REVENGE OF THE PRESS: WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS RIP SPOKESMAN OVER NEWSWEEK MESS

Drudge Report ^ | 5/17/05

[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...

[Mo1]

I just realized. We haven't heard anymore about the CBS photographer who was caught working with the insurgents.

There should be a special thread listing all the lies they have told and been caught at

There are so many I'm losing track of them

[TAdams8591]

"There was a time when the press was supposed to unmask the lies of government. Now it's the job of the internet to unmask the lies of the press."

Great point!

[TAdams8591]

"There was a time when the press was supposed to unmask the lies of government. Now it's the job of the internet to unmask the lies of the press."

Great point!

[FreeRep]

Newsweek are "embedded" journalists for
Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden.

[Sal]

She and the media are hanging themselves with their own rope.

This is true and they seem unable to stop or help themselves.

Also, when our respective blood pressures go waaaay up over garbage like this, we need to remember how absolutely miserable these little creeps must be to have to live every day knowing that President Bush won the election and is winning most of his battles with them.

They can't even get satisfaction from his losses such as his very regrettable and poll eroding border strategy because they agree with that.

Imagine how awful it will be to be elisabeth and her ilk if he manages to bring peace to the Mid East. Her big guts will eat up her little guts over it while he will be regarded as one of our greatest presidents.

[muir_redwoods]

They lied and 17 died (so far) and now they want us to believe that it's Bush's fault because the Pentagon knew about the story and didn't quash it. Can you imagine the hue and cry if the Pentagon had quashed it? These people are beyond belief. Literally.

[Corporate Law]

The MSM always reminds of the 80s movie Head Office. In one of the scenes they brought in a motivation speaker (who bore a striking resemblance to Hitler) for an executive meeting and while this guy was ranting, Judge Reinhold turned to a co-worker and asked him what the guy was saying, to which co-worker responded "I don't know, I never listen to these a$$holes anyways". That pretty much sums up my view towards the MSM, I never listen to those a$$holes anyways, and increasingly more Americans are thinking the same.

[softwarecreator]

The MSM has one mission, and that is to destroy President Bush at any, and all, costs.

You are not giving them enough credit.  Their goal is much more ambitious than that.

They want to destroy America, period.

[SusaninOhio]

I miss Arie Fleischer -

[softwarecreator]

First they came for the reporters and then the attorneys.

Amen, man.

[TAdams8591]

"Rush talked at length about how they, The Old Media, are all the same, just different faces!"

And it's been that way for a long, long time!

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.
"...all they would have to do is produce a soldier..."

We've already had one poster today who claimed to be an Iraq vet who has seen desecration of the Koran. I would expect to see more pop up any time now.
The Left doesn't get that most of America couldn't care less about the Koran and most Muslims don't care whether our people did the deed or not.
Michael Frazier

[highimpact]

Are you asking them to write a story about how great the American military is; is that what you're saying here?

With all due respect, Elisabeth, you wouldn't recognize greatness if you stood before God Almighty. The finest men and women on earth have sacrificed their time, their labor, and their lives for the sole purpose of protecting your right to spew treasonous, anti-freedom rhetoric to the America-hating world. So as you ride home in your pinko, excuse me, pink limousine, take a moment to think about the brave men and women who made this country what it is today. Think about the wife who will never see her husband again, because he took a bullet in Fallujah from some low-life terrorist hiding in a Mosque. Think about his parents, who are sitting in their living room, watching and listening as you belittle their son's sacrifice.

You'll go home to your ivory tower tonight and lay your fat head on your $500 satin pillow and get a good night's sleep, but I want these words to ring in your ears: America is one country under God. We are a beacon of light to all men, women, and children who understand that freedom is a principal worth fighting for. We are the land of the free. We are the home of the brave, and I'll be damned if you think you can mock our armed forces in this building. Grab a gun and join the fight, or shut the h*ll up. Next question?

If only this administration had the balls to say what needs to be said.

[combat_boots]

"First they came for the reporters and then the attorneys."

He!!, they can have 'em.

[Libertarian444]

Newsweek lied, people died

[bray]

From my archive:

Why should we really be surprised that the Stone-age press would stoop to using forged military documents to damage President Bush. When their new Standard bearer is Michael Moore and his tactics, false charges with no proof is the norm. Fearinheight 911, Paul Wilson and the WMD charges have all proved that you can make any charge, no matter how false and have no consequences. All of these charges have been proved beyond a shadow of a doubt of being false and all stuck with the charge. DNCBS is only the trial anchor of taking this false charge with no proof accusation, to the next level by being used by a large news organization.

What Dinosaur Dan did not weigh into his calculation was that FreeRepublic would be onto this forgery in such a quick and loud way. Thanks to some very bright Freepers this fraud has been exposed, but the charges are still being leveled. Being that the entire Stone-age press is owned by the Rat Party, the message will still be carried on bad evidence. They are now in the false information industry and there is no objective watchdog for their lies, except the internet.

Why would DNCixty Mins do this? Simple. The Swifties were banished from PravdABDNC and a grassroots effort became an unexpected force in this election. They have changed the dynamic and eliminated Yaaaawn Tax & Kerry’s main asset for becoming CIC which was Vietnam medals. Unfit for Command has been on the Olden Times Best Seller list for 4 weeks and are the darlings of the Inter-news.

The Rats needed a counter to stop this and that is when this scheme was hatched. According to “The Prowler” which is very well sourced, Yaaaaawn’s campaign had “received” these forgeries 6-8 weeks ago and have been sitting on them. As the RNC Convention was in full swing and they were watching their lead turn into a route they decided they had to play this card. They had nothing to lose and if recent history told them anything, once they have the charge in their echo chamber it will be believed by the uninformed and carried by their brain dead. This adds smoke to the Swifties charges by making both Services full of questions and making the masses throw up their hands. Forget that one is based on false information, that becomes a separate issue; the charges are valid.

We can now expect to see the wildest charges to be leveled with no proof whatsoever. We will hear the old abortion claim with the various cocaine and infidelity charges and who knows what else.. They know that we Republicans will not play that game and they are right. It is one thing when Micheal Mooron makes a fakeumentory, but 60 mins is the foundation of what investigative TV was built. Certainly it was always slanted liberal, but it did have Standards it would conform to. Now we know those Standards have crumbled. We can only wonder who or if those Anonymous sources are???

With the internet, Fox and Talk Radio the Stone-age press and the Rats have not only lost power but are being ignored. They have become irrelevant as the country renews it’s love of God and Country. These are values the Dan-osaurs in the Ancient press does not comprehend and if you can’t understand your customer you won’t sell to them. That is where he and they are and that is why they are dropping any hint of objectivity or Standard for reporting false and slanderous stories. They are living in the past, using the old formulas while Democracy and Capitalistic Free Truth drives past their Buggy Whip Conglomerates.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[FreedomCalls]

Complete transcript here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050517-2.html

[softwarecreator]

Terrific post.  You said what may of us are thinking.  Thank you.

[An American in Turkiye]

When I was deployed to Saudi Arabia a few years ago, while in the customs line, the guy in front of me had a bible that had pictures. The Saudi customs official tore out every picture he found in it. I personally witnessed this.

The sad thing is, there was nothing noone could do. We were, after all, "in their country, and we must respect their religious beliefs".

Our military DOES go out of our way to handle the Koran with care and respect. It's a shame some muslims do not extend the favor.

[Libertarian444]

Are you asking them to write a story about how great the American military is; is that what you're saying here?

With all due respect, Elisabeth, you wouldn't recognize greatness if you stood before God Almighty. The finest men and women on earth have sacrificed their time, their labor, and their lives for the sole purpose of protecting your right to spew treasonous, anti-freedom rhetoric to the America-hating world. So as you ride home in your pinko, excuse me, pink limousine, take a moment to think about the brave men and women who made this country what it is today. Think about the wife who will never see her husband again, because he took a bullet in Fallujah from some low-life terrorist hiding in a Mosque. Think about his parents, who are sitting in their living room, watching and listening as you belittle their son's sacrifice.

You'll go home to your ivory tower tonight and lay your fat head on your $500 satin pillow and get a good night's sleep, but I want these words to ring in your ears: America is one country under God. We are a beacon of light to all men, women, and children who understand that freedom is a principal worth fighting for. We are the land of the free. We are the home of the brave, and I'll be damned if you think you can mock our armed forces in this building. Grab a gun and join the fight, or shut the h*ll up. Next question?

BRAVO!! Excellent post.