WOW WOW WOW Michael Smith was awesome on Hardball ...

[sunnystarr]

Make sure to tune in for David Kay after the commercial. Smith said it all ... I am so thrilled to hear the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!!!

[wryter2000]

1. Okay, you convinced me

It hasn't been on here yet. Normally, I can't stomach that show, but if Tweety's off tonight, I'll give it a try.

[Nite Owl]

5. I never watch

and tuned in for this and it was worth it. He let Smith talk unlike Tweety.

[wryter2000]

38. He was good

I was pleasantly surprised.

[katmondoo]

6. You must see this, I wish David Gregory was on all the time

The UK reporter put to rest the idea that the minutes were fakes. He explained clearly how the paper used a lawyer to protect the evidence. Only the photo copies were destroyed not the originals.

[DisassemblingHisLies]

22. I agree! David Gregory rocked!

One thing, though - he should have included Michael Smith in the conversation about the British meaning of the term "fixed the intelligence around..." instead of allowing these two pro-Bush pundits to speculate. Their assumptions were good only for the purpose of propaganda.

[Applan]

24. But here is what Smith said about the meaning of "fixed"

Why don't these idiots on cable TV get themselves better informed:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion...

Michael Smith: There are number of people asking about fixed and its meaning. This is a real joke. I do not know anyone in the UK who took it to mean anything other than fixed as in fixed a race, fixed an election, fixed the intelligence. If you fix something, you make it the way you want it. The intelligence was fixed and as for the reports that said this was one British official. Pleeeaaassee! This was the head of MI6. How much authority do you want the man to have? He has just been to Washington, he has just talked to George Tenet. He said the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. That translates in clearer terms as the intelligence was being cooked to match what the administration wanted it to say to justify invading Iraq. Fixed means the same here as it does there. More leaks? I do hope so and the more Blair and Bush lie to try to get themselves off the hook the more likely it is that we will get more leaks.

And as a Brit, I can myself assure you that fixed means exactly what Smith says it means. Period. as you yanks would say!

[DisassemblingHisLies]

32. TY, Applan.

Someone told me that Conyers would be visiting the UK soon to talk to those involved in that particular cabinet meeting, & that it would be very likely that those people will not feel under any obligation to hide any facts on behalf of Blair, unlike the political atmosphere in the U.S. under Bush's regime. I hope this is true.

This administration has played the semantics game since first taking (& I mean literally taking) office, & they know this particular "fixed around the intelligence" phrase is crucial & damaging. Among all the crucial information gathering, Conyers needs to have the author explain exactly what he meant by that language. In fact, I hope that Conyers will be able to persuade several of them to come to the U.S. to testify in a hearing.

[tenshi816]

34. What you said!

Amen to that - no one here in the UK thinks "fixed" in the sense it was used in the DSM means anything other than "manipulated" to fit however they wanted it to fit.

It's entertaining to watch the Republicans trying to change the meaning of the word though, innit?

[pgh_dem]

2. I agree! And what is it? 4 or 5 am in UK right now?

Keeping his s* together on such an important matter, when it looked like someone had just dumped him out of bed.

He was great, and extremely informative.

Still watchin...

[checks-n-balances]

3. Yes! But keep listening - next up are David Kay & James WOOLSLEY

a PNAC signatory. I wish the host would confront him about PNAC - that would really be news!!

[sunnystarr]

25. God I LOVE DU!!! I totally missed that Woolsley was PNAC

signatory. TY TY I love to be enlightened when I hear such crap coming out of someone's mouth.

[chieftain]

4. Amen! Thank you David Gregory and most of all thank you

Michael Smith.Now watch Woolsey lie. Kay's take should be very interesting.

[Moochy]

8. Woolsey lying his ass off

There's ambiguity over "fixed" BS!

[zoeb]

10. so is Kay!

:banghead:

[lala_rawraw]

20. Yep, Kay is lying, but more so... seems to have no

Clue what the hell anyone is talking about. Has he read the documents?

[eleny]

11. And with a straight face

[Nite Owl]

9. He came through

fixing doesn't mean 'fixing'. What does it mean then.

[fooj]

7. No kidding! Who needs Matthews? I'm liking Gregory!

:patriot:

[snowbird42]

12. Gregory got it right

Finally real reporting
This is great

[Ivote]

13. David Gregory Rocks

He should have his own show
:kick:

[lala_rawraw]

14. Yep and then...

The two showed up to cherry pick a sentence here and there and remove reality. Nevermind that one of the two is a PNAC signer (Gregory, you lost me at hello).

[chieftain]

17. Well I give Gregory credit for having Smith on, but

then it was back to the typical MSM game plan. Put 2 guys on who will support the Bush regime. I still count it as a win for the truth.

[Guaranteed]

15. I can't BELIEVE it. SOLID MSM COVERAGE, WITH THE TRUTH

about the DSM.

This has got to HURT them, SO FREAKING BADLY.

IMPEACH.

[snowbird42]

16. Yes, it is reporting

not grandstanding. Gregory is one of the best. You dont know his side.

[lala_rawraw]

19. On that I agree, I like Gregory, but

Woosley should have been identified as one of the PNAC signers because it is important to that discussion, very key.

[lala_rawraw]

18. NO, bad coverage... just sent memo to Brock...

There were many errors made, not the least of which was reducing 7 documents to one single memo.

[snowbird42]

23. You are right

But remember we know far more than Gregory does.
At least it was real and not putting it aside and laughing

More now on Keith

[lala_rawraw]

26. Now that was honest...

Thank you KO once again.

[Guaranteed]

30. Did you miss Michael Smith? He talked about all the memos. nt

[lala_rawraw]

31. No, Smith I saw and he was good of course

But the conversation was forced over and over to a single line of a single memo.

[flpoljunkie]

21. Kay:"Tempest in a teapot," my ass! Lying to congress and American people

to take a country to war is an impeachable offense, you Bush administration apologists.

[greenman3610]

27. when does this get repeated?

eastern time

[flpoljunkie]

28. HARDBALL is on again at 11PM, EST.

[Moochy]

29. Kay: Future good, past bad

Pish posh whats important is whats happening now (paraphrasing Kay)

(Yeah because what happened in the past holds indictable offenses.)

Let's review the RW talking points on the DSM:
* fixed = ?? who knows what with colour, bonnet and cricket.
* opinion of a british official only

and my favorite:

*Future good, past bad!

[ngGale]

33. OMG - the one time I miss "Hardball" ...

I would think Tweety didn't want to get involved with the Smith interview. He's a Bush man from the git-go. Glad he wasn't on, and I missed it twice tonight. :banghead:

[Disturbed]

35. I rarely watch Hardball because

Tweety puts on RWs that talk shit and he is schizoid but I did watch tonight to hear Michael Smith. He nailed it. Gregory is better than Tweety but the format still sucks. We need docs from the CIA &/or the Pentagon that prove the case of the Bush lies to Congress, though. The DSM docs are good but not conclusive proof.

[kentuck]

36. I was unable to watch Hardball last night but when I checked with DU...

There was a post that was totally opposite of this thread. When I read it, they were saying it more or less sucked?? Which is true?

[underpants]

37. I would say that after seeing him- the DSM are in good hands

Okay not the most experienced TV guy I have ever seen but he was steadfast and cut to the black-and-white. Gregory said that he destroyed the originals-no true SMith shot back and then detailed how he closely followed what the lawyers told him to do (return the originals after copying on to Time of London owned paper THEN having them retyped and shredding the copies which could be traced back to the source).

All in all he reminded me of the old newspaper "not ready for TV" type reporter. Old school in many ways.

He came off as very believeable ( me being as objective as possible) but he clearly knew how the war was sold and clearly was against it from the beginning. Lots of editorializing by him and Gregory and David Kay and James Woolsley (guests later on the report).