CNN makin' it up as they go? (Letterman bit)

[LunaC]

Letterman recently showed a clip of Smirk giving a speech with a tubby kid standing right behind him, bored out of his mind! The kid was antsy, looking at his watch, yawning and - I swear - literally sleeping where he stood. We're talkin' B-O-R-E-D!

As Dave told it on Tuesday night, CNN picked up the clip but at the end of it the Talking Head adds "The White House has informed us that the child was digitally added." NO HE WASN'T! Letterman throws a fit.

CNN shows the same clip later in the day but now a different Talking Head says "The White House has informed us that the child wasn't digitally added but the child wasn't standing where he was shown in the clip." THAT'S NOT TRUE EITHER! Letterman is incredulous.

While Dave is ranting over the utter bullshit being promoted by CNN and - supposedly - the WH, the producer cuts in to tell Dave "The WH just called to say they never made any comments about the clip."

WTF?

Did anybody else catch this?

Is CNN makin' up shit as they go along and trying to smear something as innocuous as a comedy bit in a twisted effort to "save face" for Smirk? Or is the WH stooping lower than low and then denying culpability?

Either way, it illustrates how CNN has totally lost the concept of integrity and journalistic standards even over the Small Stuff!

[murielm99]

1. Letterman has been awesome lately.

I hope he has good security people, and nothing in his past that they can turn into an overblown scandal.

[rumguy]

2. Someone is lying through their fucking teeth here

Either CNN or the Whitehouse, take your pick.

[berner59]

3. anywhere to find this clip??

I saw it twice yesterday and couldn't believe the comments by CNN and when I watched it again, I noticed the kid was next to different people I think...something did look strange...but I also noticed the guy next to the kid looked at him a few times...

I would believe Dave over CNN though ANYDAY!!

[Bandit]

39. Man do you make it hard

:shrug: I am not able to pick who is most likely to have lied. I guess it would be the Whitehouse because that is all they do where as CNN only does it half the time. Sad commentary on America.

[tom_paine]

46. My guess: both

Like saying Stalin and Pravda are BOTH full of shit.

[JohnyCanuck]

4. According to Dave, it was CNN that called to make the correction

not the White House. In the meantime Dave had already called the White House liars because, according to CNN's original story, it was the White House who had been claiming that the clip had been doctored.

After reading the confession from CNN that they admitted to putting out the false story that the tape had been altered, Dave played off on how this White House treats people like Clarke and O'Neill and put on an act about being worried he was going to be in some big, big trouble now and he was going to be audited by the IRS and get taken off to jail in handcuffs.

On Letterman they showed one of the CNN morning female hosts ( don't know her name) commenting on the video clip after it was first shown on CNN. She appeared noticeably annoyed at the thought that Dear Leader was made to look bad by a low life, late night comedian manipulating a video clip.

[LunaC]

5. That makes more sense

that CNN called the Letterman show while in progress rather than the WH.

Did CNN think they could blather utter and complete bull and nobody would notice?

This is absolutely effin' amazing!

[ModerateMiddle]

33. The Letterman show is taped in the afternoons

and not aired until the evening hours - so something else is kinda fishy, really. No one could have called while they were taping, because they wouldn't have seen his "LIE!" comment, right?

So, what's the real deal?

[BrotherBuzz]

34. That the piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit

You don't suppose Bush* et al had plants in the audience? You know, dudes with curly wires stuck in their ears and a weird habit of talking into their wrists. Does everyone know April fool's day is tomorrow?

[JohnyCanuck]

40. Could this be it

Someone at Letterman gave CNN a heads up (either officially or unofficially) that they would be doing a segment on the show that CNN was full of shit re. the CNN spin on the video. CNN frantically checks around to see who is responsible for starting this story and finds out it's one of their own toadies and not the White House. CNN gets on the blower to Letterman's show after he's already starting to tape with their mea culpa confession.

[rumguy]

7. Wait. Letterman defended Clarke?

Holy shit.

[JohnyCanuck]

14. Not directly

After telling the audience that CNN had confessed the story about the doctored video tape came from CNN and not the White House, Dave just hammed it up a bit and made a pretend big deal about how much trouble he was in for calling the White House liars (based on the CNN story) now that we all know how the White House attacks dissenters.

[Kickin_Donkey]

42. Nah, they won't use the IRS to punish Letterman.

They'll use the FCC to Stern him.

[tandot]

6. Did anyone here complain to CNN? I didn't see it but would like to email

them.

I'll have had enough with all those lies. Freepers complain all the time to the media about anything they don't like.

Can anyone give me more details? Who said that Letterman's tape was edited?

Thanks

[LunaC]

8. CNN's Talking Heads claimed it was edited.

I just checked Dave's site and they don't have anything up yet from Tuesday's show but here's what they wrote about Monday's clip....

"GEORGE W. BUSH INVIGORATING AMERICA’S YOUTH – We see the
President giving a speech in front of an audience. Behind him stand many
local supporters. One supporter is a youth of approximately 14 years old. He
looks to be “all boy,” dressed in his baseball cap. As the President gives his
speech, we see the youth yawn, yawn some more, stare at the sky, check
his watch, yawn, check his watch, bend over, yawn, and rub his face. No, the
youngster wasn’t invigorated by the President’s speech, but I have a feeling
he was going to be “invigorated” minutes later when his father got his hands
on him. The kid’s father shot him a look early in the piece but the kid pretty
much ignored his dad, knowing there wasn’t anything dear old dad could do
at that moment. "

[rumguy]

9. I'm trying to find the CNN trascript of this

What show was it on, when?

[LunaC]

11. Letterman's Tuesday night show - March 30

Letterman showed the original clip of the speech and the kid, then he showed the CNN clip claiming the kid was digitally added (according to the WH), then he showed the second CNN clip saying the kid wasn't added but his position in the crowd was moved (again, per the WH.) Clearly CNN wanted to give the impression that Letterman had intentionally doctored the clip. When Dave blasted CNN's lies to millions of LateNight viewers, CNN was quick to call in and say that the WH never made any comments at all. Uh-huh.

I've been all over his site and can't find Tuesday's clip or anything about the CNN lies. Maybe it will be posted later....dunno!

[rumguy]

12. What about the CNN show? Was it the morning show?

[LunaC]

15. Don't know what time CNN aired the clip

but they aired it twice with two different Talking Heads (both female) with two different stories about what the WH supposedly said about the clip.

Total utter bullshit!

[peekaloo]

18. I believe it was Darin Kagan (sp?) who started the WH story

He showed both CNN clips Kagan was the first, she didn't seem amused. The second clip showed a woman anchor laughing and stating the kid was there but had been digitally altered.

[Cooley Hurd]

28. Soledad O'Brien also insinuated it was faked...

...on her show. :eyes:

They are just making shit up...

Transcript from CNN's American Morning program

<snip>
HEMMER: You think that's real?

O'BRIEN: No. No.

HEMMER: Those pictures are too darned good.

O'BRIEN: You guys don't think that's real, right?

HEMMER: That's right.

O'BRIEN: No. It is not.

HEMMER: The first thing seems real, yes. It goes along with that sleep story.
</snip>

[SoCalDem]

29. DURING an interview, one time, Wolfie INTERRUPTED

a guest to tell them that "a whitehouse spokesman had JUST called him to tell him that 'whatever the guest was saying' was not true..

They HAVE to have an open line to their "live stuff", or they could not just get through the switchboard that quickly...and to an on-air "newsreader"..


My guess is that the "live feed" goes directly to the WH "_disinformation center" in the basement.. There is probably a person on every channel, with an open line to the on-air person at every single one...

[SOS]

30. We have our proof

that CNN works for the Bush campaign.
Of course, we DUers already knew that.

[ParanoidPat]

37. You mean this? Heh heh heh.....

.....:evilgrin:

CONCEPT PAPER

Working Group on Preventive and Preemptive Military Intervention

William W. Keller and Gordon R. Mitchell1
Project Coordinators

<snip>

U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for an FBI investigation into the forgery of documents cited by President Bush and Secretary Powell as proof of Iraq’s nuclear transactions with Niger. As Rockefeller explained in a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller: “There is a possibility that the fabrication of these documents may be part of a larger deception campaign aimed at manipulating public opinion and foreign policy regarding Iraq.”26

The timeliness of Rockefeller’s proposed inquiry was underscored by the appearance of official documents that lay out official American deception plans: "In a document last autumn, the joint chiefs of staff stressed the need for strategic deception and influence operations as tools of war. The army, navy and air force have been directed to devise plans for information warfare."27

According to defense analyst William Arkin, the Bush strategy lays out goals for information warfare that pursue D5E: "destruction, degradation, denial, disruption, deceit, and exploitation." Arkin notes that the wide array of sites and practices of information control brought into the range of this policy "blurs or even erases the boundaries between factual information and news, on the one hand, and public relations, propaganda and psychological warfare on the other."28

This fusion of military deception programs with media propaganda efforts enabled the Office of Strategic Influence to commission officers from the U.S. Army's Psychological Operations Command to work as interns in the news division of CNN.29

Eventually, the Bush Administration was burned by the political heat generated when the Office of Strategic Influence was leaked to the media. The ensuing firestorm of controversy prompted Secretary Rumsfeld to close the propaganda unit. Yet less than a year later, Rumsfeld stipulated that his action had only been symbolic, and that information warfare missions were still underway at other Pentagon offices: And then there was the Office of Strategic Influence. You may recall that. And “oh my goodness gracious isn't that terrible, Henny Penny the sky is going to fall.” I went down that next day and said fine, if you want to savage this thing, fine, I'll give you the corpse. There's the name. You can have the name, but I'm gonna keep doing every single thing that needs to be done and I have.30

The political implications of blurring military strategic deception and public sphere propaganda are worth exploring, given Arkin's concerns about military deception that "while the policy ostensibly targets foreign enemies, its most likely victim will be the American electorate."31 :)

<More>

[LibertyorDeath]

45. Contact the cnn propaganda machine

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/cnntv/

[0007]

10. Hey LunaC, thank you for the well perceptive observation.

I didn't see it but I sure enjoyed hearing about Letterman making fun of junior.

Please send CNN a copy of your post.

[goforit]

13. Yep, I saw it and yes I was in shock and awe......Proof that CNN = WH.

This is unbelievable!!!

Outrageous!!!

This needs to be brought up with Congress!!!

How can the WH dictate the News!!!!

What are the Constitutional legal ramifications on this!!!

Looks like Poppy Bush and Barbie Bush don't like any jokes about
their baby boy!!!!

They are all a bunch of psychological misfits!!!

[LunaC]

16. Who DO we complain to (other than CNN)?

You'd think there'd be some kind of law against this type of blatant fabrication!

[Liberal in Ohio]

17. i still don't understand

what happened?

[northern]

19. Why don't you write to the FCC?

Oh .... sorry..... I forgot that General Mai Lai's son is the director.

[bookman]

20. Letterman is taped

So how do they send a message mid-show?

Something not right here.

[peekaloo]

21. Dave's a sly one

He ranted on and on about calling the White House LIARS and now it will result in a tax audit/legal trouble of some kind.

Tee Hee.

[LunaC]

22. Good point!

Don't have an answer for you about CNN calling in while Letterman's show was being taped.

Nevertheless, the clips of CNN making false accusations and attributing them to the WH (whether true or not - who knows?) is damnable in and of itself.

[Neecy]

23. I think

That CNN did indeed get this from the WH (gee, let's ask John King) and are now covering for the facists. Do we really think they pulled this White House thing out of a clear blue sky? Uh-uh.

[Viking12]

24. Here's the transcript from CNN

CNN

SHOW: CNN LIVE TODAY 10:00

March 30, 2004 Tuesday

KAGAN: One more note, from the wise acres at "The David Letterman Show," whoever said that politics wasn't stimulating, even at a late hour, take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNTIED STATES: Need to maintain spending discipline in our nation's capital. I've had plans to protect small business owner and employees...

I actually did vote for the 87 billion...

(APPLAUSE)

... state house members, all the local officials. The high sheriff is with us today.

(LAUGHTER)

... if you're worried about the quality of the education.

(LAUGHTER)

We stand for the fair treatment of faith-based groups, who will receive federal support for their work.

(LAUGHTER)

... will not happen on my watch.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: What is funnier, the kid or that everybody around him -- not a single person even reacts to those hijinks?

Had to share that giggle there.

We'll take a look at weather, coming up in just a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: All right, had a good giggle before the break, that video from David Letterman. We're being told by the White House that the kid, as funny as he was, was edited into that video, which would explain why the people around him weren't really reacting. So that from the White House.


Edit: Transcript lifted from Lexis-Nexis

[LunaC]

25. NICE FIND!

Thanks!

[Viking12]

26. Later in the day

SHOW: LIVE FROM... 13:00

March 30, 2004 Tuesday

Transcript # 033004CN.V85

And now a cautionary tale about the hazards of dragging your kids to political events. "The Late Show With David Letterman" presents a political speech as seen through the eyes of a young boy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Need to maintain spending discipline in our nation's capital.

I've got plans to protect small business owner and employees -- I actually did vote for the 87 billion -- with all your heart. -- all the local officials, the sheriff is with us today -- you're worried about the quality of the -- we stand for the fair treatment of faith- based groups -- this will not happen on my watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: OK. We're told that that kid was there at that event, but not necessarily standing behind the president. So you can put it all together.

Transcript courtesy of Lexis-Nexis

[Blue_Roses]

27. Saw it and Dave

looked pissed!

[liveoaktx]

31. Joke

[Catherine Vincent]

32. do you have the video?

I'd like to see it again.

[ParanoidPat]

41. Hi Dac_76! Great first post!

Welcome to DU! :hi: You'll fit right in here. :evilgrin:

[qanda]

35. It seems the Bush* administration cannot take responsibility for anything

Not even their own "prop people".

[proud patriot]

36. This has got to be the most stupid thing the WH has chosen to lie about

:silly:

[RapidCreek]

38. WHAT DAVE SHOULD ASK and STATE....

The White House? Who at the White House? Give me a name. Let's put it on the record. I think it's time we start nailing down who exactly are members of the Rovian Propoganda Office.....We also should nail down who their functionaries are at CNN. I mean it's only fair, right? What have they got to be afraid of if truth is on their side?

RC

[FlaGranny]

43. I agree with everyone

this has to be the stupidest thing to lie about in all of history. The reactions of an adolescent to a political speech given by another adolescent??

[rumguy]

44. from CBS website

Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Show #2145
by Michael Z. McIntee
([e-mail])
News From The Late Show Home Office

Last night we showed a clip of the President giving a speech. Behind him stood a lad who was obviously bored silly. The 14-year-old or so yawned, scratched, yawned, yawned, checked his watch, bent over, stared at the ceiling, and then fell asleep during the President's speech. It was very funny. So funny, in fact, that CNN replayed the clip Tuesday during their broadcasts. But, but, but, the first time is was shown, CNN anchorwoman Daryn Kagan reported that the White House said the clip was a total fake, it was merely the Late Show having fun with their ability to edit and do TV tricks. Dave says what the CNN reporter said was an out and out 100% lie. A couple hours later, CNN anchor person Kyra Phillips reported that the kid was at the speech but not where the Late Show had him. Dave again makes the claim, "That's an out and out absolute 100% lie. That kid was exactly where we said he was." It's true. The speech was at a Florida Rally on March 20th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Dave is irked that the White House was trying to make him look like a jerk. But he's glad he got his side of the story out in the open.

[LunaC]

47. This is a good example to throw at the Pugs

when their heads implode during the upcoming Condi testimony and they continue to point to Clarke as the liar.....

"Hey, the WH is so pathetic with their distortions they can't even tell the truth about a harmless comedy piece!"

Nice thread, all. Thanks!

[LunaC]

48. This is a good example to throw at the Pugs

when their heads implode during the upcoming Condi testimony and they continue to point to Clarke as the liar.....

"Hey, the WH is so pathetic with their distortions they can't even tell the truth about a harmless comedy piece!"

Nice thread, all. Thanks!

[salin]

49. How did I miss this whole story?

Honestly thought the kid was added once he started dancing. It is real? And the WH tried to "fight" it? LOL too, too funny.

[Paradise]

50. I swear, I remember that kid! n/t

[Must_B_Free]

51. kick

so I can find it

[Mari333]

52. I heard today on the radio that CNN's viewership was down by 56%

I certainly hope thats true.

[Leilani]

53. But all the viewers that CNN is losing

are going over to FOX.

[VolcanoJen]

54. Gothic_Sponge has the Video!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1323494

Thanks, Gothic!! You totally rock. :-)