Today Taunts Bush Administration's "Rhetoric vs. Reality" on Troop Withdrawals

Today Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

by Mark Finkelstein

December 5, 2005 - 07:43.

The truce is over. It's war again.

No, I'm not speaking of the situation on the battleground in Iraq. I'm referring to the Today show's attitude toward the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. In recent posts, here, here and here, I'd noted a surprising moderation in Today's tone.

But this morning, it was back to good old Bush-administration bashing. The segment's essence, as reflected in the on-screen graphic, amounted to questioning the administration's truthfulness: "Rhetoric vs. Reality", it read, asking "When Can U.S. Troops Come Home?"

With a little help from his friend Katie Couric, NBC reporter Jim Miklaszewski narrated the segment.

Couric introduced him by noting that this is "a deadly time for US troops," and Miklaszewski began his report by echoing that notion:

As the total number of US dead and wounded were displayed on screen, Miklaszewski observed: "those American casualties continue to climb."

Well, true. But then again, how could the total number of dead and wounded ever decline?

Then it was on to a gloomy take on the training of the Iraqi military. Of all the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi solders, Today chose to play a clip of one who was a caricature of a skinny sad sack, literally being pushed by his US trainer.

We were next treated to a clip of John Murtha claiming the US military has become "the enemy" in Iraq.

NBC employee, retired Lt. Col. Rick Francona, was then briefly brought in to intone that: "most people are disappointed with the progress of Iraqi forces in the field."

Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey, another NBC employee, was then heard from: "the prolonged war has put tremendous stress on US military forces, with many headed back to Iraq for their third or fourth tours. That will affect the families' willingness to commit to re-enlistment or staying in the armed services."

And of course no Today show Bush-administration bashing would be complete without some sniping from John McCain.

Miklaszewski, noting that McCain was a Republican, played a clip of him blasting Donald Rumsfeld in these terms: "We paid a very heavy price in American blood and treasure because of the Secretary of Defense's failure to recognize the obvious."

Miklaszewski stated that McCain was one of many who criticize the administration for "underestimating the potential strength of the Iraqi insurgency and not providing enough American troops to finish the war at the very start:"

Miklaszewski seemed ready to finish by sounding this pessimistic note: "And even if troop withdrawals begin soon there could still be as many as 100,000 American forces in Iraq by the end of next year; tens of thousands for the next 2-5 years."

But Katie wasn't quite ready to let Jim end the gloom-a-thon, asking this follow-up:

"Many people are asking the question why it's taken so long for Iraqi forces to be adequately trained?"

Mik replied that US civil administrator Paul Bremer had disbanded the Iraqi military right after the war and that we therefore had to start from scratch.

Added Mik: "The bigger problem is the Iraqi police. Many police forces are infiltrated or even taken over by local militias."

Katie 'helpfully' suggested: "Isn't fear playing a part in this too, Mik? They're afraid there'll be repercussions against them by the insurgency?"

Perhaps by this point Jim had grown tired of the script, and ended with a bit of a push back at Couric, noting that despite all the problems, there are still "more [Iraqi] recruits than they can train at any one time."

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Taunting Today Show/NewsBusters ping.

[mainepatsfan]

It is actually painful to watch that show.

[mewzilla]

NBC employee, retired Lt. Col. Rick Francona, was then briefly brought in to intone that: "most people are disappointed with the progress of Iraqi forces in the field."

Define most.

And if the Dems want the troops out of Iraq so badly, why don't they sponsor and vote for a bill to cut off funding for the war?

Why aren't MoveOn and the rest of those loony left groups crying for the Dems to exercise the power of the purse?

Inquiring minds want to know...

BTW, glgb. Thanks for sitting through this so we don't have to :)

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Here are links to the recent NewsBusters pieces, noted in this column, in which I described Today's surprisingly moderate tone:

http://newsbusters.org/node/2923
http://newsbusters.org/node/2939
http://newsbusters.org/node/2961

[Baby Driver]

Like the 'Today' staff aren't a bunch of lying
DimoPervert buttmunchers, with Terminal
Munchausens Disease by Proxy

[highlander_UW]

It is actually painful to watch that show.

People watch that show? How much do they get paid to watch it?

[RobFromGa]

sounds positively awful.

[mewzilla]

What's really amazing is that advertisers buy time on it.

[mainepatsfan]

Sometimes it's on when I'm at the gym. It's a great motivator for me to get done my workout ASAP.

[an amused spectator]

I agree with the Today Show.

When ARE we going to get the troops out?

Out of Germany, out of Japan, out of South Korea, out of Kosovo, etc., etc., etc.

I hate lying hypocrites, and the Democrat Party and its morning media organ, The TooGay Show, are some of the vilest.

[johnny7]

"How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam? How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

John Forbes Kerry, April 22, 1971

[governsleastgovernsbest]

People watch that show? How much do they get paid to watch it?

Here at the home, the staff kindly dispenses a daily Nexium to me in return for my Today show reports ;-)

[LOC1]

The bigger question is, "Why are the MSM so obviously biased against Republicans and selectively report only the things that will damage Republicans?

The answer is that the MSM have a dog in this hunt. They are losing market share to other forms if information dissemination, like this one, Fox News, talk radio, etc.

The MSM would clearly like more legislation like the Campaign Finance Reform law, which limit information flow through channels other than their own. Obviously, this is much more difficult to accomplish with Republicans in control.

Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the MSM are selectively reporting the news in a way to reduce Republican majorities and increase the MSM's chances to accomplish through legislation a return to their previous dominance that the free market no longer allows them.

[Mo1]

"Many people are asking the question why it's taken so long for Iraqi forces to be adequately trained?"

Mik replied that US civil administrator Paul Bremer had disbanded the Iraqi military right after the war and that we therefore had to start from scratch.

Hey Katie .. many of the Iraqi military that were disbanded were from Saddam's Republican Guard

aka .. Saddam loyalist

Call me crazy .. but I'm thinking you don't want Saddam loyalist running the military after we just fought to kick Saddam out

Hence the reason we had to start from scratch in rebuilding Iraq's military

[Baby Driver]

The 'Today' show ghouls, would butcher
babies, and abet traitors and serial
killers, on air, to serve the DimoLefties,
and get bigger rating numbers.

Why not do in public for profit, what
they do in private for their own pleasure?

[highlander_UW]

Here at the home, the staff kindly dispenses a daily Nexium to me in return for my Today show reports ;-)

My degree is in psychology, and I must warn you, prolonged medication is not a recommended lifestyle...especially at the high levels that would be required by such painful programming.

[PogySailor]

NBC employee, retired Lt. Col. Rick Francona, was then briefly brought in to intone that: "most people are disappointed with the progress of Iraqi forces in the field."

How could they not be? Does the MSM ever report anything that doesn't fit the "Iraq is a quagmire" template?

You have to find reports like this to know different.

[joe fonebone]

If this is her thought pattern, just think what it will be like when she is the nightly news anchor at seeBS....

[Mo1]

I would predict a future just like Dan Rather if Katie went there