THE LIARS CLUB: Woodward, Mitchell, Russert, Novak, et al

OPERATION STONEWALL: Andrea Mitchell and the "Liars Club" Throw Sand in the Public's Eyes
By Cheryl Seal

http://cherylsealreports.com/liarsclubthrowssand.html

Just having Andrea Mitchell report on anything to do with the Bush administration is an outrageous conflict of interest - journalistic fraud, in fact. Mitchell's husband is Alan Greenspan, one of THE Bush administration insiders from the start of his administration. Mitchell's stories have become worse, in terms of sneakily and not so sneakily pushing the Bush line, than even Lisa Myers - and Myers until recently was the queen of nightly spin jobs. Myers' modus operandi is almost boringly formulaic. She takes an issue that is making the White House uncomfortable (like Halliburton, spiraling insurgency in Iraq, etc.) and appears, for the first three-fourths of her news slot to be taking a "tough look" at the situation. Then, as she winds up the segment, without fail, she injects a spin-off or apologia. In essence: "Well, that's what SEEMS to be the story, but here's what we WANT you to think! Here's the really, really good and justifiable reason this happening. A classic propaganda technique.

"Mrs. Greenspan" represents the incestuous relationship between the Bush administration and the media. Here she is, the wife of a man whose job has depended on the good graces of the White House, a woman who is supposed to be providing "objective" news stories on said White House. It would be a bit like having Ken Lay's wife working as the business news reporter for NBC during the Enron era, and have her continue to report on Enron during its collapse.

Here's an example of Mitchell's stuff: On NBC's November 17 nightly news edition, she talked about fellow sell-out journalist Bob Woodward's admission that he had learned of Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA agent months before Scooter Libby was told. Mitchell's report was an obvious attempt to twist the story around to make it appear that Woodward's admission somehow weakens Fitzgerald's case against Libby and anyone else in his sights. Not only that, but that somehow it makes Fitzgerald "less sexy." I kid you not - Mitchell actually asked how this bit of news might affect Fitzgerald's image as one of "People" magazine's "sexiest men!" She then states - she doesn't even hint or suggest! - that Woodward's revelation "can only weaken" Fitzgerald's case. As if Woodward admitting he's a big fat liar makes Libby LESS of a big fat liar.

But it gets worse.

Turns out Mitchell herself is involved in the anti-Plame circle. On the "Capitol Report" on October 3, 2003, when Mitchell was asked if it was true that it was widely known that Plame was a CIA agent, she replied: "It was widely known among those of us who cover the intelligence community..."
Now here's a transcript of part of a recent interchange between Mitchell and Imus, of the "Imus in the Morning" radio show.

IMUS: Apparently on October 3, 2003, you said it was "widely known" that Joe Wilson's wife worked at the CIA.
MITCHELL: Well, that was out of context.

IMUS: Oh, it was?

MITCHELL: It was out of context.

IMUS: Isn't that always the case?

MITCHELL: Don't you hate it when that happens? The fact is that I did not know - did not know before - did not know before the Novak column. And it was very clear because I had interviewed Joe Wilson several times, including on "Meet the Press."

And in none of those interviews did any of this come up, on or off camera - I have to tell you. The fact is what I was trying to express was that it was widely known that there was an envoy that I was tasking my producers and my researchers and myself to find out who was this secret envoy.

I did not know. We only knew because of an article in the Washington Post by Walter Pincus, and it was followed by Nicholas Kristof, that someone had known in that period.

IMUS: So you didn't say it was "widely known" that his wife worked at the CIA?

MITCHELL: I - I - I said it was widely known that an envoy had gone - let me try to find the quote. But the fact is what I was trying to say in the rest of that sentence - I said we did not know who the envoy was until the Novak column.

IMUS: Did you mention that Wilson or his wife worked at the CIA?

MITCHELL: Yes.

IMUS: Did you mention . . .

MITCHELL: It was in a long interview on CNBC.

IMUS: No, I understand that. But at any point, in any context, did you say that it was either widely known, not known, or whether it was speculated that his wife worked at the CIA.

MITCHELL: I said that it was widely known that - here's the exact quote - I said that it was widely known that Wilson was an envoy and that his wife worked at the CIA. But I was talking about . . .

IMUS: OK, so you did say that. It took me a minute to get that out of you.

[see http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2005/11/andrea_mitchell.html]

What this means is that Mitchell, Novack, Woodward, Russert and other Bush pork-slurpers all had inside lines to the highest levels of the Bush administration - to the point where they actively gossiped about what was supposed to be classified information. And now, when the heat is on, they are all clustering around to help throw Fitzgerald and his investigators off the scent. Woodward's belated admission was probably pre-planned some months ago, as was Mitchell's using her position on the nightly news to help spin Woodward's action to the administration's advantage. As was Tim Russert having pal Woodward on "Meet the Press" this past week to help spin the story even more. And, of course, ALL of them actively tried, for months, to defend Judith Miller and minimize her betrayal of the American public and the integrity of the news. Not one of them showed any interest in fulfilling their responsibility to the American public - ie., telling the truth. It was all just a game, and their viewers just the poor saps willing to swallow anything fed them.

Not ONCE in Mitchell's story tonight did she point out that what Libby is being tried for is LYING TO A FEDERAL GRAND JURY. Just as Clinton was not impeached for diddling Monica Lewinsky - he was impeached for lying to a grand jury. Yet Mitchell carefully omits this fact.

But then, liars must stick together. And, since we are talking about the White House and the mainstream media, they are going to need a shitload of glue.