Posted on 05/17/2005 4:34:22 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
With its Alice-in-Wonderland treatment of the Koran flushing story, the Today Show demonstrated this morning that it is capable of making a Bush-bashing silk purse out of a false MSM sow's ear of a story.
Given the universal attention that the false story and Newsweek's retraction have garnered, there was no way that Today, much as it might have liked to, could have ignored the story.
Forced to deal with it, they managed to put its own ugly spin on the matter. Again and again, Today floated the notion that Newsweek retracted the story due to pressure from the Bush administration, and went so far as to suggest the story might be true.
The focus was at least as much on possibly sinister motives at the "White House," as it was on any transgression by Newsweek.
Thus the story was introduced with this question: "Will Newsweek's retraction end the flurry of White House criticism?"
And again: "Did pressure from the White House impact Newsweek's decision to retract the story?"
Matt Lauer stuck to the marching orders in his interview of Dan Klaidman Newsweek DC Bureau Chief.
Lauer: "Did you get pressure from the White House?"
Klaidman flatly denied it: "The only pressure was our own sense of responsibility."
That wasn't good enough for Lauer. He was apparently more willing to believe the enemies of the US than he was the Bush administration or even Newsweek.
Lauer: "There is suspicion in the Muslim world. They say they've heard similar reports from released detainees. Why shouldn't we believe it and think that Newsweek retracted the story only because it was forced to do so by the White House to protect its image?" And just in case anyone missed the MSM message, Lauer sympathetically asked: "Is there piling on by the administration?"
Given that the propagation of a false story led to riots and deaths, you'd think the last thing Today would do would be to air other rumors. Yet incredibly, incredibly!, that's exactly what it devoted virtually the entirety of its next segment to.
NBC reporter Richard Engel reported from Baghdad, and his report consisted of retelling a variety of additional rumors:
1. "There are many rumors in Iraq and across Muslim world that this kind of thing happens regularly."
2. "There are rumors that US Marines while raiding a mosque abused a Koran and spray-painted it."
3. "Another one - during a search of woman, a search dog pulled a Koran out of the woman's handbag and Marines started laughing."
Engel claimed: "People believe this is not a war on terrorism but a war on Islam."
Lauer 'helpfully' filled in the blanks: "You're telling me people in that part of the world expect the worst from the US.?"
Engel somberly observed: "I'm not sure we're winning the battle for hearts and minds. There is still fallout from Abu Ghraib."
And just to pour the last measure of gasoline on the fire, Engel ended with this explosive allegation: "There are rumors women were raped at Abu Ghraib. One women claimed she was raped six times every night."
Just when you thought the MSM couldn't sink any lower . . .
Refresh my mind, exactly how much air time did Today expend on Juanita Broderick's rape claim?
Ok, enough is enough. I've had it.
We can say it like it is and call these arrogant elitists the traitorous little scumbags they are. But, I ask you, what the hell is going to stop them from continuing to spread their hate filled lies?
Dan Rather, CNN covering up Saddam's atrocities in order to keep their cozy Baghdad offices open, Abu Ghraib being made out to be the worst crime since the Holocaust, an AP photographer taking a close up picture of an execution of an innocent election worker that he obviously knew was going to happen, embedded reporters giving away our some of our unit's positions during the invasion, and now Newsweek blatantly lying and causing mass riots and death all because they can't stand to have a president who has an "R" next to his name. I'm sure that there are more examples but I've lost track.
The point is that every time the MSM does crap like this we all say we are outraged and call them traitors and scumbag criminals and nothing is ever done about it. In fact, their treacherous actions have only gotten bolder and bolder as time goes by. So, I ask, what exactly will it take for this to finally stop?
The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is for charges of treason and slander to be filed against these elitist bastards. But I think we all know that there is NO ONE in the republican party who has the stones to even suggest such a thing; and if there was someone willing to do it the rest of the pubbies would turn their backs on him so quick it would make your head spin.
So, what can be done? Something has to be done quick because I'm afraid that the MSM will only get worse, and if allowed to continue their campaign without reprisal we will almost certainly lose this war.
What I see Newsweek doing was akin to pouring lighter fluid on to glowing embers that our Government has been trying to let die out. From the news coverage I have seen last night on MSM they are doing nothing to put out the new fire, at best just reporting on it and at worse adding just a little squirt hear and there with more lighter fluid.
If Lauer and the rest of the msm were interested in truth, they would remind viewers and readers that the US government provided these Korans to the prisoners. They would remind viewers and readers how the US military respected Islam, and tried to avoid bombing mosques. They would remind viewers and readers that it's the terrorists who turn mosques into battle zones. The US has bent over backwards to respect all aspects of the Moslem religion.
Lesson learned? Don't bend over backwards!
It could have been a small version (I understand that 1x2 miniatures have been printed for use as talismans) or the book could have been flushed down page by page
My understanding is that the ones at Gitmo were all standard sized for easy reading. The report of the detainee flushing pages to stop the plumbing as a protest, has not gotten near enough attention.
The media is turning a blind eye to this, just like they did dan blaTHer's 60 minutes of lies on President Bush's National Guard service.
"...Newsweek Lied, People Died..."
I can't wait for Laura Ingraham and Rush today. This should be a great week for talk shows.
Thanks for watching the "Today Show" so we don't have to.
Mighty big *if* there. A substantial fraction of the people are very gullible.
Mornin' Sam,
Excellent post. You saved me a much longer post. :)
If I may add:
The Moslem countries believe in a one-man rule. By implication, the MSM is playing the angle: Bush "ordered" Newsweek to retract the story.
The illiterate masses are being played like a fiddle by the MSM. If these masses could think for a second about their own tyrants they will find out that the press under a tyrant couldn't have possibly printed anything like this without permission, an oxymoron at best.
Our MSM are exploiting the Moslem crowds ignorance in a bid to keep the story alive under the guise of "an intellectual discussion to get to the truth", something they never have to "retract".
The one and only news channel that has talked about the detainee flushing the Koran is...guess which one? FOX News. Of course we all know how biased they are over there. Thats why their ratings are so abysmally low. (sarcasm)
Worth repeating.
I was walking through the house and my wife was watching one of the BS channels last night. I don't remember which network it was, but the anchor was having a hard time dealing with the Newsweak story, and actually brought up the 60 minutes hit piece from last year.
I went into the bedroom and watched Fox, and within minutes, she had that on as well. She said it was so funny to watch the major networks having to "explain" the errors.
Ack. lauer, couric, et al really chap my fanny.
Exactly right. SEVENTEEN skulls.One for each who has died (so far) as a result of the reaction to Newsweek's
LIE / FALSE story about our military in Guantanamo, Cuba.SHAME on them!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.