Joe Conason
Encyclopedia
Joe Conason is an American journalist, author
and political commentator. He writes a column for the weekly New York Observer
newspaper, for Salon.com
and has written a number of books, including Big Lies (2003), which addresses what he says are myths spread about liberals by conservatives
.
. He graduated from White Plains High School, in White Plains, New York
. In 1971, as a senior, he edited an underground newspaper distributed throughout Westchester County called the Paper Workshop. After attending community college for a year, Conason received a B.A. in history from Brandeis University
in 1975. He then worked at two Boston
-based newspapers, East Boston Community News and The Real Paper
.
From 1978 to 1990, he worked as a columnist and staff writer at The Village Voice
.
In The Free Voice of Labor
, a 1980 documentary movie about the Yiddish anarchist newspaper Freie Arbeiter Stimme
(or Free voice of labor), a young Conason was interviewed. His grandfather Joseph Cohen
served as the paper's editor for a number of years and Conason may have been an intern for them.
From 1990 to 1992, Conason was "editor-at-large" for Details
magazine. In 1992, he became a columnist for the New York Observer, a position he still holds. Also in 1992, he authored an article for Spy Magazine which accused then-President George H.W. Bush of cheating on his wife Barbara
.
He served as investigative editor for The American Prospect
.
In 1992 Conason wrote an article for Spy
magazine naming Jennifer Fitzgerald and Jane Morgan as women who allegedly were having affairs with George H. W. Bush, using Linda Tripp
as a source.
Conason was a regular guest and a guest host on The Al Franken Show
, where he had the distinction of being the only guest with two theme songs. He made an appearances every Friday as a commentator, as well as co-judging with Franken their weekly quiz show Wait, wait, don't lie to me.
Conason coined the term "corporate-jet conservative" as a counter to "limousine liberal
" (a term used to describe wealthy, insulated supporters of left-wing causes).
In 2000, he co-authored the book The Hunting of the President: The 10 Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton
with Gene Lyons
; the book was turned into a documentary in 2004, which Conason co-produced. The Raw Deal, his book on the Bush Administration
's efforts to "end Social Security
as we know it," appeared in 2005. In 2007, Conason published It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush
(Thomas Dunne Books
).
Conason briefly appeared in part 2. of the Adam Curtis
documentary The Power Of Nightmares talking about neoconservatives
' "fantasy enemy" in the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. He also appears in the Stefan Forbes
documentary Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
. In the film he says, “Atwater perceived, long before anyone else in American politics did, that the biggest threat to Bush was a guy from Arkansas
named Bill Clinton. The idea was to dirty up Clinton, to do enough damage to him that he would simply be too damaged to run for President. Distract and divert. Atwater started transforming politics into a series of tabloid moments in a way that was incredibly powerful for the Republicans.”
He married Elizabeth Wagley, in 2002. They have two children, boy and girl twins, born in 2007.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and political commentator. He writes a column for the weekly New York Observer
New York Observer
The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and...
newspaper, for Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
and has written a number of books, including Big Lies (2003), which addresses what he says are myths spread about liberals by conservatives
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
.
Life and career
Conason was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He graduated from White Plains High School, in White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
. In 1971, as a senior, he edited an underground newspaper distributed throughout Westchester County called the Paper Workshop. After attending community college for a year, Conason received a B.A. in history from Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
in 1975. He then worked at two Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based newspapers, East Boston Community News and The Real Paper
The Real Paper
The Real Paper was a Boston alternative weekly newspaper with a circulation of 50,000. It ran from August 2, 1972, to June 18, 1981, often devoting space to counterculture issues of the early 1970s. The offices were located on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts.The Cambridge Phoenix...
.
From 1978 to 1990, he worked as a columnist and staff writer at The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
.
In The Free Voice of Labor
The Free Voice of Labor
The Free Voice of Labor: The Jewish Anarchists is a 1980 documentary by Steve Fischler and Joel Sucher of Pacific Street Films. It memorializes the story of the Yiddish anarchist newspaper Fraye Arbeter Shtime, and the Jewish anarchist movement of the early 20th century. The movie contained a...
, a 1980 documentary movie about the Yiddish anarchist newspaper Freie Arbeiter Stimme
Freie Arbeiter Stimme
The Freie Arbeiter Stimme was the longest-running anarchist periodical in the Yiddish language, founded initially as an American counterpart to Rudolf Rocker's London-based Arbeter Fraynd . The early Yiddish spelling, פֿרייע אַרבייטער שטיממע , reflects the early 20th century fashion to Germanize...
(or Free voice of labor), a young Conason was interviewed. His grandfather Joseph Cohen
Joseph Cohen
Joseph Cohen was a Canadian lawyer, academic, and politician.Born in Russayn, Russian Empire, the son of Myer Cohen, a Jewish clergyman, and Rebecca Benyash, Cohen emigrated to Canada in 1892 settling in Montreal, Quebec. He studied at the High School of Montreal, McGill University, and at the...
served as the paper's editor for a number of years and Conason may have been an intern for them.
From 1990 to 1992, Conason was "editor-at-large" for Details
Details (magazine)
Details is an American monthly men's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, founded in 1982. Though primarily a magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle, Details also features reports on relevant social and political issues.-History:...
magazine. In 1992, he became a columnist for the New York Observer, a position he still holds. Also in 1992, he authored an article for Spy Magazine which accused then-President George H.W. Bush of cheating on his wife Barbara
Barbara Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush...
.
He served as investigative editor for The American Prospect
The American Prospect
The American Prospect is a monthly American political magazine dedicated to American liberalism. Based in Washington, DC, The American Prospect is a journal "of liberal ideas, committed to a just society, an enriched democracy, and effective liberal politics" which focuses on United States politics...
.
In 1992 Conason wrote an article for Spy
Spy (magazine)
Spy was a satirical monthly magazine founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter, who served as its first editors, and Thomas L. Phillips, Jr., its first publisher. After one folding and a rebirth, it ceased publication in 1998...
magazine naming Jennifer Fitzgerald and Jane Morgan as women who allegedly were having affairs with George H. W. Bush, using Linda Tripp
Linda Tripp
Linda Rose Tripp was a central figure in the Lewinsky scandal of 1998 and 1999 that led to the impeachment and subsequent acquittal of U.S. President Bill Clinton.-Early life and government employment:...
as a source.
Conason was a regular guest and a guest host on The Al Franken Show
The Al Franken Show
The Al Franken Show was the flagship talk show of the former talk radio network, Air America Radio. Hosted by Al Franken, it featured commentary and interviews arguing for left-wing positions on the issues of the day, and comically poking fun at the George W. Bush Administration. The show began as...
, where he had the distinction of being the only guest with two theme songs. He made an appearances every Friday as a commentator, as well as co-judging with Franken their weekly quiz show Wait, wait, don't lie to me.
Conason coined the term "corporate-jet conservative" as a counter to "limousine liberal
Limousine liberal
Limousine liberal is a pejorative American political term used to illustrate perceived hypocrisy by a political liberal of upper class or upper middle class status; including calls for the use of mass transit while frequently using limousines or private jets, claiming environmental consciousness...
" (a term used to describe wealthy, insulated supporters of left-wing causes).
In 2000, he co-authored the book The Hunting of the President: The 10 Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton
The Hunting of the President
The Hunting of the President is a 2004 English language documentary film about Bill Clinton. Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton appear in archived footage...
with Gene Lyons
Gene Lyons
Gene Lyons is a liberal political columnist and co-author with Joe Conason of The Hunting of the President: The 10 Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton, a documentary book published in 2000, with a supporting film. The book outlines a purported right wing campaign waged against...
; the book was turned into a documentary in 2004, which Conason co-produced. The Raw Deal, his book on the Bush Administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
's efforts to "end Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
as we know it," appeared in 2005. In 2007, Conason published It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush
It Can Happen Here
It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush is a nonfiction book written by liberal writer and commentator Joe Conason....
(Thomas Dunne Books
Thomas Dunne Books
Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin's Press, publishes popular trade fiction and nonfiction. Established in 1986 and based in New York City, Thomas Dunne Books publishes approximately 175 titles each year, covering a range of genres including commercial and literary fiction, mysteries,...
).
Conason briefly appeared in part 2. of the Adam Curtis
Adam Curtis
Adam Curtis is a British BAFTA winning documentarian and a writer, television producer, director and narrator. He works for BBC Current Affairs.-Early life and education:Curtis was born in 1955...
documentary The Power Of Nightmares talking about neoconservatives
Neoconservatism
Neoconservatism in the United States is a branch of American conservatism. Since 2001, neoconservatism has been associated with democracy promotion, that is with assisting movements for democracy, in some cases by economic sanctions or military action....
' "fantasy enemy" in the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. He also appears in the Stefan Forbes
Stefan Forbes
Stefan Forbes is an American writer and film director. His first feature film was the 2008 documentary film Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, about the life of political operative Lee Atwater. Boogie Man played at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, played in 40 U.S...
documentary Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story is a 2008 U.S. documentary on the campaign tactics used by Lee Atwater while working on the George H.W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign, and how those tactics have transformed presidential campaigns in the United States....
. In the film he says, “Atwater perceived, long before anyone else in American politics did, that the biggest threat to Bush was a guy from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
named Bill Clinton. The idea was to dirty up Clinton, to do enough damage to him that he would simply be too damaged to run for President. Distract and divert. Atwater started transforming politics into a series of tabloid moments in a way that was incredibly powerful for the Republicans.”
He married Elizabeth Wagley, in 2002. They have two children, boy and girl twins, born in 2007.
External links
- Joe Conason's Website
- Archive of Conason's New York Observer columns
- Archive of Conason's Salon.com columns
- Joe Conason's articles on Truthdig
- http://www.boogiemanfilm.comJoe Conason discussing Lee Atwater in the film Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater StoryBoogie Man: The Lee Atwater StoryBoogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story is a 2008 U.S. documentary on the campaign tactics used by Lee Atwater while working on the George H.W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign, and how those tactics have transformed presidential campaigns in the United States....
]