White House staffers banned by Bu$h regime from seeing F-9/11

[DemoTex]

That, according to Campbell Brown (Chris Matthew's sub) on MSNBC's "Hardball" tonight. Another strange tale from strange times.

[Gothmog]

1. LOL

This is too funny. Are the thought police out??

[classof56]

2. What??

I can't bring myself to watch "Hardball", even with a sub as classy as Campbell Brown seems. What did she say?

[Hoping4Change]

9. Hi classof56

Welcome to DU. Glad you're here and not watching tweetie!:bounce:

[classof56]

11. Thanks!

Thanks for the welcome. Gave up on Tweetie long ago. Let's keep hangin' in there. Never too old, in my case!

[hansolsen]

25. Hardball host Chris Mathews was AWOL on Wolfowitz interview.

I watched tonights's show, and here is what struck me. Chris Mathews is a good guy but he so often disappoints me. Where the hell was he today? Hiding behind Campbell Brown's skirt, that's where.

Paul Wolfowitz was the prime guest on Hardball tonight, and Chris Mathews was missing in action, no where to be seen. This was a tough interview. Paul Wolfowitz is one of the prime movers and shakers in Bush War II, and the house of cards he and Shrub and the boys have built is crumbling around his ears. This was a prime opportunity to beard the lion in his den -- too bad it didn't happen.

Here is the problem. Mathews, a long time Democrat, decided for some reason to vote for Bush in 2000, and was one of the worst media whores in lying down for the Bush lies and hype on WMD, etc., that got us into the war. To this day Mathews is obviously conflicted about his support for Bush and for Iraq. When it comes to the middle east, Chris Mathews doesn't know whether he's afoot or camelback.

Thus it's damn difficult for him to now confront Wolfowitz with tough questions, and the usual "Hardball" approach to guests. And frankly, I see him as reluctant to offend the Bush political elite by being too hard on Wolfowitz. On the other hand if Chris showed up and treated Wolfowitz with kid gloves, all of Chris' old liberal friends would never forgive him. What's the obvious solution to this conundrum? Punt.

Campbell Brown's press coverage of Bush during the 2000 campaign was so favorable she should have been required to file her reports wearing a cheerleader outfit. The idea of her standing up to Paul Wolfowitz is laughable -- she did her best, but it was no contest. Somewhere, ages hence, some writer will be looking for an analogy to describe an uneven contest -- and may well describe it as unfair as sending Brown against Wolfowitz.

So say I.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

28. IMHO, I thought she did a pretty good job of telling Wolfowitz what she...

...thought of his comment about journalists in Iraq. See my post #26.

Everything else you said about both her and CM was right on the money.

[hansolsen]

37. Yes, I agree -- she did a good job standing up for journalists in Iraq

I was thinking more of the section on missing WMD and missing Al Qaeda connection, etc. Wolfie hit most of her pitches out of the park, or at least for singles.

Mathews can be a little courage impaired, and I believe he was tonight. Now I could be wrong -- he might well have had a compelling reason to be elswhere -- but it had better have been at least a death in the family.

I mention all this because Mathews could turn against Shrub big time, and some days he comes close to doing so. I just want him to turn and stay turned.

[alcuno]

38. Welcome to DU, hansolsen. I recall some sort of * comment to Campbell

and shortly thereafter she got off the WH beat. He made some stupid comment while in Texas about her looks. Her lisp really bugs me.

[hansolsen]

40. Maybe she will turn on shrub too -- that would be delicious.

Thanks for the welcome.

[troublemaker]

47. Please stop lying

re: ...and was one of the worst media whores in lying down for the Bush lies and hype on WMD, etc., that got us into the war.

That statement is sufficiently divergent from reality as to be called a lie. It may be merely uninformed, but I doubt it.

Chris Matthews has been a Bush apologist on many, many, many issues. Iraqi WMD was not one of them. During the run-up to the war he was the only WMD skeptic on cable news and he made his pre-war opposition to the invasion quite clear.

[FlemingsGhost]

3. LOL... Yeah, right.

I know a staffer who's already seen it.

Ooooops....

[Catfight]

4. Seriously? LOL Like when you tell your kids to cover their eyes

during the dirty parts of TV or movies? LOL....the children who've got their inheritances early really are in charge of the free world.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

15. I don't like to use the use "Free World", especially in this context.

I mean, consider the thread topic here! LOL

[Coventina]

5. Uh, isn't that illegal?

I don't think your employer can tell you what movies you can and cannot go see.

What fascists!

Can you imagine ANY Dem politician telling his/her staff what movies they can see?

on edit: fixed my sexist language

[ibegurpard]

6. How are they going to stop it?

If the movie is playing how can they "ban" anyone from seeing it? I'd LOVE to file a lawsuit for being fired for going to a movie

[librechik]

7. can't find a secondary source for this

Campbell must have got a scoop!

or esle it just slipped out accidental like.

Maybe she's next on the list of those having to make those WH ordered corrections.

[DemoTex]

8. Well, she damn sure said it!

Surprised Hitchens. Surprised me. I was amazed by the juxtaposition with her comments about F-9/11 "preaching to the choir." Did she not see the contradiction there? Did she not catch the ironic counterpoise of statements about the "Al Franken crowd" being the 9/11 audience and her final bombshell about the GOP White House staff being banned from 9/11?

[librechik]

39. I heard her too n/t

[mike1963]

10. And if they see it anyway, there'll be electrodes & naked pyramids

on the Mall! :evilgrin:
KS

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Or they'll spirit their families away in the dead of night.

[kskiska]

13. What made him think

that any of them would WANT to see it? Or maybe they would…

[Cascadian]

14. Why the surprise?

n/t


John

[DustMolecule]

16. I find this really difficult to believe as true

and would like to see corroboration, rather than just one source starting a rumor (and I don't see proof that Campbell Brown said it either).

However, IF it were true, shouldn't the WH Staff be advised TO see it? Shouldn't the WH staff be the most INFORMED staff on the entire planet? If this film is going to cause a 'stir' and invite questions/answers from them...shouldn't they all know what's in there so that they may be able to accurately/knowledgeably ANSWER those questions?

[DemoTex]

17. Get a tape and watch it my friend

She said it at about 7:57 EDT in the show tonight. I do not spread rumor on DU. Please do not insinuate that I do. You are way over the line.

On edit: In fact, I was asked to start a separate thread on this subject, which I did.

[DustMolecule]

19. Sorry, I didn't mean to offend - not at all.....

...I was 'suggesting' that perhaps Campbell Brown might be starting a rumor, not you. Not that YOU didn't hear it. I was asking for corroboration of HER story about the staff being told not to see it. (gee, why didn't I take that Communication Class in college, I never seem to be able to communicate what I mean properly *phew*)

The rest of MY post was the important part (I thought)...that IF it were true, the WH staff SHOULD be knowlegable/informed about it/SHOULD see it because they WILL be asked to 'address it'.

Sorry, if my lack of good writing/communication skills created this misunderstanding. Didn't mean it the way it sounded.

Peace :-)

[DemoTex]

24. Sorry too, for the misunderstanding

Peace too, my friend!

(No blood, no foul!)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

26. Yep...DemoTex is correct. She also made Wolfowitz squirm....

...at one point during the show...she was not happy with the way Wolfowitz had recently characterized the press in Iraq. He had recently stated that the press was sitting back in Baghdad while the "real" stories were happening in the countryside. Wolfowitz was providing the usual propaganda as to how well things were going in Iraq.

I wonder if Wolfowitz knows the number of journalists that have been killed in Iraq?

<http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=2348&Language=EN>

[slor]

18. She did say it...

even if you did not hear her. I wish I could have heard hitchens immediate response...my wife was talking to me and I missed it.

[DemoTex]

21. This is the first time in my DU history (since 5/2001) ...

That my credibility has been questioned. DustMolicule, with <500 posts, has taken my word to task. Poor choice of battles, DustMolicule. Again I am backed up by other DUers, and again it is a no-brainer: roll the tape. Never, ever accuse me of hyperbole.

[DustMolecule]

23. Did you see my post #19???

I think we may have been typing at the same time and you didn't see it? :shrug:

[DemoTex]

34. Yes, I just saw it and sent you a PM

I think DustMolecule and I are making a public apology to each other. Am I right on that DM?

[DustMolecule]

41. Yep....it's nice

Perhaps if people worked to understand each other's positions/miscommunications quickly enough....we wouldn't blow up the world after all.

It starts with individuals and I think you and I are 'good', DemoTex :-)

[Soup Bean]

29. DemoTex is, as usual, correct.

I saw it. She said that staffers had been banned. Hitchens, in a drunkenlike way that seems "cultivated" replied with a "Whaaaaaa"....after which Campbell said "I Knooow"....Hitchens said he hadn't heard that, but if it were true, he would add it to a long list of things he felt were odd with the Bush Administration.

I think Hitchens is merely trying to protect the office of the Presidency and the ideal of America. These guys in charge are such embarassments that its got to be tough for those who really believe in civic ideals.

The America we once knew is nearly gone, I do believe. It's kind of a sad day when farce has replaced true civility and compassion and bravery.

[TacticalPeek]

46. The tale of the tape:

BROWN: Real quick-we're almost out of time-but how-how-given how the Bush administration is reacting to the 9/11 film, which is, you know, banning their staffs from going to see it or anybody...

HITCHENS: What?

BROWN: I know. Is it the right approach?

HITCHENS: I didn't know that.

But, if so, then it would be something to add to my long list of misgivings about the Bush administration.

THOMASON: And that will jump their grosses up.

HITCHENS: You can't fight-I say in my piece, you can't fight one kind of stupidity and cowardice with another. It's silly to try.

BROWN: All right, we?ve got to go. I want to thank you both for joining us, Harry Thomason and Christopher Hitchens.

THOMASON: Thank you.

BROWN: And before we sign off, we do want to congratulate our friends at our Web site, MSNBC.com. They have been named best journalism site by the National Press Club. Way to go, guys.

Joining us-or join us again tomorrow night at 7:00 Eastern for more

HARDBALL.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5286752/

-------------

She also gave the cutest smiling grimace and head tilt when she said 'I knoooow'.

Why isn't this news? Imagine if the Clinton WH had done something so stupid and pathetic! And hilarious. Kobe and Scott would have to fight to get a bit in edgewise.

[Octafish]

20. They gotta keep the he'p in the dark.

Otherwise, they'll Xerox everything before it goes into the shredder come December.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

27. I bet that's happening anyway. Even if it's not, I bet the CIA has the...

...place fully blanketed with the very latest in surveillance gear.

It must be driving the NeoCons nuts to have so much information made public. Too bad, so sad.

[Jacobin]

22. Forbidden Fruit

Now they will ALL go see it.

:bounce:


:bounce:

[Fleshdancer]

30. then we should buy the staffers some tickets

better yet, I'm sure Michael Moore wouldn't mind holding a special complimentary screening for anyone who works at the WH. Now that would be hilarious.

[Cleita]

31. Back in the Jurassic when my Repugnant employer told me I

couldn't smoke anymore, he didn't just mean in the office. He meant all the time. My attitude was that he could demand that I didn't smoke while I was on his bought time and on his property, but what I did in my own time he had no right to demand. Of course the prick used to try to tell me how to vote too.

No, I never confronted him with this because it would have been a waste of time, but he would have had to hire a PI to make sure I complied and I knew he was way too cheap to do that. If someone would have ratted on me then I would have told him I wasn't his slave and he could go to Hell and I wouldn't have cared if I got fired.

I think the White House staff should feel free to do what they want to on their own time and if someone rats on them so be it and tell BushCo to go to Hell.

[Beetwasher]

32. Man, I HOPE That Someone Sees It And They FIRE THEM!!

How huge would that be? And they're just the kind of stupid morons who would do it...

[opihimoimoi]

33. Now the staffers gatta go incognito, shades and wigs time

Because they are banned from going, now, they Gatta GO.

"What is it the Boss don want me to see?"

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

35. they probably know more creepy shit about junior

than is in f9/11. might be old hat for them.

[PartyPooper]

36. When the DVD comes out, I hope Michael Moore sends a boatload to the WH!

Free copies for the entire White House staff compliments of Michael Moore!

:bounce:

[Radical Activist]

42. Can you say THOUGHT POLICE?

I knew you could.

[drdtroit]

43. Effing COWARDS!

[Crewleader]

44. Too much!

:7

[homelandpunk]

45. Stephanopoulos will see F911 and continue praising Bush. What the hell

makes anyone think the brainwashed current staff is gonna be shaken?
I mean shit. Not like Bush got a blowjob. Right Stephy?? ya little pigfucker.

[gulliver]

48. Not surprising. That way when the staffers are asked ...

... for comment, they will all have to start with "I haven't seen the film." It smells like something Rove would do.