Battle Royal on Fox News
Reported by Eleanor - June 28, 2004 -
On Fox News Live (June 28, 11:20 ET), Brigitte Quinn totally lost control of the exchange between Rick MacArthur, publisher of Harper's Magazine and Rich Galen, former CPA Regional Media Director. The subject was the U.S. turnover of sovereign power to the new Iraqi government.
A few choice tidbits from Rick MacArthur: It's just a "puppet government" with a CIA operative at its head. The turnover of sovereignty two days early is intended "to knock the Marine off the news who's about to be beheaded." That's the reason the "Iraqis are not celebrating in the streets." It's a "proxy" government. John Negroponte became the U.S. Ambassador because "he has experience in running a counter-insurgency." We're "reliving a scene from 1984." There might possibly be "a civil war until the announcement that the U.S. is leaving." "That might separate the nationalists from the terrorists."
Rich Galen countered with: "That's disgusting. You're so far out of bounds, you should be ashamed of yourself. You have factual errors. You are a fool. Our interests are the same as the Iraqis." (Among other choice personal comments intended to destroy MacArthur's credibility, as the fray continued.)
Comment: This exchange reminded me of other verbal battles I have heard when the person on the defense attacks the messenger, rather than the message.
