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Once an Aberration, Twice a Trend? Today Again Questions Dems' Lack of Iraq Plan
Today Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

Posted on 11/23/2005 5:09:37 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest

by Mark Finkelstein November 23, 2005 - 07:27.

ESPN loves to run the clip of NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi stomping down the sideline, demanding to know "what the hell is going on around here?"

Watching the Today show the last two mornings, one is tempted to ask the same question.

As reported here http://newsbusters.org/node/2923, Matt Lauer yesterday criticized the Democrats for their lack of a plan for Iraq. This morning, Matt & Co. were, mirabile dictu, back at it again.

Lauer introduced the segment in this surprisingly W-friendly way: "President Bush has taken a beating on Capitol Hill from Democrats unhappy with the way the war is going, but do the president's critics have an exit strategy of their own?"

Norah O'Donnell, who's never been accused of pro-Republican bias, narrated the segment entitled "Do Democrats Have Plan for Iraq?"

She aired a clip of John Kerry, looking increasingly like a Saturday Night Live parody of himself, ponderously proclaiming: "We need to reduce the American presence. The president does not have a plan to do that."

Norah then asked the obvious question: "But where is the Democrats' plan? They've yet to agree on an exit strategy."

O'Donnell then brought in the suave John Dickerson of left-leaning Slate.com, who answered Norah's question in a manner that largely let the Dems off the hook: "the Democratic party doesn't have a good plan for how to get out of Iraq because there is no good plan to get out of Iraq."

As the segment ground to an inconclusive halt, Norah went on to cite Murtha, Hillary, Biden and Kerry to various effect regarding troop withdrawal. But while it was anything but a tough indictment of Democrat hypocrisy, the very fact that the issue of the Dems' lack of an Iraq plan had been put on the table at all was noteworthy.

Sea change at Today? Not likely. Refreshing blip, fleeting as a subliminal 'X'? Perhaps. To be continued . . .


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Delaware; US: Massachusetts; US: New York; US: Pennsylvania; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 109th; lostdems; mattlauer; mediabias; nbcnews; norahodonnell; todayshow
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1 posted on 11/23/2005 5:09:38 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
Funny. I didn't think the Dems were Commander in Chief. Hmpf.

I also heard on NPR this morning they've changed their strategy to focus on Afghanistan again. They had a story about a single Indian road contractor that had been killed by the Taliban.

So I guess if you can't get the people tired of Iraq, go back to trying to tire them on Afghanistan. *rolling eyes*

2 posted on 11/23/2005 5:14:12 AM PST by mosquitobite (As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

a relative sea change, however, for NBC


3 posted on 11/23/2005 5:15:17 AM PST by chiller (Libs prove once again they can not be trusted with power..)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
"the Democratic party doesn't have a good plan for how to get out of Iraq because there is no good plan to get out of Iraq."

The 'suave' John Dickerson of Slate? That sounds more like “the de-balled, DNC water-carrier of Slate”. Miserable piss-ants!

4 posted on 11/23/2005 5:17:29 AM PST by johnny7 (“You have a corpse in a car, minus a head, in the garage. Take me to it.”)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Setting the stage for Hillary and her new "there's a third way" plan, perhaps?


5 posted on 11/23/2005 5:17:38 AM PST by neodad (Rule Number 1: Be Armed)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

LOL. I'm listening to Andrea Mitchell on Imus trying to explain why a perfectly clear answer to a perfectly clear question is not what it seems to be. Apparently, we are to belive that the much vaunted "journalist", Ms. Mitchell, is just not very good at her job and doesn't know much of anything.


6 posted on 11/23/2005 5:18:01 AM PST by Bahbah (Free Scooter; Tony Schaffer for the US Senate)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Probably just setting the table for Hillary's plan.


7 posted on 11/23/2005 5:18:08 AM PST by Ditto ( No trees were killed in sending this message, but billions of electrons were inconvenienced.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

They CAN'T come up with a plan. Because it would be identical to what's actually going on now. They can't denounce a plan and then turn around and put their name on the same plan. Their propensity for "Everything Bush" is bad has gotten them "between IRAQ and a hard place".......


8 posted on 11/23/2005 5:23:46 AM PST by Red Badger (United States Marine Corps, Saving France's Bacon Since 1775.............)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
This would be much easier if we followed the constitution:
Congress shall have power to declare war.

It can't be much simpler.

9 posted on 11/23/2005 5:24:10 AM PST by Nephi (Conservatives did what moderates/Bushbots wouldn't - we rescued Bush's judicial legacy for him.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Uh, wasn't it just two weeks ago that Kerry demanded more troops in Iraq? Flip flop. Again.


10 posted on 11/23/2005 5:25:40 AM PST by hershey
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
Vietnam must have been the tipping point that changed the definiton of "victory". . . According to Merriam-Webster http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/victory . . One entry found for victory. . . Main Entry: vic·to·ry . . Pronunciation: 'vik-t(&-)rE . . Function: noun . . Inflected Form(s): plural -ries . . Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French victorie, from Latin victoria, from victor . . 1 : the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist . . 2 : achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties Image hosted by Photobucket.com
11 posted on 11/23/2005 5:25:41 AM PST by TheRobb7 (The American Spirit does not require a federal subsidy.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines; Miss Marple; an amused spectator; netmilsmom; Diogenesis; YaYa123; MEG33; ...

Today Show/NewsBusters ping.


12 posted on 11/23/2005 5:25:58 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show since 2002 so you don't have to.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
"Do Democrats Have Plan for Iraq?"

Well, of course!!! How many times have we heard:

John Kerry: "I have a plan."

See, John has a plan. Details? To which Kerry responds:

John Kerry: "How dare you question my patriotism !"

Next topic....
13 posted on 11/23/2005 5:28:54 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: Bahbah
Watched the last half of the Andrea Mitchell interview. Good thing she wasn't supeonaed since she had no idea of the timeline. Ok for her to mess up but not Libby. Why wasn't she interviewed by Fitzmas when she had discussions with Russet?? Fitz is really looking like a political hack?? The reporters are really getting nervous.

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

14 posted on 11/23/2005 5:30:09 AM PST by bray (Iraq, freed from Saddamn now Pray for Freedom from Mohammad)
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To: TomGuy

Silly me! How could I have forgotten? - Kerry has a plan. He told us so, after all. And his plan is that we don't have enough troops, except, er, that we need to bring the troops home. It's not his fault if the little people can't understand. Teresa will soon be brought out to explain it to us in French, Spanish and Portuguese.


15 posted on 11/23/2005 5:31:07 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest (Watching the Today Show since 2002 so you don't have to.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

When a talking head asks them if they've got a plan, they say, "Of course, we've got a plan." Then they rattle off a list of things that Bush has been doing for the last 3 years anyway.


16 posted on 11/23/2005 5:32:43 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: neodad
Murther has already proposed a third way...."redeployment to the periphery".......No way at all. WHAT periphery?

Hillary is just using bill's words...nothing else. She's so uncreative. The smartest woman in the universe? HA

17 posted on 11/23/2005 5:32:47 AM PST by Carolinamom
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
I think it's the Today show's attempt to dictate Democrat policy since the 'Rats can't seem to come up with their own.
18 posted on 11/23/2005 5:33:34 AM PST by manwiththehands (Happy Thanksgiving to our heroes in Iraq. God bless you and Godspeed. Come home safe.)
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To: bray
Fitz is really looking like a political hack?? The reporters are really getting nervous.

Yes to both remarks. The "prosecuter's prosecuter" didn't do a very good job, did he, other than fulfilling his charge to "get" someone in the administration.

19 posted on 11/23/2005 5:33:57 AM PST by Bahbah (Free Scooter; Tony Schaffer for the US Senate)
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To: Nephi
This would be much easier if we followed the constitution: Congress shall have power to declare war. It can't be much simpler.

It's not a bad idea (although it hasn't been the case for every war at least since Jefferson), congress would probably still be pointing fingers (I believe the war itself would have been declared) but they would look a lot more foolish.

20 posted on 11/23/2005 5:35:47 AM PST by bkepley
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