The Tarnished Brass Posted: 3 months ago by DerAlt
As it prepared to invade Iraq five years ago, the Bush administration called up retired military officers to help sell the war. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his propaganda team courted as many as 75 retired military officers who could best market the Pentagon line, particularly on television.
The deal was simple: Offer good news on Iraq, even when the news is bad.
Comments: 5 Score: [-] 153 [+].

  comments (5) 
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Posted: 3 months ago by suebe:
The Bush administration has hired actors to pose as journalists. It has produced mock news bulletins to promote its view of the Iraq war. At least one conservative commentator was paid $240,000 to go on television to promote President Bush’s education policies.
Outrageous. This is one reason I don't trust the Bush administration.
Score: [-] 47 [+].
Posted: 3 months ago by Moe:
OK...this needs to be read for what it is: an editorial. NOT a fact reporting article. There are no sources cited at all for the claims made.

Not that I agree with the Bush Admin on the war, quite the opposite. BUT an editorial cannot be taken 100% as a regular "here are the facts" news report.
Score: [-] 15 [+].
Posted: 3 months ago by suebe:
« Moe : OK...this needs to be read for what it is: an editorial. NOT a fact reporting article. There are no sources cited at all for the claims made.

Not that I agree with the Bush Admin on the war, quite the opposite. BUT an editorial cannot be taken 100% as a regular "here are the facts" news report.
Agreed. The editorial does seem to be citing factual information. Hey it's the NY Times - they never make up anything, right? ;)
Score: [-] 27 [+].
Posted: 3 months ago by dollyllama:
« Moe : OK...this needs to be read for what it is: an editorial. NOT a fact reporting article. There are no sources cited at all for the claims made.

Not that I agree with the Bush Admin on the war, quite the opposite. BUT an editorial cannot be taken 100% as a regular "here are the facts" news report.
Well, this might interest you. And this.
Score: [-] 12 [+].
Posted: 3 months ago by DerAlt:
« Moe:OK...this needs to be read for what it is: an editorial. NOT a fact reporting article. There are no sources cited at all for the claims made.

Not that I agree with the Bush Admin on the war, quite the opposite. BUT an editorial cannot be taken 100% as a regular "here are the facts" news report.
The Editorial is not a breaking news story but a compliation of facts gathered over a period of time. Yes sometimes Editorials are opinion, this one is pretty damn specific in it's accusations, how much closer to "a real news story" can you get.

The Times would be putting itself at tremendous professional risk if this were just baseless rumor. Bits and pieces of stories like this have emerged in various media outlets over the years from this administration.

The war was trumped up from the beginning, surely this doesn't surprise you.
Score: [-] 35 [+].
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