HARDBALL TODAY: Matthews grills Condoleezza Rice on DSM

[BigBearJohn]

READ MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8216371/

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST, "HARDBALL": Madam Secretary, there's a lot of concern in this country, as you know, about the strength and the violence of the insurgency. We just got these two memos in the last couple of weeks that—they're called the Downing Street memos. One of them is a memo from now the British ambassador to the United States, David Manning, in his capacity as adviser to British Prime Minister Blair, where he said in March of 2002, he met with you. And among the big questions that were still out there in your mind was something to do with—what's it going to be like in Iraq the morning after? Do you recall those meetings?

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, of course. David Manning is a fine public servant and an extraordinary foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Blair. And we had a number of conversations. I don't remember this one in particular. But I would just note, Chris, that that was a year before the actual invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime. We had not yet gone to the United Nations to try and resolve the issue through diplomatic means. But a lot of planning went on between March of 2002 and March of 2003.

[Voltaire]

1. Yuk

She lies like a fucking rug. I can't stand to look at her lying face. Bitch.

[Boneman]

67. I hate the woman so much I cannot even look at her.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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

[Guckert]

7. yep, we created thousands of graves with that slaughter. and they expected

them to be strong???? they are as dumb as they look.

[Name removed]

86. Deleted message

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

[central scrutinizer]

20. She said what???!!!

They disbanded the entire Iraqi army instantly creating a couple of hundred thousand heavily armed unemployed angry men. This is an outright lie.

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

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

[Carla in Ca]

55. Absolutely

The insurgency is from the outside or Iraqis angry at the loss of loved ones.

[jimshoes]

3. That sounds familiar

n/t

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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

[Supersedeas]

5. Well of course...ah...I don't remember this one in particular

The Professor doesn't remember the specifics...they must be hidden somewhere in the bowels of the Administration.

[Guckert]

6. planning the LIES !!! Laughing at how F--ing stupid 51% of the American

people are. and how the GOP will slurp up the Bush Bile like pigs a a trough. .

[patrice]

32. That means 50% + or - Recognized chemical weapons' info that was

10 years OLD.

[kodi]

8. and i would note, Condi that the US forced out the UN observers

who were actively looking for the non-existent WMDs prior to the bush administration's invasion of iraq.

[gordianot]

9. She did not answer the question.

As usual Tweety did not follow up.

[gratuitous]

11. Some "grilling"

I've seen a 12-year-old more closely questioned over a tardy slip.

[99Pancakes]

26. I've seen better grilling at Summer Camp!

[calimary]

85. Uh-oh, is that Jeeeeeeeeeeezus I see on that toast? The Virgin?

Or is it the Rolling Stones' stick-yer-tongue-out logo?

:evilgrin:

[AValdoux]

10. 'grills' ? yeah right

So I guess after this is broadcast, Matthews can say, "See I covered the DSM story. I 'grilled' Condi about it. Stories over. Condi said so."


AValdoux

[AllegroRondo]

12. So she basically admitted it?

That they were planning the war before they ever went to the UN to try to prevent the war?

[doublethink]

13. This quote got me from that disscussion ......

"It's always going to be hard when you're dealing with very secretive regimes, when you're dealing with the dual-use capabilities that are usually involved in weapons of mass destruction.

You know, Chris, the same CHLORINE that can be used in a swimming pool can be used in chemical-weapons development." -snip-

So I guess the neo-cons are going to invade the suburbs because of all those swiming pools next. Geesh .... we went to Iraq to look for a couple of bottles of f .... ing CHLORINE now. :puke:

[aion]

78. These same right-wingers would go nuts if you argued similarly about guns

Chlorine can be used to make bombs and decontaminate swimming pools. Yes. And? What is your point, Condi?

Guns can be used to hunt and protect yourself, but they can also be used to murder innocents.

[Malva Zebrina]

14. The cardboard shill has learned how to use language

that says nothing, but sounds good. That takes a lot of practice-learning hubris.

Makes her sound really really knowledgeable and intelligent. Why does she constantly say "we" and "our"? Is she afraid to say "I" and "my"?

To me that language is telling. Poor thing. All of those degrees and she ends up being a minor player, a schill, having to say "we" and "our". She is a part of a "team", a lying, deceptive team, and not an intelligent, discerning being in her own right. She is really just an appendage to be ignored.

[bleever]

59. Very well said.

Goes along with the comment upthread about the professor not remembering the details.

[Roland99]

15. Number of Times "Weapons of Mass Destruction" uttered: EIGHT

[Cha]

46. Love your bumperstickers,

Dude!

Of course, conjob couldn't go on tweety's birdshit show without trying to push the weapons of mass destruction.."eight" more times!

HOw many times did con, bush, cheney,rummy, et al say it before they bombed Iraq?

[Roland99]

51. Thanks! Felt all alone today with them until late this afternoon.

I saw more * and W stickers today than I have all month. Disgusting. But, late this afternoon, I finally passed a guy with a K/E sticker!

[Jack Rabbit]

16. !!

Image from Hyogo Softball

[Massachusetts]

24. Yup! non story, no teeth.

[eek]

17. she certainly has a selective memory, eh?

maybe she's eaten too much of the beef which our USDA says is not Mad Cow contaminated.


Mad Cow USA - The Cover-Up Begins to Unravel

by John Stauber on Sun, 06/12/2005 - 09:09.

The US government’s elaborate cover-up of mad cow dangers in the United States has begun to unravel. Twenty-four hours after our successful protest (with Organic Consumers Association) of the US Department of Agriculture’s mad cow dog-and-pony show in St. Paul, USDA Secretary Johanns was forced to admit that a cow tested last year and declared safe in fact DID have mad cow disease, or at least has tested positive on the definitive Western Blot test recently administered by USDA and considered the 'gold standard' for BSE testing.
I’ve often charged that the USDA is hiding US cases of mad cow by using the wrong testing procedures and by failing to conduct food safety tests on millions of animals and this announcement proves it. USDA finally used the correct test — the Western Blot test — on this suspect animal and it has proven to be a case of mad cow disease.

http://www.prwatch.org/node/3751

[BigBearJohn]

18. I laud the fact that DSM is getting this much attn WITH Rice on MSNBC

The fact that the SECRETARY OF STATE would address the DSM
on National Television indicates WE HAVE THEIR FUCKING ATTENTION!!!
The shit is hitting the fan!

[SoCalDem]

19. i find it humorous that she was bumped yesterday by Michael Jackson..n/t

:)

[old blue]

21. Matthews: "Did you have a fix then on the size of this opposition "

Anyone else wonder if this question is a deliberate attempt to equivocate on the meaning of "fix"??

[krkaufman]

34. Yep, I was thinking that, too.

Almost like Matthews was trying to demonstrate other contextuals uses for "fix."

[patrice]

74. Absolutely - They do that sort of thing constantly. Very powerful.

[David Zephyr]

22. Rice: "a lot of planning..." Well, then they obviously planned poorly

Bush, Rice, Cheney and Rumsfeld have terribly failed our nation, our troops and the Iraqi people.

Did you say the "impeach" word today?"

[ihelpu2see]

23. Notice it is a non-denial about fixing the intel. She makes it sound like

"of course we did a lot of planning, we needed to be prepared" But did Chris force the point that the Intel needed to be fixed to get the US and British citizens on board!!! I would bet NO just more "soft ball" questions for this admin. I think the press must think that if the leader is a dolt why press his appointed help they are most likely just as stupid and an intellectually incurious bunch...

ps

"Dr" Rice has shown she is more qualified to play piano than any job at State or even her previous job as NSA..... She better not think of running in 08 the gloves will come off and she will really have to answer some questions about the PDB of Aug. 01

[krkaufman]

36. Oh, yeah..??

She better not think of running in 08 the gloves will come off and she will really have to answer some questions about the PDB of Aug. 01

Who's gonna ask?

Unless things change, I wouldn't expect any tougher questioning than what we've seen to date.

[chaumont58]

I know who is Tweety, but who is Matthews?

name's not familiar.

[99Pancakes]

25. Hey Con-De !

That's why minutes are kept, you stupid F--in' B---!!

[alarcojon]

27. Aren't her last three sentences

the same crap Blair has been spewing out of late? Gotta stay on message when you're ALL in the tank.

[krkaufman]

28. NoBalls Matthews plays Softball w/ Rice...

This exchange is just too much...

MATTHEWS: But the word “fixed,” which is like fixed the way you fix the World Series.

RICE: Right.

MATTHEWS: Or is it British sense, which means just put things together.

RICE: Put things together.

Dear Effing Dog!! Matthews not only plays Softball throughout, but actually inserts the nonsensical "definition of the word 'fixed'" RightWing talking point. The context of the stinking memo clearly communicates that "fixing the intelligence" meant filtering the intelligence to boost the "thin" case for military action.

Aside from the fact that the memos all indicate that UN action would merely be used to bolster the case for the inevitable military action, that we'd increase military pressure in 2002 in an effort to get Hussein to lash out and violate existing UN resolutions, and that the ramp-up timeline would begin 30 days before US Congressional elections.

Mathews is freakin' useless.

[MidwestTransplant]

35. I haven't even heard them try this novel definition

After Tweety gave it to them you can be sure that Faux and Rush Anal Cyst Limbaugh will be parroting it.

[krkaufman]

39. It's been out there as one of the two main deflections of DSM

(1) definition of "fixed"... DSM "fixing" really just means collecting, and certainly NOT filtering or rigging.

(2) DSM was written before UN resolutions and Congressional "debate"; really just brainstorming and so DSM is meaningless.

[Singular73]

37. He's just asking....

Look, the fact that he talked about this for 5 minutes is good.

What do you expect her to do? Break down, start crying, and admit to High Crimes*?

Thats one thing that kills me about some of you folks...you get all mad when BushCo stays consistent in their lies. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT???

[krkaufman]

44. You miss the point.

Rice did exactly what I would expect.

Any anger I expressed, and I think it's perfectly reasonable -- your admonition aside, was directed at Matthew's impotent questioning and his going so far as to assist in propagating the RW "definition of fixed" talking point.

How tough would it be for him to ask a similar set of questions on the DSM, drawing in previous quotes/testimony from Paul O'Neill, Richard Clarke, and others, rather than merely providing Rice a vehicle for communicating the Admin talking points uncontested?

[Singular73]

48. Sure...

And noone will ever go on his show again....

[krkaufman]

49. Yes, true, that is until...

... more anchors do the same, ridding the media of such softball opportunities. It's really up to the viewing public, though; politicians need to be made to suffer for not taking on tough interviews. Problem is, I'm not sure there presently exists anywhere in the M$M, a single tough, independent interviewer.

Bottom line is... Matthews et al are more concerned for their personal bottom line (and celebrity) than fulfilling their role in support of democracy.

[jimshoes]

38. It means both things simultaneously

in Condi's universe of quasi reality. At least that's what this exchange between Tweety and Condo reads like.

[CJCRANE]

84. The "British sense".

Don't let them get away with this! There is no different British sense for the word "fix"!

The only different sense for "fix" is in the American Southern vernacular, e.g. "It's fixin' to rain".

[medeak]

29. changed channel to hear about Aruba girl n/t

[Cha]

47. Might as well nothing to see

on softball.

[mandomom]

30. Condi is more defensive than ever.

She needs peace. Peace is the new pink.

[wookie294]

31. I've stopped watching Matthews

He's boring because his interviews are not "hardball." He's a SOFTBALL interviewer of Bush officials, which makes for very dull programming. No wonder his audience is about 400,000 people.

[patrice]

33. I don't watch him either. I prefer my local station and Air America.

[sallyseven]

54. I watched last night edition of The Dailey Show.

I never Watch mattthews any more. And I cannot stay up to watch the show at 11:00

[teryang]

72. Don't watch television news channels period

It's propaganda 24/7. Don't patronize them. Loss of viewership means loss of money.

Where was Matthews on this subject 2 and 3 years ago?

[xxqqqzme]

40. what a fucking stock answer

she didn't remember the one 'in particular' titled 'bin Laden determined to strike inside US' either. - just the title. Selective memory loss is a rampant disease in this administration. Funny, it infected the nixon administration as well.

On reflection of the titled of this thread - tweety couldn't grill eggplant let alone rice!

[Singular73]

41. Not to mention Reagan....

[xxqqqzme]

45. shit, st ronnie didn't even

know he was prez. He could recall 'B' movie plots tho.

[Singular73]

42. Not to mention Reagan....

[dicknbush]

43. THIS CREATURE MAKES ME PUKE

I SAW HERE LAST NIGHT AND I HAD THIS VISION SUDDENLLY THAT SHE IS FACT THE BLACK FREMALE ALFRED E NEUMAN!

[DaDeacon]

53. Alfred / Condi ? one in the same? you be the judge!

[mirrera]

56. Thank You!

That is very funny!!

www.nobullshirt.com

[sellitman]

64. I beg to differ....

[ooglymoogly]

62. thats funny

and so true

[sellitman]

63. Nope....I know who Alfred is......

[DaDeacon]

66. hahahahahaha (n/t)

[radio4progressives]

52. But a Lot of Planning Happened Between March of '02 and March of '03...

That is an amazing confession.

"But I would just note, Chris, that that was a year before the actual invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime. We had not yet gone to the United Nations to try and resolve the issue through diplomatic means. But a lot of planning went on between March of 2002 and March of 2003. "

[flordehinojos]

57. where and how, i wonder, did ms. condoliar learn to lie so well!

[K8-EEE]

58. "fixed" means, "to put together"

omfg....what lying sack of shit she is!! Tweety handed her that embarassingly obvious lie to get out of the fixed intell. Then he just lets her, without reading the whole context.

[immoderate]

60. Like in "fixing" breakfast?

Or in "fixing" a photograph?

Not like in "fixing" an election, right Condi?

--IMM

[rateyes]

61. Well that's about the fourth time..

I've heard that "we went to the U.N. afterwards to try to work it out diplomatically" bunch of crap. The sharks are smelling blood in the water. Keep throwing the chum!

[jbnow]

65. There was good planning for the post-war

It's just that it was all entirely dismissed by bush, cheney, rumdum and company.
Center for Strategic and International Studies warned about need preparation and listed 10 steps the United States MUST take before invading. (They did none) There were plans and warnings from the James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy and Council on Foreign Relations. Ignored. They ignored the U.S. Army War College think tank.

Here is an article about them ignoring their own. Not the best I have read but the quickest I found and I know it's not news. But they keep saying they had know way to know...they had piles of material that told them what it would be like and what they needed to do. They just ignored it, preferring their dream world.

http://www.freep.com/news/nw/war16e_20041016.htm

Blunders, ignored warnings mire effort to rebuild Iraq

some bits:
At the CIA, the national intelligence officer for military issues, retired Maj. Gen. John Landry, became concerned that the military wasn't preparing adequately for postwar Iraq.He and fellow officer Paul Pillar, acting on their own, convened a brainstorming session of government and private experts at the CIA two months before the war.


At the Pentagon, the director of the Joint Staff, Army Gen. George Casey, repeatedly pressed Gen. Tommy Franks, the head of the Central Command, for a Phase 4, or postwar, plan, the senior defense official said. "Casey was screaming, 'Where is our Phase 4 plan?' " the official said. It never arrived. Casey is now the commander of U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq.


Franks' Central Command actually had an extensive plan to restore order and begin rebuilding the country, called Operation Desert Crossing, said retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, who drew up the plan and updated it continuously when he led the Central Command. The plan was never utilized. The same officials who saw no need for a plan to secure and rebuild a defeated Iraq also saw no need for thousands of U.S. soldiers, including military police, engineers, ordnance disposal teams and civil affairs specialists, whom commanders wanted to help take control in Iraq.


Central Command originally proposed a force of 380,000 to attack and occupy Iraq. Rumsfeld's opening bid was about 40,000, "a division-plus," said three senior military officials who participated in the discussions. Bush and his top advisers finally approved the 250,000 troops the commanders requested to launch the invasion. But the additional troops that the military wanted to secure Iraq after Hussein's regime fell were either delayed or never sent.

I never hear them having to answer to all the clear warnings and plans they ignored.

And I couldn't stand to watch the show, so I didn't.

[culturalelite]

68. Condi's funniest remark:

"There's also a significant of people who have come in as foreign terrorists, who recognize the importance of Iraq to the war on terrorism and are therefore fighting as if this is, in a sense, their last stand to make certain that democracy can't take hold in the Middle East."

Amazing! Dr. Rice knows precisely why the foreign fighters are in Iraq. It's because, unlike us liberals, they know the importance of Iraq to the war on terrorism and, since they're on the side of terrorism, they fight. What an insight! She should really publish a paper on the psychology of the jihadist.

[confludemocrat]

69. She doesn't remember the DSM meeting, she says in passing. Fuckin-a

You were planning a war scam, that's right a war, you dumb killer liar scumbag--and you don't remember the meeting?

IT WAS ABOUT A WAR, A W-A-R, WAR, REMEMBER?!

[magellan]

70. Softball and Chris Matthews the Right wing shill

I just emailed this to SOFTBALL:

From "Softball"'s game with Condoleeza Rice:

MATTHEWS: But the word “fixed,” which is like fixed the way you fix the World Series.

RICE: Right.

MATTHEWS: Or is it British sense, which means just put things together.

RICE: Put things together.

Mr. Matthews, if you actually knew anything about British English you might not be such an obvious hack for the Right. Having lived in England for 7 years, and being the wife of a Brit who has spent most of his life as a court reporter in London's courts (where one hears a lot of "government-speak"), I can assure you that "fixed around" does NOT mean "just put things together" in the UK. It means what it sounds like: "rigged". And just as those who fix a ball game -- or, say, elections -- can be sent to jail, so can the people who fix intelligence.

You do know the meaning of the word "illegal", don't you, Mr. Matthews?

Sincerely,

I'd already written to the London Sunday Times, telling them to be on guard for this latest spin on the word "fixed", because I'd come across it on a blog the other day. It astounds me what people who have no education dare to state as "fact".

[Laughing Mirror]

79. Excellent letter!

Thanks for sending.

[Straight Shooter]

83. Excellent letter and summarization of their spin. Furthermore ...

... if it were fixed as "just put things together," then why the use of the word "around"? The use of the word "fixed" without any qualifier would be all that's necessary.

Has Manning addressed this issue? Just curious.

[Doctor_J]

71. GOP shill Matthews lobs softballs

Rice swings and misses anyway. God these people are sickening.

[teryang]

73. Matthews is the perfect example of the political principle...

...it's not what you know, it's who you blow.

[shantipriya]

75. Rice?

Did anyone notice what she said!!!
She said "actual invasion to OVERTHROW Sadam Hussein's regime".
So she admitted that WMD was not reason for invading.Can this be the smoking gun?

[BigBearJohn]

76. hmmm

[aion]

77. You cannot proceed from a false premise -- known unknowns is ridiculous

Again, at the heart of the religious-right's argument is the fallacy of hasty generalization, as well as the illogic of proceeding from a false premise. Condi twists language in order to obfuscate this fact, and Matthews did a poor job of holding her feet to the fire.

If the premise is false, you cannot proceed (with war, or with any conclusion) if you intend to preserve truth. If your intention, however, is to start war, there is an unlimited number of 'known unknowns' that you can locate.

[0007]

80. Hmmmmmmmm - Is Chris Matthews part of the Mickey Mouse team?

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse

Cheer all you musketeers and Tweety will lead you there

[mandomom]

81. Grill George Downing Bush

[GoldenOldie]

82. Chris Matthews tags his entertainment show as Hardball?

To watch and listen to Matthews is like watching someone on speed.

His rapid speech pattern along with the spitting, drooling and the insane laughter during his so called interviews is frightening.

He asks a question and doesn't wait for his mind to comprehend what the response is but quickly jumps into the next scripted question.

Anone who watchs this show with the expectations of learning anything will be sorely dissappointed. If you simply watch as you would watch a phoney reality show for entertainment purposes only, you have a winner.