Not Enough Time
Reported by Eleanor - September 20, 2004 -
Studio B with Shep Smith (Sept. 20, 3:00 p.m.) had three discussions on the CBS memo, in spite of the fact that Dan Rather said, "We made a mistake in judgment. I'm sorry." Fox cannot let it rest, and they're asking questions like, "What it all means for the future of CBS."
Using phrases like "bombshell words; damage of a ten megaton bomb; ten times the James Blair scandal; take Rather out of the anchor chair a few days - and put it behind us," the Rather bashing continued relentlessly.
The kidnapping in Iraq was mentioned once, and the story broke about the beheading of an American, Eugene Armstrong, that was mentioned when the story broke at about 3:30, and again before the show ended - for a total of about 2 minutes.
Kerry's speech was mentioned twice as Kerry steps up attacks on Bush - one day before his U.N. speech - indicating that re-election of Bush will bring more war, more mistakes - Bush is a war monger, and will put us in a perpetual state of war. Both times the Kerry speech was referenced, the reporters indicated that Kerry's suggestions are the same as what Bush is trying to do, but this is the toughest attack on the President yet.
Comment: Without the Rather story taking up so much time, there might have been time to report the following from Kerry's speech:
- We owe our troops the truth about what we have asked them to do, and what is still to be done.
- The July intelligence estimate totally contradicts what the president is saying to the American people.
- American deaths and injuries are escalating in Iraq - 42 in June, 54 in July, 66 in August, and 54 already in September with 1,100 injuries in August, more than any other month since the invasion.
- Violence against Iraqis is on the rise.
- Basic living conditions are deteriorating.
- Electricity black-outs last up to 14 hours a day.
- Raw sewage is in the streets.
- Children wade through garbage on their way to school.
- Unemployment is 50% - throwing grenades at U.S. convoys pays $150.
- Normalcy prevails in some parts of Iraq due to extraordinary efforts of our soldiers and civilians.
- The first and most fundamental mistake was the president's failure to tell the truth to the American people.
- Our credibility in the world has plummeted.
- The president's failure to tell the truth before the war has only been exceeded by his fundamental errors of judgment during and after the war.
- His were not the equivalent of accounting errors - but colossal failures of judgment - and judgment is what we look for in a president.
- This president is in denial - resulting in a long litany of misjudgments with terrible consequences.
- Greeted as liberators? Wrong. Don't worry about looting or infrastructure? Wrong. We have enough troops? Wrong. Rely on exiles like Chalabi? Wrong. Iraqi civil service, police force and army will run the country? Wrong.
- This administration has consistently over-promised and under-performed - plagued by a lack of planning, an absence of candor, plagued by arrogance and outright incompetence.
- The president has held no one accountable, including himself.
- The only officials who lost their jobs over Iraq were the ones who told the truth.
- A total of only 5,000 Iraqi soldiers have been fully trained, and not one policeman.
- Unemployment is 50%. It took 17 months to figure out that an Iraqi with a job is less likely to shoot our soldiers.
- Only one billion of $18 billion to help the Iraqis and relieve the conditions that contribute to the insurgency has been spent.
Fox had the time to say all that if they had left out the two stories on Scott Peterson and his wife's dead body, and at least one of the CBS stories.
For the rest of Kerry's speech, see Speech at New York University
