UPDATE: CNN's Ware flatly denies report that he "heckled" McCain, but right-wing media flog it anyway
On April 1, Internet gossip Matt Drudge posted an "exclusive" alert on his website, the Drudge Report, claiming that CNN international correspondent Michael Ware, during a press conference in Baghdad, "heckled" Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC). Drudge's only source for this "exclusive" was an anonymous "official at the press conference" who claimed that Ware was "laughing and mocking their comments," adding: "I've never witnessed such disrespect." Ware denied the heckling allegation on the April 2 edition of CNN's American Morning, saying: "I did not heckle the senator. Indeed, I didn't say a word, I didn't even ask a question." The Washington Times uncritically reported Drudge's allegation on April 2 and quoted John Hinderaker of the conservative weblog Power Line, who wrote in an April 1 entry: "Having publicly committed himself to the proposition that everything that happens in Iraq is a disaster, having publicly ridiculed those who pointed to optimistic developments, how can anyone trust that Ware's future reporting is giving us anything like the straight story from Iraq?"
Hinderaker was not alone among conservative bloggers to seize on Drudge's reporting of the claim of one anonymous "official," whose "official" status was not otherwise explained or identified. Michelle Malkin's Hot Air weblog noted Drudge's story, as did Lorie Byrd of Wizbang, who opined: "CNN should be able to find someone to replace Ware -- unless his type of reporting is exactly what they want." NewsBusters, a weblog run by the conservative Media Research Center, cited Drudge's report to question whether Ware's alleged "heckling" will "be swept under the rug as usual."
The Washington Times reported on April 2:
During a live press conference in Baghdad, Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware, according to the Drudge Report. But that's modern journalism, according to John Hinderaker of Power Line.
"Ware is an extreme manifestation of an all-too-common phenomenon -- the journalist who wants to make the news, not report it. One of the many problems with a reporter who becomes an activist, agitating for a particular side of a public issue, is that he loses any hope of objective [sic]. Having publicly committed himself to the proposition that everything that happens in Iraq is a disaster, having publicly ridiculed those who pointed to optimistic developments, how can anyone trust that Ware's future reporting is giving us anything like the straight story from Iraq?" Mr. Hinderaker asked.
From the April 2 edition of CNN's American Morning:
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN (co-host): Let me ask you a question. There was a report that said you were heckling and you were laughing during the senators' press conference. Is that true?
WARE: Well, let's bear in mind that this is a report that was leaked by an unnamed official of some kind to a blog, to somewhere on the Internet. No one is going to put their name forward. We certainly haven't heard Senator McCain say anything about it, or any of his staff have come forward to say anything about it. I did not heckle the senator. Indeed, I did't say a word, I didn't even ask a question. In fact, when I raised my hand to ask a question, the press conference abruptly ended. So what I would suggest is that anyone who has any queries about whether I heckled, watch the videotape of the press conference.
On April 2, the website The Raw Story obtained footage of the Baghdad press conference. Raw Story presents the video in two parts -- opening comments and a question-and-answer session. At no point in either part is Ware shown or heard speaking. At the end of the question-and-answer part, viewers can see a reporter -- apparently Ware -- with his hand up, but the press conference adjourns before that reporter can ask a question.
Powerline has posted an additional follow-up after Ware's denial:
http://powerlineblog.com/archives/017227.php
They always find a way to smear their target even after their first attack has been proven to be a lie. So even though the heckling story was untrue, Ware's "unfit to cover the war" because his "reporting itself constitutes heckling." These people are scum. Ware is a real journalist who puts himself in harm's way every single day in order to report what's really going on, and these people sit behind their computers and smugly declare him unfit. Unbelievable.
Exactly, like OReilly and Hannity and OReillys smear of Richard Engle.
Just so you know, a denial by the accused is not proof that it didn't happen.
Right, but in a 'he said, she said' situation I'm going with the more credible of the two. If you can give me any reason to find Ware untrustworthy then I'm all ears, but Drudge has a long history of being on the wrong side of these things.
You're not going to find that reason in video footage of the press conference, which I just got done watching at Raw Story.
There were no interruptions, heckling or laughing that I noticed. I didn't hear Michael Ware's voice at all, and at the end, just like Ware said, you can clearly see him raising his hand as the conference was ended.
IT'S OFFICIAL, DRUDGE IS EITHER A FILTHY LIAR OR HE HAS AN ISSUE TO TAKE UP WITH THAT "OFFICIAL" HE CITED.
I vote for "FILTHY LIAR".
Michael Ware is a stinking drunk. He probably doesn't even remember heckling McCain. And he sure got weasely in his response to Soleda O'Brien. I'm going with Drudge on this one.
Good for you. Who are you going to believe, Matt Drudge or your lying eyes?
Snark aside, I assume we can take it that you haven't even bothered to watch the video (which clearly shows no heckling at all)?
Not to mention that Drudge had taken the article down hours before dvdbooker even posted. But dvd still believes him.
DVDBOOKER, thanks for demonstrating so succinctly the Republican thought process.Very nice.
Go easy on these people HBL. Once you train a Mynah Bird to say something, it's a lot easier to just let the bird talk than it is to re-train it.
Have you noticed that most pet shops don't sell talking birds anymore. It's cheaper to hire a talk radio listener than it is to buy a talking bird.
Exactly. And Ware was scum to many here a few weeks ago when he said the Democrats were aiding the enemy by calling for an Iraq deadline. Now he is trustworthy and a real journalist.
Oh, really? What thread was that, where Ware was considered scum? You forgot about the search engine again, didn't you? If you go back and read the thread, you'll find that the worst thing anybody said about Ware was that his comments were "disappointing."
[link to mediamatters.org]
You missed it, again. I used scum only as a tribute to your inflammatory rhetoric that peppers nearly every post of yours........but it flew over your head, predictably.
Right. When caught in a lie, just spout nonsense. Got it.
"I used scum only as a tribute to your inflammatory rhetoric"
-----
And I'll use "liar" as a tribute to the falsehoods that pepper almost every post you make.
Not so cool when the shoe's on the other foot, is it, liar?
Tommy, I read every single posting on the Ware story from March 9. No where did I read anyone call him "scum".
The two arent mutually exclusive. Why are you conservatives stuck in a Manichean either/or world? Good people can do bad things. Good journalists are capable of not living up to their standard and worthless journalistic wannabes like Drudge and Malkin are capable of getting things right. People arent just one thing.
Exactly, Solon. I found Ware's previous comments about an Iraq deadline to be borderline offensive. Everything else being equal, his reporting has been credible and courageous. I still find him to be a "good" person despite his opinion about the Iraq deadline.
And Ware was scum to many here a few weeks ago...
No he wasn't.
True but as you well know the burden of proof is ALWAYS on the party that made the accusation, its not UP to Ware to prove a negative. IF Drudge and powerline dont have good evidence it happened they shouldnt have run the story. Drudge is a gossipmonger so its par for the course for him anyone reading him ought to know that Malkin is just as bad. Powerline ought to have higher standards. I heard Bush molests small furry animals. Would a liberal commentator run with that story because someone told it to him without checking it out. If he did would it be up to Bush to PROVE he doesnt molest small furry animals?
Just so you know, a denial by the accused is not proof that it didn't happen.
Oh come on, Bruce. You're better than that. What's the proof it did happen? Even Powerline appears to be distancing itself from the original report.
The way I see it, Ware issued a non-denial denial. He's playing word games. The "unnamed source" talked about Ware laughing and mocking the Senators' comments. Ware never denied doing either, only claiming he didn't say a word or ask any questions. It's typical he said-he said where both can claim accuracy.
To me the dispute is about the term "heckle". Is laughing at someone considered heckling, I would say no.
THAT is a good point. I am always on the lookout for a non-denial, denial. It is usually very telling and I noticed that too. There are still other rationales to explain it though. He might not have thought McCains conference was going to make a story and he might have been laughing with someone else about something entirely different. That WOULDNT be heckling McCain but he wouldnt want to say I wasnt laughing or laughing at him. Bottom line the burden of proof is STILL on the one making the claim and it has not been met.
One anonymous "official" at a press conference does not a story make. What are they an offical of? Official annonymous accusations bureau?
At this point Ware has nothing to deny. Drudge comes up with more than one source or at least some ability (like video) to corroborate the one source then it's a different game. Right now it has the same weight as my report that Drudge has a someone trying to blackmail Drudge to keep his membership in Satanic cults quiet. Drudge drinking blood and all that - bad stuff. The blogs and media should be able to run with the story - it's official - you heard it here first.
An anonymous official told me that bruce1ace has sex with children.
Prove me wrong folks, prove me wrong.
"Just so you know, a denial by the accused is not proof that it didn't happen."
I sure as heck hope you're not a court judge. In a court of law, the burden of proof always lies with the prosecution, not the defense. Or do you not believe in people being presumed innocent until proven guilty?
Just so you know, a denial by the accused is not proof that it didn't happen.
Haha.
Indeed no, Bruce.
But video is all the proof any of us should need:
link
"Just so you know, a denial by the accused is not proof that it didn't happen."
-----
Maybe, but videotape showing the alleged event never happened is conclusive proof.
Oh dear. Go and watch the videos and come back and say at what point Ware heckles.
so not innocent till proven guilty anymore now it depends on which side your accuser is on somtimes the views of some of the posters on here take my breath away as a non american here i fear for you people
I don’t get the Powerline article. They place a Ware quote then through some magic read into it something that is not even conjecture or extrapolation, it’s just made up – out of the blue – unrelated to the quote. McCain is not trying to show surge progress and it’s merits? American people are not desperate for good news coming out of Iraq? That’s pretty factual reporting from Ware.
Nothing in the quote translates to Ware calling McCain out on his “bad faith and intellectual dishonesty”, McCain has garnered that mantle all on his own. American soldiers were killed at the same clip as previous months and that being twice the number as Iraqi soldiers killed (doesn’t say too much about our being in a “supporting role”), having Iraqi civilian deaths lower in certain parts of Baghdad, but overall deaths 10 to 20% higher than the previous month is NOT a good sign. In summary the number of people getting shot in the head and dumped on the street has reduced but the number of Iraqis getting blown up has increased. And wasn’t the surge to give Iraqis time to get their political house in order and the progress there is less than ZERO. We don’t even have to go to the “Stroll in Baghdad” fiasco to see the current perceptions of McCain are all self-inflicted.
So why the picking on Ware? Part of the good news from the Surge message?
I'm certain that unnamed sources from unknown locations having said some unsubstantiated stuff is good enough for the right-wing press and all three of my right-wing friends.
I'm willing to bet that McCain heckled Ware. I wonder how far my personal smear campaign against the most waffling man on the planet, McCain, will go? Can I simply say that I know someone who knows an unnamed source who claims to have overheard a conversation involving McCain calling Ware an arse-hole?
So what I would suggest is that anyone who has any queries about whether I heckled, watch the videotape of the press conference. ...Michael Ware
Absolutely the fair thing to do, now let's hope such a videotape exists. Of course before everyone jumped on this bandwagon SOMEBODY should have asked John McCain or Lindsey O. Graham, or anyone else known to be present at the Press conference...or was that just too easy? Better to report first, ask later.
Why haven't any of those in attendance come forward yet to either back up Ware or challenge his version?
"Why haven't any of those in attendance come forward yet to either back up Ware or challenge his version?"
I'm sure we'll hear more, but this did just happen. Give it until this evening at least to start asking why nobody else has stepped up.
Clams,
From what I can gather the Press Conference took place on or around April 1st. Or at least hit Drudge on April 1st around 2pm...It's now April 3rd. I would have expected some kind of confirmation or denial of what did or didn't take place at that Press Conference by now.
If this had been about Anna Nicole Smith...we'd have heard about it yesterday ;-)
But maybe you're correct. We'll hear something soon.
It's now April 3rd....by jeter2
Oops. My bad.
Sorry Clams :-/
It is in fact only April 2nd. Sorry about that. It must be old age setting in...or like the Stones once sang:
What a drag it is getting old.
And let's keep in mind that the 1st was Sunday. But maybe Drudge can get out of this by saying, "April fools!"
Jeter,
For what it is worth, rawstory has two video-tapes of part of the press conference. I don't believe they are the complete press conference, but you can look and decide for yourself about them.
Great link. Thanks.
One thing I'd like to highlight is I noticed McCain went into one of those weird, albeit brief, Rumsfeldian self-imposed Q&A rants, where he asks and answers questions to himself in rapidfire succession:
"There gonna be acts of terror in other places? Absolutely. Is it gonna be difficult? Yes. Are there gonna be more of the IED's and more assassinations? Yes."
Rummy did these constantly as his own little way of firing back at any reporter who questioned whether he has lost touch with reality and is living in denial of the mess he's made. McCain is now keeping the tradition alive, although Rummy was much better at it and could sustain his own press conference in his head for much longer.
Just got done watching it. The footage speaks for itself. Drudge's allegation is complete BALONEY.
Hey Open_mind,
Thanks for the link--I just finished watching it. I don't think there was a peep out of him--or anyone on that tape other than those asking questions. Since his face wasn't visible, it's tough to know if he might have grimaced a few times or rolled his eyes--I know I did listening to McCain & Graham's nonsense. At least from what I saw it's pretty obvious that Ware did not heckle anyone.
I'm glad I wasn't there I would have heckled BOTH McCain & Graham.
Who wants to bet?
That Bill O'Reilly and FOX and the GOP smear machine will "attack" Ware tonight. These people have no shame. McCain is disgusting, I never bought his act in 2000, when will the MSM wake up. This man is a warmonger.
So far of the two reporters I heard interviewed (one was there, the other viewed a tape of press conf.) neither heard or saw anything of the sort. As Ware states - there were plenty of people on site - haven't heard anyone that was there confirm the Drudge report. Should be easy to confirm.
Funny, this is the same Mike Ware who all the right wing blogs were quoting when he criticized the Dems for their Iraq vote last month.
Mc Cain has been getting some terrible political advice of late - the guy comes across as an idiot - that's what you get when you sidle up to Bush and Co.
An unnamed source making up a smear- and still it gets pushed by right wing wing nuts
This is a prime example of what is wrong with journalism.
A real journalist is at a press event in Iraq, doesn't say a word or raise a question and gets flagged. And when reading his comments posted on the power-line blog on this "make believe" event and having them twisted into something he didn't say or imply in any way- continues to boggle the mind.
What nonsense.
John McCain made a fool of himself last week claiming you could walk the streets of Baghdad with no fear.
I understand based on press reports and eye witness accounts he left the heavily fortified green zone, for about 3 minutes for a walk to a market with 100 soldiers as his guard support and air support above.
McCain has lost ALL credibility. And this nonsense of blaming journalists for reporting what is occurring is a frightening attack on our freedoms in itself.
Drudge once again shows his capacity for slime.
Drudge is deplorable and anyone who believes McCain and his lies is beyond repair.
"...John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware, according to the Drudge Report. But that's modern journalism, according to John Hinderaker of Power Line."
Did Hindenraker inadvertently slam his source (Drudge), while at the same time denigrating "modern journalism"by relying on the pseudo-journalism of fedora-fetish-fool Drudge ?
I can't wait to tune in Hugh Hewitt this afternoon. His streak of breathless tirades based on Drudges BS are hilarious even before they get completely debunked, which usually happens within 24 hours.
It should be easy for Powerline or Drudge to prove their point, using the eyewitness testimony of their correspondents in Iraq.
Surely such reputable news organizations have correspondents in Iraq, right?
A band of roustabouts known as "The Desert Fedoras".
BTW, bad news for me. The L.A. Times (yeah, I still get a three dimensional inky Sunday paper) has stopped running Mallard Fillmore.No longer can I have hundreds of hours of Rush and Fox News boiled down to 3 panels with my first cup of coffee.
Damn you, liberal media!
Maybe it depends on your definition of "heckle". If McCain and Graham made their typical asinine remarks, Ware may very well have smirked and shaken his head in disbelief. I seriously doubt that he "heckled" them, as the definition of the word is commonly understood. Even though I strongly disagreed with his comments about the Democrats "aiding the enemy", he usually seems to tell it the way he sees it, no matter whom it may offend.
Nerzog, I think you agree with me or vice-versa (see my post up the thread). One of us should rethink this...;-)
I think we do agree...I hope it doesn't ruin your reputation!
It's quite possible that he did show some kind of visual reaction that could be construed as "disrespectful". I'm thinking he's too much of a pro to do something openly hostile that might get him fired. But, we'll see. Since it was a press conference, if he did something bizarre, somebody probably got it on tape.
Seems like heckling should include, at the very least, saying something. If laughing = heckling, why do comedians get so mad at hecklers?
On the power line site Ware is repeatedly accused of having a drinking problem? Where did this accusation come from?
Where do you think "hind rocket" came from? He knows where he gets his material from.
Ware made a joke about "being drunk as often as possible" on a satellite interview with Bill Maher.
I see that now. I'm thinking Ware was making some dark wartime humour, besides, is'nt there a grand tradition of war reporters hitting the gin pretty hard? Here's a nice comprehensive reprot re ware and what kind of journalism he does. http://www.tv.com/michael-ware-ii/person/431416/biography.html
Seems like Mr. Ware would have a slightly better handle on what is really happening in Iraq than Drudge or his ilk. It's pretty shamefull that they (Drudge et al) would put forward a report that turns out to be easily debunked about a reporter who has consistently risked his life to get the news.
Did this happen before or after McCain's little stroll through the marketplace? If afterwards, let's be honest;who can keep from laughing at him? He makes Dukakis in the tank look downright inspirational by comparison. At least Dukakis wasn't invalidating his own words in the effort to back them up when he made that disastrous photo-op.
If McCain's campaign isn't unofficially D.O.A., it should be.
Agreed. If Ware didn't at least shake his head (or make an aside to a colleague) at McCain's fantasy stroll, then he has far more self-control than I could have mustered. As for "heckling," with all cameras on McCain's photo-op, I strongly suspect there would be footage.
In any event, Ware's alleged disrespect is a distraction from the fact that Sen McCain made definitive statements about walking safely in Iraq and then, to illustrate his point, went into a neighborhood (swept ahead of time) while wearing body armor and accompanied by 100 soldiers, three Blackhawk helicopters and two Apache gunships.
The far right's only tactic seems to be distort, lie and, when the lie is discovered, distort some more. Am I the only one who sees a pattern here?
My oh my. Michael Ware speaks truth to power, and the sissies are holding their breath. Michael Ware doesn't need to heckle anybody. McCain is a crybaby and seeks to punish the messenger. Michael Ware LIVES in the war zone. He probably hasn't been able to get to the rug bazaar for those neat dollar rugs. He doesn't get 100 troops for protection in such SAFE areas, nor armoured vehicles. Drudge is a smear machine echoed by media faux readers from Fox Noise. It's par for the course with the Repub slime machine to attack. The truth hurts, and they're playing the stink bomb game one time too many.
Karl Rove to White House and Republican Congressional staff concerning press briefings:
From now on, no member of the press will be allowed to chuckle, snortle, or make any comment which could be construed as disagreement. We will have thought police watching these briefings to enforce this new rule.
As always, if one of the members of the press gives us problems, use our usual patsy Matt Drudge to smear them. Call them drunks, characterize them as "hecklers", and say they are not journalists, but instead "activists". Use our usual right-wing blogbots to repeat this smear until it is picked up by our lapdogs in the mainstream press.
I am now wondering where all of those "Drudge is usually right about these things" folk we heard from just last week are. THIS is what I have come to expect from Drudge. I remember listening to Hannity on his radio show going on and on about Kerry's extra maritla affair and how he believed it to be true becuase it was on Drudge. Two days later, the story is shown to be false and Hannity says nothing about how wrong Drudge was. Typical.
Matt Drudge has removed any reference to the so-called Michael Ware heckling story from his website...nuff said.
As Drudge and Powerline's claims are disproved by the videotape of the news conference, it seems fair to take this as another reactionary smear campaign. Clearly, it is motivated more by Ware's challenge to McCain's specious claim about the safety of Baghdad's streets than by anything that happened during the Senator's actual visit and, so, it is vindictive. That makes it an act of intimidation: Ware, and other reporters, are put on notice that there will be payback if they do their jobs and challenge uncredible assertions from these right wing blogger's favored candidates. There's no question that it was also meant to get Ware out of Baghdad and, so, alter the tone of the stories from their. When Hinderaker describes what he sees as the pernicious effects of journalistic advocacy, he is quite specific about that. Finally, if this smear were to grow legs (possibly after a pointed on description on Fox News or one of its spin offs), there're undoubtedly a large number of these blogs' followers who would be happy to write to CNN and demand Ware's resignation, regardless of the accuracy of Drudge's story. That could seriously damage Ware's career. This an attempt to muzzle the press. It's odious and reeks of authoritarian party politics. I'd hope that all of the bloggers who picked up this story and ran with it would be ashamed and apologetic; but, judging from Hinderaker's later post on the story, that doesn't seem likely. No, they have no decency.
Excellent points. This situation reminds me of another situation where someone went to the press and refuted the White House message; the Valerie Plame scandal.
They were both cases where administration spin was being refuted with factual information, so in both cases, there were attempts to not just silience the messenger, but to damage them personally (in the Plame case, destroying the CIA career of Joe Wilson's wife, and in this case, destroying Michael Ware's credibility as a journalist).
3 things we can count on........ware is an absolutely brilliant, brave, honest reporter who risks his life on a day to day basis in theater, drudge makes his living reporting lies from anonymous sources, and the neocons own this disaster in iraq.
If the wingers at Powerline told me the sky was blue
I'd still have to go outside and see for myself.
that's about the level of trust and credibility i'll give old Johnny a**rocket Hinderaker & company.
No man, it's green, don't let them idiots fool ya... ;-P
The way I see it, Ware issued a non-denial denial. He's playing word games. The "unnamed source" talked about Ware laughing and mocking the Senators' comments. Ware never denied doing either, only claiming he didn't say a word or ask any questions. It's typical he said-he said where both can claim accuracy.
To me the dispute is about the term "heckle". Is laughing at someone considered heckling, I would say no.
bruce1ace,
Your post falls flat and is totally lame. Ware doesn't have to say anything because he has facts that speaks for itself. The fact Ware has is that McCain was heavily guarded. McCain did not walk around Bhagdad without a net. This is where Ware has the upper hand.
Ware knows the fact that McCain was heavily guarded and he knows that fact will be on the news. Given the fact that McCain was heavily guarded we can now make the judgement as to who is full of it and who isn't.
McCain's little fake stunt and Drudge's highly questionable mysterious source leaves one to draw the conclusion that many on the right are still buying into the story that Iraq will be home to Iraq Disneyland and within a week too. So all you right wingers buy your tickets to meet Mickey in Iraq next week.
Don't you think that it is the most stupid use of taxpayers dollar to go over there and spend all that money paying for the extreme protection McCain recieved just for a baloney photo opt. How much do you think it cost for those 100 soldiers, two helicopters and lord knows what other expenses McCain wasted for a foolish trip to con us all into believing Bhagdad is just waiting to hand us flowers and candy. Does that flower and candy cow confetti story ring a bell?
Well put Solon. Again, to be perfectly clear on the sources: Michael Ware is a traditional honest reporter with no record of lying on camera and certainly no record of heckling people at news conferences. Drudge, in the one study number I recall, posts about 20% blatant falsehoods on his site and is on record as considering that no big deal.
IIRC, Drudge doesn't mind posting things that are untrue because, like a lot of right wingers, he truly believes the traditional media outlets are even worse. Further, of course, since he considers "libruls" as enemies of America, it would not make sense to him to disarm himself by telling only the truth about them. That's not how war is waged, in his world.
Note that I am not discussing "conservatives" in general but the right wing subculture that dominates conservative discourse these days. Traditional conservatives hold to old-fashioned civilized standards of truth and integrity. There aren't that many of them left prominent in public life. Joe Scarborough might be the only one left with his own show.
Sorry to say this, but all of the posts defending WARE are officially incorrect. Just read that the SwiftBoat guys were patrolling the streets of Baghdad outside the sight of the press conference and saw him running up to McCain and heckling him.
Everyone please apologize to Drudge
Franky, I'm a little disappointed Ware didn't heckle him.
Do our troops really need the additional distraction of having to parade John McCain around the streets of Baghdad just so he an save face for the things he said last week that this very photo-op proves wasn't true to begin with?
It's not like he went out in an unarmed Humvee or anything.
Don't our troops have more important things to do in Baghdad than trying to protect McCain from embarrassing himself?
I wonder how much this little war propaganda move is going to cost the American tax-payers.
Heckle away, Michael Ware.
Heckle away.
Note to matt drudge... you have creditability... please take down your idiotic website.
Ooops... make that NO creditability... :-O ;)
I know what you meant.
But I like having Drudge around. I particularly find it entertaining when the mainstream media dredges the Drudge pit and regurgitates it. Then they get egg all over their faces and Matt just slinks away like the cowardly troll he is. Meanwhile the media is forced to issue retractions, corrections or even apologies while the Drudge lays low. Then he lays out his trap again and the lemmings in the media fall right for it all over again.
You'd think they would learn by now.
I figured you did... I changed my username to reflect my new blog name. and updated my address with MM....
testing...
Its good to see what actually is happening in iraq. Without people like Michael, truth would be non exsistant.
Ted.
I understand Drudge pulled the allegation from his web site, but that won't mean a thing to the right wing bloggers. They can't stand Michael Ware becuse he tells it like it is about the Iraq war and doesn't sugarcoat it like Fox News does all the time,
It does appear that Mr. Drudge has retracted this report of his but there isn't any correction on his site saying that the story was wrong, and that he was wrong, and I'm certain that Powerline and others (Malkin, Coulter, et all) will use this as yet another incorrect and false talking point about how the media is soooo liberal. It will be another story that has been debunked, but yet it will probably come up time and again as to how liberal the mainstream media is.
Instigating a Fight: The CNN Way
Soledad O'Brian's decision to instigate a fight rather then report the truth is an example of how CNN, and the many right-winged media organizations, don't use their ability to report the news fairly.
Micheal Ware said something at the end of this video that speaks to the obvious hypocrisies of the charge he was heckling: "just look at the tape." Without a doubt, this could off been a non issue. They have the tapes, but would they go out on the limn and report what were the actual things said? We see what the choice was. Instead, seeing the opportunity to crate a good fight, CNN played this stupid game. Is this what we call news?
The media has had a free pass on the dynamics and tactics they use to get the hyped story. Because of the complexity and subtle nature of their actions, it is hard to point to unethical practices of the media.
Media dynamics is something under reported; yet, I think it contribute to the misrepresentation of facts, truths and whole stories affecting our affords to stay informed. As we take a look at all the elements involved in our out of control war, we have got to address how the media makes it worse.
Joseph
I think they thought that instigating a fight had more entertainment value and entertainment value is money in the bank for journalism.
Why does the media prop up Drudge and do not take him to the mat for his many fairy tales. Are they afraid they are going to lose conservative viewers for whom Drudge is a hero?
Well, this again proves a point.
GOP lies are frontpage headlines.
The truth is on page 3 of the style section.
Rumour has it that CNN and McCain's press office got into a squabble at the market area. CNN camera crew wanted to film the Senator freely, but the Senator's press people wanted only shots of the Senator without any protection or armoured vehicles. In fact, the two helicopters following the convoy for air support for ordered to hold back. There over a hundred soldiers and twelve armoured humvees and personnel carriers for the operation. Yet, the pictures on Fox show McCain strolling through a marketplace, like it were Soho in New York. They can bitch about Ware all they want, but the fact that a British guy has to be the only credible reporter on an AMERICAN WAR IN iRAQ SHOULD SAY SOMETHING AS WELL.
"They can bitch about Ware all they want, but the fact that a British guy has to be the only credible reporter on an AMERICAN WAR IN IRAQ SHOULD SAY SOMETHING AS WELL."
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Isn't Mick Ware Australian?
"I've never witnessed such disrespect." .
==========================================
I guess this "anonymous official" slept through the entire Clinton presidency huh?