Spin Alert!!! Matthews Warns Us All...

[KharmaTrain]

OK...wanna see how the Rove machine is sleezy? Michelle Maulkin, not Thurlow, is your reason! And here's why and what made Matthews cut her down and short and then condemn what she said in the strongest of terms.

Maulkin was planted on the show by the RNC...suggested to Matthews to represent a "conservative" viewpoint and she was recommended to appear. Surely this appearance was known to Rove, as well as what the topics on the show would be and she would be the surrogate to play the spin and diversion game.

RoveCo. knows that Thurlow would be the unraveling of the bronze star part, but also sees polls showing these slimeboat adds have worked and want to shut one side of the story down while kicking up another..."Kerry inflicted his own wounds" (translation: chickenshit). It was Maulkin who put that spin out...and generally this stuff goes uncontested.

From here the Maulkin soundbite is picked up by Drudge and written into scripts for morning news shows that would say "Kerry "may" have inflicted his wounds"...thus overnight the lie now is being molded into a possibility. The on Rush & hate radio, Maulkin's soundbite would be played over and over...as well as edited segments of Thurlow and whomever they choose to spin this lie further from possible to probable.

Then by tomorrow night, the evening food fights...Hannity et al would have the theme "Why Did Kerry Shoot Himself".

Matthews showed how this stuff starts. Let's hope he's turned on a bright light tonight.

Cheers!

[meti57b]

1. Fox News: "some people say Kerry's wounds were etc etc."

I don't watch fox but I did see Outfoxed.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. How does one self-inflict shrapnel?

You mean Kerry fire a mortar round at his own feet?

[drhilarius]

20. You lay down some metal then flop down really hard, right?

[TheDonkey]

3. This is going to get bad. The media is going into climax

with this trash and could end it quickly if they get the sense too.

[mzmolly]

4. Likin Mr Matthews these days.

:hi:

[Sparkly]

5. Me, too

It's good to hear somebody nail them on the real questions, and not let them squirm out of them.

[SayitAintSo]

15. Me too ... even when he spits when he talks....

He sure spat at Maulkin tho'... that nasty b*&ch... I nearly threw something at the TV ... Tweety was great... unrelenting... I'm liking it !

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. That's An Old Nixon Saw....

Others might say my opponent is a red but I wouldn't stoop to that level....


Make the charge without making the charge....


"I tremble for my nation when I know that God is just."

[KharmaTrain]

9. Rope-A-Dope

Nixon and Poppy Bush had enough class to publicly distance themselves from the slimers...or at least there wasn't the direct connections these bumbling thugs have.

They're feckless...they're used to ramming things down people's throats or throwing enough feces until enough sticks.

We'll find out how much dung it'll take for a reaction...either for more or for it to stop.

Right now, I sense people want more.

There's blood in the water and a media feeding frenzy is about to start.

[spanone]

7. ....and to think we're trying to export our way of life overseas.

No wonder the Iraqis are pissed.

[newsguyatl]

8. you are EXACTLY right -- that's exactly how it happens.

so glad folks are starting to catch on to this shit.

and it's sad that matthews (and SOOO many other shows) feel like they have to have a conservative and a liberal (usually a moderate) on these types of shows... i mean, if these swift boat vets are big and bad enough to put out a book and stand by it, they're big and bad enough to come on a show and stand up for themselves without needing the security and helping hand of a fellow conservative.

i have PERSONAL knowledge of mr. o'neill NOT wanting to come on a show to debate, said he wasn't "skilled at debating." well ya know what man, you better get skilled real fast if you're gonna unleash this kind of bullshit on kerry.

[KharmaTrain]

13. Let's See How They Spin This Spin...

I'm watching O'Neill on InSannity & colmes right now and O'Neill is starting to pick up on this lie with Hannity's help.

I expect Maulkin will be made a martyr. Notice they put up a woman (albiet Maulkin) knowing the snakepit Hardball would be tonight.

They're manufacturing their own headlines on this...changing the spin...and to keep *'s record and the current Iraq situation out of the news.

It'd be interesting if a few of us could document here how and when these lies get turned...and those who facilitate Rove and his minions.

Cheers!

[AmerDem]

10. You hit the nail on the head!

That pretty much sums up how they wanted things to go. Too bad it backfired, I think in a big way. Matthews went overboard to set the record straight. He deserves props for it!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

11. This Matthews/Malkin incident is the first time I've heard of ANY of the

media not allowing themselves to be made a tool of Rove's smear amplification machine, witting or unwitting.

The first time I've heard of anyone simply REFUSING to be party to these smear tactics.

[Sugarbleus]

22. That's what I said in another thread... I like what tweety did to

Thurlow the other night too. Weird huh?

[LTR]

12. Are you suggesting Malkin agreed to 'fall on her sword'...

...for the team?

I don't believe all of the RW pundits are Rove goons. I think many of them are opportunists, who see how many books Sciafe buys conservative pundits sell. Malkin strikes me as one. She is truly a lightweight. If Rove wanted to plant one of his media whores, there are much better choices out there. I think Malkin just wants to be another Annthrax Annie and make a few quick bucks spouting ridiculous bullshit.

Is Malkin really on Rove's payroll?

[KharmaTrain]

14. She Sure Looked Like "The Surrogate"

Rove knew this show was going to be brutal. Thurlow's flip-flop is indefensible. And then Thurlow's "defense" was even more pathetic. Rove can't control what that group says or prep them other than passing notes through "the chain"...and both campaigns do that.

But it's been documented here on several occasion of an established "fax blast" network between top WH operatives and members of the media. Outfoxed shows just one arm of this machine.

The easiest way is to follow the "talking point". The same meme repeated over and over. And the best messengers are surrogates who appear to be "neutral" or "harmless". The GOOP has found women deliver this message best. They're the velvet hammers used to counteract the hatchets from the more firebrand "conservatives".

Right now it's all velvet hammers...friendly, diarming surrogates like Maulkin, Terry Holt, KellyAnn Fitzpatrick and so on who play to the cameras and know how to deliver the spin line...to get it out 'into play'

Maulkin may not draw a check from the RNC (doesn't she draw one from Faux?) I'll bet we can connect a bunch of dots in her checkbook and it would lead right into some Right Wing sugar daddy.

[Norquist Nemesis]

24. I think you're stretching a bit

on the Rove Co. But, Malkin is without a doubt part of the RW noise machine *squak squak*. It's in high gear and running on overdrive at the moment.

[gulfcoastliberal]

16. Tweety didn't condemn anything

He let he get away with not answering "yes" or "no" whether she believe kerry shot himself. He gave her a hard time but he didn't condemn anything. This whole swift boat furor is exactly what Rove hoped for. Fuck an a this is pathetic. I'm glad kerry responded to this garbage though. Turn into the fire JK, take this bull-shitstorm head-on.

[KharmaTrain]

17. Generally I'm With You On This, But...

I've never heard Tweety slap someone trying to slip a spin point/lie out like he did tonight.

The charge was so ludicrious, unless someone who show documented proof there's no need for a "yes or no"...especially out of Maulkin who tried the "did you read the book" bullshit, as though since a lie's in print, it must be true.

Someone else just posted how they were critical of the lackluster response by the Kerry campaign on these slimeboat liars, and I still think the response is late and damage has been done. But now that they are fighting back, it's hit 'em twice as hard and don't let up.

Counter every lie and expose these bastards further. Tie this to the Rove machine until it comes out of their ears. Shine the light on this regime's reasons for spreading these lies...to avoid discusion of their boy's deserting and the real mess in Iraq.

The thought to stay on issues is a great one, and I hope it's one we return to very soon. For now, if we don't stomp on these assholes hard, they'll keep pulling this shit over and over again, and if Kerry wins, make the next several years hell as well.

[mourningdove92]

18. What did Chris say when she made that ridiculous

statement?

[Bush was AWOL]

26. He said something along the lines of he won't accept

bogus claims like that on his show.

[DeepModem Mom]

19. Good post, IMR! (FEEDBACK: [e-mail])

[LimpingLib]

21. Matthews was the first to make Thurlow look bad.

Generally Thurlow has won every argument prior to last nights interview by Matthews. Man he was stupid for saying Kerry had a "master plan" while in Matthews presence. This guy obviousilly did not do his homework on his interviewer.Matthews just pounded him the whole interview on that one.


Thurlow never got around to his main argument ,the one that COULD be damning to Kerry , that the other 4 boat captains in the vicinity aside from Kerrys boat said there was no hostile fire where as Kerry says there was not only fire but heavy fire.

I am assuming all are telling the truth on this incident believe it or not. Clearly all of Kerrys crewmates (Kerry plus 4 others) from his boat say there was fire. Clearly the other 4 boats captains say there was none.I think their entire crews agree with them as well.

The key might be when Kerry fled the scene of the land mine. I am going to assume that when he departed that there was perhaps some enemy fire down the river to where Kerry fled away from the landmine that the other 4 stayed at, which remained free of fire. Maybe in the heat and fear of the moment Kerry and the others from his boat interpreted the hostile fire (whether heavy or limited)as heavy.

Granted that doesnt explain why the guy Kerry saved (who remained at the scene of the landmine with the other 4 boarts, due to falling off Kerrys boat)says there was fire. Perhaps because Thurlow said he and the others shot around the banks after the landmine to clear any possible enemy present, they maybe "guy Kerry saved" (I forget his name darn it)kept going to the bottom of the water and coming up for air in a state of panic from the mine blowing and the shots he heard and interpreted them as enemy fire at him in his shocked mind.

Thurlow said he spent the whole time plugging sinking boat and pulling crew to safety. But none of that was in the report. It is fair to assume he didnt have much to do with the report then. Thurlow also says none of the boats had any bullet damage despite being there for over an hour and nobody got shot. It is very fair to assume (granted we need those reports on the boats condition , where are the journalists??)there might not have been any fire at the scene.

Assuming Thurlow gets proved correct on the boats not having any bullet damage, Kerrys whole crew cant be lying IMO. Clearly Kerrys boat came under at least some fire while he went down stream. Perhaps the guy he saved was just delirious from all friendly shots at the banks after getting thrown in the water from a land mine?

At least Matthews is trying to adress the facts and onlt the facts minus smears.It cost Thurlow the whole interview with his supposition on a "master plan" of Kerrys. It is bad enough he is calling Kerry a lier but Matthews would have listened to that just in an effort to establish the facts (which is mighty difficult)where entire crews differ nearly 100% on some key details.

Also , did I hear Thurlow say he didnt even know till years later he had a bronze star fom that incident? Or was he refering to the report?

What does anybody else think?

[girl gone mad]

23. Where are you getting this from?

I've never heard that the other captains say there was no fire, only Thurlow.

Also, the NYT piece refers to a Navy report of bullet holes to the boat. Yet another bit of strong evidence contradicting the not-so-Swift vets claims.

[LimpingLib]

25. I admit its fusterating.

Thurlow was inteviewed 3 times yesterday. Crowley and Dobbs let him talk nonestop literally. He said that in both interviews.

Thurlow is the source.


I admit the reporters need to do a better job, on TV and print (the TV reporters are the worst). I have found this Thurlow subject to be the only remotly interesting thing out of this whole Swift Boat Vet story. This should have been settled long ago. Its ironic how this got blown out into mass media obsession by a Washington Post reporter who frankly looked bewildered in each of his interviews yesterday.They put him on right after Thurlow and he really seemed cautious , nowhere near as strong and certain as in his article. Framkly he looked like somebody who didnt feel so certain about the completness of his research after listening to Thurlow.

Until the TV journalists (as if) get interviews of the other captains then I have decided to consider Thurlows claims correct (no bullet holes in the ship , all other captains claimming there were no shots) , so long as they are something he should know. 90% of what he and these vets say are things they couldnt posibbly know.Another 5% is debatable. Im not saying there were no shots in the vicinity for certain mind you (and certainly there was shots at some point at Kerrys boat in that incident). But will give some of Thurlows observations the benefit of the doubt.

Once this is settled then the whole Swift Boat smear will be left with nothing but baseless attacks and views that are nothing more than a matter of opinion.This ssue with Thurlow is worth looking at though and the reporters need to do their job investigating.This should have passed LONG ago and I hope it doesnt drag out.