If you listen to Powell on MTP

[Khephra]

You can hear him lay out what Bush is going to say tonight...and guess what that is? Same old shit...there's no big surprises. Bush is going to do a PR Spin on the entire Iraq situation.

I'm now sure this is going to go over like a lead balloon. If Bush was riding on good news he could have used a speech like this to bounce back up again. Being prideful when the majority of the public and press is starting to catch on to the game is possibly as horrible of a mistake as those 16 words.

I think I may actually enjoy watching the speech tonight. It's going to a textbook case of self-delusion. They don't even realize how far they've sunk yet, and they're still operating on the "We're always right" model.

Ain't going to cut it this time.

[Khephra]

1. The two phrases to pick if you're drinking to Bush tonight is

"The schools are open" and "They have a free press".

[chaumont58]

5. I heard that and my thought was....

Yeah, you son of a bitch, 300 Americans are dead. Bechtel and Haliburton are getting even richer. Powell is sockcuckin' fothermuckin' POS. And not too many years ago, the whore press was kissing Powell's feet. Ain't we got a great god damn press!

[LizW]

2. It's all good, we're doing great

Blah, blah, blah...

It will take time (and $100 billion)...blah, blah, blah...

I heard nothing from Powell that sounded like ANY acknowledgement whatsoever that things aren't going well in Iraq.

This administration is either incredibly delusional or totally dishonest.

[Khephra]

4. That's exactly what we're going to get

Oh, Bush may throw in Iran and another new foe or two, but he does that every major speech. We're still not in Syria yet, or attacking NK, so I think we're safe. Frankly, I don't think we have the resources for another war...and I think they're starting to realize that themselves, although they won't be admitting that tonight, except in the most vague of ways (eg. demanding more money from Congress and calling on the UN to do its part).

[Cha]

8. Or both! Which would be the case on all fronts!

[rooboy]

3. I really hope George wears one of those Prussian helmets...

with the spike on top. It's about the only crazy thing left that he hasn't done.

[Punkingal]

6. I watched him....

and all I could think is how smoothly he lies. He is as disgusting as anyone in the Bush administration.

[Cha]

9. I agree and Harry Belafonte knows how to call 'em!

[Cha]

7. I can't watch so I will be looking forward to your analysis afterwards..

From what I've heard I'm hoping his polls take a plummet after his most recent Lies, tonight!

[TacticalPeek]

10. I am awaiting with interest this MTP transcript.

Timmie asked Powell about finding WMD, and the HN answered like "there is no doubt WMD exist, existed and blahblah". Now he probably said "exist" in error and was correcting it by saying "existed" next, but it also could read like he was conjugating with that verb for a standard rhetorical effect.

This quandry would not exist if the Mother of All Media Whores had simply followed up with a basic and obvious question, "Did you mean to say that WMD exist?". I've no doubt that almost any local news reporter would ask that obvious question because they would be listening to Powell's answer and see the need for clarification about an important issue.

It's possible that Timmie didn't even hear Powell because after he puts a question, he is often off-camera looking at his notes for the next question choice, and knows Powell is just reeling off the standard, boilerplate talking points expected. Similarly, when on MTP Cheney said he believed Iraq had reconstituted it's nuclear weapons, Timmie went blithely on to the next question instead of asking the obvious "Do you mean actual nuclear weapons or weapons programs?".

Both Timmie and Wolfie have this same, very unprofessional incompetence when it comes to interviewing important guests about important issues and they show their inability to suffer the yakyak in their earpiece, fumble their notes, and still listen to and intelligently respond to the guest's answer.

Personally, of course, I am convinced they don't hold these apologists accountable with germane followups because they seek to not offend the powerful; but aside from their jackbootlicking, just their amateurish, freshman journalist interviewing abilities are appalling, and, in their positions, disgusting.


edtd: tipoo