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Media conflates the questions on Iraq.

By Satyam Khanna on Aug 21st, 2007 at 2:55 pm

Media conflates the questions on Iraq.

Salon’s Tim Grieve discusses recent media distortions of the statements made by members of Congress on the status of Iraq, seen in the reporting of recent comments of Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY). “We’ll admit it’s a fine distinction, but it shouldn’t be so hard to understand. Is the ’surge’ having some success, in some areas, in reducing the levels of violence in Iraq? Yes. Is the overall ’strategy’ working — that is, is the Iraqi government using the ‘breathing space’ it’s getting to do the things it needs to do? No,” Grieve writes.



30 Responses to “Media conflates the questions on Iraq.”

  1. Trizza says:

    Too bad that fine line is too fine for the rightwing knuckle draggers to comprehend


  2. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    And yet the trolls still have orgasms over it all…


  3. Cuba=Utopia says:

    Too bad the fine line will be nuanced into “We lost and its time to run away” by the leftwing mouth-breathers.

    Dont stray from the lib reservation or you will be shot, right Joe?


  4. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Cue: 3, 2, 1…

    But Hillary says the Surge is working!!!

    ROFLMAF!!!! Libtards!!! Libtards!!!


  5. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    I toldya so!!!

    ROFLMAF!!!!

    Yer makin’ me look good, Cuba!!! T’anks a million!!!


  6. Angry One says:

    Speaking on conflation…

    President Bush has never been shy about falsely linking the 9/11 attacks to his war in Iraq. Now, the Bush White House apparently is planning to reach a new low in symbolic cynicism when it comes to selling its Baghdad debacle. General David Petraeus will deliver his much anticipated Iraq surge progress report on September 11 itself.

    For the details, see:
    “Surprise! Petraeus to Testify on 9/11.”


  7. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    It’s so nice ta see the trolls gittin’ in line and doin’ what they’re told!

    See, ya can train a troll!!!

    House-breakin’ ‘em??? A whole ‘nother issue!


  8. jack jett says:

    The surge is working like a Bayer aspirin works for a migrane headache or a brain tumor.

    jack jett
    http://www.jackejett.com


  9. Cuba=Utopia says:

    Well, if we do retrea….er….strategically redeploy from Iraq (ht: Murtha) we always have Pakistan to fall back on.

    Obama ‘08


  10. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    I take it “Cuba” is heading down to enlist after this…


  11. had enough says:

    The media is also trying to choose the democratic winner for the ‘08 primary. It is always talk about Hilliary…… is it because they know the repugs can beat her, as they have the goods on her, or because she is the most corporate friendly and if the dems are going to win she is the best one for them? On lib talk radio, the hosts for the most part and surely the callers DO NOT want her.


  12. Nancy Pelosi's Houseboy says:

    We do support the war….no we dont…ok we kinda do….or maybe not…um ok we kinda sorta do agree the surge is working maybe…or maybe not…which way is the wind blowing?


  13. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    which way is the wind blowing?

    Comment by Nancy Pelosi’s Houseboy — August 21, 2007 @ 3:13 pm

    If you have to ask that question, you’ll never know.


  14. Cuba=Utopia says:

    I take it “Cuba” is heading down to enlist after this…

    We can go together.


  15. Debaser says:

    which way is the wind blowing?
    —–

    Its blowing to the left.


  16. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    We can go together.

    Comment by Cuba=Utopia — August 21, 2007 @ 3:19 pm

    Your war, not mine. You love it so much, prove it.


  17. Tobey Tall says:

    Iraq is on the Path to a Shiite Dictatorship


  18. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    #

    Iraq is on the Path to a Shiite Dictatorship

    Comment by Tobey Tall — August 21, 2007 @ 3:23 pm

    Yep…


  19. missmolly says:

    When I read comments from Levin and Clinton, it appears they are trying to give a fair assessment of the effect of the escalation. This means if they see an area where there has been some progress, they will mention that. It does NOT mean that a small amount of progress in one area translates into “the surge is working”. Nor does it mean they are flip-flopping.

    Let’s say a restaurant was filthy, had very slow service, and the worst food in town. But they got some extra help. The food critic visits the restaurant after they’ve had this extra help for awhile. The restaurant is still filty, the service is just as slow as it’s always been, and the food is still terrible. BUT the salt and pepper shakers are full now. The food critic might mention the salt and pepper improvement, but it would be a real stretch if the editor headlined the column “Staff Change Working — Restaurant Improvement Significant” or spun the critics remarks to suggest the restaurant was worth eating at.


  20. KELSO says:

    Democratic politicians need to understand that answers to all questions must be spit out repeatedly in overly-simplistic 3-5 word long slogans so that even a republican can grasp the concept.


  21. tom baker says:

    could’ve shortened that headline to “Media Conflates” and put it all right in a nutshell.


  22. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Gppd point, Kelso. Perhaps even pictograms…


  23. LividLib says:

    most of us have no problem making the distinction.
    repugnantican trolls on the other hand…

    anyway, it’s far too complex for those lower life forms.
    you need to put it into much simpler terms. Remember “cut and run” repeated over and over again? That’s the kind of stuff they respond to. Anything remotely analytical and you’ll get a blank stare and/or moronic trollisms.


  24. had enough says:

    About a month ago after a dem debate, Ray Taliaferro, talk show host on kgo.com went on his show pushing for O’bama. The calls started to come in stating they were for Kucinich. Then a few minutes later, Ray admitted that tons of emails came through for Kucinich… said he would look into it. About 2 weeks later said the ‘pundits’ want Clinton… so Clinton it will be. Was so disappointing.. who knows.. Ray is good friends with Pelosi, B Lee, Feinstien, ….

    Bernie Ward, also on kgo.com claims Hilliary is his last choice, but will hold his nose to vote for her if she wins the primary. Most that call in agree Hilliary is their last choice also.

    On the Ed Schultz show today, the fill in host, Tony Tripianno, did much time on the media push for Hilliary. It seems most are for Edwards or Kucinich. And there is that statement: I would choose Kucinich but I know he would not win.

    But then you hear on MSM more talk about Hilliary than any other candidate… and claim their polls put her as the lead candidate…I have also noticed, at times, there is no name for the poll putting Hilliary in the lead.

    So what are we to do with this?


  25. LibTeenie says:

    So what are we to do with this?

    You deal with it, accept Hillary as your nominee as lose the bid for POTUS in 2008.

    Its a win-win for everyone!


  26. Marie says:

    The rightwing cretins cannot comprehend “nuances” — they can absorb only the headlines, sound bites and characterizations distributed by their leaders.


  27. had enough says:

    So what are we to do with this?

    You deal with it, accept Hillary as your nominee as lose the bid for POTUS in 2008.

    Its a win-win for everyone!

    Comment by LibTeenie

    proof it is a conspiracy.


  28. J Lewd says:

    Why is it whenever I see a picture of Karl Rove, I can help thinking it would look more natural if he was hunched over a 10-year-old boy? I’m sure a lot of cub scouts will stop having nightmares now that his picture no longer appears in the press every day.


  29. pete says:

    According to a local reich-wing radio host, “Those who call themselves moderates are just liberals who don’t have faith in their agenda”.

    This inability to accept a spirit of compromise will be the downfall of the neocons. Being conditioned to reject, or ridicule, differing viewpoints; they will cut themselves off from the moderate majority.

    They have lost sight of the fact that dissent is what makes democracy work. It’s not about taking sides. It’s about working together to find solutions to problems.


  30. Probus says:

    The surge can’t be claimed a success if no political progress has been made.



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