Mon, Oct 30, 2006 4:21pm ET

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CNN's "Broken Government" special on executive power filled with broken claims of its own

The October 26 edition of CNN's weeklong series "Broken Government," hosted by CNN national correspondent John King, contained a series of falsehoods and discredited claims, including that President Bush gave an order for the Pentagon to shoot down unaccounted-for commercial airplanes on the morning of September 11, 2001; that the interrogation of Al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah led to "the capture of 9-11 planners Ramzi Binalshibh and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed"; and that actions by Republican senators, including the negotiation of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, represented a "Republican revolt" against Bush's assertions of executive power. Further, King uncritically reported claims by former Sen. Alan K. Simpson (R-WY) suggesting that the Bush administration's antiterrorism policies have prevented further attacks on U.S. soil, but King made no mention of significant evidence that other factors may have contributed to the fact that terrorists have not attacked here since 2001 or of reports that the administration's antiterrorism efforts have ensnared numerous individuals with no apparent connection to terrorists.
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Posted by Brian in FL

The irony...

...is that Lynne Cheney in an interview with Wolf Blizter the other day used this "Broken Government" segment as an example of "Democratic talking points" being presented as a news story.

So the Lynne Cheney's of the world sees a segment that portrays false, pro-Bush talking points, and instead they see it as left-wing propaganda.

Posted by artvandelay2006 in reply to Brian in FL

or maybe

youre just so far to the left that you view something moderately left wing like CNN's segment as right wing shekanery?

Posted by Brian in FL in reply to artvandelay2006

or maybe....

...people like Lynne Cheney, and probably yourself judging by your weak personal attack, have built up a fantasy world around themselves, where the country is running perfectly, we didn't botch the response to Hurricane Katrina, we didn't fail to prevent 9/11 (or that was all Clinton's fault), we haven't failed to find Osama Bin Laden, Jack Abramoff was just a bipartisan scandal, Iraq really did have ties to Al Qaeda and 9/11, Iraq WMD's really did exist, we haven't destabilized Iraq in any way, the Iraq War is doing wonders for the overall war on terror, and media like Fox News is "fair and balanced".

Posted by artvandelay2006 in reply to Brian in FL

i never

said the country was perfect and i admit we've failed on all those points. but does that mean we should hate the president or root for more troops to die in iraq (which many far lefties i know do, because it hurts bush)? of course not.

Posted by worrierking in reply to artvandelay2006

Wait A Minute...

Who is rooting for more people to die in Iraq? That's just hateful. If anyone is rooting for that it's those who want to "stay the course". We've got a quagmire on our hands. Whose children are you willing to send to die next year and the next year, and the next year? It's time to cut our loses, declare victory and get the flock out of there, NOW.

Posted by HuntingtonBeachLefty in reply to worrierking

Can't you read, worrier?

"...root for more troops to die in iraq (which many far lefties i know do.." (Artvandelay)

It's them far lefties he knows.With their little Al Qaeda pennants and F**k the troops stickers on their cars.

Vandelay is my new favorite.You other Bushniks gotta kick it up a notch.

Posted by mb in reply to artvandelay2006

you forgot

We dont believe in evil, we want America to lose, we are appeasers, believe in evilution, believe homosexuality is a natural response for some people, dont believe Islamofascists can overthrow this country, do believe that you fight terrorism through police work and cooperation/diplomacy with other countries, believe in global warming and hell I am becoming too cynical. Point is whatever you are reading about liberals in your right wing news be it Townhall, Newsmax, Wash Times etc. it is false for most part. Those organizations and right wing radio believes, when boiled down to it, that rich white guys should rule the country. You too can become a rich white guy if you just follow their instructions. Problem is that they have been in power for 12 years now (some say for centuries) and most of us are not rich white guys. There answer to that is that Liberals are too blame. Business is bad bc of frivolous lawsuits, corrupt unions, environmental regulations. Your daughter is pregnant bc of Hollywood, your son is gay bc of special treatment by Libs, brown people took your job and your son's college spot. You have been rooked and crooked if you have fallen for this line. Dont worry though your local news channel will give in depth interviews with every single player on your football team on the five oclock news.

Posted by solon in reply to artvandelay2006

Its more like wingnuts like YOU

Who are rooting for more Americans to die in Iraq because it just gets your little thingy hard to think about the vicarious glory you get from war glorious war. You obviously hate our troops and want as many as possible to DIE. This post makes as much sense and is backed by as much information, logic, and insight as yours. That would be none at all. See how easy these imputations of false motivations and mindless attacks are. I can do them all day. So if that is all you have lets do the flamewar dance. OR, just maybe you might try for once talking about an actual issue WITHOUT propaganda parrot talking points about who the left hates. Something that actually came from THOUGHT instead of a recorded Coulter, Hannity attack.

Posted by mb in reply to Brian in FL

you forgot

Terry Schiavo is fully alert and trying to talk, only the bad news is coming out of Iraq, evolution is just a theory, terrorists want dems to win, and there is no such thing as global warming.

Posted by HuntingtonBeachLefty in reply to artvandelay2006

Or maybe, if you just read

an item documenting a program that made errors that were favorable to the Bush administration as "moderately left", you may be the perfect receptacle for that "shekanery".

Posted by shoes89 in reply to Brian in FL

Is MMFA kidding?

With the exception of about 20 seconds, CNN's weeklong series ran like DNC talking points.

Good grief. A "Broken Government" special a week and a half outside of an election?? Puh-leeze.

CNN is doing the Dems' work!

Thank you.

Posted by RobertGNY

Lynne Cheney

Hated this special, he attacked it as helping terrorist.

Who is right? Lynne or MMFA?

Posted by michael80

another right-wing lie

I've heard many right-wingers blindly accuse the left of wanting troops to die in Iraq because they hate Bush. It's absolutely the most dishonest and hateful smear tactic imaginable. I say if you're gonna make a claim like that you better have some quotes to back it up. You're probably just using the O'Reilly tactic of putting words in peoples' mouths the same way you put artificila facts in you head. David Letterman for president, by the way.

Posted by rxharv6846

bush is a moron,Rush Limbaugh is a fat,pompous, idiot

As far as I'm concerned The republican white house is a broken instrument of gov't. With Bush there we might as well leave this country fo Canada.