Big Media: Bush Has Declared War on Us

NewsMax ^ | 10/15/03 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Now that President Bush has finally called the big media's bluff on its bad-news-only Iraq war coverage, mainstream reporters are squealing like stuck pigs.

CBS John Roberts sounded particularly overwrought the other night, complaining that Bush's decision to circumvent the networks and tell the Iraq story to local TV affiliates amounted to a declaration of "war."

"It was the public relations equivalent of a declaration of war aimed at the national media, President Bush claiming the American people aren't getting the truth about Iraq," Roberts announced, according to quotes picked up by the Media Research Center.

The CBS'er griped that Bush chose local reporters because "the White House feels [they] will go easier on the president."

Perhaps. But maybe if the big media stopped ignoring important stories that don't comport with their political agenda, the president wouldn't be compelled to do an end run around their reporters. And we're not just talking about news of the U.S.'s successful rebuilding effort in Iraq.

Remember how furious the press was when a Washington Post poll found that 69 percent of Americans believed that Iraq played a role in 9/11? Journalists spent weeks insisting that the great unwashed had fallen for a full-blown White House con job seeking to foster the 9/11 "myth."

But rather than tell the whole story, the big media kept its lip zipped about Iraqi defectors who described an airplane hijacking training facility in South Baghdad that offered instruction to radical Islamists on how to overcome U.S. flight crews using techniques that bore an eerie resemblance to those employed on 9/11.

And when, based in part on that testimony, Manhattan U.S. District Court Judge Harold Baer ruled last May that Iraq had indeed play a role in 9/11, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather remained equally silent.

Two months later, when U.S. weapons inspectors found a significant contingent of the Iraqi air force buried beneath the sand near Baghdad, the press sat on that story, too.

Now that President Bush has finally shown that he's got the big media's number, here's hoping he sticks to his guns, and continues to favor press outlets where his administration - and America - has a reasonable chance of getting a fair shake.

[smith288]

I missed something... Bush is using local media outlets to get his message out?

[PhiKapMom]

Now that President Bush has finally shown that he's got the big media's number, here's hoping he sticks to his guns, and continues to favor press outlets where his administration - and America - has a reasonable chance of getting a fair shake.

This was a great idea to stick it to the liberal national media! The Oklahoman newspaper has been one of the few papers to complain about the biased coverage of the media on Iraq -- reporting all negatives and very little positive!

[Riley]

Remember how furious the press was when a Washington Post poll found that 69 percent of Americans believed that Iraq played a role in 9/11? Journalists spent weeks insisting that the great unwashed had fallen for a full-blown White House con job seeking to foster the 9/11 "myth."

Newsies, your problem isn't what Bush thinks of you. Your problem is what we think of you. And many of us know agenda-driven bullcrap when we see it.

[eureka!]

Yep. He went to regional broadcasters for an exclusive interview. Spoke of the 'filter' that the majors acted as and he needed to go around that 'filter' so Americans could learn the truth in Iraq. He pretty much called the Clymers in the lamestream presstitution racket liars. I'm loving it....

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Genius!

[Support Free Republic]

New Thread Here

[Capt. Tom]

I missed something... Bush is using local media outlets to get his message out?

Yes, that's why we don't know about it. -Tom

[Fee]

What is very significant about the buried Iraqi Air Force story is that the MiG-29 planes had updated Soviet and French electronics that could be available only after the 1991 UN embargo. In other words the Russians and French violated the UN embargo.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Yes, that's why we don't know about it. -Tom

..."that's why we they..."

[smith288]

I'm loving it....

And because of this strategy, Im missing it.

[sheik yerbouty]

They squeal like stuck pigs because that's what the lamestream presstitutes are!

[petercooper]

screw the 3 big nets

please tell all of your family and friends not to watch the 3 big nightly biased newscasts

[borkrules]

Reagan-esque.

We've got the "Bully Pulpit". Now, let's use it!

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Watch! How are they going to report this?

[smith288]

The only problem I have with this strategy, though, is that I never knew he was doing this and my local news media isnt reporting it. So the only people hearing it is folks in a small broadcast area.

And If I, a Bush supporter, had no clue. Then neither does swing voters being targetted by the Big 3.

[Republican Red]

I saw reports all over the cable media yesterday about this. Fox played up the story all day. CNBC showed an interview done with a regional. The network newscasters reported the story in a retalitory way, but, ironically, it made the Presidents point, because they went overboard in then reporting the bad news.

Good move White House.

[G.Mason]

""It was the public relations equivalent of a declaration of war aimed at the national media, President Bush claiming the American people aren't getting the truth about Iraq," Roberts announced, according to quotes picked up by the Media Research Center."

The fourth estate is going to look for their validation in the next presidential election.

Only 13 months left until mass media suicides become "front page news".

[smith288]

I stopped watching Fox lately. All Kobe, all the time. Or it was...I just havent been interested in watching sensationalism.

[Riley]

There is a delicious irony in watching the left repeatedly out-maneuvered by someone they claim is an idiot.