Brent Bozell: Of Course Iraq’s A Mess But It’s Liberal Bias To Call It A Civil War
Reported by Ellen - November 28, 2006 -
Brent Bozell and Sean Hannity were full of outrage that NBC News dared to call the problems in Iraq “a civil war.” Hannity sulked, “They’ve never given the American public the story about all the success in Iraq,” but somehow neglected to report any successes, himself – now or any time in the recent past. Under questioning from Alan Colmes, Bozell admitted that the war is “a mess” but he complained that calling it a civil war is an “editorial comment” that shows bias. Funny how Bozell has never complained there was any “editorial comment” when FOX News quickly complied with the Bush administration’s request to call its domestic eavesdropping a “terrorist surveillance program.”
Hannity told Democratic “strategist” Laura Schwartz that “America does need to be united in war” but that he’s furious at Democratic leaders “because they’ve undermined the president, I believe, every step of the way.” Schwartz sat silent as he made that distorted, slanderous statement about the Party for which she is supposedly an advocate. She also seemed not to know (or not to care) that Hannity’s Hanctimony is hypocritical. Two weeks ago, he vowed to undermine the Democratic Congress every step of the way.
Schwartz did a decent job of outtalking Hannity to get out her one talking point – that the Democratic plan for Iraq will be the same as the Iraq Study Group’s. But the hapless Schwartz didn’t mention any of the recent disastrous events in Iraq nor challenge Hannity to provide any recent examples of success there. It was left to Alan Colmes to make the points that the Republicans have failed miserably at managing the war, that the definition of “civil war” properly describes Iraq and that Republican Senator Chuck Hagel has called it a civil war, too.
“When do we know that we’ve crossed the line?” Schwartz asked uselessly as Bozell made the dubious claim that Iraq can’t be in a civil war because both Sunni and Shia are part of the government.
Finally, Bozell admitted (without objection from always-ready-to-interrupt Hannity) “Of course it’s a mess over there” but, he added, “That does not mean it is a civil war… and when Matt Lauer and NBC make the editorial determination that it’s a civil war, that’s an editorial, and that’s a biased judgement on their part.”
Not surprisingly, Schwartz had nothing to offer on the subject of conservative bias on FOX News or anywhere else.
You can watch the video on FOXNews.com (you may have to look in the "FOX News video" box, under "shows," then "Hannity & Colmes." The clip is currently called "Disillusioned?"
If anyone wants to write Hannity and ask him to please go ahead and publicize the successes in Iraq he complains NBC and the other "liberal media" fail to report, his email is: [email protected].
