Fox News' Wright claimed Dems want to “cut and run” from Iraq, appeared to adopt White House assertion that leaked NIE finding is “cherry-picked information”

Written by Andrew Seifter

Published

In a September 26 report discussing a hearing held by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee on the Iraq war, as well as National Intelligence Director John Negroponte's response to a leaked National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) indicating that the Iraq war has led to an increase in global terrorism, Fox News reporter Kelly Wright asserted on Fox News Live that “some Democrats” are seeking to “cut and run as soon as possible” from Iraq. Wright also appeared to adopt the Bush administration's claim that the leaked portion of the NIE constitutes, in Wright's words, “cherry-picked information.” As the Associated Press reported on September 26, “Bush administration officials including Negroponte are contesting the media accounts [of the NIE], saying they describe only a portion of the conclusions and therefore distort the analysts' findings on trends in global terrorism.”

From the 10 a.m. ET hour of the September 26 edition of Fox News Live:

E.D. HILL (co-host): People are saying we're not as prepared as we should be, and we could be at risk, at danger. The White House saying, “Yes, we're more vigilant. We're more prepared. We are safe.” And then you get this National Intelligence report, and you see --

JOHN SCOTT (co-host): Cherry-picked.

HILL: Yeah, that there is other information. Let's take you to Washington right now, and Wendell Goler -- or, Kelly Wright, I should say -- is following the story live in our Washington newsroom. Kelly, good morning.

WRIGHT: [Inaudible] you, and welcome, by the way. And John, I think said it best: cherry-picked information. Anyway, today at 11 o'clock, Senators Dick Durbin [D-IL] and Charles Schumer [D-NY] are holding a news conference to call on National Intelligence Director John Negroponte to brief members of Congress on the National Intelligence Estimate.

[...]

WRIGHT: A number of retired military leaders invited by the Democrats agreed [that the war in Iraq has been a recruiting tool for terrorists]. But unlike some Democrats who want to establish a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops or cut and run as soon as possible, the military leaders say such a proposal is not good.