"The Mooch" Dropped from AIM Event

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Dear Friend of America's Survival,

The late Reed Irvine, founder of Accuracy in Media (AIM), was one of my mentors. I worked with Reed for more than 30 years on major stories such as the Vince Foster "suicide," the TWA 800 tragedy, the Oklahoma City bombing, and others. I wrote several books with him (see above) and for AIM. I served as editor of the AIM Report and director of the AIM Center for Investigative Journalism. I once anticipated celebrating AIM's 50th anniversary. But I left during a period of serous mismanagement of AIM's resources (over which I had no control). AIM board members resigned and another senior writer also left the organization.

For the record, Before Donald J. Trump alleged the existence of “fake news,” Reed Irvine and I were making the same charge.  Our analysis of liberal media bias encouraged the search for alternatives and led to the rise of conservative talk radio. 

AIM was founded in 1969. Reed hired me out of college in 1978, after I came to Washington, D.C., through the National Journalism Center headed by the late conservative author M. Stanton Evans.  I had concentrated in journalism and communications at the University of Toledo, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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Stan, another mentor, was the recipient of the 2009 Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media lifetime achievement Award for Investigative Journalism, for his groundbreaking research into the media’s vilification of Senator Joe McCarthy. His book, Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America’s Enemies, is a masterpiece.

I now have a 40-year journalism career that includes serving as a co-host for the debate show “Crossfire” on CNN in the 1980s, appearing in a popular film on media bias and anonymous sources that is being shown in the Newseum, the journalism museum in Washington, D.C., and founding America's Survival, Inc. (ASI).

​ASI and other websites now run my news and commentary.  I have nothing to do with AIM, although hundreds of my articles are still on their website. 
 
AIM, under new (mis) management, recently announced that Accuracy in Media's upcoming 50th Anniversary Gala was to feature Ben Carson, Anthony "The Mooch" Scaramucci, and Diamond & Silk at the National Press Club. HUD Secretary Ben Carson is a good man and a wise choice. He was the subject of my column, "Carson Performs Brain Surgery on the Media," in which I note his efforts to correct media misinformation. In another column, I noted that, "Carson, as a medical doctor, saved lives and saved many others through his humanitarian work," making a tremendous positive difference. He has recently been vocal in defending HUD's work, such as in making sure public housing is reserved for American citizens, not illegal aliens.  

​But by the time that announcement was made, Scaramucci had already given what the media called a "profanity-laced diatribe" about various Trump aides to the New Yorker, which led to his firing from the Trump Administration.   Scaramucci had lasted only 11 days as White House communications director.

Scaramucci has now been dropped from the official announcement of the AIM program, apparently because of his outspoken criticism of his former boss, President Trump. Just recently, he reportedly talked to Never-Trumper Bill Kristol about trying to force Trump off the GOP ticket in 2020, according to CNBC. 

​The decision to advertise Scaramucci as a speaker at such an event (and then quickly drop him) is one more strange and unfortunate development in the AIM saga.  I feel badly for all of those who once put their trust and confidence in this organization.  

For America's Survival,
Cliff Kincaid