or
Join Now!
|
|
Home/Government/Politics
|
| Forum |
Ask A Question |
Question Board |
FAQs |
Search |
Return to Question Board
| Question Details |
Asked By |
Asked On |
| Speaking of the media... |
Itsdb |
03/08/07 |
As you are probably aware, I love the media. It used to be that what wasn't on the opinion pages at least appeared to be news, but al-AP doesn't even pretend to print news any more. Take for example this from today's paper (note that they declare the media as losers askide from Russert, though al-AP came through unscathed):
CIA Leak Trial Winners and Losers
By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
(03-07) 13:37 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --
Convicted of four felonies, "Scooter" Libby has to lead the list of losers in the CIA leak trial, but he's got company. His boss Dick Cheney didn't fare so well. Neither did the news media.
And the winners? A less obvious group with some surprises: Bloggers. A juror who knew trial witnesses personally. Even a Sunday talk show host who survived a brutal five-hour cross-examination.
LOSERS
_ I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby: Jurors saw him every day, heard him on eight hours of taped grand jury testimony and didn't believe him. Even should he win an appeal, his life could remain in limbo for years and he'll be forever known as the only guy tried in the CIA leak case.
_ Dick Cheney: Portrayed as a thin-skinned Machiavelli who lurked behind the scenes while orchestrating a bungled response to criticism of the Iraq war.
_ The Bush administration: Still can't get past the story of how it messed up intelligence about nonexistent weapons of mass destruction before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
_ Richard Armitage: His original leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's job was exposed as far more calculated than the accidental afterthought he claimed. On tape, he blurted it out to Bob Woodward of The Washington Post five separate times in 66 expletive-laced seconds. And out of the blue he called in columnist Robert Novak to tell him — two years after Novak had given up trying to interview him.
_ Big-time Washington reporters: Exposed as imperfect note-takers eager to shield their high-level official sources even when the sources were just spinning them. Woodward; Judith Miller, then with The New York Times; John Dickerson then with Time, and David Gregory of NBC appeared to shrug off exclusives dropped in their laps.
_ Matthew Cooper: The former Time magazine reporter won't get work as a note-taker after defense attorneys picked apart his notes and described him interviewing Libby while sprawled on his bed after swimming at the country club. He also used off-the-record material to confirm a story.
_ Courtroom 16 clock: Original equipment with the courthouse that opened in 1952. Hadn't worked for years, but was repaired once The New York Times reported that "time stands still" at the trial. Couldn't go the distance, was hours behind by trial's end.
WINNERS
_ Patrick Fitzgerald: Special prosecutor with an air of righteous indignation battled two of the nation's best criminal defense lawyers head-to-head and won.
_ Denis Collins: Both sides thought the other would strike this juror who once worked for Woodward and was a neighbor of another witness, NBC's Tim Russert. In seven weeks, the ex-Washington Post reporter developed the hottest insider book proposal in circulation. Publishers: See the preview on Huffingtonpost.com.
_ Karl Rove: President Bush's political adviser was spared prosecution, and the trial only added to his reputation as the powerful operative behind the curtain. Defense attorneys said the White House was willing to sacrifice Libby to save Rove.
_ Tim Russert: Survived having the Bush team label his "Meet the Press" as the most pliable venue on Sunday TV and being coaxed early on by an FBI agent into spilling details of his talk with Libby. Stuck to his story during a grueling five-hour cross-examination, and jurors believed him over Libby.
_ Ari Fleischer: Ex-White House press secretary leaked but got immunity, displayed a previously unknown self-deprecating wit that helped persuade jurors of his credibility and proved he could fend off high-priced defense lawyers as easily as he had White House reporters.
_ Valerie Plame: Although the leak ended her CIA career, the wife of war critic Joseph Wilson seems to be doing just fine in the limelight with a book on the way, a movie in the works and a lawsuit pending against Bush officials.
_ Don Imus: Defense attorneys praised the radio and MSNBC morning show host for asking NBC colleagues tough questions that prosecutors weren't asking. "The man in the cowboy hat" appeared in several of video clips in court.
_ Reggie Walton: In his big-media debut, the presiding judge won admirers for his willingness to change his mind as he doggedly searched for the right path through innumerable legal thickets. Thanks to closed-circuit television, trial observers saw Walton in his element as he handled drug defendants with tough love during breaks in the Libby trial.
_ Bloggers: They made headlines for taking seats on press row for the first time in a big trial and parlayed it into more Web readership.
TOO SOON TO CALL
Theodore Wells and William Jeffress: Displayed the full range of courtroom skills in a lost cause, but they still have another at-bat in the Court of Appeals.
They certainly didn't mince any moonbat-worthy words when it came to the administration.
Thin-skinned Machiavelli who lurked behind the scenes while orchestrating a bungled response...
Can't get past the story of how it messed up intelligence about nonexistent weapons of mass destruction...
I thought I was reading HuffPo. In declaring Fleischer a winner they insulted him - I guess they must have missed him on Letterman - and Rove the winner is still just "Bush's brain." And of course Fitzgerald and the wounded Plame are rock stars.
What exactly was accomplished with this time and money spent getting one guy for perjury for an investigation in which the prosecutor knew 3 months ahead of time who the leaker was? |
|
Your Options |
Additional Options are only visible when you login! !
|
|
|
|
