From The Mailbag…

I received an email from Stewart, regarding The Center For Consumer Freedom. He asked me to pass it along, so here it is…

This is in regards to the "The Center for Consumer Freedom" (http://www.consumerfreedom.com) links you have (all in regards to PETA). You may not like PETA. I am not here to defend PETA — whatsoever. I am here to inform you about the sources of the links you use. I hope you will, after learning the below, reconsider those links present that you have to and reconsider using anything from the misnamed Center for Consumer Freedom again.

Let me relate to you 7 red flags about CCF:

1. The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) was once called the "Guest Choice Network" is a front for the restaurant, alcohol and tobacco industries. CCF runs media campaigns that oppose the claims of mainstream scientists, doctors, health advocates, environmentalists, and, yes, left-leaning activists like PETA.

2. In a 1995 letter to Philip Morris, Rick Berman of Berman & Company suggested Phillip Morris form a front group to have restaurant owners appear to be fighting smoking restrictions on their own. Phillip Morris took Berman up on it and established the Guest Choice Network that later was renamed the Center for Consumer Freedom.

3. Berman & Company, a public affairs firm, represents not just the tobacco industry, for example, but also hotels, beer distributors, taverns, and restaurant chains. They are not actually an organization of grassroots consumers fighting the good fight — whatsoever.

4. Please read each item in the following list. The cumulative spectrum is important. CCF has also attacked the Alliance of American Insurers, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the Arthritis Foundation, THE CONSUMER FEDERATION OF AMERICA, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the Harvard School of Public Health, the Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems, the National Association of High School Principals, the National Safety Council, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Office of Highway Safety for the State of Georgia, Ralph Nader's group, Public Citizen, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

5. On November 16, 2004, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint to the Internal Revenue Service claiming that CCF violated its tax exempt status. The claim said CCF was involved in electioneering, did substantial payments to founder Richard Berman, and to Berman's for-profit public affairs company, Berman & Company. CREW stated that CCF was engaged no charitable activities.

6. CCF launched a $600,000 ad campaign that ran in major newspapers (the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and USA Today) which called "obesity" a "hype" and stated, "Americans have been force-fed a steady diet of obesity myths by the 'food police,' trial
lawyers, and even our own government."

7. Berman now is attacking claims about mercury levels in fish. FishScam.com, AnimalScam, CSPIscam and ActivistCash, PETAKillsAnimals, are all his sites that attack and focus on left-leaning organizations and movements.

CCF misrepresents itself and spreads half-truths and outright lies. They might have some facts right. Others facts are not true. I wouldn't use anything that comes from them because their whole premise, purpose, and organization is one of intentional deceit. Please support your integrity to truth and to facts.

I consider myself a media activist. I am for clearing up misinformation and exposing truths. And CCF is an ugly sore.

Thank you for your consideration.

If you could blog this, I'd also appreciate that.

- Stewart

Note: Make what you will from this. It sounds to me like the CCF is in the same league as PETA. I will continue linking to them, as well as PETA, when it is relevant to the post I am making at the time. Thanks for sending the email, Stewart.