Woodward on pre-war reporting: "I should have been more aggressive. Everyone should have"

[sabra]

http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=29479

<snip>

Woodward criticized the decision-making process prior to the war. He said that while President Bush had meetings about how to go to war, there was "not a single meeting about whether to go to war," or about the consequences of doing so.

The media also dropped the ball in the debate leading up to the Iraq war, Woodward said. After he wrote an article for the Washington Post about the absence of "smoking-gun" evidence, he should have pursued the lead "to its logical conclusion," he said.

"If you don't have smoking-gun evidence, you don't have anything really. I didn't pursue that," he said. " You always get caught up, even as a journalist, in the climate of opinion. I should have been more aggressive. Everyone should have."

[chelsea0011]

1. too busy sucking up to make $$$$$$$$$$$ for your crappy pro war book?

[hatrack]

2. Gee Bob - how big of you!

Gosh, your humility and clear-eyed view of what's wrong with the news business just has me floored.

:boring:

[soothsayer]

3. that guy's never been anything but a CIA shill.

[Holly_Hobby]

9. He was Navy Intel......he just might BE CIA n/t

[ccpup]

4. great

so get off your ass and be more aggressive NOW!

[flyarm]

5. fuck you Woodward..you do not get to clean the blood of our dead soldiers off yourself now..

no there is no re-do Woodward..you live with the murders you helped send to their graves!

you filthy pig..you drip with the blood of almost 4000 dead soldiers..and 1 million Iraqi citizens....you have a Place reserved in hell if there is a hell..and you will rot for eternity!

You were little lord pissy pants blow job ..bob..you are a traitor to this nation Bob...now live with your fucking shame and disgrace..hopefully you will be hit by a bolt of lightening and have a few seconds to see your life flash before your eyes Bob ..and it won't be pretty!

fly

[AndyA]

6. Thanks so much for that, Bob. Better late than never, eh?

If you had covered the events under Bush II like you did Watergate, a lot of this sh!t might not have happened. The media has done an outstanding job of covering up Chimpy's criminal acts. Such a good job, in fact, that the media in this country is no doubt an accomplice to those acts, which is why they're still covering up things that might prove to be issues down the road.

As part of the media, you are responsible, Bob. Your best days are all behind you.

[otohara]

7. Too Busy Sucking Up To Report Truth

POS

[Solly Mack]

8. Oh bother

easier to apologize and all that

fucking bunch of enabling pieces of shit

folks can take their bullshit mea culpas and shove them up their asses

[driver8]

10. All that blood on his hands must be getting to him...

Fuck you, Bob!

[Bake]

11. Dropped the ball??? Dropped the ball????

They never even got on the field, to continue the sports metaphor. They just completely defaulted.

They blew it because there were no REAL journalists. They were all beholden to their corporate bosses. Integrity? ZERO.

Bake

[Cha]

25. That's right..the so-called journalists

and reporters never wanted to get off the bar stools..too lazy to investigate and it's much safer to be stenographers for karl, the hit man, rove.

[flyarm]

12. K&R this ..everyone needs to see this bullshit!! eom

[WinkyDink]

13. The dead and maimed thank you for your late realization. NOT. SOME of us KNEW.

[KG]

14. too late, bob

when i become king of the world, you're one of the first group going up against the wall, motherfucker.

[MrMickeysMom]

15. Well, Mr. Woodward, put your money where your pathetic mouth is...

... and take all proceedings from every book deal so you can turn find your salvation. Decide right now - give it to Gold Star Families. But, before you do, arrange yourself a prime time spot on national television to offer apologies. Start with every Iraqi citizen and proceed to the coalition of the willing. Go to every American soldier who shed blood over what the fourth estate couldn't check. You tell EVERYBODY how you should have been more aggressive then, and explain all about the 6 years it took to discover it... after you cashed in.

Go on, offer an good explanation about what the fuck went on with your journalistic process when you were in a MAJOR position to do something, you useless piece of shit.

Journalism has hit an all-time bottom of the barrel moment, here, just when you thought it couldn't.

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. Fuck you, Bob! They knew what the hell they were doing. I'm sick of their damn excuses.

Look at what they've done to our country! The MSM is responsible. NONE of this would have happened if questions were asked! Screw them all!

[Whisp]

17. change your name to Bob Loblaw already, Mr. Woodward.

blah blah blah. yah, whatever.
and while I have your attention, may you soon be residing in that hot suburb on the corner of Depths and Bowels for your complicity in starting this needless war. You'll have plenty of influential neighbors there. just shut up - you had your chance to be a reporter and you passed it by like the lily livered squirrel you are. just shut up.

[regularguy]

18. I got yer smoking-gun right here, idiot. NT

[DemGa]

19. The media remains frightened of Bushco.....nt

[Lilith Velkor]

20. Well Bob, as my sign said when I protested your paper

You all are whores to warmongers. Fuck you.

[Mandate My Ass]

21. "Everyone else was doing it too" is the excuse of a bratty, spoiled child

My parents never allowed it from us and I wouldn't allow it from mine.

Hey, Bob, be a man and admit you were an oh-so willing tool and maybe then we can talk. Then again, probably not. :nopity:

[Devil Dog Dem]

22. I'm sure he'll be aggresive with the next (Dem) POTUS, . . .

. . . to make up for being so lax with the current (Repug) regime.

[Javaman]

23. hey woodward, "suckasses say what?" nt

[Ian_rd]

24. One Million Dead. Media issues statement: "Sorry, our bad. Now on to Iran."

Welcome to the party, Bob. You're late. We already know you're a worthless piece of shit.

[Danger Mouse]

26. Woodward...you were a hero with Watergate...then you turned into a neocon tool.

You can never have your credibility back, you pissed it all away.
Saw Woodward speak just after 9/11 at my university. I was impressed.
Not so impressed with what he did not long after his appearance at JHU...

[UTUSN]

27. Error- I've already Recd . What an a-hole he has always been !!!1 n/t

[lonestarnot]

28. blah blah blah.

[Bake]

29. So why are they STILL "dropping the ball?"

The MSM is still failing miserably to do its job in reporting on this misAdministration. They're all mea culpa now as to the runup to the war, but they're still not doing their job. I think they've forgotten how (if they ever knew how, that is).

Bake