Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly.
He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
I mean, reporters are not supposed to fire accusations at the president or anybody else they’re — they’re interrogating, and that was wrong.
Hmmm. Ms. Liasson seems to have lost her dictionary along the way. Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines “interrogate”:
1 : to question formally and systematically
Now granted, perhaps Ms. Liasson is confusing the White House Press Corp with stenographers. It’s an understandable mistake. But really, they are supposed to ask questions, not just prompt the President or Scotty or whoever for the next part of their prepared statement.
BAGHDAD, Iraq Mar 23, 2006 (AP)– At least 56 Iraqis died Thursday in violence, including a car bombing that killed 25 people in the third major attack on a police lockup in three days.
A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives at the entrance to the Interior Ministry Major Crimes unit in Baghdad’s central Karradah district, killing 10 civilians and 15 policemen employed there, authorities said.
Perhaps someone could have asked “If this is ‘pulling back’ from the abyss, what does jumping in look like?”
Under a headline “Three Western Aide Workers Rescued in Military Operation” comes this:
Military commanders jealously guarded details of this morning’s rescue operation, saying they did not want to compromise continuing operations. Among the scant information General Lynch offered at a news briefing, he said a detainee captured Wednesday night provided the authorities with information that guided them to the house where the three hostages were being held. The captives were found unguarded, their kidnappers having vanished, General Lynch said.
In other words, the kidnappers told our troops where the hostages were and then ran off. This is usually referred to as a “hostage release”, not a rescue in a military operation.
Just as a sidebar, notice the name of the General – “Lynch”. This is funny because when I read the story it made me think immediately of the Jessica Lynch “rescue”.
Mara Liasson is full of it. She’s old enough to remember Dan Rather asking pointed questions of Nixon, and how – long after the memory of the substance of the question and answer were gone – what the public was left with was the image of “a president embattled” or “a president having to defend himself against pointed critics.” It certainly didn’t do anything to hurt Dan Rather’s career! Oh yeah – my bad – we had a press with some spine then. 😛
If I was NPR I’d fire anyone who appears on Fox to add “balance.” It’s a load of crap and they (Liasson, Williams, Roberts) know it. It’s (pardon the expression) complete whoredom on their part.
Frankly, I get more pissed at NPR’s pretense of “fair & balanced” reporting. They very cleverly mask their biases under the cloak of ‘objectivity.’ It’s a farce!
(Flipping channels the other night, I witnessed the most incredible scene on Fox. O’Reilly had Medea Benjamin — of CodePink, Global Exchange — on & he was actually allowing her to talk without interruption & actually sounded respectful of her when asking questions. Guess he popped an extra vicodin or two that night — i dunno, but it was truly “extra”-ordinary. I switched channels when she was done, before he had the chance to start making fun of her.)
As far as I am concerned, this mara crap is a little late. Don’t anyone get me wrong, as far as I am concerned, she should have been fired from npr months if not more than a year ago! What bothers me a bit is that here it goes again, too little and definitely too late. Just go back and check out some of her earlier commentaries. Then it will becme obvious what I am talking about. But- if this latest stunt results in her dismissal, then it’s worthwhile.
I am a true supporter of free speech but that requires ( as far as I am concerned) a statement as to whether the speaker is promoting or reporting! A very simple act that takes almost less time than it takes google to search a request.
Get rid of her and let faux pay her to spew!
billjpa
Gearing up for my first counter-recruitment vigil in Portland. We’re bringing kids, however that may not be a good idea… seeing as how the CIC is training our guys to see children – even BABIES – as “INSURGENTS” & “HOSTILES”.
Going with some good people – most are veterans.
Friday, my husband is going to rally with VFP for the first time.
Haditha, the killing of babies, children… this war… this lie for a war. This lie for an illegal occupation cloaked in patriotic spew titled in name only as a “war” but is actually the free falling murdering of innocent Iraqi citizens.
There.. now I can breathe and live – and have lunch.
WASHINGTON – In the aftermath of the Dubai ports dispute, the Bush administration is hiring a Hong Kong conglomerate to help detect nuclear materials inside cargo passing through the Bahamas to the United States and elsewhere.
The administration acknowledges the no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. represents the first time a foreign company will be involved in running a sophisticated U.S. radiation detector at an overseas port without American customs agents present.
Freeport in the Bahamas is 65 miles from the U.S. coast, where cargo would be likely to be inspected again. The contract is currently being finalized.
The administration is negotiating a second no-bid contract for a Philippine company to install radiation detectors in its home country, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. At dozens of other overseas ports, foreign governments are primarily responsible for scanning cargo.
Just had to mention this:
Jimmy Carter is posting over at that orange place.
Well, technically it’s one of his grandkids posting a statement on his behalf.
Hmmm. Ms. Liasson seems to have lost her dictionary along the way. Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines “interrogate”:
Now granted, perhaps Ms. Liasson is confusing the White House Press Corp with stenographers. It’s an understandable mistake. But really, they are supposed to ask questions, not just prompt the President or Scotty or whoever for the next part of their prepared statement.
Actually, in fairness, it was not Liasson who said that, it was Fred Barnes, who is a FAR bigger asshole.
You in the press aren’t trying to win the Miss Congeniality award – or shouldn’t be! Afflict the comfortable, right? You’re not running for anything.
can somebody explain this to me. Scotty repeated Bush’s “the Iraqis have looked into the abyss of civil war and pulled back” a couple of hours ago.
From ABC:
Perhaps someone could have asked “If this is ‘pulling back’ from the abyss, what does jumping in look like?”
Fuck the NY Times.
Under a headline “Three Western Aide Workers Rescued in Military Operation” comes this:
In other words, the kidnappers told our troops where the hostages were and then ran off. This is usually referred to as a “hostage release”, not a rescue in a military operation.
Just as a sidebar, notice the name of the General – “Lynch”. This is funny because when I read the story it made me think immediately of the Jessica Lynch “rescue”.
Mara Liasson is full of it. She’s old enough to remember Dan Rather asking pointed questions of Nixon, and how – long after the memory of the substance of the question and answer were gone – what the public was left with was the image of “a president embattled” or “a president having to defend himself against pointed critics.” It certainly didn’t do anything to hurt Dan Rather’s career! Oh yeah – my bad – we had a press with some spine then. 😛
If I was NPR I’d fire anyone who appears on Fox to add “balance.” It’s a load of crap and they (Liasson, Williams, Roberts) know it. It’s (pardon the expression) complete whoredom on their part.
Frankly, I get more pissed at NPR’s pretense of “fair & balanced” reporting. They very cleverly mask their biases under the cloak of ‘objectivity.’ It’s a farce!
(Flipping channels the other night, I witnessed the most incredible scene on Fox. O’Reilly had Medea Benjamin — of CodePink, Global Exchange — on & he was actually allowing her to talk without interruption & actually sounded respectful of her when asking questions. Guess he popped an extra vicodin or two that night — i dunno, but it was truly “extra”-ordinary. I switched channels when she was done, before he had the chance to start making fun of her.)
As far as I am concerned, this mara crap is a little late. Don’t anyone get me wrong, as far as I am concerned, she should have been fired from npr months if not more than a year ago! What bothers me a bit is that here it goes again, too little and definitely too late. Just go back and check out some of her earlier commentaries. Then it will becme obvious what I am talking about. But- if this latest stunt results in her dismissal, then it’s worthwhile.
I am a true supporter of free speech but that requires ( as far as I am concerned) a statement as to whether the speaker is promoting or reporting! A very simple act that takes almost less time than it takes google to search a request.
Get rid of her and let faux pay her to spew!
billjpa
Gearing up for my first counter-recruitment vigil in Portland. We’re bringing kids, however that may not be a good idea… seeing as how the CIC is training our guys to see children – even BABIES – as “INSURGENTS” & “HOSTILES”.
Going with some good people – most are veterans.
Friday, my husband is going to rally with VFP for the first time.
Haditha, the killing of babies, children… this war… this lie for a war. This lie for an illegal occupation cloaked in patriotic spew titled in name only as a “war” but is actually the free falling murdering of innocent Iraqi citizens.
There.. now I can breathe and live – and have lunch.
Chinese company given no-bid contract to scan for nukes:
OMG!!!!
As they say, will wonders (ahem) never cease?
out about the Uigher stevedores.