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Yet the one reporter who
went there was allowed to report the flat out politically charged
comment yahoo news quoted:
"He's got to win in '04. No one else can prosecute this war like he
can," said Army Capt. John Morrison from Butler County, Pa. Said PFC1
Kyle Crittenden of Humboldt County, Calif." (see article
here)
Now let's get this straight. Two
days ago, the President banned any reporter from interviewing any of the
troops or their families while covering his visit to Ft. Carson. (read
story) But now his
one hack reporter is allowed to interview troops - without any witnesses
as to whether he is giving the accurate or full picture - and pass along
a quote that is a flat out partisan campaign commercial?
That is not just un-American, that is
illegal - to use troops for PR purposes while they are in a combat zone.
Could any President sink any lower than to
have the one reporter he brought
along report such a blatantly partisan campaign ad, using the troops of
the U.S. Army as his campaign props? Bringing the five
photographers - more staff than he brought, practically - was heinous
enough. But to bring a single hack reporter who passed back a
political campaign quote like the above - while other reporters are not
allowed to even interview troops here on American soil, is beyond
un-American, it's flat out Soviet.
In the meantime, the Democratic Party and
the Democratic Presidential hopefuls one by one lined up to show why the
Democratic Party has lost all hold on power - and will continue to do
so. Not one of the candidates, nor any Party spokesman, had the
courage or basic political brain to call the stunt what it clearly was.
Once again, to find anyone to speak for the left or middle in America,
you had to go outside the country:
"Election raid on Baghdad," declared a front-page headline in France's
Left-wing newspaper Liberation, beside a photograph of Bush carrying a
platter laden with roast turkey,"
reports the Washington Post.
"Britain's tabloid Daily Mirror newspaper and The Independent both (are)
running a similar photograph of Bush holding a platter with the
headline: "The Turkey has landed.""
But in America? As the
NY Times reports:
Candidate Kerry:
Making the PR photo-op trip was, "the right thing to do for the
country." Bold criticism, huh? He then tries the weak,
passive/aggressive attack: "When Thanksgiving is over, I
hope the president will take the time to correct his failed policy in
Iraq." Really, John? Funny, if you still believe there is
hope the President can correct his policy, why are you so sure he needs
to be replaced next election? Maybe he just needs a tip or two and
he'll do the right thing? This is a case of Senator Kerry making
the wimpiest, most cowardly of statements, not saying what he is clearly
thinking - that there is no hope the President will ever do the right
thing so vote for me. If you can't say that, and instead say there
is "hope" for the President, why should anyone vote for you?
Candidate Gephardt: No
comment.
Candidate Edwards: It
was a, "daring move and great politics." And his follow-up
criticism? "I think these kids need more?" You think?
You're not sure? And the stunt itself, didn't bother you?
Candidate Lieberman:
"Visiting with the troops is exactly what a commander-in-chief should
do.
Candidate Clark: "We're not going to throw stones at the guy for trying to do a
nice thing for the troops." Do you really believe he did it for
the troops and is such a nice guy - and it wasn't just another stunt
photo-op to try and save himself from the last "Mission Accomplished"
disaster? Why shouldn't he just stay in office then if he is so
nice?
Only Howard Dean had a strong critical comment: "It's nice that he
made it over there today, but this visit won't change the fact that
those brave men and women should never have been fighting in Iraq in the
first place." Finally, bam. Now, again, we see why even
though Dean has zero on-screen charisma whatsoever, even though his
draft-dodging makes him in all likelihood unelectable, he is leading in
many polls. The Democrats want someone - anyone - who will act
like a representative of the opposition and give voice to what they
think.
Half the nation - and much of the world - saw President Bush's trip for
what it clearly was: a massive photo-op. But if you want to
hear anyone say it and adequately nail the President for this, you have
to either move to France or England, or read The Moderate Independent.
And, of course, we all know if Clinton had done this there would be a
storm of outrage. That is why the Republican Party is by far the
better party at the moment - they speak for their people. That is
why their party grows, that is why their party wins. Their people
can rest assured if the other side pulls a stunt like this their
spokespeople will not play nice and speak at best gentle criticism, they
will blast away full bore on and on until the mainstream media goes
along and drags the public with them.
The Democrats, on the other hand, know they can count on their leadership
to do nothing useful - indeed, even worse, to praise the President.
The worst part of it for us Moderate Independents, is that what you and
I both know is the obvious truth - that this was a well-chosen, crass,
and bold PR campaign move - you will not see talked about anywhere in
the American media.
So now we have our choices: complain and remain voiceless, or
spread the word about The Moderate Independent and keep this growing
until it is an accepted part of the American media conversation.
Then, at last, you won't have to leave the country just to see someone
exercising freedom of speech. |
NOVEMBER
30, 2003 – Two days after President Bush bans reporters on
American soil from interviewing troops at Ft. Collins, he brings a
few hand-picked reporters with him to Baghdad and has them quote a
soldier as saying, "He's got to win in'04. No one else can
prosecute the war like he can," making clear nothing is beneath him
in his plan to fully exploit the war for campaign purposes.