Bush’s News War

[VermontDem2004]

Bush’s News War

Fed up with the gloom-and-doom coverage of the conflict, the White House is taking aim at the press

Oct. 27 issue — It started out as a little crowd control in Baghdad. But as U.S. troops entered the streets to restore order earlier this month, the protest turned ugly. Someone threw a homemade grenade at the Americans, wounding 13 servicemen. According to the Oct. 8 Daily Threat Assessment—the Coalition’s internal casualty report, which was shown to NEWSWEEK—eight soldiers were wounded seriously enough to be evacuated to military hospitals. Yet at a press conference the next day, there was no mention of the attack. Pushed by reporters, U.S. officials would only say the incident was under investigation. It was as if the ambush, and the casualties, had never happened.

IN BAGHDAD, OFFICIAL control over the news is getting tighter. Journalists used to walk freely into the city’s hospitals and the morgue to keep count of the day’s dead and wounded. Now the hospitals have been declared off-limits and morgue officials turn away reporters who aren’t accompanied by a Coalition escort. Iraqi police refer reporters’ questions to American forces; the Americans refer them back to the Iraqis.

Reporters and government officials have always squabbled over access; but the news coverage of the messy, ongoing conflict in Iraq has worsened the already tense relationship between the press and the administration. American officials accuse reporters of indulging in a morbid obsession with death and destruction, and ignoring how Iraq has improved since Saddam Hussein was toppled. Reporters grumble that the secretive White House and Pentagon hold back just how grim and chaotic the situation really is.
more....
http://www.msnbc.com/news/982193.asp

[Fridays Child]

1. It seems that Saddam's infamous "minders" might just be able to find...

...employment under the new regime.

[arwalden]

21. I Was Thinking The Same Thing Mary Pat... only...

... I didn't know they had an actual name. "Minders" pretty much describes it all.

-- Allen

[DeepModem Mom]

2. New war of deception...

We are being lied to; it's Vietnam all over again. Interesting note at bottom of text, that Howard Fineman contributed to this frank and honest story. He's the go-to guy, no doubt, for the White House/Rove version of events.

[The Zanti Regent]

18. What Planet are these Nazis on?

ALL of the media (except Pacifica) kisses Bush's ass 24/7!

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. Readthe article - Link to the Poll - VOTE !!

. . From the poll at the article:

Is the American news media producing accurate reporting on Iraq?
* 376 responses

No. The press is overemphasizing bad news
19%

No. Things are worse in the Iraq than the media says
53%

Yes. The picture is fairly balanced and accurate
28%

[Barrett808]

17. Now 60% say "things are worse than the media says"

That's like Soviet-style reading between the lines.

[rman]

20. the poll is haxored?

Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'

Data source name not found and no default driver specified

/modules/livevote/vote.asp, line 34


On second thought it appears to be a more subtle kind of hack: it works with IE but not with Phoenix. God bless Mirosoft.

[schultzee]

4. The media should respond negatively to shrub's attempt to control

and that is what he is doing, similar to fencing in dissenters.

[cthrumatrix]

5. It should...but they are ALL owned. There will be no cry of outrage.

[0007]

16. Kind of like building a wall

.....like Sharon!

[izzie]

6. I think we are going to be Israel/Palestine all over.

We used to know where the terror came from but now it is world wide and coming from new groups every place.

[leftchick]

7. there is a whole new committee set up by condiliar's NSC....!

to filter the truth OUT!...

<snip> News management is at the heart of the administration’s shake-up of Iraq policy. The National Security Council recently created four new committees to handle the situation in Iraq. One is devoted entirely to media coordination—stopping the bad news from overwhelming the good. Yet White House officials insist their agenda for Iraq is not driven by the need to generate positive campaign coverage.

Don't forget to rate the article a & at the bottom and vote in the poll!

[pfitz59]

8. Saigon...5 o'clock follies!

Spin. Spin. Spin. Same old same old BS!

[scarletlib]

9. It didn't work for the Soviet Union in Afghanistan

and it won't work for us in Iraq. The Soviet government refused to be honest with its people about the number of casualties and how badly they were being beaten but in the end it didn't matter. The truth has a way of coming out even when the government and a complicit media try to hide it.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. The problem is

that it took the Soviets 10 years to collapse that way.

[kayell]

11. Gloom-and-doom coverage of the conflict!

Geez, I know, it's just awful, when you turn on the tv you are just buried in the images of wounded soldiers, crying mothers, coffins coming in to Andrews AFB.

Yeah, right georgie. Until very recently the only way the press could have done more cheerleading for you is if they bounced up and down in front of the cameras in one of your old outfits. Even now I still haven't seen any reason to change my tagline.

[Mari333]

12. Exactly. we are NOT seeing the coverage of the dead and wounded

all we see is a blackout.
The media also has blood on their hands as long as they ignore the coverage of the casualties, the caskets, the mourning, the families, and the hell that is going on.

[tlcandie]

14. Blackout in full operation ...

<snip>
IN BAGHDAD, OFFICIAL control over the news is getting tighter. Journalists used to walk freely into the city’s hospitals and the morgue to keep count of the day’s dead and wounded. Now the hospitals have been declared off-limits and morgue officials turn away reporters who aren’t accompanied by a Coalition escort. Iraqi police refer reporters’ questions to American forces; the Americans refer them back to the Iraqis.
<snip>


BOLDtype is mine for emphasis

[Rose Siding]

13. GREAT new tactic, except....

when Dem Senators wanted to go to Iraq, the Pentagon said they didn't have any planes available. Now there's a story that didn't get enough coverge. Those "Congresspeople" that have the GOOD news are all repubs.

snip>
One new tactic in the media war is to send congressional allies and cabinet secretaries to Baghdad to bypass the American reporters. Commerce Secretary Don Evans flew into Iraq last week to tell investors and voters back home to stop believing the news on TV.

[psychopomp]

15. Shrub won't go here

but I'm not sure he would care anyway.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/iraq/casualties/facesofthefallen.htm

[CatWoman]

19. *snarf*

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

22. (posted this in like thread) It's like the Python Pet Shop skit...

Mr. Praline: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint. (The owner does not respond.)

Mr. Praline: 'Ello, Miss?

Owner: What do you mean "miss"?

Mr. Praline: I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint! Owner: We're closin' for lunch.

Mr. Praline: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this parrot what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.

Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?

Mr. Praline: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Mr. Praline: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.

Owner: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!

Mr. Praline: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.

Owner: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!

Mr. Praline: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the cage) 'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot! I've got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if you show... (owner hits the cage)

Owner: There, he moved!

Mr. Praline: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the cage!

Owner: I never!!

Mr. Praline: Yes, you did!

Owner: I never, never did anything...

Mr. Praline: (yelling and hitting the cage repeatedly) 'ELLO POLLY!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call! (Takes parrot out of the cage and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)

Mr. Praline: Now that's what I call a dead parrot. Owner: No, no.....No, 'e's stunned!

Mr. Praline: STUNNED?!?

Owner: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Blues stun easily, major.

Mr. Praline: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.

Owner: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.

Mr. Praline: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?

Owner: The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable bird, id'nit, squire? Lovely plumage!

Mr. Praline: Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the first place was that it had been NAILED there. (pause)

Owner: Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that bird down, it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its beak, and VOOM! Feeweeweewee!

Mr. Praline: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this bird wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!

Owner: No no! 'E's pining!

Mr. Praline: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!
<snip>
Too close to truth with this admin.

[cliss]

23. Think back...to the Vietnam War

they tried to gag the media then, too. It didn't work. It was a situation which was spinning out of control before our very eyes. Students rioting, demonstrations everywhere. The rest of the world was disgusted with the US.

It was simply too big, too out of control, too many people, too much controlling to do. They couldn't get their arms around it.

They won't do it this time, either.

[bemildred]

24. Pissing on the media is the dumbest thing they could do.

The media have been their best buddies.
But then, they ARE dumb.
The VietNam comparison is right on.

[Tatiana]

25. Howie is such a WHORE!

York also notes that Sheldon Drobny, who is arranging financing for a liberal talk radio network, has alleged online that the president's grandfather, Prescott Bush, did business with the Third Reich but that "as in any fascist regime, the press is prevented from publishing it."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but HASN'T THIS BEEN PROVEN TO BE TRUE? Got damn. It's like the whores will present the truth right out there in the open, but phrase it so that it seems like a lie.

But wait...

On the left: Paul Krugman sees a huge double standard, insisting there is "no way to be both honest and polite" about the administration's deceptions.

"There's nothing on the liberal side that compares to the bile we've routinely gotten on the right," the New York Times columnist says in an interview. "After years of extreme attacks from conservative pundits and politicians, now there's a little bit of feistiness on the other side and it's 'Oh, those rude people!' They themselves continue to do slash-and-burn, and the other side can't. It's amazing how thin-skinned some of these guys are."

Notice how the WHORE Howie has no response to Krugman's logical statements of fact. We have to point out the hyprocisy.