Request to Tweety to Retract false claim from last night...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

To: Chris Mathews
Re: Your 10/20/05 Hardball Show

Last night, you ran a prepared piece on the Plame investigation. This report had a blatant error in it. The speaker said that "Valerie Plame recommended that Joe Wilson be sent to Niger."

This statement is not a proven fact. It is unsubstantiated. It is also a Rove/RNC talking point that you are perpetuating without thorough fact checking.

I quote on this subject from Media Matters, http://mediamatters.org/items/200507140001

Further, several news reports have quoted unnamed intelligence officials who refuted the notion that Plame authorized, or even suggested, Wilson's trip. A July 22, 2003, Newsday article quoted an unidentified senior intelligence official who said: "They were aware of who she was married to, which is not surprising. ... There are people elsewhere in government who are trying to make her look like she was the one who was cooking this up, for some reason." The Los Angeles Times reported on July 15, 2004, that an unnamed CIA official confirmed that Plame was not responsible for the CIA's decision to send Wilson to Niger, saying: "Her bosses say she did not initiate the idea of her husband going. ... They asked her if he'd be willing to go, and she said yes."

Furthermore, Media Matters reported that you have spread this unfounded information on another occasions:

CHRIS MATTHEWS : What would be wrong if the enemy, your enemy who has been criticizing your policy, got this gig to go to Africa because his wife got it for him? He didn't get it from the vice president, he didn't get it from the head of the CIA. What's wrong with saying that?

In the interest of fair journalism, please correct this matter as soon as possible.

[Mika]

1. I was screaming at my TV when Tweety smirked that one out.

Tweety is in nearly pure shilling mode on this issue.

:puke:

[tabasco]

7. NBC/GE has been particularly blatant recently.

The order has come down to step up the propaganda.

GE wants to sell more missiles dammit !

[Captain Hilts]

2. It's also IRRELEVENT to the investigation. nt

[mduffy31]

3. Pardon my ignorance

who da hell is tweety?

[Mika]

4. Umm.. did ya read the first post?

Tweety is Chris Mathews.

[chelsea0011]

5. He also said last night that if Bush surrounds himself with smart

people and listens to them, he can put all the Plame scandal behind him much the same way Reagan did with Iran/Contra. You know, if Fitzgerald gives immunity to everyone he got in front of the grand jury, maybe Bush can get by. North was guilty. He got the charges overturned because of questions about immunity he was afforded by Congress for his dog and pony show. I don't think the guy who prosecuted the Gambino Family is that dumb. Tweety? You may not like it, but this administration is corrupt. I wonder how you will sell this on your stupid show when indictments start reigning down.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. Yes, he shouted over Katrina on that one. Nothing, and I mean

nothing will change if Cheney and Rummy stay. Those two are running the horror show.

I remember thinking that Reagan would fall from grace after the Iran/Contra deal. No, unfortunately. I wonder if things would be different if all that happened in today's world of mass media coverage (albeit grossly slanted).

[chelsea0011]

6. Don't you love spell check for Tweety, and you get to press ignore?

[Gabi Hayes]

8. there's something else wrong with this BS statememt:

What would be wrong if the enemy, your enemy who has been criticizing your policy, got this gig to go to Africa because his wife got it for him? He didn't get it from the vice president, he didn't get it from the head of the CIA. What's wrong with saying that?

is there ANY evidence that he was critical of Bush policy before he went to Niger? why on earth would the CIA send a known CRITIC of junta when they were trying to gin up the evidence? nobody ever ever mentions that during discussions?

the only thing I've ever read about junta being nervous about his leanings was when they supposedly started that 'workup' out of Cheney's office in March, 03, long after he'd been to Niger and back.

and how come the liars never mention the other two reports (see Cliff May's denial of others during today's WashJournal), both of whom were confirmed by Wilson?

and, of course, where are the uninformed, spineless dems/"journalists" who seem to be so out of touch witht the facts in this case?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. I really wish a couple big newspapers would do a complete column

of debunking. OOO. Maybe Frank Rich would. Thinkprogress has made a half way decent start.

But about what you wrote, I was thinking about it completely opposite of you. I think that the CIA told the WH and State that there were NO nuclear plans/capability in Iraq. The WH scoffed. And then the CIA picked Wilson, for his knowledge, and his stature to debunk the WH. I even think that there is a remote possibility that Valerie told Joe that the WH was trying to "fix the intelligence" on this. Nevertheless, none of that matters because Joe is on the side of the truth.