Sunday Rapid Response: "This is an administration that has a fundamental problem telling the truth"

The following media action alert courtesy of the Oregon branch of the Rapid Response Network.

Oregon Report — Sunday, November 13, 2005

Three cheers for Chairman Dean, standing up for the truth on Meet the Press!

1. O. front page teaser: “Bush statements on war weren’t exactly accurate”—Gee, ya think?
2. Steve Duin dialogues with rightie, finds “common ground”
3. Sarasohn on Wyden’s tax plan—why not in the news?
4. Bravo RR’ers!

1. O. front page teaser: “Bush statements on war weren’t exactly accurate”—Gee, ya think?

This headline hypercaution would be laughable if the results of Bush’s lies has not been so disastrous. Inside they (a day late) run the WaPo’s important, polite-yet-devastating “mainstream” analysis of Bush’s Veteran’s Day attempt to rewrite history: Asterisks dot White House’s Iraq argument:Administration had access to intel that wasn’t shared with Congress

Please keep writing:

letters@news.oregonian.com
letters@latimes.com
letters@washpost.com
letters@nytimes.com
Or contact your local paper

2. Steve Duin dialogues with rightie, finds “common ground”

The usually superb Duin had the good idea to call up and talk to one of the O’s rightie LTE writers. Forget the sunshine and lollipops

It is indeed worthwhile to get beyond the 150-word limit, and the “war of words” and try to find common ground. One wonders, though, will Duin give similar column inches to an opponent of the war, exploring their good reasoning and cogent arguments? Probably not, since he apparently subscribes to the O’s self-flagellating view that a tiny minority of right-wing voices somehow have more conviction and validity than the vast majority who oppose the war and the Bush administration. (Today’s letter tally: 101 letters against Bushco, 3 in favor. Yet of 11 letters printed on this topic, 2 are pro-Bush.)

By the end of the column, Duin decides that the rightie has it right. Randall says almost everyone he talks to agrees on this: "Now that we're there, we can't leave. The whole country would be chaos."

Sorry, this fails the logic test. For one thing, “cut and run” is a false choice. We can set timetables and benchmarks for withdrawal and not completely abandon the country. But, as long as we are there as an occupying force, the insurgency will continue to grow. And, most important, torture—whether with Victoria’s Secret panties, dogs, or Cheney’s instruments of choice—does not work.

Polite comments: steveduin@aol.com

For a contrary voice of reason, check out the Molly Ivins column on torture that runs in today’s O; or read Sen. John Edwards’ excellent mea culpa that lays out a strategy for exiting from Iraq, including booting Halliburton’s thieving butt out of there:

3. Sarasohn on Wyden’s tax plan—why not in the news?

While I was disgusted by Wyden’s recent vote against habeas corpus, his progressive tax plan is excellent. Once again, the O. leaves it to David Sarasohn to cover this important story. Why not interview Wyden for a story in the news section about his tax plan, and solicit some experts of various persuasions to analyze the plan? Why does the Oregonian relegate so many issues to the op-ed ghetto?

letters@news.oregonian.com
davidsarasohn@news.oregonian.com
publiceditor@news.oregonian.com

4. Bravo RR’ers!

Two great letters in today’s O: Phil Scott on torture and Elizabeth Rathbun comparing the Futures of Wirth vs. Libby.

Keep up the great work everyone!

Never give up.
_____________________________________
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