NBC changes schedule to accomodate President

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.wbir.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=26826

NBC changes schedule to accomodate President

President Bush is marking the first anniversary of Iraq's sovereignty with an address from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, this evening and NBC is juggling it's schedule in order to be able to carry it live.

The President plans to try to ease Americans' growing doubts about the Iraq mission. The White House says he will meet with the families of 33 troops. He'll then make his address before as many as 700 soldiers at Fort Bragg.

The speech will be carried live on WBIR and the NBC Network at 8:00 PM EDT. The premiere of the latest edition of “Average Joe”, originally scheduled for 8 will move to 10:00 PM following “I Want To Be A Hilton”.


<</SNIP>>

[bertha katzenengel]

1. So what? Isn't this common practice on the networks? They'll bend over

backwards to accommodate almost any prime-time address by any president. I think it started with the Kennedy administration. This is hardly breaking news.

[sabra]

5. For the “I Want To Be A Hilton” fan this is very big news!

[lyonn]

9. This is called good planning?!

NBC apparently knows what the public really is interested in, the Hiltons.

[Midlodemocrat]

13. LOL.

Can you actually imagine anyone wanting to actually be related to Paris and Nicole?

[goclark]

16. Like Paris better than Bush

so that means I can't stand her!

[SteppingRazor]

7. Yes, networks do this all the time.

Whenever the president makes a major speech in primetime, they either prempt regular programming or do the shuffle. Don't see what's so different about it this time, or what's to get excited about.

[u2spirit]

14. I read earlier

that as of this morning only ABC had planned to carry the speech besides the Cable news channels. That meant CBS, Fox and NBC had not acquiesced.

[dflprincess]

15. A couple of the networks cut his last appearance short

so they could resume regular programming.

[LSparkle]

2. Well done, GE. Your contract is in the mail.

[lebkuchen]

3. Eventually those soldiers are going to grow tired of being used

in a pseudo war and as a media prop. Eventually, Bush is going to get booed by the troops. I hope it happens live. Otherwise, the network will edit it out.

[leftchick]

10. do you really think so?

God I hope they wake up soon and start booing his ass and throwing tomatoes.

:grr:

[lebkuchen]

17. I think we are near that point

It will take a load of guts for the troops to speak out against their commanders, as almost everyone I know in the civilian sector, who feels as I do, are too frightened to get involved in any fashion, even to write a letter.

Now, Jim Nicholson, who just recently told Congress that Veterans Affairs didn`t need anymore money is now short $1 billion, but he says it won`t affect care despite growing numbers needing it! Talk about a disconnect! It`t got to upset at least a few of our vets to know Veterans Affairs is being colossally mismanaged, if not out and out being ripped off.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Wussies! But I think this is just going to piss people off and backfire

so I'm OK with it but the Networks are accommodating a Photo-op - nothing else!

[louis-t]

6. I wonder how much threatening went on

He'll meet with 33 families? Hand picked, die hard bush lovers, no doubt. Then speak in front of 700 hand-picked soldiers where well-timed 'Hu-awww's will be heard.

[Roland99]

8. "ease Americans' growing doubts"...HA!

Fucking prick of a gasbag couldn't ease shit.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. First anniversary of Iraq's sovereignty

And after one year of sovereignty, it still has a government that requires foreign troops to remian in power.

Some soverignty.

From Democratic Underground
Dated June 29, 2004

Iraqi Sovereignty Doesn't Pass the Duck Test
By Jack Rabbit

There is a saying that if something walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck. This is sometimes called the duck test. Monday, two days ahead of schedule, Iraq was declared a sovereign state. It doesn't pass the duck test . . . .

Under the UN resolution passed June 8 by a 15-0 vote of the Security Council, a multinational force will remain in Iraq. While the resolution throughout calls the force multinational, the fact is that 85% of the foreign troops in Iraq are American. This is unlikely to change. Mr. Bush has been unable to persuade skeptical European leaders to allow a wider participation of NATO forces other than some unspecified commitments for equipment and training for Iraqi security forces.

The resolution notes that the force is there "at the request of the incoming Interim Government of Iraq," which was chosen by the Iraqi Governing Council, which was in turn chosen by the US-dominated Coalition Provisional Authority, which was dissolved with the transfer. Iraq will have enough sovereignty to ask foreign troops to leave. However, the interim government of Prime Iyad Allawi is unlikely to do that. Meanwhile, the multinational force, which is mostly American, "shall have the authority to take all necessary measures to contribute to the maintenance of security and stability in Iraq."

Prime Minister Allawi became the Bush administration's choice to lead Iraq after self-proclaimed exile leader and convicted embezzler Ahmed Chalabi lost the credibility and favor he never deserved in the first place. Allawi, a former Baathist, has close ties to the CIA and is believed to be the author of the absurd story about Saddam's ability to launch weapons of mass destruction 45 minutes after giving the order. While an improvement over Chalabi, he can only be seen to be one put in place by a foreign power for the purpose of requesting that foreign troops remain in Iraq.

Read more.

[soup]

12. “I Want To Be A Hilton” ??

Nope, not even going to ask.