Posted on 10/14/2004 9:00:45 PM PDT by Nat2004
O'Neil is taking Ted Koppel apart right now and Koppel is trying to keep him from talking. this is real good.
I tivoed part of it but there has to be someone here who got the whole thing....I got the best stuff though!
I think its running again here at 11:30
(...scrambling for a tape)
"Why would these peasants lie?", Koppel asked. O'Neill pointed out to Koppel that these "peasants" had government minders. I wish he had drilled home that point again and again, because of course those minders knew who John Kerry was, whether the peasants did or not.
Koppell was just as concerned with whether or not the "unknown American who visited the village earlier was someone in cahoots with the Swiftboaters. O'Neill sstrongly denied that and said it that was what Koppel was implying, he was wrong.
O'Neill strongly chastised NIGHTLINE for never having the Swifties on, and for going all the way to Viet Nam to investigate only the Silver Star incident. (It is bizarre, especially since the Swifties version of the Silver Star incident coincides with TOUR OF DUTY, and the other Kerry biography, written by 2 reporters from The Boston Globe.
Koppel kept telling O'Neill to stop quoting those two books, just answer my questions. Koppel refused to "get it", that those books PROVE what the "peasants" said was not even what Kerry himself has said happened.
O'Neill was controlled, but visibly upset with Ted Koppell for only being interested in the Silver Star incident. O'Neill pointed out several times that the Swifties never questioned Kerry deserved some kind of medal for his actions that day. Koppell didn't acknowledge O'Neill when he said that...he couldn't, it would have blown a hole in Koppell's professed desire to find the truth. Obvious to me, Koppell already had the truth about the Silver Star, it was safe to keep that the subject, and never go after the other more important incidents when Kerry did NOT earn medals or purple heartrs.
I didn't watch the first part of NIGHTLINE, but I watched all of the Koppell-O'Neill interview. O'Neill never waivered, never gave ground, and I believe he got the best of Koppell.
When O'Neill said to Koppell; you chose to go to Viet Nam to interview these people in a closed socieety, and did not ever question members of the Swiftboats, Koppell made the cheap shot comment, and I thought defensive comment, "you've had plenty of publicity in other places.
It boiled down to Koppell trying protest that the lofty ABC only wanted to find the truth.
Found a tape! Thanks everyone for posting this was a Smackdown before I signed off. Signing off with the knowledge tomorrow I'll get to see Koppel crumble before millions of viewers.
The Liberals 'folk hero' commies just got exposed by the master himself. O'Neil, thanks for your service.
After the interview, Koppel tried to spin it by saying that IF the report had been bad for Kerry they would have aired it. So Ted is OPENLY ADMITTING that this story was meant to be good for Kerry.
Hey Ted, using your credibility argument, there are a bunch of Germans who swear that there were no death camps. I guess they are just setting the record straight. They obviously have no motive, the war is over.
Right. The assumption that the ABC report was 'objective truth' and any other source irrelevent was ignorant and arrogant.
"What interest would an ABC peasant have in giving O'Neill a fair shake?"
Luckily I'm on the West coast, so I haven't missed it. Putting the tape in now. Thanks for the feedback on the show and Goodnight!
"Nightmare" should now be the name of Ted's show....LOL
Yes, Koppell visibly sighed in frustration as the interview segment ended. and yes, O"Neill said to Koppell, "You've been had.".
We've got to get that "You've been had Ted" phrase out there. It's priceless. I just love John O'Neill.
PLEASE someone who is able and willing, record it to harddisk and freepmail me.
I just gave Nightline an e-mail about what I thought of their Mark Halperin fair and balanced story. When is this country ever going to give the Viet Nam vets the respect they deserve. They are all being slapped and spat upon once again.
O'Neill made incredible sense in his interview tonight. I really think ABC jumped the shark with this. What in the world are you doing going to a communist controlled situation and taking these people's word for it over our own veterans, critical media and even John Kerry's own accounts?
You guys have went well beyond the pale to seemingly upbraid and support Kerry....this was unbelievable and you made a fool out yourself this evening ABC News...I guess you guys are all falling apart...
Wish it would rerun here, but it doesn't, I nearly missed it too.
I love John O'Neill!
What a great hero he is!
Trying to get his message out against the entrenched old media, nearly impossible to do.
But he went for it. He must be a terror in the courtroom!
Enjoy tomorrow!
Doesn't that mean that Koppel was making a false accusation in the first statement and then, in the heat of battle, forgot his lie later on?
.....This is one of the lamest reports I've seen.
Right up there with Memogate???
What did he end with...his general comments?
It was a big mistake to interview John O'Neill for tonight's story. Everyone knows that he is too smart not to be able to refute such simplistic propaganda journalism. Ted should have just done his usual hit piece and let it stand. BTW, the only reason I watched tonight was to see O'Neill undress your story - I quit watching Nightline once the Iranian Hostage Crisis was over (which is about the same time that Ted lost his objective creditibility).
And that's the truth - Ted thinks he is a top journalist. Well, if that is so, why is he still doing the night shift?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.