My undies are still in a bunch over that 20/20 hatchet job last night

[PlanetBev]

I counted at least five times that moron John Stossel repeated, "trial lawyers like John Edwards, trial lawyers like John Edwards." It would have been more honest if there had been a crawler on the bottom of the screen saying "vote for Bush, vote for Bush". I e-mailed ABC and explained things to them. I'm just hoping this didn't do big damage to Edwards.

I was so angry that I woke up with a headache this morning. Hope to hell I don't have a stroke before November.

[kentuck]

1. John Edwards is a people's lawyer?

He has fought against the big corporations and special interests. He has protected the interests of small people.

[xchrom]

2. mine are in a bunch

since the 00 election.
thy're just showing their true colours -- the media can't get enough of the chief chimp.

[indigobusiness]

50. If your undies, that have been in a bunch since the 00 election,

are showing their true colors...

I don't want to know what they are.

[HuckleB]

3. Stossel is a hack who has been caught lying repeatedly.

Yet he still has a job on a major network. It's frickin' bizarre.

Barbara Walters' reaction to the piece said everything.

Sheesh!

As for damage to Edwards, I don't see there being much fallout. People who love Stossels' baloney are already in the Bush camp, so no worries.

[PCIntern]

5. What was her reaction?

Missed it...

[HuckleB]

11. She clearly struggled to come up with a nice way to say, "You're insane."

She ended up fumbling around, visibly shaken, but saying something along the lines of "we need to make it clear to our viewers that your editorial pieces do not necessarily represent the views of the show or of myself." Mr. Macho Dufus was actually taken aback, and didn't know what to say in response to that, either.

It was awesome, in that it showed (both verbally and physically) that she clearly felt the piece was whacked but knew she was stuck working with this bozo and couldn't make her feelings completely obvious, though her body language betrayed her in this.

[asjr]

22. I heard Barbara is leaving 20/20. If true it is because

she can't stand Stossel. He is whore extrordinaire. I don't watch 20/20 anymore because of him.

[HuckleB]

13. She clearly struggled to come up with a nice way to say, "You're insane."

She ended up fumbling around, visibly shaken, but saying something along the lines of "we need to make it clear to our viewers that your editorial pieces do not necessarily represent the views of the show or of myself." Mr. Macho Dufus was actually taken aback, and didn't know what to say in response to that, either.

It was awesome, in that it showed (both verbally and physically) that she clearly felt the piece was whacked but knew she was stuck working with this bozo and couldn't make her feelings completely obvious, though her body language betrayed her in this.

[jayfish]

30. Didn't Johnny Boy Sue That Wrestler...

who slapped him upside the head about a decade ago. I wonder what he would have done if there weren't any trial lawyers to help him out.

Jay

[area51]

32. Wrestler

Are you referring to Geraldo getting whacked by a wrestler, or was Stossel also hit by a wrestler? I hadn't heard of the Stossel event; could this be why he's fscked up mentally?

[DenverDem]

46. Back in the 85 schmuckel did a hatchet job on pro wrestling

He disrespected "Dr. D" Schults by opining to him in an interview "I think it's fake" (wow, what insight!). Dr. D proceeded to head slap the little bitch a couple of times and then asked him if he still thought it was fake. It was some classic shit and showed what a cheap, self promoting "journalist" schmuckel was. He's only gotten worse and it is unconscionable that 20/20 still provides him with a platform for his yellow journalism.

<http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/Nos.437-445.html>

[truth2power]

48. "He'sonly gotten worse."

Brain damage fromthe head injury??? :evilgrin:

[jayfish]

59. Nice Job DD,...

the description was some funny shite.

Jay

[PlanetBev]

8. I was going to mention that, Huckle

Walter's lame ABC disclaimer was a joke. It was said with a "wink, wink, nod, nod."

[HuckleB]

16. No, I don't think so.

She was visibly shaken, and couldn't get the words out. Further, she doesn't usually give the "disclaimer," which is why it was clear that she definitely disagreed. This was very unusual.

[PlanetBev]

24. Hope your right about that, Huckle

She usually reads the e-mails that come in after a program, so let's see if this comes up next week. My guess is that they will be bombarded with e-mails.

[in_cog_ni_to]

25. She dates John Warner.

I think we know which side of the political aisle she's on. :(

[Shopaholic]

62. Didn't John Warner get married recently????

and not to Babs????

[in_cog_ni_to]

65. I googled

didn't find anything on him getting married. :shrug: Last I heard, he was dating Barbara Wawa. I suppose he could have married someone else and I missed it. I would think it would show up on google though. :shrug:

[The Zanti Regent]

4. John Stossel is the ultimate Press Whore

Every word that comes out of that asshole's mouth is a lie including the "and's" and "but's". Even when he farts and belches, he's lying.

This is why we need a RESPONSIBILITY OF MEDIA act to hold liars like Stossel accountable. If they continue to lie, they should be barred from journalism. If Three Strikes is good enough for criminals, it's good enough for liars like Stossel.

Freedom of Speech does NOT include the Freedom to lie.

[Wabbajack]

6. I view Freedom of Speech as Absolute

[shockingelk]

10. Even slander, libel, blackmailing ... false testimony ? n/t

[Wabbajack]

17. All except for the purjury yes

The price you pay for freedom of speech is sometimes people say stupid shit or lie. Small price imho.

[w4rma]

39. Who decides who is lying?

What if the person who is being branded a liar by those in power is telling the truth?

[shockingelk]

43. "Lying" to me ...

You have to know what you're saying is untrue ... or in cases of real personality disorders, where a reasonable person would know what they're saying is untrue.

Like, I can't prove most of Bush's untruths about Iraq, but I can some: for instance when he claimed Hussein "wouldn't let the inspectors in." I find it impossible to believe he had forgotten about the 2002/2003 inspections.

[TahitiNut]

15. Nonsense. From yelling "fire" in a crowded theater to "fighting words"

... speech is subject to the same limitations where infringement on other rights and liberties are preponderant. Try walking down a public residential street at 2am proclaiming support for NAMBLA.

I personally view deliberate deception to be akin to assault and battery. The ol' "your freedom to swing your fists stops where my nose begins" prevails. After all, we can prohibit and obtain compensation for physical battery; why not for intellectual battery? To some degree, we already have such laws under the general theory of 'fraud.'

I can be far more harmed by adopting a false political belief based on misinformation than I am by "pornography" or other regulated press and speech.

[HuckleB]

19. Ever heard of "equal time?"

When is ABC going to give equal time to someone to show how off base Stossel is time after time?

[Kahuna]

21. Sorry. But what the media passes off as free speech is propaganda...

As such, they are free to say whatever they want as long as they include disclaimers that their propaganda is not based upon fact.

[AP]

31. they lie for money. It'd be great if society made them pay for their lies.

The FCC should be able to force them to stop being such whores for such a narrow interest group as big insurance companies and the mega corporations -- the people for whom they are slandering the civil justice sytem.

[Keirsey]

9. Was John Stossel once again...Tampering With Truth?

That's the title of a EWG article...

http://www.ewg.org/reports/tamperingwithtruth/


This is Stossel's email address, provided by Fair.org:
[e-mail]


http://www.fair.org/media-outlets/stossel.html

[Mr_Spock]

23. Thanks for the address - I just sent the following email to John Stossel

Hey John,

Nice cover for your Republican friends pretending that the "people's lawyer" was somehow a bad person for doing his job as he is required to do. The negative consequences to the country of your biased views were not discussed during your piece, only your biased view as a Republican (as you have previously admitted). Your reporting is biased and you therefor have no place on a show like 20/20. Please resign your position before your boss has to fire you for deliberately biased reporting. I will withdraw my request that ABC fire you IF you will agree to do a piece exposing President Bush for his failure to complete his military service as required by law. There is more than just "conjecture" that President Bush was AWOL during the year 1972. Please show us that you are not a Republican operative by doing your civic duty and exposing this fraud - this is what you folks at 20/20 do isn't it?

Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx

[Mr_Spock]

35. That [e-mail] is a bad address! I need the correct one for

Stossel so I can re-send my email!!

[AP]

7. Send email to Barbara Walters and ask her how she can possibly

be on the same program as Stossel. I'm sure she has more power than Stossel at ABC and if she understands that it hurts her credibility she might speak up about shit like this.

[shockingelk]

12. I've never known a man with a moustache

I've never known a straight man with a mustache who was not the type of might-makes-right authoritarian that would be glad to be Bush's foot-soldier.

[Don Claybrook]

20. Wow...nice that you're so prejudiced

That's a really asinine thing to say. A straight man with a mustache is automatically a right-winger? I think you need to get out more.

[realisticphish]

28. hey now

i not only have a mustache, but a full beard as well, and i bleed liberal. and perhaps you've heard of michal moore?....


:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[PCIntern]

34. Ummm....shockingelk

I take personal issue with that statement. So would my wife...

LOL

[shockingelk]

41. Apologogies to all cool straight mustache wearers who I do not know

I know there out there, but I don't know any of you. I do have a cousin that wears a mustache who I like, but I don't know his politics ... but he's the only cousin of many on that side that has never been married :)

PS. I don't consider a beard to include a mustache. To me a mustache means hair on the upper lip, bit not on the chin. I've worn a goatee myself for many years throughout my life.

[PCIntern]

49. that's cool...

for some reason I thought you were a female from your original post - no disrespect intended to you or females most certainly, but I had a girlfriend years ago who said almost the exact same thing when she first met me, I thought you might be her.

[shockingelk]

60. Henry Waxman has a moustache!

I just thought of that!

I'm going to start a "cool guys with mustaches" thread in the Lounge.

[maggrwaggr]

63. what makes you think he's straight?

I always assumed he was gay. Yes, just by looking at him.

[DifferentStrokes]

14. They have to counter the subliminal message

scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

Bush is nothing but an ugly thug. . .Bush is nothing but an ugly thug. . .

Career criminal. Criminal family with a centuries-long history. . .

Nazi collaborators. . . slamming Germany for having the nerve to outlaw what Bushco and BBH did. (Psst, Germans are the bad guys, never mind what THEY did.)

Desperate attempts to to divert attention from the obvious must have 20/20 producers' dirty underwear in tatters.

On edit: Don't forget to write and remind them none of them pass the smell test.

[molly]

18. I missed it, but it is a sure sign that they are getting

REALLY desperate. Kerry is polling ahead in every battleground state except Florida where he is only 2 points behind. He is ahead in Ohio!!!!

[Keirsey]

27. If you don't have enough to do...

ABC has a John Stossel message board:

http://forums.go.com/abcnews/forum?start=0&forumID=17&byThread=true


Ammo: Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics

Seek Truth and Report It
Act Independently
Be Accountable

http://www.spj.org/ethics_code.asp

[molly]

33. Are you saying that he follows an ethical standard?

[trotsky]

26. I saw the promo and deliberately turned the channel.

I didn't need to get my blood pressure up.

So, in all Stossel's whining about trial lawyers, did he mention any of Edwards' "Four Trials" from the book?

You know, examining how evil it was for a trial lawyer like John Edwards to help fight a neglectful business when a little girl had her intestines sucked out by a mis-sized pool pump?

Oh, I'm sure that was featured prominently in the piece, right?

[mitchum]

29. What does Stossel use to remove the shit from his mustache?

I hate that damn shill

[trotsky]

36. Here's my e-mail:

John Stossel's hit piece on Democratic Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards was a disgusting piece of trash. At the very least, if ABC is going to give prime-time coverage to a right-wing rant like that, you should provide some BALANCE by allowing someone with a different point of view to respond to Stossel's one-sided garbage.

How about mentioning the little girl who had her intestines sucked out by a pool pump and who will never lead a normal life or eat normal food again? John Edwards worked for her and her family to get fair compensation. And if that cost gets passed to consumers, well then, why don't we let the magic of the marketplace fix that? Bad companies will lose money in court, raise their prices to make up for it, and then their competitors will have a price advantage - thus helping drive bad companies out of the market. C'mon, Stossel, I thought you loved the free market!

I'm not naive enough to think that there has never been a frivolous lawsuit brought before a court by a trial lawyer. There are rotten apples in every profession barrel. But most trial lawyers are just doing their jobs to try and stand up for the little guy against huge corporations and the few bad doctors out there. If we didn't have them, what kind of recourse would we have when someone made a defective product that hurt or killed?

Maybe 20/20 could do an analysis of how poorly the malpractice insurance companies' investments have been managed in recent years, and why THAT'S the reason they've raised their rates? Malpractice payouts have remained fairly level for years now, so why else would premiums rise?

If this is the state of "journalism" today, we are in a sorry position indeed.

[Mr_Spock]

37. What email address did you send it to? [e-mail] doesn't work!

My email was rejected due to:

<[e-mail]>
Permanent Failure: 550_No_such_address
Delivery last attempted at Sat, 24 Jul 2004 14:17:50 -0000

[trotsky]

38. Go to the 20/20 webpage

I used this form:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/2020/2020_email_form.html

[Mr_Spock]

42. OK, IE 6 has crashed over 6 times trying to access the ABC page.

I am going insane here trying to not have ALL instances of IE oblitereated whenever I try to access the ABC web page. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M FUCKING PISSED!!!!!!!!

[trotsky]

44. Checked your system for adware/spyware lately?

Installed IE updates?

You can also try the Mozilla browser - it's free and much more immune to malicious software.

http://www.mozilla.org

[Mr_Spock]

55. Yes, I have. I even disabled part of Spybot to try and fix the situation

no luck. I'm not ready to try another browser just to access ONE web page. It's not THAT important to me.

[AntiCoup2K4]

45. Download Firefox. You'll never use IE6 again!

http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox

[petersjo]

52. I second this motion.

I dowloaded Firefox a few weeks ago...and am very pleased with the way it operates. Seems to be much faster than IE (I use dial-up) and is also safer.

[Mr_Spock]

56. Should I do that for one webpage?

I'm really not sure if I need to try another browser just to access ONE web page.

[Mr_Spock]

58. Thanks, I tried, but Firefox crashed when I tried to Import Bookmarks, etc

Then crashed out again when I opened Firefox and tried to import my links, etc...

Ever since I defraged my HD the machine has been crashing - damn, I should have learned after all my previous machines were destroyed by "defraging". I am SO pissed. Can Windows XP repair itself? I am having lock-ups galore now - I NEVER once had a system lock-up until I defragged my HD. Damn IT!!

[maggrwaggr]

66. Contact David Westin, head of ABC news

Phone [phone]

ABC NEWS
7 West 66th St
NY NY 10023

[bear425]

57. awesome letter n/t

[yankeedem]

40. Read it all here

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/GiveMeABreak/GMAB_edwards_040723-1.html

[TryingToWarnYou]

51. LOL... how ironic. The last sentence of the article...

This kind of fear doesn't make Americans safer. Give me a break.

[SideshowScott]

47. If it were up to Stossel, Cooperartions can do anything they want

Im really sorry for saying this word but Stossel is a WHORE to the highest order..I wonder who let a man who HATES anyone who defends people from cooperations do a story on Edwards. It was just not Stossels doing thats for sure.

[LTR]

53. I posted this over at "Media Matters"

http://mediamatters.org/comments/00012254

Could never stand the whiny little bitch. At least Geraldo was entertaining in a pathetic sort of way.

[truth2power]

54. Thank goodness I didn't see it. I'd be worried about

having a stroke, too. I can't stand to look at that idiot, Stossel.

But we can counter this. Listen up!

George Lakoff was on NOW with Bill Moyers last night. (Transcript not up yet). For those who don't know, Lakoff is a professor of Linguistics at UC, Berkley.

He said "trial lawyer" should be reframed by Dems, as "people protection lawyer". They protect the people from those who are negligent. We need to counter the Republican mantra with our own frame.

[merh]

61. He is just hates trial lawyers because they sue him:

A John Stossel has been sued in federal court at least 4 times. 3 of the 4 do look like they deal with ABC. Wonder how many times Stossel has been sued in state courts?

1 STOSSEL, JOHN paedce 2:1989cv05235 07/18/1989 320 12/21/1992
ROGAL, ET AL vs. AMERICAN BROADCASTIN, ET AL

2 STOSSEL, JOHN nysdce 1:1994cv08051 11/07/1994 440 11/07/1994
DAY vs. CAPITAL CITIES/ABC, ET AL

3 STOSSEL, JOHN mddce 1:1996cv03338 10/23/1996 360 06/10/1997
ZIEM vs. STOSSEL, ET AL

4 STOSSEL, JOHN candc 4:1998cv03081 08/07/1998 320 11/25/1998
MCCOLM vs. WALT DISNEY CORP.

http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/dquery.pl

[proud patriot]

64. Meme "Public Protection" lawyers

We Must Frame the Debate by calling it right.

Public Protection Public Protection Public Protection

Lawyer

Public Protection Public Protection Public Protection

Lawyer

Public Protection Public Protection Public Protection

Lawyer

Public Protection Public Protection Public Protection

Lawyer