Posted on 01/04/2006 5:14:08 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
January 4, 2006 - 07:58
Once in a while, it happens. TV serves up human drama in real time. It happened on this morning's Today show when the bereaved son of one of the Sago miners confronted the governor of West Virginia over allegedly lax safety enforcement in the mine.
Matt Lauer began with a stand-up interview, at the disaster site, of WV Governor Joe Manchin. Lauer then brought in John Bennett, the adult son of Jim Bennett, one of the miners who died, who stood on Lauer's other side.
Bennett described the history of violations in the mine. Lauer turned to Manchin to inquire about the violations, and Manchin launched into his response when Bennett took matters into his own hands. He spoke across Lauer directly to Manchin: "with all these roof falls and everything that has happened over the multiple months, not weeks, months, that this has happened," Manchin began to reply when Bennett again cut him off: "and they still send men in there?"
It was a poignant moment, as one's heart when out to the son. At the same time, it was an ultimate political moment: a politician on live national TV confronted by a bereaved constituent suggesting the governor's responsibiity for the death of his father and others.
Manchin remained calm and, without directly responding to Bennett's question, described the seals in the mine that had been blown out.
Lauer followed with an apt question to Manchin of his own: "when the average person across the country hears that this mine had been cited for 46 violations as recently as late December, it is hard to understand why it was open for business on Monday when that explosion occured."
Manchin replied by stating that even one fatality is too many, that mining is an inherently dangerous operation, and by mentioning that his own family had suffered a mining death [his uncle was killed in an infamous 1968 disaster in which 78 miners died]. "I know exactly how the families feel. I've been there."
Lauer turned back to Bennett, who seemed on the verge of putting another question to Manchin, when Lauer deflected it, asking Bennett "what questions would you like to put to the mine operators?" Bennett paused, palpably changing directions, and suggested that, for fear of losing their jobs, the men were afraid to speak out about the unsafe mine conditions. Bennett decried the absence of the United Mine Workers to protect the men in the non-union Sago mine.
Bennett conducted himself with dignity, as did Manchin, who is clearly in the crisis of his political life. There were no winners or losers, simply a spontaneous human moment, brought to us in real time.
The MSM reports innuendo, rumor as fact, regardless of the consequences to family, friend, country.
Remember the Koran flushed down the toilet story that proved to be false? That cost how many lives in riots overseas?
Remember the media hysteria (Geraldo) in the aftermath of Katrina? "10,000 dead". Untrue. "Hundreds murdered and raped in the Superdome". Untrue. "Toxic waters will make New Orleans uninhabitable for months, if not years". Untrue.
Remember the Dan Blather fake documents?
Any story read or heard from the old MSM must now be independently verifired by the customer as anything, ANYTHING they report cannot be trusted as true.
And hey FoxNews, your stepping into that boat too!
OIC, you're one of the "better" New Yorkers.
Prothro will be back, and next year will be the first year (I think) with no players recruited under probation. Having Bama back in the Big Leagues is good for football. Viva Shula.
After the fact, yes.
From the post I was responding to, anyone that would blame a governor or verbally attack a governor of a state for some mine accident has to be such a moron that they're a liberal.
Ok, he may not be a liberal but, judging by the public rant he did on TV, he's a low/no class moron.
You are a very harsh judge of someone who just a few hours earlier believed his father had survived, then learned the trgic truth.
Could be because he sees himself responsible and potentially liable both civilly and criminally.
Or, being un-unionized, they had more money to provide for their families... their main goal in life. I don't think they were anticipating a beautiful funeral.
They kicked my ass around Star Coal a couple of times in the 80s.
Didn't he just take over ownership of this mine a month ago? He may feel morally responsible for and intensely sad about these deaths even if he is not guilty of cutting any corners.
Sorry but your tears for the unions are lost on me. Even though my only reason for bringing them up is because the man interviewed by Matt Lauer had lost a son and yet his only idea that could change the conditions was to let the unions in the mine.
Its unions that have come up with closed shops and increased the costs of products and excluded employees from choice. Its unions that attack employees that cross the line, its unions that make employees stop what they are doing the minute the break whistle blows even though thirty more seconds could have finished a task.
BTW if you look at the figures, union membership is down all over the country. Thats not because they help people, its because employees are tired of the bullshit. If these minors wanted to work in a unionized mine they could have.
The media has built up the Governor as a very sympathetic figure. Don't know, may be true, but I do know it is because he is a Democrat. A Republican Governor, unless he was an anti-Bush RINO, would not have been.
This man might be neither one...a liberal nor a low/no class moron, or he could be both. I reserve judgement on WHY he did this, but I condemn his actions nontheless. To go on national television for an interview about this tragedy, and of all things turn to the governor and start trying to blame him is just plain wrong. I can walk and chew gum at the same time. No matter how much my heart breaks for these people, that was so bad.
And so was Lauert's "question", but then I expected that from anyone from the Today Show.
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