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.
This is hilarious. But I would've preferred Katie and Matt being the ones embarrassed.
What a delicious twist.
The greatest disappointment is how Fox News is joining the MSM. Oh well, there are many other news sources now.....Fox can begin to attrack the Whine and Cheese crowd while us Red staters go elsewhere.
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!
They should have called Al Gore to have waters released up stream so the boat would float better.
Yeah, but she is pretty darn cute. A fraud, perhaps, but a pretty fraud.
Someone should send this to Brut Hume, instead of the Leno clips he plays at the end of his show, he should play this one.
LOL - I had forgotten about that one. Or maybe taking a cue from Kerry , she could have thrown someone else's paddle over the fence ;-)
Excellent! Puts matters into perspective beautifully, and fairly.
And what is worse is that the administration allowed the news to cover the preparation, to PROVE that they weren't scripting what people said -- and the media has USED that access to put together misleading reports to give the suggestion that the administration was afraid of what they would say and was telling them what to say.
This made me spew my coffee.
Wish I had seen it!
I know. Very disappointing.
No doubt.
I would certainly have thought so, but see #18.
I hope those hip waders were not to high, would not want her to chaf anything important.
The greatest disappointment is how Fox News is joining the MSM. Oh well, there are many other news sources now.....Fox can begin to attrack the Whine and Cheese crowd while us Red staters go elsewhere.
#####
I wonder what the net result of their numbers will show. I certainly watch very little on Fox now.
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.