On Today, Lauer provided open forum for Gingrich's politically motivated "World War III" rhetoric
SUMMARY: On NBC's Today, host Matt Lauer let Newt Gingrich repeat and promote his claim that current fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with what Gingrich reported as a fear of Hezbollah attacks elsewhere, amounts to World War III. Despite media reports that Gingrich intends to promote the World War III rhetoric to give Republicans an edge in the 2006 congressional elections -- and that he is also urging President Bush and congressional Republicans to use war rhetoric for political gain -- Lauer failed to question the validity or motivation of Gingrich's characterization.
On the July 19 broadcast of NBC's Today, host Matt Lauer allowed Fox News political contributor and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) to repeat and promote his claim that current fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with what Gingrich reported as a fear of Hezbollah attacks elsewhere, amounts to World War III. Despite media reports that Gingrich intends to promote the World War III rhetoric to give Republicans an edge in the 2006 congressional elections -- and that he is also urging President Bush and congressional Republicans to use war rhetoric for political gain -- Lauer failed to question the validity or motivation of Gingrich's assertions. Instead, Lauer repeated them, and at Gingrich's suggestion, displayed a map intended to "put that [Gingrich's assertions] up graphically, and show you the fight against radical Islam, and look at where they have strong roots."
As Media Matters for America noted when Gingrich advanced his World War III rhetoric on the July 16 broadcast of NBC's Meet the Press, The Seattle Times reported that in a recent interview, Gingrich talked about the "need to recognize World War III as important for military strategy and political strategy." The article reported that Gingrich was "very worried" about Republicans' chances in the fall elections and said that President Bush "needs to deliver a speech to Congress and 'connect all the dots' for Americans." Gingrich reportedly also told the Seattle Times that "public opinion can change 'the minute you use the language' of World War III," and that "in the coming days he plans to speak out publicly, and to the Administration, about the need to recognize that America is in World War III."
Gingrich's comments -- as reported by the Times -- were noted on July 17 by Countdown host Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, which NBC owns:
OLBERMANN: Our fourth story on the Countdown: World War III, episode three. History, or at least Newt Gingrich, once again jumping the gun. Apparently, the former Republican Speaker of the House among the first to suggest that it is not too soon to begin framing the current showdown between Israel and Hezbollah, a showdown that is not yet even a declared war between countries, as the next great worldwide conflict. That there is a political benefit to raising the specter of apocalyptic destruction not lost on Mr. Gingrich, who told The Seattle Times over the weekend that he is very worried about the GOP's chances in the fall elections, adding that public opinion can change, quote, "the minute you use the language of World War III." The message, Mr. Gingrich believes, becoming, "OK, if we're in the third world war, which side do you think should win?"
Despite Gingrich's self-professed political motivations for advancing his World War III rhetoric, Lauer not only failed to question the former speaker's assertions but even helped Gingrich illustrate them with on-screen graphics. Introducing the segment, Lauer stated that Gingrich "is raising the alarm" over the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, "saying it looks like the early stages of World War III." When Gingrich suggested that if "you put [on a map] every place in the world right now where our enemies are trying to kill us ... it sure looks like a world war to me," Lauer offered to "put that up graphically, and show you the fight against radical Islam, and look at where they have strong roots." Then, apparently accepting Gingrich's characterization of the current struggles being fought by the U.S. and Israel as a "world war," Lauer asked: "So when you look back at World War II, Speaker Gingrich, do we now, today, have the allies, the resources, the manpower, to win that kind of a war?"
During the segment, an on-screen graphic read: "Newt: It's World War III."
As Media Matters noted, in his July 16 appearance on Meet the Press, Gingrich cited the break-up of two aspirational -- but not operational -- alleged terror plots against the United States as evidence of "World War III." While his conversation with Lauer on Today focused largely the threat posed by Islamic radicals, Gingrich also cited North Korea's recent missile launches as evidence of "World War III" during his Meet the Press interview.
From the July 19 broadcast of NBC's Today:
LAUER: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is raising the alarm over this fight, saying it looks like the early stages of World War III. He's the author of Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America [Regnery Publishing, 2005]. Speaker Gingrich, good morning. Good to see you again.
GINGRICH: Good morning, Matt.
[...]
LAUER: These comments you've made, about this looking like the early stages of World War III, I think -- very dramatic, puts you out on the dramatic end of this discussion. But do you think this conflict will leave the confines of Israel and Lebanon, spill out past the region and spill out across the world?
GINGRICH: Well, your own reporter just pointed out that the FBI is actively worried about Hezbollah attacks here. We just had 18 Canadians arrested, who had twice as much explosive power as was used in Oklahoma City. And they were planning to capture and behead the Canadian prime minister. We had seven people in Miami on videotape --
LAUER: Right.
GINGRICH: -- pledging loyalty to Al Qaeda. I'm just suggesting to you, you put every place in the world right now where our enemies are trying to kill us, and it sure looks like a world war to me.
LAUER: Well let me -- let me actually do that. Let me put that up graphically, and show you the fight against radical Islam, and look at where they have strong roots, as we look at this map right now. And it is truly global in its context. So when you look back at World War II, Speaker Gingrich, do we now, today, have the allies, the resources, the manpower, to win that kind of a war?
GINGRICH: I think the morning we decide this really is the third world war, and the morning we start to engage and mobilize, we will be -- first of all, we will be very surprised -- the Lebanese government, if it actually trusted the Americans, I think would be willing to work with us to -- to defeat Hezbollah because they're -- Hezbollah is a direct danger to the democratically elected government of Lebanon.
LAUER: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich. Speaker Gingrich, always good to talk to you.
GINGRICH: Thank you.
LAUER: Thanks for being here this morning.
If he was smart he would have trademarked "World War III®" like I did.
That way every time anyone mentions "World War III®" they owe me a nickel. Not to mention the obvious promotional and marketing opportunities.
There are T-shirts and coffee mugs to be sold.
Newt, Please forward payment to my paypal account. You owe me exactly $2014.35. If not, cease and desist from all misuse of that phrase.
I also trademarked World War IV® up through WW X®.
Are promoting WWIII or is it IV or V or X?
Maybe someone with balls, like Stephen Colbert, is needed to point out the rhetoric used by the Republican PR-machine...
....these are such obvious Orwellian rhetorical games on Newt's part. And leave it to Lauer to play right into it. He is such a lapdog. But to give Gingrich a forum for his self-admitted propaganda is beyond irresponsible.
So chummy with an alarmist like Newt. I am disgusted with this type of rhetoric by a disreputable has-been like Newt getting national media attention, without even a voice of rebuttal. I'd like Matt to ask Bush and Rice if we are in the stages of WW III ?, (while nearly 25,000 Americans lives remain at risk in Lebanon).
has Bush not made calls for diplomacy here? Newt?
the dirty work, to whip up a fever of insecurity among "the base". I am just holding back to the urge to hurl.
Come on--you'r joking, right?!? Matt Lauer is nothing more tha a pretty-boy ratings whore. Integrity is the furthest thing from his or his handlers experience. Just check out the number of incidents reported here on MMFA regarding Matt's coverage and the question about the whereabouts of his integrity becomes a cause for general mirth. Integrity has passed from the MSM, because they are afraid of crossing this administration and being shut out of the news-gathering circle.
The perfect replacement for Katie Couric.
they're all pretty much interchangeable. The only ones who really believe that these news figures are worth anything is the right-wing crazies, so they can have strawmen to knock over and strut around like big he-men heroes. Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham--not a dimes worth of difference, I'm afraid.
He should stick to getting made over and wearing a dress (next on Today, Matt and Al are Cross Dressers!). One of the most ridiculous aspects of the ever trivial Today Show is that Katie and Mattie do both the hard and soft news (because peddling the soft soap -- which GE prefers -- automatically makes them look like dorks when they are taking to "officials").
Katie said the other day that "focus groups" have said the news is too depressing, so perky Katie will now be informing us about cats rescued from trees on Ed Murrow's network. Ignore the dead American soldiers behind the curtain. It is the great and powerful Katie of Oz.
GE is a defense contractor. Of course they'd use the propaganda wing of their conglomerate to push World War III rhetoric on the nation. Now to Al with the weather.
Oops. Sorry for the typo.
I'm just a stupid collage drop out, however I noticed a few things and that is Lauer introduced N.G. as "raising the alarm", asserting what gingrich was saying was true and accurate, that we ARE in WWIII. Secondly, what was striking is that he interrupted N.G. when he was saying "if you put every place (on a map) where, it sure looks like WWIII" and put a MAP of supposive 'terrorist" hotspots. What's strange about this, the map was obviousl PREARRANGED & designed by Matt Lauer &NBC, to support Newt Gingrich's WWII assertions., therefore indicating more then "playing into" but the same agenda, advancing this ridiculous notion of a WWIII, that is only to the benifit to the neocons, arms dealers(NBC) and the busg regime. The coup de grace was "do we have enough alias and resources" for this WWIII. Once again ASSUMING or asserting that there IS a WWIII, not once challenging gingrich's baseless, not once asking for proof, but worst promoting N.G.'s ridiculous, inflammatory rhetoric.
And it was particularly telling when Matt Lauer fed him the line "this is the Munich moment". Gingrich latched right onto it. It is clear these masters of war are trying to manipulate the American people with propaganda. The whole thing just reaks. Whenever these bastards get on the air and proclaim that a certain group of people are not worthy or deserving of negotiations and declare "appeasement" isn't an option, they are jonesing for a war. The question is, how many times do they think people are going to fall for this B.S.? The United States has appeased vicious dictators and undermined (or overthrew) legitimate democracies for decades - as long as it suited OUR interests. I remember not too long ago when the Taliban was our friend and Quadafi was our enemy. Then again, Japan was our enemy not too long ago, too. And China, who should be our enemy, is one of our biggest trading partners. It is ALL about negotiations, appeasement and exploitation. That is what being an empire is all about.
newt also repeated the old propaganda about reagan singlehandedly bringing down the soviet union. fact is it was a system that was rotten to the core and they knew it, which was why they put gorbachev in charge. every president from truman to poppy bush was an anti-soviet hawk. and it was a democrat who delivered the biggest humiliation to that system, kennedy forcing them to remove their missiles from cuba. and did it skillfully, resisting the generals who wanted to start shooting. nixon would have given in to them. another good thing about ike, asked in 1960 to name what nixon had done to contribute to his administration, ike replied "give me a week, and i'll think of something."
I'm not so sure that the fall of the Soviet Union was a good thing. It seemed to create a power vaccum that allowed leaders like our dear president to run out of control. There was no real terrorism then either. They kept their folks in check and we kept our people in control. I think this world needs more than one superposer.
Sorry not superposer but superpower...I think
there was terrorism. munich in 72. 200 marines killed in beirut in the 80's. and i don't think the east europeans were too happy with the status quo. rebelling every decade or so, czechslovokia, hungary, poland. that got them soviet tanks in the streets.
The Marines in Beiruit however cannot really be put in that category. They were soldiers in a war zone. While we had a warship off the coast shelling Beiruit. They were legitimate military targets. If we dont want our guys get killed we need to keep them out of warzones. Supporting Israels illegal war just wasnt that good an idea.
I remember Dick Morris a while back saying that Bush should start talking about Iran to get his ratings back. Even if you don't like Newt and Morris, and I don't like Morris, you have to admit they are pretty good at what they do. (Morris engineered Clinton's victory and Newt's contract allowed the GOP to take over Congress.)
Looks like Arbejeebers-what's-his-name in Iran and Hezbollah are both out there helping those dweaded Wepublicans by actually trying to expand their war against the West. Someone once said, if it looks like a world war and acts like a world war... well you get the picture.
The Dems ought to get on board with Newt and Dickie. If they agreed with the Republicans on this issue, they would take away the GOPs strongest selling point. Nope, they got hoodwinked by the old trait... er... distinguished Senator from Massachusetts to oppose the war, (after they voted for it of course.) Now they have to constantly work the uphill battle that getting out of Iraq asap is not cutting and running. I think they're doomed politically as long as they hold that position. But who knows.. maybe there'll be some charismatic Southern Governor who'll suprise everyone.. Hmmm.. Can Bill run again?
hey pal when is newt going to start calling for the republicans to live up to the contract on america? namely term limits. or was that just another case of say what sounds good, get some votes and then figure, correctly, that the sheep will forget all about it?
with much of your post,anotheramerican.
The dumbing down and frightening of America is pretty deep.
I wonder, though...
Is it ever embarrassing to claim victory in numbers by being in the ranks of the most easily misled?
Duh!
At last a liberal with a sense of humor! Thanks for the chuckle!
is essential- I've realized I have to be careful in posts. Sometimes things that can be said face to face with a wink come off as nasty in writing. Sarcasm, as well. I've been massacred by people who I was actually in agreement with, and after re-reading my post, realized what was written facetiously came off as raving lunacy.
This site, for all the serious topics, has a lotsa laffs.
Thanks for having one too.
Now as far as "finally a liberal with a sense of humor", that's funny too!
Not only do these neo-cons have no conscience, but they appear to have no conscience ABOUT having no conscience.
Lobbying for world war for political gain has to be among the most dispicable things anyone can do. The GOP no doubt believes that the threat of war would help their chances in the 2006 election, and I really can't blame them. This is classic GOP propoaganda, and it's not even thinly veiled anymore. They know that many Americans will connect the dots in their favor. It's almost too easy. It's the same formula the GOP used to sell the war in Iraq and re-elect Bush in 2004:
1. Frighten the American people by exaggerating/lying about a foreign threat to American safety. 2. Aggressively act on the perceived "threat" and thus make the GOP appear committed to protecting America. 3. When Democrats seek diplomacy or raise any objections to a pro-War policy, bash them by calling them "anti-American" and "friends of the terrorists."
Fortunately, if the pre-election polls are any indication, Americans are starting to dislike being manipulated by the GOP propaganda machine.
i stop watching the national news because they are all the same i go to the web pages to get the headlines don't read it or i will go to bbc news and web page then mediamatters. i see the chickenhawks are out again ready to go send more young people too die again.
"Global War on Terrorism" (GWOT)? Did the Repubs find out that wasn't polling well? I guess if "World War III" doesn't generate the desired hysteria, they'll try "Armegeddon."
Did you notice on Fox yesterday how they played up the notion that Hezbollah may have cells in the good old US of A? The FBI says it's unaware of any plots though. Here come the scare tactics again... an election is coming!
God I hope it works.
I'm glad most local law enforcement officers prefer rational calm people/situations instead of panic and mayhem, after all that is how society functions.
Scare tactics undermine civility and democracy, imo.
One does not yell "Fire" in a crowded theater for the safety of all.
But Newt places political advantage over our nation's best interest, as he has always done. He would shut down the federal gov't before conceding to compromise.
I ask again, would Lauer confirm Newt's fears by posing his theories to Bush and Rice?
just imagine what it'll do for network ratings!!! I'm sure they'll come up with some super graphics, a foreboding theme tune. Then 24/7 TERROR, VIOLENCE, PANIC IN THE COUNTRY CLUB! LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS- OH MY!
The Repugs are giving the "news" networks a gift they couldn't possibly refuse.
What Mr Gingrinch fails to mention is that Hezbollah is part of that democratically elected Lebanese govt...in fact, it's one of the largest parties in the Lebanese parliament, democratically elected to those seats.
Also, has anyone noticed that we are charging our own citizens to be evacuated? $150 each to be rescued !!! That's disgusting! Congress actually passed a law in 2003 to charge US citizens for rescue from international incidents...talk about greed. They can spend tens of billions on a missile defense system that doesn't work, but they charge to save US citizens in harm's way? They have NO souls!
the evacuees won't have to pay to be shipped to Cyprus.
George bush's lazy detachment; his inability to use intricate diplocacy and his lazy solution of force always....is it just a damn coincidence that skyscrapers fall to the ground and World War III breaks out when this stupid imbecile squats in the Oval Office, NEVER elected? There is no way in hell that this illiterate sh**t beat both Gore and Kerry. It didn't happen.