trying to grok

Why on earth do you go to places like Right Wing News? You really should be ashamed. It is pure propaganda - as worthless as socialist workers weekly, democratic underground, and their ilk. Eew, you need to get some better taste in sources of news.

Really, RWN doesn't care about the truth, they care about firing off propaganda to support their views. What they say doesn't matter so much as the effect of supporting their side, and whether their side is right or not, they don't care. Do you really care more about your 'team' than the truth?

WRT to the Mary Mapes interview, it was very carefully taken out of the greater context, which was that the secretary who had written the originals has said that while she did not believe that the documents were originals, that there was nothing in them that was not fully in the spirit if not the words of the commander. In other words, the content was still representative of the situation.

WRT to Bush's speeh on veteran's day, when did it become appropriate for the Commander-in-Chief to go to military installation before a military crowd and denounce the opposition party? And why did he deem it appropriate to take the opportuinity to give a vets day speech that essentially ignored vets? Sometimes it's like we are in a banana republic. It is not too surprising that public approval for that shameful speech was lower than his general approval ratings.

On a separate note, the reason that acid rain is under control now is thanks to government regulations that lowered levels of sulphur dioxide emissions into the air, especially from power plants. It is still a problem, as a quick google would show, but thanks to regulation it is not as serious a problem as it would have been. In other words, by getting the message out that sulphur dioxide was creating acid rain, which was a problem, something was done, and now things are not as bad as they would have been without regulation.

Jesus does that Mapes comment sound like "fake but accurate" or what? One last time people. TIMES NEW ROMAN!! PROPORTIONAL SPACING!!! SUPERSCRIPT!!!

You just accused the author of only listening to what she wants to hear and not getting news from an unbiased source and then had the nerve to whip out that Mapes comment. People that still defend that woman have a grip on reality that is on par with holocaust deniers and the flat earth society.

WRT to the Banana republic, Central American dictators don't give speeches denouncing the opposition party. They kill them and burn down their houses. Last time I checked, Harry Reid is fine and so is his house. The Bush is evil exaggerations are so common now that we don't get shocked or surprised by them.

You're right, Sad. Shame on the author. Shame on all of us for letting people like you get away with such irresponsible comments.

Joe,

Take it easy. WRT Mapes, here's the bottom line. The documents were not the only evidence in the story. The author of the originals stated that the documents' content was an accurate reflection.

So, yes, the docs were not a valid source. But the story was still valid, since witnesses corroborated the evidence presented in them.

If you think that this is akin to flat earth, well, clearly we do not have enough of a starting point to have a discussion, since it appears you are more concerned with your feelings than facts.

WRT Banana Republic comparisons, no analogy is perfect, the comparison was in these respects. Despite his own lack of history as a soldier, Bush has repeatedly strutted in a military uniform, and in that speech to denouncing his political opponents in a speech that should have honored soldiers. There, of course, are many respects in which the U.S. is not like a Banana republic, for instance, the U.S. is not in Central or South America, our primary export is not Babanas etc. This might be confusing to you, but it is the nature of analogies that when comparing two different things, that there will be likenesses and unlikenesses between the things compared. They are, after all, different. Perhaps you might want to read up on the nature of analogies, similes, metaphors, etc. so that this might be more clear to you.

Oooh you zinged me! I'll get a grammar text book and I'll show you up on some minor league blog comment section yet!!! You just wait.

By the way, who are these alleged sources? Killian, who supposedly wrote it has been dead for years. Seriously, this debate is a year old. If there were any shred of truth in this story the premier newsman in the country wouldn't have had to resign in shame.

Or was it a plot by Les Moonves at CBS to help corporate America and Bush stay on top? Off to the Democratic underground for some ranting!! Ha! Ha!