NEA Communications Chief Resigns

(AP)  The controversial communications chief for the National Endowment of the Arts resigned Thursday after drawing fire from Republican senators for recruiting artists to create works that promoted President Barack Obama's policies, The Washington Post reported.

Yosi Sergant, who specialized in public relations in Los Angeles before coming to Washington, gained fame for his work during the presidential campaign with artist Shepard Farley and his HOPE poster of then-candidate Barack Obama. Sergant worked in the White House in the Office of Public Engagement before moving to the NEA in May, the Post reported.

Sergant came under fire from Fox News Channel commentator Glenn Beck, who accused Sergant of arranging two conference calls in August with United We Serve, which promotes the president's call for public service. The purpose of the meeting, Beck said, was to find artists who would create works that promoted Obama's policies.

Watch Katie Couric's exclusive interview with Glenn Beck.

Sergant's resignation came the day after 10 senators sent a letter to NEA chairman Rocco Landesmann seeking his assurance that taxpayer dollars had not been used in the August meetings and would not be used to promote Mr. Obama's health care policies, the Post reported.

The White House referred calls to the NEA. Calls to the NEA after business hours Thursday were not returned. No one answered at a Los Angeles phone number listed to Sergant.

[rccmaize1]

HERE WE GO WITH THE GOP NUT CASES IN CYBERSPACE.

THE SICKNESS OF HATE, FEAR, GREED AND CONTROL POWER HAS PUT IT SELF IN THE GHETTO OF LOST IN THE SYNAPSE OF THE GRAY MATTER OF THE DARK AGES WITH THE "RUPERT MERDOC" AND NEWS,INC WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FOX NATION OF PROPAGANDA.

THERE IS NOTHING LIBERAL ABOUT THIS IT IS CALLED CHOICE IT IS WHAT AMERCIA IS ALL ABOUT LEAST WE FORGET THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT DIED TO PRESERVE OUR FREEDOM.

NOTHING LIKE A REFORMED ACHOLIC AND OXI--COTEN DRUG ABUSER TO POINT THE FINGER AT OTHERS.

THIS GOP CYBERTRIBLISUM HAS THE NON-THINK LABEL OF CAVE MEN.

WE DARE BECAUSE IT HAS COMMUNICATED THAT SOMEONE HAS THE DESIRE TO TAKE AND WANTS MIND CONTROL OVER EVERYONE.

OF COURSE THIS IS JUST A THOUGHT FROM THE GREAT ARMADILLO "BARROW A. DILLO".

THE "CRO-MAGES" HAVE NEVER LEFT THEY ARE STILL HERE. THE SUIT,WITH A AMERCIAN FLAG AND A CROSS PINS SO GET A LIFE AND GO WALKABOUT FIND AMERICA TT

[kphx]

"arranging two conference calls in August with United We Serve, which promotes the president's call for public service."

How dare somone promotes public service. That is the last thing we need in this country. Need to keep the masses in the dust.

[surfcity5150]

How dare someone use tax payers money to promote a liberal presidential agenda...

[gramto8]

by surfcity5150 September 25, 2009 4:17 PM EDT
How dare someone use tax payers money to promote a liberal presidential agenda...
______________________________________

Fine! Then how about you guys paying back all of us LIBERALS who didn't want our tax dollars used to fund that blasted war so that Haliburton, etc. could gouge us. That was a right-wing administration using my dollars for their agenda!

[stn_sage]

I just LOVE the hypocrisy of the GOP! Under Bush, government was set up to promote Bush policy in most---if not all departments---and as often as possible!

They illegally got rid of prosecutors, they set up an office to promote religion (disregarding the separation of church and government), they used the FCC to crackdown on 'liberal' radio hosts, they had department heads requiring subordinates to promote his policies (against the rules), the list goes on and on! There's so many, one looses track of them!

But, now---especially since it's 'the other guys' who are in charge, they've made a NEW commitment to honesty in government!

How touching! How timely! How convenient! How republican!

[drputt45]

How demwitted political. Just because Bush did something wrong, it is ok for the democrats to do something wrong. Why can't they just do the right thing? Then, no one can complain.

[stuart-johns]

by drputt45 September 25, 2009 12:25 PM EDT
How demwitted political. Just because Bush did something wrong, it is ok for the democrats to do something wrong. Why can't they just do the right thing? Then, no one can complain.
===========================

That was the republican extremist freaks answer to our criticsm of Joe Wilson's outrageous behavior. They said, "Oh you do it to Bush so we can do it to Obama."

[alanrobisch]

He used public money to help promote Obama policies through the NEA.

[stuart-johns]

No. The article does not say that at all. So where do you get that from?? Being your usual passive/aggressive self I see.

[gomurr]

Get a clue people....it's all one party. And if you have been following this in the news, stuart-johns, that is exactly what they were doing....using endowments to get artists to promote Obama's policies. I don't care whose policies they are.....this is propaganda and if we want to preserve what freedom we have left, this kind of crap has to stop. Anyway, who said it's the governments job to fund artists? I am an artist myself and lived in an artist colony in Ca.for eight years.....we all did what we did and did whatever we had to to keep a roof over our heads. Taking government grants just gives them power over you.

[afmcalax]

We need to get a collective backbone. We cannot let the likes of Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh dictate policy. These are low-lifes whose only goal in life is to stir up their lemmings for additional riches and ratings. The offer nothing positive to the American experience. They only assure that the gutter hate and paybacks will continue on to all future administrations. As a society we need to rise above the sewer they want the discussion to remain in.

[democracy1]

You got THAT right!

[Marc_1986]

Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh can't dictate policy... They could have screamed and yelled all they wanted, and the NEA Comm Chief could have kept his job if he wanted to.

Him resigning out of the blue gives me the impression that something was going on that shouldn't have been.

[inketolstoy]

Beck strikes again. Does CBS ever get tired of reporting on stories he dug up?

[Marc_1986]

They are just trying to draft off his ratings hike.