Media Matters: Laundry list of Press Sec'y Candidate Tony Snow falsehoods

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Note: This is a BIG list. In accordance with DU's "four paragraph" rule, I've only copied the first three. For a real treat, go to the link below and read them all.

:patriot:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200604220001



Speculation that the Bush administration will tap Fox News' Tony Snow to succeed Scott McClellan as White House press secretary has intensified in recent days. The New York Daily News reported on April 20 that Snow "is emerging as the front-runner to replace McClellan," and an April 21 New York Times article disclosed that he is "in negotiations for the job." Snow is a syndicated columnist, host of Fox News Radio's The Tony Snow Show, and co-hosts Fox News' Weekend Live with Brian Wilson. Media Matters for America documented a number of Snow's false or misleading claims when it was reported that he was on the shortlist. Following are numerous additional claims advanced by Snow in print and on the air.

Suggested Democrats objected to Bush's warrantless spying because they think the "government should not be able to listen to Al Qaeda": While speaking to Fox News political analyst Bob Beckel, Snow suggested that "Democratic opposition" to the warrantless domestic surveillance program arose from the belief that "the government should not be able to listen to Al Qaeda people talking to American citizens." Further, Snow claimed that the lack of additional domestic terrorist attacks was "a sign of the program's success." As Media Matters has noted, this false claim was first made by White House senior adviser Karl Rove during an address to the Republican National Committee at its winter meeting and was quickly spread as a talking point by numerous conservatives. But, contrary to Rove and Snow's assertion, no national Democratic figure -- member of the Democratic leadership in Congress, Democratic governor, or Democratic Party official -- has said that the United States should not be intercepting calls suspected to involve Al Qaeda. Moreover, Snow's claims about the program's effectiveness are not supported by the evidence.

Claimed that Carter and Bush both authorized warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens: Snow asserted that former President Jimmy Carter had "signed an executive order that authorized the attorney general to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information." Snow went on to claim that this represented "exactly what the president is doing." But Snow ignored a crucial difference: Carter, unlike Bush, prohibited such surveillance of U.S. citizens. Indeed, Carter's order specifically required the attorney general to certify that the surveillance will not contain "the contents of any communication to which a United States person is a party." (Fox News' Weekend Live, 12/24/05)

Claimed that the FISA probable cause standard kept the FBI from inspecting Moussaoui's laptop: Snow said that FBI agents in possession of Zacarias Moussaoui's laptop "decided not to go ahead and look at the contents because they ... had no definite proof that the guy was a terrorist" and, therefore, couldn't meet the probable cause standard necessary for a warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). But Snow ignored the bipartisan finding by the Senate Judiciary Committee that the investigators had possessed sufficient evidence but that FBI attorneys had applied a too-stringent standard for establishing probable, preventing the investigators from petitioning the court for authorization. (Fox News' Weekend Live, 12/24/05)

[iconoclastNYC]

1. I don't think Media Matters minds full copying

As long as you include a link. They are in the business of getting this message out. I think you could post the whole thing.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. Yes, but then the complaints will come rolling in...

"It's too much to read"

"I don't have time to read that"

"You should condense it, I'm not going to take the time to read it"

"You made me scroll"

TRUST me. I have a killer compilation of articles on the National Sales Tax scam, from multiple sources. The last time I posted it on DU, I got the complaints you see above.

So for people who want the whole Media Matters piece, it's only a click away.

:evilgrin:

[iconoclastNYC]

4. Ehhh.

It's been my experience that people that complain like that are complaining because they don't like what you've posted. There are many paid trolls on this site, IMHO.

[rkc3]

3. Sounds like Snow is perfect for the job. He's got the right abilities.

[ComerPerro]

5. Exactly. This is his resume...

[rkc3]

6. Good call. n/t