text:
• Hunt asked News Corp for advice on phone hacking
• Cameron signed his texts "LOL" - lots of love
• Brooks and Cameron had "detailed discussion" over hacking
• Brown made "aggressive phone call to the Sun" after soldier letter
• Brooks and Osborne 'talked BSkyB over dinner'
• Brooks says New Labour advisors were "part of my life"
• Watch the hearing
17.20 Today's Leveson Inquiry live blog will now close. Please do keep checking the website and buy tomorrow's Daily Telegraph for all the latest insight into Rebekah Brooks' testimony. Thank you very much for joining us.
17.07 The Press Association writes:
Rebekah Brooks suffered more criticism and gossip about her relationship with Rupert Murdoch because she was a woman, she said today. Mrs Brooks said no one would write "the first thing" about her dealings with the media mogul if she was a "grumpy old man".
The former editor of The Sun and the News of the World told the Leveson Inquiry she would be hypocritical to complain about intrusion into her personal relationships, but a lot of the criticism and gossip she experienced was "gender-based".
16.57 It would be rude, really, to conclude the day without the input of Twitter comedians, who have begun the hashtag #popleveson to poke very gentle fun at Lord Leveson's style of questioning:
16.51 The Department of Culture, Media and Sport have commented on the Jeremy Hunt email accusations:
Jeremy Hunt will respond to this when he gives his evidence to the Leveson Inquiry in due course. He is confident that his evidence will vindicate the position that he has behaved with integrity on every issue. It has already been made clear that when Fred Michel has claimed in emails to be speaking to Jeremy Hunt that was not the case.On 11 July 2011 Jeremy Hunt wrote to Ofcom for further advice about the impact of phone hacking on the BSkyB bid.
16.42 Harriet Harman MP, Labour's Shadow Culture Secretary, has responded to the allegations that Jeremy Hunt asked Fred Michel to privately advise him and No. 10 on positioning on phone hacking.
People will be disgusted at the prospect of Jeremy Hunt and No. 10 colluding with News Corporation to avoid a public inquiry into phone hacking.Jeremy Hunt was not on the side of victims and their families. Instead, he wanted it swept under the carpet because he was straining every sinew to support News Corporation's bid for BSkyB.
The email, from Frederic Michael to Mrs Brooks, read in part:
"JH is now starting to looking to phone hacking/practices more thoroughly and has asked me to advise him privately in the coming weeks and guide his and No 10's positioning…"
16.27 Michael Deacon, Telegraph sketch writer, sums up his thoughts from today's hearing:
Worrying day for Osborne; very worrying for Jeremy Hunt; worrying by extension for David Cameron. But on the whole, not too bad a day for Mrs B, who dealt largely well with the questioning and for the most part came across - whatever else we may think of her career and behaviour - as articulate and composed. You could see why politicians wanted to have her as a friend - and why they would be very nervous about having her as an enemy. As for her apparant flirtatiousness with Robert Jay QC early on - sadly for the romantics among us, I don't think it's going to go anywhere...
16.16 A few final thought on today's Leveson Inquiry from commentators:
16.10 Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alistair Campbell replies personally to accusations Brown's team were better at spinning than him:
Presumably we'll hear from about this from him when he appears in front of Leveson next week.
16.01 ITV's Tom Bradby tweets:
16.00 Leveson thanks Mrs Brooks briefly. She is now packing up her files and it appears her involvement in the Inquiry has finished for today.
15.56 Lord Leveson brings the question back to the theme of whether papers respond or lead their readers again. "It's absolutely both," Mrs Brooks says.
15.51 How can one ensure there is sufficient openness and transparency so that everybody is satisfied all decisions are being made without influence that people don't know about, Lord Leveson asks. Mrs Brooks replies:
That's correct in terms of business and commercial interests. All I am saying - and I don't disagree with that - is from a journalist's perspective you're not trying to see a politician for your own or your company's interests; you're trying to get information. To put it at it's lowest, you're trying to get a good story.
I have never known a politician compromise their position, particularly, with their friendship with me or another executive
It is about enforcing the current laws, she says.
15.46 "It's been a difficult year," she admits, adding: "A lot of the question I've had from Mr Jay focus on the rather trivial side."
15.41 Another spat between Mrs Brooks and Mr Jay. They are referring to part of her statement, mentioning the prominence given to corrections.
Mrs Brooks begins: "Today you have put to me quite a few gossipy items..."
Mr Jay interrupts: "The same sort of stuff one read in the NotW and continues to read in the Sun."
"Well we're not in a tabloid news room now, are we?" Mrs Brooks snaps back. "This is an inquiry."
Still referring to the items written about her in the press, particularly in relation to her personal relationship with Murdoch, she adds:
I think a lot of it's gender based - if I was a grumpy old man of Fleet Street, no-one would write the first thing about it. I was not complaining. It would be the height of hypocrisy for me to mean that.
15.39 "I do have some regrets about the campaign, particularly the list of the convicted paedophiles we put ino the paper. I felt we had made a mistake by going just on an appearance on the sex offenders register, which was not necessarily the right criteria," she admits.
15.31 Mr Jay asks her to respond to the accusation at the time that the Sarah's Law campaign was "grossly irresponsible journalism":
I diagreed with it [the accusation] at the time, she says.
Why did you need to publish names and photographs, Mr Jay asks.
Because it was the point about information. When Sarah Payne went missing, I was surprised that the police team around the inquiry were pretty sure who they thought the perpetrator might be because he was a convicted paedophile living in the community who had just been released. It was news to me that convicted paeodophiles of that serious nature were allowed to live unchecked in the community and parents did not know about it.
She mentions America's Megan's law as inspiration behind it.
Mr Jay asks about reprisals:
"There were two that are written about," Mrs Brooks says "I don't think anyone could have predicted the paediatrician situation. I did not predict there would be a riot in Paulsgrove. I did not predict a member of the public would mistake a paedophile for a paediatrician."
Mr Jay is taking Mrs Brooks to task: "It is plain a a pikestaff" that reprisals like this would happen, he says. It was "sensationalised, designed to inflame and designed to improve your standing and the standing of the News of the World," he says.
"Mr Jay, you seem to have taken the attitude of the Guardian at the time," Mrs Brooks replies. "It is not my view."
15.27 The Inquiry resumes with a more general discussion about ethics. The ultimate responsibility for determining the "public good" lies with the editor, Mrs Brooks agrees. "Not sole responsibility", she adds.
An editor's judgment is a big part of their role.
Would you regard exposing private weaknesses of public figures as part of that?
Not necessarily, no, Mrs Brooks says. Not "when there didn't seem to be a public interest in doing so. There are many stories newspapers haven't run."
She gives the example of if there had been no trust broken between them and their constituents.
15.24 Gordon Rayner writes:
Jeremy Hunt faces fresh questions over his relationship with News Corporation after an email from its chief lobbyist claimed the Culture Secretary had asked him for "private" advice on the phone-hacking investigation to "guide his and No.10's positioning".
The same email shows that News Corp was given an "extremely helpful" tip-off by Mr Hunt's office that he would refer to phone-hacking in a statement to Parliament.
It was released to the Leveson Inquiry by Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, as part of her witness statement to the Inquiry.
As well as dragging Mr Hunt further into the row which has already claimed the scalp of his special adviser Adam Smith , the email makes uncomfortable reading for David Cameron, as it suggests his response to the phone-hacking scandal was being guided by the owner of the News of the World.
15.19 Commentators on Twitter have been discussing Mrs Brooks outfit, a rather demure black dress with a Peter Pan collar:
15.16 Lord Leveson has very charitably offered to give the court's shorthand writer a break - we'll be back soon.
15.11 Mrs Brooks now admits she did discuss Sharon Shoesmith with Ed Balls. Did you indicate you wanted her sacked, Mr Jay asks.
I did not tell Ed Balls to fire Sharon Shoesmith. It was very obvious from our paper - we had lauched a petition because the government were refusing to do anything about the situation.
15.08 Did the Sun launch an e-petition calling for people to be sacked over the Baby Peter case?
Did you phone Ed Balls and tell him to get rid of Sharon Shoesmith or you would "turn this thing on him"?
Did you have any conversation with him about it?
I'm sure I did, yes.
Was it the Sun's wish for the Sharon Shoesmith to resign?
Yes, among others.
You have to remember that this is 2006. This is only five years later that Mr Brown had ever said anything that he was in any way concerned about my behaviour, the behaviour of the Sun and how we handled it. After 2006, I continued to see them regularly.
I felt that Mr Brown's recollections of that time weren't the same as my own.
15.01 If the Brown's had asked me not to run the story, I wouldn't have done, Mrs Brooks says. With their permission was the "only way" they would have put it in the public domain.
14.59 It appears everyone is watching the Leveson Inquiry; even footballer Joey Barton. He takes a slightly firmer line than Mr Jay:
14.46 Now referring to the "Gordon Brown cystic fibrosis story", as Mr Jay calls it. He reads a Sun story revealing the source of the information was another suffering father, not confidential medical records - this refutes Mr Brown's accusations.
At the time we were absolutely satisfied that the father got the information through legitimate means and we were very sure about that.
Suggests it came through the involvement with a charity, but will not say any more because she fears it could lead to revealing his identity.
Lord Leveson interjects: "Mr Brown was concerned that information he thought was private entered the public domain. He felt that the way that must have happened was that the Sun had got hold of his records in some way. It's not unreasonable view for him to form, is it?
"It wasn't something he felt at the time," Mrs Brooks answers.
You didn't explain to him how you got it. Is that right?
"It was right, at the time."
Leveson is focusing on the phrase "false and a smear", from the Sun article, suggesting it is unfair: "He's just got it wrong".
Mrs Brooks says "I do see the point you're making", but that the context of the article was that Gordon Brown had spoken in the House and did an interview saying that the Sun had got the story from Fraser Brown's medical records.
These two attacks, which had never been raised by him in any way shape or form with News International, led the Sun to believe it was a smear: "That he was doing it five years later for a particular reason."
It is a terrible accusation for a former Prime Minister to make of a newspaper without being in possession of the facts.
14.44 I never saw any inappropriate conduct relating to the police, she says.
14.43 "The Inquiry has very little interest in the retired police horse," Mr Jay says. But was there any exchange between the work experience ofference to Dick Fedorccio's son and the acquisition of this horse?
"Absolutely not."
14.42 Senior police officers more inclined to go to a neutral location such as a restaurant, whereas politicians preferred to go to Wapping or their offices, she says.
14.39 Meetings with Dick Fedorccio were mainly on the issues of the day, or introducing a new commissioner, she says.
"We would often ring him with a story. He was in a position to steer us away from it or give us a comment, if it was right. There was an exchange of information."
He did not, she clarifies, bring stories into their office.
14.36 We now move onto meetings with the Metropolitan Police.
Documents show she did not meet with John Yates after December 2006.
"I don't think that's correct, I think I did meet him," says Brooks. "We hosted the police bravery awards every year for a start."
14.34 Were you the go-between in an increasingly fraught father-son relationship, Mr Jay asks.
No: "They were very happy to speak to each other", she says.
14.29 June 27, 2011. Michel emails Mrs Brooks to say Hunt will be making references to phone hacking in his statement on Rubicon later that week. He wants to prevent a public inquiry it says. Michel adds Mr Hunt was starting to look into phone hacking and practices more thoroughly and had asked him to liaise and assist them on how to respond.
The Telegraph's Gordon Rayner describes the fact Downing Street wanted News Corp's help on how to respond as a "bombshell".
In return, she asked him when the statement would be.
At the time I had a lot of my own concerns [had just handed over Harbottle Lewis files]. I obviously got this email, with a million others. I read it at the time and responded to find out when the Rubicon statement was. I think the email and my response speak for themselves really.
14.27 It was naive of me to believe the procedure would have been dealt with properly, she says, adding she had no reason not to believe that until Dr Cable made his comments relating to Sky.
14.23 I don't remember hearing anything from Mr Hunt directly on the bid, Mrs Brooks says.
She adds she had conversations with James and Rupert Murdoch to discuss the latest move of the anti-Sky bid alliance (ASB henceforth). I remember having to call Mr James Murdoch when the ASB commissioned a poll throught their PR agency, she says.
14.19 We are now hearing about the Fred Michel emails, relating to the BSkyB bid. In one, it mentions George Osborne's "total bafflement" at the response to an issues letter. This was sent the day after Mrs Brooks had dinner with Osborne, Mr Jay says:
My memory of the dinner was that it was a social occasion, Mrs Brooks says.
I probably brought it up, I can't remember, but at part of the dinner I would have discussed our frustrations at the time. We did discus it at that dinner ; not at any great length.
I think it was an entirely appropriate conversation. I was reflecting the opposite view that he had heard from pretty much every member of the anti-Sky alliance.
She says it was a three-minute conversation.
14.13 Referring to Fred Michel:
I think the truth is at the time of the BSkyB bid, I suppose like most journalists I viewed public affairs and lobbyists with slight scepticism. I often thought Mr Michel overegged his position. However he was doing his job, he was passing on information as lobbyists do.
I suppose because as journalists we would have quite direct contact with ministers in the course of our work, I always thought it was slightly strange that he had that level of access.
She clarifies: "Not slightly strange; Fred was very good at his job."
14.09 Relating to "discussions" with Cameron and Osborne over BSkyB,
I don't remember having a particularly forceful discussion with Mr Cameron on it, although my views were pretty clear.
Mr Cameron always made it pertty clear it was a quasi-judicial decision and it wasn't him. I think he had been lobbied by lots of other people. He was always very even-handed about it.
He was not particularly supportive of the BSkyB bid, but understood why we wanted to present our view, she says. Osborne never said he supported it explicitly, but he was "interested in our arguments."
"They would all say the same thing - it's not my decision", she added.
14.06 Moving on to MP Tom Watson, did you force a Sun journalist to write stories about Mr Watson that he knew were untrue, Jay asks?
Did you say something along the lines of "What am I going to do about this Tom Watson"?
"I may have done"
Says she did not use the Sun as a method of disparaging politicians she did not like.
14.04 We begin with a discussion about MP Chris Bryant. After he offered a negative opinion of News International, Mr Jay alleges Mrs Brooks told him: "Ah Mr Bryant its dark isn't it, shouldn't you be out in Clapham Common by now?"
Mrs Brooks denies it. Mr Jay refers to an "extremely rude" comment from her then-husband Ross Kemp, which Brooks also refutes.
14.03 The Inquiry is now back in session
13.49 Here is a more complete list of Mrs Brooks' meetings wih senior politicians, which she says were from her secretary's diary and "very incomplete".
•She met or dined with Mr Blair at least 30 times between 1998 and 2007, including three times in June 1998. But Ms Brooks said there were only around three occasions when they dined alone.
•After Mr Brown took over as Prime Minister in 2007, they met or dined at least five times including once at the Browns' home.
•Ms Brooks recorded one lunch and four dinners with Mr Cameron in 2010, after he had taken power. One was the widely-reported Christmas dinner party at the Brooks' Oxfordshire home on December 23.
13.36 Too many quips, too little time over on Twitter, where jokes abound on what now appears to be called #LOLgate:
13.33 That moment again: Video footage of Mrs Brooks telling the Leveson Inquiry she had to inform the Prime Minister that LOL means 'Laugh Out Loud' not 'Lots Of Love'
13.30 We now have a list of who will be appearing in front of the Leveson Inquiry next week, including former Home Secretary Jack Straw, spin doctor Alistair Campbell, former cabinet home secretary Lord O'Donnell, Sky news political editor Adam Boulton and former PCC chairman Lord Wakeham. The Press Association writes:
Former home secretary Jack Straw will give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry next week as it focuses on relationships between the press and politicians.
Mr Straw, who also served as justice secretary, will appear at the inquiry into press standards on Wednesday.
The first part of the inquiry, looking at the culture, practices and ethics of the press in general, is moving into its third module, on relationships between the press and politicians.
Last week eight Cabinet ministers - including Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt - were granted "core participant" status in the inquiry, giving them the right to see documents and statements in advance.
They are all expected to give evidence to the inquiry, as well as former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Emails released earlier in the inquiry prompted calls for the resignation of Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The emails, sent by News Corp lobbyist Frederic Michel, led to claims Mr Hunt secretly backed the Murdochs' BSkyB takeover bid.
But during opening statements into the third module yesterday, Lord Justice Leveson said he would not be ruling on whether Mr Hunt had breached the ministerial code.
Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who has already given evidence in a previous module, is to take to the witness box on Monday, along with former cabinet secretary Lord O'Donnell.
Sky News political editor Adam Boulton and former PCC chairman Lord Wakeham will appear on Tuesday.
On Thursday the inquiry will hear from Sir Harold Evans, editor of The Sunday Times from 1967 to 1981, as well as Peter Oborne, the Daily Telegraph's chief political commentator.
It is expected that former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, as well as Mr Cameron, will give evidence during this module of the inquiry.
Mr Cameron set up the Leveson Inquiry last July in response to revelations that the now-defunct News of the World hacked murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone after she disappeared in 2002.
The first part of the inquiry, sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, is looking at the culture, practices and ethics of the Press in general and is due to produce a report by October.
13.22 There is now video footage of Mrs Brooks speaking about Mr Cameron's supportive message after she left News International here
13.15 David Cameron is prepared to hand over text messages to Rebekah Brooks he signed off "lots of love" if he is asked for them by the Leveson Inquiry, Telegraph chief reporter Gordon Rayner writes:
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said he would "co-operate fully" with the Inquiry, to which he will give evidence in the coming weeks. He has not so far been asked for the communications by Lord Justice Leveson.
The onus fell on Mr Cameron to produce the emails and texts after Mrs Brooks told the Inquiry this morning that she does not have copies of the messages, because her access to her work email account was blocked when she resigned as News International chief executive in July last year.
Her BlackBerry only had six weeks' worth of texts saved on it, which included one message from Mr Cameron she was unable to open, she said.
13.09 TheTelegraph's Deputy Political Editor James Kirkup says David Cameron's love texts to Rebekah Brooks could mean votes Laugh Out Loud- at his expense
Oh dear. Oh dear me.
The Leveson Inquiry his heard that David Cameron sometimes signed text messages to Rebekah Brooks with "LOL", which he apparently intended to mean "Lots of Love".
Never mind the young-person humour about whether it actually means "laugh out loud" (no, me neither), this is deeply uncomfortable stuff for the PM.
In politics, few things are more damaging than ridicule. The real risk to Mr Cameron from his "LOL" texts isn't that voters will think he's been venal or corrupt. It's that they'll think he's been a bit silly.
13.07 You can now see video footage of Rebekah Brooks telling the Inquiry that Rupert Murdoch would speak to her "very frequently": "sometimes it could be every day"
13.06 Michael Deacon has outlined the frustrations of listening to some of the questions posed to Mrs Brooks:
This stuff about the influence, if any, of newspapers over their readers is all a bit Media Studies. A lot of these questions could be set on an exam paper. The answers, inevitably, don't tell us very much; they're the sort of question that prompt an "On the one hand... But on the other hand..." type of answer
13.03 The Inquiry is now breaking for lunch, and will resume again at 2pm.
13.02 "Can you understand why it might be a matter of public concern that a very close relationship between journalists and politicians might create certain pressures on the press who have the megaphone and the politicians who have the policy decisions," Lord Leveson asks.
Mrs Brooks says she can understand it.
13.01 Michael Deacon writes:
No flirtatiousness in the air now. All getting a bit terse and huffy, as if Mrs B and Mr Jay were a couple still simmering over a row about whose fault it was they got lost for half an hour on the drive to Alton Towers
12.58 Mrs Brooks discussed the Human Rights Act with Dominic Grieve, then shadow-Home Secretary at a Shadow Cabinet dinner. He made the legal point that a British Bill of Rights would be very difficult to do.
The conversation was quite heated, Mrs Brooks said: "I admired him standing up to his colleagues like that and in the end he's turned out to be correct."
Mr Jay tells her she later told Mr Cameron: "You can't have someone like that as Home Secretary, he won't appeal to our readers - move him. and that's what happened."
Mrs Brooks denies this.
12.56 Were you part of a strategy of the paper putting pressure on the government with this implied threat, Lord Leveson asks.
"The word threats is too strong", Mrs Brooks says. "Persuasion" is a better word, she suggests.
The McCanns were deeply upset there hadn't been a review. It seems incredibly unfair they hadn't got this review. So we said we'll join forces with you. Dominic Mohan and his reporters went away and came up with a campaign...to try and convince the government or the Home Secretary that a review would be the right thing to do.
When a review was announced, the Sun had won, Mr Jay asks.
I think Dominic Mohan said "the McCann's had won" actually, Mrs Brooks says.
12.50 You told Number 10 that unless a review was ordered you would put Theresa May on the front page every day until the Sun's demsnds were met, Mr Jay says. Is that true?
Is any part of that true?
"No. I did not say that."
12.44 Mr Jay is now moving on to the serialisation of the McCann book.
The reason I was involved as chief executive was because it involved two newspapers - the Sunday Times and the Sun - so if you like I did the deal from a corporate point of view. I had always got on very well with Dr McCann and Kate McCann throughout their incredibly traumatic time. In fact, I think if asked they would be very positive about the Sun, actually. In this case I thought Dominic Mohan's idea to run the campaign for a review of Madeleine's case was the right thing to do.
My intervention was at that point. I don't think I spoke to Theresa May directly but I'm pretty sure Dominic Mohan may have done.
You asked if there as anything else they wanted, Mr Jay says. Gerry McCann said he wanted a UK police review of the case. Do you remember your answer being "is that all?"
I think I might have said it more politely, Mrs Brooks said, but "maybe, yes."
12.41 Journalists do try to be empathetic otherwise no-one will tell them anything, Mrs Brooks smiles.
I hope to be empathetic in life to people, yes.
Some politicians may even be scared of you, Mr Jay ventures.
I don't see politicians as these easily scared people. Most of them are pretty strong, ambitious and highly motiviated, so...
12.40 We all have lots of different friends, Mrs Brooks explains: "I don't think I ever forgot I was a journalist and I don't think they ever forgot they were a politician."
12.38 Politicians have wanted access to senior journalists for decades. Mrs Brooks says.
You were in possession of a megaphone that would be of use to them, Mr Jay suggests.
Politicians were very keen to put their case to me and the team at the Sun because of the large readership, Mrs Brooks insists.
12.36 Brooks was close to Murdoch and he trusted her implicitly, she agrees. "A lot of politicians wanted to put their case to Mr Murdoch," she says.
A short but robust exchange:
In order to get close to Murdoch, in practice they had to get close to you, Mr Jay says. Is that true?
Why not?
"Because it's not true."
I was the editor of a newspaper with a wide readership with an exceptional percentage of floating voters.
I don't think that people ever thought that to get to Mr Murdoch they had to go through me.
12.35 Blair would often complain about our attitude to Europe. Many Home Secretaries would regularly complain about campaigns, Mrs Brooks said:
I think that was correct. Our role was to hold them to account of certain issues.
12.34 Mrs Brooks says she was surprised to hear Tony Blair describing the media as a "feral beast". He did not communicate those concerns to her, the Inquiry hears.
12.32 Cherie Blair spoke to her about media coverage:
I think Cherie Blair was concerned she felt a lot of her coverage was quite sexist. But she's not the first high-profile female to think that about the UK media. She sometimes felt it was quite cruel and personal about her weight and concentrated on those things rather than her charity work and things she was going to do.
12.29 Never really had a conversation with a politician about the BBC license fee, she says. Can't remember a conversation where they discussed the PCC.
12.19 We are now hearing about the BSkyB deal.
You are "extremely well connected to very senior politicians across the range," Lord Leveson says. "Wouldn't your view as to how it might work out, how it might play, be of extreme value?"
It was never quite put in those terms, but I did have an informal role. Mainly after the formation of the - if we can call it that - "anti-Sky bid alliance". That in some ways brought News International into what was a News Corporation transaction. Once they formed that alliance and were using their own news outlets to promote their view and lobby politicians, I suppose I did get involved. But not the deal or the strategy behind it.
12.17 "Lots of love" is already trending on Twitter. As is "Leveson", "LOLgate", "Cameron" and "Laugh Out Loud"
12.16 Mrs Brooks says she has never been to Cameron's home in the countryside. Once George Osborne was present at a dinner at her own. And, as previously mentioned, Elizabeth Murdoch's 40th birthday party at her home.
12.12 Moving on to phone hacking. Around 2010 there was a conversation between Brooks and Cameron about the number of civil cases coming in.
He was "probably" concerned it went further than Goodman and Mulcaire.
"I was a general discussion. I think it had been in the news that day, maybe about the civil cases. He had asked me about it and I responded accordingly."
It was not related to concerns about Coulson: "Not in that instance".
In any other instance?
"No," she says.
12.08 Did not make calls to his constituency home. Did go to private birthday party for him in 2010.
12.07 Cameron would sign his texts "DC", in the main.
Occasionally he would sign them off LOL - lots of love - until I told him it meant laugh out loud. And then he didn't sign them off like that any more.
Mrs Brooks looks slightly embarrassed at this disclosure.
12.06 How often did you meet with him socially?
Three or four times in the first five months of 2010?
Did you contact share your opinion after the election debates?
"Like everybody I felt the first one wasn't very good. But that was it."
Did you text other two leaders?
"I didn't text Gordon Brown no."
12.03 Moving on to text messages with Cameron. Mr Jay asks how frequent they were.
Up to a dozen times a day
"No, thankfully"
A handful of times a day?
"No. It's preposterous. One would hope he would have better things to do. I would text Mr Cameron and vice versa on occassion, like a lot of people.
Probably more between Jan 2010 and during election campaign, she says. On average, once a week. This was to do with organisations: meeting up; arranging to speak; sometimes my own personal comment on perhaps a TV debate.
11.57 Mr Jay asks about another conversation Mr Brown had with Rupert Murdoch, mentioned during his evidence. "I had similar, not threats made, but similar comments about the Sun abandoning Labour. Hostile comments. So when Murdoch told me his conversation, it didn't surprise me," Mrs Brooks says.
What did Mr Murdoch tell you?
"Exactly what he told the Inquiry," she confirms.
She sums up her conversation with Mr Brown; "Incredibly aggressive and very angry."
Mr Jay asks whether she feared Brown would win the election and could harm News International's commercial interests.
"It didn't occur to me that they [the threats] were real or proper. I just dismissed them I suppose. it didn't occur to me at the time that Mr Brown and his colleagues would devote their time to carrying out those threats."
11.55 Mr Jay mentions Hillsborough as an example of when readers have voted with their feet and not bought the paper. Mrs Brooks adds Princess Diana's death as another.
11.52 "Obviously I'm going to object to prying intrusively," Brooks says. "That is not the policy. Your premise was that this was the culture and I was just disputing that"
I don't think it's fair to say that politicians live in fear of newspapers. They are hugely motivated and ambitious people and they are not scared easily. That's like saying they are afraid of the readership, or the electorate.
11.48 Brown rang Mrs Brooks after the Sun ran a story on a letter he sent to a bereaved mother, whose son had been killed in Afghanistan. The conversation was "quite tense". She said: "It was a private coversation but the tone of it was quite aggressive."
Quite rightly he was hurt by the projection nd the headline that had been put on the story. Quite rightly, in his defence, he suspected or thought this may be a way in which the Sun was going to behave. I assured him that it asn't, this was a mistake, the headline was too harsh and this was not the way the paper was going to behave.
This refers to a letter Mr Brown had written to a bereaved mother, which had contained spelling mistakes.
Says Mr Brown's fears of a personal attack were understandable.
The fact that it resulted in such an extraordinarily aggressive conversation shows that it doesn't happen all the time. I remember it very clearly from the nature of it.
11.47 Michael Deacon jokes:
Plenty of lunches between Mrs B and David Cameron, but also worth noting that, in September 2010, during the Labour leadership campaign, one Ed Miliband - the self-proclaimed defender of the civilised world against the dark forces of Rupert Murdoch - had lunch with her too. That's the way, Ed! Bring 'em down over a nice chablis!
11.45 Did she speak to Mr Cameron?
No. "My main concern was to speak to Mr Brown. I felt it was the right thing to do to speak to Mr Brown before anybody else.
What was her motive?
"General courtesy. I thought it was the right thing to do. Mr Brown and his wife were due to come to a News International party that night and I wanted to get hold of them beforehand."
Did you leave a series of messages for Brown and Mandelson?
"Series" it too many, but did leave one.
Was he [Mandelson] angry or not?
"Depending on how you heard it, "chump" could be quite an offensive word. He seemed quite angry, but not surprised."
11.43 We have had a tradition of being bold and dramatic in our politics, Brooks says
11.42 Main responsibility was to readership, Brooks says.
"We knew there would be certain individuals in the Labour Party who would not be happy with the decision."
Trevor Kavanagh, Tom Newton-Dunn, editor Dominic Mohan - the journalists - all involved in decision
11.40 "Please stick to the question Mrs Brooks," Jay chides. "Don't give us ancient history."
The conversation is becoming increasingly tense.
11.39 The reason for doing it when they did hinged on Mr Brown's party conference speech:
"The key was that he spent less that two minutes on Afghanistan. We felt that was the right timing in order to distance ourselves," she says.
11.35 Was Cameron told he would be supported within the party conference season?
I wasn't there at the drink he had with James Murdoch, but I think they had a discussion over a drink about what we would do, Mrs Brooks says. The conversation was not with David Cameron or his advisors.
"I was certainly instrumental in it. Ultimately Rupert Murdoch's the boss but I was instrumental in it," she says. But not the driving force.
11.34 Mr Jay is pressing her on whether she took notice of the polls - the question we have heard many times at this Inquiry of whether they reflect readers' opinions or form them.
Jay is also rather gently but sternly ticking Mrs Brooks off to straying off topic
Back in June, the main discussion was more that we had lost things to support Mr Brown's government on and what did that mean.
We probably hadn't written one editorial in support of the government for some time.
11.30 In September 9, 2009, James Murdoch told Cameron over a drink that the Sun would support Conservatives, the Inquiry hears.
Brooks said she knew of the decision around June 2009. Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch and Brooks had started to have discusions, she said.
11.25 On the subject of Mr Cameron and Murdoch meeting in on holiday in Santorini, Greece, she "isn't sure" whose idea it was. She was there celebrating Elizabeth Murdoch's birthday and did meet Cameron.
He stayed for an afternoon and an evening: "I think that's all".
I was witness to one conversation with him and Mr Murdoch abuot Europe. Beause we were in Europe. Very general terms. He had subsequent other conversations when I wasn't around. It wasn't a formal sit-down conversation. However the one I was witness too, I happened to be there when they were talking about Europe - I was brought into the conversation.
It was a very cordial meeting. It went well.
At that point, you weer quite friendly with Mr Cameron, Mr Jay says.
Refers to NYE party at husband's farm - it was her sister-in-law's party, she says.
The Brooks family had a family connection with the Camerons before I came along
She accepts he became her friend too.
11.22 We're back, now discussing Andy Coulson's job.
What was your reaction, Mr Jay asks.
"I probably said well done", Mrs Brooks replies. "He'd had to resign from the NOTW and he'd found a good job...as a friend I was pleased for him. "
Were you at all surprised?
"Not really. Journalists are good communicators. There's along history of journalists going into politics and it didn't occur to me this was any different."
11.21 The Press Association writes:
After she became editor of the Sun, in which she admitted Rupert Murdoch had a hand, she spoke to the mogul "frequently", Mrs Brooks said.
She revealed that the tycoon "liked X Factor", despite arguing for coverage of serious issues over celebrity, and also quashed a rumour that the pair used to swim together when he was in London.
Mrs Brooks also denied that, after she was arrested in 2005 over an alleged assault on her husband, Mr Murdoch sent a dress to the police station where she was being held. She was later released without charge and the police took no further action.
The inquiry heard that former prime minister Tony Blair attended a surprise party thrown for Mrs Brooks by Mr Murdoch, but she said she could not remember whether Mr Cameron was there, though it was possible he was.
She told the inquiry she met Mr Blair in 1995 after he became leader of the Labour Party, and their meetings became more frequent throughout his decade as premier.
They met formally, informally and socially, and often spoke on the telephone, she said, admitting they became "friendly".
But she said there were no emails or texts because "he did not have a mobile phone or in fact I think use a computer when he was prime minister".
In a written statement she said she became close friends with Mr Blair and his wife, Cherie, as well as his spin doctor Alastair Campbell and his partner, Fiona Millar.
11.19 The Inquiry is taking a short break. As ever, sketch writer Michael Deacon captures the atmosphere at the Royal Courts of Justice:
During the five-minute interval, some reporters (all right, mainly me) are joking about how coquettish and flirty Mrs B seems. "Ooh, you haven't asked about my birthday present! ...Ooh, you need better sources, Mr Jay! ...Ooh, Bobby, you are a tease! Tee-hee-hee!" (I should probably add that these aren't direct quotes, obviously...)
11.11 Read Rebekah Brooks' witness statement in full here
11.07 Moving on to her social circle, referring to her friendship with "Wendi Murdoch, Elizabeth Murdoch and at one stage Sarah Brown."
"We all knew each other but we didn't meet as a group like that very often", she clarifies. "Probably once."
11.05 Leveson asks what they did to determine their readers views.
Using the example of Afghanistan, she says "We are considered to be a very pro-armed forces paper. We were getting an incredible amount of feedback from troops on the grounds and military here."
Every editor uses his or her own judgment in putting the paper together and what campaigns we should follow . Hopefully we get it right. It's an instinct.
We have a particularly close interaction with Sun readers. Every year I'd go on holiday in a £9.50 holiday park with Sun readers [and staff]. We'd go through their emails. The letters we get from them are always looked at.
It's almost a sackable offence to be rude to a reader. We have readers riging up asking directions for somewhere.
11.03 "There were a few issues - particularly Afghanistan - which we had, on behalf of our readers, fallen out with Gordon Brown's goverment," Mrs Brooks tells the Inquiry.
"We had fallen out with each other but I still saw him," she adds. "We were running out of ways to support Mr Brown's government."
11.01 Mr Jay showing a rare flash of part frustration, part amusement as he clashes with Mrs Brooks over sources: "You won't reveal your sources and I won't reveal mine," he tells her.
"Well I think your source might be John Prescott," she fires back. "And it's wrong."
"We can play this game all day," she adds.
11.00 Michael Deacon writes:
Whatever else you think of her, Mrs Brooks is charismatic, self-assured and amusing. You can see how she was able to make friends with so many powerful politicians. Well, that and the fact they were desperate for her newspapers' approval, of course. That may have had something to do with it too
10.54 Brooks does not remember having a prior discussion about which party the Sun would support.
She is now speaking about the famous chimney at Wapping, which changed colour smoke to indicate which party they were supporting.
"It was funny at the time," she jokes.
10.50 Michael Deacon writes:
Gordon Brown's been getting it in the neck a bit, the past couple of days at Leveson. Yesterday Andy Coulson sardonically dismissed his predictions (about Coulson being given the Sun editor's job) as "pretty hopeless", and suggested that Brown didn't know as much about the workings of the Murdoch inner circle as he claimed. Now Mrs Brooks has just said that Brown and his adviser Charlie Whelan were much more "masters of spin" than Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell. We're seeing an awful lot of Mrs Brooks's playful smile here
10.43 You were on Mr Blair's side not Brown's side, Mr Jay states.
Neither. I'm on the side of the readers.
In the latter years of Blair's prime ministership, the hostilities between him abd Brown got increaingly worse. There did become a Blair camp and a Brown camp. On particular issues, for example the welfare reform bill, hostilities were such that it didn't get through. You would have an insight into how those hostilities affected it.
"I was friends with Sarah Brown, who is an amazing lady," she says, but not Gordon Brown at the end
You played with an entirely neutral bat?
This wasn't a playground spat. We were a newspaper looking after the real, serious concerns of our readers. It wasn't that I would stand on one side of the playground and Alan Rusbridger [Guardian Editor] would stand on the other. Every issue, every feud, was analysed by the media in a just and proper way.
Would the Sun be the first to receive scoops?
I like to think so, but this is down to great political journalist and great sources, Brooks says. "Not all of them [the stories] were particularly pleasant."
You don't reveal your sources," she adds.
10.38 Blair's staff were a "constant presence" in Brooks' life, the Inquiry hears. She thinks "they made sure it was".
Campbell's appointment is key, she believes.
I think that they made a shift change from the John Major government into trying to get as much access to the press as possible. I think the point of New Labour embracing the media in a different way was cos they felt they had a very big story to tell about the changes they wanted to make or had made.
On the press' side, access to politicians gave greater insight, she suggests. "You can find out quite easily what's going on and hold them to account for it."
Compromising jobs for friendship on either side is a failing, she says.
Says Gordon Brown and Charlie Whelan were more the "masters of spin" than Blair and Campbell.
See video of her speaking about it here
10.35 Were you embarrassed when Mr Murdoch indicated you were his priority (to the press during the NOTW scandal)?
I wasn't at the time because I didn't think that was what he was saying. He was being asked lots of different questions. I took it to mean 'this issue'. It was only the next day when I saw how it could have been interepreted that I realised.
10.43 The Telegraph's Michael Deacon writes:
Incidentally, outside the Royal Court of Justice this morning, where the Leveson Inquiry is held: an artist has propped up a painting he's done of Rebekah Brooks naked on a horse. Whether Mrs Brook posed for the portrait, I'm afraid it slipped my mind to ask. Also outside: a pantomime horse, apparently sent by the fun-loving chaps at the Daily Mirror
10.31 Mr Jay presents a series of rumours to test whether they are true:
You and Mr Murdoch used to swim together when he was in London?
•No, it isn't
Nov 2005, Brooks was arrested for alleged assault on ex-husband. You had been to Matthew Freud's 42nd birthday. You kept Mr Murdoch waiting for a breakfast meeting and he sent a dress to the police station?
• No. "You need better sources, Mr Jay", she jokes.
There was a 40th birthday for you at Murdoch's house?
Politicians present?
•Some. "It was a surprise party. I know Mr Blair was there. I'm not sure if Mr Cameron was - possibly."
Mr Jay says he will refrain from asking about her birthday present.
"You've asked me about swimming, please ask me about the birthday present," she laughs, shaking her head.
10.30 Murdoch would speak to her "very frequently" when she was Sun editor. "Sometimes it could be every day". Mainly when he wasn't in the country.
10.25 Newspaper editors are an unelected force, Mr Jay tells her.
"I don't view editors as unelected forces," she says. She views them as journalists.
There is no doubt that newspaper editors and proprietors are a powerful porce, Mr Jay insists.
I understand, sir, what you're saying. What I'm trying to say is part for newspaper like the Sun your power is your readership. It's not an individual power; its a readership power. I think that's very important. At the Sun, the reader is most powerful. Every day the readers can unelect us as newspapers.
Newspapers can present things with spin, Mr Jay says.
"I wouldn't say spin, I would say attitude," she replies.
10.22 Mr Jay asked whether the Sun reflected Murdoch's views. Mrs Brooks recalls his statement saying "If you want to see my views, read the Sun".
"I don't think he was being totally literal about that", she says. Believes the Sun reflects its readers.
10.21 Les Hinton was the one who offered her the job - she spoke to Murdoch later.
10.20 There were parts of the Human Rights Act we campaigned against at the Sun
10.19 Rupert Murdoch likes X-Factor, she reveals
10.15 Moving on to Murdoch.
Brooks says he is more interested in the Sun in terms of political issues, but also applied to the NOTW when she was there. He would have been aware of her political views, she says.
"In some areas" her views differ to his.
"We disagreed about quite a few things. More in the margins of it rather than the principles. We had a lot of disagreements but in the main, on the big issues, we had similar views.
Explains this includes environment, DNA database, immingration, top up frees, the amount of celebrity, columnists. "I liked more celebrity and he wanted more serious issues," she explains.
10.13 How did these message get into the public domain?
We have a strong, free press, Mrs Brooks says. "Journalists doing their job".
10.11 Where there any emails or texts from Mr Cameron or Mr Osborne?
"No, although when we got the image back there was one from Mr Cameron that was compressed. There's no content in it."
Did you receive any messages of commiseration or support?
"Some. Mainly indirectly. I had some indirect message from some politicians." She explains these were from some Tories and a couple (very few) Labour politicians.
Mr Jay asks her to please be clearer. She elaborates they came from Number 10, Number 11, Home Office and Foreign Office. Received one from Tony Blair
Mr Brown "was probably getting the bunting out", she jokes.
Confirms she did receive a text from Cameron "along the lines" of the "keep your head up" message.
10.10 Mrs Brooks has had no access to work emails since she left: she believes these were blocked. Says her blackberry was imaged by her legal team after it was returned to her from the MPS. Contained about six weeks of emails and about a month of texts. "We had to image them and we had some problems with that," she adds.
10.08 She clarifies she is under police investigation. Lord Leveson says he is grateful for the time she has put into producing her statements.
10.07 Mr Jay takes her through the timeline of her career. She replies "yes sir", adding a few date corrections in as requested.
10.06 With little introduction, Mr Jay instructs her to look at the witness statements in front of her
10.04 Rebekah Brooks is now being sworn in
09.59 The cheeky people at Popbitch are offering a "Rebekah Text Bingo" game for viewers to play along with today's hearing
09.56 Sky News is reporting that Tony Blair sent Mrs Brooks a "Good luck" text before she appeared at CMS phone hacking
09.55 In 2003, Mrs Brooks appeared before a Commons Select Committee, where she admitted the NOTW paid police for information, before Andy Coulson clarified: "We operate within the code and the law."
09.53 There is a more detailed profile of Mr and Mrs Brooks here
09.51 Earlier this week, it emerged Mr Cameron sent Mrs Brooks a supportive text after she resigned over the phone hacking scandal, teling her to "keep her head up"
09.48 Mrs Brooks' former boss, former NOTW editor Phil Hall, has told the Telegraph how he first introduced her to Rupert Murdoch
09.47 Mrs Brooks arrived at the Inquiry shortly before 9 o'clock, apparently only to be greeted by a pantomime horse
09.44 In terms of her personal connections, Mrs Brooks and her husband Charlie are key members of the influential Chipping Norton set, which also includes Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, and Mr Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth and her PR guru husband Matthew Freud. She was said to have been close to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, with both David Cameron and Gordon Brown attending her wedding.
09.40 While we wait for Mrs Brooks to appear, it may be helpful to briefly outline of her career thus far:
• Born on May 27 1968, Mrs Brooks grew up in Warrington, Cheshire
• She studied at the Sorbonne, Paris
• She then landed a job as a secretary at Eddie Shah's Messenger Group and persuaded employers to let me become a reporter.
• In 1989, she moved to the News of the World's Sunday magazine.
• In 1998, she was sent to the Sun
• In 2000, she became editor of the News of the World aged just 31.
• In 2003 she became the first woman to edit the Sun
• In 2009 became News International chief executive.
09.35 She has already been arrested as part of the criminal investigation into practices at the News of the World, which closed in the wake of phone hacking allegations. Lord Leveson will not, therefore, will not be able to question her on the subject and the Inquiry is expected to steer clear of all references to the subject. Instead, today's hearing will focus on the relationship between politicians and the press. As she is a personal friend of David Cameron and is said to be extremely well-connected, it is hoped her evidence will shed a great deal of light on the topic.
09.31 Today, we will hear from Rebekah Brooks, 43, who has worked for News Corporation and Rupert Murdoch for more than half her life. She has edited the News of the World, the Sun and until recently was chief executive of News International.
09.30 Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Leveson Inquiry into the relationship with the press and the police.
Lord Justice Leveson
Read our past live coverage of the Inquiry:
Rupert Murdoch at the Leveson Inquiry: as it happened April 26
Rupert Murdoch at the Leveson Inquiry: April 25
James Murdoch at the Leveson Inquiry: April 24
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened March 20
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened March 15
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened March 13
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened March 12
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened March 7
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened March 6
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened March 5
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened March 1
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened February 29
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened February 28
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened February 27
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened February 9
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened February 8
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened February 7
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened February 6
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 31
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 26
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 25
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 24
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 23
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 18
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 17
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 16
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 12
Leveson Inquiry: as it happened January 11
For coverage before these dates, visit our Leveson Inquiry and phone hacking archives.


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As a second year PhD student, I'm always on the lookout for advice on how to thrive while working on that Dr. title. I know there will be times when the research isn't going great and I'm so frustrated that just getting through the week without moving to the Grand Canyon to be a river guide is all I can hope for. But in general, I'm hoping that the next few years will be one of the exciting, stimulating, challenging, and rewarding periods of my life.
I recently attended a panel of more senior bioengineering PhD students (and one recent grad!) and got a chance to ask some of my burning questions about happiness, productivity, and making important decisions. The four students on the panel had very different opinions on almost everything, but there was one thing they could all agree on: PhD work is more emotionally than intellectual challenging. Oof! That was tough news for my starry-eyed, optimistic 2nd year self.
They also all agreed that culture and personality are some of the most important aspects when picking a lab. 'You can be doing great research and not be happy', they all warned. 'It's easier to get interested in a new project than get happy'. Ok, got it. Make my happiness my top priority. But how do I decide between two advisors who I think would be great? One student had this to say about picking an advisor: "As a rotation student, if you really want to figure out what your advisor is like, have an argument before you join the lab." She went on to say that the student has a lot of responsibility for her relationship with her PI, "You really have to know yourself well to know what you need. Don't go in there expecting them to run the show. If you need frequent meetings, ask for frequent meetings. Whatever your lab starts out as, you may have the ability to shift the norms."
Ok, got a great advisor. Now how can I be more productive? One student emphatically stated, "Don't put off stuff if you can do it today! If you're really dreading it, do it now!" That same student plans out all of her experiments four months in advance and gives herself hard deadlines. She communicates the deadlines with her PI, but gives herself some cushion time. "'I might tell him, 'I'll have this to you by March 1', but really I know it will be done by February 10th. That way you are always getting things done before you say you will." Because I tend to work best right up against a deadline, I'll probably end up not giving myself that cushion time, but I like the concept of setting deadlines that will help you to work at your most efficient pace.
One of my favorite pieces of advice on productivity was from another student: "Start to trust yourself more. It can take a while to learn to trust your opinions and thought process, but as soon as you tackle that, you can move on to more interesting problems."
Hopefully by the end of this multi-year journey, I'll have some gems of wisdom to offer like these students did. Until then, I'm going to start planning my experiments and pick a fight with my advisor…. just kidding. I'm going to work on that top priority, my happiness, and rub my golden retriever's belly.
And here are some pictures of my puppy that might make you happy too:


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Boone County first responders get free lunch as a thank you
Related Story
COLUMBIA - The AW Smith Law Firm in Columbia held a First Responders Appreciation Day Thursday.
The law firm offered a free lunch to Boone County first responders that came out to the event.
Jeff Page of AW Smith said this is the company's 10th year in business and to celebrate it wanted to give back to the community.
"We wanted to tell the first responders personally that we care about them and that there are people in the community that care about them," Page said.
He also said it is important for people in the community to see the support the firm is giving first responders.
"We think it is important for our community to see we are getting behind these guys and we support and care about them, because that is what makes our city better," Page said.
He said first responders often get a lot of negative attention and he felt it was important to show that is not always the case.
"We wanted to give back back to those people that make the community a safer place," Page said.
Dozens of first responders from around Columbia and the county came to the event.


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Lake Elmo, MN (CNN)-In her campaign for president, Michele Bachmann touts her background as a small business owner.
"A small business job creator," is how the Minnesota Congresswoman and Republican Presidential candidate described herself in her first campaign ad in Iowa.
That business is Bachmann and Associates. It's a Christian counseling service located outside Minneapolis. Bachmann started the center with her husband, Marcus who is the lead counselor at the clinic. The aspiring first couple and their children are pictured on the center's web site.
For at least five years, Bachmann and Associates has faced accusations it uses a controversial therapy that encourages gay and lesbian patients to change their sexual orientation.
Andrew Ramirez, a former patient at Bachmann and Associates, said in an interview with CNN he witnessed the practice first-hand. In 2004, Ramirez turned to the clinic at the urging of his mother who wanted him to talk about his homosexuality.
Just 17 at the time, Ramirez said he was immediately skeptical of what one of the clinic's counselors told him.
"It was therapy that would help me change from being homosexual to straight," Ramirez said. "If I did this and worked his therapy program, God would perform a miracle and I could no longer be gay," Ramirez added he was told.
Ramirez was assigned a therapy program consisting of prayer, reading Bible passages, and mentoring with an ex-lesbian minister. If none of that worked, Ramirez said the counselor had another suggestion.
"Not acting out on my same sex attractions and living a life of celibacy," Ramirez said.
After the second session, Ramirez told his mother, Beth Shellenbarger, he wanted to stop the therapy.
"And I could just hear his voice quiver and I just said, 'you know, Andy, if you're good with being gay then I am too,'" Shellenbarger said.
The American Psychological Association is sharply critical of efforts by counselors to change a patient's sexual orientation, what's known in the mental health community as "reparative therapy."
"There is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation," one APA report said.
Marcus Bachmann has suggested parents of gay teenagers can turn to religion for help.
In an interview last year with the "Point of View" talk radio program, Bachmann was asked how parents should deal with a teenager who thinks he or she is gay.
"I think you clearly say 'what is the understanding of God's word on homosexuality,'" Bachmann said. "We have to understand barbarians need to be educated. They need to be disciplined and just because someone feels it or thinks it doesn't mean we're supposed to go down that road," he continued.
In 2006, Bachmann denied his clinic engaged in reparative therapy to "City Pages," a Minneapolis newspaper. "That's a false statement," Bachmann said. "If someone is interested in talking to us about their homosexuality, we are open to talking about that. But if someone comes in a homosexual and they want to stay homosexual, I don't have a problem with that," he continued.
This week, a gay rights group called "Truth Wins Out" released to CNN a hidden camera video recorded by one of its activists who posed as a patient at Bachmann and Associates.
In the video reviewed by CNN, a counselor can be heard suggesting homosexuality can be treated at the center, to varying degrees of success.
"You can actually leave homosexuality completely and become heterosexual?" the undercover activist asked on the video. "Definitely," the counselor responded. "It's happened before. It really has," the counselor added.
But the counselor cautioned he is not an expert on the subject.
"I don't have a ton of experience with this. I mean, a little bit here and there," the counselor added.
Michele Bachmann has a long history of controversial views on homosexuality.
As a senator in the Minnesota legislature in 2004, Bachmann called for an amendment to the state constitution that would block gay marriages in other states from being recognized in Minnesota.
"If we allow this to happen, group marriage, polygamy, and much worse would not be far behind," Bachmann said in a video to her supporters.
In an appeal to socially conservative Iowa voters earlier this month, she signed a "Marriage Vow" pledge that also equated same sex couples with polygamists.
Both Bachmann and her husband declined to discuss the clinic's practices. A secretary at the clinic referred all questions to the Bachmann presidential campaign. A sign on the center's door says "no media."
A statement released by her presidential campaign said the Bachmanns were unable to comment on the clinic's practices out of respect for its patients.
"The Bachmann's are in no position ethically, legally, or morally to discuss specific courses of treatment concerning the clinic's patients," the statement said.
The issue has followed Bachmann onto the campaign trail. Asked about the clinic's practices at an event in Iowa Monday, Bachmann dodged the question.
"Well, I'm running for the presidency of the United States. And I'm here today to talk about job creation," Bachmann told WHO-TV. "We're very proud of the business that we've created," she added.
This is not news as her husband is so utterly insignificant (or small...literally) in all accounts. What should be noted is Michelle signed off on a certain piece of lit which compared a child in a same sex family being worse off than a child born into slavery. From what I understand she later recanted because "she didn't read thru all the materials before signing off on it". IMHO this is the news that matters for someone who is vying for a presidential run.
How is discussing specific treatments a violation of patient's privacy? As long as you don't mention them by name, there is nothing wrong with saying "We treated patient X through therapies such as counseling and yoga". It seems to me that this is simply an excuse to hide what they were really doing.
Bachmann is a piece of work.
I have known many people that were supposly Gay that went straight. Once the darkness was exposed they saw the light. Many were forced into homosexual relationships and the darkness made them blind to the situation. Once the darkness was exposed they changed. Now I know this will fire up the 2% of the population that is GAY. The darkness will raise its ugly head when it is challanged.Never seen a baby born with a rainbow flag in its hand.................
Bachman's ideas are frightening and the public needs to see them for what they are, only self-serving for her teabagging cause. Less government and more for her and their plan. Snakes with forked tongues, that the media needs to expose.
Check your bible at the door Michelle. Freedom of Religion means ALL religions, but don't try to force your interpretation of any bible passage on everyone else. If someone is gay or lesbian, then so be it. Who the he11 are you or your husband to take up the cause to "cure" them? How about you visit my clinic....I "cure" people of being self-righteous, uptight, Holier-Than-Thou and pretentious. It, too, is controversial, but I use a number 36 Louisville Slugger.
Well, there goes tons of votes for MB in the Presidential race...Perhaps investigators should delve even more into the Bachmann's so-called clinic. Also, discussing the clinic practices is not the same thing as revealing patient information. In my opinion, that excuse not to answer questions is a huge cop-out.
So if they say: "The Bachmann's are in no position ethically, legally, or morally to discuss specific courses of treatment concerning the clinic's patients," the statement said.
Then there should be no questions about what occurs at other doctors offices. They should not concern themselves with Plan Parenthood, which primarily provides medical services to women.
All turning to religion will do is create feelings of guilt and anxiety. And that road leads to depression, and even suicide. So, no thanks, "Dr" Bachman. While I am not gay, I do know people who are, and it's cruel and unusual to make them feel guilty for being different.
LOL. Wow background check anyone. Small business creator. More like Mall of store front preachers. This is hilarious.
For crying out loud, it would surprise me if they didn't engage in such nonsense!
And this is the front-runner for the GOP Presidential candidate? It is getting frightening how Republicans are not longer interested in presenting a campaign platform to oppose their Democratic rivals political views. Instead they are declaring a moral war on anyone who doesn't fit into their narrow box of acceptable behavior. I thought this was a country of "All the people". That means as President, you have to be respectful and represent EVERYONE's rights, not just the ones you like or that agree with your religious beliefs. We are in for a long, weary year of campaigning. I'm tired of it already.
If someone could "cure" the Bachmanns, the world would be a better place to live.
We have to understand barbarians need to be educated. They need to be disciplined
That statement right there alone, is enough to show this person is got something wrong with her mind, does she think shes some charactor in a Medieval video game. Over the years I have found that most people I have come across who are very vocal about/against Homosexuality or Lesbianism are that way because they are trying to hide and not accept the fact that they themselves are, but in there minds for whatever reason may it be parents, church etc. they cannot and will not accept it, so instead they become bashers, self proclaimed crusaders and or fixers of this problem, they think it they can fix other people in some way maybe it will fix themselves in the process
Disingenuous of her to avoid questions on a major philosophical issue that is a fundamental part of her political agenda.
Just come by her 'clinic' and she'll 'pray' with you, I almost bust a gut lmao. Snake oil salesmen running for president, I love it.
That an dividual is "gay" , is IMO, not normal.
How to fix ?
Or must we fix....
IMO, Bachmann is a fool to think that her "clinic" can "fix".
However, I think she should be given a chance.
We are dealing with human beings...
Lets try love and tolerance.
I meant to write "individual"..
I believe this woman's (Bachmann) campaign is much scarier and more dangerous than Sarah Palin could be....and the sad part is more people take her seriously! I want a President to run the country...NOT MY LIFE!!!
Mr. and Mrs. Bachmann could answer some of the questions regarding their practice, if they can specifically state the dates that they each made the decision to be heterosexual.
she needs to go away just like palin
A clinic that receives substantial support from Medicaid should not expound a debunked theory (based on religious ideology) that homosexuality can be "cured" (as in a "disease". These people can, of course, provide such counseling to anyone who pays for it, but our tax dollars should not be spent on such idiocy. The hypocrisy of this situation is laughable.
And this woman wants to be president of the United States of America... all the people of the United States of America. She is pathetic!! And, job creation? What job creation? Not one single bill has been voted on job creation.
Looks like the mud slinging has begun by the liberal left who want to destroy Bachmann right out of the gate. How pathetic. It's much easier to attack her personally than to have an honest debate about conservatism because it is based on the foundation of our nation. This is a sure sign that they fear that she can beat Obama in 2012.
I doubt Bachmann can be cured of what ails her


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It\'s time we caught up on some email so today we talk about hormones and how to take them, how to handle a spouse while trying to conceive, friends that don\'t understand being a parent and a little more on miscarriage. Music this week is from Howard Jones with Sleep My Angel
just relax, it'll happen! : Just Relax S2E034 – Waving to the people with a Voice
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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So, here's a thing I made!
I used Rae's Big Butt Baby Pants pattern, which is the same one I used for his Norwescon costume. It's super easy, and I really want to make him a boatload (butt load?) of them, especially every time he grows out of a size and I need to buy him new ones. They are so fast, and cute, and yet, I don't have enough time.
For this shirt, I made a quick pattern from a shirt that fits him. The fabric is from an old shirt of mine, and the little octopus is from an old shirt of his that was stained. The octopus is so cute, and since I couldn't hand it down to someone, I decided to save it.
Back view! The butt print is leftovers from Moira's Wind Girl cape. You can see that I need to add an inch or two to the rise if I make him another pair. He is a tall guy. He is also firmly devoted to rearranging furniture. We are constantly tripping over chairs around here.


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