NBC and ABC Ignore Obama Admin. Broke Law With Bergdahl
Exchange; CBS Gives It 24 Seconds.
Story was posted on AP wire services, but QC Times ignores it.
Media Reseach Center, by Kyle Drennen 8/22/2014
After Thursday´s network evening newscasts ignored a report from the Government Accountability Office that the exchange of five terrorists from Guantanamo Bay for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was illegal, NBC´s Today and ABC´s Good Morning America remained silent on the Obama administration scandal on Friday. Only CBS This Morning made any mention of the violation of federal law, providing a mere 24-second news brief on the topic. [Listen to the audio] Meanwhile, both Today and GMA did find time to produce full reports on a contestant on VH1´s Dating Naked reality show suing the cable network for showing her naked *
Screen shot of Dallas Morning News on-line, clearly indicating story was available via AP dispatch.**
Screen shot of search results for the same story on the QC Times Web site. Search criteria “Bergdahl.” Story about the illegality is absent without leave.***
What difference would it make anyway?!
Breaking news! Obama broke the law!
Yeah…and so…?
The remedy for this is what? Same as the “remedy” for Obama’s unconstitutional “non-recess recess” appointments? …none!
Same as the remedy for the the unconstitutional DACA executive order, if (ever) and when it reaches the Supreme Court (if it takes long enough that a couple more Ruth Bader Ginsburgh-type Justices are appointed, it will not even be determined to be “unconstitutional). None!
Same as the remedy available for an Attorney General held in contempt of Congress. None.
Same as the remedy for the damage done to organizations and individuals by the IRS because they did not share the administration’s ideology. None.
And, as anyone who has paid even a small amount of attention over the last five years knows, the list goes on…and on.
I believe it is entirely reasonable and plausible to lay a significant part of the blame for a nation now governed by a lawless regime on the media. The QC Times, admittedly a small time player in that realm nevertheless serves as a prime example of how the media has played its despicable role.
Just one small example, I believe illustrates dramatically this point. Just recently, a QC Times reader wrote to a long time member of the paper’s editorial board.
Dear —,
There have been various occasions in recent years which have tempted me to write…(but for one reason or another, I have not)… I’m afraid, however, that an accumulation of events, when viewed against the background of the Times’ many editorial expressions of dismay with government wrongdoing in the past require me to at least provide some gentle reminders which should perhaps demand your equally righteous condemnation. There are far too many to mention here and I’m also mindful of the Obama administration’s talking points which most journalists, analysts, news services, and pundits seem to be anxious to adopt as their own erudite observations.
But just to make my point, let me make reference to a couple.
Perhaps my pick as the most passionate attack by the QCT ed page was the gleeful editorial celebrating the resignation of Bush’s Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez. I’m sure you recall the piece, cleverly reflecting Bush’s own words, “Heckuva Job Alberto”. As you may know, unlike a different president’s Attorney General, General, Gonzalez was never cited for contempt of Congress, and I might add not found to have actually lied to Congress…or rather, “misspoke”, on numerous occasions .
His alleged offense was the “politicization” of the DOJ by firing seven federal prosecutors. Nowhere, as I recall, did your newspaper note that those prosecutors ARE political appointments, serving at the pleasure of the President. Nor do I recall mention of the fact that President Clinton fired ALL of the Federal Prosecutors when he came into office and appointed his own.
Close behind…(as a second example)… might be the editorial demanding that Bush fire Karl Rove because he might have been involved in the “outing” of Valerie Plame. It was a demand made before the investigation was complete…an investigation which found Rove was not involved and no crime of “outing” Ms. Plame was established. Yes, I recall that…(the Times)… “stood by it” when that was pointed out.
I’ve noted that with the dawn of the Obama administration, the QCT Times ed page has retreated a bit from commenting on national issues, the doings of the federal government, even the activities of the Administration.
Well and good. But I do recall our conversation not long after…( you joined the QCT ed board). While an unproclaimed liberal, I think you, nevertheless came to the job with a sincere, if naive, attempt to be fair and honest.
Do you feel you have lived up to that in failing to note at least some of the most recent shortcomings of Mr. Obama? Would the IRS matter qualify as something a righteous newspaper ed board would insist on its opinion page be something to be pursued to a full and final and factual conclusion? (Yes. I’m mindful that the Times did not endorse him for a second term, but some on the ed board I know of I believe still have fond feelings for him.)
The…(person)… I first met, I believe, would have agreed that, regardless of one’s ideological preference and political leanings, when there are sufficient and valid indications of possible governmental wrongdoing, journalists have a professional obligation to call relentlessly for serious investigation. Political corruption should be illuminated and punished and not dealt with or ignored based on partisan preferences.
Respectfully, (name withheld)
And here is the QC Times reply:
Thanks for your thoughts…
Good to hear from you.
I’m sorry you don’t find our editorials sufficiently anti-Obama for you.
Our editorials reflect the discussion of our current editorial board, which is significantly different from those you recall …
It is not a scorecard of the previous edit board’s commentary vs. this one.
And “unproclaimed liberal?”
That’s priceless.
I’ll continue my naïve attempts.
Tnx,
(name withheld)
Yes, indeed. That’s “priceless”!
DLH
*The GAO determination and their response to the Obamanation’s claim that the law is unconstitutional is available in this article at National Review Online.
** The Dallas Morning News article indicating the source was an AP dispatch, which is the QC Times’ main wire service, is available here.
*** The search of the Quad City Times Web site using the search term “Bergdahl” produced nothing referencing the GAO determining Obama’s actions violated the congressional over-site statute. The story must have taken a walk.
