"GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
This is my first post on Ricochet, and I would just like to say thanks to the community here for maintaining a forum for reasonable discourse, a rarity today, on the Internet or elsewhere.
It takes a special something to get me so spend any money on anything, even if the amount is only $3.58. The special something in this case is outrage, which there seems to be no shortage of these days, if my Facebook newsfeed is any indicator. What I am outraged about is a short article from CNN.com, which is referenced in the title of this post.
I think anyone who is familiar with the basic known facts about Operation Fast and Furious would be appalled at this piece of journalism (because none of the most important facts are present), but one does not need to be aware of these facts to see an absurd, juvenile bias in the writing. I am aware that there are many terrible things occurring in the world far more outrageous than dishonest journalism, but please tell me if I am wrong to be upset about this.
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Jun '10
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Welcome. We're always looking for new red meat to kill with kindness.
Mar '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Hiya, Greg, and welcome!
I wouldn't get too upset about it, because I've seen a lot of it over the years. The level of obnoxiousness in this piece isn't as bad as some that I've seen. Calling the Republican reaction an "outburst" is annoying, but I'd like to be asking Terry Frieden a few questions.
If this was a "flawed sting operation," who was the target? Was this supposed to lead to a conviction? If so, how was the Justice Department planning to get around the enormous gap in the chain of evidence that resulted when they lost track of where the weapons were?
Why wasn't the Mexican Government informed about this program, which on the surface would seem to constitute an act of war?
Nov '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
The piece is not marked as "opinion", which means the language used "outburst", "hurled", "conservative House Republicans", etc. is not appropriate. I have pretty low expectations for CNN's website as far as quality goes, but I do check it fairly regularly, because it is one of the most popular news websites, and I am acquainted with several individuals who consider themselves "informed" whose primary source of news is CNN.com . If Fast and Furious is going to be discussed, it seems mandatory that the fact that over two thousand guns were walked be mentioned. This piece plays directly into the Democratic narrative that the Republicans are "just playing politics". I also enjoyed this sentence:
"No Democrat participated in the news conference and none has asked for Holder to quit."
If we are going to mention that, why not mention the fact that 52 House Republicans have called for Holder's resignation? I know at the time the article was created the number was slightly lower (42ish?), but this goes against the "Ten conservative House Republicans" bit at the beginning, doesn't it?
Oct '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
It's annoying. It's articles like this that we talk about when we say the media is biased. Liberals read this article and say, what bias? They don't see it, because it seems impartial to them.
Nov '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
An aside: I did attempt to contact two Ricochet members regarding this article, in hopes of starting a conversation here, without paying the $3.58. They apparently conspired together to ignore me (or my absurd email address caused the messages to go to the spam trap), forcing me to join. Does this make me a fiscal conservative, or a cheapskate?
Aug '10
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
CNN lost me more or less permanently when Eason Jordan published his self-serving narrative, "The News We Kept to Ourselves" detailing how CNN swept negative news regarding Saddam Hussein under the rug to preserve access in Iraq.
I hadn't been a fan since the first Gulf War when Peter Arnette was having his heyday (we even named the latrine the "Peter Arnette Room" while flying B-52 missions out of Jeddah) but Eason Jordan sealed the deal.
Is it me or does Anderson Cooper
look like Derek Zoolander?
Feb '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Cheapskate.
Apr '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Instugator:
I hadn't been a fan since the first Gulf War when Peter Arnette was having his heyday (we even named the latrine the "Peter Arnette Room" while flying B-52 missions out of Jeddah) but Eason Jordan sealed the deal.
Although I hold no particular fondness for Mr. Arnette, I recognize a certain personal bravery, both in Saigon and Baghdad. The leetle fellow has limited/no objectivity, but has exposed himself to personal danger.
The same might be said for Anderson Cooper, although not by me. (Because I have no way to evaluate it, seldom watching television, and avoiding Cooper for the last five-six years.)
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
After years of life in Turkey, I know how to run a conspiracy.
Apr '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Redundancy is not allowed. He said, tongue-in-cheek.
Dec '10
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Cheapskate. Ya'll fit right in! Welcome.
Don't feel bad getting suckered into Ricochet's marketing ploy. It's how 99% of us got here. You attract civil opinionated people to a civil opinion site and, voila!, expand the base. Once hyperinflation sets in at Starbucks, we'll find out how sustainable the model is.
Mar '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
From last year, a rather good Mark Steyn piece on journalistic bias.
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
I'm interested in a reporter asking whether the actual target was our nation's "lax" gun laws. Was Justice aiming to point to thousands of illegally sold US weapons turning up in Mexican drug cartel crime without first mentioning the fact that this occurred at the specific direction of the US Dept. of Justice and BATFE? After all, another push to ban "assault weapons" would rally the base in the 2012 election.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but this seems more plausible an explanation than any other I've seen to date.
Nov '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
After years of life in Turkey, I know how to run a conspiracy. · Nov 20 at 7:08am
I knew it! I hope your cat overlords are happy with their ill-gotten lucre.
Mar '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
George Savage
I'm interested in a reporter asking whether the actual target was our nation's "lax" gun laws. Was Justice aiming to point to thousands of illegally sold US weapons turning up in Mexican drug cartel crime without first mentioning the fact that this occurred at the specific direction of the US Dept. of Justice and BATFE? After all, another push to ban "assault weapons" would rally the base in the 2012 election.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but this seems more plausible an explanation than any other I've seen to date. · Nov 20 at 8:02am
I think you are probably right. I would ask the questions in an open-ended manner because if one comes right out and asks if it was to get justification to toughen up our gun laws, they would flat-out deny it. Nobody in the MSM asks followups anymore. I can't come up with anything else that even remotely makes sense. If it was to test the gun dealers, they passed, and there is no reason to let the guns go. If it was to catch the traffickers, why didn't they trace where the guns went?
Feb '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Most of the Dinosaur Media has taken such a strong progressive-Left position that they have alienated millions of existing and potential readers/viewers. Given that most of these enterprises are public corporations, or are owned by public corporations, I think there is a serious question of fiduciary responsibility to shareholders. How far can an executive or an employee go in using company resources to promote his personal political beliefs without being basically guilty of converting company property for his private use? Sooner or later, I predict this is going to be litigated.
Feb '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
When I refer to the "strong progressive-Left position" taken by the media, I mean the slanted news coverage, not just thet editorial opinion that would traditionally have been expected.
Jul '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Gun culture member here, interpret accordingly. During the Clinton administration the DOJ under Janet Reno and the ATF undertook a very nasty covert war on guns. The culmination of their efforts could be summed up in Ruby Ridge where an odd man was entrapped and then prosecuted for not spying on the Aryan idiots near him. He then had his 12 yr old shot in the back and his wife shot while holding their baby. All this was brushed aside by the media as they painted him as a white separatist so it was all OK.
Well Obama and Holder are worse than Clinton and Reno. While not more intelligent they are both ends justify the means liberal socialist ideologues that wake up and urinate on our constitution. They don't like guns, they don't like the second amendment, and they don't like anyone in the gun culture. The entire purpose of this operation was to discredit, disparage and disarm what and who they disliked. Obama and Holder have been caught at their game. They are lying and the media (other than one at CBS and FOX) is helping the coverup by repeating their prescribed talking points.
Oct '10
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
Ever heard of the New York Times??????
Jul '11
Re: "GOP Outbursts" and Journalism That Makes Us Furious, Fast
If this issue does not end up receiving the attention it deserves I'm going to be livid. Someone needs to be prosecuted as the one who ordered this deadly fiasco.
Holder has had his "special investigator" working on this for many months yet of course since Holder is the one responsible the question is who the fall guy is. Neither of the two under Holder nor former acting ATF director Melson feel like being prosecuted so they aren't falling on the sword for Holder.
The Iran plot through Mexico was timed to gloss over Issa's letter to Holder and the media bit on it. December 8 Holder sits once again in front of Mr Issa. Holder has lied, hidden, bribed, coerced, manipulated everything and everyone about this watergate moment and the media gives him a pass because the Chicago thugs in the white house tell them what to say and how to say it. There are no real journalists associated with this administration, just a bunch of Baghdad Bobs. Look close and you'll see the strings in their backside.