'Underwear Bomber' Less Newsworthy Than People Crying Over Michelle Obama?
The news Monday of a thwarted al-Qaeda plot to place another explosive device modeled on the "underwear bomb" that failed on Christmas Day 2009 might make a news consumer wonder: What ever happened to that terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab? On February 16, he was sentenced to life in prison for his attempt at mass murder. Did you miss it? The networks weren't very interested. Only ABC's World News filed a full evening-news report by legal reporter Pierre Thomas, but even that left out Team Obama -- especially Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano claiming "the system worked" when it obviously didn't. Citizens foiled the attack over Detroit, not the government.
NBC never covered the life sentence in the evening. One 67-word brief by Amy Robach on "Today" was all they did. CBS Evening News mentioned it briefly, but here's one full Obama report they did instead, correspondent Norah O'Donnell explaining how White House tourists were "overcome with emotion" when Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance:
NORAH O'DONNELL: When White House visitors turned the corner to the Blue Room today, they were greeted by none other than the First Lady.
MICHELLE OBAMA: You tell your friend I said eat their vegetables.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay.
MICHELLE OBAMA: All right? All right.
O'DONNELL: This is not the first time Mrs. Obama has surprised guests. She's done it four times since her husband became president. [So, then, why is it “news”?] And today she welcomed her visitors with open arms.
MICHELLE OBAMA: Did you expect to see me here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
MICHELLE OBAMA: Surprise!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Surprise!
MICHELLE OBAMA: Yes!
O'DONNELL: Unprepared to meet America's most famous wife and mother, some were overcome with emotion.
MICHELLE OBAMA: Oh, don't cry! Don't cry!
O`DONNELL: One young girl just couldn't believe her eyes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my goodness!
MICHELLE OBAMA: Oh, my god! Oh, my goodness!
O`DONNELL: In all, Mrs. Obama welcomed more than 500 guests for more than an hour.
ABC offered a news brief on "Good Morning America" before and after the verdict, which was expected (which offers the most obvious network excuse). CBS also offered a morning news brief before and after. This was the entirety of NBC coverage, three sentences:
AMY ROBACH: A Nigerian man known as the "Underwear Bomber" has now been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Twenty-five-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty to attempting a suicide bombing on a Christmas Day flight back in 2009. The bomb did not detonate, but FBI experts showed this video just before sentencing. It demonstrates how destructive his bomb could have been if it had gone off as planned.
The networks might claim the newspapersdidn't play it big. On February 17, the Washington Post buried it on A-18. But the New York Times report (on A-3) suggested there was personal drama that made for good human-interest grist for a television audience:
Mr. Abdulmutallab, who wore a white T-shirt and tan pants, spoke for about three minutes. He claimed that Osama bin Laden and other Qaeda leaders who had been killed ''are alive and shall be victorious by God's grace.'' He also said terrorist attacks would continue ''until the Jews are driven out of Palestine.''
The flight attendant, Lemare Mason, said Mr. Abdulmutallab had ''robbed'' him of the pleasure of working his ''dream job traveling the world.'' Mr. Mason said he had had night sweats and was now constantly frightened about another terrorist attack.
''Since that day, my life has changed,'' he said. ''It's punishment going to work now. It's not a joy.''
A passenger, Lori Haskell, recalled thinking that she was about to die, as smoke, flames and shouting emanated from eight rows in front of where she and her husband were sitting as they returned from an African safari. Even though everyone survived, she said that Mr. Abdulmutallab was wrong to say no one was hurt.
''What the defendant did caused lifetime harm to all of us on that plane,'' Mrs. Haskell said.
[Photo from The White House]
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Comments
All MSM reporting is...
Submitted by P. Aaron on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 8:16am.
'People Magazine' styled news these days. They've dumbed themselves down...along with their ratings.
Newsworthy Michelle
Submitted by NVRAT on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 8:17am.
This has got to be one sickening article. The Obama`s preying on the young, defenseless and stupid people of the country.
It's that charming humility you have to love about her!
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 8:38am.
MICHELLE OBAMA: Did you expect to see me here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
MICHELLE OBAMA: Surprise!
See how wonderful I am??? I decided to let you see me!! I don't do this all the time, you know! Aren't you lucky!!
Can you imagine Laura Bush acting like this?
No I can't imagine Laura Bush acting like that
Submitted by KornKing on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 10:27am.
But with the "it's all about me" doops at 1600 now....
Of course not, MB
Submitted by LinTaylor on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 3:14pm.
Laura Bush had dignity and modesty, which are as foreign to Her Holy Highness as a pair of $10 sneakers.
Also as foreign as...
Submitted by jpwcpa on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 10:32pm.
1) A flattering outfit;
2) Delaying a vacation;
3) Buying iceberg lettuce because the arugula was not on sale;
4) Going to a fast-food joint and NOT ordering one of everything;
5) Working in the White House garden when there are no photographers around;
6) Asking the White House chef to make hamburgers using ground chuck instead of kobe beef;
7) Using a tape measure to check her hips measurement, rather than GPS;
8) Being proud of her country.
Gee, how nice of the first
Submitted by lesterwink23 on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 8:51am.
Gee, how nice of the first lady to take five minutes in between half-a-million dollar vacations to talk to us lowly normal folk. Hey CBS, did you know that George W. makes regular appearances at DFW International Airport to welcome home deployed troops from overseas? I know it's not as newsworthy as Michelle Antionette "surprising" a group of tourists with cameras present, but still...
G W slips in
Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 12:11pm.
and then out, alot of times with Laura.. Just to say thank you to the guys that he was responsible for sending there. He doesn't ask for coverage or Kudos he truly is a MAN!
Had
Submitted by bobsmom on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 10:18am.
no inclination to comment on this, until the pic was posted. Holy Moses, she towers over those kids like the alien beings in "Avatar".
Seeing her brings me to
Submitted by texastommy on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 10:27am.
Seeing her brings me to tears, but for an entirely different reason.
Seeing her husband, on the other hand, makes me ill. But, having to listen to him induces a period of violent chunk blowing.
Sad, but true.
For me its the opposite Tommy
Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 12:09pm.
MOOOOCCHHIE makes me blwo chunks but its her husband that brings a tear to this Old Jarheads eye when I see him totally disregard the Constitution.
And thus continues the
Submitted by Bettendor on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 10:35am.
And thus continues the regular media pattern of not paying attention to the real news (even something like the sentencing of the attempted underwear bomber, which arguably would be seen as apolitical) and focusing on the celebrity stuff. At this rate, we might as well elect the next president on American Idol, though I'd be afraid of the results.
BTW, with the Obamas constantly appearing on TV in non-news arenas (Tonight Show, "surprising" a group of tourists, etc.), anyone else reminded of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0&ob=av2e
This is typical "managed News"
Submitted by lrgon on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 11:23am.
The snobstreamers that control the flow of information on the networks and cable news shows direct that flow to keep the people away from understanding what is really going on.
Take the meda blackout on the Bilderberg conference due to take place in Virginia in which there will be no media coverage of that event.
The rich and powerful will be gathering to "vett" prospects for vice-president and there is not a peep from the snobstreamers nor from most conservative internet sites. There are exceptions of course.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/north-america/item/11277-bilder...
Those who expose secretive outfits like the CFR and the Bilderbergers have been blackballed by the snobstreamers so much so that even conservatives buy into their lies; that anyone that speaks about secretive groups like the Bilderbergers (named for the hotel in the Netherlands where the first meeting took place) are persona non grata and therefore subject to all manner of invective.
Conspiro alert
Submitted by Unsane on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 7:16pm.
Ho hum. More Conspiro crap from Irgon.
By the way, what do you have against Foreign Affairs magazine, aside from your xenophobia? Because that's all the CFR does. Those pencil-necked geeks couldn't conspire their way out of a phone booth.
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
"Suprise?"
Submitted by CobraMan on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 11:54am.
"Did you expect to see me here?"
No, why would anyone expect a "surprise" visit by the First Lady when all those news cameras were around?
Kids, you were the only one's who were surprised! Everyone else, especially the news media, was told to expect this "surprise" visit. That's WHY those cameras were there. You were set up!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
'You tell your friends I said
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 12:31pm.
'You tell your friends I said to eat their vegetables'???? This is Moooooooooochelle's version of 'eat your peas', uttered by her equally self-absorbed husband to the American people.........................and coming from a wide-caboosed, deep-fried Snicker Bar eating, don't-come-between-her-and-a-tamale, arugula and steak, expensive wine and vodka drinking, 2,500 calorie lunch eating, multi-million dollar vacation taking, never-proud-of-American hating uptight Marie Antionette wanna-be????
It's a good thing that I wasn't visiting the White House at that time - I'd be locked up right now!!! And the networks would be crying about how mean, spiteful, hateful, and racist I was!!! Of course, they would never entertain the thought that I was honest...........
Oh Thank Gahd!
Submitted by bigdaddy on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 4:36pm.
I saw "Michelle Obama" and "Underwear Bomber" in the same headline and feared that terrorists had found a way to smuggle a nuclear weapon in her "Fruit of the Looms".
That hammock is big enough to
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 11:35pm.
That hammock is big enough to smuggle in a BIG bomb!!!
Ignorance is bliss
Submitted by redbourn on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 6:03pm.
First Lady?
She is an extremist racist and married to our President so what does that make him?
Didn't know that? Or, how do I know?
A simple reading of her Princeton thesis will make it very clear.
She, "Can't imagine how blacks can feel comfortable in a room with whites".
She mourns that she will face “further integration and/or assimilation into a white cultural and social structure that will only allow me to remain on the periphery of society; never becoming a full participant".
etc etc
Take a look at the Oct 8th talkback and download the thesis if you want to.
http://tinyurl.com/7f2nz3w
It's not very pleasant reading and she doesn't even come across as very bright.