John Conyers on Laura Ingraham

[Cocoa]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060321/cm_huffpost/017625&printer=1;_ylt=AmrQMItDMtfK3G7cUeb2KU0e6sgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-

Rep. John Conyers: New Iraq Strategy Released: Blame the Media

Rep. John ConyersTue Mar 21, 11:03 AM ET

Every once in a while you see something on the network morning shows that makes you spit out your milk. This morning, on NBC's Today show, White House correspondent David Gregory, apparently subbing for Matt Lauer, opened a segment entitled: "Are Americans Getting a Fair Picture of What is Happening in Iraq."

Putting aside the ridiculousness of that question itself, the panel to discuss it consisted of James Carville and conservative pundit Laura Ingraham. Apparently having a short memory, Ingraham proceeded to blame the media's cowardice for low public opinion of the war. The following is a rough transcription of some of the things she said:

"I think....with all the resources of NBC, the Today Show spends all this money to cover the Olympics...all this money on where in the world is matt lauer..bring the today show to Iraq...when you see the villagers, talk to the children, then I want NBC to (not) report only on the IED's, only on the killings....instead of reporting from hotel balconies about the latest IEDs going off."

So the problem is that reporters are stuck in the luxury of their Baghdad hotels (which only have power a few hours a day)?

more...

[upi402]

1. Saw her talking about her Iraq visit. Couldn't watch it

Embarrassed for her and ashamed that people watch her and lap up her spew.

[rodeodance]

2. more, where he mentions reporters who have lost their lives in Irag.

......Tell that to David Bloom. Sometimes he hosted the Today Show in Matt Lauer's stead, but he does not any longer. He died in Iraq. He did not die from the inherent dangers of the confllict, but from a pulmonary embolism, having spent his last days reporting the news embedded with troops in conflict.

Tell that to Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt. The ABC anchor and his camerman were both seriously injured by one of those IED's Laura Ingraham belittles.

Tell that to Jill Carroll, a freelancer for the Christian Science Monitor, kidnapped and still missing in Iraq.

The point is not that journalists are immune from criticism. The point is that the criticism should be grounded in reality.......

[mitchtv]

5. David Bloom is not alone,

the death toll is 70 or 80 journalists. It is certain that those from Al Jazeera have been targeted.

[Cocoa]

6. I'd forgotten about Jill Carroll

:-(

[rodeodance]

3. nominated

[rodeodance]

4. 4.6 stars Average (107 votes) rate it up folks

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[0007]

22. Don't ya have to be a yahoo member to vote? Argh!!

[SeattleGirl]

7. I'm so glad Conyers spoke up (and certainly not surprised)

I loved first sentence: "Every once in a while you see something on the network morning shows that makes you spit out your milk."

Ingraham was so out of line with her comments. I know it's all part of the Repuke Meme-of-the-Day (it's the media's fault), but to denigrate the reports who have been wounded and who have died is represensible. I absolutely disagreed with almost everything Michael Kelly wrote in his colummns, but I still found it very sad when he died. And he was hardly "reporting from hotel balconies". Nor were/are many of the reporters over there. The lengths to which the Repukes will go to deflect blame and responsibility away from themselves is enough to make me spit out more than my milk.

Edited to add: Nominated.

[Maraya1969]

8. Has Coulter even been to Iraq?

[johnnie]

11. .

:spray:

Yeah right..lol. Her and rush should go.

[Maraya1969]

25. Wow, we are talking about Laura Ingram and I just bring up Ann Coulter

out of the blue? I can't see any post that mentions her before mine. I must have gotten them twisted even though they are twins.

I must stop posting while watching TV. I can't keep things straight lately.:freak:

[JohnnyRingo]

9. Only one way to get the word out Laura....

"Laura Ingraham live remote from the streets of Ramallah."
Or the Baghdad "Man in the street interview".
How about leading a "Shut Up And Sing" concert in Falujah.

Maybe if you just emcee "freedom rallies" with Limbaugh and O'Reilly we'll see the rousing spirit of the Iraqi people as they shun the violence of the "outside instigators" and join you in "bringing us the good news" from Iraq.

[Hissyspit]

10. Olbermann last night called her statements unforgivable.

This is complete and utter bullshit. There shouldn't be any BAD NEWS at all to report from Iraq, remember? This was supposed to be cakewalks and flowers and roses and over in a couple of months. We are three years on into it and that itself is BAD NEWS. The press helped cheerlead this war, helped it to happen and now three years on it's all their fault that it's a huge and almost hopeless mess/human disaster???

Ms. Ingraham, your talking-points distraction strategy is showing.

[johnnie]

12. I heard that clip this morning on the Bill Press show

Olbermann was right on.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

13. Olbermann also used the word "stupid" to describe her statements.

[suegeo]

21. When it comes to Ingraham, other words also come to mind

"Too dumb to shit" (That phrase is better in the native German, "Zu Dum, Zu Scheiss" I think--but I will bet Bill Benett a 20 that I spelled it wrong.)

Which is essentially the German equivalent of "can't find her ass with both hands"

"Harpy"

and so on.

[GoldenOldie]

14. Who sent Laura Ingram to Iraq?

Laura went to Iraq and was very well protected from both the Iraqi citizens and any battle injuries.......if she ever left the green zone.

How many days was she there? She has photo's of her posing in all the battlefield finery with a few of her well paid bodyguards but no video's of her touring the towns/cities, schools, hospitals, and talking to the all those lovely, happy children she speaks of?

Laura is so critical of the true war correspondents who struggle to get out there to bring us the truth. They not only have to be extremely cautious with the insurgents but also even more so with their US wardens who constantly watch/monitor them to ensure that they can't do their jobs.

Who paid for Laura Ingram's trip to Iraq????

[Hissyspit]

15. He knows her personally and he is REALLY REALLY pissed at her.

As well he should be.

The blame-the-media shit. We already went through this in Vietnam. It was a desperate lie then and it is a desperate lie now.

[LynnTheDem]

20. Her remarks ARE unforgivable. Sick, despicable, unforgivable.

As with ALL rightwingnuts, she does not give one fuck about the dead Americans (let alone dead Iraqis).

Not one single fuck; STEPS on their corpses while she licks bush's boots.

[Hissyspit]

16. Email it, too, to make it one of the "most emailed"!

[UTUSN]

17. Did she talk about her supposed spirituality (conversion to

Catholicism) or her affairs, among them with Asa HUTCHINSON while the two of them were inquisitioning CLINTON?

[suegeo]

19. Wasn't it this Ingrahm harpy...

Wasn't it this Ingrahm harpy who was crawling across the floor drunk in some bar somewhere? This according to David Brock's book, a few years ago?

Not that I really give a shit about how people party or who they have sex with, but when you hear this stuff about the "holier-than-thou, I'm more moral than you" crowd, well the hypocrisy stench is just too much to bear.

[UTUSN]

24. The hypocrisy is always the point n/t

[underpants]

18. I am sure GE's insurance co. is not too crazy about reporters going out

into Iraq.

[mandyky]

23. Things callers should ask Laura

Did you know a trip outside of Bagdad and the Green Zone costs media outlets around $35K for sucurity and other related costs?

Did you know the media is being/was kept out of Fallujah?
Have you seen the rubble and know how many peope were able to live in Fallujah, since it was destroyed by American troops?

The Kurdish region is pretty independent. Why don't we get reports from there? Maybe they don't want Western media there.

So schools and hospitals are being built. How's the security? Do parents feel confident sending their kids to school and having them return in one piece? The media has done reports on hospitals, but they are lacking in drugs and cleanliness.

What about power and water? How long are the lights on per day? What is the water quality?

[mcar]

26. She was just vile

I'm so glad that people are speaking up about this hateful spin. She got shot down pretty well too.

[dancingme]

27. Is Laura still trolling for dates on Match.Com?

She had her photo and profile on Match.Com last year. Then she suddenly announced that she was engaged to a businessman, divorced with kids. After she was diagnosed with breast cancer the wedding was off. I think she was looking in Iraq for a military guy to leave his wife and kids for her.