Gen. Franks Attacks Press (Franks takes it to media pukes. Pukes take umbrage.)

The Corpus Christie [TX] Caller ^ | April 18, 2004 | Nick Jimenez

[quidnunc]

Having labored in the vineyards of the journalism farm for more than three decades, I've always been of the mind that no one cares how many thorns we encounter or how much sweat falls from our brow.

If a reporter has to cool his heels for hours before the great person is ready to give an interview and then endure any number of slights to get the story, I don't believe the reader cares, or that the press is under any obligation to pass that on. Like Tommy Lee Jones encountering "The Fugitive" Harrison Ford who professes "I didn't kill my wife," I, too, say, "I don't care" to the ordinary obstacles that a journalist encounters in getting a story. The point is to get the story in the best possible way for the reader.

But after hearing Gen. Tommy Franks last week at Spohn's Lyceum, I do care. He started his speech by saying, "Is there anyone from the media here? Let's get after them suckers." Those may have been the kindest words he uttered about the press that night.

I admire the service of Gen. Franks. As introducer Marc Cisneros noted, Franks rose from the enlisted ranks to become the general in charge of the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. This is a man who has put his life on the line in service to this country. And he has led Americans who are not only willing to do the same, but have done so. Cisneros noted that he, also a retired Army general, and Franks had been in Vietnam during the Tet offensive.

Well, I, too, was in Uncle Sam's Army in Vietnam during the Tet offensive, and that may be one of the few things that Franks and I share. It's obvious that we have different views of how democracy and a free press are supposed to work.

Franks peppered his speech with remarks that made the press, with special attention to CNN, somehow an obstacle to peace in Iraq. But the clincher was his belief that if not for the press's criticism of the White House and skewed view, in his eyes, of what was happening in Iraq, the renewed fighting in Iraq would not have occurred.

-snip-

[bushfamfan]

It is the media attempting to make Iraq another Vietnam. They are providing aid and comfort to our enemies. The terrorists are watching and liking what they see in the panic. The media is clearly biased and it will be a relief to have this election behind us because they are clearly not helpful. They are reckless.

[BipolarBob]

Give 'en hell Tommy. Rice, Franks 08.

[Bonaparte]

My advice to you, Mr. Jimenez: Rather than go to war with Gen. Franks, consider what you did to make him so angry.

Hint: Some people don't like being lied about -- not even by a press that is free to do so.

[TheConservator]

The liberal press does not report "the truth" about Iraq; it reports a slanted, highly spun, one-sided view of the truth.

That spin, whether consciously intended or not, has the effect of helping the liberals in this country, and put the conservatives in the worst light possible.

And, of course, the Islamo-fascists want liberal principles and leaders to prevail in this country, because they will offer less determined opposition to the Islamo-fascists.

Each of those three things is a fact, and a well-documented fact. The author of this hit piece should deal with those facts.

Is a transcript of what General Franks actually said available on line? I would be interested to read his speach, rather than this liberal's spin on the speach.

[blackie]

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[alrea]

Would love to see stories of war if Gore or Gorelick were running it.

US Casualties the Lowest for Any Major Action in History

Brilliant US Strategy Keeps Chemical Bombs in the Middle East

Gore Brings Freedom to Millions

US Has Strong Heart In Action Aaganst Terror

Women of Islam Have Education Under US

World Leaders Express Thanks to US Administration

World Sees the Children of Iraq Get Medicine

Water, Power and Medicine Restored in Iraq

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

...a reporter has to cool his heels for hours before the great person is ready to give an interview...

You're breaking the hearts of anybody who's ever had to work manual in their life.

Having labored in the vineyards of the journalism farm for more than three decades, I've always been of the mind that no one cares how many thorns we encounter or how much sweat falls from our brow.

Call 1-800-WAA-AAAH! Al Gore and Michael Moore know the number.

[My2Cents]

They are providing aid and comfort to our enemies.

As well as attempting to undercut America's resolve.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

No doubt, this guy has got to be the biggest whiner I've ever heard (or at least in the running). He's crying his little eyes out because a military guy cracked back on him and because people are sick of his lying liberal crap and they're letting him know it. Woe be to us! What is a little lying liberal to do?!?!

[A. Morgan]

Just a sure as the nose on your face, when at the next terrorist attack here in the US, every one of the "Newsies" will be screaming a yelling into every camera and microphone pointed in their general direction, blaming the President, the military... of course that will be after they crawl out from under their rocks and change their underwear.

[Oldsailor]

It is way past time for the press to be called to account for the awful way this conflict has been reported so far. General Franks is a "no nonsense" comander who knows the truth of what has happened and I for one am not surprised to hear that he has spoken about that.
In the long run he will probabley be excoriated for his remarks because of that old addage which says "don't get into a P*****g match with a skunk.....he has ammo you don't have"

[Mr. K]

This guy missed the whole point Franks was making. Having a free media is good, but purposely BIASED, negative, liberal/slanted propoganda is NOT media.

[Bonaparte]

"You're breaking the hearts of anybody who's ever had to work manual in their life."

That one had me spewing all over my monitor too. The poor guy gets paid for sitting on his fat keister and he's complaining about what a hardship that is -- as though a ranking general has nothing better to do than accomodate the convenience of some leftist scribbler from Corpus Christi. As I recall, Clinton used to routinely keep everybody, from heads of state to reporters, waiting and waiting (while he attended to his genitourinary needs). He was consistently late for everything, but not one word of criticism issued from the mouths of people like Jimenez. Gee, I wonder why...

[Columbine]

What a disgusting whiny little crybaby.

No wonder people think that journalism has so much in common with the world's oldest profession.

[MizSterious]

Obviously, what we need is a No-Whine Zone.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Oops, that post was supposed to say "manual labor".

[risk]

From KRISTV.COM

---

April 14
General Tommy Franks visits C.C.

Printer Friendly Version

The man who led U.S. troops into Iraq was 4 star General Tommy Franks, who has since retired.

He was in Corpus Christi Wednesday to "speak freely" about the leadership and the ongoing effort in Iraq.

His appearance as part of Christus Spohn's annual Lyceum event comes at a critical point in Iraq.

87 U.S. troops have already been killed in April alone, making it the deadliest month since March of 2003.

Before retiring last August, Franks had leading soldiers into both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Before the Lyceum, he told reporters that he had predicted the fighting in Iraq would have by now been on the decline.

Franks says, "I was hopeful a month or two ago that we would put ourselves on sort of a trend to reduce the troop levels in Iraq and hand over to the Iraqi military and security forces responsibility for Iraq."

Instead, it's been more like the opposite.

The attacks on troops and civilians are coming nearly everyday all over the country, and troops are having to be kept longer than they were initially told.

Franks believes the intense media coverage of the ambushes over the past few months have only helped to inspire those responsible for the violence.

"The terrorists themselves, the bathists themselves, were able to watch this coverage and say 'Ah, we're succeeding,'" he says, "and so then rather than turning down the burner of violence in Iraq, what have we seen?  They have turned it up."

Franks says he and the troops are committed finishing what they started, but the length of time needed and number of additional injuries or casualties to be suffered as a result remains unclear.

"At the end of the day, we know what it's gonna look like," he says, "Iraq is going to be a representative government for the people, the 25+ million who live there, but in the near term, I think one doesn't know. It's a good question. We just don't have a complete answer for you right now."

There is a supposed truce this week, but the attacks on U.S. troops continue nonetheless.

The tentative deadline for establishing an Iraqi government is still June 30, but many are growing doubtful that will happen as expected.

[Bonaparte]

"The guy missed to whole point..."

He missed just about everything. This was a private Christian fundraiser, intended to raise money for the benefit of cancer patients. But all Jimenez could see was an opportunity to try embarassing the general and promoting his own anti-American agenda. What a creep.

[risk]

2004 CHRISTUS Spohn-South Texas Lyceum featuring Four-Star General Tommy Franks
Wednesday, April 14 7 p.m.
CHRISTUS Spohn Health System Foundation is pleased to announce that Four-Star General Tommy Franks will be the featured speaker at the 16th Annual CHRISTUS Spohn-South Texas Lyceum.

Proceeds from the Lyceum will benefit the CHRISTUS Spohn Health System, which annually provides millions of dollars of charity care to the people in the communities it serves.

Location: Bayfront Plaza Convention Center
Event type: Fundraiser
Preregistration: Not required
Contact: Barbara Hormann
Phone: (361) 881-3505

Notes: Participation levels:
LYCEUM 2004 Table :: $2500.00
LYCEUM 2004 Two Seats :: $500.00
LYCEUM 2004 One Seat :: $250.00
Lyceum Speaker's Fund :: $500.00

http://christusspohn.netreturns.biz/Events/Detail.aspx?EventId=a3f5b720-8627-43ed-afff-74ead91c3c1a