I don't really see any scandal here. Even if all the Cable Media reporters from MSNBC, CNN and FOX, the CBS reporters, WSJ, WaPo and NYT reporters had been there for the news conference, why would we have any reason to think they would have asked hardball questions? I mean, they sat side by side with Jeff Gannon in the WH press room and didn't let out a peep when he was lobbing softballs at Bush. The sad fact is that in this Bush World, the real reporters are no better than the shills.
Posted by T2 at October 26, 2007 12:44 PMan addendum to my post above: Johnson, the FEMA guy, has now apologized for the ruse. I did happen to see that presser live on cable and thought at the time -" gee, that guy is really polished..his answers sound totally spot on." I should have guessed it was all fake.
Posted by T2 at October 26, 2007 01:28 PMapologies for wandering off topic, but is anyone in the Real Media (as opposed to the FEMA media) going to ask Rudy about having the entire Neo-Con gang as his foreign advisors? Maybe something like "Rudy, you've hired the guys who were 1000% wrong on Iraq to advise you. What made you think that was a good idea? " and a follow up - "And who made you do it?"
Posted by T2 at October 26, 2007 01:32 PMT2, excellent question and I'm waiting for someone to ask him the same thing. It's bound to happen. Either by the media or during the general if he makes it.
Posted by Jeff Dinelli at October 26, 2007 01:42 PMJeff, we may be in for a long wait. My take is that Guiliani is the handpicked successor to Bush among the Cheney crowd. These guys have openly said that they don't think most of the GOP candidates and any of the Dems (of course) will be willing to take the gunslinger approach to policy Bush has. Rudy would be that man. When TX Gov. Big Hair Perry endorsed Rudy a couple weeks back, that sealed the deal for me. Perry takes his marching orders from the Rove Wing of the GOP and is Bush's waterboy in TX. That told me that the people behind Bush are also the ones behind Guiliani. And they'll screw the evangelicals if that's the way it rolls. The evan's know this and hence Brownback's endorsement. Bush = Rudy.
Posted by T2 at October 26, 2007 01:58 PMGive FEMA credit, they did draw the line at the suggestion of a Helen Thomas impersonator.
Posted by TIKI AL at October 26, 2007 02:34 PMAnd they did call those people on the carpet for the stunt.
Jeff, isn't that NYTimes guy, O'Hanlon one of HC's fp advisors, you remember him, the guy who said the surge is working. Nice reward now to be working with her. And let's see, isn't that "down the pants" Sandy Berger also working with her even after he had to surrender his law licence and lost his security clearance. Wonder of wonders, he's destined to be in her admin and regain his security clearance should she win next year.
Speaking of propaganda AND wandering off topic:
I just saw on CNN the Iranian Army doing marching manuevers which from the air depicted a giant sword cutting into an American Flag, a Star of David, and a swatstika.
With a slight theme change, I think they would be naturals for the next Superbowl halftime show held here in AZ. This reaching out could do wonders for the current tension and bring world peace along with wholesome G rated Superbowl entertainment.
Posted by TIKI AL at October 26, 2007 04:01 PMTIKI, that wasn't a Star of David, it was Janet Jackson's nipple... and the sword... anyhow, if they're that good, I see no reason why the Iranian Army Drill Team couldn't be part of the half-time festivities. Maybe they can arrange to have another one of those over-the-field cameras dangle dangerously as the entertainers scramble out of the way...
Hell, I might tune in for that show! But the first frikkin' beer commercial, and I'm outie. I got way better ways to kill brain cells than that swill can offer.
Posted by iamcoyote at October 26, 2007 04:53 PMInteresting points, hmmm. We have also added our comments to the discussion about the fires from a progressive point of view. Please check out our blog, OB Rag and can be found here: obrag.org
Frank Gormlie
Posted by frank gormlie at October 26, 2007 09:30 PM