UPDATE at 2/20/05 4:48:20 pm:
Courtesy of LGF operative zombie (who is not the operative who recorded Rep. Hincheys rant), here is a full transcript of the recording:
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Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY): Well, you know, they are manipulating the media, they did it in the very beginning through intimidation. They would intimidate the people in the, uh, in the press conference. And ... they would ask they would allow questions to be asked only of people that they knew were going to ask the right kind of questions, from their point of view. And, you know, that has its effect, had, had its effect on people. People have been people in the media have been intimidated. The media has changed in the last four years. People have changed in the last four years. Theyve had a very very direct, aggressive attack on the, on the media, and the way its handled. Probably the most flagrant example of that is the way they set up Dan Rather. Now, I mean, I have my own beliefs about how that happened: it originated with Karl Rove, in my belief, in the White House. They set that up with those false papers. Why did they do it? They knew that Bush was a draft dodger. They knew that he had run away from his responsibilties in the Air National Guard in Texas, gone out of the state intentionally for a long period of time. They knew that he had no defense for that period in his life. And so what they did was, expecting that that was going to come up, they accentuated it: they produced papers that made it look even worse. And they and they distributed those out to elements of the media. And it was only what, like was it CBS? Or whatever, whatever which one Rather works for. They the people there they finally bought into it, and they, and they aired it. And when they did, they had em. They didnt care who did it! All they had to do is to get some element of the media to advance that issue. Based upon the false papers that they produced.
Audience Member: Do you have any evidence for that?
Congressman Hinchey: Yes I do. Once they did that
Audience: [Murmuring]
Congressman Hinchey: ...once they did that, then it undermined everything else about Bushs draft dodging. Once they were able to say, This is false! These papers are not accurate, theyre, theyre, theyre false, theyve been falsified. That had the effect of taking the whole issue away.
Audience Member: So you have evidence that the papers came from the Bush administration?
Congressman Hinchey: No. I thats my belief.
Audience Member: OK.
Congressman Hinchey: And I said that. In the very beginning. I said, Its my belief that those papers, and that setup, originated with Karl Rove and the White House.
Audience Member: Dont you think its irresponsible to make charges like that?
Congressman Hinchey: No I dont. I think its very important to make charges like that. I think its very important to combat this kind of activity in every way that you can. And Im willing and most people are not to step forward in situations like this and take risks.
Audience: [Clapping and cheering.]
Congressman Hinchey: I consider that to be part of my job, and Im gonna continue to do it.
And it was only what, like was it CBS? Or whatever, whatever which one Rather works for.
It's very important to lie like that.
I think its very important to combat this kind of activity in every way that you can.
The ends justify the means. Lie, lie, lie.
And Im willing and most people are not to step forward in situations like this and take risks.
Most people are unwilling to step forward and tell lies.
Congressman Hinchey: I consider that to be part of my job, and Im gonna continue to do it.
He considers it part of his job to tell lies. And he's going to continue to lie.