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Gaggle – Newbusters.org
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Iraq War Watch: Barack Obama – “REDUCE” Cut and Run
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks before the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005, in Chicago where he called for a troop reduction in Iraq and criticized the Bush administration for questioning the patriotism of people who speak out against the war.The ASSociated Press has Obama Calls for Troop Reduction in Iraq
llinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday called for a troop reduction in Iraq and criticized the Bush administration for questioning the patriotism of people who speak out against the war.
“I believe that U.S. forces are still a part of the solution in Iraq,” according to a prepared text of Obama’s speech to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. “The strategic goals should be to allow for a limited drawdown of U.S. troops, coupled with shift to a more effective counter-insurgency strategy that puts the Iraqi security forces in the lead and intensifies our efforts to train Iraqi forces.”
Following the Dec. 15 Iraqi elections, Obama said the United States should focus over the course of the next year on how to reduce its troops there.
“Notice that I say ‘reduce’ and not ‘fully withdraw,'” Obama said.
Ok, a modified, hedged, “REDUCED” cut and run strategy.
Aren’t we ingenious?
The freshman lawmaker also joined the chorus of politicians defending decorated Vietnam War veteran Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who was criticized by the Bush administration, other Republicans and the public after calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops.
“We watched the shameful attempt to paint John Murtha – a Marine Corp recipient of two purple hearts and a Bronze Star – into a coward of questionable patriotism,” Obama said.
Flap as not heard from anyone in the Bush administration who questions Murtha’s patriotism. In fact, yesterday, the Vice President praised him for his service to America.
However, Murtha’s and Obama’s cut and run strategy out of the Iraq War is WRONG.
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Samuel Alito Watch: Fox News Refuses to Air Factually Incorrect Television Ad
The ASSociated Press has Fox News Won’t Show Ad Opposing Alito
Fox News is refusing to air an ad critical of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, citing its lawyers’ contention that the spot is factually incorrect.
A spokesman for the groups sponsoring the ad said the network’s decision reflects the political right’s effort to shield President Bush’s choice for the high court.
The ad says that as an appellate court judge, Alito has “ruled to make it easier for corporations to discriminate … even voted to approve strip search of a 10-year-old girl.” Referring to a document Alito wrote in 1985 while seeking a job in the Reagan administration, it quotes him as saying that “the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion.”
The groups backing the ad include the Alliance for Justice, the Leadership Conference on Civil rights, People for The American Way and abortion rights organizations.
The ad is here. The Title is “West Wing”.
The ad is factually incorrect and disingenuous.
But, what do you expect from the Lefties.
In a 2004 decision, the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in the case of four police officers who faced a lawsuit after the search of a mother and her 10-year-old daughter in the course of executing a search warrant for narcotics.
The court said “searching Jane and Mary Doe for evidence beyond the scope of the warrant and without probable cause violated their clearly established Fourth Amendment rights.” The court pointed out that “a search warrant for a premises does not constitute a license to search everyone inside.”
Alito dissented in the case, saying the best reading of the warrant is that it authorized the search of anyone found on the premises. He added that even if the warrant didn’t explicitly give that authorization, “a reasonable police officer could certainly have read the warrant as doing so.”
Fox has taken a responsible approach and asked them to correct the ad – as should other media outlets.
If they do not edit and make corrections then the media folks can determine if they wish to decline to broadcast it or give Judge Alito some fair response avenues.
Paul Shur, a spokesman for Fox, said that according to the network’s lawyers, the ad is “factually incorrect and we’ve given them an opportunity to fix it.”
Said Jim Jordan, a spokesman for the groups: “The entire right wing establishment, from Pat Robertson to Jerry Falwell to Fox News, has circled the wagons around Sam Alito.”
Asked about changing the ad in response to Fox’s request, Jordan said, “Roger Ailes doesn’t get to edit our ads.” Ailes is chairman of Fox News.Officials said the ad would run on cable television news programs nationally as well as in Maine and Rhode Island, two states that have three moderate Republican senators.
They declined to say how much would be spent, but officials at rival organizations placed the expenditure at less than $65,000, an amount unlikely to make a significant impact.
Kudos to Fox News……..
The War for Alito has just begun…….
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Iraq War Watch: CNN MARKS CHENEY: NETWORK FLASHES ‘X’ OVER VP’S FACE DURING LIVE SPEECH Part Two
Update:
Now Matt Drudge is reporting that it is a Computer BUG that caused the X.
CNN: ‘IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN RE-CREATE TO SHOW YOU HOW IT HAPPENED’… ‘IT WAS A COMPUTER BUG’
CNN transcript:
CNN anchor/reporter Daryn Kagan: “I have come back into the control room because we want to explain something to you that happened on this newscast yesterday. During our live coverage of a speech by Vice President Dick Cheney there was a technical malfunction, you’ll see it here.
It involved a switcher, something we call a switcher. It’s a machine that we use to switch between visual elements.
Now, that glitch resulted in that ‘X’ that you saw being flashed briefly across the screen as the vice president was speaking.
The story has made it on to the internet and various blogs in there.
In response, CNN has issued this statement.
‘Upon seeing this unfortunate but very brief graphic, CNN senior management immediately investigated. We concluded this was a technical malfunction not an issue of operator error.’
Joining me to explain what happened Steve our CNN director of technical operations.
We’re putting you on the hot seat here.
People at home are watching Vice President Dick Cheney.
What happened?
What were we trying to create behind the scenes?
At the end of the speech the plan was to do, to have a CNN logo up on the screen and use that as the way of getting back from the speech back to you on camera and one of the many graphics we use here at CNN.
Stay Tuned…….the story is getting interesting……..
Matt Drudge has CNN MARKS CHENEY: NETWORK FLASHES ‘X’ OVER VP’S FACE DURING LIVE SPEECH
At 11:04:45 AM ET Monday CNN was airing Vice President Dick Cheney’s speech live from the American Enterprise Institute in Washington — when a large black ‘X’ repeatedly flashed over the vice president’s face!
The ‘X’ over Cheney’s face appeared each time less than a second, creating an odd subliminal effect.
As this DRUDGE REPORT screen capture reveals, while one ‘X’ flashed over Cheney’s face CNN ran a headline at the bottom of its screen: “CHENEY: I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS WRONG TO CRITICIZE.”
One top White House source expressed concern about what was aired over CNN.
“Is someone in Atlanta trying to tell us something?”
A CNN spokesman did not return repeated calls late Monday night.
Earth to CNN….. what is up?
Update #1
TV Newser has an explanation from CNN:
Responding to TVNewser’s request for comment this evening, a CNN spokesperson explained: “This was a technolgical malfunction, not an issue of operator error. A portion of the switcher experienced a momentary glitch.”
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California Election 2006 Watch: New Field Poll
Poll tests candidate recognition
The Sacramento Bee has Lots of names, but who are they?
If your name is Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cruz Bustamante or even Warren Beatty, California voters may not think much of you, but at least they know enough to have an opinion.
But if you’re Joe Dunn, Debra Bowen or Charles Poochigian, toiling away for years in the Legislature apparently has done little to record you in the minds of most, according to a new Field Poll.
As the field shapes up for seven partisan statewide offices at stake in next year’s elections, most hopefuls face a long path to reach voters’ collective consciousness, and even longer to win their hearts and minds, the poll found.
The Field Poll can be found here.
Most noteworthy:
State Sen. Tom McClintock, a Thousand Oaks Republican running for lieutenant governor, drew acknowledgment from 53 percent of voters, with favorable views outnumbering unfavorable 2-to-1. Even Democrats were relatively divided on McClintock – with unfavorable views outnumbering favorable by only 27 percent to 23 percent – despite his status as one of the most conservative voices in the Legislature.
McClintock is drawing wide appeal and makes a formidable candidate for Lt. Governor.
Then, it is onto 2010 and the battle against Antonio Villagairosa, the Mayor of Los Angeles for the governorship.
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Stanley “Tookie” Williams Watch: Jesse Jackson, Bianca Jagger Plead for LIFE
AFP has Jesse Jackson, Bianca Jagger plead for life of US inmate
Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and human rights champion Bianca Jagger visited a condemned US inmate and called for celebrity governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to spare his life.
Crips gang co-founder Stanley “Tookie” Williams has redeemed himself writing children’s books during his 25 years in San Quentin State Prison and still denies committing the four murders that landed him on death row, Jackson said.
“The evidence, at best, is shoddy. His reputation as a gang leader was on trial, not the actual evidence of the murders,” Jackson said after he and Jagger walked out of the prison where they visited Williams.
“Not long ago we were told there was evidence of weapons of mass destruction, a slam dunk. We lost American lives on circumstantial information and we should not make that kind of life-or-death decision again.”
Jackson and Jagger decried the case against Williams as based on evidence that included jailhouse “snitches” out to ingratiate themselves with police.
Williams is an African-American man railroaded by a prejudiced judicial system because he couldn’t afford better lawyers, said Jagger, the first wife of famed Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger.
Potential black jurors were kept off the jury that convicted Williams, Jagger said.
Williams has not apologized for the slayings because “he would rather die than lie” and lay claim to crimes he did not commit, Jackson and Jagger said.
“I appeal to governor Schwarzenegger,” Jagger said, her eyes watering and her lips trembling. “You could grant him clemency; change death to life imprisonment without parole.”
Flap wants JUSTICE for the four DEAD MURDERED victims of Williams.
He deserves the “BIG JAB”.
Related:
Stanley “Tookie†Williams Watch: SNOOP DOGG BEGS SCHWARZENEGGER FOR CLEMENCY
Stanley “Tookie†Williams Watch: California’s Life-and-Death Politics
Stanley “Tookie†Williams Watch: Death Warrant Signed
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CIA Leak Case Watch: Woodward Expresses Regret But WON’T Reveal Source
Reuters has Woodward expresses regrets in CIA leak case
Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward on Monday expressed regret about some of his conduct in the CIA leak probe, and compared his pledge not to name his source to the promise he made to “Deep Throat” in the Watergate case.
Woodward, in an interview with CNN’s Larry King, said he should not have voiced personal opinions about the criminal investigation on television and should have informed Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie sooner about his involvement.
One of the best-known investigative reporters in the United States, Woodward revealed last week that he had testified under oath to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that a senior Bush administration official told him in mid-June 2003 about CIA operative Valerie Plame’s position at the agency.
Woodward said he spoke to his high-level source about Plame approximately a week to 10 days before New York Times reporter Judith Miller’s June 23, 2003 meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, Lewis “Scooter” Libby.
Libby was charged last month with perjury and obstructing justice in the leak case, and Fitzgerald said at the time that Libby was the first official known to have told a reporter about Plame.
Well, Woodward’s conduct continues to be self-serving. He is attempting to spin his ethics failure in allowing Judith Miller to be jailed and Scooter Libby to be indicted.
One of two Washington Post reporters famed for coverage of the 1970s Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon, Woodward has apologized to Downie for waiting more than two years to tell him about his involvement in the Plame case.
“I should have, as I have many, many times, taken him into my confidence. And I did not,” Woodward said.
Woodward said Downie now knows the identity of his confidential source, and called it “fair game” for other reporters to try to figure out who the source is.
But he said he would not violate his promise of confidentiality, calling it “the vital lifeline” of his work as an investigative reporter. “I’m not going to go out and risk that,” Woodward said.
But, Woodward should be forthcoming to Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald if he knows facts that would affect Libby’s case.
“Hopefully, this isn’t going to be 33 years until we find out exactly what happened,” Woodward added, referring to former FBI man Mark Felt, who revealed he was “Deep Throat” earlier this year.
Woodward has come under fire from media experts and Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell for withholding what he knew about Plame from Downie and for making public statements dismissive of the investigation without disclosing his own involvement.
In a series of television and radio interviews before publicly disclosing his involvement, Woodward described the leak case as laughable and Fitzgerald’s inquiry as “disgraceful.”
Woodward said he should not have expressed his personal opinions about the investigation on television, adding “I think I was a little hyper and (had) a lot of pent-up frustrations.”
Woodward stood by his earlier assessment that there was no “vast conspiracy to slime” Iraq war critic Joseph Wilson by outing his wife.
Time to withdraw the Libby indictment and end this two year plus investigation.
Fitzgerald is wasting taxpayer’s money.
Related:
CIA Leak Case Watch: Is Armitage Woodward’s Source?
CIA Leak Case Watch: Fitzpatrick Proceeds Before NEW Grand Jury
CIA Leak Case Watch: Joe Wilson wants Washington Post to Probe WoodwardCIA Leak Case Watch: Time to Withdraw the Libby Indictment
CIA Leak Case Watch: Woodward Claim on CIA Leak Disputes Charge
CIA Leak Case Watch: Charges Don’t Directly Address CIA LeakCIA Leak Case Watch: Lack-Of-Memory Defense for Libby?
CIA Leak Case Watch: Joe Wilson wants Washington Post to Probe Woodward
CIA Leak Case Watch: Time to Withdraw the Libby Indictment
CIA Leak Case Watch: Woodward Claim on CIA Leak Disputes Charge
CIA Leak Case Watch: Charges Don’t Directly Address CIA Leak
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Day By Day by Chris Muir
