Am I supposed to be celebrating the fact that after 58 days the Washington Post has condescended to cover the DSM story? And they still have not addressed Michael Smith’s May 29 article “RAF Bombing to Provoke Saddam Into War” which is part of the Downing Street Memos, the plan to “wrongfoot” Saddam.
No, Michael Getler said on the 14th of May that coverage of this story was “journalistically mandatory” That was six weeks ago. This is not progress, this is retrograde. This is not reporting, this is regurgitaion. After 58 days we turn to the Washington Post for a rewrite of Michael Smith’s articles from the last two years.
The only way to get the news is to follow the leaders.. dKos, Booman Tribune, RAWSTORY, and some news blogs like Why Are We Back In Iraq? I am so mad I could spit! The only thing to do is to get Walter Pincus to register as a new user to dKos, and after I finish this rant, I am going to write to Michael Getler and to Walter and give them the low-down on this story as it has been covered on dKos and Booman Tribune.
News Over There, Not Over Here
When Michael Getler wrote his piece, “News Over There, Not Over Here” I thought he perceived an aspect of this story that no one has caught since… until the RAF double bombing story of the 29th of May that has still not been picked up by the MSM. Nor has it been picked up by US news media since. (See below: MSM WTF? dKos & RAWSTORY on “Spikes of Activity”)
Walter Pincus, who finally reported on the 13th of May said the reason he had not gone into the story is that he was too busy following the UK election. I find that extremely interesting since as a result of the whole dossier of leaked documents, INCLUDING Wilmshurst’s resignation letter on the evening before the invasion, Blair was fighting for his political life – his party went from 167 to 61 seats, (correct me, I am wrong) and his party members said in the week after the election that the sooner he left the better, that they had won in spite of him, and that “he had become a liability” And this is all the result of the BBC recording March 20, the Goldsmith opinion, the Wilmshurst letter, and what we call the “Downing Street Minutes.” How is it possible that Walter Pincus did not draw any connection between events in Britain and the US? This is remarkable.
We are wired and networked in the midst of what they told us was an “information explosion” we are modemed and netted to the world wide web! We are brimming over with “Intelligence Technology” and “Computer Literacy” How can any person not be aware of the connexion between events in the UK election and the US? In Britain they call Tony Blair Bush’s poodle. And that’s not the left that’s talking that way… that’s the conservatives and moderates and leftists too.
The effort to blackout news from overseas is extraordinary. I mean physically, historically it should be impossible. This brings us back to the time of Columbus! Do we have to wait for a ship to come in bringing us news from the UK? If we waited for news off the boat it could have taken no longer.
What Else Is The Washington Post Missing?
Well there’s this from Newsday:
June 20, 2005
Associated Press story describing another six unvarnished pre-invasion memos now leaked from the UK.
Toby Dodge, identified as an Iraq expert who teaches at Queen Mary College, University of London:
Dodge said the memos also confirm that “soon after 9/11 happened, the starting gun was fired for the invasion of Iraq.”
Even though, as UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw then wrote, “there has been no credible evidence to link Iraq with OBL [Osama bin Laden] and al-Qaida.”
Tomorrow’s Demonstration In Front Of Washington Post Building:
I am not at all appeased by today’s front page story on the DSM. Not a bit of it. And don’t think for a minute that Dana Milbank’s smear on the Democratic House Judiciary Hearing on the Downing Street Minutes is all forgiven and forgotten. The Washington Post let this piece of garbage past their editorial staff, while Newsday, which is considered a rag, got the scoop. Fie on you, Washington Post. Fie!
by davidswanson on Sun, 2005-06-26 19:36. Activism
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 27, 2005
WHAT: PICKET LINE AND DEMONSTRATION
WHEN: 5:00 PM, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29
WHERE: 1150 15TH ST., NW, WASHINGTON, DC
Members of a growing list of organizations concerned about the continued failure by the Washington Post, in particular, and much of the mainstream media, in general, to adequately cover the eight “Downing Street Papers”, will conduct a peaceful protest in front of the Washington, D. C. offices of the Washington Post from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Wednesday, June 29.
The demonstration has already been endorsed by the Progressive Democrats of America, Code Pink, AfterDowningStreet.org, Democrats.com, Northern Virginians United for Peace and Justice, with more groups signing on every day. Members of the DC Anti-War Network (DAWN), Gold Star Families for Peace, and other organizations will also participate in the demonstration.
And On Tonight’s Speech:
By Ralph Nadar and Kevin Zeese
June 27, 2005
President Bush will be addressing the nation about Iraq on Tuesday night. This is the first time he will be speaking to the country on the U.S. occupation of Iraq since the Downing Street Memos have been released. As ten senators pointed out in a letter on Friday, June 24 “at a time the White House was promising Congress and the American people that war would be their last resort, that they believed military action against Iraq was ‘inevitable.'”
Previous Diaries WTF DSM:
MSM WTF? dKos and RAWSTORY on “Spikes of Activity”
WTF MSM DSM? An Alternate View of DSM Non-Reporting
WTF MSM DSM? A Retired Journalist Answers
Media Tracking to End War In Iraq;
Media Tracking RAF Bombing & “Spikes of Activity”:
IRAQ WAR MEDIA TRACKING — Thanks for Your Help
Going to take two extra-strength Tylenol now. See you in the funny papers, WaPo.
