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To lurking journos: the WH is boxing you in on Plame affair

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grasswire Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:38 PM
Original message
To lurking journos: the WH is boxing you in on Plame affair

The WH strategy for traitorgate is the same as it was for the 16 words: Limit discussion to one specific small aspect to control coverage and focus public attention.

Example: 16 words. The WH successfully controlled coverage of false evidence on Iraq by introducing immediately the 16 words meme. It was brilliant.

Now look at the frantic efforts of McClellan today to control coverage of the Plame matter to the very specific act of leaking. Over and over again, he returned reporters to that specific act.

The press is being deliberately distracted by the hunt for the leaker.

The story the WH wants to avoid is the ramifications. Someone tasked with tracking nuclear materials was rendered useless and her networks and contacts were exposed. The whole, worst fear of humanity has been arguably facilitated by someone in the White House.

Are you going to let the story advance to "political witch hunt"?

Or are you going to advance the story to its real meaning? What has this done to our world? Are we less safe now?
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w13rd0 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:44 PM
Response to Original message
1. Not only that...
...but it ignores the WH actions in their attempts to stifle dissent and control coverage. That in and of itself is cause for alarm.
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grasswire Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:48 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. I encourage...
...all DUers to contact their favorite news people and point out this attempt to limit the coverage.

The real story here is the fallout from the leak. Not the process of finding the leaker. The real story is what disruption of intelligence.

As we speak, the story is being twisted to the "political witch hunt" theme.
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marshmellow Donating Member (904 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:51 PM
Response to Original message
3. Try this one out!
Senator Graham from Florida is running for president but most likely will start his senate campaign next year.

Graham has been privy to reports that are not allowed to be given to the public concerning 9/11.

What is the chance that leaked portions of that report will be attributed to Graham's office and the RNC will use the anger about leaks to unseat Graham in next year's election.

Is this admin currently allowing Dems to build up the anger about this leak and will transfer that anger on to a dem when the time is right.

Is it possible the whole strategy of blacking out nine pages in the 9/11 report was to eventually unseat a democratic senator by using a "leak".
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Brian Sweat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:57 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. You are attributing superhuman political skills to
the gang that couldn't shoot straight. There is really a type of mental illness among liberals that leads some of us to believe that no matter what, we cannot win.
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Jackpine Radical Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:52 PM
Response to Original message
4. Wow. You're absolutely right.
However, I'm betting that the CIA doesn't let this happen. Every time the WH thinks they have all the turds in the box, the spooks are gonna shit somewhere else.
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Brian Sweat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:54 PM
Response to Original message
5. Don't worry
In another three months, someone from the CIA will leak a story that will make all of this abundantly clear in stark contrast.
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grasswire Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:57 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. Dem strategists should be on the same page.


What did the leak do to our national security?

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Must_B_Free Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:59 PM
Response to Reply #5
9. yep
some people have an inside line to the future.
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blm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 01:55 PM
Response to Original message
6. Big BUMP.
You nailed another one, grasswire.
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librechik Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 02:09 PM
Response to Original message
10. the press can only cover things that "happen"
if the prez says something, if the court orders something, if charges are brought, if a press conference happens. It's up to the public (and pundits) to forward conclusions from those facts.

The Press can only do so much, if they're actual journalists.

But there does seem to be a shocking lack of investigation through non-official sources of EVERYTHING and taking as truth assertions made in press conferences. I wish they would do a lot more of that. But they must be given the assignment by mangement to investigate. It's management that are dragging their feet here, not the reporters. I think the scene with Scotty this morning shows that the press are eager, if they can just get it past the editorial teams, then we're in business.
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grasswire Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. that is only true to a certain degree
....in that news vendors choose angles, headlines, backgrounders, sidebars, interviews, etc.

The focus of a story is not limited to one particular slant proffered by the principles.
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Media_Lies_Daily Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 02:45 PM
Response to Original message
12. The "sixteen words" will be revisited before this is all over.
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maggrwaggr Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Oct-01-03 03:40 PM
Response to Original message
13. kick
:kick:
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