Couric's Complaint: Why Won't Rumsfeld Critic Bash Bush Too?

Who says NBC won't highlight the accomplishments of the US military? Why just this morning the Today show had on as its very first guest a recently retired general, John Batiste.

Oh, wait. The purpose of inviting him was to provide a platform for his call for the ouster of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. Again we see the pattern illustrated yesterday with Newt Gingrich's appearance. See Iraq Knock Nets Newt Net Nod. Republicans, military folks, etc. are welcome on Today - so long as they're prepared to take shots at the Bush administration and its policies.

There is no reason to doubt Batiste's sincerity. He said that his motivation is the servicemen and women and their families. He stated that he had come forward to demand "accountability for a war plan was built to invade Iraq but failed to build the peace. Accountability for what happenened at Abu Ghraib. Accountability for a leadership style that which is intimidating, abusive. It was not a two-way street of respect."

Batiste stated he had no political agenda. That such is not also true of Couric was made evident from her question:

"At the same time though, the President, as you well know, General, is the Commander-in-Chief. Why reserve all your criticism for Donald Rumsfeld and hold all your fire when it comes to the President himself?"

Batiste: "My focus is on the Dept. of Defense - it's what I know."

Katie's other complaint: why didn't you start bashing sooner? "I guess if you had concerns about this from the get-go, if you had come out publicly you might have been successful in shaping public opinion far earlier than you are now."

Batiste: "Back then I was a one-star general. I doubt there would have been many people who would have listened to this voice."

Again, there's no reason to doubt Batiste's sincerity. But it's sad to see the MSM reveling in his words to further their own political agenda.

Finkelstein lives in Ithaca, NY, where he hosts the award-winning public-access TV show 'Right Angle'. Contact him at: mark@gunhill.net