NY Magazine: Top Black General Worthless

Rush Limbaugh .com ^ | 3/27/03 | El Rushbo

[Libloather]

NY Magazine: Top Black General Worthless
March 27, 2003

Brigadier General Vincent Brooks faces some outrageous and stupid questions at his daily Central Command briefings. Some of them deserve to be answered dead on, but because of political correctness and diplomacy and all that, CENTCOM can't always do that. I can, which is why I sometimes answer these questions in a mock briefing. On Thursday, I focused on a question by New York magazine's Michael Wolff.

Wolff said: "I mean no disrespect by this question, but I want to ask about the value proposition of these briefings. We're no longer being briefed by senior-most officers." The press pool applauded the question, which drew a rapier-quick response from Brooks who said, "I've gotten applause already. That's wonderful. I appreciate that."

Can you believe the audacity of complaining that Brigadier General Brooks isn't good enough for the press? If this had been a reporter from a conservative news source, the press would point out the fact that Brooks just happens to be the only African-American general on the scene. Charges of racism would be made, because this question's underlying meaning is clearly that Brooks can't possibly know anything.

This war is not about Michael Wolff's stupid stories in New York magazine. It's about saving lives, including his. This is not a criticism of General Schwarzkopf, but the leader of this Gulf War, General Tommy Franks, isn't going to be out there talking to these people every day. He's busy picking out targets and protecting our soldiers. By the way, Donald Rumsfeld nominated Brooks for appointment to the rank of brigadier general in June 2002. Just another example - like Colin Powell, Clarence Thomas and Condoleezza Rice - of African-Americans advancing more under GOP administrations than Democratic ones.

[Jhoffa_]

Personally, I would have sent the janitor out, and it's still more than they deserve.

[crude77]

General Brooks is absolute class. I recall a scene in Lonesome Dove where a bartender failed to show proper respect for the former Texas Rangers. The barkeep got the butt end of a pistol upside his head which was then slammed into the bar. I know General Brooks has too much class to react in such manner, but God, I'd love to see it just once.

Greg

[F-117A]

How about that damn Clinton General Ramsey Clarke Nato Commnader He is so high on himself and his knowledge and commentary he makes me sick send them all in and se if they can use their pointers and tell us where the troops are.

You mean General Wesley Clark, the former NATO commander that I refer to a KLArk for his support of theKLA terrorist.

I believe Ramsey Clark was Attorney General under Carter. He's a schmuck too!

[Domestic Church]

Wolff came off looking like a mental midget compared to B.G. Brooks.

[CyberAnt]

I'll tell you - these liberals are letting out more than they realize about their attitude. This guy's attitude on the tape was simply outrageous. When he started talking, I thought to myself - my gosh he's addressing a General like he's some shoeshine boy - it was breathtaking in it's rudeness.

I hope hundreds of thousands of black people saw that and realize the liberals all have the same opinion. They use the black people because they consider them too stupid to know which end is up and convince them they need the dems to make it through life. Appalling behavior to any person, let alone a Brigadier General!!

[sport]

"Basically the officer in question side stepped a rather tacky question and the liberal reporter got in a huff. But we knew liberals were all racist didn't we?"

Posted by my friend Black Agnes

You are correct, agnes.

As to the reporters, a rattlesnake is always a rattlesnake.

[mathurine]

looks dickheadish to me. However, most of his persuasion look dickheadish. Maybe all of them.

[mabelkitty]

I was hoping somebody would point this out.

When Chief Moose was criticized, it was racism all day and all night.

A man who actually has a sterling career, attacked by an elitist, and yet it is so quiet.

[harpo11]

The spoiled soft palmed reporters should be honored to sit before battle hardened men of great character and valorous endurance.

Brave men who have fought, will fight to their last dying breath to protect and defend their Freedom.

Instead, the majority of these pampered sneering reporters spew utterly stupid meaningless questions purely for some perverted satisfaction that only they can appreciate.

And, how the left claims bragging rights to how much more sensitive and accepting they are to minorities.

How I'd love to see one of these clymers get clymed with a five-star boot!

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Michael Wolff writes a media column for New York magazine,which is a combination city guide( restaurant reviews,Broadway show reviews,The Best bagel in NYC,etc),insider, liberal slanted,magazine.Occasionally, there are some amusing and entertaining articles-but, most of the articles are fluff.Michael Wolff is a lesser Howard Kurtz.I wish FR had a correspondent among the pool.

[Illbay]

That's him, Kinsley.

[Miss Marple]

I heard the exchange this morning. The inference was that they wanted General Franks, not General Brooks. That is why General Brooks made the comment that maybe they would help him get a pay raise.

I don't think it was particularly a racist comment (although if it had been a conservative asking the question it would be portrayed that way) but rather a gripe that General Brooks wasn't IMPORTANT enough.

Wolff was rude, smarmy, and very offensive, with an ax to grind (as we can see from the article linked above).

What really steamed me was the applause that he got from other press people.

Interestingly, on Brit's show tonight I learned that this guy is not a war correspondent. He covers THE MEDIA! So his complaints were simply irrelevant, since he had plenty of material to write about.

And that fact confirms what I think...networks are getting heat for their reporters' attitude at these press briefings, so the press pool has delegated the attitude questions to the fringe media.

[Congressman Billybob]

Thanks for the link. Sent the clown the following note:

I saw your exchange today. You think a Brigadier General is too inconsequential to answer your self-important questions? Actually, it was a gross waste of HIS time to deal with you.

Grow up, or get out of the Gulf. Right now you're just the equivalent of an intellectual speedbump for the war effort.

J. Armor, Esq.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, not yet up on UPI, and FR, "The A-MAA-zing War Wizard"

Latest book(let), "to Restore Trust in America."

[sarasmom]

I did not see the exchange, but the topic came up in my office today by someone else who had.He saw rascism first, and I saw contempt by a liberal for the military first.

It is obvious to any who will look, that the reporter in this instance is an absolute idiot, on every level,and should not have been allowed to show his ass at a formal DOD press conference.

[Petronski]

He covers THE MEDIA!

And even Mara Liasson--who brought that fact to light--was angry about that.

[jriemer]

Here's the actual exchange between Michael Wolff and Gen. Brooks

TRANSCRIPT OF 3/27 CENTCOM BRIEFING - BROOKS

[snip]

Q I'm Michael Wolf (sp) from New York Magazine. I mean no disrespect by this question, but I want to ask about the valued proposition of these briefings. We're no longer being briefed by senior-most officers. To the extent that we get information, it's largely information already released by the Pentagon. You may know that ABC has sent its senior correspondent home.

So I guess my question is, why should we stay? What's the value to us for what we learn at this million-dollar press center? (Applause.) (Ed.: Michaels' fellow jouralists are clapping his seemingly witty anti-military comment)

GEN. BROOKS: I've gotten applause already. That's wonderful. I appreciate that.

First, I would say it's your choice. We want to provide information that's truthful from the operational headquarters that is running this war. There are a number of places where information is available, not the least of which would be the embedded media. And they tell a very important story. The Pentagon has a set of information they provide as well. If you're looking for the entire mosaic, then you should be here.

I think some of you may have been, based on the questions yesterday, looking for very, very precise information about the operations. And we'll give you that as we can. But we should never forget, the more we tell you, if we're precise about the frontline trace and where units are operating, exactly what our strength is, you're not the only one being informed. And that's the most important (business ?)

[/snip]

[Jorge]

'Worthless' is Rush's word, not the reporter's. Rush's charge is weak.

Anybody who listened should know Rush's "charge" was mostly a play on his impression of the exchange.

And I'm sure many others got the same impression.

I don't see how anyone who listened to the comments can deny that the reporter's questions were insulting and demeaning to the General.

[Publius6961]

This gives me a great idea.
We should compile each day's stupid questions and post what we would answer...

That would be a great way to start the day.
Anyone else notice that these mental midgets can't even follow simple instructions?

[bwteim]

In addition to Bookem's family size photo, for those interested, we've located a wallet sized photo from Clymer Studios

url: http://www.mediachannel.org/images/wolff.jpg

[jriemer]

This gives me a great idea. We should compile each day's stupid questions and post what we would answer...

That would be a great way to start the day. Anyone else notice that these mental midgets can't even follow simple instructions?

You have a great idea for the "dumbest briefing question of the day" contest.

You are right about not following directions. Most of the reporters cannot phrase their anti-Western diatribes in the form of a question.