Brian Williams:Iraq spending bill would be "vote" by Dems "to leave American soldiers high and dry"

[NNN0LHI]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704040001

On the April 3 edition of NBC's Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams asked NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert if President Bush, in threatening to veto an emergency Iraq war supplemental bill that would contain a timeline for troop withdrawal, was making "a calculated bet ... that Democrats aren't really going to vote to leave American soldiers high and dry in the middle of the fight." Russert replied that Bush "{a}bsolutely" was making such a "calculated bet" because "{h}e believes in the end he will get the funding" for the war.

But, as Media Matters for America has previously noted, both Democratic-led houses of Congress have passed legislation providing funding for the troops in the field. The Senate and House are expected to reconcile the bills in conference and send a final version to the president for his signature. Bush, however, has promised to veto the bill if it includes a timeline for the redeployment of troops from Iraq. So while Congress has demonstrated a clear intention to fund the troops, Bush has said he will veto the bill -- thereby denying funding to the troops -- if it doesn't meet his conditions.

From the April 3 edition of NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams:

WILLIAMS: And with us tonight for some analysis, our Washington bureau chief, moderator of Meet the Press, Tim Russert.

Tim, we mentioned at the top of the broadcast, isn't this a calculated bet on the president's part, betting that Democrats aren't really going to vote to leave American soldiers high and dry in the middle of the fight?

[kimmerspixelated]

1. I'm so sick of MSM

Propping up the pathetic Prez, and pitching away their own principles!

[kimmerspixelated]

2. I'm so sick of MSM

Propping up the pathetic Prez, and pitching away their own principles!

[Supersedeas]

17. the GOP/Media Establishment will not be denied the Petro Marketing $$$$

[Ezlivin]

3. This is what is scary: Most Americans are simply clueless and uninformed

If they are getting their "news" from sources like this then they are so out of the reality loop that it is frightening.

We are surrounded by bleating sheep on all sides.

[Cha]

4. Recommened.. cause

the Front Page needs to know about these corporatemediawhores, too.

[neuvocat]

5. This is why I no longer watch TV news.

Its essentially a mouthpiece for all the corporations that own it. People are a commodity and the advertisers are the customers, so the "message" that gets out is one that flagellates the advertisers pitching product and the agenda that serves the corporate masters. Williams, like Brokaw before him, is just a puppet.

[pigpickle]

6. kicking just to keep the spotlight on this scumbag

[NNN0LHI]

16. Scumbag is putting it nicely n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Williams is pretty much known as an administration mouthpiece.

:puke:

[Canuckistanian]

8. He's obviously confusing his wife with the Democratic party

But his personal life is no concern of ours.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

9. F U Brian and NBC ! That is all n/t

[tbyg52]

10. Seconded with an early AM kick. nt

[bdamomma]

11. the MSM is as guilty as the bush crime family is.

what BS these guys spew.

[gratuitous]

12. So if the Democrats pass a funding bill and Bush vetoes it

It's the Democrats leaving the troops "high and dry"? Boy, it takes a special brand of stupid to follow logic like that. Certainly there has been nothing in recent years in the popular media to rival the depth of nuance and analysis evidenced by Williams' comment. For instance, when the Republicans were busy organizing their circular firing squads last year, Williams and the rest of the learned commentaters were intoning very seriously about just how these hare-brained schemes would benefit the Republicans in the 2006 election, regardless of the outcome. A GOP legislative victory was a victory; a GOP legislative defeat was a victory, too, because it showed how dedicated to principle the GOP was.

But in a straightforward scenario, wherein Democrats approve an emergency funding measure that the previous GOP-dominated Congress failed to budget for or pass, a Bush veto means that it's the Democrats leaving the troops high and dry.

Ease off on the hair spray, Mr. Williams. The fumes are affecting your reasoning powers.

[erinmblair]

13. Brian Williams is an IDIOT!

I think we need to write him a ton of e-mails to him to tell him the truth -- it is Bush who hates the troops.

[mzmolly]

15. Let's hope that this idiotic "talking point" doesn't travel very far.

I expect we're floating balloons and watching public reaction currently?

[lonestarnot]

14. accccck

:puke: