Congressman Conyers hammers the Washington Post's Dana Milbank

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Congressman_Conyers_hammers_the_Washington_Posts_D_0617.html

Congressman Conyers hammers the Washington Post's Dana Milbank
RAW STORY


The following letter was carbon-copied to RAW STORY.

#
June 17, 2005

Mr. Michael Abramowitz, National Editor Mr. Michael Getler, Ombudsman Mr. Dana Milbank The Washington Post 1150 15th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20071


Dear Sirs:

I write to express my profound disappointment with Dana Milbank's June 17 report, "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War," which purports to describe a Democratic hearing I chaired in the Capitol yesterday. In sum, the piece cherry-picks some facts, manufactures others out of whole cloth, and does a disservice to some 30 members of Congress who persevered under difficult circumstances, not of our own making, to examine a very serious subject: whether the American people were deliberately misled in the lead up to war. The fact that this was the Post's only coverage of this event makes the journalistic shortcomings in this piece even more egregious.

In an inaccurate piece of reporting that typifies the article, Milbank implies that one of the obstacles the Members in the meeting have is that "only one" member has mentioned the Downing Street Minutes on the floor of either the House or Senate. This is not only incorrect but misleading. In fact, just yesterday, the Senate Democratic Leader, Harry Reid, mentioned it on the Senate floor. Senator Boxer talked at some length about it at the recent confirmation hearing for the Ambassador to Iraq. The House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, recently signed on to my letter, along with 121 other Democrats asking for answers about the memo. This information is not difficult to find either. For example, the Reid speech was the subject of an AP wire service report posted on the Washington Post website with the headline "Democrats Cite Downing Street Memo in Bolton Fight". Other similar mistakes, mischaracterizations and cheap shots are littered throughout the article.

The article begins with an especially mean and nasty tone, claiming that House Democrats "pretended" a small conference was the Judiciary Committee hearing room and deriding the decor of the room. Milbank fails to share with his readers one essential fact: the reason the hearing was held in that room, an important piece of context. Despite the fact that a number of other suitable rooms were available in the Capitol and House office buildings, Republicans declined my request for each and every one of them. Milbank could have written about the perseverance of many of my colleagues in the face of such adverse circumstances, but declined to do so. Milbank also ignores the critical fact picked up by the AP, CNN and other newsletters that at the very moment the hearing was scheduled to begin, the Republican Leadership scheduled an almost unprecedented number of 11 consecutive floor votes, making it next to impossible for most Members to participate in the first hour and one half of the hearing.

<</SNIP>>

[Malikshah]

1. Gee, ya think Howie Kurtz might cover this???

NOT!

I love the letter-- it is so very damning. Screw Dana Milbank and his whorish ways--

Conyers was spot on-- and did not take any prisoners.

[Frederik]

39. Screw the warmongering whoreson

Go Conyers! :applause:

Dana Milbank: The people is waking up to the fact that your Leader deceived them, whoreson, it's time to leave the sinking ship and stop whoring for the traitors.

Fabulous letter!

[minerva50]

55. Why is it that to insult a man you must defame his poor mother?

[Malikshah]

90. Because she and the bastard of a father

raised a child who would use his talents to sell out a country.

The same reason Barbara Bush and Poppy Bush BOTH must be vilified.

It's called taking responsibility.

Now... I DO agree that it gives a bad name to whores.

[Frederik]

100. You're right, Milbank is the whore, not his poor mother

Bad choice of words.

[The Doctor.]

119. This deserves a look at Milbank's recent financial transactions....

He should be under a microscope now.

There is no excuse for such a piece of propaganda to pass as journalism.

He's being paid by the GOP somehow.

Like Williams and the rest, he's taking money to spread propaganda.

[Straight Shooter]

47. Oooops

I thought Milbank was a woman. Where the hell did I see that article with a photo of a blonde woman that was supposed to be Milbank. Damn those internets!

Mea culpa, mea culpa.

[Zen Democrat]

78. You may be thinking of CNN's Dana Bash

[LSparkle]

112. More likely Dana Priest

[janetle]

87. By Howard Kurtz today

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002339066_downing17.html

[BurtWorm]

2. All right, John Conyers!!

:applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause::applause:

[BurtWorm]

3. Milbank's piece was an assassination attempt.

How does he dare call himself a reporter?

[Karenina]

21. Dana Millbank needs to be

SLAPPED UPSIDE HIS DAMNED HAID!!! HARD!!! :spank::spank::spank:
What's his e-mail address, again?

[BurtWorm]

24. [email protected]

:evilgrin:

[goclark]

35. Email completed and sent!

[lateo]

49. Is there an email for Dana's boss?

[BurtWorm]

50. [email protected]

Here's the ombudsman's address. Not the boss, but the reader's advocate.

[TerdlowSmedley]

95. I think it's www.satan.com

[Jo March]

79. Here's what I emailed to Milbank

I just read your article, "Democrats Play House To Rally Against the War."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

I read the article with a sense of amazement. Surely you can't be as stupid as you come across in this article. I mean, no one who has actually researched and studied the Downing Street Minutes can be so totally ignorant of the facts as they stand. You can't be that moronic, can you??

But then I realized the truth: You are pulling a Gannon - pretending to be a real journalist all the while whoring yourself out to the Bush Administration. Maybe your good lap dog impression will get you unlimited access to the White House, too!

Good luck with that, Milbank. Also, I hear it's damn near impossible to get your soul back once you've sold it so good luck with that, too.

[tavalon]

118. Spot on!

Excellent letter.

[Shredr]

128. Brilliant letter

I'd kill to read his reply, if he dares write one.

[Jo March]

172. No reply so far

He's probably still stinging from Conyers and his reply!!

[Tigress DEM]

147. Now I don't feel so bad calling him a traitor and accusing him of slander.

Thanks. I thought mine would stand out a bit too much amidst all the more reasonably toned letters. We passionate people gotta stick to our guns though.

[Jo March]

171. I felt bad for about half a second.

Then I re-read the article and got angry all over again. So, the anger pretty much cancelled out the guilt.

I never hesitate to bring up Gannon, either. They may think that we've forgotten him, but I like to trot him out there to show them what they have become.

I like fiery, passionate people. We need more of them in our party.

:evilgrin:

[Tigress DEM]

146. My letter

TO: [email protected], [email protected]

Subject: Ignorance can't excuse your behavior.

Dana,

I don't know what you have against journalistic intelligence in reporting, but it's obvious that you just don't do any real research when the facts were right in front of your face, but you chose instead to slander a real congressional hero to the people, John Conyers. How dare you? You should be fired for your sloppy reporting and obvious bias against the truth about what happened at the Democratic Rally June 16th. You and your kind give all reporters a bad name.

The Washington Post in general has done a better job than most in trying to report neutral facts and leaving opinion to those sections where it is formerly acknowledged to be just one man's opinion, but your piece, "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War," pretends at journalism and this kind of behavior MUST STOP because it is a slap in the face of the media's role in Democracy as the Fourth Estate. You are a traitor to the American People, sir, and if justice were prevailing at this moment in history you would be tried as such.

Have a nice day/rot in hell, your choice.


Sincerely,

A concerned citizen

[Hoosier]

149. genius

My little email pales in comparison.

[Jo March]

173. I must say, this one line is my favorite:

"You are a traitor to the American People, sir, and if justice were prevailing at this moment in history you would be tried as such."

That is just delicious to think about, isn't it? :evilgrin:

[melissinha]

Come on we need to

Trump him.

YOU'RE FIRED!

[melissinha]

41. oops

it posted 3 responses...

YOU'RE FIRED!

[Hausfrau]

91. No Problem.

I never get tired of seeing him. I just got his book in the mail today "What went wrong in Ohio." I was so upset after the November Fraudulection. I just felt alone and helpless because nobody was speaking about what happened in Ohio. Then came wonderful John Conyers. He will always have a special place in my heart.

[melissinha]

42. accidental repost

sorry..


But.... You're FIRED!

[cascadiance]

52. Did I see any nominations for him for next week's top 10

... conservative idiots? If not he should be! What a lame excuse for a journalist! He'd fit well on a Soviet Union era Pravda staff!

[mirandapriestly]

103. That's what I wrote him in my email to him!!!!

that he was part of a trend toward journalism similar to Pravda in the Communist Soviet Union!

I'm depressed, though, I mean, compare that to WP's coverage of Watergate.

[republikkkon]

6. conyers is godly

i wish we could clone that man...

[AX10]

4. The Whorington Post's days are numbered!

[Kurovski]

26. I think the DSM will be the event that separates

the wheat from the chaff once and for all.

I think many Americans will wake to realize how carefully they have to vet the news sources they rely on.

I think, or maybe I'm just hoping.

[Tigress DEM]

150. CNN saw the light and WP can show us the grit and recover.

IF they fire assholes like Milbank and get back to the real business of reporting the news, I won't shun them. I still want to see the correct behavior, but there are probably a lot of good reporters being held back by high level editors who've been bought off by the rethugs.

Also we have to focus more energy on the wire services. Support Knight Ridder and slam AP whenever we see them reporting bias or missing a story - because all the papers queue their late breaking stuff from the wire services. If THEY don't do their jobs correctly, it screws everyone down the line up.

[merbex]

5. Milbamk chose to criticize the style of the room over the substance

of the forum that was the focus of the hearing

And they wonder why readership and revenue is being lost to "bloggers"

I do not wonder

[Supersedeas]

59. During the Blair/Bush newsconference: Dana suggested the reporter

was responding to a Left Wing reward and focused the entire article on the 'Poodle' instead of the substance of the DSM.


Dana now has a track record with re: to the DSM.

Has he been Gannonized?

[chalky]

7. Hey Dana! Don't mess with the bull--

You'll get the horns. :evilgrin:

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. I just sent them this

June 17, 2005

Mr. Michael Abramowitz, National Editor
Mr. Michael Getler, Ombudsman
Mr. Dana Milbank
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20071

To the Editor,

The Washington Post is showing increasingly just how much it is no longer a paper to be trusted. We know the Washington Times is part of the Right Wing Noise Machine, and perchance Mister Millibank should go work across town. I used to have respect for your paper, Watergate and all, but these days you are going out of your way to bury a story, any story, that will make the current administration look bad.

I wonder, are you part of the cover up that led to the Iraq War? If you are, beware for you could be held accountable at the Hague when this is over. And yes, this will be over. For the moment I will share with you what real coverage looks like... maybe you can learn a lesson or two...


http://www.guardian.co.uk/salon/story/0,14752,1509059,0...

Just hearsay, or the new Watergate tapes?

David Paul Kuhn explains how the Democratic representative John Conyers defied Republicans to call for an inquiry into the 'Downing Street memo'

Friday June 17, 2005

Forced to the basement of the US Capitol and prevented from holding an official hearing, Michigan representative John Conyers defied Republicans and held a forum on Thursday calling for a congressional inquiry into the infamous British document known as the "Downing Street memo".

Three dozen Democratic representatives shuffled in and out of a small room to join Mr Conyers in declaring that the Downing Street memo was the first "primary source" document to report that prewar intelligence was intentionally manipulated in order make a case for invading Iraq.


Not only did Republican leaders consign the Democrats to the basement, but Democrats also claimed that the House scheduled 11 votes concurrent with the forum to maximise the difficulty of attending it. Because the forum wasn't an official hearing, it won't become a part of the Congressional record - but members worked to make sure that the attending media and activists captured their words for posterity.

<snip>
As he left, the mild but indefatigable Mr Conyers was a little angry that the forum was denied a proper room in the Capitol.

"They tried to shut us out," he said after the hearing. "They tried to cut us off. They put us in a tiny room. The significance shouldn't be lost on anybody."

With no further,

XXXXXXXXXXX

[Eloriel]

11. Good -- but do you really want to include your name?

Quick, edit it out.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. thanks

oops

[EFerrari]

56. They won't read letters that are unsigned and without contact info. nt

[melissinha]

29. Well done.

yeah for some reason I went to Freeperland .. guess I am a glutton for punishment, and couldn't believe that a "legitimate" newspaper had featured it as its only story regarding the forum. It was frankly disrespectful. Of course Freepers loved it. but all they could do was repeat Milibanks in their responses.. offering no true analysis or understanding of the preceedings.

These bozos hold a fake House committee meeting, and then get all bent when the press doesn't go along with the attempted fraud.

Conyers is a Commie and a Traitor ~ Bump!

Be Ever Vigilant!


Upset that not more lives have been lost? Probably. Bitter about the democrats losing the election and in utter denial, likely. Actually interested in anything but undermining our war effort and getting his picture in the papers? I think definitely NOT.

Yup, the ones Conyers wanted all had a sign that read: "MEN"

What a bunch of misguided sheeple. Thats all they've got. Grow the HELL UP. I've got news for you... why don't we start wearing red and blue wristbands to identify who is who.... you and I both know that the World community KNOWS who unleashed the Anti-Christ Bush on the world and it ain't us. THey'll come and destroy you... hell I'm all for it.
Can they not speak like well educated adults. All juvinile and as for Rush's comments that its all the liberals fault.... thats all they can do deflect blame.... so juvinile and lacking in common sense.

[Frederik]

44. I'm all for

black UN helicopters full of blue helmet-wearing international forces, predominantly French, picking them up and shipping them to Gitmo :evilgrin:

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. Not realizing taht the new world order

is being established as we speak by their so loved Dictator

;-)

[Royaras]

160. Want bracelets?

http://www.ididnotvote4bush.com/pages/1/index.htm
http://www.countmeblue.com/ (there's a "count me red" site too)
http://www.hopebracelet.com/

I wear my hope bracelet when I drop off my daughter at her school amidst all the mondo-SUVs with "W04" stickers on the bumper. I've had a couple ask me about it and I always tell them what it's for.

[ooglymoogly]

53. excellent

three cheers

[kissmygrits]

99. I emailed the WP this.

Sir. I watched the Conyer’s hearing yesterday regarding the Downing Street Memo on C-Span and was very concerned at what may be the next Watergate. This morning I was shocked to read the article by Dana Milbank. Half truths, downright lies, smarmy comments, and shoddy journalism. . Is this man truly a journalist? I used to respect your paper and remember the days of reporters such as Katherine Graham who had integrity. Has your paper fallen on such hard times that they would hire a hack from the Inquirer or Star? Please Sir, let’s get back to reporting the facts and not the machinations of a biased individual such as Mr. Milbank. Sincerely

[annabanana]

105. Very good letter!

This is what we must do. We can't let them get away with this garbage anymore.!
And Welcome to DU!
:toast:

[EVDebs]

9. Repubs tried to size the room to restroom size, that's how much they care

about the truth ?

Operation Mockingbird droppings.

[quiet.american]

10. Where does Mr. Conyers get the energy!

Excellent response to Dana Milbank's lazy/biased scribblings.

[Eloriel]

13. I'm sure he has some excellent staff members to draft things like this

And I'm sure glad. It's a great letter. Make me want to pile on with the ombudsman.

[quiet.american]

18. True -- but I have a feeling "he's all up in it" as the saying goes. :)n/t

[BurtWorm]

22. But you can hear his rational, deliberate voice when you read those words.

Whoever wrote it has him down. :toast:

[ibegurpard]

70. Ombudsman is the way to go

I think it would be more effective than contacting Milbank himself.

[WilliamPitt]

111. He is an extraordinary man with an extraordinary staff

[Tigress DEM]

151. Hi Will!! Good to see you around! nt

[Tigress DEM]

148. From his moral outrage and our support according to his blog.

Wouldn't it just put any of us in a mega energy phase to know over half a million people believed in going forward with a plan any of us came up with? That is why I feel strongly about putting my support out there when DEMS do the right thing, especially if they are criticized for doing it. WE the People are a powerful counter measure to the false media spin FOR those who are being targeted.

John Conyers has been really going out of his way to acknowledge that the support of people like us has really helped him out and it seems to me that every word he says is heartfelt. I think he is the man I would call a true DEM in every sense of the word and I'm so proud that he is in there fighting for us.

On his blog someone posted to the effect, "although it is illegal, many of us would like to clone you, sir" because we really need more DEMs like John at this time in history.

I need a bumper sticker that says "I wanna be like John Conyers when I grow up".

He really deserves a congressional medal of valor in my mind.

[pa28]

12. Here's a link to the original article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601570.html

The Post has fallen far since Watergate. They are reduced to snotty derision and unvarnished apology for the administration now.

[Eloriel]

15. Thanks. I'm going to write the ombudsman myself. n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

14. kick, recommended

[AFSCME girl]

23. Me too!

:kick:

[WillyT]

16. When Did Milbank Become A Dildo For The Right ???

What the hell did I miss???

I've heard some recent grumblings, but...

:shrug:

[Tigress DEM]

152. What was he before? nt

[burythehatchet]

17. Fantastic. Maybe he'll get a response because I know my

vomiting of expletives on to Dana's e-mail in box will certainly not be getting the pleasure of a response.

[EFerrari]

19. Does anyone have a list of who did manage to attend the meeting?

Because our representative have been shown disrespect, as have we been disrespected.

I want to know who was there from California so I can write a letter or letters. Not only are they stalking our kids but they're pushing around good decent men and women like John Conyers and Zoe Lofgren.

We can't let this stand.

[BamaBecky]

51. It will be on again tonight. A Congresswoman was there from

California....Hispanic....Sois?????????
Bama

[EFerrari]

54. I can't remember! And I will watch it again tonight. Thanks ! n/t

[Cookie wookie]

136. Barbara Boxer was there n/t

[CitrusLib]

25. The more I read about him, the more I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this guy!

Go, John, Go!

:headbang:

[Catrina]

36. Yes, me too!!

The man doesn't miss a thing. Dana Millbank isn't fit to wipe the shows of Rep. Conyers!!

MSNBC had a reporter from the WP on the Countdown last night, (I'm not sure who it was). He too had, what must be the WP's talking points, and was allowed to get away with it by Keith's standin host. 'Bunch of liberal bloggers' etc. ect.

Did the Rev. Moon secretly purchase the WP? They are garbage and the best thing to do about them is simply to ignore them, cancel them, tune them out. Because the Rightwing will never accept them, no matter how far over they bend for them.

We don't need them anymore, better to stop expecting anything from them. We are the media now, and we are obviously having an effect.

Hey Dana et al, you're irrelevant!! Check out Bush's and the Republican Congress' poll numbers!! Without you the truth is getting out!!

Just keep emailing your friends, relatives, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, the real news. We're succeeding, that's all that matters. Dana and his ilk are garbage not even worth a minute of Rep. Conyers' time.

www.downingstreetminutes.com
www.pinsforpatriots.com

[faithnotgreed]

94. how about adding him as your avatar? join in the fun~!

glad youre here

[Tigress DEM]

158. John Conyers for PRESIDENT in 2008 !!!!

Do I hear an AMEN ??

[bvar22]

27. I am going to print out a hard copy,

and add my name to the bottom, just as I did to the Conyers letter to George Bush, and mail individual copies to:

Mr. Michael Abramowitz, National Editor

Mr. Michael Getler, Ombudsman

Mr. Dana Milbank

The Washington Post 1150 15th Street
NW Washington, D.C. 20071

Editor
Minneapolis Star Tribune

On Edit: would encourage EVERYONE ELSE to do so!
It would be difficult to ignore 1000 HARDCOPY letters!

[Tigress DEM]

154. Maybe we could get MoveOn to feature this.

I'm going to go to their site, see if it can be done. I've always been on the recieving side of this kind of thing with them, but I seem to remember there was a choice to initiate it.

[Tigress DEM]

156. I DID it, PLEASE KICK IT on the MoveOn board

Signed in as Tigress DEM I have put a piece in to get them to post John's Letter. There are other posts regarding Media/DSM and maybe they are good too, but please KICK mine so John's letter to the Washington Post gets MoveOn support. If we give this the highest level of importance, MoveOn may push it out faster.


Subject: PLEASE help John Conyers educate the Washington Post

Body:
About the power of Democracy.

MoveOn did a great job helping to get the message out about the public's right to know if the Bush Administration led us into the war with Iraq under false pretenses by putting out a call to back John Conyers in getting his questions about the Downing Street Memo answered.

An article was published by the Washington Post reporter Dana Milbanks that is nothing short of slander against John Conyers' rally on Thursday June 16th. "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War," pretends at journalism and this kind of behavior MUST be STOPPED because it is a slap in the face of the media's role in Democracy as the Fourth Estate.

John Conyers wrote an excellent letter to the post and if your organization would put it out to the public to back him again, maybe we could get the media to realize that America won't tolerate this sloppy kind of reporting and attack against a great hero of Democracy.

Here is John's Letter from RAW Story

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Congressman_Conyers_hammers_the_Washington_Posts_D_0617.html

[kerry-is-my-prez]

28. Wonder how much she's being paid by Karl?

n/t

[Kurovski]

30. "He". Probably not a thing.

He's not quite dirty enough to be paid anything from the WH.

But it's a fair question.

[Orion The Hunter]

32. John Conyers is...

...spot on in hammering that joker Dana Milbank. Maybe someone should tell the Post that it is suppose to report the news accurately, not fix it for Republican spin control.

[Tigress DEM]

153. Go ahead, everyone else is.

[email protected]

[email protected]

The flood of emails should be an avalanch. Does anyone know how to get MoveOn involved? I mean they were the huge part of 1/2 a million signing the letter John took out there.

[Royaras]

161. I sent one and contacted FAIR as well to get them on the horn

Mr. Milbank:



After reading your article, “Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War,” I have come to a few theories:



1) You are a White House-paid flack, a lá Armstrong Williams;

2) You are gunning to replace Scott McClellan when he resigns out of the exhaustion from coming up with non-answers to White House reporters;

3) You are a nom de plume for John Guckert/Jeff Gannon;

4) You are auditioning for an on-line blog position for Roger Ailes.



Any of these are plausible excuses for the hatchet job of an article with your byline. Your article is one of the most singular examples of biased reporting I have come across this side of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. How ironic that it comes on the anniversary of Woodward & Bernstein’s historic reporting of the Watergate scandal. To what depths has the Washington Post fallen? Once the towering member of the Fourth Estate that caused a corrupt administration to be held accountable, you have now traded your integrity for kneepads in service of a far more corrupt administration.



I know that people of your political bent don’t like to have little things like facts get in your way of mocking and patronizing, but I must address a few items in the interest of those of us in the “reality-based community”:



They pretended a small conference room was the Judiciary Committee hearing room, draping white linens over folding tables to make them look like witness tables and bringing in cardboard name tags and extra flags to make the whole thing look official.



I guess it’s inconvenient to note that the reason the meeting was held in a small basement room was because Rep. Sensenbrenner refused them access to a regular meeting room, the same congressman who violated points of order to end a Judiciary Committee meeting on the Patriot Act. Those calls of “obstructionism” so deftly laid on the doorstep of Democrats strangely never makes its way across the aisle. Do you think it coincidence that the House had ELEVEN votes during those three hours as well, a spurt of business not usually seen when Republicans are holding meetings?



Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) banged a large wooden gavel and got the other lawmakers to call him "Mr. Chairman." He liked that so much that he started calling himself "the chairman" and spouted other chairmanly phrases, such as "unanimous consent" and "without objection so ordered." The dress-up game looked realistic enough on C-SPAN, so two dozen more Democrats came downstairs to play along.



Seriously, could you be more patronizing if you tried? I’m sure that it is just an oversight and not intellectual dishonesty that caused you to neglect to mention that John Conyers was formerly the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and the honorific is simply bestowed on him in recognition of his past position. We still call Bill Clinton “Mr. President” although we all know he no longer holds the office.



Since you have spared Chairman Sensenbrenner your outrage for his violation of parliamentary procedure, I assume that your knowledge is lacking over the proper method to record a meeting, which would include asking for “unanimous consent.” As to the two dozen other Democrats, is it possible that they support John Conyers’ request that President Bush be answerable rather than a desire to play “dress up” on C-SPAN3? In fact, Mr. Milbank, you neglected to mention (again an oversight I’m sure, far be it for you to suggest that Conyers is acting alone) that 122 House members have signed his petition, along with more than 560,000 American citizens.



Finally, you and the editors of the Washington Post owe Cindy Sheehan an apology for your tactless and heartless dismissal of her testimony. Ms. Sheehan entrusted President Bush with her most precious son. Just days after President Bush amused you at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with his looking for WMDs under the table (to which I am sure you laughed heartily, comfortable in the smug knowledge of being part of the political majority), Casey Sheehan was killed in Iraq looking for those same WMDs, ones that according to the Downing Street Memo President Bush knew would not be found.



Apparently, invading a sovereign nation and militarily forcing a regime change (in violation of international law) is something with which Democrats should not be concerned. There is no problem when partisanship runs so high that the majority party ignores documentation that points to potentially treasonous acts on the part of our president and his cabinet. Your mocking and patronizing tone is shameful for all of us who love this country and think that it should embody the ideal that it is trying to encourage/coerce other nations to embrace.



Let me remind you again that in the glory days of your once-fine publication, the words of Woodward and Bernstein encouraged the Republican-controlled Congress to see past party lines and begin inquiries when it was clear that the Watergate scandal went all the way to the top. Now, thirty-three years later, the WaPo is a pathetic shill for high crimes, dismissing and diminishing anyone who asks for accountability.



Is your blind apologist stance worth the price of your soul?

[AValdoux]

31. The MSM is covering its ass

To fairly report on these minutes and these issues involved would be to investigate their own actions. They are in self defense mode. When asked how do you manipulate intelligence it takes a compliant media, either too lazy to do their research or in cahoots because of common interests.


AValdoux

[glitch]

33. John Conyers is a good old fashioned American hero. We don't have many.

Dana Milbank: get off your knees, man! You are embarassing yourself, your paper, your profession and your species.

[Pirate Smile]

34. Full letter is also up at Atrios too.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/

[Demrock6]

37. Write a letter to the editor. I did here is mine.

I watched the Democratic hearing on the Downing Street Memo on tv. I thought it was a very well though out and informative event that should have gotten a lot of media attention. The next morning I read what the Star Tribune/Washington Post has to say. I the first paragraph I can see a strong right wing bias. "Long-suffering House Democrats, in a basement", saying flags were brought in to make it look official. Come on? Perhaps you should mention that this was going to happen in typical house chambers, but republicans constantly blocked the request. They also tried to schedule votes during the meeting to disrupt and cancel it.


It says two dozen Democrats joined the meeting. What about the 122 members on congress that signed the letter to Bush demanding answers? Or better yet what about the 560,000 citizen co-sponsors? They mean nothing I guess because they did not get mentioned in the article.

If these memos are accurate the President committed impeachable acts. I do think it deserves a fair look, not just to be blown off in a news paper article. Tell both sides.

I support investigating issues. I support Norm Coleman's investigation of the UN oil-for-food program. I support investigation Gitmo, I strongly support investigating the contents of the Downing Street Memo.
MSNBC has a non-scientific poll saying that 94% of Americans believe Bush did skew intelligence to fit the policy. Let look into it.

[DB1]

45. Dana Milbank better suted to deliver newspapers than write "news"

[lateo]

48. Welcome to DU

:)

[myrna minx]

64. Mr. Millbank probably finds sustenance

by foraging his bed sheets for broken potato chips.

[Mandate My Ass]

67. LOL, I wouldn't tip him either

Welcome.:toast:

[annabanana]

104. I wouldn't trust him not to break the window!...

or bean the dog..
AND... Welcome to DU!
:toast:

[LSK]

38. LTTE information here:

We offer two methods of sending a letter to the editor of The Washington Post:
1) You can e-mail your Letters to the Editor to [email protected]. Please do not send attachments; they will not be read.
2) If you prefer, you can send your letter by regular mail to:

Letters to the Editor
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20071

Editorial Policy

Letters must be exclusive to The Washington Post, and must include the writer's home address and home and business telephone numbers. (Letters via regular mail should also be signed.) Because of space limitations, those published are subject to abridgment. Although we are unable to acknowledge those letters we cannot publish, we appreciate the interest and value the views of those who take the time to send us their commen

[melissinha]

40. Here's my letter to Washington Post

Here's my albeit hastely put together letter to the editor.

Dear Editor:

In response to Mr. Milibank's article regarding yesterday's forum regarding the Downing St. Memo chaired by Congressman John Conyers, I respectfully ask that you demand that Mr. Milibank submitt a public apology to Congressman Conyers, his fellow Congressmen and the 560,000 people who felt that the Downing St. Memo is a serious issue. The characterization of the honorable Congressman Conyers was deeply insulting and quite frankly represents your paper in a very poor light. I agree with the followup letter by Mr Conyers to you regarding this article and ask that you have another writer submit a proper article with all the facts and without the nasty partisan lean that Mr Milibank so carelessly displayed.

Sincerely,

Melissa

We need to inundate the Post with letters regarding this disgraceful display..... !!!

[glitch]

63. Most excellent ltte - very professional. An apology is necessary. nt

[Karenina]

65. You might want to clean it up a bit...

MILBANK (N.B. my misspelling above. One L ;-))... forum on the Downing Street Minutes... submit... who feel-minutes are

:hug: GREAT LETTER!

[melissinha]

92. oops you are right

I am such a stickler for spelling too... guess I was so mad I didn't properly inspect my letter.

[Karenina]

114. Get me started

and I dunno what Sprache I be sprechen anymore. I'll proof a post and not even see my D'englisch till after the editing period had expired. :crazy: You did GOOD! :hug:

[TheUnspeakable]

43. God Bless You, Mr. Conyers-you NEVER disappoint me!!!!! n/t

[SeattleRob]

57. My Letter to Milbank

There's a little section where he asks for suggestions for "Washington Scenes" for him to write about. Here's what I wrote:

Idea for Washington Scenes

Mr. Milbank:

After reading your hilarious take on the whacky Democrats examination of the Downing Steet Memo, I had a sudden inspiration for a potential "Washington Scene."

I have a picture of Washington DC in the future. A time in the not too distant future, long after the Bush years have passed. Because of our information revolution, we will have a very accurate picture of the history of the Iraq War. An important part of that history, will be the faiure of the Washington insider press to ask important questions . People like you who not only failed to do your job in the run-up to the war, but continue to fail in your coverage of the execution of the war, will be the object of ridicule and contempt. Your articles will be in text books as shameless examples of a corrupt insider journalists who failed to do their jobs. So the Washington Scene I would love to see is how people like you, will explain away your incompetence and corruption to future generations.


Thank you!

Rob
Seattle, WA

[ooglymoogly]

60. excellent idea

good for you

[glitch]

68. Wow - another powerful letter. I can visualize the collaborators now. nt

[Tigress DEM]

157. Makes me giggle inside! Thanks. nt

[realFedUp]

58. yyyeeeaaahhhhhh

I just love rapid responses, especially from
the side we're on...the side of truth herself.

[DebJ]

61. Here's my letter to the editor:

Subject : Dana Milbank's column 6/17/05

| | | Inbox


Reference the column at this link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601570.html
Democrats Play House To Rally Against the War
By Dana Milbank
Friday, June 17, 2005; Page A06
In the Capitol basement yesterday, long-suffering House Democrats took a trip to the land of make-believe."


Yes, Democrats ARE in the land of make-believe: We are making believe we live in a democracy with the right to free speech, freedom of information, freedom to meet and hold discussions and investigations. Your paper should be stating in bold headlines: WHAT ARE THE REPUBLICANS AFRAID OF? WHY ARE THEY STIFLING MEETINGS AND INVESTIGATIONS? Therein lies the REAL story!

Over 250 years ago, Benjamin Franklin expressed clearly the need for a free and investigative press. I was just finishing high school during Watergate, and I USED to recall with pride that your paper was a shining beacon of the search for truth. Franklin would have been proud. But in recent years, your paper is forcing the dear Doctor to spin right out of his grave. There is already one newspaper in DC, the Washington Times, that regularly prints such snide, inaccurate drivel as is in this column. The very LEAST you could offer, if not the truth for a change, is something different. No wonder newspaper subscriptions are declining. I had been considering getting a subscription at least to the Sunday edition of your paper, based on my fond memories of my early teens when I lived in Maryland. But not if this is the garbage you are printing. I have cheaper sources of fireplace materials available, and it is more interesting and useful (aka junk mail).

[ooglymoogly]

62. kicked and nominated

[truebrit71]

66. Now THAT is how you debunk right-wing spin.

Kudos to you Mr. Conyers, and thank you for your efforts.

[swimboy]

69. Is there an updated list of the 122 Members who signed? eom

[recovering democrat]

71. Check your local paper too

I had already sent my letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as soon as I read this morning's paper, with the article about these hearings on page 3A, not good enough for page 1 headlines including thee lead headline "Families of Klan victims share bond of grief at murder trial", with "Lawsuit: Mirant was DOA", followed by equally intriguing FRONT PAGE articles featuring stores of "Georgia's Guard: The 48th in Iraq" and "state forbids tolls on existing lanes".

By the way, the AJC page 3 article has the headline "War critics Target Bush - Democrats want probe of memo". It isn't quite as slanted as Mr. Milbank because the reporter evidently just wrote what he was told to write and didn't really have a lot of info on the subject.

Soon as I read this, I sent a copy to the author of that article, highlighting in red what his article has in common with the Post's! Don't want to get too paranoid, but I suspect this same "spin" version of that hearing is in most of the US papers today. Check yours out too!

[hobbit709]

77. Unfortunately

The Atlanta C-j is owned by the Cox newspaper chain as is the Austin American Statesman which carried nothing about it. On a good day, a cox newspaper is useful as fishwrap, normally not even that.

[melissinha]

93. The Austin American Statesman did carry a story

from what it looked like, the Austin American Statesman just copied an AP story. So it wasn't like the Post.. It was kind of generic.... but I did have to search for it... I sent a letter to the AAS requesting they feature the story more prominently and include the picture of COnyers handing over a stack of the petition through bars to a WH Aide... picture is worth a 1000 words...

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/US_Congress/Downing_Street_Memo.html

[blue neen]

72. To think that the name "Washington Post" used to mean something.

All the credibility that Katharine Graham fought for is gone.

[barb162]

76. they have become a pug mouthpiece, like most of the media

[hobbit709]

73. Here's the text

of my email to the Post
After reading your Dana Milbanks article about the Conyers article, all I have to say is that the Washington Post has not only gone downhill after its Watergate reporting but after it reached bottom, has started to dig. If I had written such an article full of sly innuendo and outright misleading statements, I would probably be hired in an instant by the bush regime. So the question is, who pays Milbanks to write such garbage-the Washington Post or is money laundered to him by the GOP?

[ElectroPrincess]

74. The Washington Post should report this entire retraction tomorrow!

[Lindacooks]

75. And why the eff don't they report that the reason Repukes

aren't letting the Democrats have hearing rooms is because they KNOW BUSH LIED. If they think everything is on the up and up, why are they doing every thing they can to obstruct investigations.

I hate Repukes. Every time I think they can't go any lower, they do.

[SittingBull]

89. Totally right!

Democracy dies behind closed doors...

[LeftyDarthBrodie]

80. Repeat after me...

What Liberal Media?

[farmbo]

81. Milblank is a profound Knucklehead... My letter follows

My letter to Dana Milbank:

Dear Mr. Milblank:

What you observed yesterday--in all it's understated glory-- was democracy in action. No amount of smarmy arrogance...no amount of ham-fisted trivialization...can detract from the historic significance of that meeting.

Political courage does not require a mahogany- paneled venue.

And journalistic courage, if it exists today at the WP, does not seek to smear the powerless and validate the power of the omnipotent.

(and signed w/ full name address and phone in case he wants to bring it up with me personally

[kittenpants]

117. short & sweet. well-said! n/t

[iwantmycountryback]

82. John. Conyers. Rocks.

That whole letter is one huge pimpslap to Milbank, and he deserved it. :D

[bigwillq]

83. Thank you Mr. Conyers!

Keep fighting the fight and we will fight with you!

[Scout1071]

84. I'm going to write them as well. I can say for certain that John Conyers

speaks for me.

I love this man more and more everyday. And I'm not forgetting those other House Reps that walked and stood with him yesterday.

They delivered more than just 550,000 signatures. They delivered hope for America and the World.

We The People are coming.

[Douglas Carpenter]

85. My Letter to the Washington Post Ombudsman

E-mail: [email protected]

Washington Post
Ombudsman
Michael Getler

Dear Mr. Getler:

On June 8, Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank referred to media activists as "Wingnuts" for suggesting that the media has not properly held accountable the Bush Administration for possibly deceiving the American people. Today, June 17, 2005 Mr. Milbank mocked and ridiculed one of the U.S. House of Representatives most distinguished statesman for having the gall to challenge the White House’s line and the Republican Party’s uncompromising control over the investigative responsibilities of Congress.

Now let me say Mr. Getler that if this article was just one of many articles expressing a range of opinions, I would have little complaint.

Is it not unseemly Mr. Getler that two of the very few pieces run by one of the world’s leading newspapers about a matter of such grave importance consist of insults, name-calling and personal nastiness? Do facts matter any more sir?

Is it not disconcerting sir, that the whole question of whether or not the Bush Administration deceived the American Congress, media and people on an issue of such grave importance has received so very little attention in the Washington Post?

Am I incorrect if I read between the lines that the general attitude of your newspaper is, “Yah-yah--we know Bush lied. That’s not news.” Well sir, I would suggest that perhaps it might be news to many people.

I do hope that the Post will commit itself to a thorough, independent and in-depth investigation of its own on the whole question of the Bush Administrations possible manipulation of intelligence. If it is true Mr. Getler that the White House intentionally misled the nation--should not the Washington Post of all papers be leading the journalistic world in investigating this matter?

Sincerely,

____________________________________________________


A True Voice of Opposition
--A Voice for Working People
--Not the Elite--
http://www.bernie.org

Who is Congressman Bernie Sanders?

Read this article and watch the 3 short video clips:

http://www.davidsirota.com/2005/04/who-is-bernie-sanders.html

[SittingBull]

98. Quite respectablly and very polite

I was'nt that nice in my E-Mail.

If the OM wonders why he gets responding from germany? :D

[enigmatic]

86. What a piece of shit Milbank is

That WAS an assasination attempt by him; I about threw up when I read it.

[jackstraw45]

88. YES!!! Conyers is on FIRE.

I already wrote my scathing email to milbank ([email protected])

Enough of this MSM BS - time to call them on it each and every time.

[cthrumatrix]

96. and Milbank is "outed" for being a whore for the "elite".......

[thereismore]

97. Go Mr. Chairman, don't take no shit. We aren't gonna take it no more

either. We are not afraid. We are with you. We know how the Truth tastes. Once we've tasted it, we aren't gonna take no shit from nobody.

[thereismore]

101. What I wrote to WP

Dear Ombudsman,

it is a sad sad thing to realize how deep has Washington Post fallen since
the Watergate days. Dana Milbank's article "Democrats Play House to Rally
Against the War" is nothing but an attempt at slandering Chairman Conyers,
the Black Caucas, the Democratic Congressmen, and the representative
democracy itself. Have you no oversight over what actually gets printed in
your newspaper? The facts are distorted, skewed and fabricated in this
article in such a disgusting way that I am giving you my word today: I
will never read Washington Post again until Dana Milbank is on your staff.

I watched the Conyers Forum live on C-span 3. Where was Milbank during
that time? He could not have been watching, because any person with
eyesight and hearing could not see the things he reported. Shame on
Milbank, shame on Washington Post.

[annabanana]

102. Is Dana Milbank "on the payroll"?

It's the only thng that could explain to me the tone, tenor and complete lack of credibility.

[mirandapriestly]

107. weird, he was an editor at new Republic

and I looked at some of his articles and he's no conservative. He is frequently critical of Bush. So, I don't know why his approach is like this. I get the feeling there is a "correct" attitude coming down from on high.

[Coexist]

106. Hold on, people!!!

First of all - the opinion piece sucked. Plain and simple
Second - Conyer's smacked Milbank down with that letter.

Now, re: the Washington Post -
They have held TWO live online forums regarding this issue - I actually got a question in on it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/06/02/DI2005060201359.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/06/14/DI2005061401261.html

they have run SEVERAL articles on DSM - here are a link to a few.
Milbank ran an opinion piece that was crap. But the Post has consistantly covered it. Please - do write the ombudsman, but don't say the Post is part of the cover-up, or hasn't done it's job re: DSM - they are one of the ones that has. Not all articles have been earth-shattering - but they have been there.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/12/AR2005051201857.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/21/AR2005052100474.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/07/AR2005060700474.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/06/08/BL2005060801519.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/06/13/BL2005061300982.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/14/AR2005061400494.html

[jackstraw45]

108. Ran on pg. A6, not the op-ed page

I didn't see if the article was boxed or not...anyone with the physical paper know?

[Coexist]

109. all right - maybe wrong wording but still

blame Milbank, not the Post. Geesh, we have few enough papers willing to talk about it without bashing them to death.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

122. It ran as a news item in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune

:grr:

[Tigress DEM]

159. Thing is, they may have covered DSM - I agree....

And yet, as John Conyers said, the lack of even a secondary article with another viewpoint - what you would expect if they published it as an opinion piece - shows that they are playing duck and cover and have to be reminded of their reputation being spotty.

Over half a million people got behind John Conyers, the rethugs purposely manipulated them into a tiny room in the basement and scheduled 11 floor votes while the DEMS were busy doing the business of Democracy and the Post ONLY prints one article that is inaccurate and biased?

If MSM thinks it can show it's pretty side once in awhile and get away with going back to normal shoddy reporting, we have to bust them in the chops. As much as 94% of people want the truth about the Downing Street Memo and MSM finally gets the importance after all this time, but half a million people backing Conyers is still a small fraction of the whole, not enough to seriously piss off their handlers. So we have to show MORE pissitude to give them a reason to weasle out of their bought and paid for status. I know it's repugnant, but it has to be done.

I'd still prefer they clean up their act and get it right and I even believe they can, but the fire to their feet is warranted in this instance and if they don't listen, pile the wood higher until it reaches their asses.

Zero tolerance for phony reporting as News.

[holboz]

110. My letter to the editor

Dear Editor:

I am writing In response to Dana Milbank's snide article about John Conyers' Downing Street Minutes meeting. Whereas every other news outlet managed to focus on the explosive substance of the meeting, Mr. Milbank decided to take another angle and discuss tablecloths and paper nameplates. At the same time, Mr. Milbank conveniently failed to mention that the reason behind the make-shift decorum was due to the fact that Conyers was denied a proper meeting room by Republicans. Mr. Milbank also made silly attempts to belittle those who participated in the proceedings as if everyone who made the effort to attend were playing a pretended game of Government. Perhaps Mr. Milbanks watched the proceedings with the volume on "mute", which would explain his scant attempt at reporting this event.

Mr. Milbanks may be laughing now, as may the neo-con choir he's preaching to. But for those of us who watched the proceedings and actually listened to the evidence, testimony, and insight shared by the distinguished witnesses it is hard NOT to come to the conclusion that this is a gravely serious matter that deserves a full investigation.

Best Regards,
XXXXXX

[SillyGoose]

113. What a terrific letter...

Conyers really slammed it to Milbank. Its about damn time Dems stood up to the lapdog press and let them have it.

:applause:

[amb123]

115. THE PRESS IS BUSHYWHIPPED!

Thank you, Rep. Conyers, for pointing out a profound truth . . .

THE PRESS IS BUSHYWHIPPED!

:patriot:

[NightOwwl]

116. It's Milbanks...not Milbank.

P.S. I don't mean to be the spelling police...it's just that emails and letters are taken more seriously when subject's name is spelled correctly.

Great job everyone! :applause:

[rodeodance]

120. your are right--and I do hope EVERYONE has written an email/letter

PLEASE

and keep this post on the radar.

[GoldenOldie]

121. Anyone have a picture of Milbanks?

I think when the actual picture of Milbanks is displayed along with the article he wrote it has more of an inpact.

It is easy to be anonymous behind a keyboard and not be responsible for what you write. I think the Milbanks should be fully exposed to the public and held responisble for their writings.

[Rainscents]

123. Great letter, Rep. Conyers! We will NEVER surender!!!

Keep up the great work! Go Conyers Go!!!

:kick: :yourock: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

Here is my letter;

Dear; Mr.. Ombudsman,

I write to express my profound disappointment with Dana Milbank's June 17 report, "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War," In an inaccurate piece of reporting that typifies the article, Milbank implies that one of the obstacles the Members in the meeting have is that "only one" member has mentioned the Downing Street Minutes on the floor of either the House or Senate. This is not only incorrect but misleading. In fact, just yesterday, the Senate Democratic Leader, Harry Reid, mentioned it on the Senate floor. Senator Boxer talked at some length about it at the recent confirmation hearing for the Ambassador to Iraq. The House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, recently signed on to my letter, along with 121 other Democrats asking for answers about the memo. This information is not difficult to find either. For example, the Reid speech was the subject of an AP wire service report posted on the Washington Post website with the headline "Democrats Cite Downing Street Memo in Bolton Fight". Other similar mistakes, mischaracterizations and cheap shots are littered throughout the article.

I watched the Conyers Forum live on C-span 3. Where was Milbank's during that time? He could not have been watching, because any person with eyesight and hearing could not see the things he reported. Shame on Milbank's, shame on Washington Post. Washington Post should be, shame, shame! I feel so ill, how your paper had become RW proproganda and have no respect for our DEAD soldiers and the one who is continuing fighting for this unjust, lie, cover-ups, fix war. Have you have no shame, Sir?

I also sent one to Dana Milbanks.
Writing this letter made it easy as lots of readers here gave me great way to compose letter. Thanks!

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

124. And here's mine:

(I am reposting here, since letters seem to be accumulating here :-))
(Actually, just keeping the thread kicked in the dead of the night ;-)

============

What you did in this hack job of a column was absolutely cynical, irresponsible, and unbelievable, even for the current state of the art of "reporting".

Rep. John Conyers and the other elected Democratic representatives were merely trying to do their jobs (I grant you this is considered quaint these days) as best they could in this dysfunctional congress (lest you forget: the congress is currently run with mean iron fists by Republicans).

Here is an unbelievably secretive and corrupt administration that has the deaths of 100s of thousands of people on its hands and you are out there describing what the Democrats are doing in asking questions of them as "playing house"? Just exactly where is your sense of proportion?

They, in fact, were doing something you all should have been doing. Instead, you sit here cackling that they are filling in for you, investigating this corrupt administration.

Grow a brain, some spine, stop patting yourself for achieving the stature to earn a fat pay check and go do something to actually deserve it now.

[countmyvote4real]

125. Here's my email response...

I don’t read your rag or any opinions masked in journalist clothing, but a letter from Representative John Conyers Jr. in response to your report on yesterday’s historic hearing got my attention.

That White House rug must be really smug for a bug like you to misrepresent what I watched on the C-SPAN2 replay tonight. I didn’t see it the way you represented it, but then you were probably reporting on some talking points you saw from the White House.

I wonder if the Washington Post will publish Representative Conyers’ response and if they do, how deep will they bury it?

Sieg Heil, Mr. Milbank. Thanks for exposing yourself and your paper’s agenda, but I’m not buying it.

My Name
Long Island City, NY

[AceAlmighty82]

126. Get a petition going

Get some kind of petition/boycott going this weekend. Then send it out to any site that will post it. Depending on the number of people we have on that list..we can send it to Wilbank's boss and say either fire him ASAP or have the Washington Post dragged down in the dirt along with everyone else that is involved in kissing Bush's ass.

[Dangerously Amused]

127. My Letter. Also sent to Ed-Op and CC'd to Milbanks.

June 17, 2001

Mr. Michael Abramowitz, National Editor
Mr. Michael Getler, Ombudsman
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street
NW Washington, D.C. 20071

Re: Dana Milbanks’ "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War" article.

Dear Sirs:

I am certain that by now you read the above referenced article in which Dana Milbanks reports on Congressman John Conyers’ recent public meeting regarding the Downing Street Memo. I am also certain that you had the opportunity to compare Mr. Milbanks’ written article to video coverage of the actual event, as the video coverage is available on various media outlets.

I hope you will agree that Mr. Milbanks’ article reflects a less-than-shining example of journalistic merit: that it broadly – almost proudly - demonstrates his bias; that it makes a mockery of what many people consider a gravely serious and important national issue; that it is condescending in nature to the point of being nearly antagonistic, and that it contains not only half-truths, but also outright falsity.

Mr. Milbanks’ article reads like propaganda, yet it was ensconced in your paper as an item of legitimate journalism.

I know that you do not have the time to personally proofread each item that goes into your daily newspaper, and I am sure there are occasions when, much to your chagrin, an ill-advised article slips past a conscientious editor and makes it to press. I hope this is one of those ill-advised articles that slipped past, and not representative of the way you intend to conduct your business.

Now that you know my position on Mr. Milbanks’ article, I would like to know yours. As journalists you wield tremendous power to influence public thinking, and with that power comes tremendous responsibility, including a fundamental allegiance to uncompromising integrity. Therefore, you would do a great service to your readers to publicly either support, or withdraw support, for Mr. Milbanks’ article. We need to know where you stand.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

<yours truly here at DU>

[Cookie wookie]

137. The date on your letter is 2001 (?) n/t

[Dangerously Amused]

162. Ahhh... crap!

An annoying typo. That's what I get for being an insomniac and pounding that stuff out at 3:AM. Oh well, they are already in the mail. Hopefully the WP folks will go right to the substance and not look at the date.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention, though.

[Dangerously Amused]

163. Ahhh... crap!

An annoying typo. That's what I get for being an insomniac and pounding that stuff out at 3:AM. Oh well, they are already in the mail. Hopefully the WP folks will go right to the substance and not look at the date.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention, though.

[Dangerously Amused]

164. Sorry people...

Having problems with stuff double-posting lately...

(Now watch THIS double post too....) :eyes:

[DemonFighterLives]

129. Lots of great letters here!

Conyers Rocks! DU Rocks!
I will give them a piece of my mind tomorrow.
:dem:

[Up2Late]

130. Awesome letter, Dana Milbank should be Fired for his Crap...

..."artical."

When I first read it I thought it was the N.Y. Post.

[brettdale]

131. Kick

Kick

[Algomas]

132. My letter to the Post:

I just read John Conyers response to the non-coverage you gave his DSM meeting, the first tentative step down the road to impeachment of a president of the US of A.

Stories like these used to be considered pretty hot news not so long ago:
A phony war on terror,
the tax cuts for the rich,
the looting of Social Security,
the trashing of the environment,
the electoral fraud,
the military cronyism that benefits corporations like Halliburton which pay no US taxes,
the overt manipulation of the media to the extent that credibility is dead,
the medieval war tactics of these so called Christians,
the suppression of free speech,
the prison industrial complex,
and last but not least
the steady decline of the Middle Class.

This malicious Bu$hinoma is attacking the planet, it is metastasizing and there is a real danger it will destroy the host.
Please get your craniums out of their rectums and do your duty to (not on) the Constitution.
Have you really gone over to the dark side, do you not want a successful America, don't you care about the poison our children will inherit????
WTFU and fight back. It is your job goddamit, don't betray us.

I'm just sayin...
or is this now considered "thoughtcrime"?

[anarchy1999]

133. Kick to the top! And I've yet to read it all. What an outrage!

n/t

God love DeLay, Hastert and all the rest of these mean spirited, "bible" loving Republicans that are forcing/bringing "democracy" to the "world". Including us here in the USA. Whoops, what happened?!

[GeorgeGist]

134. The MSM is complicit in Treason and they know it.

eom

[LightningFlash]

138. That's because many in the corporate media.....

...Are financial receivers from PNAC itself, the ones who organized the crimes and carried them out.

Fight fire with fire, and fold all of their lies, along with "election fraud" out in the public view. Bring the truth screeching out to the american people.

[Voltaire99]

135. When you act like mice for years...

...and suddenly decide to comport like lions, small wonder the mainstream media sneer. After all the surrenders to Reaganism, and now to Bushism, why would they not?

The party brought this pathos upon itself and now faces a long, long climb up from mousy mediocrity.

[katinmn]

178. "mousy mediocrity"

:rofl:

That's about it.

[ngGale]

139. Match point, Conyers gave as good as he got...

all the while telling the truth. Great letter, he has earned our respect with his good work, for us. The media should be so lucky! The word 'distain' comes to mind for them.

[Cookie wookie]

140. My letter

June 18, 2005

Mr. Michael Abramowitz, National Editor
Mr. Michael Getler, Ombudsman
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20071

Re: Dana Milbank’s "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War" article.

Dear Sirs:

Milbank’s article reporting on the meeting on June 16, 2005, of House Democrats on the Downing Street Minutes is a disgrace to journalism and the memory of the once lofty journalistic reputation of WP.

“They pretended a small conference room was the Judiciary Committee hearing room, “ Milbank writes. “long-suffering House Democrats took a trip to the land of make-believe…” What the Post peddles by printing Milbank’s “Democrats Play House…” is lies, misleading statements, mischaracterizations, and a total absence of journalistic integrity.

However, Milbank’s efforts to discredit and ridicule the efforts of Conyers, the House Democrats, and the distinguished panelists at the meeting, one of whom lost a son in Iraq, backfire and disgust. All discerning readers see is Milbank’s partnership with the Washington Post on its fast-track spiral into the kind of yellow journalism worthy of turn-of-the-century Hearst. If the Post hadn’t already lost it’s integrity with it’s criminal lack of balanced and honest coverage of the decision to attack Iraq, and in support an administration that has continually lied to the American people, it now seals it’s tomb, becoming a monument to it’s own disgraceful and sordid fall.

Recently back from a trip to Washington after decades away, I have fresh and painful impressions of your city -- what used to be America’s proud capitol -- where copies of the Post are at the door of every hotel room and on every corner. The city now looks like the scene of a junta: makeshift and hastily constructed barriers create a labyrinth worthy of Minos, unhealthy air quality, sickening water, crumbling infrastructure -- over this disintegrating domain the Post presides.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans who signed the petition Conyers carried to the White House, demand an official congressional investigation, currently being blocked by the Republicans as the meeting so clearly demonstrated, of the evidence in the Downing Street minutes that the President of the United States deliberately and with malice and forethought misled the nation into war. If this evidence proves to be true, the president and members of his cabinet have committed high crimes against the nation as defined by the Constitution of the U.S. True journalistic coverage of the Downing Street Minutes and their import is missing in action from the Post. If high crimes have been committed, does the Post wish to be branded as a collaborator?

Prove that the Post is not. To do so requires an apology to the American people for Milbank’s article, and immediate, front-page, accurate and truthful coverage and investigation of this story.

Yours sincerely,

[pengu1n]

141. One one more for the record

Lurking... always lurking...
Well not any more!

Never felt so disgusted - when I read this I had to dive in.
Wrote to the Post. Doubt they give a shit - but heres a snip.

"I have been watching the developing crisis in America with some trepidation, but I am a British citizen, living in Europe - so what has it to do with me?

Well, the yanks have come to our aid - twice before - and I feel we should take an interest in the health and well being of our former colonies.

Decent people care when nasty things happen - wherever in the world that is. The Washington Post - in publishing this piece - confirmed just how nasty things are getting.

You went to war fed on a diet of lies. Your foreign policy has killed hundreds of thousands of innocent souls. The greedy and callous actions being carried out under the "star spangled banner", make the rest of the world view Americans with fear and hatred.

In taking this line your journal colludes with the most openly extreme right wing political and corporate force the world has seen for 60 years.

IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STORY OF OUR LIFETIME - BECAUSE OF WHAT IT MEANS FOR ALL OUR FUTURES.

Usually time - and the normal political process - will heal the damage done by any party. But the pendulum is no longer swinging right or left. It is broken - caught at the extreme right.

We know in Europe what happens in times such as these.

You guys are about to find out.

The Millbank article just confirmed it for me."

There is more - but it is rambling nonsense. I thought I might feel better - but this rage has not gone away.

I am so sorry for you guys, and sad/angry/confused that you do not take it to the streets. Politicians pay attention to large public protest. When normal channels no longer work - what else can the average man do. It works guys. Hundreds of thousands, week after week.

It works - and it is the last frickin chance you have!

The tipping point is here and now.

[DemonFighterLives]

142. Welcome to DU!

Thanks for taking the time to look out for your American Colonists.
;)

[Cookie wookie]

143. The whole point here is that the MSM is not

covering the news and even worse, they are deliberately misleading and colluding with those who are breaking our laws, shredding our Constitution and destroying our democracy. By wielding the power of mass communications as a weapon against the American people and the Rule of law, the MSM is responsible for the result: the ignorant masses in America remain ignorant and even worse, they are so misinformed that our nation has been brought to what may be the brink of destruction from forces within and without.

Our general populace is brainwashed and pathetic. In Washington last week I saw person after person reaching for the WP as if it wasn't the trash it's become but as if it held truth. Like drug addicts reaching for their fix.

Half a million people signed the Conyers letter. That's half a million people protesting. As far as taking to the streets, people are marching and rallying all over this country, and have been since before this terrible war was instigated. Hundreds of people were rallying in the streets of DC behind Conyers on Thursday.

Like the proverbial tree fallen in the forest, if rallies and marching in the street isn't covered by the MSM, does that mean they didn't happen? That's the way it looks, but THAT IS A LIE!

I'd direct everyone to look again at the Flash production, "Myth of a Divided America,"(http://colorado.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9777/index.php), but many of our underground media websites, including the ones that were streaming this video, were taken down by anti-American hackers a few weeks ago and this video has been unavailable online since then. It documents, as the MSM hasn't, that millions of Americans have taken to the streets and are marching against the * regime. "We the people" who are informed are not only standing in the streets with signs, we're writing, phoning, petitioning our legislators, fighting paperless e-voting, creating legislation and fighting for it in our states. We're fighting for our lives and the life of our democracy here. Please know it, even if you can't see it because of the blackout by our corrupt and colluding mainstream corporate bloody media.

[intheflow]

155. Thanks for that indymedia link.

Good viewing. The producer solicited rally pictures and I have many to send. :hi:

[katinmn]

167. Wow, that's an insightful (and incite-ful) letter, penguin!

Thanks for weighing in on this issue. And you're absolutely right. Where is the outrage of the American people?

Are they too far gone or do they enjoy living in a disintegrating society?

It blows my mind every day.

Welcome to DU. Hope you continue to post or just lurk if that's what you want to do. :toast:

[DemonFighterLives]

144. My not so great offering

Dear Ombudsman,
I can't believe that Dana Milbanks would write such a terrible piece about the Conyers meeting. Was that really him? The joking nature and talking points made it seem much more like Rove or PNAC itself.

The Democrats were shoved in the basement by an overpowering administration bent on destroying democracy. To see another example, look at Sensenbrenner slapping the gavel and finally closing his meeting. These folks apparently want to hide the truth. Don't let the Washington Post become another shill for the administration. It is time to get back to real journalism and Dana should apologize to Conyers and the country or else be fired. I have faith that he could reform if he steps back and looks at reality.
That was a very American Happening in that basement room. I'm sure the framers of our Constitution would be proud. It doesn't take fancy drapes and exotic wood to have a debate.
Sincerely,

Demon Fighter

[katinmn]

166. Good letter!

I sent my letter earlier and I just now saw this thread and am reading through other letters.

Yours is nice and to the point.

I put my wordy one below.

[DemonFighterLives]

168. You're too kind

I read your letter and it was great. Annie Coulter and Dana are out to destroy journalism as we knew it. :thumbsup:

[tgnyc]

145. Conyers knows that sometimes a playa gotta break a foot off

in a bitch's ass when she starts runnin' off at the mouth like that.

[katinmn]

165. My letter to WaPo. (Compared Milbank to Mancoulter hee hee)

Dear Mr. Abramowitz and Mr. Getler,


The Washington Post article "Democrats Play House To Rally Against the War" by Dana Milbank was so clearly partisan that one would expect it to be the work of Fox News rather than the Washington Post.

I suggest you send Mr. Milbank back to journalism school or replace him with a fresh mind that hasn't lost touch with the tenet of objectivity.

His "reporting" looks to an outsider like that of an apologist for the Bush Administration. At the very least the article should have been relegated to the opinion pages. That's where the junk with bias and inflammatory language belongs.

I know you have to agree that peice of work is not an example of objective news reporting. Why was it given such prominence? Why was there no straight and factual news reporting to give balance to Mr. Milbank's opinion? Does the Washington Post agree that anyone who opposes Bush policies are "playing" at government? I followed the hearing on the Downing Street Minutes because I thought it was important. I was hoping the Washington Post would report on what happened at the meeting in a factual manner. I learned nothing from Mr. Milbank's "report" other than that he hates Democrats.

Congressman John Conyers has more integrity in his pinky than Mr. Milbank and his neocon heroes have combined. The Washington Post needs to realize that writers like Mr. Milbank and Ann Coulter are adding to the hate and divisiveness in this country by vilifying someone who is very well respected by a vast number of Americans.

This article stands out as an example of what is wrong with journalism in this country. No wonder we are abandoning the corporate media for what truth we can peice together from independent Internet news sites and blogs.

xxx
St. Paul, MN

[DeaconBlues]

169. my letter to Milband and ombudsman

Not very well written, but at the end it hits them where it hurts (the pocketbook):


After it was discovered that the mainstream media, including the Washington Post, acted as highly paid stenographers for the Bush Administration during the build-up to war in Iraq, many members of the press acted penitent. Their behavior falsely led me to believe that members of the press would become more objective when it came to covering the lies that led us to war. Unfortunately, after reading Mr. Milbank's article on the congressional Downing Street Memo meeting, I have discovered I was duped again. It is hard to remember reading a more clear example of a smear piece from a supposedly impartial source. I have come to believe that the Washington Post will never get it - that they will always be a puppet propaganda tool for Bush and the Republicans. I will never subscribe to, or buy, a copy of the Post again.

[esvhicl]

170. Talk back to the Post

It's great that we can vent here on this forum, but The Post must be held accountable, too!

mailto:[email protected]

[email protected]

Main Phone: [phone]

[williesgirl]

174. I used to work for The Washington Post and can't believe what's

occuring now. It has a proud history and some very good people work there. How Don Graham can let this happen to his and his family's paper is beyond me. Mrs. Graham has to be turning over in her grave. I think they need to kick Len Downie out of his position and find another Ben Bradlee with the balls to stand up to this administration and everyone else who loves to put party, religion and everything else ahead of COUNTRY.

[Tigress DEM]

175. welcome to DU Williesgirl!

:hi:

gonna write a letter?

[katinmn]

177. Some very good journalists work there now.

Why do they keep people like Milbank around?

Probably to appease the White House.

The Star Tribune is a great paper, but they recently hired this woman whom we call the "Church Lady." She rages and opines constantly. She offers no real reporting. I think they brought her on to shut up the religious right. But it doesn't make sense since the vast majority of people in the Twin Cities are liberals and they see through her crap and write to the paper complaining about her all the time.

It's mainly the suburbs and exburbs (outer ring burbs) that are theocons. I wish they would publish their own newspaper.

[brettdale]

176. kick

kick

[stopthecoverup]

179. My letter to Dana Milbank

Mr. Milbank,

In your recent article entitled "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War," you do your readers a great disservice with your sarcastic comments. Instead of "reporting" on the actual substance of the meeting you chose to ignore the facts being presented and mislead your readers about the "ambience" of the room in which the meeting was held. I noticed that you completely ignored the reason why this meeting was held in the basement of the Capitol building. This is your version of journalism?

Perhaps if you would have done your job as an investigative reporter prior to the lead-up to the Iraq War, you wouldn't feel so defensive about protecting your fragile, overblown ego. The facts about the deceptions of the Bush administration regarding their motivations and actions to invade Iraq are cumulative. If you would have paid attention to the "content" of the recent DSM hearing you would have realized this! The Downing Street Minutes is simply another piece of evidence illustrating the intentions and deceit of the Bush/Blair administrations.

With such "yellow journalism" as you are capable of, there's definitely an open commentator spot waiting for you over at Fox News.

[oasis]

180. kick

[Dangerously Amused]

181. Has WaPo published any retractions or apologies yet? nt