CNN's On The Story just gave Smirk a pass on the WMD jokes. Email time.

[The Night Owl]

The hosts of CNN's on the story played the clip of Bush joking
about the WMD, but then came to the conclusion that because
the audience laughed at Bush's joke, the joke must have been
okay. No mention of angry families of soliders.

Email CNN at...

[e-mail] 

...and give them hell.

The following is what I wrote to CNN...

I was disgusted by the way the On The Story hosts came to the
conclusion that because George W. Bush's WMD jokes got laughs,
they must be acceptable. 

Men have gone to their deaths in search of the WMD that George
W. Bush made light of. The fact that the audience laughed at
his disgusting jokes does not make them okay. 

[boobooday]

1. Yeah, since the insensitive boobs

Who laughed and cooed during "shock and awe" weren't offended, why should any of us be?

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Killarney]

2. done

thanks

[lolly]

3. LA Times did the same

I suspect Ramirez was in charge of writing the editorials today.

We're told that McAuliffe and other Democrats who compained are just humorless sourpusses.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-joke27mar27,1,214181.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials

"Too bad Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe and other Democrats are acting like laughs should be banned from serious politics. McAuliffe and others denounced President Bush as disrespectful for putting on a slide show at the Radio and Television News Correspondents Assn. dinner showing him peering about the White House for weapons of mass destruction. "This is a very serious issue," McAuliffe said Friday. Well, yes. But does that mean telling a joke about it is "cavalier," as presumptive Democratic candidate John F. Kerry put it?"
. . .

If you want to send 2 letters, I think it's [e-mail]

[Mari333]

17. sent. from a soldiers mom n/t

[grannylib]

4. Done, here's mine:

You people have really dropped the ball, giving our unelected, illegitimate pResident yet another 'pass' for his insensitive, thoughtless and downright cruel "jokes" about WMDs and his inability to find them.
You ought to be ashamed of yourselves; this station is becoming a shadow of the FAUX "news" network: just a bunch of shills for the right wing.
This little imbecile has no business in the White House; "news" programs should be presenting NEWS, not:
Distractions (Kobe, Janet, Michael, Martha, etc etc etc)
Lies (any Republican who happens to open his/her mouth)
Propaganda (shameless whoring for the right wing)

Pathetic. Bush is pathetic, and so are you. He owes the nation an apology (several, actually....the 'trifecta' remark was also unconscionable, but then, so is every action this little simian takes).

Are any of you there familiar with the concept of 'journalism?' How about INVESTIGATIVE journalism? Or are you all just pretty people parked in front of a camera, reading what you are told???

[Neecy]

5. I saw that

I wasn't surprised that Kelly Wallace didn't seem to have a single moral qualm about the 'joke', but did you notice the reporter who was on the monitor looked disgusted when the studio reporters did their final spin?

The woman who was saying that she was there and 'everyone was laughing' should have told us if SHE was one of the guffawing asses at the event. I'd guess so, since she didn't seem at all offended by such a shockingly insensitive 'joke'.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

6. Done

[Vickers]

7. Here's what I sent:

Yes, folks in the audience laughed. Ha ha, it must be OK!

But I wonder: did any of the audience members have relatives that have been killed or wounded in Iraq over this hilarious search for WMDs?

Sincerely,

Vickers

P.S. That's rhetorical, BTW.

[carrowsboy]

8. my email....

subject: Bush the jokester...

Getting chuckles on the deaths of those he sent to an early grave.

Yeah, he's a real Christian alright.

[Spazito]

9. It is very telling that the hosts at CNN think because the "inside the...

beltway" crowd laughed, they represent the rest of the US citizens. Maybe they should count the e-mails they received that were negative about the "joke" and compare that total to the # of people that were at the event.

Their arrogance is mind-boggling!

[BootinUp]

10. I sent one too.

[Neecy]

11. what I wrote

I'm not surprised that the media isn't appalled by the insensitive 'joke' regarding the missing WMD's, which were supposedly the reason we went to war and for which almost 600 Americans have given their lives.

Since the media laughed uproariously at the 'joke', and gave Bush a standing ovation at the end, it's natural that you would wave off the public response as meaningless. You people need to get out of Washington and see what real people think about this, or perhaps talk to a family member of a killed or wounded soldier to see how funny THEY found the 'joke'.

Once again, CNN is serving as a propaganda outlet for your corporate masters AOL/TW. You people make Ed Murrow spin in his grave. Bush sends Americans to war on a lie and then jokes about it and you all laugh and applaud and then publicly defend the 'joke'! Utterly sick!

[Mari333]

12. I gave them hell. I dont think I can print what I wrote.

No, I can. It was long. But I gave them hell.


How dare you say the military families arent outraged over Bush's remarks
and jokes about WMDs...we are furious...
My child stands in Baghdad, and every day our horror and terror we feel is
beyond YOUR comprehension..and Bush laughs at our child's life being put on
the line, and makes jokes with his wealthy friends about it...
ITS NOT FUNNY
Its a disaster. over 580 kids dead for a LIE and our child in a war based on
LIES.
How dare you!!
I can see that cnn has a direct pipeline to Roves office and your corporate
news service should be ashamed.
Why dont you contact Military Families speak OUT at www.mfso.org ask the
military families how outraged we are at the Bush administration.
You think this is funny???? You must have black hearts.
Bush, we already know, has a black heart, no heart at all.
How dare you.
Dont speak for US, put US on the news...you wont even want to HEAR what we
have to say about that lowlife fratboy yucking it up with his wealthy
friends while our child is standing in Baghdad in 120 degree heat as angry
citizens there want him to die for what Bush has done in a war based on lies
about WMDs.
and you and he joke about it?????
How dare you.
The blood of these children , my child, other people's children harmed in
this war is on your hands also as you continue to lie about the outrage the
families feel, and continue to prop up George and his joking.
No, its not funny. Its HELL, and the Bush admin created Hell for our
children.
Stop lying
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com

[sadiesworld]

13. The jokes were horrible and CNN should be taken to task, BUT...

we need to keep our eyes on the prize...Clarke and the 9/11 hearings.

[Vickers]

15. I agree, but I think keeping their feet to the fire...

...in ALL aspects of this campaign period will force them to continue to answer things, to explain things, to avoid things, to lie about things, to sidestep things, etc. etc.

Consider: how much has Kerry had to talk in the last week or so? Not much!

Keep 'em guessing, keep 'em dancing, keep 'em off-balance.

But be polite about it.

[Robbien]

21. It is possible for me to write more than one email

So do not worry. Multi-tasking is a blessing and this issue is important. Men and women dieing should not be butts of very public jokes.

[JohnyCanuck]

14. My emails to CNN and LA Times

Yeah those WMD jokes were hilarious. Maybe Dubya can go do a show at Walter Reed. No doubt it would go a long way to brighten the spirits of the soldiers who got their legs, arms, and faces blown off searching for WMD in Iraq. Why if only they had known, they could have saved themselves the trouble, stayed behind and looked for WMD in the White House linen closets.

Next he could take along an Arabic translator and do a road show in Iraq. I would strongly recommend he makes sure he includes the following cities in his Iraq Comedy Show Tour Baghdad, Falluja and Mosul. The families of the 10,000 Iraqis killed in the search for non-existent WMD and the relatives of the thousands of Iraqi kids maimed for life ( http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0412/fahim.php )would no doubt be especially tickled by the presidential sense of humor.

Regards
xxxxxx
Toronto, Canada

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

16. Jerks at Cnn

:kick:

[grasswire]

18. done for both...

Letting the reaction of Washington insiders determine the level of humor in a joke about missing WMDs is a truly cynical and arrogant act unbecoming professional journalists. Really, the only way to find out if the jokes were funny is for Bush to tell them to those directly involved -- the soldiers at Walter Reed who are missing limbs, skin, sight, hearing, brain function and emotional equilibrium. Take the show on the road, George. See how it plays.

Shame on CNN for participating in this brazen dismissal of the horror of war.

[johnfunk]

19. On the Story? CNN should call it "Biased News Yentas"

And let's not forget Bush's equally disgusting "trifecta" joke

[VolcanoJen]

24. lol.. "Biased News Yentas"

Perfect description of those gals, johnfunk! I watch "On the Story" every Saturday morning, and the "biased news yentas" are just that.

[Robbien]

20. This is my email

Dear Sir

The conclusion of your story that the WMD being the butt of Bush's joke is no big deal is totally in error.

My nephew is now in Iraq. Each morning I wake up with my stomach in knots and hurry to the net to check to see if any of our American sons or daughters were killed in Iraq as I slept. My family and loved ones go through this horror each and every day. Over 100,000 family and friends of men and women in service in Iraq go through this each and every day.

And you think it is okay that we are the butt of jokes made by the man who sent our loved ones to war and perchance death?

Sir, you owe all of us an apology. A huge apology.

Sincerely,

[alcuno]

22. These are the same people who got us into Iraq and now think it's funny.

They think it's funny the way the American people were duped. What a bunch of empty heads.

[VolcanoJen]

23. Just more evidence of the double-standard.

When Kerry joked with reporters that the Secret Service agent who knocked him down on the slopes was a "son-of-a-bitch," the Repubs went apeshit.

When Bush jokes about the rationale for a war which has claimed the lives of almost 600 American soldiers and thousands of innocent Iraqis, we're reminded that the President is supposed to make fun of himself at the annual press dinner.

Just jokes, baby! Just jokes.

:grr:

[RebelOne]

25. Sent an e-mail and really blasted them.

[The Night Owl]

27. Don't forget to share with us what you wrote...

Don't forget to share with us what you wrote, but only if you feel comfortable sharing what you wrote, of course.

[The Night Owl]

30. .

.

[alcuno]

26. The joke is on us.

IMO, * was essentially admitting that the WMD argument was a joke all along. The media knew it as well. Now they are all laughing at us.

[Robbien]

28. All great letters

Hope these gives CNN pause. I received their standard form letter which said the responses will be compiled and shown to the producers.

[Ksec]

29. My take

This callous behavior shows the world how truly disconnected these sociopaths are. The repubs have become a bunch of sociopathic liars who have no sense of the reality around them. Thousands of people die because of the lies and misdirection and their leader wants to make a joke about it while its still happening. To think that a whole crew of people around Bush who undoubtedly reviewed this speech allowed this joke to proceed without realizing how it would affect people proves how utterly out of touch with reality that whole administration is. Really think about it. The whole crew and the leader reviewed this "speech" and didnt see anything wrong with it ....wow..thats so revealing when you think about it . If they thought making a joke of the blunder would weaken it or diffuse their responsibility for what theyve done - its no different. It proves what some of us knew from the beginning , these people are true sociopaths.

[The Night Owl]

31. So, has anyone heard back from CNN?

Didn't think so.

[vetwife]

32. Vetwife's letter to CNN

How many folks who wish to opine have actually served in a combat zone? How many are willing to help a veteran who has returned from a combat zone. How dare you laugh at sick jokes made from a sick president who could not even handle Alabama? Iraq is no video game. You people need to apologize as Clarke did to the American people for not only propping up this so called misleader of the Free World but to laugh at his sick jokes are inexcuseable. At least Chris Matthews found it offensive and you find it funny. I suggest you all go and check out the 4th floor of the Atlanta VA or go to Walter Reed. Things are not so funny there. How do you ask a person to be the last person to die in Iraq? How do you sleep with this type of warped sense of humor? How many veterans have you helped today? This is not a democratic issue. This is not a republican issue. This is an American issue and if you think that joke shows patriotism while soldiers are dying, then you must certainly need a reality check. Those who found the joke of WMD's offensive live in reality. Tell me where do you people live? Where is your moral conscience and where is the family values, the compassion and above all alse, where is your loyalty to the troops? Don't wrap yourself in a flag made in China, run up a flagpole made from India and then applaude a president who thinks he is Robin Williams. Please Mr. Bush. Give up your day job, so America could feel a little safer. The Comedy Club could use a joker like yourself. I suggest you give it a try, somewhere near Fallujah !

[belle]

33. Here's my letter"

Subject: Bush's "humor" about WMD's: Appalling. What was he thinking? And you?



If I am to understand this correctly:

George W. Bush and his administration send over five hundred Americans to their deaths, hundreds more to be maimed; not to mention over 30,000 Iraqis dead and counting, no end in sight, no exit plan. He convinces us to go along with this, overriding the objections of four-star generals, most of the U.N., and millions of ordinary citizens around the world, because it's really REALLY urgent that we Get Saddam. Why? Well, in his own words, "Saddam has weapons of mass destruction." It's him or us.

Okay. So now it turns out that, surprise surprise, he *didn't* have any weapons of mass destruction, and we were in no imminent danger from *Iraq* at all.

Bush's response? A "joke" about it on national television. In effect, "Oopsie. Ain't I cute."

Let's make this perfectly clear. That was not making fun of himself. That was laughing at *us.* We've been played for fools. And our kids are dying. You think that's funny? I don't think it's funny. I think it's disgusting. I don't care who laughed. Maybe it was sheer incredulity of the absolute gall of this...*creature.* Is he even human? Are you?