Olbermann named Hume "Worst Person" for omitting pertinent information in his report on Iraqi refugees
During the November 7 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume, who hosts Fox News' Special Report, the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for, as Media Matters for America documented, omitting pertinent information during a November 5 report on the flow of Iraqi refugees. Olbermann stated: "But our winner, Brit Hume of Fox Noise's newscast of record, leading wedge in the newest spin about how great it is in Iraq. 'A worker at the Iraqi Airways office in Damascus,' he reported, 'says the flow of refugees from Iraq to Syria has almost reversed. Once-full flights from Baghdad are now virtually empty, and flights headed the other way have considerably more passengers.' " Olbermann added, "And from your reporting, I'm guessing the only possible explanation is that Iraq is now all safe and its citizens can return to their homes?"
As Media Matters noted, Hume did not report that Syrian officials recently began requiring people entering Syria from Iraq to obtain a visa first, which has reportedly eliminated the flow of refugees from Iraq to Syria almost entirely.
From the November 7 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:
OLBERMANN: But our winner, Brit Hume of Fox Noise's newscast of record, leading wedge in the newest spin about how great it is in Iraq. "A worker at the Iraqi Airways office in Damascus," he reported," says the flow of refugees from Iraq to Syria has almost reversed. Once-full flights from Baghdad are now virtually empty, and flights headed the other way have considerably more passengers."
Gee, that's great. And from your reporting, I'm guessing the only possible explanation is that Iraq is now all safe and its citizens can return to their homes? It's got nothing to do with the Saudis [sic] switching a month ago from offering universal sanctuary to Iraqis to a strict visa system that admits almost none of them. And I'm also wondering where your little anecdote fits in with the Iraqi Red Crescent report that the number of displaced persons in that country has jumped 16 percent in the last month, and is now 2,300,000?
Nice propaganda effort, Brit, don't forget the mouthwash. Brit Hume of Fixed Noise: today's "Worst Person in the World."
Yeah, violence is going down (because the ethnic cleansing is almost done) so more people are returning (because they are being denied entry to other countries) so we can safely assume that democracy is flourishing in Iraq (because the US diplomats sure as hell ain't gonna go there!).
Violence IS down, due to a better plan, one which should have been undertaken at least 2 years ago. No doubt the administration bungled the occupation of Iraq, but this can still be "won", and will be if America does not abandon Iraq: it MUST NOT abandon Iraq.
The Democrats would be wise to try to win instead of leaving Iraq to the dogs. Like it or not, winning is the ONLY option.
Ok you use the term "winning." Tell me what that means, and how it is achievable. I'm also curious as to what news reports you read, and what books and articles you have read about the Iraq situation.
I know. This talk of "winning" and "losing" is ridiculous. Hey Bushies: NEWS FLAHS: The Iraq WAR is over! We aren't FIGHTING IRAQ anymore and haven't been for a few years now! REMEMBER? WE WON! Guess what? DOESN'T MATTER! Why? STUPID WAR! BAD TACTICAL MANEUVER in the first place!
The "War of TERROR" win not be won or lost over the BATTLE OF IRAQ. And with the resources being poured into that battle, our victory in the BATTLE OF AFGANISTAN is being squandered, even reversed in some regions. Look - we don't have to win (or even fight) every battle to win the WAR. Al-Quaeda clearly won the BATTLE(S) OF NEW YORK and DC with a DRAW in the Battle of Pennsylvania. And you know what - THEY STILL WON'T WIN THE WAR! They CAN'T win the war! They CAN'T DESTROY AMERICA - IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!
Unless of course... we start the fear them so much that we let our leaders dismantle the very freedoms that america stands for, and is fighting to protect... oh man! Because of Bush's incompetenace and his base's cowardice [AL-QUAEDA] IS WINNING THE WAR! America (or at leats all it stands for) IS being destroyed!
WHY ARE YOU RIGHT-WINGERS SO BLIND TO THIS?!
Les is an idiot. Another neocon who has not served in Iraq let alone served in the arm forces. Way to spew your nonsense.
What percentage of Americans "serve", genius?
Winning is the ONLY option, whether one is Rep. or Dem. is IMMATERIAL.
The decrease in violence can also be attributed to Muqtada al-Sadr's order of August 29 for his Mahdi Army followers to stand down for one Friedman Unit (i.e., six months). Military tactics, especially at the force level we have in Iraq, cannot possibly end the Iraqi civil war. The question is whether there will ever be a political solution that will resolve the conflict without an all-out civil war. Is that even something this adminstration wants, or do we keep our troops in harm's way to perpetuate the fear that drives Republican politics and to continue the feeding frenzy of the war profiteers?
Justice and Truth in the USA - FACT CHECK:
New: Rep. Bean says conditions improving in Iraq
Comments (No comments posted.)<!--[component:schoolicons]<br />--> BARRINGTON �“ Conditions in Iraq are improving, and Iraqi troops are making strides toward taking over security in that country, U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean said Thursday.“What I would say I was struck by, as far as the difference from when I was there almost exactly two years ago, is along from hearing from the leadership that there was a decrease in violence, you could see it and feel it,” Bean, a Barrington Democrat, said following a weekend trip to Iraq. “Anxiety levels were certainly not where they used to be.”Her statements, made during a conference call, came in the immediate wake of the war reaching a grim milestone.The U.S. military announced this week the deaths of six U.S. soldiers, making 2007 the deadliest year of the war for Americans. The announcement brought the 2007 total to 853, three more American troops than were killed in the last milestone year, 2004.But the milestone came despite a slow-down in casualties and a sharp drop in roadside bombings that the Pentagon said can be linked to Iran.Bean said the numbers do not contradict her assertion that conditions in the country are improving.“There’s no question that it’s only in recent months that we’ve seen some of that [violence] drop off,” she said. “There’s no question that one can’t say it’s been a year of great loss.”
-----------------------------------------------------
Hoyer Credits Surge for 'Decrease in Violence' in Iraq By Fred Lucas and Kevin MooneyNovember 07, 2007 On the Spot (CNSNews.com) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Tuesday that the troop surge, which began in June, has had a significant impact on the situation in Iraq and noted that he had always been critical of the Bush administration for deploying an insufficient number of troops in previous years. "Stability and a decrease in violence, they've done that - God bless them. I'm not surprised that they did," Hoyer told Cybercast News Service in response to a question about steadily declining U.S. casualty rates in Iraq. (Hear Audio)Though the decline in causalities is "a very positive sign" - U.S. casualties have been declining every month since June - Hoyer said political reconciliation remains an elusive goal. Hoyer added that the Bush administration should have given more consideration to the Baker-Hamilton report released last year.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
However anyone wants to spin the news, the fact is that since Gen Petraeus took over as commander in Iraq, the situation has continued to improve.
If ratings-challenged Keith O-blow-me-man doesn't like the truth, well that it just too bad.
I'm calling this one for Hume and against the transmission-belt for MMFA (aka - Obernutjobman)
Justice and Truth in the USA - Fact Check:
It was a close call, but I'd rather have a frontal lobotomy instead of a bottle in front of me.
- justicetruthus8276 / Thursday November 8, 2007 07:16:01 PM EST
And Justytroothy, are you saying that Olbermans statement about the change in the Visa situation is a lie, or do are you saying that travel restrictions have no effect on travel?
Or are you just happy to avoid the subject of the item altogether and post incoherent off-topic hallucinations before making "the call"?
Either way, it's good stuff.
JT###
Did you perhaps post on the wrong thread? This one was about Olbermann's award for Hume, who only gave us a relatively small part of the story about why there are so few Iraqis flying to Syria these days. Hume's leaving out the most significant part of the story was mendacious, at best.
This gimmick by Olberwoman is just plain silly. Now, if he dressed in a clown suit while he did his show then it would provide viewers with a clear understanding of what his show was about, such as it is. Or, those who take this guy seriously could wear the clown suits: better that.
Please, don't share your fantasies! :-)
Hey Les is a moron. Is that the rage in YOUR closet? Clown suits and stupidity?
I'm so encouraged.
After all, a few are saying there's some PROGRESS in Iraq, and victory is just around the corner.
Keith Olbermann tells us how GREAT this political information can be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biX0qI1P7B4Rush is that you under the justice and truth label?
Olberman has said that the change in flights are a result of changed visa requirements, not a result of changed iraqi behaviour resulting, in turn, from increased security in Iraq (as Hume has strongly implied). If Justice Tooth knows diffferent, it should say so, instead of changing the subject. Otherwise, its moniker is meaningless. Can't have it both ways...
So Keith Olbermann thinks that Brit Hume is the "Worst Person in the World" because he reported good news in Iraq? Wow. That's kind of sad actually.
The US Military announced Tuesday that five soldiers and a sailor had been killed a day earlier, making 2007 the deadliest year for American troops since the start of the war in Iraq.
Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday.
And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.Brit must have just forgotten the rest of the "good new" huh.I guess Olberman wants America to lose. He's a defeatist. What about a plan to win, keith? Clown.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but from your comments it appears that your against criticism of our military action in the middle east...
I guess Less just wants to get as many Americans killed as possible. Another bloodlusting warmonger who really only cares about how tough he can be behind a keyboard while Americans DIE for his vicarious glory
And Dan Rather was terminated for reporting what was, basically, the truth.
No he didn't. Rather is a liar. Deal with it.
Thanks for clearing that up Les. I'm totally convinced that Dan Rather is a lying SOB.
Yes he did. the contents of those memos were verified. YOU are a moron deal with it
Then why did he apologize, genius? Because...he...was...lying.
And now to try to prove that he wasn't, he's suing the network that gave him the oppurtunity of a lifetime. What an Olbermann.(clown)
This is for those who want to cheer the "victory" of our troops.
"They made a waste, and called it peace."
THERE IS NO VICTORY WHEN THE WAR WAS A CRIME! EVEN IF THE KILLING STOPPED TODAY, THE INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL SHOULD BE BUSY PROSECUTING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION FOR ITSCRIMINAL ACTIONS RESULTING IN DEATH AND INJURY NOT ONLY TO IRAQIS BUT TO AMERICANS.
So, you see, there really can be NO good news. It would be like declaring victory over the Native Americans. It is worse than a hollow victory.