Franken says contact Brit Hume to demand apology to the Troops

[xultar]

contact

[email protected]

888-369-4762

Make sure that you let them know that you are a LIBERAL and you don't like how Brit is treating out troops!!!

Yup, it was about his message to the families of the troops and to move on...

[qanda]

1. what for?

[bobbieinok]

2. why?? what was said????

[liberal72]

7. A while back Brit Hume said

that people in California had a higher chance of getting killed than the soldiers in Iraq because about 6 people a day are killed in L.A. and 1 soldier is killed a day in Iraq. Al will have this all posted on his blog.

[Wickerman]

11. Typical Republican - bad at math - 600 divided 365

does not equal 1.

[xultar]

12. And the comments about it is time to move on and not fret over

a few dead soldiers

[forgethell]

16. What are the comparative averages

today? What are the nationwided averages? What were they when he made the statement?

[liberal72]

19. Here is the exact quote:

"Two hundred and seventy seven U.S. soldiers have now died in Iraq, which means that, statistically speaking, U.S. soldiers have less of a chance of dying from all causes in Iraq than citizens have of being murdered in California…which is roughly the same geographical size. The most recent statistics indicate California has more than 2,300 homicides each year, which means about 6.6 murders each day. Meanwhile, U.S. troops have been in Iraq for 160 days, which means they are incurring about 1.7, including illness and accidents, each day."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,95850,00.html

[minkyboodle]

20. the stupidest thing about that quote

Isn't the population of California a bit more than the amount of troops in Iraq like 34 million vs 130 thousand...... What a dumbass analogy.
Scott

[Heyo]

30. Yeah but...

That pop. difference kinda goes to Brit's side..

Not that I really agree with what he's saying....

If you're talking just US troops, there are what, 200k over there?

There is a way to work out that comparrison but I don't think he did it right.

Heyo

[Kathy in Cambridge]

34. Californians aren't in a WAR ZONE

so the comparison is moot.

[minkyboodle]

35. How do you figure that

**edited for format**

CA Population = approx 34 million (2001 census)
CA Murders = 6.6 per day or 2409 total (going by Brit's nums)
Iraq US soldiers = 130,000
US Soldier "hostile" deaths = ~1.2 per day 455 total (for the sake of this comparison I'm leaving out all the vehicle etc deaths which should probably be included as the DOD tends to undercount combat deaths for PR reasons source = lunaville)
So from here it is a ratio to convert to percentage of population
California = 2409/34 million = x/100 where x = per of population
so you find that .007 of the CA population is murdered each year
Now on to Iraq 455/130,000 = x/100 where x = percent of population
and you find that .35 of the US troop presence in Iraq is killed in hostile fire each year.

Now I'm no statistician and its been awhile since I did much math but this is seems to me like you are about 50 times more likely to be killed in Iraq than in CA when you adjust for population differences. Fuzzy math indeed.
Scott
PS I'm sure someone will point out some errors in my math but hey I'm a grad student in History doing the best I can.. I think I'm generally right on the idea though

[minkyboodle]

36. arghh

all my fractions got messed up in the word wrap
they are 2409/34 million and x/100 for CA where x = percentage of pop
and 455/130,000 and x/100 for Iraq where x = percentage of pop

[minkyboodle]

40. why read my crude chicken scratch when there is this

http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/03/08/29_fox.html

I'd Rather Be in California
A BuzzFlash Reader Commentary

LETS DO SOME CALCULATIONS

Reshaping the dialogue to ask the real question -- Which is safer, a soldier fearing combat death or death from an accident in Iraq or a person fearing homocide in California?

A:
6.6 average daily murders in California with 38,000,000 people at risk.
(6.6/38,000,000 = probability is 0.0000002)

B:
1.7 average DAILY military related deaths in Iraq with 150,000 solders at risk (1.7/150,000 = probability is 0.00001)

C:
RELATIVE RISK = RISK IN IRAQ / RISK IN CALIFORNIA

= 67.5 (when done on a calculator)

A SOLDIER IN IRAQ IS 66 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED IN COMBAT OR BY ACCIDENT THAN A PERSON KILLED BY HOMICIDE IN CALIFORNIA.

OR

IF YOU ARE COMPARING DEATH IN IRAQ TO MURDER IN CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA IS 68 TIMES SAFER.

Lets send Brit Hume to Iraq, in any military uniform.

Also, now you see why FOX News is technically correct and unfair and unbalanced in saying that most of American voted for Bush in 2000 -- this is true if you are counting acreage or square miles (red versus blue on the map) and not people.

Have a great day,

Harry Piotrowski
Oak Park

[wicket]

29. Al Franken has a blog??

What's the link? Awesome!

[Trajan]

3. A little more backround would be nice ....

Believe it or not: .. as much as I would like to, I cannot listen to the radio all the time ...

Im too damned busy ....

[xultar]

6. mee to, i have it on streaming @ work, n/t

[truthspeaker]

4. Brit Hume said people should stop whining about "a few dead soldiers"

I'll look for the link. It was discussed on DU yesterday, I believe.

[xultar]

10. Thanks I wanted to get the contact info out to you quickly I was listening

to Franken on the stream and I didn't have much time.

[Coventina]

13. Crikey! Did he really say that?

That is low, even for Fox!

[charlie105]

5. Is this about the 'it's time to move on' remarks?

This was referring to numbnuts' WMD jokes.

[proud patriot]

8. glad to help

:hi:

[xultar]

15. Thanks!!! n/t

[mhr]

9. Done!

eom

[xultar]

14. Thanks so much!!! n/t

[Guaranteed]

17. Done...slammed him. nt

[xultar]

25. Thanks so much!!! n/t

[jackstraw45]

18. Link to shameful Hume story

The lie is still on the faux news site:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,95850,00.html

California Roughly Same Size As Iraq

Two hundred and seventy seven U.S. soldiers have now died in Iraq, which means that, statistically speaking, U.S. soldiers have less of a chance of dying from all causes in Iraq than citizens have of being murdered in California…which is roughly the same geographical size. The most recent statistics indicate California has more than 2,300 homicides each year, which means about 6.6 murders each day. Meanwhile, U.S. troops have been in Iraq for 160 days, which means they are incurring about 1.7, including illness and accidents, each day.

[xultar]

27. Thank you for posting the link and Details!!! n/t

[proud patriot]

39. I hold fox news in contempt of journalistic ethics

:grr:

[Mari333]

21. thanks. I spoke as Michaels parent.

you give me something to do today, as I worry in this small town from hell.

[xultar]

24. I appreciate your Son doing what he does for us. I'll pray for him and

the rest of your family!

[Mari333]

37. thanks but all hes doing right now is protecting GW Bush's $$$$

and putting his life on the line for Halliburton and the Carlyle Group and other numerous corporations who want to stay in Iraq.
Thats all he is protecting.
and he doesnt want to be there for that.

[ObaMania]

22. Done! n/t

[xultar]

26. Thanks! n/t

[xultar]

23. I sent the note to fox and all of their competitors just for fun... n/t

[DancingBear]

28. Brit Hume just bought a piece of land

about 10 miles down the road from me (in Hume, Virginia - nice, huh?). I can hardly wait to meet him at the grocery store one of these days.

THAT conversation should be a keeper....

[SemperEadem]

42. place a huge banner in your front yard

quoting your neighbor--see how friendly his welcome will be then.

[ThoughtCriminal]

31. If California had the same fatality rate

as Solidiers serving in Iraq, it would come to about 156,000 Dead! per year.

Math is never a good subject for neo-cons.

[guitar man]

32. Then there's the "get over it" crack

I sent him an email excoriatiing his ass over this.

http://www.counterbias.com/news004.html

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

33. great idea

it's time the rw media be subjected to the same call-ins and write-ins that they've initiated over the years

[yellowcanine]

38. Why isn't Brit doing standups from Fallujah then?

if he thinks it's so freakin safe over there?

[hamsterhuey]

41. see the ofrankenfactor blog for more details

http://64.94.245.159/blog_commento_full.asp?blog_id=14&month=4&year=2004&giorno=&archivio=