Good on Imus: Catches Boettcher Spinning Bombing as Response to Zarqawi Killing

Imus in the Morning/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

by Mark Finkelstein

June 8, 2006

Thanks to a lead from FReeper YaYa123, I'm able to report the following:

On today's 'Imus in the Morning', Don Imus called NBC reporter Mike Boettcher on his attempt to spin a bombing in Baghdad as a 'not good' response to the killing of Zarqawi.

Here's how it went down. Boettcher was reporting from Baghdad and had this to say:

"We have the response here now [to the Zarqawi killing] and it is not good. There has been another bombing. Thirteen people are dead in central Baghdad. That is apparently the current reaction from the insurgents to Zarqawi's death."

Imus: "How do we know that's a reaction to that, Mike?"

Boettcher immediately started to back down: "We don't know for sure, Don. You are right."

Imus: "This could be just another bombing. They are trying to blow the place up everyday."

A by-now abject Boettcher: "You are absolutely right."

Bravo, Imus, for calling Boettcher on this. Would Matt Lauer or another NBC host have done the same, or would they have uncritically bought into Boettcher's spin?

* Hat tip to Free Republic member YaYa123

[Grampa Dave]

Hi. My name is Abu Boohoo Zarqawi and I'm dead now.

[YaYa123]

Laura Ingraham is covering the Imus-Boettcher exchange with gusto. She's replayed it several times. Hope you can catch it there. She's destroying Boettcher!!

[Starboard]

There has been another bombing. Thirteen people are dead in central Baghdad. That is apparently the current reaction from the insurgents to Zarqawi's death."

Another example of how the media "shapes" news instead of simply reporting it.

[tarheelswamprat]

Did you have the brand new pair of roller skates or did you have the brand new key?

The key, but at that time, sadly, I was so naive I didn't understand the lyrics or know how to use it very well.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Hi weegee: Sounds like Clarke made some truly outrageous comments. Do you know whether it was Charlie Gibson or another host who interviewed him?

Thanks,

Governs

[ErnBatavia]

You guys are better at photo doctoring that I am, but here's my contribution...

[Grampa Dave]

Hi. My name is Abu Boohoo Zarqawi and I'm dead now.

Which al Qaeda Son of a pig is next?

[GraniteStateConservative]

In my defense I can only offer that the college girlfriend who insisted I buy it was really hot.

That's a good enough reason to do practically anything. Don't sweat it!

[weegee]

Don't know. I recorded it off air and can check it later this evening.

George Stephanopolous was on afterwards and gave a more favorable outlook (in contrast).

[Brad from Tennessee]

I'm late on this but this link proves the NBC reporter's political credentials:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A26386-2004Jan17?language=printer

[YaYa123]

Takes no stomach at all to watch Tony Snow this morning. The man is fabulous, and so much smarter than the reporters.

[Suzy Quzy]

Was Tony on Imus?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks, weegee. I've since been able to confirm that it was Diane Sawyer, and have posted a thread on it, with a hat tip to you!

[YaYa123]

Daily white house press conference

[weegee]

Got a link to that thread?

[Barset]

I had to run an errand so caught a repeat in the car. Also caught Laura's sound-bite of Chris Matthews..."All it means is more and more and more Americans being killed in Iraq, Bush"s poll numbers going lower and lower and lower in the next few months..."

Think Matthews lived the dream of being in the White House with Kerry so intensely leading up to the '04 election that he is permanently disoriented. He seems incapable of realizing how shockingly unprofessional his behavior is and how petulant, childish and unfair his remarks are. He sounds addled and out of touch.

Sorry, gov, I forgot this thread wasn't the Morning Thread when I thanked McGruff.

[YaYa123]

One thing to always, always remember about Chris Matthews. When he is overcome with emotional fervor, when he's licking his chops over something hurting Bush, his prognostications are ALWAYS wrong! He opens his mouth, spits, and his brain shuts down!

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Don Imus called NBC reporter Mike Boettcher on his attempt to spin a bombing in Baghdad as a 'not good' response to the killing of Zarqawi.

If somebody really wanted to call Boettcher on something, he or she could look back to his conduct as an NBC reporter during Desert Storm...Boettcher freaked out on the air when the first SCUDS started coming in, and had lost control to the point where he had to be replaced on the air by some unknown guy.

That "unknown" guy was named Arthur Kent. Kent became known as "the SCUD stud" and the rest is history. We never saw Mikey again until after the war was over. Of course, NBC attempted and succeded to sabatoge Kent's career by giving him more dangerous assignments and public events where he was programmed to fail. Guess some of the big names there thought he was a threat to their positions.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

http://newsbusters.org/node/5752

Scroll to bottom for hat tip!

[conservative blonde]

This amazes me. I seldom watch Imus because he's so anti everything I believe in. But I guess when he is right on something we should credit him, but not too much. Tomorrow he will be back saying stupid things again.