Every once in a while, when President Bush or his advisers are particularly exercised by something a reporter writes or a Democrat says, the White House blasts an e-mail to hundreds of Washington opinion-makers under the headline “Setting the Record Straight.”
This week it sent out one that raised eyebrows.
Ed Gillespie, counselor to the president, publicized a letter he sent to the president of NBC News, Steve Capus, accusing the network of “deceitful editing” of an interview with Mr. Bush. The White House complained that NBC had distorted Mr. Bush’s response to a question about a speech widely interpreted as an attack on Senator Barack Obama.
That was unusual enough; most disputes with reporters are settled – or at least aired out – behind the scenes. But the real aim of the lengthy missive could be found in its very last line, in which Mr. Gillespie accused NBC of blurring the lines between its news division and “blatantly partisan talk show hosts like Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC.”
This was a go-for-the-jugular move. NBC, which shares offices and staff with its more opinionated cable sister, MSNBC, is particularly sensitive to such criticism, and Mr. Capus responded by saying the “reporting accurately reflects the interview” and that, in any event, viewers could see the entire unedited interview on the MSNBC Web site.
The White House cares about accurate reporting? Wha? When?
Yawn. Another boring flame thread.
[Edited; see comments guide – ed.]
Anyone who does bother to compare the entire interview with the one that was aired will readily see that the WH objection is reasonable.
That White House nutballs fear an independent press is – old news.
That this site’s diminutive nutball commenters fear discussion of their Fearless Leaders and managed media is – old news.
That Dvorak Uncensored considers topics for discussion beyond the cookie cutter talk radio flamefests is – old news.
Welcomed by folks with open minds rather than holes in their heads.
>>Yawn. Another boring flame thread.
Well, Dumbya’s trophy war doesn’t go away, no matter how much he tries to keep it out of the press. Right-wingnuts may object to the exposure of his breath-taking stupidity, but breath-taking stupidity will remain his legacy. It’s not for nothing they call him Dumbya.
And anyone who thinks that his speech was anything other than an attack on Senator Obama is just too dumb to exist. Appeasement. HAH!
240 days remaining until our shame is over.
Please don’t tell me Bush would lie or the press misrepresent those lies.
If that was true, my whole world view would just shatter.
The media is in the tank for Obama, and will bash the current admin as unfairly as they can. Take a look at the bogus Karl Rove in Alabama story that MSNBC and 60 Minutes ran with.
The enjoyable part is that Hillary got lumped in with George Bush, and the media are taking her down too. The only things left is for her to blow off about ‘that n*****’. You know it’s coming.
NBC / MSNBC accurate reporting? What a joke.
This couldn’t happen to a slimier group of newscasters. New York Times is next.
I guess it could be worse. They could hire a porno star to ask them questions. oh, wait.
>>NBC / MSNBC accurate reporting? What a joke.
>>This couldn’t happen to a slimier group of
>>newscasters. New York Times is next.
Yeah, really the only source of reliable news is Faux Spews and their award-winning journalists Anal Cyst Limbaugh, Loofah Pad O’Reilly, and the other Fair and Balanced(R) newscasters.
HAW.
Anybody who want real news reads the NYT, the Washingotn Post, etc. They only watch Faux Spews in the hope that Loofah Pad’s head will explode.
Certainly, Hillary is getting to the burn-out stage. As is anyone still remaining who turns on the news and expects something more than electoral “snooze”.
Still, I doubt if she’ll sink to the level of, say, the bar at your archtypical Republican country club. Or any other racist watering hole.
But, then, why waltz away from the topic of managed snooze? We’ve already witnessed 2 peeps over McCain’s priest-bigots vs. the deluge poured on Obama. We suffered through Powell snookered by Bush and Rummy over WMD. The interminable “embeds” stretched well beyond believability for anyone competent to Google news around the world.
And the thugs in the White House have the temerity to warble over video editing?
James Hill, no need to get pissy – feel free to worship me.
Bush, we are the masters of deception and don’t you forget it.
This is still nothing compared to the frauds they committed back in the day.
60 Minutes went after Gen Westmoreland by changing the questions after the interview.
Something like
‘What’d you do yesterday.’ A:I was golfing.
On air version:’What were you doing while soldiers were dying in the field?’
Even further back, William Randolph Hearst said you provide the pictures and I’ll provide the war.
Really, who cares about the usual political whinning. The right should be used to all the leftist leaning of the so called neutral, demoncrat voting and demoncrat cash donating press. Get on to the real point, talk about
Hillaries death threats against Hussein Obamama – you know dumbo-with the ears-omama
He goes another on the Clinton notch, with this make him under Vice Foster? or are there others after Vice????
This tempest in a teapot only reveals to me how much I don’t understand Bush and his band of cronies and hanger ons who post here.
I have watched the “edited” and the full interviews. The full interview makes Bush look like more of an idiot that he is than the edited version. I assume the edit was made TO THE BENEFIT OF BUSH without regard to anything except getting it short to fit the bumper sticker mentality of todays newsgroupie?
Course, to be accurate, Bush does talk as an idiot in both version so whatever harm there is has to be quite minimal.
They should eliminate the White House press office, which too often acts as propaganda.
It might pass, since Republicans get lower spending, while Democrats know the media is on their side.
#15, you make an excellent point about the Bush miniatures who continue to grovel before the neocon idols.
Chatting this morning with one member of the family who left the Republikan Party after 50 years of active membership. He agreed that he not only was he disgusted with the fascist-minded kreeps in charge; but, he just couldn’t stand to be associated any longer with the ignorant buffoons who lap up every drop of agitprop pissed from the portals of the RNC.
>>It might pass, since Republicans
>>get lower spending,
Republicans?? Lower spending??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You think the past 7 years have evidenced “lower spending”?? Lyin’ MikeN, you’re really living up to your name. Never has an administration pissed away more public money than Dumbya’s. What a wastrel. Our great-great-great-grandchildren will be paying for his follies.
Nope, no lower spending from Republicans either, though it was a Republican congress that cut spending over a decade ago, criticized by Democrats for it. There are still a few who try like Tom Coburn and Paul Ryan. I wonder what McCain would do as Pres. I’m still waiting for the Democratic spending cuts.
#19, Lyin’ MikeN,
I wonder what McCain would do as Pres.
I’m afraid of what McCain would do as President. Mostly for my child’s sake. It is bad enough she will still be paying for Bush when I’m long gone, but McCain’s follies too?
We need sanity in the White House. Something fitting the likes of President Obama and Vice President Clinton. With Attorney General Edwards cleaning up all those criminals who tortured, opened mail, eavesdropped without a warrant, fixed elections, used their office for political opportunities, etc.
>> # 9 Mister Mustard said, on May 25th, 2008 at 9:47 am
>> Anybody who want real news reads the NYT, the
>> Washingotn Post, etc. They only watch Faux Spews
>> in the hope that Loofah Pad’s head will explode.
Are you serious? If you think the Times and Post are any better than Fox then you are surely lost or just a typical left wings nut.