Joe Wilson: "(Journalists) are FEARFUL of writing these stories...."

[DeepModem Mom]

From Ambassador Wilson's "Meet the Press" interview:

MR. RUSSERT: Now, you've asked Bob Novak to reveal his sources. Would you reveal your sources?

AMB. WILSON: Actually, I haven't asked Bob Novak to reveal his sources. And I think you can understand after you interviewed Mr. Woodward last week that when 75 people speak to Mr. Woodward with the authorization of the president and only two of them want to be identified, you can imagine that those who have other information but are fearful of what the White House might do, they also do not want to be identified. And I say that because, of course, I mention in the book that there are also reports from journalists back to me that THEY'RE FEARFUL OF WRITING THESE STORIES. One journalist said because he was afraid he would end up in Guantanamo, which is basically I think a metaphor for their being cut off. Another one said that, of course, they had two children in private schools and a mortgage. Now, I've since heard from other journalists that even the most mildly critical articles about this administration yield top-level phone calls back to their editors including phone calls from Mr. Libby himself to their editors.


http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4880116


(ON EDIT: Adding another quotation from Wilson I posted in another thread --
"This country is created with checks and balances guaranteed to, one, hold the government accountable for its actions and for its words, and two, to give citizens and the press certain privileges and rights to take on the government and challenge the government on what it says and does. For this government to have attacked me personally and then to have done what they did to my wife is, frankly, un-American.")

[peacetalksforall]

1. Don't forget: Mr. Libby = Mr. Cheney

that's = as in equals

[KissMyAsscroft]

2. And there you have it, folks...

They hate Democracy and they hate America.

[Doctor_J]

3. are we there yet?

in 1935 Germany, I mean?

[KittyWampus]

4. No, There're Definately Elements In Intelligence, Military & Media

who are actively working to dislodge Junior.

The damaging info coming out is being timed.

[DUreader]

8. Sounds like the Dem's secret 2002 election strategy

please don't take it personally, I just think you may be doing some wishful thinking here.

I see a few folks standing up to *bushco as well as some indications of behind the scenes power struggles, but the

media problem in the US may be insurmountable

[KittyWampus]

9. So It's Just A Meaningless Coincidence That

going chronologically back in order:

Mission Accomplished Anniversary nonsense/release of torture story
Junior/Cheney 's pathetic joint venture
Koppels reading names/Sinclair gets lambasted for censorship
Kerry's appearance covered favorably/Cheney's University speech covered unfavorably
Photos of GI coffins get leaked
American troops not getting armor they need
Woodward mentions money diverted to Iraq from Afganistan
Condi's pathetic appearance
Richard Clarke's testimony

[DUreader]

13. It just seems like it has happened before

I feel that the media has been doing this ever since W* started running in 2000 where stories come out, people start saying the tide is turning and then we get some saturation press coverage

of some b.s. The memory hole opens wide and the scandals

become 'flaps' never to be mentioned again except by 'conspiracy theorists.

This demoralizes anybody who has been paying attention and getting their hopes up.

Basically I'm saying that it will take a whole lot more than one bad news cycle for me to be hopeful.

[TacticalPeek]

10. "The damaging info coming out is being timed."

True, and perhaps necessary, but unfortunately the metronome is ticking off bodies in Iraq.


:grr:

[Davis_X_Machina]

12. As soon as we can find an insane Dutch Communist...

...and a coupla cans of gasoline, we're there.

Paging Mr. Van der Lubbe! Mr Marinus Van der Lubbe!

[FreakinDJ]

14. My point too

Given the recent developements

Falluja...Prison Abuses.....Bush's comments "Brown skinned people"

We now know what it must have felt like to be living in Nazi Germany.

Now wonder the nut does not fall too far from the tree.

[Minstrel Boy]

5. "he was afraid he would end up in Guantanamo...

which is basically I think a metaphor for their being cut off."

Maybe. Maybe not.

How much would it take for an investigative journalist to be declared an "enemy combatant"?

That's a line just waiting to be crossed. Go ahead, says John Aschroft. I dare ya.

[havocmom]

6. How do we explain to these frightened 'journalists'

that they are all gonna die anyway so they may as well go down swinging?

Saddens me that they are so short sighted and can be bought off so cheaply. Selling out doesn't make them secure, it makes them mailable slaves. They are delusional and disgusting cowards if they let bullies steal their integrity!

[napi21]

7. I would suggest to all journalists....

GET TOGETHER! If ALL journalists asked the hard questions, and all those who had the Valerie Plame story pitched to the, told the story, what could happed? Do you really think the WH would try to destroy, what was it 8 to 12 media people? Can they NEVER answer another question?

Even in a Corp. owned media, they can't fire everybody!

It's the old union theory. They can do real harm to a few, but the power is in the whole group.

[deacon]

11. I think one of the important things also is how he answered if this...

...was politically driven.

He answered that in America you have the choice of backing who you want to and made it moot.

The answer means in a sense "whats the difference?"

He should have contiuned on and said that EVERYTHING that this administration does is politically driven and they show no hesitence in contining to handle things that way.

Just the facts of setting the June 30 deadline in Iraq and moving back the convention so it is closer to the 911 anniversy is proof of this. And, a list of about 500 other things could be listed easily.

The sum is: the bottom line is that a crime was committed; a political response was given by Team Bush; and the politics of an individual shouldn't overshadow a traitorous crime. The politics don't change the facts.

[FreakinDJ]

15. Given the provisions of Patriot Act II

Some times I am even scared to post here at DU.

If Ashcroft decides to proclaim us a subversive group we could all end up in detention centers some where

[leftchick]

16. Thank you for posting this DMM....

I watched it this morning and that was like a slap in the face! A wake up call to America that this misadministration will stop at NOTHING to control the message! Joe Is right, They are UN-AMERICAN!
I hate them all... :mad:

[FlemingsGhost]

17. We are on our own, folks.

The press is not our knight in shining armour. It's gonna take people power, and lots of it...