WP, Froomkin: Major media's silence re. Murray Waas "not acceptable"

A Compelling Story
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Friday, March 31, 2006

Slowly but surely, investigative reporter Murray Waas has been putting together a compelling narrative about how President Bush and his top aides contrived their bogus case for war in Iraq; how they succeeded in keeping charges of deception from becoming a major issue in the 2004 election; and how they continue to keep most of the press off the trail to this day....

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The latest entry in Waas's saga came yesterday in the highly respected National Journal. Waas writes: "Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political adviser, cautioned other White House aides in the summer of 2003 that Bush's 2004 re-election prospects would be severely damaged if it was publicly disclosed that he had been personally warned that a key rationale for going to war had been challenged within the administration."...

***

In a March 2 story, Waas documented how Bush had been explicitly informed that the aluminum-tube allegation might not be true well before his State of the Union Address.

Yesterday's new twist is that Rove apparently understood that if American voters found out how Bush had intentionally misled them, the election might be lost. He was intent on not letting that happen....(I)n the traditional media, the reaction has been utter and complete silence -- both after Waas's well-documented March 2 story, and again today. There's not one word about it in a single major outlet this morning.

And that's just not acceptable. Waas's fellow reporters at major news operations should either acknowledge and try to follow up his stories -- or debunk them. It's not okay to just leave them hanging out there. They're too important.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2006/03/31/BL2006033100695.html?nav=most_emailed

We need the MSM to start talking about this. I told Dan thanks for writing this one.

Why, I think the Post needs a conservative blogger to counteract him. There's this guy over at redstate.com............

The major media would have to acknowledge and expose their own complicity in tamping down public disclosure of administration fakery. These stories about Bush deceptions aren't really new; they've been out there if you look for them. But the major media have actively overlooked, suppressed, or questioned the accounts. Why? There are lots of possible reasons (war is good ratings business, don't question the president during a time of war, our parent company is making a killing on supplying the troops, what have you), but probably no one, unitary reason.

Now that Americans have been shown once again what a poor choice war is, and how it doesn't accomplish its stated objectives, the media are feeling slightly freer to trail public opinion and actually raise a question here and there. But when it counted, when this insanity could have been stopped or averted, the major media organs fell in line behind a fake policy based on a rationale built on lies. And they knew they were being lied to, but for a variety of reasons, they just didn't care.

So going back over this ground is uncomfortable. It exposes the media's complicity. And it raises too many disturbing questions for the self-styled bulldogs of the media. Sure, they can beat up on Britney Spears; but question war? Uh, gee, sorry. Can't help you there.

specifically gratuitious' excellent post

thanks to grasswire here, btw, for alerting DU to froomkin way back when

that DUers have voted the post onto DU's "Greatest Page." Thanks for this column, Mr. Froomkin!

In the 5 seconds he dedicatted to the crummy economy...

media attention?

Perhaps we need a movement a protest outside of media offices showing Rove's picture in the blue dress? Or Bush's or ??? Or heck just a "blue dress"?

:hi:

place it on the dress.



:evilgrin:

Thanks, Senator!

:toast:

Kicked and recommended.

:kick:

I spoke to him on Friday!! We need to spread the word to everyone!
:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

I think that's what the press is collectively doing right now. Just let it slide, and maybe it won't all be true. Maybe it won't be relevant. Maybe it won't affect our lives.

Honestly, my biggest problem these days is trying to conceal my contempt for both disillusioned Republicans and the apathetic pseudo-independents who claimed there was no difference between the major parties.

All of this that has happened to us--all of it--was done under the aegis of the central Republican philosophy of "fuck the other guy." They all subscibed to that philosophy, and they all fucked each other, and you, and me.

Now our asses hurt, and they're starting to wonder why.

As a lover of human beings and a formerly proud American, I know intellectually that these small minded people have to be welcomed back to the fold of democracy and rule of law. But emotionally, I cannot help but experience a vengeful shiver of pleasure as the hardships pile higher and higher upon the very people who let ignorance, hatred and fear guide their decisions. It makes me feel like a bad person. But I'm not; I'm just a person, just like they are.

I have to love them. I have to forgive. But they are a bunch of fucking morons who have deeply harmed me, my country, and my way of life. That's the part I have to forget myself, I guess.

Their whole agenda would have been destroyed.

It was worth the gambit to out Plame.
1. Plugged the hole in the hidden intelligence wall of secrecy.
2. And, added a benefit: to stop THE STOPPING of illicit nuclear information entering Iran.
3. And, allowed freer access to planting WMDs in Iraq.

So is Sy Hersh and the other journalists who put their careers on the line.

Pity the poor news readers and collaborators, the Katies and Paulas, the blow dried mannequins who gently regurgitate the horrors from the heart of darkness. There will be a day soon when much is uncovered and those who lied in behalf of power will be exposed for what they are.

I'm not sure which day, but I think it was the day the article
came out. But surely, not enough

shows?

I know they didn't on ABC; doubt they did elsewhere

such a great body of work by this guy

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=waas+lyons&btnG=Google+Search

if anybody knows how badly the M$M blows, he does

and, keep it up, you liberal, Froomkin!