CNN Reporter in Iraq: "Well, to tell you the truth.."

[teach1st]

I saw this a little bit ago, and I can't stop thinking about it. CNN talking head asked a veteran Iraq reporter if he felt more or less safe after three years of war.

He responded, "Well, to tell you the truth...I feel less safe."

OK. No surprise to us. What I can't shake is the "..to tell you the truth.."

Did he mean: "I'm not supposed to say this, but.."
Or: "Sometimes we don't tell you the truth, but.."
Or maybe: "Since you threw out a question to which I can't possible spin a reply, I'll tell you the truth?"

[Dinger]

1. Wonder If This Has Anything To Do With Bob Woodruff? (nt)

[teach1st]

2. Yes, the reporter was being asked...

..questions in the context of the Woodruff situation.

I have no idea who the reporter or talking were.

[Garbo 2004]

4. What I found more interesting was the talking head guy sounding like it

just actually occurred to him that Iraq was a fucking dangerous place to be. He was thinking just in terms of Americans, of course. Guess he doesn't pay much attention to the news he reads if it's such a seemingly sudden revelation.

Maybe he'll (Tony Harris is the anchor guy's name) eventually also figure out that it ain't exactly fun for Iraqis when they never know when their local candy shop, mosque or maybe a car just driving down the street will bleepin explode in their faces.

And they just reported 5 bombings in Baghdad. Busy day. More evidence of Bush's "catastrophic success" in Iraq.

[thinkingwoman]

7. Tony Harris has an IQ and EQ...

at toddler level. Actually, lower toddler level.

Earlier this morning he had a TVgasm about a replay of the moment when the president is announced to the congress for the state of the union address. :eyes:

[Surya Gayatri]

3. Very interesting observation, teach...

When leading seminars on negotiation/communication techniques, this is one of the 'unconscious' speech patterns that we train people to avoid.

It instantly puts into question the veracity of everything you've said before and jeopardizes (even if subconsciously) your credibility with your interlocutor. Well spotted! SG

[oregonindy]

5. from a very young age I learned that when people say

"to tell you the truth"

you should ask them if that means any time they dont say that they are lying

[Cooley Hurd]

6. Ironically, the reporter in question, Michael Holmes, was almost killed...

...in Iraq:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/25/btsc.holmes/



BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The first bullet flew through the rear window of our vehicle, between our heads and out the windshield.

Cameraman Scott McWhinnie and I had been chatting about nothing in particular. Our first realization that something was amiss was the hole in the windshield, which seemed to appear a fraction of a second before the sounds of breaking glass and the sharp "crack" of the gunshot itself.

We were under attack. A high-speed, highway ambush. Despite our numerous shared experiences in war zones amid conflict and gunfire, Scotty and I later recalled this was different. It was personal. We both looked backwards and saw the man who was trying to kill us.

As windows exploded and the sheer noise of our would-be killer's weapon echoed in the vehicle, our security guard swung into action, screaming "DOWN! DOWN! DOWN." And to our driver, Ahmed, "GO! GO! GO!"
</snip>

[Jade Fox]

8. Yes, that's an interesting qualifier....

to answer a question with. Obviously, he felt a little unsafe being honest.

At least he did tell the truth!