Media Ignore Bipartisan Criticism Of Iraq Policies, Claim ‘A Parade Of Democrats’ ‘Pounced’ On Petraeus
Media Ignore Bipartisan Criticism Of Iraq Policies, Claim ‘A Parade Of Democrats’ ‘Pounced’ On Petraeus
A number of media outlets characterized yesterday’s Senate hearings on the situation in Iraq and the future of U.S. policy there as a confrontation between Democrats and Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
The headline to the Los Angeles Times’s article on the hearings read “Petraeus, Democrats square off,” despite the fact that the actual report noted that “Republcans questioned Petraeus’ strategy with equal vigor.” But others all but ignored Republican criticism of President Bush’s Iraq policy and statements from Petraeus and Crocker altogether:
– New York Times: “Both General Petraeus and Mr. Crocker faced sharp questioning from Democrats who sounded increasingly exasperated.”
– Chicago Tribune: “Democrats peppered Petraeus and Crocker with tough questions about the Iraqi government’s performance and its continued heavy reliance on its American benefactors.”
– Associated Press: “Petraeus was told by a parade of Democrats that, after five years of war, it was past time to turn over much more of the war burden to the Iraqis.”
– CNN’s Campbell Brown: Petraeus’s recommendation to “leave about 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq for an undetermined period of time” after July “didn’t sit well with Democrats.”
– NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski: “Democrats quickly pounced” on Petraeus’s recommendation to pause troop withdrawals after July.
However, statements from a number of Republican senators during yesterday’s hearings undermine these characterizations. For example:
– Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH): “The American people have had it up to here” with the war. The U.S. should tell its allies in the Middle East: “Hey guys, we’re on our way out.”
– Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE): “What are we doing? I don’t see Secretary Rice doing any Kissinger-esque flying around. Where is the diplomatic surge?”
– Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN): “Simply appealing for more time to make progress is insufficient.”
– Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN): “I’m looking for an articulation as to how we get to the end” [...] “We’re at a point in the conflict where an articulation of the endgame needs to be made.”
– Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME):”We’re continuing to pay for the training and equipping of Iraqi forces. I’m told that we’re even continuing to pay for fuel within Iraq. Isn’t it time for the Iraqis to start bearing more of those expenses?”
– Sen. John Warner (R-VA): “Is all this sacrifice bringing about a more secure America?”
At some point, the media will realize the American public, Democrats, AND Republicans have all turned sour on the war in Iraq.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Gee, I thought Main Stream Media had a Liberal bias…
April 9th, 2008 at 1:54 pmGeneral Betryaus said everything his commander-in-chief wanted to hear.
Just like two other generals told theircommander-in-chief wanted to hear. Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl to Hitler(btw-both were hung as war criminals at Nuremberg).
April 9th, 2008 at 1:57 pmMore reason that the MSM is controlled, irrelevant, and should be ignored.
April 9th, 2008 at 1:57 pmIt’s like it always happens.
Liberal feel strongly about an issue, conservatives fight it. Eventually, everyone realizes that liberals were right, conservatives start to crumble.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:00 pmSo in the picture we have See No Evil and Speak No Evil, but where is Hear No Evil? Did we lose a monkey?
April 9th, 2008 at 2:00 pmSo?
This could backfire on the Mainstream Media. The Democrats are being portrayed as leaders against the occupation of Iraq. The late-to-the-party Republicans can take a seat in the back of the bus that they are throwing the Bush administration under.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:01 pmAt least PBS’ News Hour mentioned some Republican criticisms.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:03 pmHusseintoastyskull ~ Yes, the camera is not showing McCrazy with fingers in ears, softly cooing la, la, la, la….
April 9th, 2008 at 2:06 pmIt’s ok by me if the media says that it was only the Democrats who questioned Betrayus. Since 60+ percent of Americans think we should get the hell out of Iraq and they see that the Democrats are standing up for that position, it can only help us in the election.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:08 pmAt some point, the media will realize the American public, Democrats, AND Republicans have all turned sour on the war in Iraq.
Why should they? They’re not interested in the truth, they’re interested in selling ad space.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:08 pmThe problem is that the media wants to portray this as an “Us vs. Them” proposition when it isn’t. But that doesn’t matter…as long as they can demonize the Democrats, their job is done. This is happening as well with the bullshit coddling of McCain so far. Apparently he knows the demographics of the United States as well as he does Iraq.
No matter utimately, as I see it. The public isn’t paying attention to their blatherings anymore. Everyone is against the war and the Republicans are just late to the party. The media still needs time to catch up. Idiots.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:09 pmDismantle the military.
It is the 21st century.
Training children to use guns to kill others is barbaric.
We must evolve from Empire to Earth Community. That starts by spending that 600bill a year on national service within the US for all purposes we know that need it.
Stand up for sanity. No more romanticizing the military. Stop it.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:12 pmI think #8 is right.
No matter how hard the conservatively biased media has tried to help the Republican narrative on the war, they have had virtually no impact on opposition to the war. The polls have been rock solid for at least a year now. The media discredits itself in the eyes of a large majority of Americans when it continues to ape the Republican narrative.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:20 pmThe MSM is a comfortable bedfellow with the military industrial complex. No surprise they’ll keep feeding from the trough of our dead soldier’s blood as long as they can.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:23 pmSenator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, said Tuesday that he was preparing to link the war spending directly to the economy at home by using a pending bill to finance combat in Iraq as a proxy for a second stimulus measure. He plans to try to attach to the Iraq money Democratic favorites like an extension of unemployment benefits, a summer jobs program and perhaps local building projects.
Do you believe our dire Economic situation is as a result of the Iraq war?
http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=2060
.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:23 pmNo matter utimately, as I see it. The public isn’t paying attention to their blatherings anymore. Everyone is against the war and the Republicans are just late to the party. The media still needs time to catch up. Idiots.
The media is paying a price for not catching up. Revenues are down for most newspapers are severely down and TV is losing viewers. That’s because many educated people are turning to the Internet for their news. I sincerely believe that when Obama wins the Presidency and we take over Congress, the MSM will have to stop shilling for the right or face the prospect of going out of business.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:23 pmCivil – Good luck with that…totally agree but we have some entrenched interests who don’t see it that way. Where will the defense contractors go when the military machine dries up? And as long as someone like McCain has a mouthpiece to spew his shit, it’ll be a ‘hard slog.’ But then again, with someone like McCain as a mouthpiece, maybe it’ll hasten that day and we can celebrate what you’re talking about.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:24 pmI, for one, am proud to be a Demoncrat!
April 9th, 2008 at 2:25 pmHey media dolts – shouldn’t everyone be asking those guys tough questions!? It’s not a goddamned talk-show, it’s a Congressional Hearing about armed conflict and billions/trillions of dollars.
Anyone in Congress (or the press) who softballs Patraeus and Crocker should be removed from their position due to gross negligence.
“The Press” is now the functional equivalent of a batch of jr. high kids sharing and broadcasting gossip about the most popular members of the in-crowd.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:27 pmRUCerious – you are a left loony America hating Demoncrat and I want to stand right by your side.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:27 pmOh there goes that “Liberal” Media again.
MSM is totally sold out to their Republican Corporate Masters, and the brain dead Amercians will believe every bit of it without question.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:28 pmThe media loves a fight. They like to hype all this partisanship. I don’t think it’s overly amazing they would focus on the differences instead of the similarities.
Then again, its not like TP posts a whole lot of pro-Republican posts either. Not saying they should. Just saying TP tends to focus on the issues they feel are important to their agenda and ignore the rest.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:29 pmTombaker – you have it just right. But…what clique do you want to be in? Which one is going to be more popular? Like, oh, my gosh…did you totally get what Petraeus was saying? Or do you think he needs new clothes?
April 9th, 2008 at 2:29 pmDid you see how crisply pressed general dave’s uniform was?
April 9th, 2008 at 2:35 pmPro-Republican is money. Period. However you can get it for YOU is most important.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:40 pmWe are sour on the war and the print media as well.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:40 pmTheswan – yup. Even the New York Times, which I used to really like a lot – gone, gone with the wind. Well, you know…911 changed everything.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:42 pm‘A Parade Of Democrats’ ‘Pounced’ On Petraeus
I can see The Rush Limbaugh lead-in now: Perhaps if Pentagon-Pawn Peter Pace Proffered His Premise, Partisan Polarizing Putzes Pandering To Peaceniks Would Piss Off.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:43 pmRemember the media bible verse which reads:
“If it bleeds, it leads.”
Bickering dems are more exiting than the rape and pillage of our country.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:44 pmOh, DAMN that LIBERAL MEDIA!!!!
April 9th, 2008 at 2:48 pmDemocrats Denounced by Deluded Dunderheads Dithering Decisively in Debacle Debate
April 9th, 2008 at 2:51 pmThis might actually work in the Democrat’s favor. The people do not like this war. We’re subsidizing Iraqi oil while we pay the most ever here at home. Our soldiers are dying so their political leaders can engage rival sects in a civil war. Let the media portray the Republicans as still walking in lockstep on this issue. There is no surer recipe for failure this fall.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:53 pmLet’s see ………$4 gas by summer, still over 140,000 troops in Iraq, over 4,000 dead. Guess maybe even some of the Repugs see a problem here.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:55 pmLet’s not forget our Dear Leaders opinions regarding exit strageties:
“Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is.”
4/9/99
“I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”
6/5/99
Oh yeah, that was BEFORE he was the Decider Guy. This is what he has to say now:
“It doesn’t make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you’re — you’re conceding too much to the enemy.”
April 9th, 2008 at 2:58 pm6/24/05
Have another pretzel, monkey boy.
hussein toasterhead Says:
April 9th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
So in the picture we have See No Evil and Speak No Evil, but where is Hear No Evil? Did we lose a monkey?
Nope, not yet. But soon, very soon the smirkin’ chimp will be out of office!
April 9th, 2008 at 2:59 pmHey, do you think this internets thing is catching on? I don’t think the Republicans would even see a problem if that damn blogerish group of people would just stop saying mean things about them. I mean, we’ve got the Main Stream Media and the newspapers, (heh, heh…even the New York Times, fur crikey), but how are we going to reign in those pesky webbers?
April 9th, 2008 at 3:00 pmI’m the Pouncer of Earl, and you can be my Pouncess…
Bush and Company seem to be snagged on just how to turn power over to the Iraqis. Here are some suggestions: 99 ways out of Iraq:
Just do or say:
Abandon ship, About-face, retreat, Aloha, Apologize for overstaying one’s welcome, and just leave, Auf weiderzahn, Au voir, Back out, Bail out, Beg off, Be Gone with the Wind, Blow it off, Blow the scene, Bow out, Break it off, Bring the troops home, Bug out, Butt out, Call a halt, Call it quits, Cancel plans, Cave in, Chalk it up to experience, Change the course, Chao, baby, Check out, Chicken out, Choke up, Clear out, Close up shop, Cop out, Creep away, Cut and run, Declare victory and come home, Depart, Desert the desert, Disentangle, Draw back, Drop out, Eat crow, Eat humble pie, Eat one’s words, End this fool’s errand, End this tomfoolery, Evacuate, Exit, stage right, Fail, Fall back, Flake out, Flee, Fly away, Fly the coop, Forsake, Get back, Get cold feet, Get out by sundown, Give up, Go away, Go fly a kite, Go jump in the lake, Good widdance to bad wubbish – (Elmer Fudd cartoon), Got to get away, Hasta la vista, baby, Head for the hills, Hit the road, Homeward bound, Hurry home, It’s all over but the shouting, It’s all over now, baby blue, Just say no, Just walk away,
Leave, Let’s call the whole thing off, Pack it in, Pick up your marbles and go home, Quit, Rehire Saddam, Relinquish control, Renounce imperialism, Retreat, Return home, Reverse the course, Sail away, Say good bye, Shut it down, So long, its been fun, Split, Stop, Stop rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic: abandon ship!, Surrender, Take a powder, Terminate the visit, Throw in the towel, Turn tail, Turn the lights out, Wilt under pressure, Wimp out, Wind down, Withdraw with honor, Yankee, come home.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:01 pmZowie!
April 9th, 2008 at 3:02 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
April 9th, 2008 at 3:02 pmApril 9th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
“It’s ok by me if the media says that… “
I was thinking the same thing. It only makes it look as if the Rubes (my new term of endearment for the Repugnicunts) are still out of touch with we the people.
You know, I’m not so sure this is a bad thing. Most Americans finally oppose this war. If the media continues to enforce the impression that Republicans are generally for the war (even more than they actually are) and only the Democrats are trying to hold people accountable … I can live with that. Be kind of nice if the media bias actually came back to bite their masters’ butts.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:04 pmThank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for the internets.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:19 pmRU; I would be ashamed to be a Democrat today, as would FDR, JFK, and Harry Truman.
John Kennedy would write a sequel if he were alive today- Profiles in Cowardice. How else can you explain not standing up to an unpopular president and give him carte blance on everything from war funding to tax cuts for the the wealthy and cuts to those in need?
maybe, JUST maybe, if demon-crats find some backbone to impeach this war-criminal administration instead of rolling over, I would have some respect for the party. Until they do, DON”T count on my support.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:29 pmDemocrats on the committees generally pressed Petraeus without success for a withdrawal timetable, while Republicans deferred to the four-star officer.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was an exception. In tones of resignation, Collins said that “success always seems to be around the corner” in Iraq.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/04/09/2008-04-09_gen_petraeus_insists_us_needs_to_stay_in.html
April 9th, 2008 at 3:36 pmWe have long known that the MSM has come under the control of a corporate/conservative influence. We saw that with Rupert Murdoch and his empire, Jack Welsh purchasing NBC with an express statement that he saw nothing wrong with its news division being used to advance GE’s corporate interests as well as Rev. Moon and his newspaper. We have seen talk radio supported by substantial conservative resources. Face it, much of corporate America refused to advertise on Air America. We could also speak of cross media ownership, ownership concentration and other similar tactics used to undermine objective and balanced news.
Those who think this is about commercialism and the potential for bringing money in because of political blood sport have it all wrong. The conservatives have fought for media control for the past 40 odd years. They know the value of establishing their own media mythology of the biased liberal press. We have seen those few independent news persons and editorial staffs cowed by the attacks. We have seen the absolute inability of the press to call BS – well BS. It will not change until the progressives organize to take on and destroy the stranglehold of the conservatives’ natural ally, big business and the moneyed interests in our society.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:41 pmGotta love the media. They’re all turning into the soft question, no question lap dogs. Afraid of their own shadow or being left behind at the feeding trough. MSNBC is looking more like Fox and CNN. Their morning show is on a par with Goofy & Friends.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:51 pmThis is a classic case of how the Media tries to SHAPE the News. Kudos to TP for pointing it out. The MSM feeds on CONFLICT at the expense of ACCURACY.
One of my favorites is referring to Moqtada al Sadr as a “Radical Cleric” even though he is more popular in Iraq than Maliki, and more conservative than most republicans. Lemme guess, he doesn’t approve of gay marriage. He does endorse the “radical” position of wanting his country free of foreign troops.
BTW I thought Obama’s questioning was excellent. His question was…” If we could have the CURRENT status Quo in Iraq without any US troops in the country, would that be a SUCCESS??? Ambassador Crocker had a hard time answering that one!
April 9th, 2008 at 4:42 pmUncle Ho Says:
April 9th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
“…if demon-crats find some backbone to impeach this war-criminal administration instead of rolling over, I would have some respect for the party”
I’m with you Uncle Ho!
April 9th, 2008 at 4:51 pmRadRight; Which is why I’m leaning Green Party.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:56 pmbtw- everytime I get a plea from the Dems for donations, I send back a picture of a spine with the caption: Backbone-GET SOME!
April 9th, 2008 at 4:58 pmterrible, abysmally lacking questioning of betrayus and crockofit by congress.. ive heard more thorough questioning on “the peoples court”….point blank betrayus should be asked about the close iranian ties the iraqi government has, and also why he pays people who kill american soldiers to stop killing them, and if he would suggest using the “pay em to play nice” model to solve other american problems, like say, the immigration problem. the right wing would be having hystrionic seizures if anyone even dared SUGGEST that we pay mexicans one peso a year not to try and jump the border, yet somehow paying american taxpayer money to foreigners to stop shooting our troops is just “surginess as usual”…then again these are people who beleive in the sanctity of unconscious, single celled life but dont mind painfully killing real children if it serves their purposes, so i guess no amount of hipocracy from these people would or could be shocking..
April 9th, 2008 at 5:00 pmCJ; you hit it! Paying Iraqi Liberation fighters not to kill Americans is like paying criminals not to commit crimes.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:02 pmThe first words out of ABC’s Grandpa Charlie’s lips on last night’s edition of Nightly News were “Democrats pounced…” And to think I thought that was unique in its distortion of reality.
Apparently that was the Republican talking point blast fax to the media version. How dare some of the MSM actually come up with their own synonyms.
The push-partisanship-damn-the-facts-full-speed-ahead operating principle of MSM these days is self-destructive as more and more turn to the ‘net for information.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:38 pm#40: Nice post, Got a good laugh out of it.
One other “L”. Leave it to the next POTUS.
April 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pmIf only Condi saved her dressessohbet instead of cleaning them. But in today’s twisted America, I don’t believe anything would happen if George Bush was cetcaught in bed with a dead girl AND a live boy. And it all procedes with a cheeky grin and a sickening smugness that is as arrogant as it is insultingBedava mp3 indir.
April 11th, 2009 at 1:16 pm