Do whatever you like, but don't throw me in the briar patch?
hehehehehe
As bodies recovered, reporters are told 'no photos, no stories'
Outside one house on Kentucky Street, a member of the Army 82nd Airborne Division summoned a reporter and photographer standing nearby and told them that if they took pictures or wrote a story about the body recovery process, he would take away their press credentials and kick them out of the state.
Posted Sep 13, 2005 03:15 PM PST
Category: CURRENT EVENTS
New Orleans was a "Charlie Foxtrot" starting with the funding cuts for flood control and ending with the slow response to the aftermath of the hurricane. Every dead body is a condemnation of the way Bush and his Neocons have been running this country.
You see, in our country, we have Constitutional liberties called "freedom of the press." Bushco has disallowed this to happen on many occasions.
It will not be difficult to do a google search on how many times this administration has restricted "freedom of the press."
dlowan wrote:Timber, given that you are just as capable as anybody of very extended sniping, in fact more capable than most, and often fully as nasty in your way (eg your gloating performance post election was actually the worst and most childish, in my estimation, possibly because it was of a depth unexpected of you) I always find your attempts to look not only magisterial but majestic and nonpartisan when you come in and deliver these little homilies very odd.
You are totally right, of course, and its always struck me as rather transparently disingenious too.
Truth said tho, he does seem to have mellowed out quite a bit since then. Taken a bit of a distance.
From Freedom House:
"In addition to the United States, setbacks took place in Argentina, Peru, Mexico-where four journalists were killed in 2004-and Venezuela, where a new media law was passed that mandated large fines for broadcasting various forms of "prohibited" content."
nimh wrote:dlowan wrote:Timber, given that you are just as capable as anybody of very extended sniping, in fact more capable than most, and often fully as nasty in your way (eg your gloating performance post election was actually the worst and most childish, in my estimation, possibly because it was of a depth unexpected of you) I always find your attempts to look not only magisterial but majestic and nonpartisan when you come in and deliver these little homilies very odd.
You are totally right, of course, and its always struck me as rather transparently disingenious too.
Truth said tho, he does seem to have mellowed out quite a bit since then. Taken a bit of a distance.
Sure. Sometimes.
Anyhoo, I have said my piece, and I won't be saying anything else about it.
I like Timber, which is prolly why I get more annoyed when he does this stuff, than when the ilk do it.
:wink:
cicerone imposter wrote:As bodies recovered, reporters are told 'no photos, no stories'
Outside one house on Kentucky Street, a member of the Army 82nd Airborne Division summoned a reporter and photographer standing nearby and told them that if they took pictures or wrote a story about the body recovery process, he would take away their press credentials and kick them out of the state.
Posted Sep 13, 2005 03:15 PM PST
Category: CURRENT EVENTS
New Orleans was a "Charlie Foxtrot" starting with the funding cuts for flood control and ending with the slow response to the aftermath of the hurricane. Every dead body is a condemnation of the way Bush and his Neocons have been running this country.
You see, in our country, we have Constitutional liberties called "freedom of the press." Bushco has disallowed this to happen on many occasions.
It will not be difficult to do a google search on how many times this administration has restricted "freedom of the press."
Hmm, yes, I know about that, and I find that pretty terrible, like the no photos of coffins from Iraq.
Particularly in your country, which I believe really has a large contingent of people who really do struggle to tell the truth.
But that is not barring nonBushspeak journos from the White House, which is what I thought you were talking about?
A reporter named Thomas who covered the White House beat more than any other reporter is now restricted from attending, because she asked the wrong q's.
Ahhh?
Helen Thomas?
She would ask the "wrong" questions!
Whaddaya mean restricted?
From the New Yorker:
"FORTRESS BUSH
How the White House keeps the press under control.
by KEN AULETTA
Issue of 2004-01-19
Posted 2004-01-12"
dlowan wrote:Ahhh?
Helen Thomas?
She would ask the "wrong" questions!
Whaddaya mean restricted?
I think they make her sit waaay in the back of the room, and they no longer take questions from her. They don't consider her a "real " correspondent.
Anybody remember what she asked that resulted in her banishment to the back? I just remember that she is no longer seen in the front rows.
dlowan wrote:Hmm, yes, I know about that, and I find that pretty terrible, like the no photos of coffins from Iraq.
What on earth is the hang up with showing dead bodies and coffins with you people?
LionTamerX wrote:dlowan wrote:Ahhh?
Helen Thomas?
She would ask the "wrong" questions!
Whaddaya mean restricted?
I think they make her sit waaay in the back of the room, and they no longer take questions from her. They don't consider her a "real " correspondent.
She's as "real" a journalist as Arianna Huffington.
LionTamerX wrote:dlowan wrote:Ahhh?
Helen Thomas?
She would ask the "wrong" questions!
Whaddaya mean restricted?
I think they make her sit waaay in the back of the room, and they no longer take questions from her. They don't consider her a "real " correspondent.
When Bushco did that to Helen Thomas, Dean of the Whitehouse Press Corps, I was so disgusted that the rest of the wimpy journalists didn't get up and walk out of the press room and not go back until she was respected again.
Bush may hate the Media, but he needs and uses it. If the Media had punched him back, he would have caved, but the wimps just sat there and took it.
BBB
Found this:
Helen Thomas
Commonly referred to as "The First Lady of the Press," former White House Bureau Chief Helen Thomas is a trailblazer, breaking through barriers for women reporters while covering every President since John F. Kennedy. For 57 years, Helen also served as White House correspondent for United Press International. She recently left this post and joined Hearst Newspapers as a syndicated columnist.
Born in Winchester, Kentucky, Helen Thomas was raised in Detroit, Michigan where she attended public schools and later graduated from Wayne State University. Upon leaving college,Helen served as a copy girl on the old, now defunct Washington Daily News. In 1943, Ms. Thomas joined United Press International and the Washington Press Corps.
For 12 years, Helen wrote radio news for UPI, her work day beginning at 5:30am. Eventually she covered the news of the Federal government, including the FBI and Capitol Hill.
In November, 1960, Helen Thomas began covering then President elect John F. Kennedy, following him to the White House in January, 1961 as a member of the UPI team. It was during this first White House assignment that Thomas began closing presidential press conferences with "Thank you, Mr. President."
Thomas called Bush the "worst president."
Helen Thomas at the White House:
Quote:January 6, 2003 - 12:35 P.M. EST
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon and happy New Year to everybody. The President began his day with an intelligence briefing, followed by an FBI briefing. Then he had a series of policy briefings. And this afternoon, the President will look forward to a Cabinet meeting where the President will discuss with members of his Cabinet his agenda for the year. The President is going to focus on economic growth, making America a more compassionate country, and providing for the security of our nation abroad and on the homefront.
And with that, I'm more than happy to take your questions. Helen.
HELEN THOMAS: At the earlier briefing, Ari, you said that the President deplored the taking of innocent lives. Does that apply to all innocent lives in the world? And I have a follow-up.
MR. FLEISCHER: I refer specifically to a horrible terrorist attack on Tel Aviv that killed scores and wounded hundreds. And the President, as he said in his statement yesterday, deplores in the strongest terms the taking of those lives and the wounding of those people, innocents in Israel.
MS. THOMAS: My follow-up is, why does he want to drop bombs on innocent Iraqis?
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, the question is how to protect Americans, and our allies and friends --
MS. THOMAS: They're not attacking you.
MR. FLEISCHER: -- from a country --
MS. THOMAS: Have they laid the glove on you or on the United States, the Iraqis, in 11 years?
MR. FLEISCHER: I guess you have forgotten about the Americans who were killed in the first Gulf War as a result of Saddam Hussein's aggression then.
MS. THOMAS: Is this revenge, 11 years of revenge?
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, I think you know very well that the President's position is that he wants to avert war, and that the President has asked the United Nations to go into Iraq to help with the purpose of averting war.
MS. THOMAS: Would the President attack innocent Iraqi lives?
MR. FLEISCHER: The President wants to make certain that he can defend our country, defend our interests, defend the region, and make certain that American lives are not lost.
MS. THOMAS: And he thinks they are a threat to us?
MR. FLEISCHER: There is no question that the President thinks that Iraq is a threat to the United States.
MS. THOMAS: The Iraqi people?
MR. FLEISCHER: The Iraqi people are represented by their government. If there was regime change, the Iraqi --
MS. THOMAS: So they will be vulnerable?
MR. FLEISCHER: Actually, the President has made it very clear that he has not dispute with the people of Iraq. That's why the American policy remains a policy of regime change. There is no question the people of Iraq --
MS. THOMAS: That's a decision for them to make, isn't it? It's their country.
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, if you think that the people of Iraq are in a position to dictate who their dictator is, I don't think that has been what history has shown.
MS. THOMAS: I think many countries don't have -- people don't have the decision -- including us.
SOURCE
Personally, I think "journalists" shouldn't promote their agenda (pro-war or anti-war) in the tenor of their questions. They also shouldn't engage the Press Secretary in an anti-war argument. No?
Why not? She's asking about the president's position on killing innocent Iraqis. I see that as asking the right questions, since the Iraqi people are not a danger to our country or Americans.
More of Helen "The Advocate":
Quote: MR. FLEISCHER: I hope -- (laughter) -- at the same time. No, the President, of course, believes that democracy can spread to Iraq. Why shouldn't it? Democracy is not boxed in. Democracy doesn't live in limits. Democracy, as the President says, is God's gift to the world. Liberty does not come from America. Liberty is a naturally endowed right that comes from the Creator, according to our own Declaration of Independence. There is no reason in the world that the President does not think that democracy can spread. And the President does believe that the people of Iraq are fully capable of living under a democratic way of life. Of course, they are.
Q Then why are you going to bomb them? (Laughter.) I mean, how do you bomb people back to democracy? This is a question of conquest. They didn't ask to be liberated by the United States. This is our self-imposed political solution for them.
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me guess that you will not be at the speech tonight. Helen, the President is going to --
Q I'll be very interested in what the President has to say because I don't think -- I think if you ask five people anywhere, what's the reason the President wants to go to war, you'll get five different answers. Usually there's one defining moment and solution.
MR. FLEISCHER: Tonight, the President is going to discuss this. I think you will hear the President tonight talk about the threat of Saddam Hussein and how he poses a danger to the American --
Q In 12 years he hasn't done anything.
MR. FLEISCHER: We will temporarily suspend the Q&A portion of today's briefing to bring you this advocacy minute. (Laughter.)
SOURCE
BTW, That's a question many Americans should have been asking.
