NBC Trumps Rice With Anti-Bush Widows (Matthews suggests sodium pentathol for Bush)

[misunderestimated]

Who are the most important judges of the investigation of what went wrong before September 11? The media elite have provided one consistent answer on who is in the political driver's seat: the relatives of the victims. But not all of them.

In recent weeks, the networks have interviewed a selected set of 9-11 widows and other relatives, and most have focused the lion's share of their outrage at the Bush administration. Viewers at home might assume that a poll of 9-11 families would find they almost uniformly blame Bush more than the terrorists and want him to lose in November.

Minutes after National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice finished testifying, Tim Russert told Tom Brokaw live on NBC: "But the real issue will be, how did the families of the victims of 9-11 respond to this testimony? They have been the driving force for the commission, for information from the White House, for Dr. Rice to testify under oath."

On this morning's Today and for multiple segments in a 90-minute post-Condi Hardball special on MSNBC, only four widows were singled out as judges of Rice?s testimony. The four were celebrated in the April 1 New York Times as "nonpolitical." NBC has emphasized Kristen Breitweiser, who has appeared in four Today interviews in four weeks.

Mrs. Breitweiser insists that she voted for Bush in 2000, but has wildly declared that "Three thousand people were murdered on Bush's watch." Times arts editor Frank Rich also noted how she tartly complained that a Showtime 9-11 docudrama failed to display President Bush reading to school children "while people like my husband were burning alive inside the World Trade Center towers" because it would have been contrary to "Karl Rove's art direction and grand vision." She's hardly "nonpolitical."

In fact, these widows are liberal lobbyists against the Bush team, even as they claim to speak for all 9-11 victim families. Even Tim Russert linked the widows and John Kerry as two forces who will now press the White House for a complete declassification of the much-discussed August 6 presidential daily briefing. (One weblog even urges Kerry to pick Breitweiser for veep.)

In their front-page widow story, the New York Times noted that liberal Senators Ted Kennedy and Charles Schumer were advising the widows to demand Bush and Cheney also answer commissioner questions (and speeches) on live TV. Print accounts have also noted these widows tried to get the 9-11 commission's director, Philip Zelikow, fired for being too close to Condi Rice.

(NBC wasn't all alone today in the anti-Bush widow department. On ABC's Good Morning America, widow Beverly Eckert was charging "Everybody's basically been covering up, I think, for the administration, this whole Washington scene.")

In March, 9-11 relative Ernest Strada sounded a different note, telling Chris Matthews on MSNBC's Hardball that "anybody can be a Monday morning quarterback." Strada says he told Bush at a memorial event: "Mr. President, you are on the right side of the issues. We're with you 100 percent. Forget what the media says, the country believes in you." Is it any wonder he didn't get to debate the Kristen Breitweiser crew on this important occasion?

[leadpenny]

Rick Kaplan (clinton fame) came back from somewhere recently, and is now in charge of MSNBC.

[ArmstedFragg]

After turning off the TV, I hope you didn't turn on the radio.

CBS radio news has spent the day focussing on the fact that Rice didn't apologize for 911. Is this what it's come down to? Forget the truth, forget the facts, let's demand that before we believe anyone they have to apologize for something they didn't do.

Sheesh!

But.. you know.. maybe it's encouraging. If that's all they can find to complain about......

[cyncooper]

Lisa Myers this morning said to Chris along the lines: "With all due respect, this was not the equivalent of a taping system discovered in the White House"

Matthews was completely taken with the title of that document that stated Bin Laden was planning a domestic attack, even though even he acknowledged the content was not specific.

If you dare to watch him, I predict he will repeat this title at least a dozen times--in the first 10 minutes of his show. I'm going to watch to see.

[misunderestimated]

I don't see how they could have gone much lower than say... a couple of
months ago and still be on air.

[BlueAngel]

It would make me very happy to never see a Chrissy Matthews "Hairball" thread on FR again.

I bet Chrissy and his lib wife get off on reading these threads every night.

[cripplecreek]

I used to watch him, but these days i dont even know when he on.

[KQQL]

MATHEWS IS A JERK.
HE LIED WHEN HE CLAIMS HE VOTED FOR W IN 2000.

Plus: NYC and NJ Widows are mostly RATS doing their job for the RAt party..
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NBC is attacking from all angles..

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4695313/

Does Rice really know her role?
How national security adviser's testimony hurt Bush

[misunderestimated]

Then he must *love* Matthews.

[Elliott]

Well, come on, fellas.....Remember, Chris Matthews has a screw loose sometimes....maybe most of the time...How would you react if someone was spitting all over you as he spewed venom.....He just wants folks to get stirred up and watch his program...NOT ME....I wouldn't touch his channel with a ten foot pole.

[Enterprise]

"I suggest electroshock therapy for Matthews."

I would recommend a jalapeno enema.

[ken5050]

that explains it...actually, FOx outdraws MSNBC CNBC, AND CNN combined....and way over their total...though speaking for myself...I think Scarborough on MSNBC at 10pm is far and waway the best show going....Dennis Miller's good, for a tad tooooo ecletic for me...though he's a very effective and eloquent defender of President Bush.....

[jimbo123]

9/11 Professional Victims here:


Kristen Breitweiser, wife of Ronald Breitweiser, 39
Fiduciary Trust International, WTC Tower Two
Hometown: Middletown Township, NJ
Co-Chair, September 11th Advocates
Kdianbreit@aol.com

Patty Casazza, wife of John F. Casazza, 38
Cantor Fitzgerald, 104th floor, WTC Tower One
Hometown: Colts Neck, NJ
Co-Chair, September 11th Advocates
jcasazz2@optonline.net

Mindy Kleinberg, wife of Alan Kleinberg, 39
Cantor Fitzgerald, 104th floor, WTC Tower One
Hometown: East Brunswick, NJ
Co-Chair, September 11th Advocates
akleinberg@comcast.net

Lorie Van Auken, wife of Kenneth Van Auken, 47
Cantor Fitzgerald, 105th floor, WTC Tower One
Hometown: East Brunswick, NJ
Co-Chair, September 11th Advocates
kenvan@comcast.net

[seastay]

This is nonsense, if the president knew exactly of a detailed threat, and had taken preemptive action, he would be criticized like Iraq. Likewise if no action in the Iraq situation had been taken but the Iraqi regime brought harm to US soil, these same people would be trying to politicize his inaction.

[ken5050]

Heck...how else would we know if "Scooter" Libby is still alive and kicking....

[misunderestimated]

I didn't turn the tv off. I turned it to FOXNews :-). As much as the liberal media enjoys shooting daggers at FOX (meaning... targeting middle-American values), at least FOXnews is more balanced than the cr*p I saw on Matthews' special Harball segment with the "nonpolitical" widows. It was offensive. Totally.

.

[cripplecreek]

Speaking of Dennis Miller, i got a good look at his audience the other night and its encouraging. It looked like a very mixed group of twentysomethings.

[leadpenny]

A few years ago Matthews was toying with the idea of running for a Senate seat from PA. I think time has passed him by and his frustration is showing. He knows he didn't have the guts to jump in. I believe he has worked for Moynihan and Tip O'Neill. Did he work for Carter at one time?

[VadeRetro]

(NBC wasn't all alone today in the anti-Bush widow department. On ABC's Good Morning America, widow Beverly Eckert was charging "Everybody's basically been covering up, I think, for the administration, this whole Washington scene.")

Yeah, and Beverly Eckert is Teresa Heinz Kerry's hired character assassin, a thing that ABC describes as chairing an unnamed "steering committee" for families of victims.

[BushisTheMan]

I wrote Kristen and asked for a refund of the money I sent for the victims of 9/11. Everyone should do the same.

[misunderestimated]

I predict he will repeat this title at least a dozen times--in the first 10 minutes of his show. I'm going to watch to see.

I'll bet he doesn't suggest sodium pentathol for the president again.

.