How long until the press finally asks Perino about White House approval of torture?
By on Apr 14th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
How long until the press finally asks Perino about White House approval of torture?
Last Wednesday, ABC News reported that, beginning in 2002, top officials in the White House specifically approved torture techniques, including waterboarding. On Friday, President Bush admitted that he, too, was aware of and approved the discussions. Yet the White House press corps has yet to ask the White House spokesmen a single question on the issue, in the three briefings held since the story broke. (Luckily, reporters had time to cover the Little League tee-ball all-star game and the President’s weekend plans to clear brush at his Crawford ranch.)
Update Dan Froomkin writes in the Washington Post this morning that the mainstream media is treating ABC's torture story as old news: "There was no mention of Bush's admission in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or the Los Angeles Times. There was nothing on the major wire services. And nothing on CNN, CBS or NBC."
View Most Popular
Advertisement
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Bachmann
Beck
Boehner
Bush
Cheney
Civil Rights
Congress
Corporate Ethics
Dobbs
Economy
Education
Election
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Fox News
Gingrich
Global Warming
Health Care
Immigration
International Relations
Iraq
Justice
LGBT
Lieberman
Limbaugh
Maddow
McCain
Media
Military
Obama
Palin
Pelosi
Public Plan
Race
Radical Right
Religion
Sports
Steele
Steve King
Stimulus
Tea Parties
Technology
Women's Rights
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Reports
In-depth studies on select topics
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
ArchivesBlog Roll
what’s it gonna take people?
April 14th, 2008 at 5:04 pmThis is just in-frickin-credible. If I hold my ears and go lalalalala it will all go away, right?
April 14th, 2008 at 5:08 pmAnd this surprises us why ? Who other than Helen Thomas ever asks questions of importance.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:10 pmFan of Man Says:
what’s it gonna take people?
Revolution?
April 14th, 2008 at 5:11 pmMaybe the press doesn’t care to be scratched by the republican cat.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:11 pmI seem to remember a time when journalism was about news. Of course, back in those days, there were three television networks that broadcast national news, and many towns had a daily newspaper — sometimes two.
Now we have 24-hour news channels, internet, and more ways to get informed of current events than ever before. One would think that news stories would be well covered.
Unfortunately, news USED to be important. Now, it’s ratings that drive everything. And there are more people who care about celebrity pregnancies.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:12 pmAlso, more and more news agencies are held and run by a few people. So, now journalism is guided by the signature on your paycheck. Integrity superceded by income.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:15 pmAfraid to look in the mirror and see those dark and Fascist eyes boring back into our souls?
April 14th, 2008 at 5:20 pmWhat “press”? We no longer have a reliable, honest press corp in this country. When the “truth in reporting” laws were relaxed by Bush, the games began.
What we get is the “sanitized, fascist (corporate influence and bribed) propaganda” – nothing more.
Most americans realize this and no longer trust or listen to the major news stations at this point.
When we can get timely, truthful information ala internet, why bother to watch these fools on the idiot box. Their personal (or corporate) bias is astoundingly overt.
The US Press has become a sick “joke” and an international embarrassment.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:22 pmBesides, when we find (and properly vet) the information we find on the internet and check it against what the sycophantic whoring press deems “important or pertinent” for the day, it’s a laugh.
Fox News is a total comedy and parody of what once constituted a valid news program and all the rest are part of a monopoly on truth.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:24 pmYeah, why even tell people that their prez in chief and his cabal have engaged in war crimes when you can endlessly replay a he-said/she-said argument in the Democratic campaign.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:24 pmToday the AP president actually asked Sen. Obama what he would do about Obama bin Laden.
The effort has been very entrenched in the media to demean Democrats, to highlight their faults, disregard their accomplishments and the Democratic candidates’ plans for policies and programs, all the while ignoring the blatant illegal, unethical and immoral acts by Bush&Co, as well as the campaign illegalities of McCain.
Today a Kentucky congressman actually referred to Obama as “boy.”
All of these offenses, whether by omission or comission, is symptomatic of what’s wrong with the today’s right wing biased media.
Anything Bush or Cheney promote is obviously “toxic” to this democracy. We know where they’re coming from.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:25 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
I seem to remember a time when journalism was about news.
Unfortunately, news USED to be important. Now, it’s ratings that drive everything. And there are more people who care about celebrity pregnancies.
_________________
Let us not forget, misshusseinmolly, that Faux Gnus actually went to court and won over the right to deliberately lie in their news broadcasts.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:25 pmThe People need to begin sounding the “justice drum” – INVESTIGATE, IMPEACH, INCARCERATE – this entire gaggle of thugs.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:26 pmI believe that the more the whoring media gives McBush the benefit of the doubt with his major faux pas, the more the people can see what’s going on here.
Highlighting every fault of Hillary and Barack and carping on it ad nauseum also tells the tale on these moronic news stations. They’re so obviously biased and ridiculous that even a toddler can recognize it.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:28 pmCan’t wait for Purina’s “SO?” response…
April 14th, 2008 at 5:29 pmLater, when it is revealed that Dick Cheney killed a man with his bare hands and ate his still-beating heart, the press will dismiss it as “old news.”
April 14th, 2008 at 5:29 pmGuido: This is why the people are holding their breath and readying themselves for the giant block party which will be held on every street in this country when this cadre of criminals finally exit stage right. There will be an official countdown.
As for now, the focus is on the hope of a new tomorrow – complete with war crime tribunals and incarceration of the criminals for their crimes against humanity (torture), crimes against the constitution and laws of this country (illegal wiretapping). This will be a huge ’cause celebre’ when it occurs.
Until then, there’s no way anything can be done short of planning for the trials of the guilty. We have no functioning Department of Justice or Attorney General (never did for 7 years!) and still do not have a capable, honorable, legitimate one in Mukasey. Without this arm to carry out contempt citations and more, the People have no voice.
Now factor in the voting problems and it’s sad to say that perhaps even that aspect of our democracy has been irrevocably corrupted.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:33 pmAs for Perrier-On-The-Brain, she gets more idiotic with each passing day. What a total airhead ditz!
April 14th, 2008 at 5:33 pm“… There was nothing on the major wire services. And nothing on CNN, CBS or NBC.”
unless it’s the latest spin on the “outrage” of being told the truth…
i actually heard the AP radio chick say that obama said people were “looking for refuge in” guns and religion… whew! … the only way to come up with such a contrived explanation is by sheer determination to twist the facts…
the msm is under orders to keep the people distracted and uninformed…
April 14th, 2008 at 5:35 pmand the reasons are obvious…
Bush & Cheney have destroyed EVERY aspect of this country in 7 short years. It may be so irrevocably “broken” that the next ten presidents will not be able to fix it. Just as he did in every business venture he operated and tanked, Bush will go down in history as the “presidunce who destroyed our democracy”.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:35 pmThe story broke…well how about as much attention on Bush’s admission as Obama’s claiming middle America is bitter. I heard that at least 50 times on different stations and once maybe that Bush knew about the torture. And as for Congress acting what can they do when Condi’s answer is “I will get back to you on that.” Six months later nothing. This administration respects no one and answers to no one.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:36 pm60 Minutes Sunday showed Condi pretty much blowing off Waxman’s questions about Maliki’s corrupt government and did we know about it . These people need serious jail time but without a Department of Justice will never happen.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:38 pmIn the old days, when this country was new, Perino and every other press secretary that Bushco has had would have been tarred and feathered. Only difference is now the press deserves to be tarred with them.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:38 pmKaty: Obama’s statement was taken totally out of context. He meant that people are getting desperate which should be as obvious as the nose on Bush’s face. People are losing their jobs, losing their homes, losing their healthcare, losing their ability to feed themselves while the fat cats get fatter and richer every day. This is enough to outrage and enrage the people. That’s what Obama was trying to say. The butt-licking reichwing media has replayed this to the point of insanity. People aren’t buying it. Hillary’s trying to paint him as elitist when it’s been published that they’ve made millions (now who’s elitist) and McInsane’s “fortune” by marriage – well, if elitist means millionaire, then the media needs to focus on the other two when it comes to doling out monikers like “elitist”.
Just saw where Bush and Cheney’s tax returns were made public and they’ve made millions as well. Where the hell is this money coming from? War Profiteering, without a doubt. This needs to be investigated and the people deserve to know how these two are making their millions.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:39 pmtexaslady: I didn’t see it but heard plenty about Condi’s meltdown. Evidently, the look on her face resembled a kid whose hand’s been caught in the cookie jar. She won’t easily get beyond this one. She’s cooked.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:41 pmI doubt if the phrase “I’ll get back to you” is going to work at the Hague, do you?
April 14th, 2008 at 5:42 pmWhat kind of moron gets in front of Congress and acts like she doesn’t know what she’s done? What kind of fool is not prepared to answer the obvious questions which she knows will be posed by Congress? Condi is guilty of many things, not the least of which is violation of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions on Torture – but I’m sure there’s more….much, much more.
I wouldn’t say that orange is Condi’s best color though and 5 inch spike heels are definitely not de rigeur in prison.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:44 pmcerberus – Sadly it is not a crime to profit from war even the war you created to get the profit. Ethics, morals, honor are losing ground everyday. When my generation dies out, no one will remember a person’s word mean’t something.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:49 pmWhat kind of moron gets in front of Congress and acts like she doesn’t know what she’s done?
dis·sem·ble /Pronunciation[di-sem-buhl] –verb (used with object) 1. to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of: to dissemble one’s incompetence in business.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:50 pm2. to put on the appearance of; feign: to dissemble innocence.
3. Obsolete. to let pass unnoticed; ignore.
–verb (used without object) 4. to conceal one’s true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense; speak or act hypocritically.
But who will hold bush, cheney, rice accountable ? I use lower case for their names to show my disrespect.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:51 pmDisgusting.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:01 pmCrooks & Liars have an excellent comment on bush’s admission and from the ACLU their stand that investigation needs to be done if bush violated the Constituition. C&L are pushing for everyone to notify Congress to do something. Well maybe this is the action we all need.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:05 pmi know what he meant, cerberus… everybody knows what he meant…
the clintonistas have twisted and turned and spinned it around trying get some advantage – and distract from bill’s columbian ties – and as an added bonus, the msm has gladly taken this contrived version and even put their own spin on it…
great for ad revenues…
April 14th, 2008 at 6:25 pmThe MSM have all turned into worthless hacks.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:27 pmMaybe – if we’re lucky, Dana Perino can be charged as an accessory after the fact…
April 14th, 2008 at 6:30 pm“How long until the press finally asks Perino about White House approval of torture?”
However long it takes for them to get permission to ask.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:53 pmThere is NO independent press seeking and publishing news. Even Raw Story changes headlines from “Torture” to “Harsh Interrogation” when burying news under blog reports. Next week, this issue will be hidden under the cat litter as the bigger blogs go on to breathless developments in ephemera and celebrity sightings.
Why?
Advertising.
Advertisers prefer manufactured and controllable controversy over trifles… not real news of real events. Why show Americans a man’s body with 28 crushed ribs and a bashed-in sternum, or a boy with crushed testicles, or an old woman on a leash made to walk like a dog, or a 14-year-old girl deliberately gang-raped and burned to death? All done in our name by our soldiers and contractors. UNDER ORDERS from the Principals in the cabal, and supposedly made legal by Yoo and Addington and Beaver. Showing the truth would make Americans uncomfortable, and they may stop consuming and start thinking. They may even remove that little flag pin from their lapel out of embarrassment.
Interrogation?
No.
Humiliation. Dominance. Bullying. Torture. Sadism.
WAR CRIMES.
Americans don’t want to know that their government is run by sadistic perverts who get their jollies by watching videotapes of tortured prisoners. That would be bad for business. At least the corporate advertisers and the corporate don’t want Americans to know their government.
Most Americans don’t know how many soldiers have died or come back wounded beyond description, much less how much of Iraq has been destroyed. The clean news. So they certainly don’t know about white phosphorous, clusterbombs, depleted uranium warheads… all used on civilians… or the complete destruction of Fallujah… or how many innocent detainees have been swept up off the streets, given numbers (if they were lucky), and tortured to death.
Congressional leaders were “read into the program”. They knew that torture was authorized and they said nothing against it. They are just as guilty of War Crimes as the bastards who beat Dilawar to death or raped Abeer Qassim al-Janabi! They won’t investigate and impeach because their OWN culpability would be made public.
The America I grew up in wasn’t perfect, but we had an ideal of Lady Liberty and a document called the Constitution with a Bill of Rights. We were not perfect, but we tried to be better.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:06 pmThat sentence got mangled. sigh I shouldn’t type when so angry that the migraine takes control.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
They will never ask the question until the “real media” get to ask one.
Lets here a question from someone else. Maybe someone not directly connected to murdock and the likes.
Isn’t it nice to hear that mr murdock, who just bought the wsj has been put installed as a board member of the associated press. No need to listen to sirius radio. You will be hearing rupert and his machine.
Corporate is ideally out of control. And hates the American way because it gets in their way.
Screw corporate
April 14th, 2008 at 7:39 pmThey’ve got Dubya back at the ranch clearing brush again?
That has got to be a bad sign, folks.
They send Dubya’s little ass out of town whenever big bad boy Cheney wants to get down and dirty with some little punk wise-guy. You know, keep little boy-king Dubya happy and busy.
Wouldn’t want him sniffin’ around messin’ up stuff…
April 14th, 2008 at 8:43 pmHow long before they ask Purina about the WH approval of torture ?
I’d put my money on . . . forever.
April 14th, 2008 at 9:31 pmThey’ve been fine tuning information control for a long long time, with plenty of money to spend to get it just right.
Thinking the press is going to do anything they should be doing is a serious waste of time and energy.
As things are now, they never will.
Money corrupts the weak.
The current press is just another tool of the FACIST GOVERNMENT… Noticed that there is no Government official spaeking in public. I mean real public?!
April 14th, 2008 at 10:36 pmYou can be sure that Ms. Perino will not take a question from Eric Brewer. She is not about to make that mistake again.
April 15th, 2008 at 12:02 am.
The peanut gallery of a MSMBS will never think to ask such obvious questions if it requires to break their allegiance to the White House.
ABCNNBCBS&FOXPRAVDA = White House Propagandist Outlets.
MSMBS = Myth System Managing the Bull Shit
.
April 15th, 2008 at 1:45 amThe mainstream media and Bush are both long overdue for their trial at the Hague for war crimes.
April 16th, 2008 at 1:28 pm