Best Coverage of the Combat Carpet Ride to Baghdad and Liberation? What’s Your Vote?

opinion | 04-09-2003 | brianbaldwin

[Brian_Baldwin]

Best Coverage of the Combat Carpet Ride to Baghdad and Liberation? What’s Your Vote?

Of course it’s vanity, of course! But what’s YOUR vote?

In my humble opinion, the best television coverage was FOX NEWS and MSNBC cable. Both have many competent, informative, entertaining, thought provoking anchors. In this case, my opinion of the BEST will not nominate the names of anchors, however, though thanks to their hard work and news expertise.

There were many, the best. But I am going to vote for four names, none of them anchors.

North and Leventhal of Fox News.

Bloom and Arnot of MSNBC.

I will give an additional, controversial “best effort” despite drawing in the sand and being thrown out of the field to Rivera, Fox News.

But of the named, there is one that I think deserves special mention. Not that he had his heart in this anymore than the others. But there is something about his coverage, I will never forget it, an element of bravery, and something of spirituality as strange as it sounds, about the carpet ride that he took me through the visions of battle that I watched late at night, the horror of these battles, the bravery of our troops.

Bob Arnot, MSNBC.

If you watched those battles, perhaps you will agree with me.

War is really something – yesterday’s engineers of evil that were the Saddam regime were afraid of light. But in the middle of those battles, even in the horror, somehow Bob Arnot made me look in the face of the sun eye to eye, a sun that kept peeking out from behind a black cloud of burning horizon, a voice in front of the sounds of distant guns. And I even looked right down the barrel of the ugly soul of a Fedayeen and the “irregulars”. There is a saying, for never goes to an evil place but even there goes a few for a good purpose we cannot understand. I think Bob Arnot was special, and he gave us some special moments during this war. Thank you Mr. Arnot.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

The best coverage was FREE REPUBLIC!!!

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[JohnHuang2]

Numero uno, Fox. Agree that MSNBC, principly Bob Arnot and David Bloom (Condolences to the family), did a commendable job, though.

[JohnHuang2]

Numero uno, Fox. Agree that MSNBC, principly Bob Arnot and David Bloom (Condolences to the family), did a commendable job, though.

[rageaholic]

On the first couple of days, ABC featured some incredible combat footage. Their reporter was with the 1st Marines and stayed right with a platoon leader getting spectacular action shots. Guys were firing bursts from machineguns and cheering when they hit somebody. I was on the edge of my seat, and bursting with pride for the Corps.

Then on about day three, the action footage stopped abruptly. I think the ABC management decided it was too graphic and too pro-military.

A great pity. I hope some of this footage will be aired in a documentary later.

[Torie]

Arnot gets the prize going away. Not only is he articulate and energetic, he speaks fluent Arabic and is an MD. That gave him a tail wind that left the others in the dust.

[RaiderRose]

I'm going Fox News all the way, but I will admit I only watched a little bit of the other networks. I tried, but they didn't catch my interest, and I already had my "family" at FOX.

I like (in order):

Oliver North

Rick Leventhal

Greg Kelly

They all did (and are doing) such wonderful jobs. Ollie makes me want to cry every time he gives a report. What a lovely man!

[MeekMom]

The best coverage?

FREEREPUBLIC & Fox News!

[Brett66]

Fox had the live coverage of when they entered Baghdad and when they took over Saddam's palace. Noone came close.

[ladyinred]

Besides FR itself, of course Foxnews and MSNBC's David Bloom before his tragic death. The best news for Saddam besides the Iraqi "minister of disinformation" was of course CNN. They are still on the wrong side, but of course dahling!

[rintense]

Fox News, hands down.

[July 4th]

Greg Kelly had my favorite coverage, with Rick Leventhal a close second. Kelly was always in the right place at the right time.

[Froggie]

No question the emmy goes to FOX !!!
Leventhal, Kelly and North are terrific!!
I don't know about all those comments about MSNBC - I just can't stand hardly any of their reporters....Arnot - I don't see the attraction - seems too swarmy/fake to me!

And wouldn't I like to be assigned to lug Heather Nauert's gear around Jordon!!!!!

[weldgophardline]

Free Republic & Fox News all the way.

[catpuppy]

Fox News has been the best by far. While Arnot did some good work, he talked too much, seeming to fill the air with one never ending sentence. He needs to learn to take a breath.

[Beck_isright]

North on FNC without a doubt. He's got some awesome documentaries coming up after the security clearances are issued.

V

[Shermy]

How about Koppel right now. The palace, the store of Lladro figurines, that liquor stash!!!

[mrsalty]

FreeRepublic and Fox by far. msnbc had some good live action if they could have kept that dimwit Alex Witt or whatever her name is to just shut-up