Calling H20 Man and the DU Plameologists! "Shuster, Fineman or Issikoff...Which?

[KoKo]

I've tried to follow this from all perspectives and Firedoglake and everything...but I still go to the Media Reporting to "Check out the Spin" of the "Libby Case."

Okay...to make a long story short: Given that Average Americans (not DU'er or Liberal Internet Activits) tune to some channesl for Hardcore News (and that includes Matthews, Tucker and Keith) THEN...my QUESTION IS:

WHO WOULD YOU BELIEVE? If you tune in early (before our little kiddies have homework or they are bedded down ...you'd check out Tweety) and then you'd tune in for Olbermann.

Here's what I'm asking: (if one takes out Live Blogging from FIREDOGLAKE) then you are left with MS Corporate Media...

SO which get's the HIGHEST GRADE ON PLAME OUTING REPORTING? David Shuster, Howard Fineman or Michael (Blue Dress)Issikoff?

[WinkyDink]

1. I would believe David Schuster, period.

[TahitiNut]

2. Yep. Isikoff and Fineman are both one layer of the onion of cover-ups behind.

Shuster's at the courthouse and does his homework. Both Fineman and Isikoff seem to be mailing it in or staffing it out. OF these two, Fineman kisses corporate butt a bit more happily.

[MADem]

5. He's kicking some serious ass. I'm with him, too. NT

[goforit]

34. yes... He is the most thorough so far.

[flyarm]

3. david Schuster.hands down..the others have been doing the Cheney dance

for 3 years now...the only one i trust in all of this in reporting is..Shuster..and Keith!

fly

[Missy Vixen]

4. I'm an amateur Plameologist

Considering the fact that media outlets are going to www.firedoglake.com for their coverage, that's whom I'm reading nowadays.

Check out their site visits for fun if you find yourself there -- it's pretty educational!

Julie
president for life of the PFEB

[H2O Man]

6. David Shuster = #1

Isikoff & Corn's book Hubris is good, too. But I really appreciate Shuster, and the quality of reporting he does on both Hardball and Countdown. (It's a giggle to read various "progressives" on the internet who continue to try to trash Matthews. Keep in mind the OVP/WHIG effort to discredit him.)

[TahitiNut]

8. I think most 'progressives' misunderstand Matthews' interest/obsession.

Matthews likes the GAME of politics. He's not an ideologue or "policy wonk." He's totally consumed by the moves, feints, attacks, and blows - the fight itself. He's looking at how people respond and whether it's effective - NOT whether it meets some political litmus test. Matthews fancies himself a street kid - looking for ways to score and get an advantage. In this sense, he's an atheist directing a church choir. It's about the performance, not the theology.

[H2O Man]

13. Some might.

Others might not be so "progressive." I like to browse through various sites, and take note that some people make about 1/2 of their comments attacks on Matthews. I don't think that Matthews is 1/2 the problems that progressive democrats are confronted with. On the other hand, people like Cheney and Libby seemed obsessed with him. They seemed to spend about 1/2 their time attacking him.

[eleny]

14. Well said!

But he also voted for W, as we now know. And it's hard not to lean a cheek over to the side of the fence you voted for. I do agree with you though - he does throw each side a morsel for the sake of the game.

[emulatorloo]

19. OTOH, He has never been a fan of Cheney

Or Rummy or any of the neo-con crowd. And Matthews has always thought this story was important.

Go watch him torch Tori Clarke on Iraq War rationale, if you haven't seen it before. Even if you have it is fun to watch.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/02/08/chris-toasts-torie/

[emulatorloo]

37. I must be an idiot by DU standards, but i LOVED tonight's Hardball

It was great Libby trial coverage.

[TahitiNut]

38. I am too, then. I thought it was as good as we get.

Tweety doesn't bother me. I don't think he's trying to be sneaky ... not like Wolf Blitzer. I sure don't have to agree with people - I just don't like hypocrisy and deceit. I don't see much of that with Tweety.

[KoKo]

42. Interesting observance about Matthews...

Maybe the "atheist directing the church choir" is what gets some of us so angry with him... interesting.

[CatWoman]

10. nope

H20 Man = #1

:hi:

[H2O Man]

11. You are kind.

Are you watching Keith O now?

[TahitiNut]

12. Shuster on KO right now.

He's very good.

[CatWoman]

15. yup

Wolffe making great observations: "they said they were thinking and worrying about the War on Terror, but these tapes show just the opposite".

Cheney and Bush's credibility is in the hole. big time.

[H2O Man]

16. Our friend Malcolm X

used to say that he knew he was doing well when the things he said made his enemies squeal. It's fun to listen to the Libby tapes, and hear how things like Wilson's op-ed and Hardball upset the folks in the OVP. Ha!

[NewJeffCT]

23. Is Cheney that thin-skinned?

I mean, there has been so much BS out there about Bush that has just died for lack of MSM interest. If Cheney, Bush, etc had chosen to ignore Wilson's article, I can't imagine it generating that much steam where Bush's approval ratings would have fallen drastically.

Reporter at WH Briefing: "Would you care to comment on the article in the NY Times by Joe Wilson alleging that Iraq did not purchase uranium from Niger?"

Ari Fleischer: "It's not worth commenting on, as Wilson was not our only source of information. And, the president did say "Africa" and not "Niger" in his speech."

[KoKo]

24. Good Points........what else can one say......

thanks.

[Patsy Stone]

7. David Shuster

Just reporting, no spinning. He's been the best one for a long time.

[sandnsea]

9. Cheney Outed Valerie Plame

I've got that loud and clear. Where are the Democrats asking why this Administration dragged this country through the time and expense of an investigation when Cheney knew he was the guilty party all along. What's Bush going to do with him now?

Issikoff makes a good point though. They were pretending they couldn't declassify the NIE to protect intelligence sources - the truth was they were hiding the LACK OF INTELLIGENCE.

[Duer 157099]

20. I heard Fineman also make this point

and that Cheney was fully within his legal authority to do so -- and that comment went unchallenged.

HOW DO WE KNOW THIS IS TRUE?

Everything that I've read refers to the NIE as the "classified" info that was insta-declassified.

Where has it been determined that "declassifying" a CIA covert agent falls into that realm of authority?

[sandnsea]

26. Are they above the law?

Can Bush just sign Executive Orders to stipulate the law is whatever he wants it to be?? Then you've got Waxman and the EO that says employees can't sue war contractors. Then you've got the pallets of money. What the fucking hell. And on TV they're bickering over votes instead of the actual war. Aaargh!!

[Duer 157099]

27. It's insane, I know. I feel like screaming

OK, we know Bush and Cheney and all those guys are as crooked as they come, but what about Fitz? Surely Fitz has not bought into this insanity too?

Is this nation's only hope hanging by the little thread that Fitz keeps pulling at? Or am I just too optimistic (and if that's optimism, oh boy...)

[H2O Man]

28. It's not true. n/t

[Duer 157099]

29. I agree. But WHY is it that so few of us seem to know that?

And that it seems to have ceased to be a topic of discussion, because everyone seems to think the matter has been settled?

Help! H2O Man, you've been following this closely, what's your take?

[H2O Man]

30. I think you

started a thread on this; I answered it on there. The answer should put any concerns to rest.

[Duer 157099]

32. Thanks -- I just saw that after I posted here

:) I'm glad to know some of us still *get it*! I think too many have let it go because it got too difficult to follow, or they just swallowed the spin, or ... ?

I'm just really disturbed at how Fitz has seemingly abandoned everything else to go after this Libby perjury angle, and OF COURSE, my only hope in there is that Fitz is really going after a conspiracy charge against Cheney -- everything he is doing looks that way to me, but then he has surprised me in the past.

[seaglass]

33. I don't think it's true - I've heard/read the same as you and I

think Fineman was just conflating the two (the NIE declassification and the outing of a covert agent).

[Justitia]

17. Shuster, hands down. -eom

[emulatorloo]

18. Shuster. Fineman is basically a "commentator" not a reporter IMHO

Issikoff I don't quite trust.

[librechik]

21. Fineman Whore of the Year more than once

including at the MWO (god I miss that site)

Issikoff"discovered" Lewinsky and was a .willing volunteer in the War on Gore In short, I don't trust him although he has improved lately (not in time to stop the Iraq war parade. He was part of that too.)

Schuster appears to be a real journalist, even though his paycheck comes through major defense contractor GE and majorOperation Mockingbird gatekeeper, NBC..

[emulatorloo]

36. Fineman IMHO is really a "gossip" more than anything else

In a way I enjoy listening to him, in the same way I might enjoy watching "Best Week Ever" on VH1. I take it all with a big grain of salt.


ON EDIT -- I Could have this story below horrilbly wrong, but this is what I remember:

As to Issikoff, I remember reading that Linda Tripp and Lucienne Goldberg were shopping the Lewinski affair to him.

Paraphrasing from (MY HORRIBLE) memory, he said, Affair w the President, no big deal. Now on the otherhand, if the President was doing something like trying to get her a job, then that would be significant.

So Tripp runs to Lewinsky, who still innocently thinks Tripp is her good friend and says "You gotta tell the president to get you a job. He owes you that much after all you did for him and all he did to you."

[mmonk]

22. Schuster though he didn't comment as I recall

when discussing a note that "the pres" was scratched out. But if I was to pick, it would be David Schuster hands down.

[Duer 157099]

25. I noticed that too, and wondered

although to be fair, it would have opened up a whole 'nother discussion, maybe he just wanted to avoid that

But someone should be having that discussion

[Spazito]

31. David Shuster gets my vote, hands down

Both Fineman and Issikoff are less than thorough in their reporting, imo, put more opinion in their reporting and less facts. I find Fineman to be the worst, Issikoff slightly less depending on the subject matter.

[goforit]

35. My God, did any of y'all see wolf's lame coverage of Libby?

All he could discuss was Tim Russert go for nothing testimony.

And here Cheney is in the Cooker.

[Beausoir]

39. Shuster. And may I just add...on a completely shallow note....

David Shuster is a fine looking man.

I REALLY like to look at him, when he's talking about subpoenas and indictments.

He is very easy on the eyes. Gorgeous eyes, perfect skin and a beautiful mouth.

I like Shuster. (Even though he was wrong on the Rove indictment.)

[Blue_In_AK]

40. David Shuster has been on this from the beginning.

[Lugnut]

41. No contest

David Schuster.

[blogslut]

43. Murray Waas

He's the man. Read his stuff. It's tight.

EDIT: Forgot the link - http://whateveralready.blogspot.com/

[Gabi Hayes]

44. Waas is great, but he's no Tim Russert, or

Judy Miller

[H2O Man]

45. Thank goodness! n/t

[moondust]

46. Delete.