CNN’s Yellin: Network executives killed critical White House stories before Iraq war.
CNN’s Yellin: Network executives killed critical White House stories before Iraq war.
Yesterday, CNN’s Jessica Yellin, who previously covered the White House for ABC News, agreed with Scott McClellan’s assessment that the media were “too deferential to the White House” before the Iraq war. Yellin said news executives pushed her not to do hard-hitting pieces on the Bush administration:
The press corps was under enormous pressure from corporate executives, frankly, to make sure that this was a war presented in way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the president’s high approval ratings. And my own experience at the White House was that the higher the president’s approval ratings, the more pressure I had from news executives…to put on positive stories about the president.
Watch it:
“[T]hey would edit my pieces,” Yellin said. “They would push me in different directions. They would turn down stories that were more critical, and try to put on pieces that were more positive.” Glenn Greenwald has more.
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this is just sickening. what do you say that hasn’t already been said?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:11 pmomg! I just mentioned this!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:15 pmGrasping at straws. Repugs sohuld stop embarassing themselves, and own their lies.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:15 pmThe reach of the Bushney machine appears to be far and wide. Now that McClellan has spoken out (regardless of what his motives have been), others may find their courage and their voice as well. I predict Jessica Yellin is the first of what will be a steady stream.
Bushco will attempt to smear them all, but in the end it will be like catching raindrops during a thunderstorm.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:15 pmNo one could have predicted that a bunch of billionaires would band together to help the Boy King start his little war.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:16 pmIf I may reiterate:
In the Corporate State, corporate Media are State Media!
Unfortunately, short of a constitutional amendment, ther is no way realistically to return local media to local ownership and control.
So, like Muskovites during the Soviet regime, Murkins are gonna have to learn how to pluck the nuggets of truth from the slimy slurry of propaganda which is the ONLY way the post/modern State has to communicate with its constituents.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:18 pmDid anyone see MSNBC’s David Gregory yesterday? Insisted the whole time that the Washington press corps was as tough as ever during the run up to war and instead blamed:
Congress
The Senate
The American people for not asking more questions.
The American people! You and me!
Not the journalists. On no.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:18 pmSo… who investigates the media for being complicit?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:19 pmAnd Jessica Yellin managed to speak up without selling a book. She is an example of what America is supposed to be about. Bravo.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:19 pmNot just catapulting the propaganda, treboucheing it. Not to mention the corruption of the sacred trust of the Fourth Estate.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:20 pmThe founding fathers would be so, so disappointed in us.
In case you are wondering, she worked for MSNBC till July 2003, and ABC News till July 2007
May 29th, 2008 at 12:21 pmI must add: I fail to see that this is going to make any difference at all, anywhere, to anyone.
After 7+ years of this psychopathic sociopathy, Americans are so inured in corruption, mendacity, and murderous militaristic adventurism that they probably now regard it as the norm.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:22 pmThey would push me in different directions. They would turn down stories that were more critical, and try to put on pieces that were more positive.
Translation – Propaganda
Just remember that 26% (used to be 28%) of Americans have their heads up their butts.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:22 pmOh, and Miss Yellin, please have security check under your car for concealed explosives on a daily basis…
May 29th, 2008 at 12:22 pmThere was that well placed tank round that hit the Iraqi hotel full of journalists in the early days of the war.
Looks like the media took the message to heart.
Also, wasn’t there a plan to bomb Al Jazeera’s offices too?
-GSD
May 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pmIn the immortal words of GDumbya: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice . . . errrr . . . I won’t be fooled again.”
Let’s hope that the media has learned its lesson where this little tin cowboy is concerned. It is way past time for them to start digging and reporting on the GDumbya-Darth Cheney cabal. At this point, I don’t care if these morons are impeached or not but I sure don’t want them to leave office without consequences for all the damage they have done.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:24 pmWell you can see why Gregory would be so defensive, being one of the biggest bootlickers out there. Anyway, when I saw him yesterday I really wanted to b#tchslap him, mostly because he was acting like such a little b%tch.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:24 pmThat damn liberal media!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:25 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
The reach of the Bushney machine appears to be far and wide. Now that McClellan has spoken out (regardless of what his motives have been), others may find their courage and their voice as well. I predict Jessica Yellin is the first of what will be a steady stream.
Bushco will attempt to smear them all, but in the end it will be like catching raindrops during a thunderstorm.
it will be like having food poisoning. when the shit starts flowing, there ain’t no stopping…
May 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pmStep away from the fan – there’s going to be a LOT of back splash!
And while all this was going on, the [very few] journalists who had the spines to speak truth to power were alienated at best, called traitors and worse, and the Jeff Gannons/James Guckerts of the world were allowed secret visits to the white house.
PEACE
May 29th, 2008 at 12:28 pmShayne I’d like to see you b!tchslap Gregory. On the air.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:29 pmFrosty Cupcake Says:
Did anyone see MSNBC’s David Gregory yesterday? Insisted the whole time that the Washington press corps was as tough as ever during the run up to war and instead blamed:
ALSO Wolf Blitzer was totally defensive yesterday. He declared: Look, we put Maria Inojosa entirely on the antiwar beat, to cover those voices too.
I’m thinking, Inojosa??? And what other important beat did you put her on? She never treated the protests as opportunities to attack policies, more like family festivities, cultural events.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:29 pmShayne:
He’s infuriating, he really is. Paid well, too, I’m sure and sleeps just fine at night.
Ba$tard.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:30 pmShayne, I’ll PAY you to b!tchslap Gregory. On the air!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:32 pmWhen Cooper challenges her to confirm her exact phrasing, Yellin looks very rapidly and very hard sideways, and she is not making an involuntary eye movement of the sort one makes when thinking – she is looking for a nod or a shake of the head from her coach, whoever S/HE may be.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pmAlso, wasn’t there a plan to bomb Al Jazeera’s offices too?
-GSD
Al Jazeera offices were bombed by the U.S. in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In both cases guided missiles were used. In the Iraq case, Al Jazeera had given U.S. forces the GPS coordinates of their office as a safety precaution against attack. I don’t whether the same is true of the Afghanistan bombing.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm“When the walls come tumblin’ down…”
May 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pmThis all goes back to a post I did on Tuesday:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. How the news media fails us
http://www.democraticunderground.com/ discuss/ duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385×138070
A great speech about right wing media from Robert F. Kennedy-YouTube Video. About 5 guys that control the media and radio stations; most won’t allow criticism of the Bush Administration. He also talks about so many other things you never hear about and should for your own safety. A Must Watch!!!
Mr. Kennedy is right on the mark, if you have time watch the speech it is incredible.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:39 pmThe focus should be on ABC “News”.
They are worse than Fox News because they still fly under the radar.
ABC/Fox News are GOP propaganda machines.
Pass it on.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:42 pmomg, the Young Hilary Clinton utube is soooo funny!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:45 pmWhat do you want to bet Jessica Yellin is asked to leave and that clip disappears.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:45 pmAll along we have been talking about the MSM, invested in the MIC pushing this war and the neocon agenda. What Jessica said is not shocking, but, it is shocking it is finally getting out.
I think the McClellan book is damning to the administration.
But, I also think the idea of coming out with a ‘me, too’ seems a little opportunitic.
I’ve been supporting the effort in Iraq since it began. I have acknowledged, in hindsight, that the effort was misdirected, there were no significant WMD and we had more time to try to deal with Saddam without war. We know that today, I don’t believe that we knew that then.
But, should I come out now, and claim that I some suspicion all along that it was a mistake? A rewrite of my personal history, to make some claim that I have better judgement than I do?
Jessica (and Scott, for that matter), if you had a problem with it 4 years ago, why did it take you until the war was overwhelmingly unpopular, (with no WMD in sight) to get the courage to speak up.
You’re leaving me with the impression that what you want to believe in hindsight, really passes for sound judgement today.
I’m listening to Jessica and to Scott, but, they would have alot more credibility, if they would have spoken up at the time.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:46 pmtokin librul Says:
If I may reiterate:
In the Corporate State, corporate Media are State Media!
Unfortunately, short of a constitutional amendment, ther is no way realistically to return local media to local ownership and control.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
_______
Well, there is one source of power in this country that is higher than the Constitution – profit. If enough people stop watching their corporate-owned local media and turn to independent media to get their news and entertainment, the system will have to change.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:48 pmOK: ABC/Fox News are GOP propaganda machines…Pass it on.
I used to watch George Stuff’Nonsense on ‘This Week’. When he actually had the nerve to ask a Hannity question of Obama, I haven’t tuned back in since.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:50 pmAnything
But
Content
You aren’t listening backup, but at least you are true to form. What Scotty is pointing out, and what is consistent with other sources is that Bush and the Boyz knew there were no WMDs, no immediate threat from Sadam when he chose to invade Iraq.
Write this down somewhere and refer to it next time you get confused.
Bush wanted to be remembered as a War President. Bush lied to us to get his War.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:55 pmBTW RUCerious, trebouchet? Nice touch.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:57 pmBackup: I’m not defending either Scott or Jessica.
However, that said, simply because they waited until it was safer for them in all respects to tell the truth – DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT IT IS THE TRUTH.
Shoot the messenger much?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:58 pmhttp://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0508/CNNs_Yellin_Network_execs_killed_critical_White_House_stories_.html
**I don’t know what to believe any more. FR – thanks for posting the Robert Kennedy video again. It really needs to stay out there.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:59 pmp.s. Backup — you’ve been had, buddy. Yer little tinpot presidunce deliberately LIED TO YOU.
Why can’t you admit it?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:00 pmZimzone and davemartin you are both so right.
I discovered that with their healthcare coverage. All garbage. ABC rates there with Foxnoise. I have that posted on my web site:
http://www.universalhealthcareinfo.com
There is very little truth or fact on mainstream media. Not much different from communist russia.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:04 pmSorry wrong site
http://www.universalhealthcareinfousa.com
May 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pmCap’n you say “We know that today, I don’t believe that we knew that then.” That strikes me as myopic at best, disingenuous at worst. The fact is, there were many, many voices who were saying these things about Iraq that turned out to be true (no WMD, no “immanent threat”, no terrorist haven, no way to exit…) but no one in the Village took us seriously. Indeed, the Villagers came up with a new adjective to make this clear; one had to buy into the Saddam Myth in order to be described as “serious”. Glenn Greenwald was an acute observer of this nomenclature.
And now, they can all look back and, since they paid no attention to those who objected to the invasion then, they feel like they can claim that “everyone thought he had WMD, everyone thought he was a threat”. It’s utter bullsh!t.
The truth is, the threat was manufactured, or at the very least significantly enhanced by the administration, and sold to the public on the strength of administration credibility, and with the complicity of the media. Now Scott McClellan adds his shaky voice to the chorus of insiders who admit so.
I have not read McClellan’s book but I have no doubt that it’s an attempt to rewrite history and cast himself as a victim of larger, darker forces. His history and his motivations certainly cast suspicion on the contents of the book. But that doesn’t make them false.
What has been reported from the book sounds an awful lot like it makes sense with the world I’ve experienced for the past eight years — much more so than the right-wing spin being conjured up to counteract its damage. Maybe that’s my own political bias talking, but certain important facts align.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:09 pmThe 30 percenters are gonna hold on seemingly no matter what. Because its now about their gullibility, poor decision-making, possibly shattering their belief system, taking responsibility for the messes which have been created, the current state of affairs, etc. This is way too much for the little wankers to deal with. So don’t expect any changes from the Rapture-Ready crowd. Too weak minded.
CNN poll reflects this. I believe the question was along the lines if we “believe Scotty, or not”. The good ol 30 percenters are there.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:09 pmbackup Says:
I’ve been supporting the effort in Iraq since it began. I have acknowledged, in hindsight, that the effort was misdirected, there were no significant WMD and we had more time to try to deal with Saddam without war. We know that today, I don’t believe that we knew that then.
By “we”, you’re referring to yourself, right? Because a hell of a lot of other people knew that then and said so. People like you just refused to listen.
Jessica (and Scott, for that matter), if you had a problem with it 4 years ago, why did it take you until the war was overwhelmingly unpopular, (with no WMD in sight) to get the courage to speak up.
It would have been nice, true, and they would have been dismissed, laughed at, and they would have lost their jobs.
You’re leaving me with the impression that what you want to believe in hindsight, really passes for sound judgement today.
I’m listening to Jessica and to Scott, but, they would have alot more credibility, if they would have spoken up at the time.
They would have been added to the list of people who did speak up at the time, and who you (above) don’t even acknowledge existed.
None of this brings into doubt the truth of what they’re saying: this administration manipulated the news to get us into a war and the media went along for the ride (as they usually do).
May 29th, 2008 at 1:10 pmAh, Ralph, we’re repeating each other again.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pmWell done, gum. Once again, you said it better than I.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pmRalphy and Gummy,
Both very good posts.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pmYesterday, CNN’s Jessica Yellin, who previously covered the White House for ABC News, agreed with Scott McClellan’s assessment that the media were “too deferential to the White House” before the Iraq war. Yellin said news executives pushed her not to do hard-hitting pieces on the Bush administration…
Funny how the press aquires some semblance of a backbone only after a Bush loyalist turned traitor speaks out. Where was all of this when it might have made a difference? And where will they be when the next warmonger lies into war?
http://progressiveworldreview.com
May 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pmI’m listening to Jessica and to Scott, but, they would have alot more credibility, if they would have spoken up at the time.
Jessica has no book to sell and no ‘misguided’ ideology to salvage. McClellan does. I agree he shuold have come out sooner (Powell, too) but they didn’t. Maybe their convictions weren’t as strong as they are now. Maybe their consciences are getting to them. Maybe their families were beginning to wonder about the dangerous tendancy of republicans to eat their own. It took 7+ long years to bring us to this place. It will surely take a while for the truth to emerge.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:16 pmPshaw, Ralph.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pm#39 And the beat goes on Says:
**I don’t know what to believe any more. FR – thanks for posting the Robert Kennedy video again. It really needs to stay out there.
No problem. I love his honesty. Have a great day!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pmOne more evidence that the ‘liberal media’ only exists in the minds of the kool-aid drinkers who don’t like any hint of criticism of their beliefs, much less allow anyone ask questions to their authoritarian father figure du jour.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pmbackup Says:
I’ve been supporting the effort in Iraq since it began.
How? With a yellow ribbon on your SUV, no doubt.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:23 pmbackup Says:
I’m listening to Jessica and to Scott, but, they would have alot more credibility, if they would have spoken up at the time.
And you would have a lot more credibility, if you weren’t so continuously gullible for the neverending stream of blatant propaganda spewed from the White House and the RNC.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:27 pmralph. your post is well written. I concede this is very damning for the administration.
It is a significant charge of what you (and most here) have been saying for a long time.
Is it the nail in the Bush coffin for me? No. But, it opens significant questions and pushes the concensus deeper into the territory of your world view.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pmAnd gummitch. If you believed that the war was a mistake from the start, I believe you. And I believe that many in the world also believed it. Your judgement (and those the believed as you did) was correct.
But, I think it is possible, that many who did believe that we were in jeopardy of more terror attacks, and those that believed Saddam had WMD capability that could be used against the west, might be tempted to chime in with a revised history of what they wished they had believed at the time.
I know some of these comments are not in context (some were use to actually oppose the war). But, if you review them, you get an impression of a country that did see Saddam, and the belief he had WMD, as a threat. And people felt more threatened by terror attacks in the wake of 9/11 than they do today.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/wmdquotes.asp
Bush could be guilty of cherry picking intel to bring us to war. Some (not most here) that now voice their reservations about the war, may be guilty of cherry picking their assessments of the situation at the time.
Your judgement was right. But, for those that didn’t see it as clearly as you, hindsight seems to be 20/20.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pmYeah, both good posts. Now, maybe you two should get a room somewhere.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:38 pmgummitch Says:
They would have been added to the list of people who did speak up at the time, and who you (above) don’t even acknowledge existed.
Or, get yourself photographed by the NYPD like I was while quietly listening to Kucinich speak at an anti-war rally.
Or, get horrified looks from your co-workers when you express disagreement about needing to attack Iraq.
Or, be accused of unpatriotism amongst other unpleasant words when not falling into line as expected.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:40 pmmary,
That is so true. All of us who were against the war were villified and ridiculed. People like backup don’t remember that anyone protested because they were so pumped with fear and bloodlust that they could only see red.
They were wrong, and hundreds of thousands of people died as a result of their gullibility and foolishness.
I’m still waiting for one of them to appologize for the way they treated those of us who tried to warn them.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:47 pmbackup Says:
Is it the nail in the Bush coffin for me? No.
That’s a shame. Because of Bush, and easily manipulated fools like you, there are almost 4,100 new coffins in Arlington.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:50 pmUnderstandably. The nation had been traumatized.
But the Bush Administration exploited that trauma to gin up a threat that was nonexistent, but which served the agenda of the Neocons and has cost this nation a fortune, many lives, and the respect of much of the world.
Had I been even partly responsible for that kind of legacy, yeah, maybe I’d be tempted to “rewrite history” too.
Incidentally, Cap’n, what would it take for you to actually put the final nail in the coffin for BushCo? I’m curious. Revelations of sex slavery in the West Wing? Cheney revealed as one of the Martians from Mars Attacks? How about if Bush just came out and said, “Yeah, I lied to y’all. I ‘d do it agin, too. I made a lot of money. heh heh heh.” Would that do it?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:50 pm6. tokin librul Says:
If I may reiterate:
In the Corporate State, corporate Media are State Media!
Unfortunately, short of a constitutional amendment, ther is no way realistically to return local media to local ownership and control.
this claim qualifies the media corporations to be prosecuted under R.I.C.O. statutes I believe:
Time to open the proverbial Can ‘O Wup@ss on America’s Pravda media moguls.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:51 pmshoeless,
Someone mentioned that Scotty’s (and Jessica’s) words might, at least, make some people look way more carefully at the “misinformation” we are NOW being subjected to regarding Iran.
One can hope.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:55 pmshoeless. Here’s me from a month ago.
backup Says:
——————————————————————————–
I ever questioned someones patriotism for question the war in Iraq, I apologize. When conservatives did that, it was wrong.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:55 pmsupposed to be: If I ever questioned…
May 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pmralph. Impeachment. It is information like McClellan’s that make impeachment and/or investigations more likely.
But, if the democrats today or those in the next administration don’t feel confident enough to bring the charges, I’ll probably believe there isn’t enough information to substantiate the claims.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pmbackup Says:
I’ll probably believe there isn’t enough information to substantiate the claims.
And you’ll probably believe that the moon is made of cheeze because cows jump over it.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pmIt’s not made of cheese?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:08 pmbackup Says:
——————————————————————————–
barfly. I thought about you mea culpa comment.
Let me start with this. It was/is bullsh*t for conservatives to question the patriotism of progressives for questioning the war after 9/11.
If I ever personally did that, I’m sorry.
What do you mean if you ever did that? Don’t you know whether you did such a heinous thing?
No, you probably don’t remember. I’m sure you were too filled with propaganda and fear to even realize what you were doing to your fellow Americans, who were just trying to talk some sense into you.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:11 pmCap’n, impeachment will never happen. It’s way too late in the game for such a procedure to run its course, Republicans would never support it and Democrats are not going to risk disturbing a favorable electoral landscape.
Now, you can assume that failure to bring charges is the result of Democrats not feeling “confident” enough in the information available, and that will probably allow you to sleep better with your long-standing support of this failed administration. Far be it from me to intrude on another’s self-protective impulse.
Enjoy.
Just as an aside, I know Republicans for whom not even Nixon’s impeachment and all the subsequent revelations about criminality in the White House was enough to persuade them to “put the final nail in the coffin” of Richard Nixon. They still insist that the prosecution was politically motivated. Funny, the way people are.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:16 pm6. tokin librul Says:
If I may reiterate:
In the Corporate State, corporate Media are State Media!
Unfortunately, short of a constitutional amendment, ther is no way realistically to return local media to local ownership and control.
In 1984, AT&T was broken up under anti-trust law. The same would apply to the media consolidation we’ve seen. No constitutional amendment is necessary; only an application of the existing law. (Sherman and Clayton Acts)
May 29th, 2008 at 2:20 pmI try to be straight forward here. I don’t believe I’ve questioned anyones patriotism. I believe that when I first came to thinkprogress I stressed the importance of unity in the war. I made arguments that if we weren’t united at home, it would make winning the war more difficult. Was that questioning patriotism? Is it possible I said something else that was a more definitive questioning of someones patriotism? It is possible. But, to be honest, I don’t remember doing it.
If I did, I’m sorry.
But check it out. Google CaptainMantastic or backup and thinkprogress and patriotism. Most of my CaptainMantastic posts aren’t there anymore, but you can bet that if I was questioning progressive patriotism, the responses would be.
If the comments are there, I look at them.
Maybe, I’m the one using 20/20 hindsight.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:26 pmI missed the memo. backup is Captain Mantastic?
Well, excuse the tenor of my earlier comment Captain, that is reserved for the likes of John Kerry. You sir, are no John Kerry.
We disagree on many issues, but you aren’t a shit stirrer.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pmralph. come on. you can’t charge someone with a crime, if you aren’t willing to prove it. It would make it possible to inflict damage with the claim, whether it’s true or not.
If democrats claim that Bush intentionally misled us into an illegal war, they would have a obligation (and political interest, BTW) to expose it. Your dispute on this shouldn’t be with me, but with the democrats that were elected in ‘06 with promises of troop withdrawal and impeachment.
Their inaction leave the perception that the claims were hollow.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pmTheir inaction leave the perception that the claims were hollow.
You seem to be under the mistaken impression that dems have a veto-proof majority.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:40 pmnanlichi.
I guess that’s good. Thanks.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:40 pmWe disagree on many issues, but you aren’t a shit stirrer.
nanlichi.
Shit swallower is another matter…
May 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pmbarfly. I suggest that if they believed in it enough and had sufficient evidence they could get the support.
But, let me concede the point to make this one:
In ‘09, democrats will have a more significant majority in the congress and probably the white house. When that happens, there shouldn’t be any excuse not to investigate the Bush Administration and to promptly pull out the troops.
If those things don’t happen, I’ll be skeptical of the initial positions.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pmI understand your position. I just find it so limited as to be almost useless.
You’re basically saying that if Democrats do not bring charges and impeachment proceedings against the president, this may be taken as solid evidence that nothing rising to that level has occurred.
That’s ridiculous. There are all kinds of reasons, some of them sound, some of them cowardly, why someone in a position to pursue such charges may have evidence that the charges are warranted, but would still decline to file them. Chief among these reasons, for me in late May of 2008, is that the possibility that such a proceeding could be concluded before January 2009 is very slight — especially given that the adversary has developed a reputation for leading the most secretive and obstructionist administration in history.
But, as I said, if you’re comfortable with the rationalization that Democrats haven’t indicted the President because they have nothing on him, you’re free to embrace it.
Just don’t expect that argument to convince very many people who aren’t among the 28%.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pmIf those things don’t happen, I’ll be skeptical of the initial positions.
If only conservatives had been sceptical when it really counted, instead of lick-spittle synchophants. We’d have four thousand additional troops available for chasing America’s real enemies. And how many billions of dollars? I laugh at your supposed scepticism of democrats and their motives, after having been suckered by your heros FOR FIVE YEARS.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pmImpeachment is not enough – prosecution for crimes – murder and the conspiracy to commit murder is the issue and will continue to be the issue. These criminals have the luxury of living under a blanket of immunity for their crimes – but in January 2009 the blanket goes away. This is not about revenge, this is ALL about Justice.
I was one of the millions of people who marched against this insanity – who spoke out every chance I had – so many Americans did not care, so many did not think – and the news media treated this “shock and awe” like it was a grand thing. How disgusting!!
May 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pmTheir inaction leave the perception that the claims were hollow.
And Iran Contra wasn’t fully prosecuted because Larry Walsh took pity on Reagan’s alzheimers. Some think the nation is better off without such distractions – but a look at the damage caused by that little bit of pity, and one sees the vile precedent that Bush followed.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:53 pm“I’m listening to Jessica and to Scott, but, they would have alot more credibility, if they would have spoken up at the time.”
I agree. I’m glad some of these Administration and Media folks are finally speaking out. Of course many of us knew these things earlier on, but it’s great to see some of the perpetrators of the propaganda machine break ranks and confess to some of this.
But it seems a little disingenuous to wait so long to do so. It seems like they have hidden away and waited for it to become safe and fashionable (within the government and MSM) to take on Bush (finally!) when they could have stood up for themselves and helped taking on Bush fashionable much earlier.
Oh well. Disingenuous or not, they are still helping shine some more light on these things from within.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:56 pmI’d still call him “Backwash” at this point. His points consist of mainly that.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:59 pmralph. you’re on top of your game today. And this McClellan issue is obviously significant ammunition for the progressive case against Bush. It makes it more possible in my mind that there are impeachable offenses there. If you can impeach Clinton for lying about Monica, you could impeach Bush for lying about the cost of war. The devil’s in the details, but this does not look good for Bush.
But, progressives have been claiming criminal activity for years. The democratic congress had 2 years to act and they didn’t. And democrats would still be able to investigate after the next election.
If what you and others here are claiming is true, they should have an obligation to investigate it.
I don’t believe Bush’s mismanagement of the situation was criminal, but if it was, he should be held accountable.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:12 pmFinally, the truth!!!!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 3:25 pmbackup Says:
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And you’ll probably believe that the moon is made of cheeze because cows jump over it.
It’s not made of cheese?
No, but apparently your brain is, and I’m not talking sharp cheddar.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:26 pmCap’n, I agree with you that if evidence of criminality exists, the Democratic leaders — heck, anyone in Congress — has an obligation to investigate further and determine the truth of any charges. I think it’s a shameful abrogation of duty that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, among others, have done as little as they have, and that John Conyers, in particular, has gotten so little support and cooperation in his efforts.
I believe that Bush’s “mismanagement” of the situation was indeed most likely criminal, and, further, that he employed illegal tactics in pursuit of his political objectives.
Unlike you, however, I don’t assume that lack of formal charges means that all is kosher in the House of Bush.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:33 pmMaybe real gouda?
May 29th, 2008 at 3:33 pmralph. it’s not all kosher in the house of Bush, but if we start prosecuting bad leadership as criminal, people won’t want the responsibility of leadership.
If Bush is criminal, impeach him or investigate him and get to the bottom of it.
But, if it’s bad leadership, let the process work. He’ll be out of office in 7 months and someone else will get to lead.
I see problems with the administration. And I don’t have a personal stake in Bush, if he lied to me.
I just resist the temptation to criminalize poor performance. Or judging someones decisions based on hindsight.
But, I’ve said it before, I could be wrong.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:41 pmhttp://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/29/tv-news-under-the-microscope/
**PLEASE don’t do the same thing they do. I know it is probably a “fine point”, but Yellin was specifically referring to MSNBC not ABC. Yes, I am sure they are all involved, but I am glad she clarified her story.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:54 pmCap’n, again, I agree that “bad leadership” should not be criminalized.
Where we disagree is that are willing to give this President the benefit of the doubt, and believe that misrepresenting, misusing and manipulating intelligence was simply “bad leadership”.
Bush is a bad leader, there’s no question about that.
But he also unquestionably lied to the American people regarding warrantless wiretaps and about outing an undercover CIA officer, both of which are criminal acts, and he authorized suspension of habeas corpus and the indefinite imprisonment without access to due process of both foreign captives and American citizens.
I could go on but I suspect you get the idea. Lying to get us into a war for which he had a hard-on from Day One is not the criminal act that many say it is. There’s too much wiggle room built into it, leaving it mainly an issue for the judgment of public opinion. And I think that judgment has been kinder than deserved, but still correct.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:01 pmralph. Reasonable. With the way you feel about the last 8 years, I am sincerely happy for you (and everyone else here) that we’ll have new leadership in January.
I’m not sure if there will be any break in the partisanship, but, it’s an opportunity for a cleaner slate.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:25 pmCap’n, I’m always happier when we can discuss things reasonably.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:48 pm.
Capitulation to spread LIES makes one a LIAR.
ABCNNBCBS&FOXPRAVDA = one big family of LIARS!
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May 29th, 2008 at 9:13 pm