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Rumsfeld Blasts Russert for Edited Report
NewsMax ^ | 2/6/05 | Carl Limbacher

Posted on 02/06/2005 12:25:07 PM PST by wagglebee

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld blasted NBC's "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert on Sunday for selectively editing an exchange he had in December with a National Guardsman who complained that his unit's vehicles weren't armored.

"That was unfair and it was selectively taking out two sentences from a long exchange," the Pentagon chief complained. "And when you suggested that that's how I answered that question, that is factually wrong." Russert had just aired a clip of the now infamous exchange between his guest and National Guardsman Specialist Thomas Wilson, where Wilson asked during a town hall meeting in Kuwait why "we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles?"

In footage aired by Russert, Rumsfeld replied: "As you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.

"And if you think about it, you can have all the armor in the world on a tank and a tank can be blown up. And you can have an up-armored Humvee and it can be blown up."

After the clip had ended, the irked Defense Secretary said, "That is not how I answered that question.

"But, Mr. Secretary," replied Russert somewhat sheepishly. "It clearly represents the exchange and . . . "

"It does not," Rumsfeld shot back.

Prepared with a full transcript, the Defense chief overode the NBC host and proceeded to read his full answer:

"I talked to the general coming out here about the pace at which the vehicles are being armored," Rumsfeld began in response to Wilson.

"They have been brought from all over the world, wherever they're not needed, to places where they are needed. I'm told they are being--the Army is--I think it's something like 400 a month are being done now.

"And it's essentially a matter of physics. It's not a matter of money. It isn't a matter on the part of the Army's desire. It's a matter of production and capability of doing it. As you know, you go to the war with the Army you have. They're not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.

"Since the Iraq conflict began, the Army has been pressing ahead to produce armor necessary at a rate that they believe--it's a greatly expanded rate from what existed previously but a rate that they believe is the rate that can be accomplished.

"I can assure you that General Schumacher and the leadership of the Army and certainly General Whitcomb are sensitive to the fact that not every vehicle has the degree of armor that would be desirable to have, but that they're working at it at a good clip.

"It's interesting. I've talked a great deal about this with a team of people who've been working hard at the Pentagon. And if you think about it, you can have all the armor in the world on a tank and the tank could still be blown up. And you can have an up-armored Humvee and it can be blown up.

"And you can go down and the vehicle--the goal we have is to have many of those vehicles as is humanly possible with the appropriate level of armor available for the troops. And that's what the Army's been working on." [END OF RUMSFELD'S ANSWER TO WILSON].

After finishing the transcript, the defense chief told Russert:

"Now, that answer is totally different from picking out two lines. And I think it's an unfair representation and it's exactly what some of the newspapers around the country did."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: armor; leftistpress; mediabias; mtp; nbcnews; rumsfeld; rusmfeld; russert; timrussert
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To: wagglebee
Russert is such an A$$ it is unbelievable.He tries this on lots of people and get away with it.Ask them a question and then answers it for them the way he wants to.This is a blow hard Crissy Mathews tactic.
21 posted on 02/06/2005 12:38:14 PM PST by solo gringo (Liberal democrats are parasites)
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To: MEG33

I don't think you can get anything by Rummy, the man is too sharp for liberal pinheads.


22 posted on 02/06/2005 12:38:34 PM PST by John Lenin (We used to shoot horse thief's)
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To: Reactionary

You got that right about Russert and his lack of IQ. On Celebrity Jeopardy he came in 3rd place behind Christie Whitman and some guy from NPR. They all got the final jeopardy question wrong:

“In the year 1958, the U.S. Senate was made up of this many members.”

He came up with 50 or some other stupid answer. His answers were so embarrassing it was sad to watch.


23 posted on 02/06/2005 12:38:42 PM PST by eleni121 (Four more years and four more again after that...)
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To: MEG33

"It could be re aired on MSNBC. It is here tonight..9 or 10. You can skip the last part..It's Teddy...I did."

THANK YOU MEG!!! Can't wait to see it.


24 posted on 02/06/2005 12:39:03 PM PST by PilloryHillary (Yes, I was JohnFKerrySucks, but it's time to move on. Pillory Hillary!)
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To: PilloryHillary

I'm CST and I checked..on at 9 pm.


25 posted on 02/06/2005 12:40:13 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: InterceptPoint
The Republicans and Conservatives need to start doing this and keep doing this, calling the liberals on their BS ,, like the last few weeks of the shrill we have been getting from the liberals,, mainly TEDDY KENNEDY, BARBRA BOXER, HILLARY CLINTON, and the rest of the lame brained liberals.
The republicans need to do what rummy did, and never give the liberals a inch, or let up on them.
GO RUMMY !!!!!!!!! Can anyone describe how the exchange went between RUMMY and RUSTY ( opps,, RUSSERT ) ?? What was RUSSERTS facial expressions, PRICELESS ?
26 posted on 02/06/2005 12:40:21 PM PST by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM 53 : 1 The ( FOOL ) hath said in his heart , There is no GOD .)
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To: wagglebee
Go Rummy.

It's about time that liberal talking heads are held to account for their intentional misrepresentation of facts.

I believe the bringing down of Rather and CBS has had a huge impact on the spines of the politico's.

Rummy has never been exactly spineless, but the PajamaPatrol has demonstrated that the MSM is no longer invincible.
27 posted on 02/06/2005 12:41:28 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (Certified cause of Post Traumatic Redhead Syndrome)
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To: spokeshave
You mean,,,, RICE ohh RUMMY , like the old TV commercials for RICE O RONIE ,,,,
28 posted on 02/06/2005 12:42:37 PM PST by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM 53 : 1 The ( FOOL ) hath said in his heart , There is no GOD .)
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To: Ditto

Please don't encourage him to start referring to Big Russ again, PLEASE!


29 posted on 02/06/2005 12:43:29 PM PST by Darkwolf377 ("Of the four wars in my lifetime none came about because the U.S. was too strong."-Ronald Reagan)
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To: TASMANIANRED

bump


30 posted on 02/06/2005 12:43:31 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (Certified cause of Post Traumatic Redhead Syndrome)
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To: wagglebee

Smacked-down by Rummy! Gotta hurt!


31 posted on 02/06/2005 12:43:33 PM PST by GVnana (If I had a Buckhead moment would I know it?)
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To: wagglebee

Way to go, Rummy. "Selective editing", for sure. I didn't think Russert was that sneaky. I actually thought he was more professional than that. Shame on me.


32 posted on 02/06/2005 12:43:42 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: TASMANIANRED

btt


33 posted on 02/06/2005 12:43:44 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (Certified cause of Post Traumatic Redhead Syndrome)
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To: TASMANIANRED

btt


34 posted on 02/06/2005 12:43:49 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (Certified cause of Post Traumatic Redhead Syndrome)
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To: InterceptPoint
Can someone manage to get a video link to that exchange between Rummy and Russert for those who missed it ?
35 posted on 02/06/2005 12:44:37 PM PST by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM 53 : 1 The ( FOOL ) hath said in his heart , There is no GOD .)
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To: MEG33

"I'm CST and I checked..on at 9 pm."

I'm EST, so I guess I'll check at 10 pm. Thanks again.


36 posted on 02/06/2005 12:46:19 PM PST by PilloryHillary (Yes, I was JohnFKerrySucks, but it's time to move on. Pillory Hillary!)
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To: wagglebee

Timmy's a dimmy and Rummy's no dummy! Great post!


37 posted on 02/06/2005 12:46:46 PM PST by XRayDeltaOne
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To: Prophet in the wilderness

MSNBC tonight..9 CST..Go to the sidebar, breaking news for the Sunday morning talk show thread for descriptions.
No one noticed Russert ;)


38 posted on 02/06/2005 12:47:24 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: wagglebee

Go Donny! Go Donny! Go Donny!

I wish I had seen Russerts face! How did he answer that one????


39 posted on 02/06/2005 12:47:30 PM PST by Danae (Thank you G.W. Bush! You make me PROUD to be an American!!!)
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To: wagglebee

It was great! Rumsfeld just took over and set the record straight. All Russert could do was sit there.

Loved it!!!!


40 posted on 02/06/2005 12:48:03 PM PST by Exit148 (Founder of the Loose Change Club. Every nickle and dime counts!!)
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