September 12, 2004

THE MEDIA'S JOB

See, here's what ticks me off. I haven't seen anyone but Dan Rather and his unnamed experts defend these memos (and no one has claimed the $10,500 reward). And now the AP is asking retired servicemembers what they think about the memos, without any hint that they might be fakes.

Majied, a Democrat from Albany who served 30 years in the Navy, including five years as a SEAL in Vietnam, said the memos support his belief that Bush was a "playboy" during his service years.

"He had enough money to get what he wanted," Majied said. "I think his main concern was not to go to Southeast Asia. I bet he never dreamed it would come back to haunt him."

This man obviously hasn't read this story:

Finally, Killian said his father told him a story in 1980 or 1981, when the two sat in an officers' club in San Antonio, Texas, about Lt. Bush having twice volunteered for duty in the Air National Guard "Palace Alert" program, under which fighter pilots in the Guard could serve a year on active duty in Vietnam.

On both occasions, the younger Killian said, Lt. Bush was turned down because he did not have more than 500 hours of flight time. Killian cited Maurice Udell, later a commander of the 147th Fighter Group, in which Lt. Bush served, and Col. Buck Staudt, later a brigadier general, as the individuals who turned Lt. Bush down.

"We have pilots with thousands of hours in the F-102," Bush was told, according to Killian. "Why would I send you?"

Majied seems to already have his mind made up (and could potentially be another Micah Wright), but it's shoddy reporting that allows people to base their vote on utter nonsense. If the MSM weren't so gung-ho Kerry, they would report things like that the F-102 was actually dangerous and that President Bush wasn't roasting marshmallows around the campfire in the Guard. They would report that President Bush seems to have tried to get sent to Vietnam but was turned down, in contrast to Kerry, who tried to get out of going to Vietnam but was turned down.

The media's job is to provide us with facts so we can make our own decisions. It seems these days that they're making the decisions ahead of time and then providing us with the facts they like.

In times like these, it can't hurt to go back and read Nelson Ascher's post Ignorance and Journalism.

Posted by Sarah at September 12, 2004 09:34 AM
Comments

Sarah - you are right again. Thanks.

Posted by: Kathleen A at September 12, 2004 05:16 PM

Perhaps you haven't heard. The memos are authentic. NONE of the criticism stands up to scrutiny. And people throughout our military have many reason, besides these, to doubt Bush. Let's not forget his lies about WMD that convinced us to go into Iraq.

Posted by: mre at September 12, 2004 05:19 PM

Being "Super Minority Boy!" I'm going to point out that the guy's name is Majied, and there may very well be some pro-muslim/anti-Bush bias going on his statement also.

Kalroy

Posted by: Kalroy at September 12, 2004 05:37 PM

Fact checking works both ways, Sarah.

First, during the VN war, pilots needed 1000 hours before being sent into a combat theater. Bush had less than 400.

Second, Operation Palace Alert ended two weeks before Bush allegedly asked to be part of it.

Summary: Bush allegedly "volunteered" for something that had already ended and with less than half the required flight hours.

Posted by: JadeGold at September 12, 2004 06:49 PM

Considering what major frauds this documents appear to be, including to CBS's experts who are now recanting (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/12/politics/campaign/12guard.html), you'd think people defending them would drop it.

Especially since no one really cares about Bush's Nationa Guard duty except Bush haters.

What's really sad is politics have become the new religion for some people. Especially on the left, who sees Bush as the Devil. All rationality has gone out the window for the so called Democrat party.

Posted by: James Hudnall at September 12, 2004 07:17 PM

Jade, did anything take Operation Palace Alert's place or was that the end of mobilizing ANG pilots? Also, was that the sole and only way for an ANG pilot to go to vietnam?

Also, what other source has the date that Bush asked to join Operation Palace Alert in relation to the request? The Fox News article doesn't seem to give any dates on Bush's request. I'm only finding years via a google search, so I can't tell if he actually asked before the program ended, or as you state, he asked after the program ended.
Never mind, I found the dates and if he voluteered out of flight school Operation Palace Alert still had a month before the beginning of phase out. Considering his supervisor's response (too low on the totem pole, not enough flight hours as opposed to the program being closed) I'd say you surmised wrongly.

Kalroy

Posted by: Kalroy at September 12, 2004 08:44 PM

There is a definite disconnect between what you and I see as the media's job, and what they see as their job.

It is showing up now more than ever.

Posted by: John at September 13, 2004 12:45 AM

Update on Majied the SEAL over at Oh, That Liberal Media.
It seems, according to Gregory Platt, that Majied was never a SEAL.
Pity that so much of the media can't be bothered to do any research when the story fits their agenda.

Kalroy

Posted by: Kalroy at September 13, 2004 03:23 AM

WHAT A NERD: THIS ABOUT CHENEY: ...the "Operation Scorpion" scheme he and his aides developed for imposing "regime change" upon Iraq was so ineptly plotted that it was scrapped after a cursory review by General Norman Schwarzkopf. "I wondered whether Cheney had succumbed to the phenomenon I'd observed among some secretaries of the army," observed Schwarzkopf, the commander on the ground in the region. "Put a civilian in charge of professional military men and before long he's no longer satisfied with setting policy but wants to outgeneral the generals."

Posted by: SAHARA at September 14, 2004 12:28 AM

Every night Americans should go to bed afraid that their Commander-in-Chief will get another opportunity to sit like a retard and read My Pet Goat while America is under attack.

The little chickenhawk should be impeached for lying and incompetence.

Posted by: Rush at September 14, 2004 12:46 AM

Yeah Rush,

Apparently Bush should have dashed outside yelling about the sky falling, so that the kids could all panic, while the esteemed Senator Kerry, by his own admission, sat stunned, unable to think, for 40 minutes. Perhaps Bush should have froze himself for 40 minutes to provide amusement for the children instead.

And about lies... you mean like the Christmas in Cambodia story? Oops... that wasn't Bush...

Posted by: chris at September 14, 2004 05:57 AM

I have no idea what you're talking about - Bush tried to get sent to Vietnam? Then why did he check the box saying he did not want to go? Kerry tried not to go? Then why did he request assignement there? Which parallel universe are you living in?

Or am I missing something?

Posted by: Tom Beck at September 14, 2004 10:05 PM

Hey Tom, I went to your webpage to see how you could possibly be confused about Sarah's post and found. . . THIS, which gives me a scary look into your psyche.

"Conspiracy [Sep. 10th, 2004|10:19 am]
[ mood | Not buying it for a second ]
[ music | Dem Bones Dem Bones Dem Dry Bones ]

How's this for a scenario? The Bush administration "releases" forged Killian memos that it knows are forgeries, then secretly encourages technical experts to reveal that they memos are forgeries. Bush is thus the "victim" of a scurrilous campaign to impugn him, garnering rebound sympathy from a press now furious at being taken in by the very forgeries they themselves trumpeted.

I'm not saying this is what has happened. It's not absolutely clear that all or some or any of the Killian memos are forgeries. But, if they are, would anyone who has been paying attention to the political career of George W. Bush under the tutelage of Karl Rove be the tiniest bit surprised if it ever turns out that this is what happened?"

Whoa, Tommy Boy. Here, let's take another Lithium and go see the nice man in the white coat with the fun padded room.

Posted by: Oda Mae at September 14, 2004 10:32 PM

"Kerry tried not to go?"
How 'bout this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/03/07/wkerr07.xml

Posted by: Sarah at September 14, 2004 10:55 PM