Posted on 05/17/2005 3:22:34 PM PDT by Brian Mosely
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE MAY 17, 2005 18:02:22 ET XXXXX
REVENGE OF THE PRESS: WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS RIP SPOKESMAN OVER NEWSWEEK MESS
Mainline reporters moved into battle-mode today during a White House press briefing -- as one of their own outlets continued to hemorrhage over a now retracted story!
Afghanistan's government said Tuesday that NEWSWEEK should be held responsible for damages caused by deadly anti-American demonstrations after the magazine alleged U.S. desecration of the Quran.
The White House said the United States' image abroad had suffered irreparable damage by the story.
But it was the press's turn to fight back as Bush spokesman Scott McClellan opened his briefing to questions.
[Joined in progess]
Q With respect, who made you the editor of Newsweek? Do you think it's appropriate for you, at that podium, speaking with the authority of the President of the United States, to tell an American magazine what they should print?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not telling them. I'm saying that we would encourage them to help --
Q You're pressuring them.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I'm saying that we would encourage them --
Q It's not pressure?
MR. McCLELLAN: Look, this report caused serious damage to the image of the United States abroad. And Newsweek has said that they got it wrong. I think Newsweek recognizes the responsibility they have. We appreciate the step that they took by retracting the story. Now we would encourage them to move forward and do all that they can to help repair the damage that has been done by this report. And that's all I'm saying. But, no, you're absolutely right, it's not my position to get into telling people what they can and cannot report....
Q Are you asking them to write a story about how great the American military is; is that what you're saying here?
MR. McCLELLAN: Elisabeth, let me finish my sentence. Our military --
Q You've already said what you're -- I know what -- how it ends.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I'm coming to your question, and you're not letting me have a chance to respond. But our military goes out of their way to handle the Koran with care and respect. There are policies and practices that are in place. This report was wrong. Newsweek, itself, stated that it was wrong. And so now I think it's incumbent and -- incumbent upon Newsweek to do their part to help repair the damage. And they can do that through ways that they see best, but one way that would be good would be to point out what the policies and practices are in that part of the world, because it's in that region where this report has been exploited and used to cause lasting damage to the image of the United States of America. It has had serious consequences. And so that's all I'm saying, is that we would encourage them to take steps to help repair the damage. And I think that they recognize the importance of doing that. That's all I'm saying.
Q As far as the Newsweek article is concerned, first, how and where the story came from? And do you think somebody can investigate if it really happened at the base, and who told Newsweek? Because somebody wrote a story.
MR. McCLELLAN: I think Newsweek has talked about it. They took it --
Developing...
My local paper is delivered to my frontyard and my cable line comes across the frontyard. When is McClellan going to tell one of these drones to FO...
The far Left thinks the press is right-wing because Dan Rather doesn't come on and say, "Today, America's imperialist Army, under the direction of the fascist George Bush, launched an unprovoked, racist, genocidal attack on the poor people of Iraq." The Left considers anything more subtle than that to be "right-wing."
WHO asked these question???
My blood pressure is going through the roof!!
Yes, but I'm in Utah, which is probably one of the 3-4 more conservative states in the union, though we also have our loopy leftists - fortunately they don't usually dominate..... [I know it may not be strictly correct to refer to Utah as part of the "Rocky Mtn." west, but we also have plenty of mountains and I like the phrase]
It does NOT MATTER whether these lies WERE written in "good faith" or EVEN IF THEY WERE NOT LIES. This story should NEVER, EVER have been written in the main stream press, EVEN IF TRUE!!!
This information OUGHT to have been brought to the attention of the US gov't, and let them handle it QUIETLY. Inflammatory information like this must be dealt with RESPONSIBLY - in that case (as in Abu Garib) the US must discover the facts, punish perpetrators if any, deal with systemic problems if they exist, and only after that is done, (usually) release the embargo on the story to that reporter or organization who brought it to light.
It was prima facie clear that this, like the overblown Abu story (that the military was already investigating and in the process of punishing), had great potential to harm the United States and our allies (Iraq, Afghanistan, and others); to kill people and injure others - and it is certainly clear that our civilian leadership would condemn such activities if they were occuring. The proper course for responsible news organizations is to let them know behind closed doors what might be going and to allow them time to clean it up. In extreme cases, the story ought to be embargoed forever, but typically it should be released after a period of time.
A RESPONSIBLE news organization might even state a "story" was shopped to them that was found to be UNTRUE after investigation by proper authority - Newsweek COULD have done that in this particular case, and done a great service to our country and the world in exposing how misinformation can attempt to be planted in the media. They blew it, and instead CAUSED MURDERS and Mayhem.
This "shopped" story brings more than shame to Newsweek, though - people are DEAD who ought not be dead.
It is time to bring back wartime censorship of the press.
`\
The press understands that they have long been held in suspicion that they are working against America in the war. They know the opinion of many Americans about their actions during 'nam. They know how serious it is that people died, and that this blood is being linked to a lie.
This is worse than CBS which exposed bias. This latest exposes nothing short of Treason with blood split. They have just had their malicious shoddy 'journalism' exposed and it affects the entire MSM. It cannot be contained only to NewsWeek.
This explains the venom. Once again the Administration is clean and their credibility is further shot to hell.
Elizabeth, you just won a 7-day all expenses paid holiday to the center of Islamofascistan. Please wear sleeveless blouse and mini-skirt.
Actually, I think he *did* say that.
Replace him with
Dennis Miller.
Now, there's someone that can think on their feet, and would leave the White House Press Corps sitting there in their own entrails.
All the news that's shiite to print.
Ah-Ha! Well, that explains a lot. My BIL goes on and on about how right-wing the media is...while we're watching the same program in the same room! If you don't mind, I'm going to use your phrasing to explain it to him. :)
I thought I must be going bonkers, but as usual, it's just him. ;)
"Elizabeth, you just won a 7-day all expenses paid holiday to the center of Islamofascistan. Please wear sleeveless blouse and mini-skirt"
Yeah, wouldn't be great if 'journalists' (I use the term sarcastically) like Bumiller could be dropped off in the middle of Jihad-stan with nothing but their bathing suits..... it would be great for them to experience first-hand the humanity and compassion of the jihadists, on whose behalf the NYTs works so diligently.
Earth to journalists: while you fiddle, and while you bash Bush, Rumsfeld, et al, the jihadists are working 24/7 to erase the world you know and put you into an 8th century Muslim theocracy (IF they even let you live). Do you want the slavery and death of the jihadists, or the wisdom of the Republicans you find so nasty and evil??? Those are your only two real choices, whether you grasp it or not....
Good guess!
http://www.nationalreview.com/beltway/058415.html
NYT Arrives Locked And Loaded
You can expect the mainstream press to ask its share of loaded questions in presidential press conferences. However, Elizabeth Bumiller of the New York Times asked Bush a question that caught even the White House press off-guard.
When discussing Paul Wolfowitz, Bumiller described Wolfowitz as “a chief architect of one of the most unpopular wars in history.” The president was clearly surprised by the opinionated slant of the question, as was just about everyone in the room. After laughing, President Bush responded, “That's an interesting start.”
[Posted 03/16 12:18 PM]
We need some conservatives in journalism. How do we recruit for that?
The tone of this exchange says to me that the reporter (cough, cough) lives behind a wall of denial, thinking the media is above reproach, and is now terrorized at the thought that if they get a story wrong, they may go bankrupt making things "right" with a situation like this.
He played the audio of an NBC (mis)reporter's on air report detailing "rumors" of abuse by US soldiers such as the nightly raping of a female detainee by 6 soldiers over the course of a week.
It's an absolute disgrace what the MSM is doing.
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