Glenn Greenwald: Cokie Roberts speaks out on the war on behalf of the American people

[babylonsister]

Glenn Greenwald
Monday April 7, 2008 07:49 EDT
Cokie Roberts speaks out on the war on behalf of the American people


The single most dishonest and propagandistic tactic of establishment journalists is to take their own opinion and assert as a fact that "most Americans" agree with them, even when that assertion is indisputably false. David Brooks is probably the single most frequent purveryor of this deceit, but the bulk of establishment pundits regularly deploy the same method -- simultaneously holding themselves out as Spokesmen for the Regular People while showing complete contempt for what they actually think by lying about their views.

Yesterday, Cokie Roberts -- while expressing scorn for the "Responsible Plan for Withdrawal" advocated by 42 Democratic Congressional candidates and numerous military experts, and described by fellow panelist Katerina Vanden Heuvel of The Nation -- said this:

VANDEN HEUVEL: It is not, but you know what, the responsible thing to do is withdraw.

{you hear Cokie odiously chuckling at this point}

VANDEN HEUVEL: If we withdraw responsibly, the region would be more stable in the long term, America will be restored as a responsible global leader, and there are 42 challengers, you are absolutely right Cokie, who have a responsible plan to withdraw.

ROBERTS: Convincing the electorate of that I think would be very difficult, and I also agree that the notion that Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham you heard this morning putting forward, that Americans would prefer to win, is--

VANDEN HEUVEL: But what is winning? This war is unwinnable, there are no military solutions.

The video is also here. Roberts' claim -- that Americans agree with McCain, Graham and her that withdrawal is a bad idea and that they want to stay until we win -- is just a lie. There's no other way to put that. Poll after poll after poll demonstrates that exactly the opposite is true. It's fine for Roberts to say that McCain is right and that we should stay in Iraq indefinitely and continue to occupy that country until we "win." That's an opinion. But to claim that public opinion is consistent with that view is just false.

more...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/

[jtrockville]

1. Occupations aren't won, they're ended. nt

[amihol]

9. -.-

[Mountainman]

2. I hated listening to her on NPR every Monday. It was the same as this, pure bull shit!

Every Monday she would attack Democrats. I'd be listening while driving to work. I was never disappointed in when waiting for her to say something derogative about Dems, I knew it would be there sooner or later.

[roguevalley]

10. she's such a constipated cow. I loathe cokehead.

[spanone]

3. cokie is long past her sale date....lying is what the thugs do best

[Supersedeas]

4. dishonest propoganda from establishment pundits -- tell it like it is!!

[John Q. Citizen]

5. Cokie routinely lies. I heard her on NPR a week or two ago and she was saying

that Obama was leading by 50 to 100 delegates, total.

NPR's own website had him at 110 to 140 depending on if you counted supers or not.

So she lies about verifiable facts as well as about opinions.

[babylonsister]

6. That's why I really like Greenwald; he was pointing out her lapses

with truth. Someone has to.

[John Q. Citizen]

8. I sent NPR an e-mail asking them why they let her lie on the air without challenging her numbers

that contradict their own web-site.

I got an acknowledgment of receipt, but no explanation as the why the were giving her a platform to spread mis-information.

I was in bed listening to "Morning Edition" and I knew her numbers were way off. So i got up and checked PBS' site and sure enough. then sent them an e-mail.

I hope Greenwald sheds more light on this than I was able to. Cokie's unbelieveable as they come.

[depakid]

7. These shows are just unwatchable

If more Americans traveled abroad and saw actual news commentary and analysis that other citizens see- they'd realize just what a country full of suckers that they're played for every single day.