Posted on 04/03/2003 12:50:03 PM PST by kattracks
ABC News reporter Sam Donaldson is urging the Fox News Channel to fire loose-lipped swash-buckler Geraldo Rivera for giving away the location of the 101st Airborne over the weekend.
After praising most of the frontline reporters now covering the Iraq war, Donaldson told WABC Radio's "Curtis & Kuby," "There are two reporters who have been rotten apples. [Peter] Arnett is one and he's been fired. Geraldo Rivera is another, and he ought to be fired."
Taking note that Fox has apparently worked out a deal with the Pentagon that will allow Rivera to cover the war away from the front lines, Donaldson complained, "I believe in forgiveness, but first comes confession."
Meanwhile down the dial, New York Timesman Frank Rich was also complaining about Geraldo, telling Don Imus, "What could be a worse infraction than literally... giving away the position of our troops to the enemy. That seems to me a much more serious infraction, even if it were done innocently, than the stuff Arnett said."
Rich added that Rivera's gaffe was "certainly not helpful to the American war effort."
Oddly enough, neither Mr. Donaldson nor Mr. Rich seemed to object to Mr. Rivera's reporting while he was working overtime at MSNBC to save Bill Clinton from being booted out office, thereby allowing the ex-president another two years to continue dismantling the U.S. military.
In fact, since joining Fox after the 9/11 attacks, Rivera has been nothing if not a patriotic cheerleader, his serious blunder with the 101st Airborne notwithstanding. Arnett, on the other hand, is now reporting for the anti-American London Daily Mirror. He admitted Wednesday that he meant every word when he pronounced the U.S. war effort a failure during an interview with Iraqi TV.
Perhaps the reason some of Geraldo's former media buddies seem almost overjoyed at his predicament is because he has embarrassed the Fox News Channel, which is setting ratings records with its pro-American Iraq war coverage.
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Actually yes .......and i tried to explain why to another poster in # 32.
The talking-head 'ex-military/expert' rent-a-general types who come on the evening news everynight cannot even be compared in the slightest to what Geraldo did Hnorris. And this is why.
The ex-military types (and some of them are quite adept at what they did and extremely well versed in military matters) engage basically in intelligent speculation. they delve into what they would do, and what they think the armed forces will try to achieve and how they would go about it. However they do not know exactly what is going to happen (since all they are doing is saying what they would do if the decisions were up to them). But since they are out of the loop they are not saying anything of major significance. You can get most of their info from reading past US maneuvres.
However this is what Geraldo did.
He went on live TV, that was being broadcast around the world, and gave the stratagems of the US military division (the 101st i believe) he was travelling with. Not only did he give away their current position but he also said what their plans and objectives were! As if that was not bad enough he then proceded to say what the next location the 101st would be moving to was! And to emphasize the fact he dres his silly little etchy sketches on the sand!
And that is where he diverges from talking-head experts on TV. Geraldo had real info ...... not just speculation but veritable stuff that was 100% legit! Furthermore he gave it away on live TV. And to add insult to injury he even gave what would be happening in the near future.
US soldiers might have been killed due to his stupidity! The Iraqis cold easily have set up an ambush that might have wounded or even killed those soldiers (and probably stupid Geraldo himself).
An analogy for you: In football opposing teams know basically what the other team is going to try to do. Basically win through effective offense and efficient defense. After all that is football. And sport comentators can come and talk all they want on sunday ....but allt hat talk is moot come monday night.
Now imagine if somehow the plans and strategies of a team was made known to the other team. Not just general stuff but exactly what the team oulod be doing, their starting list, the tactics, what maneuvres, and everything play by play! It might not assure victory for the other team ....but it would still be a big mistake for that info to be just given away!
Geraldo foolishly gave the Iraqis valuable info, tht thankfully was not (as far as we know) used against our soldiers.
And as i said in post # 32 that is far worse than anything Peter Arnett did (at least Arnett's spinless cowardice did not put even one soldier in jeopardy .....but Geraldo's lack of prudence did).
Basically in my opinion Geraldo bogs down Fox. He did in Afghanistan when he lied about being in the middle of a battle that was miles away (and trying to make himself into Rambo with a mike by totting a gun ......and i can bet if any action did take place he would be cringing behind a real soldier pi$$!ng his pants). Fox News is a respected channel, respected even by those who hate it (trust me, everytime CNN looks at the ratings it respects FOX LOL). However Geraldo is a blight on Fox .....like the foolish drugee reckless sot of a kid that shames his otherwise respectable family.
And criticizing Geraldo for what he did is not 'Lott-ing' him (ala Trent Lott) but just calling a spade a spade not a big spoon! Geraldo messed up yet again, and this time he put the whole freaking 101st airborne in jeaopardy!
And anyways, what is Geraldo doing in Iraq anyway? He should be covering sunday brunch lemonade-sipping contests! (Unless ofcourse the reason he is sent to battlezones by Fox is because he is their most expendable 'journalist')
And as a matter of principle i have to apologize for referring to geraldo as a journalist.
This is much ado about NOTHING!
Geraldo drew a map. If what he did was so bad, why did the supposedly-peeved commander allow him to stay and report with the 101st for another 24 hours?
The Pentagon's got egg on its face, which is why it's allowing Geraldo back in.
Sorta changes the whole complexion of this thread. What say you NOW, Sam????
Great minds think alike....well, at least yours is great but I'm working on it
Fox has really screwed the pooch on this one.
McBragg is on the right
Song - The World of Commander McBragg (Leonardo/Total Television/CBS-TV 1963)
If you think that his observations provided any tactical or strategic intel to the Iraqi forces you haven't been listening to the news.
The Iraqi Air Force has been deployed as speed bumps at their airfields. Their Army has been routed and unless they deploy WMD they are DUN!
Harumph!
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