Press Freedom index, DR 52nd, USA 53rd

[A.Hidalgo]

Originally Posted by something_of_the_night

Yes, I'm a huge fan of the NYT's Frank Rich and Paul Krugman - their books and articles, well, I live for them. Just acquired Fiasco, but haven't started on it yet. And it seems as if Woodward is changing course with his latest book - I wonder why? I'm not a big fan of NYT's Whoreen Dowd, though.

Hey, have you noticed how some reporters are finally starting to ask some semi-tough questions of the guys in charge?

Maybe Colbert made them think. Or is it the that the boat is leaking and everybody knows it.

That last line is funny, informative, and very Canadian.

I think the boat has begun to leak, but where were some of these journalist 3 years ago???? when the famous Powell United Nations presentation.

[aegap]

I think the boat has begun to leak, but where were some of these journalist 3 years ago???? when the famous Powell United Nations presentation.

some did dig very deep. What others did (while maybe not the best) is quite understandable. ..and it looks like many have learned from their early mistakes in the aftermath of 9/11.

[gary short]

In retrospect his address was so pathetic......that is one embarrassed good hearted American.

[aegap]

Here's how Karen de Young of the Washington Post (part of the U.S. corporate/main-stream media) says it all went down:

Falling on His Sword
Colin Powell's most significant moment turned out to be his lowest



...
In addition to proving the charges against Iraq, Wilkerson believed, they had to protect Powell's integrity against those within the administration who had long been out to tarnish it. There was a widespread belief among the secretary's loyal aides -- privately shared by Powell himself, although he brushed it off as meaningless political gamesmanship in conversations with them -- that both White House political adviser Karl Rove and Cheney had actively plotted to undermine him for the past three years. Powell had laughed when he described to his aides how the vice president, after a discussion of the upcoming U.N. speech, had poked him jocularly in the chest and said, "You've got high poll ratings; you can afford to lose a few points." Cheney's idea of Powell's U.N. mission, Wilkerson thought, was to "go up there and sell it, and we'll have moved forward a peg or two. Fall on your damn sword and kill yourself, and I'll be happy, too."

...

[gary short]

OK you UN guys this stickman here is the bad guy cause he's got WMD........in this artists rendition the stickman guy, call him Sadam, has a mobile WMD truck thingy....god help us.....um.....I think we all agree we have to.....ah.....bomb the living bejeezus out EEEERAQ.................oh god I hope I can make a run for the office in maybe.......2050..

[something_of_the_night]

You know, just days before the invasion, I was speaking with two college profs in Higuey, and one of them asks, "Man, what are they saying about Powell in the US?"

What surprised me about the question was the fact that even in Higuey, as far away as you can get in the DR from mainland US, people were questioning Powell's UN speech, while here in good ol' Texas, folks were just remarking about his four stars, as if that negated any and all criticism.

There is no excuse for him. Just recently I picked up his latest book and went straight to the back to find the page where he may have covered his Mai Lai findings, but noooooooooo. Talk about a cover-up...or more like an uncovered cover-up.

[Rick Snyder]

Ggrande this is why I moved your thread.

Having said that and as all of you know the rules and as I don't want to have to place a reminder every 4 posts about keeping it on track this thread is now DOA.

Nal's I wish to state that your last post was very "on top of the situation".

Rick