Posted on 07/15/2006 9:10:31 PM PDT by Mobile Vulgus
The L.A. Times has gone into despair over a 10 second pause in a recent press conference held by Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Army chief of staff.
In an article titled "Is U.S. Winning? Army Chief Is at a Loss", by Peter Spiegel, published on July 15th, the L.A. Times moaned that we surely must be losing the war because General Schoomaker paused for "10 seconds" after being asked if we are winning.
It seemed like a routine question, one that military leaders involved in prosecuting the war in Iraq must ask themselves with some regularity: Is the U.S. winning?But for Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff known for his straight-shooting bluntness, it proved a hard one to answer.
During a Capitol Hill briefing for an audience mostly of congressional aides, Schoomaker paused for more than 10 seconds after he was asked the question -- lips pursed and brow furrowed -- before venturing:
"I think I would answer that by telling you I don't think we're losing."
How many times has the MSM gotten all over Bush and Cheney both for declaring that we are winning, or at the end of this conflict? Remember how they beat Bush up for the "Mission Accomplished" banner? See how they jump all over Bush every time he says we are winning?
Should we expect that General Schoomaker is stupid enough to voluntarily jump into that media attack pit?
Further, shouldn't we expect a General to be thoughtful and consider his words carefully when answering such questions? Shouldn't we be thankful that he pauses and gives great thought to the questions put before him instead of blurting out the first thing that comes into his head?
Seems to me like the good General is being a prudent, thoughtful leader when giving the question its due consideration before answering.
But, not to the L.A. Times. Schoomaker's pause has convinced them that all is lost.
It was a small but telling window into the thinking of the Army's top uniformed officer and one of the military's most important commanders: Despite the progress being made by the new Iraqi government and the continuing improvement of local security forces, the outcome in Iraq, in many ways, is growing more uncertain by the day.Um, NO, Petey, that is NOT what the general said. In fact, at the end of your own story you finally did report what Schoomaker said...
"I think we are making significant progress; I think the challenges continue to come," he concluded. "I do not believe that we are losing, but where I think we are on the scale of winning is very difficult, and time's going to tell."
That's a far cry from "the outcome in Iraq, in many ways, is growing more uncertain by the day".
But, I guess this does show the MSM's short attention span. 10 seconds was all they could put into the conference before they wandered off to make up out of whole cloth what was actually said!
NO
He was counting to 10 so he didn't go postal on you ignorant morons!
Reporters LIVE for that kind of thing--The Telling Detail. It's actually more appropriate to fiction writing than reality, but that doesn't stop these reporters, who want their writing to stand out.
Funny how they never think something like Clinton laughing at Ron Brown's funeral is telling, or the Clinton history of YEARS of lies is telling. But a pause while someone considers how to phrase an answer to a question about a complex situation? Ah-HA! GOTCHA! Just like in the movies!
Schoomaker should have said he can see a light at the end of the tunnel < /sarcasm>
At least BarBra won't read this important piece of info in the Times, she cancelled her subscription.
L. A. Times? Are THEY still around??
Well, trying to figure out how to deal with a prejudiced idiot could have taken more than 10 seconds.
Maybe the LA Times should take a 10 second pause before printing some stories.
They're the Keith Olberman to the the NYT's Chrissy Matthews--they're big fish in a little puddle.
Albeit a polluted little puddle : )
"How many times has the MSM gotten all over Bush and Cheney both for declaring that we are winning, or at the end of this conflict? Remember how they beat Bush up for the "Mission Accomplished" banner? See how they jump all over Bush every time he says we are winning?"
It really upsets the MSN if the truth doesn't fit their version of history as they predict it. "The U.S. will loose" is all they can concieve.
LA Times isn't fit to line a bird cage.
Sadly, yes. But in lighter news, they'll soon be stacked up at coffee houses for free just like the slightly less left-leaning LA Weekly (full of Che t-shirt and breast augmentation ads).
At least we still have the OC Register, but even they're starting a nice little leftward slide.
Living in Los Angeles, I have decided there is only one good use of the LA Times. It makes good paper for sticking between the kindling when building a fire. Needless to say I quit getting it years ago.
Maybe we can arrange for the L.A. part of America to lose this war? No, wait,that wouldn't be fair to the illegal aliens there would it? Then again, didn't they come here to get in all the suffering/bad ecconomy the DNC is always ranting about?
I'm not sure whether you meant that humorously or not, but IMO that is exactly what he was doing. If it's obvious to readers of this site that the media is on the other side, it can't have escaped Gen. Schoomaker.
Well, that's a little better than hawking them on the streets of NYC.
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