by TXPoet & JennSierra
Markos (”Kos”) Moulitsas Zúñiga has recently become famous since founding the progressive website, the DailyKOS.
He was born and raised in Chicago, except for five years that he and his parents lived in El Salvador. His father is Greek and his mother is Salvadoran. His wife is Puerto Rican, and a former reporter; they have two children and now live in San Francisco. Their last name is Greek (”Moulitsas”), but he and his family often use his mother’s Hispanic name, “Zúñiga.” The name thing seems to bug him he doesn’t like explaining it but you can read why the names are like this here.
The family in El Salvador owns an upscale hotel in El Salvador and operates Baja Salt. The family receives large US government grants (at least $1 million this year according to OPIC) to promote CAFTA (the Central American Free Trade Agreement). According to some reports, the colorful history of the family includes ties to the death squads in El Salvador. Interestingly, one of Markos’ heros is Archbishop Oscar Romero who was assassinated by suspected death squad members. His other hero is Caesar Chavez.
Prior to founding the DailyKOS, Markos served in the army as an Enlisted Specialist 4th class (E4) , worked as a reporter , attended college (earning two undergraduate degrees in three fields and a J.D. from law school), and underwent some (possibly) paid interview time while applying to the CIA. According to him, before it was time for him to sign the contract, he backed out, preferring to work on the Howard Dean campaign.
Moulitsas is also a fellow at the New Politics Institute, a think tank of the New Democrat Network. The NDN’s stated purpose is to help elect “centrist” Democrats, and is considered by many to be a successor to the centrist Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), an organization that Simon Rosenberg resigned from in 1996.
Markos has a loyal following. The rabid KOS devotees love to jump all anyone who publishes anything remotely negative about their fearless leader, as evidenced by their attacks on Francis L. Holland, Esq at his blog since he first turned up all the negative information on Markos. Needless to say, he was immediately banned from the DailyKOS and his mirrored posts at MyLeftWing also came under attack. The attackers on Holland’s sites were considerably more circumspect with their language than what is often found on the DailyKOS site itself.
Markos, by his own admission, runs the DailyKOS with an iron fist; so he leaves little doubt that the hate-mongering and the name calling is not only seen but approved by him. Markos rarely responds to adverse comments posted elsewhere such as these, he prefers to direct his minions from afar.
In spite of his successes, Markos’ main problem seems to be the ambiguity of his personal statements. Here are some examples:
(from Gather) Markos: And I was offended by the lip service paid to national service when most Republicans couldn’t be bothered to wear combat boots. I voted for Bush in 1992, but that was the last time I voted Republican.
FACT: Most career soldiers vote Republican: “The traditional Republican lock on the military vote, coveted but rarely captured by Democrats…”
(from the DailyKos) Markos: “I subsequently received two bachelor degrees from Northern Illinois University (with majors in Philosophy, Political Science and Journalism)
NOTE: 1. Philosophy, 2. Political Science and 3. Journalism…three majors = two degrees…new math?
(from the Washington Monthly) Wallace-Wells quoting Markos: In November 2002, the Democrats lost seats in the midterm elections. Moulitsas had confidently predicted a big win, but in the aftermath of the disappointment, he became convinced that he understood the key to the party’s electoral failure. Republicans, he believed, had a “noise machine,”–a coalition of coordinated advocacy and opinion media outlets that pressured the mainstream media into reporting, and repeating, GOP-friendly spin. “The simplest fact about American politics,” he told me, “is that Republicans have a noise machine and we don’t.” Daily Kos, he decided, would become the Democratic noise machine, pressing the case against the Bush administration and the Iraq war in the strongest terms possible.
EDITORIAL COMMENT: Bwaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!
(from ABCNews) Markos: I was in the artillery. I was actually a fire direction specialist, which is kind of a headquarters position. You manage the logistical flow of the missile battery…It means that there’s three missile launchers. I was in a track vehicle. I was in charge of making sure that the vehicles were fueled — the launches were fueled, that the troops in the platoon were fed, that there was enough fuel, ammunition, that sort of thing. So making sure all the other details that make a platoon work.
OFFICIAL JOB DESCRIPTION: Skill Level 1 (Paygrades E1-E4). Records and transmits firing data using the fire direction system and voice radio. Operates fire direction systems, Platoon Leaders Digital Message Device, and Multiple Launch Rocket System communications equipment. Participates in gathering of operations and intelligence data. Plots using fire capability charts and friendly and enemy situation maps. Records ammunition expenditure, equipment serviceability, situation, firing point, target, and mission reports. Drives section vehicles, performs operator/crew maintenance on section vehicles, generators, and equipment.
Aids in collection and transmission of data. Installs, maintains, and operates radio wire communications, digital communications devices, and secure voice equipment.
SERIOUSLY: Anyone who has been in the service knows that a Specialist 4th class or PFC is never “in charge” of any thing. Markos likes to use words to inflate his own importance. Although he claims not to be into self promotion, his choice of words betray him and really give insight into his problem. Markos is a short 5’7” and he doesn’t like it. He was a soldier. Officers both commissioned and non-commissioned are “in charge;” the others simply follow orders!
Recently, at the YearlyKOS convention, Markos bragged that with his help, Lamont campaign, “kicked Lieberman out of the Democrat Party,” and also boasted, that “even the most powerful, entrenched forces can be dislodged by people-power.”
["Isn't MAMZ really, really cute . . . sie?
It's a shame he's so homophobic."
-- Francis L. Holland ]
INTERESTING: Markos was strangely quiet when Lieberman went on to win as an Independent even after the massive smear campaign against him.
Markos has many other interests other than the pursuit of more money and more power. He plays the piano. You might say he trades 101 keys for 88. At least with the 88 he hits fewer sour notes. He also writes and publishes, and runs sports blogs (SportsBlogs, SB Nation, AthleticNation). In a recent ABCNews interview, he declined to specify his annual income, but proudly noted that he’d recently purchased a $150,000 Bosendorfer Grand piano, and purchased a home in Berkeley, CA.
(Discover The Networks): Zúñiga wields considerable influence within the Democratic Party. In addition to his work for the Dean campaign, he reportedly consults with staffers for Senator Harry Reid; confers with aides for Democratic Senators on a weekly basis; and worked with Democratic operatives to devise a strategy for the 2006 midterm elections. In 2004 the Democratic leadership invited him to speak to Senate Democrats about how they could better use the Internet as a fundraising tool.
This is the frightening part. People are listening to this man. In every interview his style of talking is mentioned. The rapid fire dumping of ideas. He tends to contradict himself, correct himself and be thinking out loud. His statements are often contradictory but so far he has been able to control his errors by choosing his words. He is a contradiction. The one thing that remains constant is his desire to elect Democrats. Markos announced in Oct 2006 that he is leaving KOS sometime in the next year in an interview with Ana Marie Cox (who just happens to work for the same publications his wife did) . It will be interesting to see if this occurs.
Don’t bet on it. He displays symptoms of the “short man” syndrome. He has tasted power and now hungers for it. His political acumen is a shell game. He should stick to playing the piano and composing because he is good at that.
Markos himself, said:
It’s scary to me that I could be the guy who gives advice, and someone takes it and flops…
Indeed. The fact that the Democratic leadership looks to you for advice and guidance speaks volumes on their grasp of reality.
Related articles (last updated 09/06/07):
- Francis L. Holland-Family Business - US Gov’t
- The Truth About Kos (DailyKOS)
- JWF-Last Bastion of Free Speech
- The Jawa Report-Gays Checking out Kos’s Junk, “Anti-Gay” Aricle Mysteriously Disappears
- Orlando at FHK-”File Not Found” on Markos Moulitsas Homophobic Writings
- FEC Resolved Two Matters Involving Internet Activity; Applies Media Exemption to Political Blogs
- Red Mariland-The FEC Rules in Favor of Bloggers
- LGF Congatulates Daily Kos
- JWF-Unmasking Kommandante Markos
- RNC Research Briefing-Who is Markos Moulitsas Zuniga?
- American Thinker-Kos Being ‘Mainstreamed’ by Liberal Media
- The Caucus-A Netroots Founder Amid a Stock Scandal
Posted: September 5th, 2007 under Jenn Sierra, TXPoet, DailyKOS, Activism, Progressives, Markos Moulitsas.
Time: September 6, 2007, 12:58 pm
[…] first one goes into the history of Markos (”Kos”) Moulitsas Zúñiga who founded The Daily KOS. Read here… It goes into detail on Markos’ history etc. and is very […]
Francis Holland's Comment: Should Black activists accept Republican help to unmask white supremacist apartheid bloggers, psuedo-progressive CIA-supporters within the Democratic Party? Well, we Blacks are in the minority in America, so we have to acknowledge strategic help where we can find it.
In this case, my enemy's enemies are . . . quite insightful and helpful. If I can find any more dirt on white supremacist blogs operating within the Democratic Party, I'm definitely going to post it at Republicans sites. We've got to drive up the price of white supremacist apartheid blogging so much that the big white boys of pseudo-progressive blogs aren't willing to pay that price anymore.
If they thought I was annoying when I was challenging them at their pseudo-progressive white supremacist apartheid blogs (e.g. DailyKos, MyDD), just look what I'm going to do to them when I'm pissing into their tents from the outside!
Markos and Matt, you might not want Black bloggers for friends, but you're REALLY not going like us as enemies.
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