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Ugly Reporting Wrongs Rumsfeld (Fog of Journalism)
Human Events Online ^ | Dec 17, 2004 | Allan H. Ryskind

Posted on 12/17/2004 11:49:17 AM PST by MisterRepublican

It may not have been conscious sabotage of the defense secretary, but it's hard to believe otherwise.

Nowhere was the media's irresponsibility on the Iraq conflict more acutely demonstrated than in the barrage of ugly news reports on Donald Rumsfeld's exchange in Kuwait with Spc. Thomas Wilson, an exchange that is still reverberating across the country.

Those who pay close attention to the news are almost certainly familiar with the reported encounter. Spc. Wilson, an airplane mechanic with the Tennessee Army National Guard, asked the secretary an important question: ". . . A lot of us are getting ready to move north relatively soon. Our vehicles are not armored. We're digging pieces of rusted scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass that's already been shot up . . . to put on our vehicles to take into combat. We do not have proper armament [sic] vehicles to carry with us north."

(Excerpt) Read more at humaneventsonline.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: armorflap; rumsfeld
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1 posted on 12/17/2004 11:49:17 AM PST by MisterRepublican
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To: MisterRepublican

Big Rumsfeld ~ Bump!


2 posted on 12/17/2004 11:58:48 AM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: MisterRepublican; NormsRevenge; Grampa Dave; blam; kellynla; SunkenCiv; 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
Good read, The transcript is posted on FreeRepublic and on the Armorflap keyword list.
3 posted on 12/17/2004 12:13:50 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: MisterRepublican

RUSH cleared this up for me, I've been watching C-SPAN for a playback of the whole event, so far, no luck.


4 posted on 12/17/2004 12:21:03 PM PST by Mister Baredog (PLEASE be sure you have a flag up on your FReeper homepage.!!!)
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To: MisterRepublican

"It may not have been conscious sabotage of the defense secretary, but it's hard to believe otherwise."

More payback from Hanoi Kerry

WAKE UP MAIN STREAM RIGHT WING MEDIA!

Don't be like the silent majority in the 60's and 70's
and turn your back on America and cave in to the anti war minority.
Speak up for America today!

Kerry was an illegal candidate
and is an illegal US Senator per
US Constitution 14th Amendment Section 3

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1300479/posts

Distribute these url's!

EXPOSE HANOI KERRY!

Full details on these url's!

http://tonkin.spymac.net/hanoikerry1.html

There is a backup site
if the 1st url is unavailable.

http://stophanoikerry.150m.com


5 posted on 12/17/2004 12:25:12 PM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (US Senate AND Main Stream Right Wing Media READ US Constitution 14th Amendment Section 3)
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To: MisterRepublican

I have to admit, I was a little miffed at Rummy for that remark. Although I agree with it, it was a little cold, at least in the coxtext presented in the media.

Now, I'm a little miffed at myself for letting the media dupe me once again.


6 posted on 12/17/2004 12:25:16 PM PST by L98Fiero
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To: L98Fiero

coxtext = context hmmmm


7 posted on 12/17/2004 12:25:53 PM PST by L98Fiero
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To: L98Fiero
Now, I'm a little miffed at myself for letting the media dupe me once again.

If we have learned anything over the past ten years or so, it is "Never, never, ever take media reports at face value. On anything."

8 posted on 12/17/2004 12:33:05 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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To: MisterRepublican

Thanks for posting.


9 posted on 12/17/2004 12:36:42 PM PST by kellynla (U.S.M.C. 1st Battalion,5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Div. Viet Nam 69&70 Semper Fi)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Thanks for the ping, Ernest!


10 posted on 12/17/2004 12:37:04 PM PST by kellynla (U.S.M.C. 1st Battalion,5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Div. Viet Nam 69&70 Semper Fi)
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To: All

Too bad main stream right wing media seems only to play defense.

They need to be on the offense.

Main stream right wing media could learn
a thing or two from right wing media.

Kerry was an illegal candidate
and is an illegal US Senator per
US Constitution 14th Amendment Section 3

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1300479/posts

Distribute these url's!

EXPOSE HANOI KERRY!

Full details on these url's!

http://tonkin.spymac.net/hanoikerry1.html

There is a backup site
if the 1st url is unavailable.

http://stophanoikerry.150m.com


11 posted on 12/17/2004 12:38:36 PM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (US Senate AND Main Stream Right Wing Media READ US Constitution 14th Amendment Section 3)
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To: MisterRepublican

All of John McPain's lap dogs have jumped on his bandwagon to trash Rumsfeld. The most offensive is Bill Kristol's attack on Rumsfeld in the Weekly Standard.

Kristol was a big McPain booster in the 2000 Repub primaries and since his candidate went down in flames he has nursed a not to well disguised vendetta against Bush, Rumsfeld and other Bush appointees.


12 posted on 12/17/2004 12:46:03 PM PST by hgro
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To: MisterRepublican
My daughter is serving in the Army in Germany. She has not heard the same reports about this as the rest of us have, because their TV and radio channels are supplied by the Army. They show programs selected by the military, and the commercials are Army propaganda. However the topic of discussion lately among her peers is the armor question. She says that when a unit ships out for Iraq, they take their own equipment and vehicles (humvees, etc) with them.

She says that the hummers her unit has have fabric doors and zip flexible plastic windows. I was horrified to hear this. I thought that the un-armored hummers at least had solid doors, like the ones you see here in the U.S.

I explained to her that these vehicles were ordered during the Clinton Administration, and that any armoring has taken place because the current administration and Mr. Rumsfield have ordered it.

I don't want my baby going to Iraq under any circumstances, but I want the vehicles armored if she does get sent over there!

13 posted on 12/17/2004 12:48:17 PM PST by passionfruit (passionate about my politics, and from the land of fruits and nuts)
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To: MisterRepublican; Ernest_at_the_Beach

Well, as usual, the MSM got it wrong again...
and the "hate Rummy" crowd, including Senator John McCain, jumped on the inaccurate story like a drunken sailor on liberty! LOL


I hope people will realize what the American military has accomplished in three years.
50 million people liberated
with just a little over 1000 KIA's(although we mourn the loss of each and every one)
and with a ten percent mortality rate of WIA's is incredible. That's half of what it was in Nam and probably half again what it was in WWII where we lost over 400K and we won't even talk about the mortality rated of WIA's in WWI and beyond!

Semper Fi,
Kelly

Improvise, adapt, overcome!


14 posted on 12/17/2004 12:54:21 PM PST by kellynla (U.S.M.C. 1st Battalion,5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Div. Viet Nam 69&70 Semper Fi)
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To: L98Fiero
Always remember the source. They are masters of the partial truth and when a partial truth won't due they fabricate ala CBS gate.

I read the original transcript and knew Rummy was being quoted out of context.

We need to hold the Conservative Wing of the Press's feet to the fire.

The MSM lost with Memogate and we need to expose them again and again.
15 posted on 12/17/2004 1:22:47 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (Free the Fallujah one)
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To: MisterRepublican

Sorry. I listened to the entire exchange on the radio, and the media got this one right. What made it even worse was Secretary Rumsfeld's insistence that only the laws of physics prevented more armored trucks from being produced. Then I read in the paper the next day that the company that is the army's sole source said they were only waiting for orders to produce 20% more armored trucks than their current output.

I've worked for a government contractor, and believe me, no government contractor leaves the government uninformed of their capacity to produce more of what the government is buying. If the company didn't have orders to run at full capacity, it's because the DoD wasn't on top of the problem.

If anyone has information to disprove this lapse, I'd be relieved to read it.


16 posted on 12/17/2004 1:28:56 PM PST by edweena
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To: edweena; kellynla; Grampa Dave; NormsRevenge; blackie
If anyone has information to disprove this lapse, I'd be relieved to read it.

Well,..... read thru the articles and threads on the arnmorflap keyword list, including the actual transcript and this one:

And why were they only making 450 Humvees a month?[Because it was law, that's why]

17 posted on 12/17/2004 1:37:32 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: hgro

kristol is on my S*** List, what a damn weasel.........


18 posted on 12/17/2004 1:38:31 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

The army produced about six people in charge of this and explained it to the press a couple of days ago. Catch all the details on c-span. Their presentation of exactly how they are and have responded to need to armour vehicles is pretty impressive imho. As for Rumsfeld, what he said is so obviously true, I am bored by the hysteria.


19 posted on 12/17/2004 1:47:59 PM PST by ClaireSolt (.)
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To: ClaireSolt
Latest news:

W.House Gives Rumsfeld New Vote of Confidence

20 posted on 12/17/2004 2:06:58 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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