Howard Dean did not even mention McGovern. Media spinning.

[madfloridian]

Agreeing or disagreeing with Dean on this is one thing. Misquoting and letting the WP spin it is another. We should be better than this.

http://www.democrats.org/news/200506170001.html

Jun 17, 2005

DNC Chairman Statement on Anti-Semitic Literature
Washington, DC - Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, issued the following statement condemning the distribution of anti-Semitic literature at an overflow room of an event organized by staff of the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee:

"Yesterday members of the Judiciary Committee held an important hearing on the so-called Downing Street Memo and its implications. Unfortunately, some members of the audience took it upon themselves to distribute anti-Semitic literature at the Wasserman Conference room where an overflow crowd observed the proceedings on television. We disavow the anti-Semitic literature, and the Democratic National Committee stands in absolute disagreement with and condemns the allegations.

"As Americans we believe in the right to free speech, and as Democrats we open our doors to a variety of opinions and perspectives from our fellow Americans. Unlike the current administration, we do not believe that closed hearings, restricted audiences, and carefully scripted meetings are good for our democracy. But anti-Semitism and bigotry are unacceptable and un-American, and they have no place in civil political discourse. As for any inferences that the United States went to war so Israel could 'dominate' the Middle East or that Israel was in any way behind the horrific September 11th attacks on America, let me say unequivocally that such statements are nothing but vile, anti-Semitic rhetoric. The inferences are destructive and counter productive, and have taken away from the true purpose of the Judiciary Committee Members' meeting. The entire Democratic Party remains committed to fighting against such bigotry."

[AX10]

1. The WP is not our friend. The only reason the....

"Late, not so great Kathrine Graham (ala Margaret Thatcher)" was sympathetic to Democrats was because her younger half-brother is Bob Graham (D-Florida). She was no prize package. Under her watch, the WP vilified Clinton.

[janx]

2. "Members of the audience"

We're getting closer...

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Plants? n/t

[janx]

4. Hard to say.

:shrug: But this has nothing to do with the hearings themselves, as hard as some would like to push that idea.

[Blue_In_AK]

10. I agree with that...

My comments about the interpretation of the phrase "anti-Semitism" on the other thread were more in the nature of just general observations about how that term gets thrown around rather than a criticism of Dr. Dean, for whom I have the utmost respect. I.e., discussion of the policies of the government of Israel in the Middle East should not be off-limits simply because someone wants to attach the "anti-Semitic" label to it.

[blm]

5. They did basically the same thing to Dean. Media misquoted Dean to other

Dems and they reacted to the MISQUOTE spun even further to damage Dean and divide the Dems.

Score another one for the media....this time they reversed it and misquoted TO Dean to cause greater division in the Dem party.

BEWARE THE GOP'S MEDIAWHORES.

Nice to see you back, mf.

[janx]

6. YES! They do it all the time.

I hope the DNC sets up the media strategy meetings sooner rather than later.

[blm]

7. That's what I'm pushing. Dems don't need to change, they need to force

the MEDIA to TELL THE TRUTH and stick to the facts of the issues - and call the fockers out when they REGURGITATE Rove spin in place of the facts.

[janx]

8. The DNC is to have media strategy meetings at least once

a year, away from D.C. (I don't have a link but have read it.) They should probably have more. This is long overdue.

Did you see the thread I posted yesterday in order to point out just how bad things have gotten?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3887345

It's a classic example.

[MasonJar]

9. My first reaction--probably Pug plants.

[madfloridian]

11. One kick for just learning the facts.

Stop letting the media spin us.

[Cocoa]

12. he WAS talking about McGovern

there's absolutely no basis for denying that Dean was referring to McGovern when he refers to "any inferences that the U.S. went to war so Israel could 'dominate' the Middle East."

Imo, Dean twisted what McGovern said when he linked his comments to the 9/11 theories, in the same sentence no less. But McGovern no doubt knows by now that this would happen, and Moran knows it as well.

http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2005%20News%20Archives/June/18%20n/Some%20US%20Congressmen%20Waivering%20on%20War%20in%20Iraq.htm

Ray McGovern, a former intelligence analyst, pushed the envelope even farther when he said the United States went to war in Iraq for oil, Israel, and military bases craved by administration “neo-cons” so “the United States and Israel could dominate that part of the world.”

McGovern added that Israel should not be considered an ally and that Bush was doing the bidding of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

“Israel is not allowed to be brought up in polite conversation,” McGovern said. “The last time I did this, the previous director of Central Intelligence called me anti-Semitic.”

[madfloridian]

13. Then to be fair, you must criticize Conyers as well. Said same thing.

Frankly I don't criticize either or any. I am proud of all our Democrats, each doing the job they must do.

Conyers agrees with Dean, condemns flyers and inferences.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Congressman_...sts_D_0617.html

"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."

[Cocoa]

14. I agree with Conyers and Dean and McGovern

but I think both Dean and Conyers are twisting what McGovern said.

Both of them group McGovern's statement, which I tend to agree with, about the Iraq war being about making Israel safe, with the suggestions about Israel and 9/11, which McGovern said nothing about, at the forum or anywhere else, and which I'm certain he does not believe.

Conyers, in the quote you posted, also changes McGovern's words, the reasonable or even obvious "dominate the Middle East," into the ridiculous "dominate the world."

But it's also obvious that the democratic party does NOT want to discuss what McGovern is saying, regardless of how true it is. How I feel about that, I'm not too sure. I tend to think it might be a wise policy, but unfortunately it's nearly impossible to discuss this question, including at DU.

[Cha]

15. I was just thinking about

you, madfloridian, and wondering how you've been.

And here you are..helping us out with the latest media "weapons of mass distraction" from the Downing Street Minutes/Memo.

Thanks!