In his "Final Word" on Sunday’s "Face the Nation" on CBS, host Bob Schieffer denounced a fake news conference held by FEMA officials in the wake of the California wildfires. Not content to just say the staged conference was a bad mistake, Schieffer decided to be as arrogant and condescending as possible:
The last time I was at Disney World, they had sticks of a certain height stuck in the ground with signs that said something like, `You must be this tall to ride this ride.' Well, FEMA, the disaster relief agency, must use a variation of that to hire its public relations staff. Somewhere on their employment application there must be a clause that says, `Your IQ must be below a certain level to work here.'
Schieffer went on to denounce the "softball questions" asked by FEMA employees who posed as reporters. It is interesting to note that Schieffer did not condemn ABC host George Stephanopoulos in similar fashion when the former Clinton advisor touted an email from the Clinton campaign during a discussion of the September 26 Democratic debate on "Good Morning America." It is also unlikely we will hear a word from Schieffer about MSNBC host and debate moderator, Chris Matthews, writing a campaign speech for Barack Obama one day prior to Tuesday night’s Democratic debate.
According to the Associated Press:
[FEMA Deputy Director, Harvey E.] Johnson said in a statement Friday that FEMA's goal was "to get information out as soon as possible and in trying to do so we made an error in judgment."Our intent was to provide useful information and be responsive to the many questions we have received," he said. "We can and must do better."
Rather than give any credit to FEMA for the successful response to the wildfires, despite the ill-conceived incident, Schieffer instead decided to focus on Hurricane Katrina:
Mind you, this is the same FEMA once headed by Michael Brown of `Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job' fame, the agency that fell on its face during Katrina. While New Orleans drowned, remember, Brownie's PR people busied themselves by e-mailing old Brownie to roll up his sleeves before TV interviews so it would look like he was working hard.
Schieffer concluded his rant with some advice for FEMA: "Fire these people and the people who hired them, then explain to the new people that the best way for a disaster relief agency to get good publicity is to do a good job helping victims." Well, FEMA did do a good job helping victims during this disaster, but the mainstream media has been determined to only look for what went wrong.
Here is the full transcript:
BOB SCHIEFFER: The last time I was at Disney World, they had sticks of a certain height stuck in the ground with signs that said something like, `You must be this tall to ride this ride.' Well, FEMA, the disaster relief agency, must use a variation of that to hire its public relations staff. Somewhere on their employment application there must be a clause that says, `Your IQ must be below a certain level to work here.' How else to explain FEMA's action last week when it staged a phony news conference where its employees posed as reporters and threw softball questions to the agency leaders so they could tell us all what a good job they were doing. Mind you, this is the same FEMA once headed by Michael Brown of `Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job' fame, the agency that fell on its face during Katrina. While New Orleans drowned, remember, Brownie's PR people busied themselves by e-mailing old Brownie to roll up his sleeves before TV interviews so it would look like he was working hard. The Department of Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff said he found the phony news conference offensive, and since it is an emergency relief outfit, here's some emergency suggestions: Fire these people and the people who hired them, then explain to the new people that the best way for a disaster relief agency to get good publicity is to do a good job helping victims. As part of a massive new PR campaign, you might even consider taking the PR staff from behind their desks and sending them out to deliver food and water to fire victims. Now, that would make a great story. We'll see you next week right here on Face the Nation.
—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.





















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We need a censure proclomation....
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:19 ET by m36b1Too bad the MSM isn't taking his comments out of context like they do for their usual targets. example: Bob Schieffer says: "Your IQ must be below a certain level to work here." 'Nuff said. I agree Bob - your IQ is a tad low, just like everybody else working at CBS. What's that - I've taken your words out of context? I've left out some of the accompanying dialouge? Oh, sorry, but I believe I'll give that comment some legs. Who knows, perhaps you'll get a letter of censure from some 40-odd CBS executives for your truly outrageous comments. Maybe you can auction that document on Ebay and give the proceeds to charity. No? That's what I thought. Well, maybe some 40-odd Democratic senators can send you a letter of censure. Again - No? That's also what I thought.
host Bob Schieffer
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:19 ET by balboahost Bob Schieffer denounced a fake news conference
As well he should have.
I hate to agree with Bal
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:33 ET by Caringwhiteguy. . . . but I do. And Schieffer's words weren't much different from those of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, after Chertoff learned of this lame-brained stunt.
Balboa, Mr. Knight for the
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:47 ET by futbolisgreat1Balboa, Mr. Knight for the Liberal media, you are right, Schieffer should question this stupid move by FEMA.
But Schieffer's hypocrisy as well as yours is obvious, don't you think? Why doesn't he attack the fake news at CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC?
I have always said what he said about the Liberal media, that in their job applications (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, etc) must demand a pretty low IQ in order to be able to work for them.
These organizations must also demand that you are good at lying with a straight face to the American people.
Schieffer should really keep his mouth shut unless he is also willing to attack news organizations that do on a daily basis what FEMA did. Present the public with FAKE news.
By the way Balboa, did Schieffer make the same comment about CBS's 60 minutes when they presented the American people with forged (YOU KNOW FAKE) documents of President Bush's service in the Air National Guard? It is obvious that Schieffer is using a completly different measuring stick with FEMA than he used with 60 minutes, right? Unless of course you suppore Dan Rathers rather embarrassing and career ending reporting, right? man you are a gullible, naive, and a Liberal.
That's Mr. Ted Knight to
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:51 ET by balboaThat's Mr. Ted Knight to you.
well balboa, at least you
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:58 ET by futbolisgreat1well balboa, at least you don't deny that you are a gullible, hypocritical, naive Liberal. Mr. Knight for the Media.
Again, I don't want to get
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 17:08 ET by balboaAgain, I don't want to get into a whole little thing, here, but it's Mr. _Ted_ Knight. I was Judge Smails. I was Ted Baxter.
Ted.
Interesting, however, that
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:50 ET by ckc1227Interesting, however, that he never made the same claim after a co-worker used fake documents to push a fake story in an attempt to sway a national election. Apparently, it's okay to fake the news as long as it is CBS doing it, or pretty much any other MSM outlet, for that matter.
Or maybe it's because the IQ requirement for journalists is below that of FEMA workers.
I don't know if he did or
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:55 ET by balboaI don't know if he did or not. Not sure he'd actually call out his own employer on the air, or that CBS would let him.
in other words, you don't
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 17:00 ET by futbolisgreat1in other words, you don't have a problem with CBS's obvious hypocrisy, do you?
how sad for you.
Self proclaimed news
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:30 ET by AntiMediaSelf proclaimed news journalist bob shieffer.
This is rich, a newsreader
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 16:36 ET by Free ThinkerThis is rich, a newsreader calling out a government employee regarding IQ requirements. That makes me laugh.
I think it is kind of ironic
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 19:51 ET by ahusserI think it is kind of ironic because liberals want more government (to all government) to run everyone's lives. This would be just the tip of the iceberg if the Socialist's had their way. Remember how efficient the Soviet Union bureaucracy was.
Somewhere on their
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 17:19 ET by Trix RabbitSomewhere on their employment application there must be a clause
that says, `Your IQ must be below a certain level to work here.
My question is if this faux journalist was put under similar scrutiny when he applied for his employment at CBS.
For all the whining these "journalists" do about the lack of government aid, I have yet to see a single one of them with their sleeves rolled up and ready to do some real work at these disaster sites.
Bobby, you're an over-paid, under-worked sanctimonious bag of flatulence.
Back to the trailer court with you.
Liberal: a power worshipper without power. George Orwell
`Your IQ must be below a certain level to work here.'
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 17:44 ET by Chris NormanSign at CBS:
You must be this far to the
Left
to work here.
Bob is absolutely 100%
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 19:13 ET by buddycBob is absolutely 100% right on here.
The only problem is that CBS hires people whose IQ's would not get them hired at even FEMA. The only place I can think of, other than the obvious selection of NBC/MSNBC and CNN, with bigger retards than FEMA would be CBS.
Imagine a superstar retard lineup of K. Couric, Bob Schieffer, Cafferty, Dobbs, Roberts, Matthews, Olberman, Mitchell and Shuster. They should form their own network. RBN=Retard Broadcast Network all hate all the time "25-7(sic)".
Fake Press.........that is CBS
Wed, 10/31/2007 - 22:48 ET by Lame CherryApparently rescuing hundreds of thousands of Gulf survivors is not a good job according to Texas Bob..........who I really want to answer what is an old buzzard like him stalking around a kiddie park at Disney.......the image of a dirty old man patrolling for kids.
As far as FEMA, perhaps if the news hounds would quit pestering these people and allow them to do their jobs it might ease relief efforts. I know this type of work without giving details but I would like to share with Newsbusters just what it is like to be a Fed in one of these missions.
First thing you get a call telling you that you are going to be sent into a disaster. Your family gets thrown into upheaval again and while everyone else is just watching television part 2 is happening.
Second your secretary is on the phone lining up for you rental vehicles. As you are smart you get yourself a 4 wheel drive with enough room for all your goodies you are bringing to do your job.
Third you get a sleepless flight and will not be sleeping for days nor will your family as they are either worried over news reports about dangers in the area, dead officials or the fave that terrorists are lurking about.
You tell your family that you are safer where you are than anyone as there are more Feds with guns around you than the President.
Fourth, about this time some rather body odor smelling CNN type covered up with a ton of deodorant is smiling at you, asking about you in coping with all of this, being your buddy, luring you in for some kill shot line she will use to start a fricking firestorm to liven up the disaster.....and kill your career.
Fifth, you will do all of this without one thank you. People will bitch as they are miserable, Congress will bitch because they want to use it for political fodder and the media will bitch because you aren't talking to them and only working.
Lastly, people only learn that the government whether local or national is no help in any disaster. They quit looking to FEMA as saviors and fix things themselves..........and you go home and listen to Texas Bob call you stupid.
I commend FEMA for setting up fake news conferences as it saved the coordinator from TELLING REPORTERS TO TURN OFF THEIR CELL PHONES 100 TIMES, SAVED THE PEOPLE FROM HEARING SOME DUMB A** REPORTER ASK HOW THIS WILL AFFECT HOLLYWOOD WHEN IT IS MALIBU BURNING and SAVED FEMA FROM DISCUSSING HOW STUPID PEOPLE AND REPORTERS ARE.
Wonder which kiddie ride Texas Bob is partial to riding with his high IQ.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
That being said..
Thu, 11/01/2007 - 02:36 ET by Sua Sponte 75I wonder how much lower an IQ has to be to read from a teleprompter?
"You're either part of the solution or part of the problem"
I did a little looking into
Thu, 11/01/2007 - 04:47 ET by USA4freedomI did a little looking into Bob Schieffer’s back ground. Did
anyone know: (or am I the only “dim bulb around”) Schieffer is the older brother of Tom Schieffer, a friend and former business partner of President George W. Bush, who was
appointed U.S. Ambassador to Australia 2001-2005 by President Bush and as of November, 2005 is currently the U.S.
Ambassador to Japan.
Wow, with friends like Bob, who needs enemies.
IF you read the links its seems like his brother made a lot of money via the Bush family.
I wonder, is he jealous??
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagan- 40th Anniversary of D-Day