20070111 CBS most Negative on Iraq Plan according to Newsbusters

CBS Most Negative on Iraq Plan, Clinton Got Bigger Bounce in Midst of Lewinsky Scandal – Analysis for Newsbusters by by Brent Baker on January 11, 2007 - 21:08: http://newsbusters.org/node/10118

January 18^th, 2007

Although I can be sure that the analysis of Brent Baker as posted on Newsbusters is no surprise to most “Soundtrack” readers, it is nevertheless remarkable that such bias persists…

It has been said in sardonic jest, but nevertheless one suggestion for the president, in order to get some support for our efforts in Iraq, is to switch parties.

For my thoughts please read my Tentacle column from January 17, 2007, "NUTS!"

“Last Thursday President George W. Bush addressed the nation with his long awaited "New Way Forward in Iraq."

The war has not gone well in the last year. Back benchers and Monday-morning quarterbacks are all full of themselves saying "I told ya so;" however, the second definition of war is unintended and unpredicted consequences of the best laid plans.

History is replete with examples of wars and conflicts in which there were enormous set-backs, lapses of intelligence and dark days. In the end, as long as Congress and our nation's leadership maintained their resolve, America prevailed.

Thank goodness the prophets of doom did not pull us out of World War II after the mistakes of Kasserine Pass; or the Battle of the Bulge - one of the American military's greatest failures in intelligence, not overlooking Pearl Harbor. Fortunately we learned from our mistakes, adjusted our approach and in the end, prevailed.

At the drumbeat of hints, threats and suggestions that Congress simply deny the troops in the field - and our president - funding for the effort, many have conjured-up vague revisionist historical references to the Vietnam War with no memory of the consequences. It is estimated that two million more subsequently died in Indochina.

In that conflict the duty and sacrifice of our military was abandoned for political expedience. The North Vietnamese knew they could not win on the battlefield and went for the political solution successfully. A lesson which is not lost on those who wish us defeat in Iraq.

Meanwhile as far as media bias, Mr. Baker said, in part:

Coverage all day Thursday on the cable news networks, as well as on the ABC and NBC evening newscasts, emphasized negative reaction to President Bush's plan for a “surge” of troops into Iraq.

But the CBS Evening News delivered a markedly more negative presentation, even managing to raise Watergate and Monica Lewinsky.

Katie Couric led: “If the early reaction to President Bush's new Iraq strategy is any indication, selling the American public on it could be a mission impossible.” She soon added: “The reviews of the speech last night were largely negative from the American public and Congress.”

[…]

Coverage all day Thursday on the cable news networks, as well as on the ABC and NBC evening newscasts, emphasized negative reaction to President Bush's plan for a “surge” of troops into Iraq. But the CBS Evening News delivered a markedly more negative presentation, even managing to raise Watergate and Monica Lewinsky. Katie Couric led: “If the early reaction to President Bush's new Iraq strategy is any indication, selling the American public on it could be a mission impossible.” She soon added: “The reviews of the speech last night were largely negative from the American public and Congress.”

Gloria Borger checked in with how Bush “sparked a bipartisan rebellion on Capitol Hill" as “some of the harshest criticism came from his own party." Couric then went to Bob Schieffer who, citing a CBS News poll showing no move in the public attitude toward Bush on Iraq, suggested “you really have to go back to Vietnam and Watergate to find presidential speeches on television that didn't give the President at least a little bump in the polls.”

Schieffer recalled how “in the middle of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Bill Clinton went on television to give his State of the Union address. Even in the midst of that scandal, Mr. Clinton went up 16 points in the polls.

Going on prime time TV and nothing changes, that is fairly extraordinary, Katie." Next, Couric characterized as “out of the ordinary” the “response the President got today from a usually receptive audience,” soldiers at Fort Benning. Jim Axelrod offered a dour assessment of the mood of the troops: “Even rallying the troops is now a challenge. The mood here was polite but muted, more somber than usual for a President talking to soldiers.”

Neither the ABC or NBC evening newscast stories on Thursday offered any such downbeat evaluation of the attitude of the troops toward Bush.

Read the rest of the Mr. Baker’s analysis here: CBS Most Negative on Iraq Plan, Clinton Got Bigger Bounce in Midst of Lewinsky Scandal

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