Have YOU written a letter to Dana Milbank?

[Sparkly]

Just wondering how many here have written to Dana Milbank of the Washington Post ([e-mail]) about his snotty article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601570.html

(Also see Conyers' reply on BradBlog: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001475.htm)

[tabasco]

1. Yes

Dear Mr. Milbank:

I am disgusted with your attacks on Democratic efforts to maintain democracy in this Nation.  You have become nothing but a toady for the Republicans.  You should attempt to become a reporter with professional standards and ethics or quit.  

Sincerely,

[montanacowboy]

2. who has his email address?

[babylonsister]

9. See the OP's message-look up! eom

[calimary]

16. [e-mail] - from BurtWorm and Karenina. And more:

This is a WUNNNNderful compilation from dArKeR earlier today. Thread link is listed below. I put it in the Five-Star Thread in Activism & Events, too, for ongoing reference.

Just copy this letter and email to all these email ids! It is your YOUR responsibility to YOUR country! – from DUer dArKeR, 6 17 05

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail] [e-mail]+++, Philip Pan: [e-mail]
Foreign correspondent/China


[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

Environment
[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]




Kevin Sullivan: [e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]


[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], q&[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

http://money.cnn.com/services/speakup /
http://www.cnn.com/feedback /

[e-mail], [e-mail]
http://www.abcnews.go.com/service/Help/abcmail_news.htm...

[e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail] [e-mail]+++

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail] .nz, [e-mail] [e-mail],
[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]


William Kristol – PNAC, Weekly Standard

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]


[e-mail]
Edwin Feulner President

Nile Gardiner
[e-mail]


[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail]
http://www.hastertforcongress.org/contact.html


http://www.davidgergen.com/index.php?page=contact David Gergen


AEI http://www.aei.org / American Enterprise Institute
[e-mail]
[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]


[e-mail] whore


Fair reporter

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail] " target="_blank">[e-mail]


[e-mail] Ian Fraser Mail and Guardian

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3281777.stm BBC Feedback


http://www.globeandmail.com/services/site/help.html#inb... TGM

NOTE: And from BurtWorm and Karenina: [e-mail]

Also, you might want to CC: the Milbank letter to the Washington Post ombudsman (if not MORE addressees also) so Milbank knows this is being seen by others and he can't hide from this or pretend it doesn't exist: [e-mail]


From DU thread:
RAWSTORY: Congressman Conyers hammers the Washington Post's Dana Milbank
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1558643

[Straight Shooter]

3. Dana Milbank is a woman. eom

[Sparkly]

5. You're thinking of a different Dana, I think.

[Ken065]

6. Ummm...no.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601570.html

[babylonsister]

8. No, he's a man. eom

[Matariki]

4. wrote the washington post -

here: [e-mail]

quoted BradBlogs very funny post. Told them they were rendering themselves obsolete.

[Oreo]

7. No... but I wrote tot he Star Tribune for using it

I can't believe you could only find Dana Milbank's ridiculous article on the Downing Street forum yesterday. It's obvious that Milbank was less than partial in his "reporting". Shouldn't this have been on the editorial page and a real fact-filled article been placed preferably on page 1? You could have easily used this article http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/politics/17downing.ready.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1119033142-+qzJsODbZThDhLFK6Po+eg
which at least had a couple facts in it instead of ridicule.

Even David Letterman mention Downing Street on his show. You guys were one of the first to do real stories on this very important issue. Why stop now that the "big" news organizations are finally waking up?

If you were able to print his rant... you should also print Representative Conyers letter to the Washington Post.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/17/14206/1059

June 17, 2005
Mr. Michael Abramowitz, National Editor

Mr. Michael Getler, Ombudsman

Mr. Dana Milbank

The Washington Post

1150 15th Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20071

Dear Sirs:

I write to express my profound disappointment with Dana Milbank's June 17 report, "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War," which purports to describe a Democratic hearing I chaired in the Capitol yesterday. In sum, the piece cherry-picks some facts, manufactures others out of whole cloth, and does a disservice to some 30 members of Congress who persevered under difficult circumstances, not of our own making, to examine a very serious subject: whether the American people were deliberately misled in the lead up to war. The fact that this was the Post's only coverage of this event makes the journalistic shortcomings in this piece even more egregious.

In an inaccurate piece of reporting that typifies the article, Milbank implies that one of the obstacles the Members in the meeting have is that "only one" member has mentioned the Downing Street Minutes on the floor of either the House or Senate. This is not only incorrect but misleading. In fact, just yesterday, the Senate Democratic Leader, Harry Reid, mentioned it on the Senate floor. Senator Boxer talked at some length about it at the recent confirmation hearing for the Ambassador to Iraq. The House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, recently signed on to my letter, along with 121 other Democrats asking for answers about the memo. This information is not difficult to find either. For example, the Reid speech was the subject of an AP wire service report posted on the Washington Post website with the headline "Democrats Cite Downing Street Memo in Bolton Fight". Other similar mistakes, mischaracterizations and cheap shots are littered throughout the article.

The article begins with an especially mean and nasty tone, claiming that House Democrats "pretended" a small conference was the Judiciary Committee hearing room and deriding the decor of the room. Milbank fails to share with his readers one essential fact: the reason the hearing was held in that room, an important piece of context. Despite the fact that a number of other suitable rooms were available in the Capitol and House office buildings, Republicans declined my request for each and every one of them. Milbank could have written about the perseverance of many of my colleagues in the face of such adverse circumstances, but declined to do so. Milbank also ignores the critical fact picked up by the AP, CNN and other newsletters that at the very moment the hearing was scheduled to begin, the Republican Leadership scheduled an almost unprecedented number of 11 consecutive floor votes, making it next to impossible for most Members to participate in the first hour and one half of the hearing.</p? <p>In what can only be described as a deliberate effort to discredit the entire hearing, Milbank quotes one of the witnesses as making an anti-semitic assertion and further describes anti-semitic literature that was being handed out in the overflow room for the event. First, let me be clear: I consider myself to be friend and supporter of Israel and there were a number of other staunchly pro-Israel members who were in attendance at the hearing. I do not agree with, support, or condone any comments asserting Israeli control over U.S. policy, and I find any allegation that Israel is trying to dominate the world or had anything to do with the September 11 tragedy disgusting and offensive.

That said, to give such emphasis to 100 seconds of a 3 hour and five minute hearing that included the powerful and sad testimony (hardly mentioned by Milbank) of a woman who lost her son in the Iraq war and now feels lied to as a result of the Downing Street Minutes, is incredibly misleading. Many, many different pamphlets were being passed out at the overflow room, including pamphlets about getting out of the Iraq war and anti-Central American Free Trade Agreement, and it is puzzling why Milbank saw fit to only mention the one he did.

In a typically derisive and uninformed passage, Milbank makes much of other lawmakers calling me "Mr. Chairman" and says I liked it so much that I used "chairmanly phrases." Milbank may not know that I was the Chairman of the House Government Operations Committee from 1988 to 1994. By protocol and tradition in the House, once you have been a Chairman you are always referred to as such. Thus, there was nothing unusual about my being referred to as Mr. Chairman.

To administer his coup-de-grace, Milbank literally makes up another cheap shot that I "was having so much fun that ignored aides' entreaties to end the session." This did not occur. None of my aides offered entreaties to end the session and I have no idea where Milbank gets that information. The hearing certainly ran longer than expected, but that was because so many Members of Congress persevered under very difficult circumstances to attend, and I thought - given that - the least I could do was allow them to say their piece. That is called courtesy, not "fun."

By the way, the "Downing Street Memo" is actually the minutes of a British cabinet meeting. In the meeting, British officials - having just met with their American counterparts - describe their discussions with such counterparts. I mention this because that basic piece of context, a simple description of the memo, is found nowhere in Milbank's article.

The fact that I and my fellow Democrats had to stuff a hearing into a room the size of a large closet to hold a hearing on an important issue shouldn't make us the object of ridicule. In my opinion, the ridicule should be placed in two places: first, at the feet of Republicans who are so afraid to discuss ideas and facts that they try to sabotage our efforts to do so; and second, on Dana Milbank and the Washington Post, who do not feel the need to give serious coverage on a serious hearing about a serious matter-whether more than 1700 Americans have died because of a deliberate lie. Milbank may disagree, but the Post certainly owed its readers some coverage of that viewpoint.

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.

[CatWoman]

10. I can't write him from here

but as soon as I get home, I will.

[Mandate My Ass]

11. Yes

To paraphrase, I told him his unprofessional, immature spew was a sign
of desperation. I told him smearing the Congressman and his investigation will not make it go away. I mentioned Conyers polite but incisive critique of his hatchet piece and told him that in contrast, he is the laughingstock, not Conyers.

I also told him he and WaPo have sunk to new lows for printing that garbage, a considerable feat.

[Sparkly]

12. Keep those emails comin', DUers!!

:kick:

And PS -- copy or forward to [e-mail] and [e-mail] .

[RebelOne]

13. I plan on writing, but just came home from work, had to walk

the dogs and then feed them and then feed myself, but will do it as soon as I can sit down and think about what to say.

[snowbird42]

14. Best I can do.

The meeting deserved your respect.
Rep Conyers deserved your respect.

I and so many others watched every minute of the hearing. The truth was being told in that cramped, basement room.

The very fact that they were not given the respect of a real hearing room and were made to shuffle in and out of that small room while voting should speak volumes to the real story. the Republicans held down the truth.

Isn’t it sad that so many participants were African American. I would hope that equality had been achieved by now.

The power grab by the Republicans and the disrespect should be story enough.

I signed the petition with the other 560,000 Americans Should we be dismissed also.

The story told was powerful. that there may be evidence that our President led us to war that was planned long before he went to Congress. That the American people, whose Capitol they met in, were misled about the evidence. that the evidence was fixed around the policy.

So you degraded and were rude as you demeaned all of us.

You need to apologize

[melissinha]

15. I wrote to the WP's editor regarding the letter

And totally misspelled Milbank's name.. referred to the DSM as Mem... not minutes...oh well... I demanded a public apology to Conyers, other Congressmen and 560,000 americans that thought the DSM was important. I also demanded that another writer submit a proper article with facts about the meeting not a Rushlike diatribe.

[bigwillq]

17. YES!

I'll post it per requests.

It's short and simple. I was polite but felt I made my point.

[calimary]

18. Yes. Just did.

Dear Mr. Milbank -

Better be careful... your bias is showing.

It's clear whose side you're on when you issue such coverage as "Democrats PLAY HOUSE (?!?!) To Rally Against the War". I hope perhaps you'll switch your title from reporter to columnist or editorialist, because you're writing more opinion than anything else.

I'm sure the mothers of dead soldiers whose lives have been squandered ON A SERIES OF LIES told by this White House to jam its precious war down our throats do NOT appreciate your cavalier description of John Conyers' hearing as merely "playing house."

Mr. Milbank, you do yourself, your credibility, and the credibility of your newspaper (not to mention the honor and service of all our troops pushed into harm's way ON A SERIES OF LIES a HORRENDOUS and UNFORGIVABLE disservice. You owe America an apology, at the very least, and more responsible, probing, and watchdog-style (NOT lapdog-style) reporting on this most critical issue. Otherwise, the casualties of this war will be blood on YOUR hands as well as on those within the White House.

Signed,

me

CC'ed to the ombudsman's email address also, so it's clear that this went to more eyes than just two.

My son was just looking over my shoulder and mentioning, with some sarcasm, what kind of response this was gonna get (like maybe slim and none). Perhaps, true enough. But if Milbank gets hundreds or even THOUSANDS of these, and similar complaints are sent to more at his paper than just himself, this WILL make an impression.

Paul Begala once said that 100 paper letters could change the course of a news program. It's true.

If they think we don't care, THEY WON'T, EITHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[City Lights]

19. I wrote him this morning. n/t

[emdee]

20. I voted that I hadn't yet sent the email ---- NOW I have!! n/t

n/t

[zann725]

21. Yep! Wouldn't miss the chance!

How dare she smear JC's courage and dedication to Democracy!

[AndreaCG]

22. I wrote a LTTE

[jillan]

23. You're dam right I did!

and here's what I wrote:

Why are you questioning the motives of 560,000+
AMERICANS who want clarification of the Downing Street
Minutes????

Has the United States of America become a dictatorship
or a fascist regime that doesn't allow it's citizens
to question the government????????

Pressing debate has risen from the intelligence memos
that originated in England, and justification now
needs to made from the White House.

[Roland99]

24. I sent this earlier today:

I just read this piece of Rovian trash. Are you sure you belong at the Washington Post? You know, the paper behind the uncovering of the Watergate break-in which eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon. Are you familiar with the topic?

Your article makes me wonder how much you ranted and raved about the Republicans grilling Clinton, to the tune of a $70 million investigation, over some extra-marital activities with a certain intern.

Perhaps if the Downing Street Memo had a stain on it you'd be interested?

You disgust me.

[Don Claybrook]

25. Here's my letter

cross-posted from another thread earlier today:

Hello, esteemed Bush Administration boot licker. Do they pay you, a la Armstrong Williams, or have they threatened your family?

I'll leave the rest of the excoriation to those thousands who are no doubt writing to you right this minute. I'll leave you with a brief question I hope you'll ponder (you'll either ponder it now, or you will later). When you come to the end of your days, as we all one day will, what will you be able to say for yourself? Will the $2.2M home gain you anything? How about the nice cars, the good restaurants, and the invitations to the White House Press Dinner? Will those have netted you anything? Will the appeasement have done you any good, when all you have left is the hollow remnants of what was probably once your conscience?

Will you be comforted at the end of your days knowing that your greatest accomplishment was to bend over and ask the biggest group of murderous, lying thugs since 1945 to go gentle on you? Go ahead, make that your legacy. Take it with you. Savor it; it's the only thing you'll own one of these days. Of course, the worst part about this mess is that you're completely cognizant of what you're doing, of that I'm sure. And yet you still chose this path.

I expect you have lots of emails to sift through. Don't bother replying to mine unless lightning strikes and you decide to admit you were wrong--I'll be sure to publish that admission on every blog google can connect me with.

I'll let you get back to prostituting yourself to the powerful.

With utmost sincerity,

[orleans]

26. i know it's bitchy--i sent it anyway

re: your tripe of June 8, referring to the Downing Street Memo activists as "wing nuts"

That's "Moonbats" I believe. "Wing nuts" are the political "right" Dana. Maybe like you???

re: your smarmy piece of June17

If you think the Bush administration is so saintly and this war of theirs so holy and all their intentions so pure why don't you do your president the favor of enlisting? I hear recruitment has really dumped down lately and I'm sure they could use your clever writing talents somewhere in Iraq--perhaps as a sign maker. Or maybe you could start a little newspaper of your own over there.

Or why not just enlist your children--since you don't seem to mind the fact that other people's children are over there.

Your post was all we expect from you--traditionally "fair and balanced"

[stillcool]

27. I wrote a LTTE and cc'd it to....

but, I should of read some others first, cause mine kind of sucks.....