War of Words
Reported by Eleanor - August 11, 2004 -
Special Report with Brit Hume (Aug. 11, 6:00 p.m.) was almost all politics again.
Coverage of Kerry on Health: Semantics discussion - Kerry said he wants to "redo" not "repeal" the new Medicare drug plan. Fox showed a video with Kerry saying he wants to "repeal" it. Whether Kerry wants to redo or repeal, the seniors are dissatisfied, and they put Bush 16 points behind Kerry in the polls.
Cambodia on Christmas Eve - The Kerry camp says Kerry was "near" Cambodia on Dec. 24, 1968, not inside. John O'Neill author of "Unfit for Command" is shown again discussing this point calling it a complete lie. A spokesperson for Kerry indicates small discrepancies are trivial, and Kerry' s service is important, not his memory of minor events.
Hume said it was a big deal in the early '70's because we weren't supposed to be in Cambodia.
Krauthammer said he betrayed a band of brothers when he returned and accused them of war crimes. That's why they're angry. (Which is no excuse for the current character assassination.)
Liasson said this inaccuracy is not relevant to the medals, and they're using it to undercut his character.
Williams said that Kerry was in the vicinity, and the legitimate discussion is the attack on John Kerry. (But since they're discussing it at all, they're feeding the beast.)
Bush Campaign - Jim Angle reported Bush's comment that "firmness is the only workable strategy - uncertainty or doublespeak - and we drift toward tragedy." (Versus what we're in now?) Bush promised to pray for a woman's husband. Kerry has cut into Bush's lead on National Security, so Bush has put out a new ad. (Showing himself and Laura looking homey as he talks about "bringing the enemy to justice.") Hume said that Bush's version of what Kerry said about his support for war is not quite as the president characterized it. Kerry was talking about war authority, a vote to threaten, use as a lever for diplomacy, and inspection. Bush knows he's "stretching." (Not lying?) Liasson commented that if Bush is successful, he will convince some viewers. Williams called it "nuance." Kerry and Bush are in the same locations with Bush just behind Kerry. Is the President following Kerry? It's curious, suspicious. The Bush camp says his schedule is not determined by the "machinations" of the democrats. (Jon Stewart on the Daily Show pointed this out by showing how BIG the country is, stetching from sea to sea, and they're both in Davenport, Iowa, three blocks apart, distracting the attention of the police, and three banks are robbed.)
Afghanistan - Rumsfeld is visiting in Afghanistan. He talked about the drug trade as being too serious to be ignored. (Really. We've certainly BEEN ignoring it.) It produced 3/4 of the world's supply of poppies this year, with more next year. It will take a military effort to go after it.
Iraq - Militants in the Mosques. If we go in, it could kick off violence across the country. The U.S. is ready to go any time. Iraqi forces will lead the way. (This is a real can of worms, is it not?)
Terror Czar - The issue is billions of dollars used to spy on the rest of the world, with concerns that the intelligence director might interfere with the flow of information. (Or is that money?) Tactical and strategic commanders have different needs that are not easy to balance.
Washington Talk About Sudan - Regime change is popping up around Washington. It might be worthy of U.S. intervention which is outrageously slow. Thousands are dying daily. We must improve sanctions. U.S. credibility is at stake. Sudan is host to dozens of terrorist training camps plus atrocities are ongoing.
