Generally, once partisan, tendentious sources leak information that turns out to be wrong, nothing’s ever done about it. That’s for many reasons, some good or somewhat understandable, mostly bad. But on CBS Evening News tonight, Major Garrett did something I don’t feel like I’ve seen in a really long time or maybe ever on a network news cast. He basically said straight out: Republicans told us these were the quotes, that wasn’t true.
And then Josh Marshall has a rough transcript of what Major Garrett said:
Republicans have claimed that the State Department under Hillary Clinton was trying to protect itself from criticism. The White House released the real e-mails late yesterday and here’s what we found when we compared them to the quotes that had been provided by Republicans. One e-mail was written by Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes. On Friday, Republicans leaked what they said was a quote from Rhodes. “We must make sure that the talking points reflect all agency equities, including those of the State Department, and we don’t want to undermine the FBI investigation.” But it turns out, in the actual e-mail Rhodes did not mention the State Department. It read “We need to resolve this in a way that respects all the relevant equities, particularly the investigation.” Republicans also provided what they said was a quote from an e-mail written by State Department Spokesman Victoria Nuland. The Republican version notes Nuland discussing: “The penultimate point is a paragraph talking about all the previous warnings provided by the Agency (CIA) about al-Qaeda’s presence and activities of al-Qaeda.” The actual e-mail from Nuland says: the “…penultimate point could be abused by Members to beat the State Department for not paying attention to Agency warnings…” The C.I.A. agreed with the concerns raised by the State Department and revised the talking points to make them less specific than the C.I.A.’s original version, eliminating references to al-Qaeda and affiliates and earlier security warnings. There is no evidence, Scott, the White House orchestrated these changes.
If you're counting, that's two huge misrepresentations by the Republicans - but the final sentence is the important one: There is no evidence that the White House orchestrated the changes.
Congratulations to all the winners of the "CBS Pittsburgh's Most Valuable Blogger Awards" for 2011 including The Pittsburgh Comet and The Burgh, Exposed for "Local Affairs" and YaJagoff! and That's Church for "Everything Else" (the category we were in).
From Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, we learn that CBS will air an anti abortion ad by evangelical parachurch organization Focus on the Family during the Super Bowl. Focus on the Family is anti gay and anti feminist in addition to being anti choice. They're also pro school sponsored prayer and pro corporal punishment (for kids and lil weiner doggies!).
Tim Tebow is taking his star power to sport’s biggest stage.
The former Florida quarterback and his mother will appear in a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl next month. The Christian group Focus on the Family says the Tebows will share a personal story centering on the theme “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.”
The group isn’t releasing details, but the commercial is likely to be an anti-abortion message chronicling Pam Tebow’s 1987 pregnancy. After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child and gave birth to Tim.
Now, I have no problem with CBS airing this ad in and of itself. (Although the ad, of course, fails to note while celebrating the choice Pam Tebow made, that they want to deny any other woman from having a choice to follow their own doctor's medical advice.)
My problem with CBS is that five years ago, they refused to air an ad by United Church of Christ (UCC):
In the letter from the CBS official to the United Church of Christ, the network said it refuses advertising that "touches on and/or takes a position on one side of a current controversial issue of public importance."
What was the controversial issue in that ad?
That UCC accepts all individuals as members in their church.
Here's the ad:
As you may have noticed, the ad shows two women that may be a lesbian couple that the church accepts -- horrors!
So when exactly did CBS change their "longstanding policy of not accepting advocacy advertising"?
If you think that CBS are BIG, FAT HYPOCRITES, then follow Sue's suggestions:
So what to do? One thing you can do to weigh in locally is call the local CBS affiliate ... yes, that would be KDKA and let them know if you think CBS should be carrying such a controversial ad, especially given their history with UCC. The number for KDKA is +1-412-575-2288. You can weigh in via email here.
One point to keep in mind is there is no move from the UCC to run their ads (4 years later). It is simply a point of reference to hold CBS accountable for consistent decisions with regard to advertising decisions, especially those that promote a social issue agenda. So the message is clear -- don't run the Focus on the Family ad.
Seems that the CBS News writers have decided to join in on the action:
CBS News writers authorized their union leaders to call a national strike, the Writers Guild of America said Monday, escalating a labor impasse.
About 500 CBS News television and radio writers — who work in New York, Los Angeles, Washington and Chicago — have been working under an expired contract since April 2005.
[snip]
In a prepared statement, the company said it "remains fully prepared, and ready to continue producing the highest quality news programming." [Uh-huh . . .]
[snip]
"Writers Guild members are sending their CBS bosses an irrefutable message of solidarity: we will do whatever it takes to get what we have earned and deserve," Michael Winship, president of Writers Guild of America East, said in a prepared statement.
Hollywood drama and comedy writers, who are also represented by the WGA, are entering the third week of an unrelated industry strike that has shaken network and cable television, threatening popular shows such as Fox's "24" and sending late-night talk shows, such as Comedy Central's "Daily Show with Jon Stewart," into unplanned reruns.
In the interest of fairness, we're giving the producers a chance to give their side of the story:
