Tony Blankley complains about the “mediocrity” of the Washington press corps—in other words, the pot calls the kettle black.

Tony Blankley is a faggot. He is a pompous, fatcat, idiot who wraps his straw aruments in the flag. If you watch him on the Mclaughlin Group, you’ll see that he rarely has anything to add to the conversation. It usually consists of him “correcting the facts” then throwing in some inconsequential tid-bit. Even worse, he tries desperately to be insightful and inspiring with his “masterful eloquence.” Too bad he has that annoying British accent. Sorry Fat Tony...you’re always going to be a half-assed fatbody.

Clear proof Cheney was lead architect in prosecuting an illegal war of choice for oil in Iraq:  “the worst I ever felt in my life was seeing my friend fall” (after I shot him with birdshot at 30 yards.

Shouldn’t Cheney be feeling worse every day for the soldiers and families that have been maimed and killed in Iraq? 

He felt bad because of his love...for himself, realizing this will bring him into the public eye as an incompetent at what he does best, hunting.

These elitist heirs to wealth and power don’t care about the disadvantaged.  You’ve got to walk with the poor, sick and sinners to understand and care.  Bush and Cheney have avoided the very persons they need to learn from.

Loved the article and loved the comments even more.  It is a trite point to raise again and again about the American press corp.  Having said that, Cheney and Co. were just as complicit in using..what was it again (??): “...mediocrity, groupthink, a lack of curiosity and rampant careerism” in releasing the information about Cheney shooting a 78 year old senior citizen.  Truthdig has an article about Cheney being, of all things, drunk on that day.  Let’s not be surprised by the press’ reaction to Cheney’s mishap.  In the end, it was he who shot a 78 year old man.  For that, Cheney should get all the scrutiny in the world if not more.  If I’m not mistaken, most of us mere mortals would have had to visit court and faced some jail time, depending on past behavior.  But, I guess that’s irrelevant to Cheney and Co.

While it may be so that this is an issue of little importance in the great scheme of things it is very interesting that this episode gives us more insight into the CHARACTER of Dick Cheney.

What I find truly amazing about this story is the nature of the huntin’ that these ole boys get up to ... we’re not talking 3 days camping in the bush creeping up on bears here!  It takes real toughness to be the kind of man that can send out other people’s children to have their lives and bodies mangled and bloodied, to order and defend torture and to be the one willing to take public flack so that all your mates can get rich.  This is the kind of toughness that can only be expressed by huntin’ wild varmints.  I get the image of 18th century British gentlemen on safari getting transported on an elephant to a place where hundreds of brown-skinned servants banging pots & pans have flushed out a tiger.  Mind you this is a bit different ... I understand that if those pen-raised quail turn on you it can get quite nasty.

I enjoy hearing Tony Blankley on KCRW ... I enjoy reading and listening to Christopher Hitchens.  There are so few right wing thinkers amidst the O’Reillys, Coulters and Limbaughs (from whom there is no logic to refute).  In this case I think Tony has come to the right conclusion for all the wrong reasons.

Of course Cheney tried to cover this up!  He was embarrassed for goodness sake and afraid of the consequences.  It is exactly akin to covering up a marital infidelity (remember that in the last administration?  Another perfectly ordinary course of action which many people would take in the circumstances).

The difference between Tony’s logic and most of the readers on this site is that he somehow doesn’t see that most of the issues he rightly says are more pressing than this shooting accident should be grounds for prosecution (or at least political defeat) for Cheney/Bush.  Or, if there was fairness in the world, the two of them would be chucked into Guantanamo without charge or trial for a few years of “coercive interrogation” just because most of the world population think they deserve it. 

I think most of us would prefer that law would be evenly applied and allowed to run its course.  It is unfortunate that the nature of power in the world will mean that the likes of Cheney & Bush will probably never see the inside the prison cell they should be spending the rest of their lives in ... but not for a shooting accident!

Tony Blankely is,as is Patrick Bucchanon, the ever present defender of the extremely right [never wrong] Republican agenda. The “TRUTHDIG” website retains a high level of equality by displaying opposing views and I am enriched by this exchange.
It is mentioned and not by Mr. Blankely as it would defeat his purpose to mention this; the ISSUE is disregard for conventional law by V.P. Chaeny,the local and state law offices, and apparently Tony Blankley.What happened to a “Shooting Inquest”? May it be possible the $7.00 License fee was not for Hunting Quail only.

Obviously Mr. Cheney is more important than good reporting in that it keeps the people entertained by not reporting news that is more important and just might click on a few lights in the upper story of the peoples minds.....like the war in Iraq, the death and killing of Iraqi’s, the deaths and wounded of the American soldiers, the institution of an election that put Shi’ites into power, who are now killing the Sunni’s.

What a mess - but dang it all...Mr. Cheney seems to be much more important than all of the above.

You have to hand it to those reporters more concerned with nonsence than the real news of the world and its increasing instability in the Middle East.

Tony,

After reading comments #4050 and #4057, I don’t guess you’ll be coming back to this page to see any more of our “comments.” (Steady on team.)

If by chance you do, I’m not sure anybody who is hurling all that invective at you is getting what you wrote. You weren’t defending Bush anywhere in there as far as I can see. And I don’t get the sense that you are “one of them” as someone claims, though who knows?

What I thought you were criticizing was the American Press Corps, which I think you described aptly.

There was outrage I hear at some of the briefings. There were people yelling at poor [sic] Scott McClellan, all sorts of rancor and outrage. Even displays of journalistic integrity. Over this … hunting accident? Does anyone believe it wasn’t an accident? A violation of the law? A $7.00 hunting license? We want to get him for that? Let’s get Arnold while we’re at it for failing to get the “M” stamped on his driver’s license so he can ride a motorcycle.

The point you are making (if I have it right) is that the Press in America can’t manage to bring this same level of integrity to pressing, complex political stories. I’d ask the same question (though from a far more leftward leaning partisan viewpoint)- but where was all this journalistic integrity and professional outrage on the constant obfuscations and GroupSpeak coming from the Press Secretary and the Administration for all these years and on all these other matters of comparable (!) interst?

They usually take Scott Mcllellan’s word for it on nearly everything. Why not this one? Could it be they can’t wade through the complexities of (I love this list, by the way): “Iran’s nuclear weapons development, the election of Hamas terrorists in Palestine, ongoing worldwide Muslim riots and killing in reaction to cartoons, Al Gore’s near sedition while speaking in Saudi Arabia, the turning over of our East Coast ports to be managed by a United Arab Emirates firm, the criminal leaking of vital NSA secrets to The New York Times, Mexican military incursions across our southern border, the Iraqi crisis, Congress’ refusal to deal with the developing financial collapse of Social Security and Medicare …”

Aside from the Al Gore comment (which I found unnecessary and characteristically bitchy, Tony) you were citing things you felt the Press should be more alert to, more aggressive about. I agree. Does anyone disagree?

So why the hate mail?

Could it be that you guys have it so right that it’s just as frightening as I sometimes think? Could it be people started writing hateful statements to “Brand Blankley” without much caring what it was you wrote (or before they read it carefully)? Are we that “locked” in to our political thought? How will we ever move away from this internecine Red State/Blue State, Hatfields & McCoys paralysis then?

Or worse, could it be that we (liberals, progressives) are all so well-mastered as a political segment that we will actually divert ourselves into taking Cheyney up on the “hunting thing”, while giving him a hall pass on the hard stuff like the Halliburton thing, the Libby thing, the Iraq thing, the Oil Deal thing, the God Only Knows what else thing?

I don’t want Cheyney for this. There’s no “there” there on this.

We disagree ideologically, but I just don’t get these reactions.

Why are all of you so worked up over this? Tony’s article is at least as accurate as the rest of the crap about this.  Y’all are wasting time and energy on crap like this. No wonder the repubs keep kicking your asses!

Blankley,
You are an arrogant ass, right out of the school of your former boss, Gingrich. You assholes will defend any patriarachal bullshit you rightwing asshole spew.
If this is to be a country of laws, then we all must follow them. A shooting occured, the vp at least had the obligation to speak to the police and clear the air, immediately, hence their wouldn’t have been as much hoopla.
But no, you clowns think you answer to no one, but the universe has a way of correcting things and all this ungovernace is coming back to haunt you clowns. Everything is going up in flames and I am thrilled to be watching.

Dear sh-t for brains Blankley,

So what did Unka Karl pay for that nonsense, the standard 30 pieces of silver or are you on the $250.000 plan or is your publisher Satan picking up the tab? 

Just curious Robert why you’d let some seditious traitor like Tony Blankley rant this BS in here? Don’t we get enough of this garbage from the main stream fascist media? Nail’em up I say. Nail some sense into them!

Your liberal blue state pal,
Ernest

Mr Blankley, you are certainly correct that the press core in general has been terribly weak on this administration and isn’t giving us good information nor following up on real stories. It’s true that the shooting “incident” isn’t as big as the White House press corp made it out to be. However, you miss two terribly important points. First is that the VP is out hunting, not following rules of safe hunting and shoots someone. It could have been the VP who was shot. Second is that, as always, this administration tried to cover it up. What the story was is that the VP shot someone and the administration wouldn’t tell us what was happening. They tried to cover it up. Maybe they did it on purpose to cover up all the really important stories but the truth is that the American people don’t care about those things. This Cheney incident can be turned into a reality TV show, Al Gore’s speech won’t get good ratings. Maybe if the Bush administration just started telling the truth for one full week, the press corps wouldn’t latch on to such unimportant stories.

Marc

Tony, don’t try to change the subject.
The outrage over this story is not that the NY Times was not notified. I personally could care less which media outlet first reported it. Rather the outrage is that Cheney was not interviewed by the proper AUTHORITIES until many hours later.
You cannot defend this and you cannot blame critics of the Vice President for assuming the worst. The worst being that he was under the influence of alcohol and that is why he avoided authorites.
Since you cannot defend, you change the subject . . .

As I was reading this article I was thinking that he was right.  I haven’t been too impressed with Washington joournalists myself in how forthcoming they are about ferreting out stories. They stood by when Bush insisted on invading Iraq; and didn’t yowl when there is a constant list of errors and omissions on the empire’s part.  Did you see the list of choices on the Colbert Repor(t) as to a Scott McClellan excuse?  So, whatever the writer’s motivation, let’s get behind him in questioning the media and wondering where the fourth estate is when we need them.

Well dear readers, I am so amazed when people ask, How and why is it the leaders of the Repulsive Party, (oh!! pardon me, I mean the Republican party)let this gang of mad men get away with all of this crazy BS. Some would say they the GOP is full of nitwits. I however, don’t believe that to be the case. Thus, the facts of the matter is quite clear (BLACKMAIL), Here you have a group of men who are so concern about their secrete coming out that they would stand before the American people and proclaim Bush to be the second coming if call upon to do so. What is it they fear, not cheating on the old wife..,How about FRANKLIN CREDIT UNION,and their interactions with little boys and the photos to prove it. Moreover, the press knows such to be true, and from time to time refers to the GOP as Good OLD Purverts, Let the truth be known! Their shooting something alright if you know what I mean, the question remains what role did the press play.

Mr. Blankley, Unlike so many Republican canards, this story is not a diversion.  Mr. Cheney put himself above the law, did not have the appropriate licenses for the activity he was engaged in, and his initial strategy blamed the victim and his own subordinates for the disaster he created.  We still don’t actually know what happened when Mr. Cheney shot Mr. Whittington.  Accounts are contradictory and the physics, I know how inconvenient science can be, but so far it doesn’t add up. 
I am thankful the press corps have finally sunk their teeth into something.  It helps the story hang around that we all get on some level that Mr. Cheney’s behavior on the Armstrong Ranch is so like his behavior elsewhere.

“In the absence of any pressing news these days—other than Iran’s nuclear weapons development crisis, the election of Hamas terrorists in Palestine, ongoing worldwide Muslim riots and killing in reaction to cartoons, Al Gore’s near sedition while speaking in Saudi Arabia, the turning over of our East Coast ports to be managed by a United Arab Emirates firm, the criminal leaking of vital NSA secrets to The New York Times, Mexican military incursions across our southern border, the Iraqi crisis, Congress’ refusal to deal with the developing financial collapse of Social Security and Medicare, inter alia..”
_________________________________________________
No wonder, Mr. Blankly the world is screwed up! It’s because there are people like you in position of responsiblity, who are so fanatic irrationl thinkers to the point of not noticing the very obvious! All the litany of grievances you listed at the top of your piece of garbage, were actually created under the watch of evil Bush and gange, of which I am sure you are one. Frankly, your smelly piece made me feel like throwing up! In fact, you’re far more worse than the journalists you attack; surely you’re one of the worst, except that you are a little jealous that they earn close to what you earn for the price of deceiving the nation and misplacing the blame, when democracy has been highjacked by your evil Bush who is turning this country into a police state!

In what alternate reality do you live, Mr. Blankley?  You complain about someone rightfully telling the New York Times that George W. Bush is breaking the law by authorizing warrantless wiretaps in violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the 4th Ammendment, and falsely accuse Al Gore of “near sedition” in his speech in Saudi Arabia.

What planet are you living on?  Do you not see what is wrong in circumventing the FISA court to perform illegal surveillance on American citizens?  Clearly, you do not.

Which is probably why the only job you could get was at a right-wing rag in the business of lying to people, the Moonie Times.

Blankley,
I saw you once on some show discussing one thing
or the other. It was sickening-hearing your venom.
Than, another time I saw you and thought: good thing
I didn’t eat lunch yet.
You are nothing but a hating fool.
Is there anything you have going for you other than
hating anything Arabic, Muslim on the airwaves and
wait...that’s all you need...and that’s why clowns
like you get and keep their “jobs”: pass the litmus test-be an Israeli shill, an Israeli firster and
bash anyone who dares question that sacred cow-Israel-sure I get it.
I think what Al Franklin said about another
cultural illiterate appies to you Blankley:
-A big fat lying idiot.

I don’t often find myself applauding Tony Blankley when I hear him on KCRW, but, after reading this, I am clapping very loudly.

On the other hand, is he really surprised that the US is once again showing itself as the motherland of bread and circuses.

Tony, Tony, Tony!  What do the White House reporters’ salaries and stock options have to do with it?

Just more bright red herrings from one of the Reverend Moon’s employees.