Someone from CNN (a DUer?) CC'd me with their DSM email to Phil Hendrie

[Barad Simith]

First, some quick background.

1) I wrote to radio host Phil Hendrie and asked him to "aggressively cover" DSM.

2) Turns out, Hendrie is either a freeper, or a sociopath with a very crude and morbid sense of humor. His reply:

"I found out the Downing Street Memo is actually a fake intended to further slander a President who happens to be on the future side of the historical divide. As such, he is both hated and loved in extreme amounts as all great men have been."

3) I posted the exchange here in GD, asking if anyone knows if Hendrie is a freeper (or if he's just pretending to be one)...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3933477

4) Well, someone who reads GD must work for CNN, because they wrote to Hendrie and CC'd me. The email originates from [e-mail]:

Hi Phil,

Actually, it has not been proven that the "Downing Street Memo" is fake. In fact, British officials have not disputed the authenticity of the document, first published last month by the Times of London. In addition, the White House has refused to respond to a May 5 letter from 122 congressional Democrats about whether there was a coordinated effort to "fix" the intelligence and facts around the policy, as the Downing Street memo alleges.

For more information, check out this link:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/07/iraq.uk.memo/index.html

Regards,
CNN Public Information
fdpi

[crispini]

1. Were you cc'ed, or bcc'ed?

Anyhoo, if it were me I'd delete your post. It ain't cool to post what people send you on a message board -- you might get them in trouble. :shrug:

[Barad Simith]

4. I was CC'd, and this is from CNN Public Information

In other words, the significance of this email is that it appears to be the official position of CNN that the Downing Street Minutes are authentic.

[stinkeefresh]

2. good question about Hendrie though-

His show seems like one of those "piss off everyone" things, but his talent is astonishing, so I sometimes listen. That email seems like it might be a bad joke... I'd like to see what he sends to as a reply to freepers. It could be something designed to irritate them as much as this seems designed to irritate you/us.

But I've never heard Hendrie cover anything substanative. His show is like an AM radio Ali G - total fabrication for entertainment purposes. (which is why I think his response might be a kind of fiction as well) I'm not sure why you'd think he'd "cover" anything. Everything about his show is a put-on, after all.

[Barad Simith]

5. But in this case, if he's joking...

...then the joke is in very poor taste. 100,000+ innocent dead, and he thinks it's funny to see who he can rattle?

Then there's the larger issue of purposely spreading a lie of this magnitude. It's like yelling fire in a crowded theater ... as a prank.

[stinkeefresh]

7. no question

The guy has no lots of poor taste issues.

[Barad Simith]

3. self-delete

replied to wrong link

[Bouncy Ball]

6. Well that's certainly interesting.

Keep us updated if you find out anything else. I've never even heard of that radio host.

[gratuitous]

8. You can't expect Hendrie to keep up on every little thing

The poor guy's only one man, and his six-figure salary barely compensates him for his incandescent brilliance. Now you expect him to know (1) that there's such a thing as a Downing Street Memo; (2) what's in it; (3) how it relates to current events, including the bogus rationale ginned up by the corrupt Bush administration; (4) that a lot of people have died thanks to the illegal invasion; (5) that the United States has lost billions of dollars and inestimable standing in the world community; and (6) keep track of his personal wealth all at the same time!

Have a heart!