Last night David Hiller, from the Chicago Tribune came into town to replace Jeffrey Johnson because he "publicly opposed a corporate demand for a stringent cost-cutting plan last month," In other words he was fired. Johnson would not bow down to the right wing Chicago Tribune.
Update: "Los Angeles Times editor Dean Baquet will stay at the newspaper for the time being, even after the paper‘s publisher was ousted following his and Baquet‘s refusal to make staff cuts ordered by parent company Tribune,"
Read this piece in the LA Times. about Hiller:
Hiller is known for an exceptional sense of humor and a predilection for singing in public. "He's a bit of a ham," said one close acquaintance. Hiller allows that his favorite genre is show tunes, although he says that among his proudest performing moments are several occasions on which he sang the national anthem to open Cubs games at Chicago's Wrigley Field. (The Cubs are owned by Tribune Co.)
They do add this nugget in:
His background has been varied, including a stint as law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, two years at the Reagan Justice Department (where his colleagues included current Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani...
Hiller worked with the new Chief Justice and for Reagan's DOJ back in the '80's, but what did he actually do with them outside of auditioning for Broadway? Ever hear about the Reese Memorandum? This document is written with the views of conservative professor Reese and put forth some of Ronald Reagan's most conservative agenda. Here's the document from the DOJ archives. It's a little tricky to read, but fascinating.
Page 3 of the additional memorandum is entitled subject headed: "Areas in which various conservative groups have suggested that the Justice Department take action." March 15 1982. Tax credits, schools having powers removed plus above mentioned subjects - essentially the entire social agenda of the Reagan Administration is contained herein. It is written by John Roberts, what follows is a segment on stripping the courts of its powers and a whole bunch of other issues. (document)
To
Ken Starr , David Hiller ,John Roberts from Carolyn Kuhl
The purpose of reviewing and summarizing hearings on the nominations of recent Supreme Court Justices is to pinpoint the subject areas on which nominees have been questioned, the identity of the questioner, and such other noteworthy (and useful) occurrences as answers which are particularly insightful or ways of not answering which are particularly persuasive. Keep in mind that Judge O'Connor has already been sent exceprts from these hearings which indicate the types of questions which nominees have refused to answer.
Notice that Roberts wrote the "how to guide" on getting confirmed to the Supreme Court for Sandra Day O'Connor. Do you think that might have helped him? However, look who is else part of the group.
Hiller has also penned many outrageous immigration proposals that were rejected--like the internment of illegal immigrants soon after Carter left office. (I'll have more info later on this.) Isn't it interesting that he's coming to LA where the immigration debate is a super charged issue and he has the power to frame the coverage of the LA Times.
So to wrap this up---the big bombshell is the guy who worked with Justice Roberts and the discredited partisan conservative operative Kenneth Starr, today, was named publisher of one of the largest newspaper in the United States of America - the Los Angeles Times--exactly thirty days before one of the most important elections we've had. He fired publisher Jeffrey Johnson and took over last night to the stunned silence of everyone at the Times who met him in a aborted Q&A Meet and Greet that didn't go well according to today's front page story in the Times.
This is a stunning development for the so-called "liberal media". The lawyers are now firing and taking over the actual running of the outlets because the underlings will not do their bidding. All reports indicated and Johnson is acknowledging, that he would not follow orders on newsroom cuts and other directives!
The LA Times may well become the Moonie Times of the west.
Background on Hiller: He's a conservative lawyer and Harvard graduate who was Special Assistant to the Justice Department 1981 - 1983. He then went to work at Sidley & Austin, Chicago - 1983-1986, then became a legal hatchet man for corporate media.
(co-written by Mark Groubert)
