Katie Couric found it newsworthy Wednesday night that former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation letter from nine months ago did not include the words “war” or “Iraq.” Picking up on a story from the Associated Press on how “the deadly and much-criticized conflict that eventually drummed him out of office comes up only in vague references” in the November 6, 2006 letter the AP obtained by filing Freedom of Information Act requests, Couric failed to credit the AP as she relayed this brief item on the CBS Evening News:
“There's news tonight involving the former Pentagon chief. Donald Rumsfeld's resignation letter has surfaced and it's notable for what it doesn't contain. Rumsfeld refers to 'a critical time in our history' and a 'challenging time for our country,' but the two words he doesn't use? 'War' or 'Iraq.'”
The August 15 AP dispatch, “Rumsfeld resignation letter omits 'Iraq,'” did, however, note a portion Couric skipped over: Rumsfeld cited “the privilege of working so closely with the truly amazing young men and women in uniform.”
AP reporter Lolita C. Baldor's lead closely matches Couric's delivery:
“The word 'Iraq' doesn't appear in former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation letter. Neither does the word 'war.' In fact, the deadly and much-criticized conflict that eventually drummed him out of office, comes up only in vague references, such as 'a critical time in our history' and 'challenging time for our country,' in the four-paragraph, 148-word letter he wrote to President Bush a day before the Nov. 7, 2006 election.”
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, not surprisingly, on Wednesday's Countdown also highlighted Rumsfeld's missing words.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
The one word that doesn't
August 15, 2007 - 19:34 ET by saw the lightThe one word that doesn't appear in the shows (I won't call then newscasts) of Couric and Olbermann is "ratings."
"There is a tendency for the world to say to America, 'the big problems of the world are yours, you go and sort them out,' and then to worry when America wants to sort them out." - Tony Blair
other words missing
August 15, 2007 - 19:35 ET by LionKingKatie and Olbie forgot to mention other missing words: Couric, Olbermann, and dumb sh*ts. Imagine that.
Freedom isn't Free!!!
What is notable is what
August 15, 2007 - 20:00 ET by Trix RabbitWhat is notable is what Katie's "report" does contain:
A mind long closed by ideology, a tedious and un-newsworthy rant, convenient omissions, and the substitution of partisanship for objectivity.
I'm glad I missed this "report". The boredom would have been more than enough.
Liberal: a power worshipper without power. George Orwell
Wonder what words Couric
August 15, 2007 - 20:11 ET by general companyWonder what words Couric resignation letter will not be found. Words like professional, unbiased, and Rather.
Huh?
August 15, 2007 - 20:17 ET by GalvanicWhy is this even a news headline? This stuff is truly inane.
If Couric wants to get an idea of why her ratings are low and sinking, she ought to play the tape in front of a so-called focus group of average citizens and listen to what they have to say.
Hey, Couric. The Gettysburg Address doesn't have the words secession, enemy, or Confederacy in it. So WHAT?
Why is this even a news
August 15, 2007 - 20:35 ET by motherbeltWhy is this even a news headline? This stuff is truly inane. -galvanic
True. His resignation letter didn't include the words "Iraq" or "war."
So what??????? When someone resigns from a job, it's not required that he mention the last project he worked on. All that's required is a straightforward statement. Why should Rumsfeld be different?
Katie just doesn't like the fact that he didn't grovel and abase himself bemoaning his "failures" and "shortcomings" and "take responsibility" for messing up the war. How dare he just leave gracefully?
Mother b
August 15, 2007 - 20:50 ET bymakes you wonder what Katies letter will say; what with her freeing so many minds from the drivel of the MSM
"Television is where you watch people in your living room that you would not want near your house." Groucho
Yeah, what did Rather's
August 16, 2007 - 09:31 ET by pbanks7Yeah, what did Rather's SeeBS resignation letter omit? Fraud? Forgery?
Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.
Couric and Olbermann need
August 15, 2007 - 20:18 ET by Senior ChiefCouric and Olbermann need to scrutinize why Hillary won't allow the media and the public to access more than 2,000,000 items/pieces of papers during her 8 years as a First Lady. Locked until after the '08 election. Whoa, talking about invisibility...
Why she doesn't want people to know about her? Why she's afraid to dedate on FoxNews? Couric, Olbie, that's newsworthy! Losers
That's right, Senior Chief.
August 15, 2007 - 20:32 ET by motherbeltThat's right, Senior Chief. She wasn't any kind of government official. She was a civilian. Period. I don't know why anything she wrote or dealt with should merit any kind of confidentiality. I think someone should sue under the FOIA. Let's see how hard she fights to keep the stuff secret. And when she does, the Republicans can have a field day with "What does she not want seen?"
Protection under PRA
August 15, 2007 - 20:40 ET by LionKingHillary is claiming protection under the Presidential Records Act (PRA)...this is intended for the POTUS and the VPOTUS...not the first lady.
[Clintonistas in action]
MB, I have a hunch that the
August 15, 2007 - 20:56 ET by Senior ChiefMB, I have a hunch that the Republicans are just keeping it low until Hillary is offically proclaimed as the democrack candidate. Hopefully it won't be too late. Remember how many months it took before Kerry finally released a 4-page military record...And I also have a hunch that their operators still believe that Americans are stupid and dumb- well their base anyway.
Not to mention that Kerry
August 15, 2007 - 22:45 ET by stratmanNot to mention that Kerry didn't release his college transcripts until after the election. What a dishonest putz.
Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Kerry was as smart as George Bush while at Yale.
Killing them with kindness isn't working. Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.
Katie seems to omit in her
August 15, 2007 - 20:45 ET by rbosqueKatie seems to omit in her telecasts that her network is committed to being a DNC sockpuppet and chearleader and will weave their talking points into every story they can.
Very educatonal
August 15, 2007 - 20:53 ET by kbworkmanThe fact that Couric thought this was new explains why the her "news" show isn't very newsworthy in itself.
Now if she had mentioned the fact that NASA's recalculation of their data without the bug in the program, I would consider that news. That would be stunning.
Couric and CBS will not
August 15, 2007 - 21:19 ET by Senior ChiefCouric and CBS will not broadcast news that has nothing to do with GWB. Any lame "news" out there, they'll make sure that George Bush and his administration is going to be a part of it, or...no news at all. Losers.
Couric digs deep into the vault for beyond-the-norm tripe...
August 15, 2007 - 22:41 ET by reasonsjesterI can hear the set of CBS now:
"Sherman set the WABAC machine to Donald Rumsfeld! And for Dog's sake don't use the word sputum!"
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. - Marcus Aurelius
Sputum
August 15, 2007 - 21:17 ET by ThisnThatI wonder if katie would have reported this if Rumsfeld's resignation letter contained the word "Sputum"?
Sputum ....
August 15, 2007 - 21:49 ET by drillanwr...heh-heh ... heh-heh ... He said Sputum ...heh-heh ... heh-heh-heh! ... Sputum!
Dan Rather's resignation letter
August 15, 2007 - 21:20 ET by w0tmShe's right! I just read her predecessor's resignation letter and Dan did admit to 30 years of lying, deceit, blatant propaganda and even crafting a crude hoax to try to steal a presidential election. Hmmm - well that's implied between the lines. We all know that. She owes the same concession to others. Otherwise, her resignation letter will have to be 586 pages of admissions of guilt and apologies. I won't hold my breath waiting to read it.
News Flash: the word peanut
August 15, 2007 - 21:51 ET by USA4freedomNews Flash: the word peanut was “NOT” I repeat “NOT” found
in Rumsfeld’s resignation letter. But the word’s Dumb Ass at CBS was.
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagan- 40th Anniversary of D-Day
Cougar Couric rocks the cradle
August 15, 2007 - 21:57 ET by third eyeKatie Couric's resignation letter has surfaced and it's notable for what it doesn't contain. Critics were surprised when she left out the words "ratings" and "viewers". In response she said "My show failed because average Americans lack the intellect necessary for my kind of news-reading"
I give her 2 more years max before she joins "The View"
Very funny.
August 15, 2007 - 22:16 ET by Dr_LibertyYour rewrite was very funny. I'm not familiar with text message abbreviations, so I apologize if I spelled my praise out in full words.
<insert witty signature here>
Thank ya...Thank ya very
August 15, 2007 - 22:22 ET by third eyeThank ya...Thank ya very much.
Rummy didn't give them the satisfaction
August 15, 2007 - 22:35 ET by nkviking75From what I've seen and heard of Rumsfeld over the years, I'm sure his words were carefully chosen to avoid giving any ammunition to the MSM. They want to believe Rummy slinked out of office a broken, defeated man wracked with guilt and praying not to be charged with his many war crimes.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Yeah, that's what public
August 16, 2007 - 01:16 ET by AJYeah, that's what public relations people are for. Rumsfeld probably wrote a much larger resignation letter knowing that it'd be wittled away by the PR people so it gave nothing to the media. Some times a good PR team can be a savior.
It's against Rummy's
August 15, 2007 - 22:57 ET by balboaIt's against Rummy's principles to mention anything he can't deny or fail to recall later.
Well goodness sakes Katie,
August 16, 2007 - 01:34 ET by RackieWell goodness sakes Katie, it didn't contain a suicide note either. What's your point?
Suicide note
August 16, 2007 - 04:12 ET by Cool ArrowLes Moonbat didn't include a suicide note when he hired the perky one either.
Obviously he should have.
~LYDSEXICS UNTIE!~
Now THAT was very
August 16, 2007 - 06:31 ET by fosstenNow THAT was very witty.
Forget 911, I dial 9MM.
My point being that Rummy
August 16, 2007 - 10:29 ET by balboaMy point being that Rummy would never mention anything that might actually be a reason why he resigned.
You're Fired!
August 16, 2007 - 07:03 ET by CrashBy Katie's standard her letter of resignation will read something like this:
Dear CBS,
Due to my LOW RATING'S and my inability to understand the meaning of NEWS, not to mention rumor's that I'm about to get canned, I am tendering my resignation.
Sincerely,
America's Sweetheart
P.S. May I please have a letter of reference?
}}---> Letter of reference
August 16, 2007 - 07:10 ET by Cool ArrowSesame street is brought to you by the Letter L. As in LOSER, LAZY, LAME.
Sorry, the Letter B is reserved for a Presidential Candidate.
~LYDSEXICS UNTIE!~