This story while accurate, sure is misleading. I watched the entire testimony today on C-Span and the author is leaving a bunch out. First, the Tillman's came across nearly as lunatics. I'm not saying they didn't encounter a terrible tragedy, but they really had the tin foil wrapped tightly. They could not answer a single question asked of them and continuously wandered back to rambling. The I.G. that investigated states flat out that none of several reports and investigations ever said Tillman was killed by anything other than friendly fire. Rep. Issa of California had the best questions. He kept asking them who "they" was in their stories. They didn't know. He asked if they had even a shred of evidence that any of this was done for political reasons and their response was all hypothetical. Not a bit of evidence. Just answers like "Everyone knows that military-101 says you don't split into two groups." Huh?
IMHO the media created the hero persona not the Pentagon. As soon as the possibility of fratricide made it to the political levels, I'd bet that people thought it best to to leave it alone for a few weeks and do a thorough investigation before telling the family. Every single time Waxman or a Democrat tried to imply that "they" invented another lie to support the war, and that yet another investigation should take place, the I.G. said that they DID find the people accountable and that appropriate action was already in the works. "They" by the way can hardly be interpreted as anyone other than people in the administration.
How in the world do you tell a woman a day after she finds out her son died, has been turned into a gladiator hero in the press and is going to receive a Silver Star that no, his head was blown off by a .50-caliber bullet when he stood up in a friendly firefight?
As far as Jessica Lynch is concerned, she herself said it was the press that invented the story and turned her into a Rambo, not the Pentagon. Once she said that, the only Democrats that returned their attention to her were the ones that simply spent their entire 10 minutes blaming the administration and never asked her any question.
I'm very serious. I learned absolutely nothing new from this hearing. Nothing.