Paper Regrets Handling of Rumsfeld Story

Yahoo News/Associated Press ^ | 12/10/2004 | BILL POOVEY, Associated Press Writer

[stylin_geek]

I am shocked, I tell you, just shocked. (and I have a bridge for sale, too)

[OldFriend]

Rumsfeld wanted an open town hall meeting with NO screened questions.

His integrity shines as opposed to the slimy reporter's lack thereof.

[ProudVet77]

I actually have to respect the paper for coming out with this. The NYSlimes would have taken at least 6 months to blame it on a minor reporter. CBS would never admit any failure.

[Howlin]

FYI.

You were right; again.

[Brilliant]

What they are thinking is that they wished their guy had not leaked out the fact that he was behind the question.

[pointsal]

Send that reporter on a return trip to the Homeland.

[Howlin]

Readers should have been told promptly that an embedded reporter had helped frame a question

Helped frame?

How about "manipulated?" "Planted?"

He didn't just "suggest" the question; he handpicked the guys he took with him to the townhall and made sure that the guy who was picking the questioners picked them.

We hear the Dan Rather excuse: "But the question was valid."

[Howlin]

Exactly.

Griscom said Pitts "used the tools available to him as a journalist to report on a story...

Tools? They are characterizing young impressionable Guardsmen as "tools?"

"Available to him?" I'd rectify that immediately if I were in charge.

[marty60]

To the pulisher, you got caught, so stuff it. Or as TAHRAAAZA says: SHOVE IT

[stylin_geek]

For more on this story, see Little Green Footballs here.

[VOYAGER]

Griscom said Pitts "used the tools available to him as a journalist to report on a story that has been and remains important to members of the 278th and those back at home."

This was just another sleazy trick that "journalists" can use to covertly discredit the Bush administration.

It is valueless to discerning listeners and or readers!

Hateful is a good description and is what news sellers and news writers can use to get undeserved attention!

[WmDonovan]

The MSM was really upset when Rummy didn't resign with other cabinet members in the second term, so now they they are Hell-bent to make him step down.

The reality is that, like Vietnam, the enemy can only hope to win through the media. Step 1: This cockroach of a human being reporter plants a loaded question. Step 2: terrorists search high and low to find an unarmored Humvee, preferably from that particular unit, and attack it with everything they've got in which case armor wouldn't do much any way. Step 3: MSM clamors for Rummy to be crucified in public as oh my gosh looked at what just happened. Step 4: Terrorists and the MSM can both claim victory.

Bet ya money that, gasp, Halliburton or some other such contractor with construction experience could have, or could, armor humvees quickly. If so the headlines would be "Chenney's old company receives sweet heart deal--should Bush resign or be impeached?"

[Cicero]

A dirty trick is still a dirty trick. Maybe the paper deserves some credit for half confessing it. But what choice did they have? They aren't a megapower like CBS. And the email was already out convicting them of misbehavior.

Yes, they were wrong to withhold the fact that the question was planted. And now they are wrong not confess that planting a question in such circumstances is just plain wrong.

The reporter was stupid to have left a paper trail with his email boasting about his own cleverness. But stupidity doesn't excuse professional misbehavior. Now he should be disciplined or fired.

[murdocj]

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) is one of the more outspoken critics of this situation. For laughs, though, you really need to check out his OIF-Troop Protection page. Screenshot here: http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/001822.html Oh, the irony.

[BushisTheMan]

I'd like to thank the person who this reporter sent his e-mail to who ratted him out. It is obvious that the reporter who leaked the e-mail thought this Pitts guy was manipulating the news instead of just reporting it.

Plus I didn't like Wilson's rendition of having to go through the dumps to find the material. I thought it sounded exaggerated and false.

[True North Strong and Free]

I suspect that this was all the reporter's doing and that the newspaper is an innocent victim. He framed the question, submitted his notes from the press conference, the editor figured, "wow this is a pretty good story about our troops and what they are going through, gotta run it" and woke up the next day to find out that the reporter was running around blabbing about how he framed the question.

That probably explains why the newspaper is making no bones about apologizing for what happened, it wasn't malicious intent on their part as it would be in the case of the NY Times or CBS, but a case of them being taken advantage of by one of there reporters.

[OldFriend]

The commentary on little green footballs was outstanding.

Is FR allowed to drag over some of their better articles/letters?

[TheForceOfOne]

Speaking like a Kennedy, its not really rape if you say your sorry is it?

[Trust but Verify]

I actually discussed this topic with my college english teacher. She is a liberal but expressed deep disgust over what has become of the media, i.e. NYT, Dan Rather, and now this.

[mewzilla]

The only thing they regret is getting caught.