Public Finally Sees thru Media Spin!

The mainstream media is again trying to yank the propaganda reins in on the public's right to know the truth. As soon as Scooter Libby was indicted, for example, we started seeing stories popping up everywhere that spun away the significance of this potentially cataclysmic case. One headline suggested (as in attempted power of suggestion!) that "investigation fatigue" was setting in with the public (so now we can all just forget it about it). Other commentaries or news reports tried to compare the leak gate case with Iran contra and that, like Reagan, Bush could just move on, lessons learned. But I don't seem to recall Reagan embroiling the US in our bloodiest war since Vietnam as the outcome of his deceit.
Now, as the Democrats FINALLY stand up to the GOP and demand a continuing debate on Iraq, the media is pulling out the stops to ridicule the effort. There was a huge difference between the headlines in Europe and the headlines here in the US describing the Dem's closed door session. While the Guardian (for example) described the session as an effort to force a debate on Iraq, AOL headlines described it as a "stunt."
Worse, Brian Williams of NBC made dismissive comments in his supposedly more candid and uncontrolled blog (Daily Nightly) of the Dems' stand. But his comments pissed the majority of his readers off. It seems that the US public has finally figured out they have been snuckered royally by the mainstream media and aren't going to put up with it any more.

Check out the responses of his readers to his comments on the Democrats' stand:

"...try to figure out a more interesting angle on "Democrats don't know what they stand for." I think they do, actually, and their biggest problem is the constant repetition by reporters that they don't. GOP majorities on all sides, and an embattled, paranoid "We're not liberal, see!" news media . . . must be quite suffocating sometimes." - Trint Williams, Springfield, MO

"Very disappointed in your news coverage last night. I strongly disagree with your implication that the move to close the senate and force a discussion regarding the investigation into the events leading up to Iraq was simply an attempt to gain media attention or to wrest attention from the republicans. The war in Iraq is the single most important issue in this country, impacting not just our citizens but our image in the world. If we were deceived, if manipulation of facts and false data were given to the public, we need to know it. If there are traitors and thieves in our White House, we need to know it..." C., Cummings, MD.

"

"I am not poliocially astute, but I am old enough to recognize politics when I see it. I would guess that the White House believes that the general public is not smart enough to see through their attempts to change the subject re: lying to the grand jury. That was an easy one as my husband does the same thing when he realizes I have him cornered in a dishonest statement." - Gloria Ferrel, Houston TX

"It is easy for the media to follow the most recent announcements, but the more a news agency gets shepherded by the White House Machine, the more our nation will forget to ask the important questions regarding failures in Iraq, intelligence scandals, and the meltdown of our domestic security and disaster response. I applaud that Reid finally showed the guile necessary to hit the brakes and get everyone in Congress to remember that just because the White House isn't talking about Iraq today, doesn't mean it ceases to exist. I believe the move by Democrats today was in spite of the White House's distractions, not because of them." - Tim Bott, NY

"I think if anybody was "ham-handed" it was the GOP who promised an investigation, but refused to hold it in 2004 when the public should have been informed of any White House misuse of intelligence. Now its time for the truth to come out." Matt Cowan, PA

For more reader comments, see:

http://dailynightly.msnbc.com/2005/11/if_its_tuesday_.html#below-fold