Posted on 08/20/2004 4:39:35 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
Edited on 08/20/2004 4:45:50 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
So long as the Kerry campaign chose to largely ignore the charges of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), the morning shows dutifully imposed their own blackout on the story.
But when Kerry broke his silence on the campaign trail yesterday, dusting off his hackneyed "bring it on" boast, it was clear that the honchos at the morning shows got the word from the DNC: start covering the story - using our talking points, of course.
And so each of the morning shows, for the first time to my recollection, had extended pieces on SBVT. Flipping madly among the channels, it is difficult to distinguish which network said what, but the basic approach was - predictably - consistent throughout.
Rather than focus on the substance of the charges, the emphasis was to suggest that this was effectively a Bush campaign plot.
One of the shows began its coverage by describing the SBVT TV commercials as "Republican-funded." Another breathlessly reported that John O'Neill, in forming his organization, had sought legal advice from a lawyer with Republican connections.
The one thing that was lacking in the network coverage: any serious attempt to refute the *substance* of the SBVT's charges. The closest to an attempted refutation were on-air statements from two members of Kerry's "band of brothers" that some VC (OK, I was flipping wildly by this time and am not sure if it was perhaps the teenager that Kerry ultimately killed) had lifted a grenade launcher, and if Kerry had not acted, "we would all have been history."
But that is a total strawman. O'Neill has explicitly and often said that no one is criticizing Kerry's decision to kill the VC.
What I did NOT see was anyone denying the SBVT claim that one of Kerry's Purple Hearts derived from a self-inflicted wound that needed nothing more than a band-aid. Nor was there refutation of the allegations that there was no firing from the shore that night. Nor that there was no firing at the time Kerry retrieved Rassman from the water. Rassman was shown on one of the shows saying something about the incident, but being in the water he was not in much of a position to know about firing and I do not recall him claiming there was any.
Good Morning America brought "analyst" George Stephanopolous in and Robin Roberts sagely inquired whether Kerry's demand that W call for ads to stop had not put the President "in a corner." Steph gravely agreed that indeed W was somewhat cornered. He concluded by stating that the Bush campaign would not ask the SBVT to stop because . . . "the ads appear to be working."
As lopsided as was the coverage, we should actually take heart. It is obvious that the networks are starting to cover the story for the same reason that the Kerry campaign is starting to respond - the ads, in revealing Kerry's fabrications and embellishments of his war record - are taking a toll. Indeed one of the shows displayed polling data indicating that, and one of the anchors nervously quoted "Democratic party leaders" as criticizing the Kerry campaign for not having forcefully responded earlier.
So for all the liberal media bias, every minute of coverage they devote to the issue is one minute not spent glorifying some new Kerry spending proposal, bashing W over the 'jobless' recovery, condemning the troop redeployment as 'pure politics,' etc.
We are winning this issue.
(1)Kerry has taken the SBVT ads very, very personally. He really believes his own heroism stories.
(2)Kerry is very unused to being unable to control things.
(3)It was a big mistake to do so because there is really no way to control the attention this story will now receive.
So I came home, popped some mental popcorn, and surfed on over to FR to watch the fun.
I wish the hell somebody would point out that he and his Ilk in the VVAW called the war an internal Civil War where the USA had no business to intervene and therefore it was immoral and now he says I DEFENDED THE COUNTRY
What a lying flip flopper
I suspect that those media whores in the MSM will turn on skerry once they smell blood in the water. It will be interesting to see the Sunday blabfests. It would not suprise me the following Sunday they will be talking about his replacement....
I am proud to have been a very small part of the American process that has predicated that event by exposing the lying traitor to the American people at www.realheroesvoices.com
Make that "three things struck me..."
Shouldn't that read
Apackoflibs now? :)
It would be more interesting if they didn't!
I just sent them $25 via their website. That's a lot of money for me, but well worth it.
I had already donated, but was moved - by my own thread! - to contribute again this morning. Let's go, FReeperland!
Reposting the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth donation page
https://www.swiftvets.com/swift/ccdonation.php?op=donate&site=SwiftVets
He was on Fox 'n' Friends, if that's what you're thinking.
John O'Neill (Our Hero) To Be On Fox & Friends during 8 AM (ET) Hour <-- FR Thread
I'm fairly sure I also saw him on one of the MSM shows. Not a live interview, but a clip.
I really, really like the way O'Neill is utterly unintimidated by the liberal media. He does not sugar coat or back down in any way on his charges that Kerry lied and embellished. Watching him interviewed on Fox last night, I learned that he graduated from the Naval Academy, and #1 in his class from the U. of Texas law school.
Don't you love the smell of Dem panic in the morning?
Smells almost as good as JP4 in a war zone.
Yeah, right.....! Oh, this is rich, watching this tar baby stick to the pundits. The truth tellers are so calm on air, and the Kerryites are so frenzied.
Thanks again for "flipping wildly" for us while the Olympics occupy the perky one.
I was thinking more of mo-gas and doodoo burning. Ah, what a smell!
I think "A Pack of Lies" works better, no?
Me, too....I had and did again. BUMP BUMP for Freeperland contributions to a winning cause!!!
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