C(B.S.) News at it again

Are the "powers that be" at CBS News really that stupid?

Are they so obsessed with anger that they would jeopardize whatever credibility that have left (and it ain't much)?

According to the Media Research Center, the network that sealed the deal in November, has once again stirred controversy by misquoting former special prosecuter, Kenneth Starr, in a segment dealing with the current political debate regarding use of the fillibuster in federal court appointments.

According to the broadcast, CBS reported that Starr, who served as an appeals court judge on the D.C. circuit from 1983-1989, came out against the Republican plan to ban judicial filibusters on Monday. He told CBS Evening News that it is a "radical, radical departure from our history and our traditions, and it amounts to an assault on the judicial branch of government."

The only problem was that the quote in question was in regard to something else.

According to Starr, "The 'radical departure' snippet was specifically addressed -- although this is not evidenced whatever from the clip -- to the practice of invoking judicial philosophy as a grounds for voting against a qualified nominee of integrity and experience." Furthermore, he declared: "Our friends are way off base in assuming that the CBS snippets, as used, represent my views, or what I in fact said."

In fact, Starr wholly supports the Republican position that the fillibuster should NOT be used in order to prevent otherwise qualified judges from appointment. Quite the opposite of what was reflected in the story.

Even if you agree that the fillibuster should be used - something that has NEVER been used before in this circumstance - the action by CBS must be seen as misleading and damaging. Damaging to CBS and damaging to whatever respect the so-called "mainstream media" has left.

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Newsweek makes CBS look smart

I can see the headline: "Newsweek Lied, People Died."

What the heck were they thinking?

But I do have a question. According to Frontpagemag:

The trouble began when Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan held a copy of the prevaricating Newsweek story high aloft during a press conference, thundering, “This is what the U.S. is doing, desecrating the Koran!” Others helped Khan spread the Newsweek scoop. “The American soldiers are known for disrespect to other religions. They do not take care of the sanctity of other religions,” chimed in Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the pro-Osama chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (“Party of Islam”), which calls for the “Islamization”of Pakistan.

Why do so many people (in America and around the world) not react critically towards these people when they make such hypocritals statements like this? And if this only reflects a very small minority of Muslims, why aren't there more (if there are any at all) condemnations of Islamic treatment of Jews?

Newsweek made a horrible mistake. While the deal with John Kerry showed an inexcusable lack of judgement and journalistic integrity, it didn't kill anyone. This time, not only did this cause sixteen deaths, but it also served to further endanger our troops and set us back in our goals.

It's enough to wonder if that's what Newsweek intended. The same can be asked of CBS as well.

It would be a treasonous crime if there were no serious recriminations for this unbelievably stupid piece of "journalism."