Why does CNN keep saying Kerry is now steering clear of...

[shelley806]

the explosives story. That is the 5th time I've heard that today! Within the past 2 hours. Bush saying "Check your facts" (That from a liar), and now this...

[Iceburg]

1. Because the ship is going down ...

[Richardo]

7. That is one of the best sig line graphics ever.

HA! Iceburg :D

[Iceburg]

13. Thank CNN -- their latest denial inspired me

[shelley806]

28. Your sig in itself is an answer to my question

CNN Trust No More......

[dennis4868]

2. How does CNN.....

explain the minnesota video which occurred on the 18th of April and this soldier the Pentagon dragged out today says he was there on the 13th of Aoril....seems like the video debunks the soldier's "story."

[Demfromct]

5. Kerry has to stay above the fray

The story has legs even if Kerry doesn't hit on it. He has to stay out of it because now it has turned it a media circus. Kerry is doing the right thing. They have to go positive and comparative the weekend. They have to make people comfortable with kerry one last time.

Kerry doesn't need to hammer home these points. The media will do it for him.

[dennis4868]

11. The media will do it for him?

what drugs are you taking today? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE MEDIA DID ANYTHING FOR KERRY?

[Goldmund]

14. Not FOR Kerry, but Bush-damaging stories...

Abu Ghraib comes to mind.

This one is just as resilient. It doesn't need injections from Kerry, since the media is already embroiled in it.

[ballcap1776]

24. I agree

With a story this big, even the big wigs can't supress it, they have to let the hounds out to pursue it -- whichever way the chips fall.

I'm still waiting for my red terra elirt. I thought they might do it today, with halloween coming up and all and the election next week -- maybe they would think it looked less contrived....

[shelley806]

35. God, I hope not!

[shelley806]

25. Thank you!

Makes sense.

[shelley806]

32. Well they can't explain it....Nor can the viewers watching it, for the

most part. The seals were unbroken on the 18th of April, and Major Pearson was there on the 13th, and it took them one day to haul away 250 tons of explosives??? No Way! He wasn't at the same bunker, or he wasn't at Al QaQaa, one or the other. And there is no way they could have done this operation in one day, even with 100 troops!
They are clearly lying...but how much of this does the public get?

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. I don't know what CNN thinks

but it is getting to the point where the story has the leges to walk on it's own. That is the best scenario. Let Kerry start connecting the dots of the bigger picture while all these messy details keep pinning Bush down.

[fugop]

10. Exactly

Kerry doesn't have to push that story anymore. It's obviously a newsmaker. Now Kerry can switch over to the economy and his positive message if he likes. Damage from explosives story done, from his standpoint. He's incredible. I am so loving the master in action.

[mac56]

4. If it's true...

there is an old adage that says when your enemy is shooting himself in the foot, it's not necessary to stop him.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

9. Bingo

.

[DrFunkenstein]

6. Reuters: Media Consolidation Seen on Menu If Kerry Elected

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Media and telecommunications mergers would likely face greater scrutiny by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission if Sen. John Kerry wins next week's presidential election, industry analysts and lobbyists say.

No matter who wins, the next president is seen getting a chance to reshape the five-member FCC due to the expected departure of chairman Michael Powell, but it's unclear who Bush or Kerry would select to replace him.

If Kerry is elected, most expect the interim chairman to be Democrat Commissioner Michael Copps, who has railed against media consolidation, indecency, and how deregulating the telephone industry has hurt competition. Copps "has some pretty clear views that the FCC's current deregulatory path is the wrong path," said Paul Glenchur, an analyst at Schwab SoundView. "That's not great news for the Bells," referring to the major local telephone carriers.

Regardless of who joins the FCC under a second Bush term, most industry watchers expect the agency to continue its hands-off approach, especially for new technologies like telephone services via the Internet. "If Bush wins, I see that continuing," said independent telecommunications analyst Jeff Kagan. "If Kerry wins all bets are off."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&e=9...

[RevCheesehead]

12. Now THERE'S a job for Al Franken!!!

[shelley806]

36. Or Jon Stewart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RedEarth]

17. That's exactly right....Media Consolidation, is one of the most important

issues facing our country. It's one that each American should be very concerned about. Once the election is over, that is an area we need to focus on.....pretty scary to think all we would have would be Fox and Clear Channel.

[shelley806]

39. Excellent point, and I agree 100%

I bought into the liberally biased CNN lie until this election, and when I found out about DU during the post election voting, everyone was talking about my concerns. What a relief! Media is one of the most important issues, especially while at war. "The first casualty of war is the free press..."

[chiburb]

19. Bingo! Hence the Chicago Trib's Bush backing...n/t

[Proud2BAmurkin]

8. Kerry got the story out there. Now he needs to focus on domestic issues

His surrogates can talk about the Pentagon LIES now.

[bain_sidhe]

15. Is he? Or are they just saying that to justify not covering it anymore?

Dunno, I'm just asking. The last several campaign-related stories I read seem to show him and Edwards still talking about it.

[flygal]

16. When did CNN become so slanted?...

I live overseas so don't follow it much - but their coverage of the election is terrible. I couldn't believe the Candy Crowley reports on Kerry!
Is it because Faux beat them in the ratings? Does this mean all news now has play to people who have the attention span of a gnat? Sigh - no wonder all my dem friends want dibs on my guest room over here.

[Iceburg]

21. When Ted Turner was ousted ....

but a'las, their end is near.

[sandnsea]

18. SURROGATES

Don't worry, this story isn't going away. John will be inspiring and uplifting while the surrogates slice Bush to ribbons. I would think alot of people around here would be quite familiar with the strategy... :shrug:

[goodhue]

20. good

Story stands on its own legs.

[nolabels]

23. Damn straight it does

Them ordinary folks in Iraq don't like getting blown up any better than the rest of us

US troops refused requests to protect explosives store
By Kim Sengupta in Baghdad

29 October 2004

Al-Qaqa'a, the Iraqi military complex from which 350 tons of explosives disappeared, was looted after US troops left the area refusing requests to protect the site, Iraqi witnesses say.

They say unguarded buildings were stripped of their contents after the arrival and departure of American troops in the last few days of the war.

Yesterday an armed Islamic group claimed to have obtained a large quantity of the explosives and threatened to use them against coalition troops. The group, calling itself al-Islam's Army Brigades, al-Karar Brigade, said on a video that it had co-ordinated with officers and soldiers of "the American intelligence" to obtain a "huge amount of the explosives that were in the al-Qaqa'a facility".

The looted explosives have become a contentious issue in the US election campaign, adding weight to the accusations of John Kerry, that George Bush mishandled the war.
(snip)
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=577148

[shelley806]

40. Thank you so much for posting this...

No, Iraqis civilian death count is estimated at 100,000!!! I lost the link to the story yesterday. If someone has it, please post.

"WE DON'T DO BODY COUNTS";
General Tommy Franks, US Central Command

"CHANGE THE CHANNEL"
Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt's advice to Iraqis who see TV images of innocent civilians killed by coalition troops.

[ydya]

22. I think the campaign should put out a statement questioning the

discrepancy in the dates, as well ask about the tonnage. Basically, something to the effect that "Even if we get past the date discrepancy somehow, you're saying that the best case scenario is that only 180 tons of explosives are missing??"

[NJmaverick]

26. Because CNN is guilty of bad journalism

They lied, lied and lied some more in reference to this story.

[Walt Starr]

27. One should never stand in teh way of a perfectly good trainwreck.

And that's why.

why should he do anything, the story has its own legs and Bush is on the defensive over it. He needs to do nothing and can remain positive at least for now.

[elperromagico]

29. I can't believe Bush has the gall to tell anyone to "check your facts."

Oh wait... yes I can. Never mind.

[Terran]

30. 1) Because CNN is/are bushbots; and 2)...

the damage is already done. There are jucier things to latch on to in today's news!

[xxqqqzme]

31. squatter's still 'jumping to conclusions'

but Kerry has moved on. squatter can't cuz the news cycles got it now.

[LibDemAlways]

33. This is the same crock of shit network

that says the Boss will attract "maybe 3-4,000" people in Miami tonight for Kerry, and at this point Springsteen is attracting the crowds for Kerry. Whoring and spinning relentlessly now.

[kayell]

37. HaHaHaHa! *snort* *giggle* *choke* Must be some heavy drugs at CNN

[Goldmund]

34. Just yesterday,

people all over DU were saying "OK, now is the time for Kerry to go positive.".

And so he has.

This story has its own life.

[kostya]

38. It absolutely does and proof is that elsewhere the same

thing was happening. You don't really think that Al-qaqaa was the only unsecured munitions dump, do you?
*******
Two U.S. aid workers, including one from Oregon, said they reported the looting of an Iraqi weapons depot to U.S. military officials in October, 2003, but were told that there were not enough troops to seal off the facility, The Oregonian reported in its Friday editions.

"We were outraged," said Wes Hare, city manager of La Grande, who was working in Iraq as part of a rebuilding program. A colleague, Jerry Kuhaida, told the newspaper it appeared that the explosives at the Ukhaider Ammunition Storage Area had found their way to insurgents targeting U.S. forces.

"There's no question in my mind that the stuff in Ukhaider was used by terrorists," Kuhaida said from his home in Tennessee.


The men said they informed Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, but were told that the United States lacked the troops to guard the facility, which had more than 60 bunkers packed with munitions.

--snip--

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_102904_news_i...

[shelley806]

42. Excellent Point; Thank you

"You don't really think that Al-qaqaa was the only unsecured munitions dump, do you?"

[jerryster]

41. Because Kerry is moving on to......

The next Haliburton story. Now someone has come forward to talk about the way Cheneyburton got the no bid contract for FIVE years when it was supposed to be just one. She was on the news calling it an abuse of the system. I hope Kerry hammers on this as well. It is an excellent campaign tactic to put someone on the defensive any time before election day. It's also possible that the media may start piling on Bush, believe it or not. Hell, as I posted elsewhere Matt Lauer made Paul Bremer look like a complete lying hypocrite this AM re: the missing explosives. The Haliburton story could grow some legs too.

[shelley806]

43. Let's hope so...

Saw Rather discuss it yesterday--have started watching him in support after Rovian Rathergate debacle.

Also the Plather, CIA story...God, there are so many with this evil crowd.