Posted on 10/14/2005 4:50:52 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
October 14, 2005 - 07:10.
In a deliciously ironic twist of fate, shortly before airing a segment aimed at embarrassing the Bush administration by suggesting that it had staged a video conversation between the president and soldiers in Iraq, the Today show was caught in staging . . . a video stunt.
In the Bush/Iraq segment, Today screened footage indicating that prior to engaging in a video conversation with President Bush, soldiers on the ground in Iraq were given tips by a Department of Defense official.
But the only advice that the official was shown as giving was a suggestion to one solider to "take a little breath" before speaking to the president so he would actually be speaking to him. It was also stated that some of the soldiers practiced their comments so as to appear as articulate as possible. But there was no indication, or even allegation, that the soldiers were coached as to the substance of their comments or in any way instructed what to say.
Today's timing couldn't have been worse. A preceding segment focused on the incessant rains and ensuing flooding in the northeast. For days now, beautiful, blonde - and one senses highly ambitious - young reporter Michelle Kosinski has been on the scene for Today in New Jersey, working the story. In an apparent effort to draw attention to herself, in yesterday's segment she turned up in hip waders, standing thigh-deep in the flood waters.
Taking her act one step further, this morning she appeared on a suburban street . . . paddling a canoe. There was one small problem. Just as the segment came on the air, two men waded in front of Kosinki . . . and the water barely covered their shoe tops! That's right, Kosinski's canoe was in no more than 4-6 inches of water!
An embarrassed Kosinski claimed the water was deeper down the street but that her producers didn't want to let her go there for fear she'd drift away. But Katie and Matt, perhaps peeved by her attempted scene-stealing, couldn't resist ribbing her.
Matt: "Are these holy men, perhaps walking on top of the water?"
"Gee, is your oar hitting ground, Michelle?" inquired Katie, as she and Matt dissolved into laughter.
Moral of the story: people in canoes in four inches of water shouldn't throw video-stunt stones.
Finkelstein has degrees from Cornell University and Harvard Law School.He lives in Ithaca, NY where he hosts "Right Angle," a local political talk show. Finkelstein specializes in exposing liberal bias at NBC's Today Show.
That's the way I look at it too. The last thing I'd want to do, as a soldier, is embarrass the president, whether I like him and his policies or not.
That said, we turned off this 'conference' when it came on, because it seemed like a fairly corny set up. I don't like corny setups. I love this president, support the war, and our troops, but this was hokey.
Marking this for latter viewing.
Hilarious.
ping
Agreed.
LOL! Just watched the video, even without Matt & Katie's comments in studio it is PRICELESS. Especially because she's saying how tough it is to navigate a canoe through the water - so get out and walk, foolish woman! BWAAAHAHAHAHA
You know what's even more hokey that I hate? When the media sets up troops on camera with their wives and kids on another camera and say "anything you'd like to say to your honey?" And they proceed to have these very awkward conversations because the whole world is watching. I hate it.
If they wanted to be the good guy, the media should provide the technology and connection and let them talk off air. "Sgt Tom, as a surprise, we have your wife and family here in the studio, we're going to move on to something else and let you and your family talk in private". I'd respect the media enormously for that. This contrived voyeuristic exploitive stuff just makes me embarrassed for all of them.
You and I would get along very well. You would not look at me strangely when I say to the TV "Why are you doing this. This is awful." LOL
Heh... I say that to my TV a lot :~D
That is a riot! I like the part where the neighborhood "is now part of the Passaic River." That's the river you can walk through, right? And I love how the guys walked right in front of the camera. Hysterical!
Will do... thanks! ;-)
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What is funny is that this thread has more comments than the orginal thread posted.
Go fig-uh! ;-)
Wait a second. This IS the original thread! I posted this thread this morning just minutes after I posted my article over at NewsBusters.
BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAHAAHAAAAAA!!!!!
Delicious!
What is the "Today Show" and why would anyone want to watch it?
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