Reporter (Lesley Stahl) regrets (pre-war) Iraq stories

[Newsjock]

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=69322&ran=122315

By KATE WILTROUT, The Virginian-Pilot

VIRGINIA BEACH — Lesley Stahl has had her share of journalistic triumphs in the 14 years she has traveled the world interviewing newsmakers for “60 Minutes .”

But Wednesday night, the CBS news correspondent and “60 Minutes” co-editor also talked about work she’s less proud of: two pre-Iraq war reports casting doubt on Saddam Hussein’s claim to have rid Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction.

“I look on those two stories as mistakes, journalistic mistakes,” Stahl told a crowd of about 1,000 gathered in the Princess Anne High School auditorium. “I made them, and I regret it.”

more

[Stuckinthebush]

1. Well, Lesley...

That's big of you but how about saying it on, say 60 Minutes instead of in the auditorium of Princess Anne High School?

[Supormom]

4. Here, here!

Let's have a formal apology on air!

[central scrutinizer]

18. Lady MacBeth, Act V, Scene 1

This is her very guise; and, upon my life, fast asleep. Observe
her; stand close.

DOCTOR.
How came she by that light?

GENTLEWOMAN.
Why, it stood by her: she has light by her continually; 'tis her
command.

DOCTOR.
You see, her eyes are open.

GENTLEWOMAN.
Ay, but their sense is shut.

DOCTOR.
What is it she does now? Look how she rubs her hands.

GENTLEWOMAN.
It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her
hands: I have known her continue in this a quarter of an hour.

LADY MACBETH.
Yet here's a spot.

DOCTOR.
Hark, she speaks: I will set down what comes from her, to
satisfy my remembrance the more strongly.

LADY MACBETH.
Out, damned spot! out, I say!-- One; two; why, then 'tis
time to do't ;--Hell is murky!--Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier,
and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call
our power to account?--Yet who would have thought the old man to
have had so much blood in him?
===========================
Memo to Leslie: May you and all the other whores who shilled for the war never get a good night's sleep again, but be damned to wander through the night like Lady MacBeth

[jobycom]

23. My, my, my

Well done.

"What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?" Will someone in the administration develop a conscience?

[JohnOneillsMemory]

27. C. Scrutenizer, you liberal elitist, you! Much of Hamlet is appropriate.

The evil king who murders his brother to steal the crown and queen.

Hamlet's agony (ours) over a murderous abusive step-father who his beloved mother (America) takes into her bed.

As long as this play doesn't end with everyone dying at the end!

Richard Clarke's book becoming a movie will resemble
"The play's the king with which to prick the conscience of the king!"

[SidDithers]

2. Say it on 60 minutes, not some high school auditorium..nt.

Sid

[Search Party]

3. One tick of the pendulum?

Could it possibly be the beginning of the swing?

[Misunderestimator]

7. The pendulum started its swing at the Press Conference

... with the press asking questions that Bush did not know in advance. With them showing just a hint of courage and integrity. Sure seems like the pendulum is swinging. The birth of a Media Revolution?

[wryter2000]

19. Welcome to DU

:hi:

I hope you're right about the pendulum.

[Misunderestimator]

28. I'm obsessed with such hopes

And thanks for the welcome :)

[Skittles]

5. she needs to apologize to the American people

and perhpaps the Iraqi people too; not just high school students.

[lolly]

43. Yes, Leslie

How about apologizing to the boys (and girls) in the photo above, while you're at it?

[rooboy]

6. When I was at school, Lesley...

they made you go out into the school grounds and pick up litter. In your case, however, you should be sent back to Iraq to pick up body parts and depleted uranium.

This is not a case of "oops", Lesley.

[lefty_mcduff]

8. About friggin' time!

Now, how's about saying it on the air. You know, like on 60 Minutes or sumpin....

[Redbear]

9. No way would CBS let her apologize on air.

At a speech she is free to say what she believes.

Hooray for a bit of honesty and humility.

[lefty_mcduff]

12. Oh, I know that. But it's fairly typical...

Page 1 trumpets the (false) story in 120 pt Compacta Bold font.
The retraction is featured in the Lifestyle Section, page 19.
No-one sees the retraction. Everyone remembers the original story.
This is the TV 'news' version of same.

[salin]

16. Didn't Dan Rather apologize on air (on CBS)

per his reporting being "mild" after 9-11, and his regret that in the fear that surrounded post 9-11 that his reporting had not been as hard hitting or hard questioning as it should have been (remember the anthrax scare - targeting him among others - followed closely after the attacks)? If he was 'allowed' to do this, why wouldn't she be allowed to do so?

[JohnyCanuck]

21. I think you are referring to Dan's appearance on the BBC.

Here is Greg Palast's take on Dan's confession.

BUZZFLASH: But this is what's interesting is that here's this very powerful American journalist -- broadcaster who said in the interview, and I'm quoting: "It is an obscene comparison -- you know, I'm not sure I like it -- but, you know, there was a time in South Africa that people would put flaming tires around people's necks if they dissented."

And Dan Rather is referring to how stifling it was for anyone, including him, to talk or criticize or ask tough questions about the Bush administration after September 11th. What's your comment about that? It is deeply strange that he is saying that not on American TV, but over in England.

GREG PALAST: The producer of my program says, well, why don't we ask Dan Rather to come on and talk about this kind of unbelievable influence of the U.S. government on Hollywood. So he really started out with this stuff about how Hollywood has been really changing all its films to go along with whatever the Defense Department wants. Like "Black Hawk Down," for example. The Defense Department changed something on every single page of the script apparently.

The producers said we'd like to interview Dan Rather. And I said he'll never agree to talk. But apparently he was in kind of a confessional mode here. Maybe he knows about my stuff that you can say whatever the hell you want on BBC Television and it will never get back to America. His comments somehow never made it back across the Atlantic.

http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/2002/06/06_Greg_Palast.html

[salin]

22. Good catch... and I stand corrected

*sadly* ... mea culpa - the premise that she can't say this on CBS stands.

[nodictators]

26. Danny-boy talks out both sides of his mouth

After Bush's State of the Union speech, Dan gave him high marks, an A- and a B, and admired how Bush had "grown" as a speaker. Dan neglected to mention that most of Bush's statements were outright lies, or deceptions.

Danny-boy also praised Bush's recent "press conference."

Arrrgh!

[FreakinDJ]

10. She said it to High school students because...

She knows there is a high likelihood some of them will be drafted to fight in that quagmire call "Democracy for Iraq"

[UpInArms]

11. what a load of crap

and she just keeps spewing and spinning.

:nuke:

She needs to get on the world monitor tube and confess to her complicity in the murder of tens of thousands of people.

[nolabels]

30. Exactly, no one that spends and makes their living in the Media could ....

uninformed or ignorant. She goes on like she checked all these different places, went to country to have many people tell her that that these things didn't exist so she thought they all must be lying. She says she trusted her instinct instead of believe them. The liar is just trying to do damage control for her job.

Is it not wonderful all these media types that brought the invasion and occupation on are claiming stupidity in mass now that it's starting to go sour. Surely one medical Doctor or another would have discovered some type of pathogen or communicable disease giving all these folks this new STUPID affliction.

[lostnfound]

32. Actually, it's very EASY for them to remain uninformed & ignorant.

All they have to do is ignore alternative media sources..

Media people have POWERFUL incentives to stay in line with the mainstream. They automatically believe what's in the NYT or the WP; they've been taught which sources of information are 'respectable'; they are quick to discard anything that smacks of conspiracy theory; and if they were inclined to question the government, they would never have been hired, promoted or assigned high-profile positions to begin with.

They receive a barrage of rightwing flak every time they deviate the slightest bit leftward.

Unless they have history degrees OR a hobby of understanding alternative worldviews from the orthodox mainstream view, they will remain every bit as ignorant as the masses.

[nolabels]

35. So is this in their defense?

Or a concise in short, they are protecting their employer and trying to keep their job intact.

Much like Hitler's brown shirts, they have abandoned facts and evidence for belief. I will never look to them seriously on what they have to say, for I only see contempt and credulity from that camp.

Here is another one

http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20040420-084527-8849r.htm

April 21, 2004
Road maps and detours

By Bruce Bartlett
(snip)
I have to say my own feelings on the war parallel those of many others who previously supported the war but now feel deep misgivings. Although I don't often write on foreign policy, I felt I had an obligation to take a stand on Iraq before the war started. In a February 2003 column, I reluctantly supported the war because at the time I thought there was credible evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq. With that country ruled by a lunatic dictator with known ties to terrorist groups, I felt President Bush deserved the benefit of the doubt.

Since then, I have been very disturbed by the lack of WMDs. I am not yet convinced Mr. Bush manufactured evidence for their existence as a pretext for war. But I do believe he has fostered a White House culture that contributes to error, by stifling internal debate, a decisionmaking process that seems to shortcircuit research and analysis, and an obsession with loyalty and secrecy that makes the Nixon White House appear a model of openness and transparency.
(snip)

Btw, As a truck mechanic I have to once every so often go back and correct some mistakes or other problems that I might have missed. I have to do this type of thing despite of any personal or professional pride. All of that hubris crap comes second when you are trying to keep things safe.

[lostnfound]

36. Not in their defense; but recognize that many 'know not what they do'

The only reason for my comment was that the previous post had suggested that people in media MUST know what is the truth, and are choosing NOT to speak it. I think that many in media DO NOT know the truth..they have blinders on.

I'm not saying this to defend them. I'm saying this because you need to use a different strategy to counteract ignorance as opposed to counteracting malicious intent.

[nolabels]

38. Yea, I am being arrogant, but the way corporate media is............

I can't bare to watch any of it, it's so filled with lies on so many levels. After the big build up about Bob Woodward on 60 minutes, I got into a heated debate with my wife (she gets all her news there). I had to break several things they were lying to her about.

She acknowledge to me that I was correct on many things but rejected the premise they had been deceived her wholesale (she still thinks they will find WMD). You can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink

I don't know what Woodward thought he was doing, but the kernel of his idea seemed lost in the CBS editing (thank goodness). Everyone of them seems to be protecting the integrity of their job first and doing what would be the correct thing as the last thing. Eventually it will come back to haunt them one way or another.

I never thought I would become as informed about how they operated till I came to DU. I knew they did it, but the nuts and bolts thing is new. You know we must be pretty correct in our assumptions and knowledge of them, when we can guess what they will do before they do it.

It takes everybody coming in collectivly, but it works :thumbsup:

[KansDem]

13. Remember, Lesley, "Confession is good for the soul"

And of what I've seen/heard of late, you "journalists" have A LOT of confessing to do, whether or not you have a soul...

[Isere]

14. Humphfffff!

Now may we hear from all the rest? How about Miller of the New York Times for starters?

[jmcgowanjm]

15. whore, flak, apologist for Fascists

Stahl: Oh no! There is no way the Pentagon/NORAD
is responsible for 911!
-------
Wallace: If you’re suggesting what I think you’re
suggesting, Kroft, then you’re going to be dealing with
my lawyers. The idea that Leslie and I would have sex.

Andy Rooney: I’ve seen the tapes of you two. I got to tell
you, Mike, I’m sick of your getting your picture broadcast at
the beginning of 60 Minutes and Leslie just mentioning me.
The two of you ought to be ashamed of each
other.

Stahl: No one has any tapes of anything, Rooney. Do you
think anyone in the world cares that you’re upset that a pound
of coffee only has 14 ounces of beans in it? Get a life, you
little chauvinist pig.

http://www.jaronbs.com/sixty.htm

[Warren Stuart]

17. CYA, Too little, too late

To really make ammends one should go to the original source of where the error happened and devote as much time and attention to rectifying the problem as was spent in creating the problem.

Too little too late.

The rats are starting to jump off the ship, I guess this is a good sign. Some day she will be honored for her courageous action, right now it just looks self-serving.

[jmcgowanjm]

20. Exactamente, Warren Stuart

Karma's a bitch

[jobycom]

24. She's still lying

She says she checked out the Iraqi claims of having no WMDs. She says everyone believed they did. That's not true. There were plenty of published stories from experts, inspectors, intelligence in other countries, and from indies here in America to point her in the right direction. Twenty minutes on DU on any day in the year leading up to the invasion would have given anyone who cared all the sources they needed to do their jobs.

She's not apologizing. She's making up excuses to clear her conscience, and maybe to try to appeal to people who now know the media lied. "We didn't lie, we were fooled" will be their mantra. But never forget-- it isn't true. They knew.

[tlcandie]

25. Apologies are only as good as the actions that follow ...

what will it be Ms. Stahl? :shrug:

[phoebe]

29. typical psy-op stuff - the ones on air are there for a purpose

n/t

my grammar is not suffering these fools gladly

[nolabels]

31. So true too

Even if the policy is a very failed one, the general public must be let on to know or find out that one part is only another arm of the same body that is controlling them unwitedly. Always protect the voice to misinform the people, no matter what

We all know the media sucks, but who believes they engage in covert...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=729470

[wasichu]

33. She should be FIRED

I don't want whore "journalists" making mistakes when it costs lives.
She should be in prison for accomplice to murder.

[VTMechEngr]

34. Hey, I graduated from that Highschool!

Very very conservative place.

[moondust]

37. When will Powell and Negroponte have regrets?

They sat at the UN and summarily dismissed the Iraqi ambassador's repeated claims that his country had no WMD. They belong in prison.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

41. Powell already has them, I think but can't speak Negroponte

will never know the meaning of regret until seconds before his death, and even then it wont be regret, but fear.

[grasswire]

39. CBS direct contact info

CBS NEWS CHIEF Andrew Hayward. 212.975.7825. fax: [phone]. [e-mail]
NEWS DIRECTOR Marty Gill 212 975 6121 fax. [phone] CBS SWITCHBOARD (ASK FOR NEWSROOM) 212.975.4321 fax: [phone]

I copped these direct numbers from a freeper's post.

Ask CBS why this isn't a prime time story. Be polite. Don't misuse the contact numbers or they'll be changed.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

40. So what are you prepared to do about it?

In the immortal words of Sean Connery's character on the Untouchables...

[crissy71]

42. fight back

NYC BENEFIT FOR PEACE ACTIVISTS FACING JAIL

WHAT: BENEFIT CONCERT

WHO: Queer feminist activist band from NYC "The Syndicate", Bands Against Bush power pop band "Gladshot", popular rockers "Marwood", Brooklyn’s own “Motico”, all-girl punk outfit "Pie", and Special Guests TBA. MC will be comedienne and activist Drae Campbell.

WHERE: Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, NYC Directions at www.knittingfactory.com

WHEN: Sunday, May 2nd, 2pm

HOW MUCH: $15

WHY? This is a benefit show for the 16 non-violent activists who were arrested during a protest on March 26, 2003. They were protesting Rachel Corrie’s death, violations of Palestinian human rights, and the war on Iraq. They were recently convicted and now face jail time at their May 12th sentencing. This is an important case for the activist community, and the defendants need our support.

You can also help by donating funds at: www.m26.org

[sjgman9]

44. Leslie Stahl

Isnt she a media whore?

[The Zanti Regent]

45. Will that liar apologize to my Jon?

If she really means what she says (which I doubt), she would go to his bedside and apologize for turning him into a quadraplegic.

F You Stahl, burn in hell!