Did MTP/Russert grow some balls? What a LOADED comment......

[gennifer6]

MR. RUSSERT: We're at a critical stage in this war by everyone's estimation. And, General Downing, you raised the role of the media. There was widespread discussion about the role of the media in Vietnam, the media lost the war and so forth, but we're in a situation now where Cindy Sheehan, who lost a son, has encamped herself down in Crawford, Texas, is coming to Washington. There are anti-war demonstrations throughout the country. The reconstruction of the country has not occurred on pace. Money that was supposed to be used for reconstruction is being used to help secure the country. General Meigs, General McCaffrey, everybody, we in the media are covering the reality. Are we not obligated to do that even though it may not, in fact, "encourage," quote, unquote, the American people to support the war effort?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9064938/

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. What'd the good general say? 'Huminahuminahumina'?

[niallmac]

3. Ha Ha Ha!

:rofl: :rofl:

[Bok_Tukalo]

7. Freud interfered with his response and made him slip.

GEN. MEIGS: ... So the frustration I have as a former soldier is I will talk to people who've just returned from Vietnam. And you saw Chris Matthew's "Hardball" program. There are commanders...

GEN. McCAFFREY: Iraq.

GEN. MEIGS: ...Iraq--there are commanders who believe very strongly that their soldiers have made tremendous progress on the ground in their sectors ...

[hwmnbn]

22. Yes, I picked up on that too......

I think the whole segment was outstanding because they clearly admitted "mistakes" were made. Although 3 out of 4 tried to spin it that we're still doing a good job on the ground, their arguments sounded more like best case scenarios.

Wes Clarke was outstanding charging that this administration is failing the troops by not engaging in serious diplomatic talks with the regional neighbors.

I also noticed no ringing endorsement of B*, or Rumsfeld, from anyone. In fact just the opposite, they sounded pissed at the civilian leadership. I enjoyed the show.

[gennifer6]

8. The general said it was the wrong question to be asked

and offered a rephrasement. It was a pretty good escape....blamed the media for seeking out the most exciting events first which are usually the bad.....

:eyes: :eyes:

[AllyCat]

13. And people were saying before this interview that Meig

was a media shill. He joined Downing in blaming the media for the Americans poor view of the war and that without the American people's support, the war will fail. And it's the media's fault, not the fault of the lying bastards that got us into this in the first place, a fact which in much nicer words, Wes Clark made sure he pointed out.

Only Clark hammered at the Administration and the stupidity which led us to the war and the continued error in not backing up the sacrifices of our troops and their families with solid diplomacy to make the few changes we might make with solid support regionally for the Iraqis.

Clark was the first one to make sure he mentioned how much he admired the troops for their service and all the others said, "Yeah, me too".

I got the impression Tim Russert agreed with Clark, especially after Downing and Meig blamed the media for poor progress in the war.

[TwilightZone]

2. Hmm, it seems that he actually hit the nail on the head for once.

There's a first time for everything.

[Eloriel]

4. Why the hell is it even a quesetion?

It's not even a good philosophical question -- of COURSE it's the media's job to tell the people the truth. That's what they're there for. That is why they have special place in the U.S. COnstitution: because the people can't make the right decisions about their governance if they don't have the right facts.

What a fucking idiot.

:grr:

[fooj]

12. No kidding? It's like asking "Are we supposed to do our jobs?"

Peace.

[orpupilofnature57]

5. Fuck the " Evil Elf " he enabled Shrub last year, as much as Kkkarl!

G.E. BOY

[MADem]

6. No, because he did not press for a REAL RESPONSE

Look who jumped in:

GEN. MEIGS: Wrong question, Tim. Look, there is a very complicated phenomenon here, and we in the media tend to go to the extremes.

Wrong QUESTION?? Is that another way to say, fuck you, I ain't answering? WE in the MEDIA??? Since when is REPORTING called GOING TO EXTREMES?

And the GOPorker let him get AWAY with it!!!

That wasn't balls he was growing, it was a lame effort to silence his critics, who believe, rightly, that he is a GOP tool.

[Land Shark]

9. "Wrong question, TR" = "impertinent question"? How're questions "wrong"?

[achtung_circus]

11. The only "bad" question

is the one that doesn't get asked.

[Warren Stupidity]

10. Russert never follows up when he asks a tough question.

He is a twit. He cannot confront anyone. My guess is that he smugly thinks that he has 'won the point' and so doesn't have to continue. It is just his lame excuse for not *really* rocking the boat. More of the way the elites keep their careers on track so that they can keep the Lexus and the trophy wife and the vineyard vacation and the big ass mortgage going.

[gennifer6]

17. Seeems to be a problem with most media.....

If they bother to ask a brutal question at all, they get blown off and NEVER GO BACK there....

I'm glad to see someone actually KNOWS what's going on enough to formulate the question; baby steps I suppose:eyes:

[Warren Stupidity]

20. Russert does this all the time.

I think it is how he rationalizes his real role, which is to 'catapult the propaganda' with his self perception as a 'liberal' or 'moderate' or whatever he thinks he is. It is how he manages to live with himself. I wish it were a baby step, but I don't think so.

What I do think is that the elites are so entrenched at this point that only a major crackup of 1929-1945 proportions will change things.

[gennifer6]

23. But somewhere theres a swing-voter/independent watching that hears it

Russert himself may have no follow-up, but once the perspective is presented in front of however-many viewers, "communication" has been achieved. Someone somewhere is eating breakfast and thinking "Hey, that's a good point...."

Russert may not be doing his job as you say, but the medium itself is doing its job. ;)

[renie408]

15. What would the 'right' question have been??

"Isn't everything going really well in Iraq?"
"Isn't George Bush a military genius?"
"Didn't Rumsfeld do a great job in anticipating the amount of resistance that would be met in Iraq?"



What an ass. Russert really makes me puke. Even when he does ask something that MIGHT generate some REAL discussion, he doesn't follow up and he always sounds apologetic. Christ, and the call US pu****s??

[orpupilofnature57]

16. How about the exact opposite!

[MADem]

19. The bloviated twit sure manages to pin down Democrats, though

He only goes wobbly when the GOPig corporate shills are in the chair across from him. He is an unmitigated ass!

[Roxy66]

14. I caught that as soon as he started turning red....it was great

[leftchick]

18. did you catch the freudian response?

<snip>

GEN. MEIGS: Wrong question, Tim. Look, there is a very complicated phenomenon here, and we in the media tend to go to the extremes. We tend to go to the most controversial, the most exciting event. So the problem is, in an insurgency, progress comes from dogged, hard, sweaty, dangerous work. It's very slow business. And it's hard to get the complexities of this kind of an operation into soundbites and above the full paragraphs. It's very difficult work. That is compounded by the fact that reporters down range have a very difficult time getting out of that Green Zone and getting down into the grass roots of what's going on politically. So the frustration I have as a former soldier is I will talk to people who've just returned from Vietnam. And you saw Chris Matthew's "Hardball" program. There are commanders...

GEN. McCAFFREY: Iraq.

... he knows damn well Iraq is Vietnam.

[Warren Stupidity]

21. The whole damn lot of them see this as their opportunity

to get Vietnam right. What f*ing madness. An insanity virus of devastating proportions has infected our rulers.

[TacticalPeek]

24. What are those other three guys smoking?

:shrug:

I'd like to see Mr. Potatohead bring them back a year from now to watch them feast on their words.

:grr: