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CONNIE CHUNG JOINS BUSH PROPAGANDA EFFORT
CNN Correspondent Attacks Congressman For Critical Thinking
 Atlanta, GA - (GNS)
- On her October 7 broadcast, CNN's Connie Chung took U.S. Mike Thompson (D.-CA) to task for doubting George W. Bush. After Thompson told Chung that there seemed to be no evidence that Iraq posed an immediate danger to U.S. citizens or its allies, the news anchor responded, "Well, let's listen to something that President Bush said tonight, and you tell me if this doesn't provide you with the evidence that you want."
     She then aired a clip from a speech Bush made in Cincinnati, during which Bush said: "Some al Qaeda leaders who fled Afghanistan went to Iraq. These include one very senior al Qaeda leader who received medical treatment in Baghdad this year and who has been associated with planning for chemical and biological attacks."
     The president continued, "We've learned that Iraq has trained al Qaeda members in bomb-making, in poisons and deadly gases. And we know that after September 11, Saddam Hussein's regime gleefully celebrated the terrorist attacks on America."
     After this soundbite, Chung asked, "Congressman, doesn't that tell you that an invasion of Iraq is justified?"
     Thompson began to respond: "Connie, we haven't seen any proof that any of this has happened. I have sat through all the classified briefings on the Armed Services--"
     Chung interrupted, demanding to know if Thomas didn't believe the president.
     "You mean you don't believe what President Bush just said?"
     Faced with Chung's obvious alarm that someone might not take Bush's word as definitive proof, Thompson tried in vain to reassure her.
     "No, no, that's not what I said," he said. "I said that there has been nothing in the committee hearing briefings that have substantiated this. If there is substantiation, we need to see that in Congress, not hear it over the television monitor."
     Although Thompson's point that statements in political speeches are not the same as evidence might have been considered thoughtful on the few news shows that really seek full discussion, Chung preferred to paint Thompson as one whose patriotism should be questioned.
     "Congressman Thompson, there are those who believe that you and your two colleagues who went to Iraq came back with the basic position of President Bush may be trying to tell you something that in his effort to get approval for an invasion in Iraq, that you shouldn't believe. So it sounds almost as if you're asking the American public, 'Believe Saddam Hussein, don't believe President Bush,'" she said, in what, for dull-witted news anchors who are live, approximates English.
     This was in contrast to the approach taken by two reporters for the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain, Warren Strobel and Jonathan Landay, who interviewed more than a dozen military, intelligence and diplomatic officials on October 8.
     They asked, "These officials charge that administration hawks have exaggerated evidence of the threat that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein poses-- including distorting his links to the Al Qaeda terrorist network-- have overstated the amount of international support for attacking Iraq and have downplayed the potential repercussions of a new war in the Middle East. They charge that the administration squelches dissenting views and that intelligence analysts are under intense pressure to produce reports supporting the White House's argument that Saddam poses such an immediate threat to the United States that pre-emptive military action is necessary."
     According to Strobel and Landay, none of the officials they interviewed disagreed with this assessment.
      "The officials said there's no ironclad evidence that the Iraqi regime and the terrorist network are working together or that Saddam has ever contemplated giving chemical or biological weapons to Al Qaeda, with whom he has deep ideological differences," wrote Strobel and Landay.
     While Chung could have remained a journalist, but failed, Thompson could have been more aggressive, some critics argue.
     Thompson could have pointed out that many presidents have lied to the people about war and the reasons for war, they say.
     "Eisenhower assured the American people we were not flying spy planes over Russia after the Russians shot down the U-2 piloted by Gary Powers. Johnson lied about the Vietnam War and Nixon lied about expanding the war and the bombings. Reagan and Bush the Elder lied about Nicaragua and Iran-Contra and Grenada, and Clinton lied about getting blowjobs," said Don Emsberg of the Washington-based Presidents Lie Research Institute. "And don't get me started on Kissinger. That's a whole other research institute."
     Meanwhile, people protesting Chung's choice to continue working at CNN while working for the Bush Administration War Machine have posted an email address on the internet where people can protest: conniechungtonight@cnn.com.