Note 'fair & balanced' screen graphic.
Posted on 02/09/2006 5:05:39 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
February 9, 2006 - 07:59
Imagine you're the host of a morning news show, and the head of the country's major opposition party has just invoked the real danger that America under its current president will become a police state akin to Iran. Do you think you might ask a follow-up question challenging your guest to substantiate his alarmist remark? Apparently not, at least if your GMA's Charlie Gibson. For when Howard Dean made just such an allegation this morning, Gibson never blinked.
Discussing the NSA terrorist surveillance program, Dean stated:
"All we ask is that we not turn into a country like Iran, where the President of Iran can do anything they want at any time."
Surely Gibson would demand that Dean back up his suggestion that America is on the brink of dictatorship? But no, Gibson merely thanked Dean and bade him goodbye.
Gibson was similarly insouciant earlier in the interview. In response to Gibson's request that Dean describe the Democrats' national security policy, the DNC chairman offered the following:
1. "We will hunt down Osama Bin Laden, enough is enough." More of a fond wish than a strategy? 2. "We will under no circumstances allow Iran to become a nuclear power." 3. "We will make the deal that has to be made with the North Koreans." And what deal is that? 4. "We will always adequately equip our troops if we have to send them into battle." A shot at the Bush administration on the body-armor issue.
Um, Mr. Dean, isn't there something missing on your list? You lay out Dem national security policy and don't mention one word about . . . Iraq? Again, you would have thought that, after all Dean's dark predictions that the war in Iraq is unwinnable, Gibson might have asked Dean just what the Dems would do about Iraq.
But no. Gibson was as silent as Dean when it came to the national security issue that the president has described as the cornerstone of our war on terror and in which 130,000 of our troops are currently engaged.
GMA/NewsBusters ping to Today Show ping list.
You must buy Prilosec by the case! I still don't know how you manage this every morning. I'd be hospitalized by now.
keep up the good work.
Great minds think alike..
Did he scream "YEEAAAGH!" again?
Sounds like the Republicans just got some more material for campaign commercials ...
1. "We will hunt down Osama Bin Laden, enough is enough." More of a fond wish than a strategy?
- You missed your chance after the first WTC Bombing in 1993.
2. "We will under no circumstances allow Iran to become a nuclear power."
- Jimmy Carter already gave them the keys, why would we give you a 2nd chance.
3. "We will make the deal that has to be made with the North Koreans."
- You alread proved how gullable you are with the 1994 agreement that you let them cheat on.
4. "We will always adequately equip our troops if we have to send them into battle."
- Bill Clinton already spent 8 years gutting the military, why would we believe you would do things differently next time?
Note 'fair & balanced' screen graphic.
Many thanks. As a matter of fact, I have recently taken, in all seriousness, to buying my Prilosec in bulk online!
Charlie Gibson is a pleasant enough fellow, but nobody with any sense would confuse him with a competent journalist.
ABC's paying way too much for someone who just sits there. Since all they need is someone to just sit in the chair, they could get Mustafa Shag. I hear he might be looking for a new day job. But, since this is breakfast time, they might want to buy him some pants first.
Gibson is a robot. I don't think he's ever had an original thought in his life. As for Dean, he's just a frikkin' lunatic. Any discourse between the two of them could never be anything but meaningless.
And yet if you locked them in a room and made them watch themselves on video, they'd look you straight in the eye and say, "WHAT BIAS???"
More stuff like this and we can push the "cruise control" button early this cycle.
Gibson knows Dean can't back up his remarks with anything intelligent, so he doesn't bother. The same policy seems to be in place vis a vis CAIR.
I watched him for about ten seconds and just couldn't take it any more. Again, Dean is the best thing (well, maybe a tie with Kerry) to happen to the Republican party.
They haven't stopped giving money though ... it's going to the wack jobs in places like moveon.org. Hence, J'fnK's little filibuster charade and the rest of the pandering they're all doing.
The power base in the dim party (follow the $$$) has shifted and it's a beautiful thing. The positions that 2008 dim primary candidates will have to take to win the favor of this new power base (read - source of $$$) will doom them in the general election.
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