Drudge now reporting Iraq depot story was shopped to CBS' 60 minutes before reported by NYT

Drudge Report ^

[picturefan]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON OCT 25 2004 22:45:05 ET XXXXX

NBCNEWS: CACHE OF EXPLOSIVES VANISHED FROM SITE IN IRAQ BEFORE TROOPS ARRIVED...

The NYTIMES urgently reported on Monday in an apprent October Surprise: The Iraqi interim government and the U.N. nuclear agency have warned the United States that nearly 380 tons of powerful conventional explosives are now missing from one of Iraq's most sensitive former military installations.

[The source behind the NYT story first went to CBSNEWS' 60 MINUTES last Wednesday, but the beleaguered network wasn't able to get the piece on the air as fast as the newspaper could print. Executive producer Jeff Fager hoped to break the story during a high-impact election eve broadcast of 60 MINS on October 31.]

[Howlin]

Go to the CBS home page; Dan Rather introduced the story.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?channel=i_video&clip=/media/2004/10/25/video651346&sec=3420&vidId=3420&title=Explosives$@$Disappear$@$In$@$Iraq&hitboxMLC=eveningnews

[Getsmart64]

"For just a minute there, I was PROUD of NBC for covering this story. When it comes down to it, what do they have to gain by running with this? Nothing - but it certainly means they have stepped in to uphold the honor of our boys who arrived to find the goods gone. The same boys THEY were embedded with during this war...

Could it be that there is someone with journalistic ethics left in this world?"

NBC HAD to do report this....The Repubs knew they had an embedded reporter....I was thinking that Rove would have let the media play with this for a couple of days and then bring out the fact of the NBC embedded reporter...would have also brought pie in the face to NBC...so I think NBC undercut the result by going public so soon...

[Eastbound]

"This is a political death rattle."

Or at the very least, a hearbeat away from a "CODE BLUE!"

[WayneM]

Here in North Alabama we have the worst of both worlds. Our local CBS affiliate (WHNT) is owned by the New York Times.

[Eastbound]

LOL! Well, maybe the Easter Bunny, but there are no little people on Free Republic. We all big and mean.

[Mo1]

LOL .. don't know but I ain't complaining either

I need to hit the hay and get some sleep before the kids get up

If there's any more interesting news ... can you please ping me ?

[kingattax]

LOL...amen brother

[Howlin]

On this thing:

[The source behind the NYT story first went to CBSNEWS' 60 MINUTES last Wednesday, but the beleaguered network wasn't able to get the piece on the air as fast as the newspaper could print. Executive producer Jeff Fager hoped to break the story during a high-impact election eve broadcast of 60 MINS on October 31.]

What if Jeff had gotten his story and had run this NEXT Monday night.

[Howlin]

I think you missed the "big picture" aspect of my post.

[blondee123]

Contact info for ABC on the net:

support@abcnews.go.com

[Mo1]

It was an attempt to change the election and not give the President or anyone else time to respond to it

This crap is beyond ticking me off and will NOT be forgotten

[blondee123]

If he had run it next Monday nite, it would have done what the RATS wanted it to do. I bet they hate us!

[Howlin]

I thought the media wasn't suppose to do stuff like this; if Drudge has proof Jeffie boy wanted to run this the night before the election, that about says it all.

[BigSkyFreeper]

It was an attempt to change the election and not give the President or anyone else time to respond to it

Yeah. It is somewhat comforting that the NYT burped.

[ladyinred]

KFI Radio in LA's hourly newscast played both Kerry and Edwards soundbites then informed listeners that CNN and Drudge are reporting the story is false and "appears to be politcally motivated."

Holy Cow!!!

[BigSkyFreeper]

If Drudge had the proof, he should have beaten NYT to the punch, and made every Liberal scum look like the damned fools they are.

[Mo1]

Yeah. It is somewhat comforting that the NYT burped.

They burped it because SOMEONE wanted them too

Maybe that SOMEONE wanted the story to come out sooner then what Fager had planned

The question goes back to ... WHO was shopping this story?

[BigSkyFreeper]

At this point, I would not be surprised at all if Lockhart had his nose in on it.