Sheperd Smith orgasming over Berger "scandal"

[RummyTheDummy]

It's been wall to wall on Faux all day and most of last night. They're definately trying to make an issue of it, possibly the central issue in this election. I'm sure they would do the same if it were a Repuke who got his hand caught in the cookie jar.

But seriously, my concern is not so much that this will be an issue in the election. Let's face it, the only people who watch Faux are hard core repugs and Dems who like to keep an eye on what has become a propoganda machine of the GOP, so that in itself is good news. But it will be the "obsession de jour" of the media this week, which drowns out Kerry to a degree. I'm sure they'll try to continue this next week during the convention.

Utterly sickening.

[Az_lefty]

1. Berger has nothing to do with Kerry

are they trying to tie the two together? Your right about the bias, faux is a lost cause.

[mandyky]

Even CNN has taken up

the meme that Berger is an "informal consultant" to the Kerry campaign..

[Atman]

5. "informal consultant" is among the talking points

CNN already pointed this out...the GOP talking points on the issue directly tell the presenter to make sure they point out that Berger was a Clinton guy who is now an "informal consultant" with the Kerry campaign.

Stinky stinky stinky

[JHB]

13. "informal consultant"? Is that like the "Unofficial Spokesperson...

...for Wendy's" guy? ( http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_11_38/ai_114405355 )

[RummyTheDummy]

7. Yes -- they're definately trying everything the can to link them

They had a tag line on the bottom of the screen that seed something like "political ramifications" or something. Definately trying to draw some sort of connection to Kerry 04.

[nostamj]

9. wrong!

Berger is a major advisor to Kerry and the campaign!

on national security issues.

if he wasn't, this would be a non-story...

[Atman]

2. Even on CNN, many "pundits" are calling this suspicious

Wolfe especially has been trying to make this the Scandal of the Century, inventing "what if's" and even asking the Godfather of Illegal Leaks, Bob Novak, to comment (of course, Novak also agreed this was one of the most serious scandals ever).

Aside from the usual suspects, the news orgs aren't exactly getting everyone to jump on the bandwagon on this one. I've seen three different "experts" on CNN today calling this story a GOP sleaze tactic.

[mandyky]

4. Yeah, I was furious when they had Nofactula address this

The master leaker and traitor.

[goddess40]

8. Wolfie

I said this on another line but Berger can always use Wolfie's line, "Haven't you ever made a mistake?"

[jedicord]

12. Yeah, but when people make mistakes of that magnitude

(waging an illegal war on false pretenses, for instance) they generally get fired.

[colonel odis]

3. shepherd smith is creepy enough.

i hate to think how crossed his eyes get when he gets excited about something like this.

[jedicord]

6. The guy on AM radio this afternoon

said it was "awful convenient" that the papers he allegedly took have been destroyed.

Kinda as convenient as Bush's National Guard record, I'd say.

[Mountainman]

11. He made copies of original documents which are still in the archives

Per David Gergan and others:

The investigation started in Oct 2003, as of yet they haven't talked to Berger or charged him with anything.

This is a repub smear tactic and nothing more.

[jedicord]

14. So he didn't destroy the documents?

I don't know enough yet about the story, so like a dumb Repub even I took him on his word on that one.

Drink... I need a drink...:scared:

[Canuckistanian]

15. Here's what the AP said

Berger and his lawyer said Monday night he knowingly removed handwritten notes he had taken from classified anti-terror documents he reviewed at the National Archives by sticking them in his jacket and pants. He also inadvertently took copies of actual classified documents in a leather portfolio, they said.

and

When asked, Berger said he returned some of the classified documents, which he found in his office, and all of the handwritten notes he had taken from the secure room, but said he could not locate two or three copies of the highly classified millennium terror report.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&u=/ap/20040720/ap_on_re_us/sept__11_berger_probe_2&printer=1

[gratuitous]

10. A couple of facts, and the "scandal" blows away

This happened in November, and a referral was made to the FBI in January. Nothing has happened since then.

I'm so old, I remember a time when a newsman would talk of his "nose" for news. He'd say things like "This doesn't pass the smell test," or "This smells fishy to me." Those phrases were meant to indicate that the newsman thought that someone might be trying to play him for their own ends. As enticing as a scoop might be, the newsman would be double careful about going to print or on the air with something that didn't seem right.

Nowadays, journalists are required to have their olfactory senses surgically blocked before they get the job.