What the netroots have known for years has been officially confirmed in testimony by Cheney spokesliar Cathie Martin: Timmeh Russert's Meet the Press was the Bush-holes' preferred forum to spread Iraq lies. From today's WaPo:
"Flashed on the courtroom computer screens were her notes from 2004 about how Cheney could respond to allegations that the Bush administration had played fast and loose with evidence of Iraq's nuclear ambitions. Option 1: "MTP-VP," she wrote... I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used," Martin testified. "It's our best format."
More Cheney media psyops below
Yes, when placed under oath, the Bush-holes have been forced to recount the sordid details of their media manipulation, which included reporter rankings remoinsicent of Tricky Dick's "Enemies Lists"
[In addition to Dana Milbank's WaPo item, check out the AP Story by Michael Sniffen, which notes in passing that the CIA monitors US reporters.]
But let's get back to Pumpkinhead. Just what is it about him that the Veep's Media Psy-ops Team found so helpful to their cause? Russert isn't stupid, nor does he lack resources to check facts --just look at all those nifty clips he has ready to go for each interview.
Seems unlikely Cheney, Libby & Martin thought they could confuse Russert with specialized subject-matter or technical information too sophisticated for him or his researchers to fact check.
No, the attraction of Tim Russert is that he is a corporate carrerist and a social climber who will do anything to keep his access to the six-figure speaking engagements, elite cocktail parties, exclusive interviews, insider leaks, and gobs of envy from his Kool Kids Kolleagues in the Corporate Press.
Yes, Tim Russert will even shill for neocon ideologues against the interests of the America for personal gain. Sound harsh?
Recall that in the run-up to the Iraq invasion, the clearest, most direct stsatemet that Saddam possessed the most dangerous WMDs (and therefore constituted an immininet threat requiring invasion) was made by Dick Cheney on Meet the Press:
We know that based on intelligence that he has been very, very good at hiding these kinds of efforts. He’s had years to get good at it and we know he has been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons. And we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons.
There it was. The Vice President of the United States stating on national television that the White House believes Saddam has nuclear weapons.
Fast-forward September, 2003. After months of no WMDs turning-p in Iraq, and critics citing Cheney's claim on MTP that Saddam possessed nukes, Russert invites him back to defend himself. Timmeh plays the video tape of Cheney's remark, but before allowing Cheney to utter a syllable of explanation, he offers this helpful dodge:
RUSSERT: "You misspoke."
CHENEY: "Yeah, I did misspeak. I said repeatedly during the show `weapons capability.' We never had any evidence that he had acquired a nuclear weapon."
See? Just an innocent misstatement --he didn't really mean it! And, heck, Vice Preseidents "misspeak" all the time about which countries have nuclear weapons, and don't correct their "misstatements" for several months... what's the rush? Perfectly understandable --and forgiveable!
Folks, this was arguably an act of criminal recklessness by both Cheney and Russert. If you misspeak about a country having nukes, you correct it within minutes. The fact the Cheney didn't --and that Russert both let him slide and covered-up for him in the second interview-- tells you all you need to know about why Russert is the point main for Bush administration propaganda.