Rep. Patrick Kennedy RIPS Media on Afghanistan: 'DESPICABLE!'

[Hissyspit]

Run time: 02:09 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q-VGZiEbrs   Posted on YouTube: March 11, 2010 By YouTube Member: AssociatedPress Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: March 11, 2010 By DU Member: Hissyspit Views on DU: 1534

 
AssociatedPress — March 10, 2010 — U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy has a withering assessment of news media coverage: 'despicable.' The Democrat says reporters are focusing '24/7' on sexual harassment allegations against a New York lawmaker while ignoring the war in Afghanistan.

KENNEDY: "If any wants to know where cynicism is, cynicism is that there are one, two press people in this gallery. We're talking about Eric Massa 24/7 people on the TV. We're talking about war and peace, $3 billion, a thousand lives, and NO press. No press. You want to know why the American public is fit? They're fit because they're not seeing their Congress do the work they're sent to do. It's because the press, the press of the United States is not covering the most significant issue of national importance and that is that's laying of lives down in the nation for the service of our country. It is despicable, the national press corps right now.

Now, someone - I can't believe I even heard this - said, 'oh, I can't go to a funeral and tell the parents of someone who just died that they lost their child in vain. Somewhere I heard that during the Vietnam war. So what is it we've got to do? We've got to double down on a bad policy to protect the honor of those who already died? I don't think so. There isn't a soldier in this country who laid down their lives for our nation who isn't a hero. And no one here disagrees with that. What is shameful is our policy that puts them in harm's way when they don't need to be.

And make no mistake about it, this is not about national security, 'cause if it's about national security, it's about whether we put our treasure and our lives on the line in Afghanistan or whether we put it in Kuwait or whether we put it in the Sudan or whether we put it some other place in the world - all of which is where we need it. Where we need it the most - that should be the question, because we don't have the resources to put it everywhere. So don't come and tell me our national security requires that we have an Afghanistan, because that's not the only place we need it. The question is where our priorities should be, because you take it from some one place, we have to put it somewhere else."

[Name removed]

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[annabanana]

2. The guy has devoted his life to public service and is 100%

on the mark with this.

[slipslidingaway]

3. knr nt

[gimama]

4. He was great..& so right

the debate was must-see-tee-veee.
Called my rep..he voted YAY.. YEA!
But of course, the res. went down. :(
Thanks for the OP, tho!

[dmr]

5. We're talking about war and peace, $3 billion, a thousand lives, and NO press.

That is shameful.

You'd never know we were at war if the press hadn't mentioned it just a few times.

[puebloknot]

6. Integrity and passion. That Kennedy thing that has gone missing of late ...

... since we lost Teddy.

I said it to my daughter tonight: Why are we wasting so much air time of this Massa crap when serious issues of life and death are being so neglected?!?

I hope Patrick Kennedy will find the personal strength he needs to carry on his family tradition, to the good of this country.

[avaistheone1]

7. Indeed.

He has a great gift, and I hope he will return to public life. We need leaders like this.

[swilton]

8. I do like his passion

But as a speach - I really thought that the message rambled and I had trouble figuring out whether or not he agreed or disagreed with Kucinich.......I did hear him make the very valid point that the war as a tactical engagement was unwinnable (I think) - but this presentation would have been better with a very clear bottom line.

[CountAllVotes]

9. so glad we have Patrick Kennedy around

:kick: & recommend. !!

[Sky Masterson]

10. He's F'n right!

:applause: