Posted on 09/20/2004 11:07:47 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Way to go, CBS.
Thanks to your rush to kick off a new season of 60 Minutes II on Sept. 8 with big ratings, your bungling of what the pro-war blogosphere has dubbed "Memogate," your hesitation to admit the error of your ways and your blinkered eye on the bottom line, you carpet-bombed the U.S. presidential race with bluster and blather about proportional spacing, nuking what little remains of serious political discourse in the U.S. and making the Kerry-Edwards campaign collateral damage.
Meanwhile, the Bush-Cheney Jedi Mind Tricksters — what consortiumnews.com called them yesterday — laugh again, as the media underplay an ever-burgeoning budget deficit, a damaging internal intelligence report warning of an Iraqi civil war, Britain's impending withdrawal of troops from the "coalition," another lie by Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the state and size of Iraqi security forces and just about any story that might damage George W. Bush's run for re-election.
Does nothing stick to this guy, who has yet to come clean about his alkie, Vietnam-evading past? After all, the basics of the CBS story were true, reported five years ago by Greg Palast and other real don't-just-play-one-on-TV reporters.
It's easy to imagine what Don Hewitt, the octogenarian executive producer who launched 60 Minutes in 1968 and who helmed it until CBS pushed him out last June, must think of all this. In 1998, when the network announced that it would extend his profitable franchise to a second night, he complained to me that, if it "had a Lucille Ball or a Jerry Seinfeld," it wouldn't be seeking to plug the schedule with a low-cost spinoff.
Concerned that the under-resourced second hour would "tarnish" the reputation of the original, he said, "News divisions, which used to be charged with finding news, are now charged with filling time."
As for all-news channels, filling time is all they do. Which is why, for the past six weeks or so, TV news has focused so much on side issues such as whether Democratic nominee John Kerry bled red-white-and-blue enough during and after his service in Vietnam, or if superscripted letters existed on typewriters in the 1970s.
The joke is, CBS's biggest critics — including bloggers, who now claim victory for killing the MSM (that's mainstream media, to you reading this column on paper) — still complain that the "legacy'' old media are "liberal media," an evil cabal hell-bent on bringing Bush down.
So how come then, if the Democrats have such a huge media advantage, Americans haven't heard much about, say, Bush's big April flip-flop on attacking Fallujah or his flip-flop last month on winning the war on terror as they have about Kerry's supposed flip-flop on voting for attacking Iraq?
FACT: U.S. Marine Lt.-Gen. James T. Conway, the outgoing commander in western Iraq, told reporters on Sept. 12 that he protested what seemed to be a political decision to attack Fallujah last spring. But he followed orders, sending the troops in. Three disastrous days later, with hundreds dead, another decision, apparently originating in the White House, was made to pull out. Conroy opposed that too but to no avail.
How much did you heard about that in this "liberal media" fuss over IBM Selectrics?
FACT: Last month, Bush told NBC that the war on terror could not be won. Then he clarified himself, by saying this was an unconventional, different war. And then his spokesperson Scott McClellan clarified the clarification, explaining that, while the U.S. couldn't "win," it could "prevail" against terror.
How much have you heard about that in this "liberal media" focus on copies from Kinko's?
FACT: In 2002, Kerry voted to authorize the use of force against Saddam but only, as he said then, "To disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, if we cannot accomplish that objective through new, tough weapons inspections in joint concert with our allies."
Ask yourself if you've heard that elucidated in this "liberal media" crush to crucify CBS anchor Dan Rather who, a week after 9/11, got behind Bush on David Letterman's show, saying, "Wherever he wants me to line up, just tell me where."
Now, of course, conservative pundits and their acolytes in the cybersphere are calling for Rather's head, because he has destroyed his credibility.
Frankly, he did that long ago, even before he told BBC two years ago that fear of political reprisal "keeps (American) journalists from asking the toughest of the tough questions," adding "I do not except myself from this criticism."
So thanks, Dan. You've fixed it so that even fewer journalists will stick their necks out now.
As for credibility, consider that journalists (eg. the New York Times' Judith Miller) parroted the lies of now-disgraced Iraqi exile Ahmed Chalabi, who sold them on victory parades with flowers and sweets. The White House — and its cyber-dupes — engineered that con job. But are they apologizing for that? Nah.
So thanks CBS. Thanks for being "liberal" and all your good investigative work. Now please don't do us any more favours. Additional articles by Antonia Zerbisias
"Canada, like France, there for the US - when they need the US."
Absolutamente la verdad! Absolutely the truth for those who don't read Spanish.:)
My husband and I honeymooned 30 years ago in Canada and even considered moving there for a while....I am so glad we stayed home!
I just read a couple of this leftist liberal's articles and could not bring myself to read any more. I wrote the Toronto Star and told them I realized they were a mouthpiece for liberals but this lady was unbelievably left of left, that her articles are dripping with hatred for conservative Americans and America in general. I told them I felt sorry for the Canadians being fed this tripe. To be exposed to this without being able to read any balanced news must be torture. UGh!
I can't get over how many libbies--oh, those compassionate, PC-promoting libbies--LOVE tossing that word around. Bush was never an alcoholic; he was someone who drank, and then stopped (even Laura denies that she gave him an ultimatum). Not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic, Canadian weenie.
I know that's a little thing to bring up in this unbelievable article--if one more libbie claims Bush saying you can't "'win'it" was a flipflop, I'm gonna choke--but with one word, so many libbies reveal they are complate and total hypocrites: Claiming to be compassionate toward people those evil conservatives hate, yet tossing around words like that when the person in question doesn't share your politics.
Now go stew in your hatred for the country that gives you an economy, socialist dolt.
"We need to generate more acid rain."
LOL! My laugh for the day.
The Left can now "hang" Dan Rather for Kerry's dismal campaign and his defeat on Nov. 2.
The fact is people don't trust Kerry, as well they shouldn't!
Thanks for the LINK!
Byron York is one of the best.
I hear the Canadians are building an anti-War memorial honoring the American ticks in their society, the pu**ies who fled while their neighbors fought Communists, only to be sold down - the - river by Kerry and his merry band of Communist gypsies, now including Forehead and Serpenthead. Way to go Canadistan...the spirit of that ahole Trudeau lives on...way to go.
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Brit's show did a segment on this last evening. The town is split on this memorial. The people thrive on tourism and it has one half of the town against the other half.
NELSON, British Columbia (AP) -- U.S. draft dodgers who fled to Canada are finally getting some recognition -- in Canada.
Artists and activists in this picturesque lakeside town have announced plans for a bronze monument and festival to honor them.
"This will mark the courageous legacy of Vietnam War resisters and the Canadians who helped them resettle in this country during that tumultuous era," said Isaac Romano, director of Our Way Home, a celebration set for 2006.
Dennis Klein, a sculptor and teacher at Kootenay School of the Arts, and artist Naomi Lewis have been chosen to make a memorial depicting Canadians embracing the hands of American resisters.
"I've met so many draft resisters over the years and some of them are local peers of mine that are artists and others are a part of the community," Klein said. "It would be nice to honor them and all those that actually took a step toward peace."***
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/09/13/backpage/20_14_169_12_04.txt
Liberals, they always have excuses for their loss and it's never about their candidate being a bozo. It's always someone else's fault.
Ooh, Bush is a "mind trickster" now. But I thought he was a dummy? Now I'm all confused again.
They're always "victims."
Great quote. I think I may have a blind side because I am a reformed libbie (sorta) myself. I have to keep reminding myself why I migrated to the right--because all of my "caring" leftist buds were all talk, no action, and , frankly, more interested in "caring" about people they'd never meet than in dealing with the people right in their neighborhood who they might actually be able to help, if they'd stop talking and DO something.
I pray that they stop attempting to disrupt our defense efforts or they can watch their town dry up and blow away, the sooner the better...
LOL
Lie.
Anyone reading the questions asked to President Bush will clearly see he was asked if they'd win in 4 years.
The 4 year win was the context of his response.
Precisely. Something about you can't scam an honest person?
Hey, Toronto Star: Rove tricked the morons :)
How can anyone defend this joke of a candidate (Kerry)? With everything that we know about him now and the way that he carries himself, how can a reasonably intelligent person even admit without getting embarrassed that he has any qualities (or his wife for that matter) for the white house? Maybe you Canadians would like him, take him please.
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