December 8, 2008

From the Annals of Cluelessness

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FROM THE ANNALS OF CLUELESSNESS….A reader recommends watching this interview on Friday between Greta Van Susteren and Troy Clarke, president of GM North America. It’s worth a listen just to hear his answer to this one question: “What possessed the three automakers to come to town without a plan asking for money [two weeks] ago?…Didn’t you know that people would want a plan?”

The exchange starts at about 10:45, and Clarke’s answer, basically, is that they figured, hey, the banks got bailed out without a plan, so why shouldn’t they? After all, when it’s raining money, you don’t ask questions, you just get out your bucket.

Points for honesty, I guess, but not much else.

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DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With only days left until December 31, we've raised about half of our $400,000 goal—but we need a huge surge in reader support to close the remaining gap. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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