NBC News has verified the memos

[rox63]

And they've put Andrea Mitchell on the story. This could be the MSM break we've been waiting for:

More British memos on pre-Iraq war concerns
Officials deny intelligence that facts were fixed to invade Iraq
By Andrea Mitchell
Correspondent

WASHINGTON — It started during British Prime Minister Tony Blair's re-election campaign last month, when details leaked about a top-secret memo, written in July 2002 — eight months before the Iraq war. In the memo, British officials just back from Washington reported that prewar "intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy" to invade Iraq.

Just last week, President Bush and Blair vigorously denied that war was inevitable.

“No, the facts were not being fixed, in any shape or form at all,” said Blair at a White House news conference with the president on June 7.

But now, war critics have come up with seven more memos, verified by NBC News.

More at the link:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8207731/

[Wright Patman]

1. GE not getting enough contracts

from the 'war on terror'?

[nolabels]

16. This is rather humorous

Were they reporting the story before or after they put their white hats on :shrug:

[progressiveBadger]

39. Michael Jackson trial is over.

So until hurricane season there's nothing else to report on...

[DemoTex]

51. Beware of sharks ...

Shark attack season is here.

[progressiveBadger]

54. Almost forgot!

I haven't turned on the news for so long...

[ktowntennesseedem]

61. I misread you--thought you said WAR ON ERROR.

Hey, maybe I'm onto something. At least its a more accurate term!

[jus_the_facts]

2. Not gettin' MY hopes up....will wait and see it before I believe it.....

*fingers crossed* x(

[damntexdem]

35. Just to be sure:

better try crossing the toes, too.

[Delphinus]

74. Done! (n/t)

[LeftCoast]

3. Well, it's about time! Now, lets see if they follow the story...

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with that first paragraph. I've just about given up hope that our national news media will ever behave responsibly, but this is certainly a baby-step in the right direction.

[calimary]

29. Equally important: let's see if WE follow the story...

It's VITALLY important, NOW, THIS MINUTE, to do something about it, to further this story, to give it water and sunshine and nourishment. Follow this up with a call to your congressman/woman (or SOMEBODY ELSE'S congressman/woman, urging them to get to the bottom of this. We ALL, Democrats AND Republicans alike, deserve ANSWERS, and THE TRUTH about WHY we were dragged to war on false pretences. WHY WE WERE LIED TO. WHY THE CONGRESSMAN/WOMAN HIM/HERSELF WAS LIED TO. And what is he/she going to do about it? Hint: They can START by signing John Conyers' letter and getting fully behind him, if they aren't there already.

[damntexdem]

37. Thursday: Conyers and 100 other Congresspersons takes ...

his petition to Dubya, with over 1/2 million signatures.

The story has grown some legs, and those legs seem to be able to walk.

[calimary]

64. Now we need to make sure those legs can not only walk, but run,

jump, and stomp. And, of course, remain standing.

Half a million signatures? Really? I haven't been keeping track other than to exhort everyone I encounter to check out his website and sign his letter. That's FABULOUS!!! The fun part is that angles like this make the story harder and harder to ignore, by the day.

[stlsaxman]

121. Be sure to watch on C-Span3 at 230 Eastern Time!

C-Span 3 streams at http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp for those who don't get it on their local cable provider ::popcorn::

INDICT, IMPEACH, IMPRISON NOW!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

90. And let's not for the DU Media Blaster...

I haven't used it since the campaign but it's still available. Write to every news outlet in your area and demand that they cover this breaking story.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cu/cu.php?az=blaster

Let 'em hear you!

[katty]

81. Enough here to Impeach bush-it's screaming for attention

they lied and MILLIONS have died.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. This paragraph is troubling to me, although I can't say why,

exactly.

Is it because it looks like another way to be dismissive of the memo, saying that "we all knew gwb's agenda was to get rid of Saddam"?

In fact, current and former diplomats tell NBC News they understood from the beginning the Bush policy to be that Saddam had to be removed — one way or the other. The only question was when and how.

Or, is this a way of validating what the memos state? MKJ

[KC21304]

9. Very interesting. Just what do they mean by " from the

beginning" The beginning of what ? Of his administration or the beginning of the war on terra declared after 9/11 ?

[priller]

52. It directly contradicts what Cheney said

and backs up the memos. "In fact", it says, the policy was the Saddam had to be removed. It was just a matter of when and how.

That validates the memos.

It would be nice to get these diplomats on the record.

[katty]

82. Looks like a validation of these memos-it's so obvious!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

106. Thanks, I tend to see forests and not see the trees...

I was reading nefarious motives into the statement, rather than taking it as it was written.

After reading it again, 10 hrs later, I have to agree with you.

MKJ
:D

[dchill]

92. And when was this "beginning", Andrea?

And who are the "current and former diplomats" who "understood" that Saddam had to be removed. NONE of this is what the American public was deliberately led to believe.

Unfortunately, I believe that many in the media - including Andrea Mitchell - were in on this "understanding" while denying it to the public. They have been compromised by the Bush administration because they traded their ethics for "access" - access which should be the unregulated right of a free press.

This fact only magnifies the level of this huge scandal. We have not only been lied to by the president, but by the mainstream press as well. Call it obfuscation, call it looking the other way, call it fear - but whatever it is, it's a LIE.

Crimes have been committed; people have died. The piper wants a paycheck, too.

[Supersedeas]

100. Was and continues to be misled--tell the rest of the story Andrea!!!

[stevietheman]

110. Well, perhaps the MSM will work some...

"personal ass protection" and collectively bring down the Bush administration to save itself. Certainly they don't want to go down with this ship.

[dchill]

112. That's my best guess...

Hopefully something will motivate them.

1. To avoid legal action.
2. To attempt to regain a portion of their "credibility."
3. Actual feelings of guilt or responsibility. (For those with a conscience only.)

[burythehatchet]

5. FOlks, this is ANDREA MITCHELL!!! Please.

The only investigating she is going to do is to investigate how to get Alan Greenspan's limp dick to work again. Come ON.

[Dawgs]

7. Agree...

I hate this woman, and I don't hate many people. She will look for ways to discredit these documents, not the other way around.

[annerevere]

42. No she won't.

Andrea Mitchell is a tough broad and a very hard worker. She values getting a scoop above all.

[BiggJawn]

50. Yeah....

My money's on her getting "sloppy" and fucking something up so Rove can hang her ass out to dry.

Another Media Whore gets ready to "Take one for The Team"...

[silvermachine]

57. If you really believe that...

...then you are clinically insane. Sorry, but it's true. Have you ever seen her "reporting"? It is a joke.

[msanthrope]

79. Andrea Mitchell values access to the White House above all else.

So she'll break this story, and then sink it. As in, "Read it, nothing to see here folks, move along."

She's a whore of the first order, and I think you should stop being so naive. If it isn't a scoop about the Clenis, she ain't interested.

[dolo amber]

14. Bad, bad, bad

mental image to have first thing in the morning...Ewww. :cry:

[wallwriter]

23. I think she just wants to raise it a quarter point at a time...

[burythehatchet]

33. OK that was good!

[Julius Civitatus]

27. Yup. The fix is in.

She won't investigate squat.

Ms. Greenspan will most likely kill the story or spin it around into a positive thing for the Bushies.

[chomskysright]

71. oh: forgot this reporter was married to Greenspan: LOL

[Straight Shooter]

38. Agreed. I saw the name "Andrea Mitchell" and my eyes rolled.

She is a very shiny tool because she is used so much by the * administration.

[Boneman]

77. You are absolutely right. She'll do nothing.......................

dddf

[katty]

83. Alan's parts stopped a long time ago

[PATRICK]

6. One hand clapping for the "verification"

Whoopee. They have a loong way to go beyond playing mere catch-up. Will the news role in pushing the war ever surface? Are they too arrogant to even realize their culpability? Will they succeed in hiding in the lynch mob? Stay tuned.

The idea is to get the PEOPLE informed and motivated, not merely to win the imprimatur of the MSM. They are no heroes. They have to desire redemption.

[Lowell]

8. It is about time

we saw the other memos. It is obvious that they are all guilty of conspiracy and war crimes. They just keep denying and lying. They have all got to go.

[calimary]

30. Welcome to DU, Lowell!

Glad you're here! Now get to work! You could call your reps, and/or your local paper/TV/radio station about it, too...

[Lowell]

56. Thanks, but I do that already

I make a regular nuisance out of myself. I wrote so many letters to my congress critters that several of them sent me notes, computer generated I'm sure, thanking me for my support. Support, WTF? Obviously they didn't read a damn thing I sent or they would have been sending something else, a restraining order mayhaps?

[magellan]

113. Ah yes, the polite brush-off

I've been there for a while. "Thanks for your support" means "We've got a circular file with your name on it now." Don't feel bad, Lowell, just regard it as something of a status symbol. It's not everyone who gets to be on permanent bi-laterally agreed non-speaking terms with their Congressional representives. ;)

And welcome to DU.

[Pryderi]

10. Has any US MSM actually published the memos in their entirety?

It looks like they just "cherry pick" the least damning information from the memos.

MSM is focusing more on the "lack of planning" for the end of the war, than the truly condemning parts mentioning, "military action", "setting the conditions in order to invade", and the use of UK military bases for staging.

They also aren't tying the 2002 $700 million transfer from Afghanistan efforts to prepping for Iraq invasion.

[caledesi]

45. Agree...the "lack of planning" is the least problem one should be

concerned with. It's a distraction from the original DSM showing * was planning to attack Iraq and it was a matter of fixing the facts.

edit: the usual

[halobeam]

109. Distraction may be part of the point, but NOT the whole point......

The administration is in deep doodoo, and now they will come out in full force with distortions, and when pressed, or better yet IF pressed, they will outright lie.

It's the beginning steps here to either letting them wear us down, or pump us up to ACT. I don't know which scenario we are going to let happen, but I feel it's up to all of us.

Look, the way I see it, is that if they realize increased viewership because they are reporting actual real topics (interesting to the American public) then they will continue to do so. It ALL comes down to money. They don't care how they get it.

Let's tell them we were PLEASED to see this, it addresses the concerns of the PEOPLE, which is their JOB. We would consider tuning in for more FAIR coverage of the FACTS ONLY (withOUT biased slant). They have gotten so many emails/letters with us blasting them for non-coverage. Well now we got some!!! DON'T LET THEM stop and let's DEMAND FACTS ONLY in return for their VIEWERSHIP ratings. At least WE can call it what it is; Facts For Viewership! It WOULD happen if they started making money. They really do know the tide is turning on this administration, and they might need the support of the viewers to CONTINUE on the right path, maybe they are testing the waters, why wouldn't we throw them a life jacket and invite them on our boat?!?!?!

Money, Viewership. Bottom line.

I'm media blasting the other stations that aren't covering this. i will tell them I'll watch NBC and MSNBC exclusively as long as they continue to INVESTIGATE and report stories with FACTS ONLY that actually affect my life, along with my DEEP concerns about DSM minutes, and related memos. I will include the offer: Facts for Viewership, it's an offer they HAVE to consider if the demand is overwhelming. Bottom line, IMO...they MUST hear from us and we have the tiniest window of opportunity to ACT on this.

[Catboater]

11. There is no amount of evidence sufficient enough

to convince the repugs that their Fuhrer is a war profiteering zombie. I just finished reading a story (link on Buzzflash) concerning W's former ghostwriter who recalls W musing about invading Iraq back in 1999. I never believed it before, but I'm now moving in this direction - there must have been high-fives all around on 9/11.

[calimary]

31. Welcome to you, too, Catboater!

See post #30, if I do say so myself...

:hi:

[Pryderi]

12. Prewar British Memo Says War Decision Wasn't Made

"Prewar British Memo Says War Decision Wasn't Made

By DAVID E. SANGER
Published: June 13, 2005

WASHINGTON, June 12 - A memorandum written by Prime Minister Tony Blair's cabinet office in late July 2002 explicitly states that the Bush administration had made "no political decisions" to invade Iraq, but that American military planning for the possibility was advanced. The memo also said American planning, in the eyes of Mr. Blair's aides, was "virtually silent" on the problems of a postwar occupation."


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/13/politics/13downing.html?

[Joyce78]

13. Oh please

Andrea Twitchell on the story. Has she spoken with Congressman Conyers lately?

[rox63]

19. At least it's a high profile name

And they usually don't bury her stories.

[silvermachine]

58. The reason they don't bury them...

...is that they are invariably pro-GOP. Not a real lot of substance to this piece either.

[calimary]

32. Welcome to you, too, Joyce78!

Cheers! Now, get to work, a la post #30...

[natrat]

15. in a just world this really would be an impeachable offense

[99Pancakes]

101. In a Democratic Admin it would have been us.

We'd be running from the lynch mob.

[leftchick]

17. Haven't these already been verified by the British Press??

NBC is far behind. Also I would hardly call that stumbling and bumbling at the dog and pony press conference by b&b** a "vigorous denial". good gawd.

[evermind]

60. NBC don't really say what they verified

If they verified the full text copies of the memos as at rawstory just now, that would be new - those copies never appeared in full in the British press, and there have been debates about their versimilitude recently, going back to Jun 8, when they were "rediscovered". It's sort of implied that these are what's verified, but far from explicitly stated.

Certainly, if they're the same as the documents quoted from in the British press, as seems overwhelmingly likely to me, then you can take the British press as having verified them ("the Foreign Office acknowledged the documents as genuine" in one story, I think). But that isn't yet conclusively established, as far as I know.

Rawstory promised yesterday they would have a long piece on the memos late last night, with details about authenticity, but that doesn't seem to have materialised.

The quotes that were interesting to the British press, may not be just the same ones that have resonance in the US - we'll have to wait for a really penetrating analysis from the US point of view to see what can be made of them, imho.

Juan Cole, at his blog on Jun 10th had an interesting look at the Meyer memo, on his meeting with Wolfowitz

[leftchick]

98. I have neglected to say on previous threads

Welcome to DU evermind!

:)

[lala_rawraw]

108. Yes and by US alternative press as well as WapO

[Norquist Nemesis]

18. Now, they can go back even FURTHER than that!

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1028-01.htm

Published on Thursday, October 28, 2004 by GNN.tv
Two Years Before 9/11, Candidate Bush was Already Talking Privately About Attacking Iraq, According to His Former Ghost Writer
by Russ Baker

HOUSTON -- Two years before the September 11 attacks, presidential candidate George W. Bush was already talking privately about the political benefits of attacking Iraq, according to his former ghost writer, who held many conversations with then-Texas Governor Bush in preparation for a planned autobiography.

"He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said to me: 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.' And he said, 'My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.' He said, 'If I have a chance to invade·.if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency." Herskowitz said that Bush expressed frustration at a lifetime as an underachiever in the shadow of an accomplished father. In aggressive military action, he saw the opportunity to emerge from his father's shadow. The moment, Herskowitz said, came in the wake of the September 11 attacks. "Suddenly, he's at 91 percent in the polls, and he'd barely crawled out of the bunker."

That President Bush and his advisers had Iraq on their minds long before weapons inspectors had finished their work - and long before alleged Iraqi ties with terrorists became a central rationale for war - has been raised elsewhere, including in a book based on recollections of former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. However, Herskowitz was in a unique position to hear Bush's unguarded and unfiltered views on Iraq, war and other matters - well before he became president.


<snip>

It's a great read!!!

edit to fix dupe paragraph

[Gregorian]

20. Hey everybody, Ronald McDonald has a new jumpsuit!

Isn't America the greatest! It's the nukular bomb, baby!

And I'm not kidding- Ronald McDonald was actually interviewed on some so-called news channel. It isn't even funny. Sorry I don't have some literary parallel, but to see that clown on a newscast while the world burns, was nothing less than surreal.

[Supersedeas]

118. And did ya hear about Tom Cruise's fiance??

[peacetalksforall]

21. This is a nothing article. Maybe it's the best that GE - NBC can do.

Anyone can write this article just by reading the internet. There is no investigative stuff here.

It all proves my theory that the biggest heads in front of the camera have the same close circle of movements every day. They open the computer. They download the talking points. They compare notes with others like themselves. They decide which spin to the spin they will put on it. They may meet with their director who has met with their director who may have had a personal phone call from the WH - then it's off to the restaurants or bars where they conduct research with each other - before their next face frontal appearance on tv or the radio.

She's no Conason. She's a go-between. She's a pretender. She works for a right wing corporation who brings propaganda, but tells you it is news.

This is an obligatory acknowledgment ONLY. There is no news here.

We've done all this clamoring and this is their response?

[reality based]

22. Don't get too excited

the GE Republican propaganda network sometimes feigns an interest in something and then sends it down a rathole. I remember Tweetie cozying up to the 9-11 widows.

[lonestarnot]

24. This is excellent news.

Sorry I won't be watching from anywhere but here.

[Bread and Circus]

25. All traces of fact, logic, and hearsay indicate what the memos depict.

On its face, all evidence, both circumstantial and non, indicates that this all started with a remove Saddam "at all costs" policy and that the "case for war" was cooked up thru fear and deception. There is absolutely not one shred of evidence to suggest otherwise.

We have been saying this for years. Joe Wilson, Paul O'Neil, Richard Clarke have confirmed it. Wes Clark has confirmed it. Anyone willing to speak out has confirmed it. The memos confirm it. Lack of WMD confirms it. The "ever shifting case for why were are there" confirms it. The "no end in sight or concrete goals" confirm it.

This started w/ the PNAC neocons and Bush. They plotted and planned a war from the get go. It is on record at the PNAC site for years that they wanted to remove Saddam, aggressively. They urged Clinton to do it. They had Bush's ear, he did it, wantonly.

Anyone who takes two minutes to connect the dots will see that this indeed was a case of "facts and intelligence being fixed around the policy".

It is a no-brainer and our Pravda-esque journalism is only finally starting to pay lip service to this notion that any bright person would come to naturally.

It's all disgusting and reeks to high heaven because people lost their lives and loved ones on both sides. All for a pack of lies. There are a lot of people that should be ashamed of themselves and excuse themselves from public life, forever.

It's all so disgusting and if Bush isn't impeached, I don't live in a free country.

[Gregorian]

46. That's one hell of a post, my friend.

Perfectly stated. I've been trying to condense it into just the way you did, but couldn't. And don't forget Scott Ritter and Hans Blix.

[Skarbrowe]

86. And don't forget David Kelly. He died, possibly murdered.....link.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/022504shrimptontranscript.html



Alex Jones: Before we go to our first guest, who I’m honoured to have, well our guest for this hour, I wanted to just remind you that Dr David Kelly was the head of the Level-4 Porton Down Bio-weapons lab in Wiltshire, England. And he was then the head British weapons inspector who’d been pro-war. He then came back and leaked information that `look I’m a hawk for this war but I’m not gonna lie. Saddam doesn’t have weapons of mass destruction. And Tony Blair mis-used my assessment.’

Well suddenly he wound up dead. He told British and US colleagues that `I’m gonna be murdered and found dead in the woods if I don’t shut up.’

This is now mainstream news. Three top doctors have gone public who have looked at the autopsy results and say he was clearly, he clearly did not commit suicide, and we have that posted at Infowars.com and PrisonPlanet.com. So a lot of people are starting to go public on this.

There were rumours of this last week that somebody who had been inside the British government had sources who said that they could confirm that Dr David Kelly had been killed, but the folks that got that story, I guess didn’t take time out to go ahead and get in contact with the individual who was bringing forward this information himself. We’ve done that and he’s coming up here in just a few minutes and we’re so honoured to have him with us here on the show. He’s Michael Shrimpton and Michael Shrimpton has a long bio. I did some research on him over the weekend. Michael Shrimpton, of course, is a national security lawyer, that is barrister, in government matters. He’s written for the Journal for International Security Affairs. He has given advice and briefed the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, that’s the US Senate. He’s given speeches and consulted all over western Europe and the United States. And of course he’s been an invited guest of the State Department.

more at link

[getmeouttahere]

48. Right on, Bread and Circus, testify!!!

You've laid everything out for them. The best part of your rant was "any bright person would come to naturally." That sums it up in a nutshell.

Bravo!

[AllyCat]

26. I don't know. They are awfully busy this week talking about what

the future holds for Michael Jackson and interviewing the Runaway Bride.

They might get to the DSM sometime after Shrub kills us all.

Sorry for the cynicism, but I don't trust anyone in the corporate media. They'll back down as soon as Rove and Gang get to them and go back to their assigned duties: talking about Paris Hilton, Wacko Jacko, and other important topics.

[dbt]

28. Watch NBC "find" that the Minutes were faked.

It's even money that they will take the lead in the Rathering of the Downing Street Minutes. THEN, the rest of the Whore Nets will fall in behind them!

Watch.

:argh:

[damntexdem]

34. Just look at that smoke flow out of ...

the barrel of the gun.

[katty]

84. Brit MP's want to COVER THEIR ASS-they've been

given a warning heads are about to roll-they are masters at this game (as history proves)and they DO NOT INTEND TO GO DOWN FOR BUSH (although they have already gone down on bush at his puerile hissy fit insistence)and Monster-boy Cheney. the international Puppet Masters have put out the edict for bush's demise-how, when, where...TBD.

[0007]

36. Folks! I believe we're being flimflammed

by NBC News.

[DS1]

40. Cheney has this to say

"Any suggestion that we did not exhaust all alternatives before we got to that point, I think, is inaccurate."

It either was, or wasn't, there shouldn't be any "thinking" involved in answering the question - because if you always tell the truth you shouldn't have to "think" about a black and white question like this.

This should be enough to nail him. Keyword should

[FearofFutility]

41. Unfortunately, it seems that

the American people (in general) are unable to connect the dots on their own. Unless the talking heads tell them this is something to pay attention to, they could care less. The other night at work, I told some co-workers that I was a news junkie, hoping that it would lead to discussion of the DSM. The discussion among my coworkers turned to MJ, the missing teen in Aruba, and Brad Pitt. I chimed in with, "Have you read about the DSM?". Not one of them knew what I was talking about! This story will be buried by the MSM. There may be a blurb here and there, but that will be all.

For my part, I will not stop talking about it and will do whatever I can to make sure that this story doesn't die.

[Bethany Rockafella]

53. I think a lot of people are just apolitical.

They are not into what this administration is up to. Some feel he is doing whatever he can to help this country and others feel he is no good but there is nothing they can do about it but vote him (or the republicans) out next election.

[FearofFutility]

80. Apathetic too

I agree that a lot are just apolitical, but I just can't comprehend how people (politically aware or not) aren't outraged by the fact that we were conned by the administration and thousands of lives have been lost because of their shell game. Whenever I talk about the crimes of this administration, eyes glaze over or I get the "she's a nut" look.

[McIntyre]

123. Apolitical can work FOR us

I know several people who claim I am their only source for political news (gasp); they usually come to me (especially) during the elections (local, state, and federal) and ask me how they should vote. I write a handy little note they can take right into the booth! How scary is THAT?!! :shrug:

[formercia]

43. Please email the memo using the link

at the bottom of the article. MSM pays attention to this.

[FredScuttle]

44. Andrea Mitchell's on the case....hooray

Reminds me of the line in "Fletch" when the corrupt police chief bursts into the room and Chevy Chase snidely announces "Oh, thank God......the police"

[Orion The Hunter]

69. RE: Fletch Lives

Reminds me of the line in "Fletch" when the corrupt police chief bursts into the room and Chevy Chase snidely announces "Oh, thank God......the police"

FredScuttle, that was priceless! And sadly, just about right when it comes to Andrea Mitchell. Her reporting is usually pretty vapid.

Now while she is busy investigating this story, I will be in the next room, catching the last few minutes of Dynasty....

[Roland99]

78. Welcome to DU, Orion!

:hi:

[Tommymac]

47. Let's see if Keith Olberman picks this up tonight....

Then we'll know if NBC is serious about this...

Of coarse, it was a Rupuke Murdoch rag that broke this in England, so maybe it will have legs in spite of the MSM's efforts to control it...play with the contents of Pandora's box enough and eventually even the spinmeister's are going to get burned.

[SmokingJacket]

49. Either they've taken on this story to crush it, somehow, or...

they should sit back and wait for the retribution the Bushies will send their way. No one gets away with reporting this kinda stuff anymore.

Will be interesting to watch.

[shantipriya]

55. New DSM's

No amount of documents or proof is going to shorten Shrub's second term. Most people knew that the reasons for the war were bogus. So the DSM's are not news to these people and that's why they voted him back in office.Most Americans are happy with wars. It is a kind of entertainment and as long as the fighting men and women come from that section of society that has no political base and as long as their lives are not altered a bit,why not enjoy the nightly fireworks on the TV!!!

[JRob]

59. "Most Americans" that's a pretty broad assertion. "Some" maybe

[newportdadde]

62. Andrea Mitchell? You mean Mr Liar's wife?

Andrea is not going to touch Bush or anything that could in any way shake up the financial markets and ruin Greenie's financial legacy as he runs out the clock till retirement.

Wake me up when someone like Christiane Amanpour is working the story.

[Doctor_J]

63. and Brian Williams hunts furiously for a way to blame it on Clinton

the cabal talking heads will just keep talking about Dean, but Williams will have to somehow work this into a "news" cast, and thus will have to spin any blame away from the lying cowards that run the country.

[whistle]

65. This is all good news......I have a question, was Tony Blair the

...British PM when Gulf War #1 under Pappy Bush was waged in Iraq from Jan 1991 to Mar 1991? Or was that PM John Major?

[xxqqqzme]

75. TB PM since '97

John Major PM '90-'97

[rocktivity]

66. Blair verified the DSM, however accidentally,

when he said during his press conference with Bush that it was written before they went to the UN. If the memo was a fabrication, or its contents inaccurate, all he had do was say so.

:headbang:
rocknation

[rox63]

68. But it could have been another Rove-produced forgery

Just like what ended up ruining Dan Rather's career. The facts of that memo were also real. But the actual document probably came from some RNC hack in the White House basement.

[rocktivity]

85. Bush never CLAIMED that the Rather documents were factually real

THAT'S the difference!

Not only has Blair effectively confirmed that the meeting DID take place, he's given no reason to believe that the DSM describes the meeting fradulently or inaccurately. He's simply denied that there had BEEN any fixing of the facts (well, duh, not at that time--they were just deciding that it needed to be done!), and claimed that the DSM was written prior to the trip to the UN (which could mean had been decided that the trip would be merely a formality).

Here's a link to DU's take on what Tony said at his press conference with Georgie (story #2).

:headbang:
rocknation

[meppie-meppie not]

67. what a lazy ass lame report...fecking white wash!

[grasswire]

70. the reason Andrea Mitchell has the story...

...is because she is the senior State Department correspondent for NBC. And I really, truly believe she cares about the reputation and honor of the career employees of that department, having worked with them for decades.

She may be a lot of things, but I think there's some commitment to real diplomacy.

[Vinca]

72. I don't see how this can get a fair investigation with Andrea Mitchell

leading the way. She's always obviously partisan and in a million years I can't imagine her rocking the Chimp's ship.

[The_Casual_Observer]

73. If the press pushes this at all, they are pushing for impeachment also.

They know this and would like to avoid the whole thing. The MSM does not want to be blamed for ousting "the president" while he is "working hard" fighting the "that on terror".

[lala_rawraw]

76. and on this, once again...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3856023&mesg_id=3856023&page=

[Writer]

87. Don't worry, I'm sure Andrea won't let you down.

We'll make sure to find a reason to peg her a media whore once again.

[ElectroPrincess]

88. Let the Impeachment proceedings begin ...

[Guckert]

89. But isn't Katie and Tom's engagement coming soon??? we need more real news

DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH :dunce:

[AX10]

91. I'm sure that Mrs. Greenspan will deal with....

this in a "fair and balanced" manner.

[krkaufman]

93. Don't count on Mitchell

In fact, current and former diplomats tell NBC News they understood from the beginning the Bush policy to be that Saddam had to be removed — one way or the other. The only question was when and how.

That's about as "investigative" as I expect Andrea Mitchell to get. She's too M$M-entrenched to do the dogged Woodward/Bernstein reporting that is needed.

[ClintonTyree]

94. They'd better verify their verification....

you know how the blowhards on the right are. They never attack the message, they attack the messenger. GE...er...NBC had better have rock solid sources on this or else Limpballs, O'Lielly, Insannity, Weiner Savage et al will have them for lunch.
I'd wish they stop calling it the "memo". They're the "minutes", there's a HUGE difference. But I guess I can handle it as long as the message gets out to the people. :shrug:

[baron j]

95. Andrea Mitchell?

She was one of the blind nitwits would claimed that Dumbya won the Presidential debates last year. Thanks for picking an objective staffer, MSNBC. Oh, wait, you don't have one of those.

[kenhorse]

96. So?

So what? Regime change in Iraq has been US policy for years (and has been even under Bill Clinton).

Yaaaaaaaaawwnnnnnnnnnnnnn...............

[Disturbed]

97. Without the 911 Attack w would have been ,,,

a one term Pres. and Iraq and Afghanistan would not have been invaded. I believe LIHOP can be a strong case. Instead of some people wasting their talents on MIHOP it would be a much more productive pursuit to prove LIHOP.

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lecky]

99. not sure if you are being sarcastic

...but it's a big deal to me because that's not how Bush & Co. sold the war in Iraq to the general public or it's troops.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

115. Ah yes, the favorite rw argument..hey, Clinton did and/or said the same

thing, so there!

Welcome to DU, kenhorse, enjoy your stay. MKJ

[youngstownohio]

103. When Brian Williams signed off last night...

...he explained why NBC covered the MJ trial despite calls from people not to spend so much time on it. It seemed to me to be sort of an apology because he went through the list of things that happened since the MJ fiasco started (Pope dying, war, election...etc.).

In his final thought he said it was time to move on from the trial.

Take it for whatever it's worth, but it seemed to me he was saying we're doing something else now.

[FourStarDemocrat]

119. I certainly hope that's the case...

But I don't trust NBC and haven't watched them in a long time because they've been absolute garbage-- an Andrea Mitchell is one of the worst of their lot.

Welcome to DU btw youngstownohio. Enjoy your stay here. :)

[AceAlmighty82]

104. You know what I say....

If NBC has caught on to this and is "reporting" this as news..lets email Keith Olbermann and get him in on the situation. He's the only guy I like as a news correspondent. So what if it is Andrea Mitchell's story. We can't take this and debate how the worst is going to come..500,000 people signed a petition about this memo, 100 Congress-persons are involved and now NBC has verified this thing. Regardless it made the news no matter who wrote the story. Surprisingly enough. So look at it this way..It could be because of Andrea Mitchell that Bush is no longer president. When things go around, they come around...and it's coming and it's coming quick.

[FourStarDemocrat]

120. Good idea!

And welcome to DU AceAlmighty82. Catchy name!

[Hoosier]

105. I smell a rat!

As do many of you. Maybe Mitchell needs to be encouraged to keep it from becoming MemoGate II.

[lala_rawraw]

107. what rat ?

I am lost in this conversation.

[AceAlmighty82]

111. I might be wrong

but...i just finished talking to a friend about this entire mess..and she's bringing up sanctions and what not..i asked her for details but she couldn't help me there....meaning he might get slapped on the hand but won't get impeached..if i don't mind asking..can someone explain this one a little more to me?

[truth_is_extreme]

114. it'll come to nothing

sorry to break it to you guys. Just like some many of the administration scandals, Richard Clarke saying the White House allowed 9/11, the Valerie Plame outing, or Jeff Gannon, or Ohio, etc etc

Republicans OWN the Government and the media. Even The New York Times is already destroying these memos:

http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?p=1079

[Bassic]

116. The true problem with these documents is...

... that you have to be able to understand at least a little bit about politics to be outraged by them. The MSM's recent history is not ot cater to the educated crowd, in my opinion. The bulk of their audience wont give a flying shit, as long as Monkey Boy keeps going to church.

[cthrumatrix]

117. this is why WE need to call our representatives 2006 is here soon!

[Lab2112]

124. RE: it'll come to nothing

With the neocons in control of all the levers of government, right-wingers running the mainstream media, and a dumbed-down American population, I think the only thing that can cause articles of impeachment to get brought up against Bush would be something bigger than a smoking gun -- it would have to be a smoking cannon.

Something big enough to make average citizens take to the streets, as in Bolivia, and demand the prosecution or outright resignation of George W. Bush.

Something that even Rove can't twist around, that Delay can't defend, and that even Cheney would have to distance himself from.

And that something would have to be a direct confession from the very mouth of Dubya. An admission of guilt, to take complete responsibility, to level with the American people once and for all.

I know, I know... it'll never happen, so it looks like we're stuck with this terror-filled and terror-inspiring administration, my friends.

LAB

[dchill]

125. "smoking cannon"

Like sex with an intern?

[brettdale]

122. kick

kick