No Retreat, No Retraction, No Comment From Marines (Drive by Media.... completely unhinged)

WaPo ^ | Thursday, June 8, 2006 | Dana Milbank

[IrishMike]

There seemed to be a substantial risk that Marine Corps Commandant Michael Hagee would, at the beginning of his Pentagon press briefing yesterday, start crooning about the halls of Montezuma and the shores of Tripoli.

He was giving the first briefing by a top Pentagon official since fresh allegations surfaced three weeks ago about Marines killing two dozen Iraqi civilians in Haditha. But, unable or unwilling to provide information about that dark episode, he chose to talk "about what it is to be a Marine."

"Our high standards, mission focus and selfless service are what enabled Marines to attack successfully in the Belleau Wood in June of 1918 after being told that the war was lost and their attack was futile," he proclaimed, four stars glistening on each shoulder and collar, and ribbons covering his left breast. "These same military virtues resulted in the successful assault on Iwo Jima in February of 1945. They're also what enabled the 1st Marine Division to conduct a successful withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir when surrounded by 10 Chinese divisions during the Korean War."

[edcoil]

"The Liberal drive by bile continued ........."

For your own sanity, do like the rest of us and simply don't watch the drive-by MSM. There are better and faster sources for news without bias.

Go there and join us.

[tennmountainman]

Unshackle the marines. Treat them like we treat the Gitmo's. They are innocent until proven guilty. Treat them that way.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Not that the media is pre-judging, but:

But, unable or unwilling to provide information about that dark episode

On a related note, was Dan Rostenkowski EVER referred to in a news story as "The Disgraced Rostenkowski"? Disgraced seems to be Cunningham's new first name.

[IrishMike]

I'm here.

[Purrcival]

Somebody else tried to reason with Hagee. "If you have information that these allegations are baseless, what benefit can there be to holding onto it for more weeks as opposed to getting the facts out now?"

Ummmmm.... Mr. or Ms. "Reporter", why don't YOU stop hyping allegations and wait for the results of the investigation? It is, after all, the responsible thing to do. But you would rather print reams of hysteria-generating garbage, and then scream "COVERUP!" when the exculpatory evidence inevitably comes out and exposes your reportage for the steaming pile that it is.

[Old Student]

Second the motion.

[IrishMike]

....Disgraced seems to be Cunningham's new first name.....

That is funny.

[Thom Pain]

I wonder what Dana Milbank will look in a Burkha? Because that's what he'll be wearing if he gets his wish of over-throwing our way of life.

[stylin19a]

Things had deteriorated from the very first question, when Bob Burns of the Associated Press asked the commandant, "Why shouldn't you resign as an acknowledgment of failure of leadership?" Hagee informed Burns that "I have not submitted any resignation" but declined to say why.

holy bias batman ! I applaud the Gen. for not ending this at the very first question.

[Mathews]

My Dad came down for a little vacation this week. He's a Nam vet (69-70), Marine, combat wounded and decorated. We were talking about this incident last night and he told me this, "I don't give a crap what the press is saying. There may be one or two guys out there doing this sh!t, but not a whole squad. There are voices of reason in the mix. There is no way in hell a whole squad is going to start blowing kids away just because they lost a buddy. The whole thing stinks and the General is an ass. Notice how he never said a damn thing about what would happen when the Marines are found innocent? Who is going to apologize to those guys when they are found innocent. The President? Who? I hate to say it, but those guys are fu*ked. They are going to be hung out to dry strictly for political reasons!"

I agree!

[P-40]

"So you're going to let stand the press release?" Karl demanded.

Karl...don't get stuck on stupid, Karl.

[xzins]

"I hate to repeat myself here," Hagee repeated, "but as long as these investigations are ongoing, I am not going to comment on the investigations until I have seen the full investigations."

ANY comment by Hagee would be considered command influence and would be a violation of the rights of the soldiers under the UCMJ. These reporters are attempting to get Hagee to undermine the case....whether they know it or not.

Even more, as the commandant of the Marine Corps, Hagee is DEFINITELY in the direct chain of command of these innocent troops who have been accused of a crime.

[TYVets]

For your own sanity, do like the rest of us and simply don't watch the drive-by MSM. There are better and faster sources for news without bias.

The out of touch MSM wants the war to be fought in a politically correct manner.

If members of The United States Marines or Army die doing this, no big deal to them.

[pissant]

Dana Milbank is not worthy to be in the same room with any soldier, sailor, airman, or marine. What a heaping pile of sh*t.

[IrishMike]

I wish I could do graphics,
I'd do a pile , steaming with his head sitting on top !

[pissant]

Steaming pile and Dana's head: Redundant terms. ;o)

[Red6]

The enemy will "claim" every attack, even those that kill insurgents like in Pakistan with a Predator drone or in Iraq along the Jordanian boarder (Turns out this "wedding party" was a bunch of insurgents after all) to be poor innocent civilians killed by the big evil imperialist USA. It’s a public relations game.

It's a game where they just throw out accusations after accusations. Even if disproven as in Pakistan (Where bad guys were properly targeted after all by that drone) or along the Jordanian boarder where that wedding party really was no wedding party, they still are effective in that these things are public relations nightmares for the US and over time paint a picture. In the end, it’s all about “perceptions”.

Our own media in all reality unintentionally works in the enemies favor in this game! They seek conflict since it’s the core of any story that sells. Like in the Duke Lacrosse case, they want to hang people before the facts are in, before their even is a trial. In cases of alleged war crimes they sensationalize as with Abu Gahrib. The media is largely liberal. No doubt about what view (Iranian/British born) Christiana Amanpour working for CNN (Run by Turner an open Democrat) has on Iraq. The media has a string pro left bias.

What's the bottom line? Every time we drop a bomb the Islamists will claim it was a war crime and our own media will run behind them and fuel their argument.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Murtha is feeding an image of traumatized, out-of-control soldiers like characters in the movies "Rambo" and "The Deer Hunter."

"With one broad stroke, he's recklessly indicted all those Marines ... I don't know if he's gotten addicted to the microphones and the cameras. For him to continue to foam at the mouth, it's irresponsible, it's stupid, it's wrong." -- Paul Hackett, Democrat, MoveOn Hero, Darling of DU.

[Brit1]

As somebody once said.... God might like flyers he warms to the army and is very fond of all sailors... but he LOVES his Marines.(both yours and ours)

Lets face it there was nothing Gen Hagee could say that would have made any difference 'sometimes its better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt'

And as my old Granpa ( a cop for 40 years) used to say 'never believe anything you hear and only half of what you see'

[IrishMike]

True !

[IrishMike]

....What's the bottom line? Every time we drop a bomb the Islamists will claim it was a war crime and our own media will run behind them and fuel their argument......

And that's the bottom line!

[IrishMike]

I don't know if he's gotten addicted to the microphones and the cameras. For him to continue to foam at the mouth, it's irresponsible, it's stupid, it's wrong."



The Chuck Schumer syndrome ??

[IrishMike]

'sometimes its better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt'


My grand father fought in France WWI, and I cannot tell you how many times I've heard those same words.

[Old Student]

"I agree!"

I disagree. I'm not a combat vet, wounded or otherwise, but I can't see the military hanging them out to dry unless the evidence is really, REALLY bad! Yesterday I heard that Col. Bud Day was going to be representing them. I knew the guy 30 years ago, and I can't see him letting them hang out to dry even if they are guilty, and certainly not if they're innocent. This isn't the first time one of our guys has been charged recently in this sort of thing, and as far as I can tell, only the truly guilty have been convicted.

[Chi-townChief]

bttt

[Brit1]

I also heard it first from my Grandfather a WW1 vet but I think it may have been said first by Abe Lincoln in the 1860s although he might have got it from Shakespeare who might have got it from ...etc etc etc.. Regards

[IrishMike]

btt ...
back at you.....

[IrishMike]

"Cheers "

And no matter, like a proverb.... it's a powerfull statement

..... Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool, than to open it and erase all doubt.........

[Enchante]

"There seemed to be a substantial risk that Marine Corps Commandant Michael Hagee would, at the beginning of his Pentagon press briefing yesterday, start crooning about the halls of Montezuma and the shores of Tripoli."

Of course Dana Milquetoast is dripping with scorn and sarcasm as he writes these words. He is truly SCUM. He is not worthy of a life in freedom defended by our great Marines. Unfortunately, the scumbags get to be protected along with everyone else. It would be nice to see Dana parachuted down into the middle of some Islamo-fascist hellhole, though -- let him take his chances with the people who he prefers to honorable Marines.

[Atlantian]

Isn't Dana Milbank the reporter who dressed in orange for a news report when Cheney had his hunting accident?

[IrishMike]

You are right on with that......
He is total SCUM

[IrishMike]

One and the same,
I had actually forgotten that !

[okie01]

Not that the media is pre-judging, but:

But, unable or unwilling to provide information about that dark episode...

To reinforce your point:

The Pentagon has already told members of Congress that their probes found that Marines killed about 24 Iraqi civilians, including women and children, on Nov. 19 and then lied about it by inventing a tale of a firefight. "There was no firefight, there was no IED [improvised explosive device] that killed these innocent people; our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood," Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) said last month

Milbank blithfully lets Murtha's anonymous source -- whoever he is (if he "is") -- pass for the entire Pentagon. Even structuring the paragraph oddly so as to misleadingly suggest an official statement, no less.

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