weasels he's "made". I won't cheer until Rupert's head is firmly afixed to a pike and the pigeons have had at it.
If he starts gasping and clutching his chest, then I'll watch.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
simultaneously.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
A Real History Of Rupert Murdoch
http://www.counterpunch.org/page07182011.html
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
A celebrity/guest should ask him if he has ever hacked or listened to a hacked phone message by one of his reporters. If he says no, ask if he would take a polygraph test.
Maurey Povich does it to his guest all the time. What's the difference?
This creep probably knows how to pass a polygraph. To get to that level of money requires living at the level of fiction and creating more fictions as needed.
Note that Murdoch's minions never attempted to hack, for instance, reps of Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups. Most def, they were not volunteering to make the island a safer place to live. Did Hugh Grant, his publicists, and others use media? Certainly--to get more papers sold, reputedly the goal of any publishing company. Entertainers are news, and are sufficiently cooperative with media that MSM reps have little or no need to hack them, unless they're trying to stiffen up their fantasies, and that, folks, is not journalism, it's personal entertainment and entertainers get paid when they entertain.
Please send this bunch back to the private sector. Solitary confinement will do fine, until they remember how to work and play with others.
Who read it to Rupie?
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
looking ahead."
Spoken like every guilty criminal facing a judge and a jail term...
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Staff meetings in the Rupert empire must be quite a spectacle. Everyone elbowing each other for their turn on his pecker.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
"The one thing about Rupert is that -- yes, he can be ruthless, but actually we can just talk about this, he's ruthless, but also entrepreneurial."
so being ruthless is acceptable if you make money doing it? we're supposed to feel bad for him because he adheres to the strict moral code of pimps?
Jeffrey Dahmer was ruthless but he recycled?
As long as CNN continues to hire castoffs from Rupert Murdoch's monkey empire, CNN's will continue to be worthless.
The greatest shame was when Ted Turner merged CNN with Time-Warner.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
Morgan sounds like a fellow accomplice to me. Murdoch shoud be indicted for sedition as far as I am concerned. He isn't interested in reporting news, he wants to instigate wars to improve his bottom line. What's the difference between him and WR Hearst with push to start the Spanish American War. Murdoch is a criminal.
I think a soul was found in Hearst.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
but technically the soul was located in Satan's drawer. I don't know if that counts though...
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Don't feel too bad for Rupert. This is why CEO's get paid the big bucks. Because when the shit hits the fan it is up to them to take the heat. It's the one, and only, thing CEO's are good for.
...and deny all responsibility for the act themselves and to put it off on underlings and minions, the lower on the totem pole, the better. Some of the little people he's never met.
me-oww!
The right engages in constant witch hunts: Sherrod Brown, Graham Frost, ACORN... The only reason Obama isn't destroyed as a person or a professional is because he's the most powerful man in the world.
If someone bribes police and hacks into personal phone records, and someone wants to refer to that as a "witch hunt," let 'em.
Well Put,my friend.
"Ever since he met with Milly Dowler, the murdered girl's parents, he hasn't felt the same. His voice has been cracking, people around him are very concerned, his children are very concerned."
Cry me a river. Maybe he should have thought about how his paper's actions would have tormented Milly Dowler's family a little sooner. But I seriously doubt his concerns stem from any kind of human feeling. He's worried that he's about to lose his media empire. Brooks is probably negotiating a plea bargain in exchange for dirt on Uncle Rupert.
Build an empire based on the ethics of a hyena in heat and the pack will eventually turn on you.
once in line down at the Crossroads....to pay their dues...
starts to sweat...
No other media does a better job at fabricating false accusations and smearing than Fox News. The difference here is that Murdoch is as guilty as charged.
Piers Morgan: That thing that comes out the back end of a chicken, that's not for breakfast.
"I'm not responsible for this fiasco." - Rupert Murdoch
Just like Ken Lay!
Here's my next question...
"Mr. Murdoch, according to published records you made XXX millions of dollars in salary from News Corp. How do you justify that"
"Well, as a successful entrepreneur and Chairman I am compensated based on my superior talents and ability to run this vast enterprise."
"I see. And yet, you say that you are not responsible for this fiasco. Sir, if I may, based on your answers I must ask only one question. Are you saying then that you were incompetent in the management of your company...or are you just a liar."
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
were the tools of the self righteous and the fearful....
used on powerless and defenseless victims...
We all know on which side of the hunt Murdoch has stood....
Murdoch runs a top down empire. He speaks and everyone below jumps. Individuality is discouraged.
...it will finally occur to the sad, old man and his progeny that perhaps they are TOO BIG if none of them was able to actually KNOW what was going on? I think the old man didn't like bad news and if he is really as shattered by all this he might think of breaking up his EMPIRE and living more within the scope of his BILLIONS much made off the backs of others who have been treated shoddily by his organizations. OR, let's just settle for stomping on FAUX NEWS and putting an end to his campaigning for what HE BELIEVES here in OUR country (yeah, I know he bought a citizenship)....
What a bunch of self-serving, cover-their-a$$e$, bull sh!t!!
Rupert and his minions are in this up to their crocodile tear-filled eyeballs.
So, Murdoch, sensitive soul that he is, is concerned about his legacy. This concern, these crocodile tears, from the man who put Beck and O'Reilly in our living rooms with all the hurtful, lying , disgusting crap they've spewed over the years? Is this the same man who has subjected the world to those lying idiots on Fox and Friends? Now he's worried about how he will be remembered? Too late bitch. Too late.
looked into getting rid of Morgan before that balloon explodes. Morgan is up to his "arse" as the Brits say in similar shenanigans as the rest of them are.
watch piers on america got talent, he has no sense of humor.
he is a sleazebag elitist suckass.
watch his bits in bgt...totally different character
remember, its "reality" tv
it is one of the side effects from being a prostitute for so long.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
I have always found Piers Morgan's affect both smarmy and slimy,and have refused to watch the show since he took over from Larry King(I used to be a regular King viewer,except when he had Rightwingers on). Now I see that my instincts were right on the mark...he's nothing but a shill for the Fascists of the world.I encourage boycotting his show until CNN is forced to remove him...sort of in the Lou Dobbs mold.Let him go to Faux News where he belongs.Douchey needs a new sidekick with a more refined accent than his.
Spare me, Piers.
Total fucking wanker. He needs a pie in the face too.
far left loon >.<
Stuff it Piers, you silly tit.
I saw a bit on CNN where a British MP had made accusations about Piers' past activities in Parliament, but would not say anything on-air. Pier denied having anything to do with phone-hacking, but the stink is on him now. The audience now knows he was member of the Murdoch evil cabal participating the News of the World dirty tricks. Piers Morgan has been unmasked. Oh the slime just oozes through News Corporation. Sell your stocks now!
Piers Morgan should have just kept quiet, not voicing Rupert as a person of good character. We could very well see Morgan being put on the stand!
...there's a talk radio host in London (currently on LBC) named Nick Abbot. http://nickabbot.com For years, when he was on Virgin 1215 in the early-to-mid-'90s, he would call, on-the-air, whatever paper -- the Sun, News of the World, The Mirror -- that Morgan was working for at the time. When the switchboard picked up the call, Abbot would clearly ask for "Piers Moron" -- and every time the switchboard operator would put the call straight through to Morgan's office ;-) ...
Piers just lost me, total disrespect for him now.
Morgan sound like the tabloid reporter Hugh Grant outed. "Oh, these celebrities are rich and famous, so who cares what unethical and illegal things we do to them."
Seriously, newspapers are victims of celebrities??? Newspapers do interviews with celebs promoting movies because it sells papers, not because they have been cleverly conned into doing it. I'm surprised anyone goes on his show, given his opinion of them.
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