Ladies and Gentleman....Faux News goes "fair and balanced" on Downing St.!

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,158228,00.html

Downing Street Memo Mostly Ignored in U.S.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005

WASHINGTON — A British government memo that critics say proves the Bush administration manipulated evidence about weapons of mass destruction in order to carry out a plan to overthrow Saddam Hussein (search) has received little attention in the mainstream media, frustrating opponents of the Iraq war.

The "Downing Street Memo" — first published by The Sunday Times of London on May 1 — summarizes a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Tony Blair (search) and his senior national security team on July 23, 2002, months before the March 2003 coalition invasion of Iraq.

The memo suggests that British intelligence analysts were concerned that the Bush administration was marching to war on wobbly evidence that Saddam posed a serious threat to the world.

Click here to read the memo.

In the memo, written by top Blair aide Matthew Rycroft (search), Foreign Secretary Jack Straw indicated in the meeting that it "seemed clear" Bush had already decided to take military action.

<</SNIP>>

Guys, this is BIG, IMHO!!!

I never thought I would see the words 'memogate' on the homepage of FAUX NEWS!



I also cross posted this in LBN:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1513774

edit: added pic

[lonestarnot]

1. WOW!

[steve2470]

2. hopefully they won't distort or lie later on nt

[lonestarnot]

3. Well for sure I won't know about it unless somebody reports here XXXXX

[steve2470]

8. I will keep watching their website. Watching Fox on tv would make me sick

:-)

[lonestarnot]

20. LOL me tooooooooooooooooooooo

[Hissyspit]

4. Hmm... Now why did they print that? n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

5. That's what I'm wondering

:crazy:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

24. so they can repeat the word MEMO over and over!

check it out - 6 times just in that snip. We need to reframe: Minutes! not memo!

:7

[Carla in Ca]

36. Yeah, whats the catch...

There is another thread that Faux admits they are not fair and balanced! What gives:shrug:

[Singular73]

6. Looks ok to me.

Interesting...wonder if Bush will be the lamb of Republican sacrificial slaughter for 06....

[me b zola]

27. That thought has crossed my mind as well

I believe that they throw out every possibility onto the table to see how it would play with the electorate. I sometimes wonder if poppy would (human) sacrifice dim-son for the sake of the agenda. Nothing is too evil for these people.

[IndyOp]

7. "This is a test of the left-wing blogosphere," said Jim Pinkerton

syndicated columnist and regular contributor to FOX News Watch.

WOW! DU'ers - Don your UnderDog capes and let's get busy!

:bounce:

[KoKo]

9. Shocking! It's one of the better articles I've read....of the few

that have been out there, anyway. Go over and check out the additional comments and interviews. Amazing! What's up with this? Why now does Faux decide to do an actual "fair and balanced?" :crazy:

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. BushCo probably told everyone in MSM to keep it quiet, a bit too strongly

and perhaps finally pissed someone off enough to say 'fuck it'.

[sabra]

18. I know, I was waiting for the catch, and there wasn't one...

I am happy yet confused.

[lachattefolle]

11. It's the pitter patter of little rat feet deserting the sinking ship?

[Fire Walk With Me]

12. Deep Throat is the top story, Downing a small note (top of site)

"Atlantic Divide on Iraq Memo
U.K. notes suggesting WMD info was manipulated cause little stir in U.S."

http://www.foxnews.com/

Far better than none at all.

The author might have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by trying to break it in bigger media.

[IndianaGreen]

13. The Sunday Times, which first published the memo, is owned by Murdoch

apparently Murdoch has tired of Blair.

[sabra]

21. No doubt, they are calling it the UK memogate...

it's not just the UK though.

[funflower]

45. I thought that was strange when the Times broke the story.

Maybe Rupert just wants to sell newspapers after all. Or is there another reason his biggest outlets have decided to let this one see daylight????

:shrug:

[orleans]

14. great--now maybe all the other MSM can follow in fox's lead

and report about this memo too!

then they can all be ashamed for having to *follow* in the fox footsteps!

[Raksha]

19. Serves 'em right...they should have been doing their job!

Re >>then they can all be ashamed for having to *follow* in the fox footsteps!<<

[freeplessinseattle]

15. hmm, trying to attract more readers?

coincidentally with their ratings sinking..

[tinfoilinfor2005]

17. Yes, I've heard that Murdock loves to hear

"Ka-Ching!" over and above anything else...

[lala_rawraw]

16. That proves it... they want to get rid of chimp so that Cheney

Can be President, he will then pardon chimp.

[sabra]

23. You know what this article alone, doesn't make that seem

so far fetched?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

22. And I can't believe that I just emailed them a thanks for doing so...

but, so what...if they provide the means to the end of king george, it would be a delicious irony.

[goclark]

29. I'm going to send them a thank you do

We are always bashing them so when they do something that is Fair we should thank them.

Perhaps, just perhaps, they will see the wisdom of their ways.

[TalkingDog]

25. Given their recent slip, it's a way to avoid being labled a PAC

http://slate.com/id/2119864

Admitting bias would make them a political party or at the very least a PAC. Then under FCC rules they have to either give equal time to the other side or give up FREE access to PUBLIC airwaves. A totally free funding stream for the right's agenda depends on them staying on the air.

[satya]

38. Interesting take--and one that makes a lot of sense to me. n/t

[sabra]

26. kick

:kick:

[applegrove]

28. Wow - they had to bend to pressure. You bloggers are amazing. n/t

[Fleshdancer]

30. This is the sound of my head exploding

Fox news??? Well the good news is that the other networks now have permission to run the story.

[AwakeAtLast]

31. Better get a screen shot of the whole thing

just to be safe. I can see this being scrubbed in about 12 hours.

Not ready to jump and WOOT! just yet, but I am getting a tingly feeling in my legs. :evilgrin:

I do believe this is a start, though.

[sabra]

32. The page has been downloaded to my computer, good call...

[AwakeAtLast]

42. Thanks!

I need an attaboy now and then! :)

:hi:

[Elwood P Dowd]

33. Has the idiot chimp outlived his usefulness?

Has the secret government finally given up on this idiot?

:dunce: "I know all about small bidness growth. I was one."

[Swamp Rat]

34. Hmm... some pre-emptive posturing by Murdoch?

[Alizaryn]

35. I never thought I would see this !

Make sure to email it on to friends to let Foxx see that there is much interest in this subject.

[sabra]

37. I was rubbing my eyes too in disbelief!

[mvd]

39. Ha ha - FAUX just gave it attention!

LOL. They are just as dumb as Bush.

[libertypirate]

40. I am not sure giving this the gate is a good idea...

This is not the gate the gate is the fact that the facts were fixed around a desire to do something horrible. Let's not allow them to reframe this so they can slither out of it.

[sabra]

41. Let's keep this kicked?

thanks :-)

Peace.

[McCamy Taylor]

43. Watergate and Memogate...and consider the Fox audience.

This isnt fair and balanced. This is more propaganda, aimed at the right wing base. If it was fair and balanced they would show the Downing Street article next to images of US Service people dying in Iraq. But instead they call it "Memogate" and put it next to a story anout "Watergate" and Deep Throat who turns out to have had less than altruistic motives. Which reduces the Downing Street memo to a politic smear piece.

I suspect that Fox News is trying to alert Right Wingers that this memo is going to be the driving force for a "Let's Impeach Bush" movement. The people who watch Fox could care less that he lied about WMDs. The want to kill all muslims on general principle and need no excuse. They are going to be much more alarmed when people start talking about impeaching their precious Fuhrer.

These same people are going to consider Felt a traitor for revealing Nixon's crimes. They will consider anyone who wants to impeach Bush over the Downing street memo a traitor too.

So, Fox News is letting them know that there is something out there that is really, really bad, and that they need to get ready to wave those flags and support W. cause a battle is coming.

This may be the reason why the Washington Post decided to out Deep THhroat this week. The strategy for dealing with the Memo may be "Thi is all a partisan attack on the president designed to weaken our country."

[sabra]

44. I was wondering about the reasoning behind the Deep Throat unveiling?

[Beam Me Up]

46. Sounds very plausible. But why DID Murdoc see to it that the minuites

were released in one of his papers? This could be a bigger move.

Is there any way this story/issue could come back to bite us (anti war movement/logsophere, etc)? I'm thinking of the way CBS and Dan Rather were 'necklaced' and the recent News Week flap.

[question everything]

49. Washington Post did not out Deep Throat

as a matter of fact, while the story was going around all day, WP did not confirm it until the afternoon.

Felt is old with deteriorating mental ability and two years ago he finally admitted to is family who convinced him to come out to the world. Clearly the Vanity Fair story has been in the working way before the memo was published.

Really, as much as this may be fun, there is no need to look for conspiracy theory at every corner.

[zann725]

47. I guess that proves Faux's ratings really ARE in the toilet...

Even they have to grovel to the Truth...occasionally.

"Isn't it ironic..."

[sabra]

52. It might be the case? Who knows...

[question everything]

48. Might it have something to do with the down spiral

of their audience?

[bling bling]

50. Clicked on the link and that story is really there! can't believe it.

I printed the story for my news archives that I'm saving for posterity. I never thought FOX News would make it into my scrapbook of media sources who are actually reporting the truth about the administration.

Wow. Guess there's a first for everything.

[sabra]

51. early morning kick...

[Mad_Dem_X]

53. OMG!!!!!!!!

Call an ambulance - I'm having a heart attack! :wow:

[Jose Diablo]

54. Maybe the dollar is kicking in with Faux

There was a report recently about Faux's dwindling number of listeners. This will affect their advertising revenue.

Let's see if Faux's owners will forsake money for ideology?

[dogday]

55. Earlier today on Faux News, they were putting down deep throat

How dare he tell on the President. Who cares if the President was doing illegal things. He is a traitor they think. What a bunch of monkeys....

[Lowell]

56. A Diversion

from something even more sinister? It makes me wonder if there is another even more damaging piece of information about to be exposed. Something that will make this as trivial as say the Peterson trial.

After all, didn't everyone know that this whole Iraq invasion thing was contrived from the very beginning. This memo just confirms our suspicions.