HARDBALL: Does the "Downing Street Memo" prove America was misled...?

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/

ON HARDBALL TONIGHT
• Monday, 7 p.m. ET
Does the "Downing Street Memo" prove America was misled about the need for war in Iraq? Join Chris for a Hardball special report.

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Will it be spin, or a true report?

[KharmaTrain]

1. True Report? This Is Corporate Media

I wouldn't be surprised if Tweety brings on Dana Millbanks and they go on for several minutes about those mean "liberal wingnuts" (I thought we were commies) and how petty we are for picking on poor Dana and his comments about the Conyer's hearing.

Then he'll also bring on several GOOP spinners along with a DINO...all will agree that there's nothing new in the DSM, "everyone knew it" and "it's from England". Also, how us bad, bad "libruls" won't let this go since this is all we have on this regime...and that we're trying to undermine the military and mom's apple pie.

Tweety long since jumped the shark and to expect a truly fair program is almost beyond his abilities...and ego.

[Triana]

2. They'll spin it:

'documents are fake and can't be/haven't been verified. they're fake!'
'oh we already knew all that stuff, it's no new information'
'it's just a left-wing conspiracy by moonbats to 'get' george bu$h'
'we knew bu$h lied. so?'
'well, we're better off without saddam'

...

yada yada yada...the lamestream "librul" media will be in full spin-it-for-george mode. I'm CERTAIN they have their orders from Goebbels, errr, Rove.

[tavalon]

4. My favorite is 'we knew Bu$h lied, so?'

It is so easy to counter. We impeached Clinton for lying so it's time to impeach again. Lying is lying. (now, in fact, I see *'s lying as far, far more egregious but for the sake of the argument, it's, heh, heh, unimpeachable)

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

5. But Clinton lied "under oath"

is the reply I always get when I bring this up.

I counter with Bush is "under oath", too. It's a little thing called the "oath of office".

[tavalon]

7. Good rebuttal! n/t

[Justice]

12. And Lied About What?

A DUer posted a reply last week about this that I thought was brillant (I apologize for forgetting who). He or She said - well everyone knew Clinton lied about Monica(because of his history of womanizing etc) but that didn't stop us from spending tens of millions of dollars to investigate him, trying to remove him from office and the media from having day after day of front page stories about him.

I would say lying is lying, but let's look at what each has lied about and the consequences to our country. Are your friends willing to look Cindy Sheehan and other mothers and family in the eye and tell them that Bush's lie is no different than Bill Clinton's?

[dogday]

14. So Now We Have The Proof He Lied

[LaurenG]

3. Chris Matthews is BOUGHT and Paid for

I will personally apologize to him if he gets anywhere near the truth on this. He isn't a journalist he's an opinionated entertainer. Bring me Olberman at least he hits it squarely on the head.

[tsuki]

6. Spin, Spin, Spin. Tweety will be the point man for the forgery

spin.

[evermind]

8. You only need to look at the title to know it will be an anti-DSM spin

because the DSM, taken alone, does not "prove" misleading. It only strongly suggests it. Strongly enough to justify an investigation with subpoena powers that could actually prove it.

Besides, look at the easy ride they gave Condi recently. The presenter was prompting her with her lines! ("QUESTION: A British sense of 'fixed'").

What a joke.

[KharmaTrain]

10. This Will Tie All The Lies Together

Last week's hearings and media coverage caught this regime by suprise. They've had all weekend to scheme on how to control and/or manipulate this story. Tonight I expect you'll see that in all it's glory.

I haven't seen a guest list yet, but be assured there will be several Repugnican or right wing telepundits...they'll be masked behind Newspaper or "institute" names, but they'll have the spin points down...ready to debunk and ridicule the minutes and those who brought this "silly thing up".

The meme I keep expecting to hear is that investigating the Minutes would "undermine" the war effort...blah blah blah. The endgame here is to make Democrats look like crying children and how this is a distraction.

Tomorrow on Phlemball: Pickes Bush...the legend continues.

[William Seger]

9. What the bushbots will do...

... is focus on the fact that the memos make many assertions without "proving" any of them -- desperately trying to divert attention from the fact that the proof of those assertions has been in the public record since before the invasion. And, what the memos do prove, beyond doubt, is that Blair and his ministers were definitely taking those assertions as true as they decided what to do about the unavoidable invasion. They prove that the government of America's closest ally saw the situation the same way as the "loony left conspiracy theorists."

[papau]

11. Chris is trying for Russert's "coverup of the GOP/Bush" job so NBC can say

Yes those statements and guest list were drawn up by a "Democratic Party member" - whoops sorry - "drawn up by a democrat"

and all bias against the Democratic Party will be seen as impossible on a Chris Matthews show.

[immoderate]

13. Funny though. Tweety was initially against the Iraq invasion.

I remember this. But Buchanan, Novak, and Tucker Carlson are (or were) against the war. I guess the problem is that it's no help to have people against the war if they support the president.

I guess it's like with friends like these...

--IMM