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	<title>Comments on: Big Media Party Head Tim Russert Dead</title>
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	<description>We started this website because we believe Senator Hillary Clinton will be an excellent 44th President of the United States.</description>
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		<title>By: Paul F. Villarreal (AKA Universal)</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176834</link>
		<dc:creator>Paul F. Villarreal (AKA Universal)</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:53:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176834</guid>
		<description>Hey Kirk Wagar:

&quot;You [expletive] (you);” “You [expletive] (you)!”

Ah, and Bambi is making metaphors about guns and knives just as his step brother tells the truth about Barack&#039;s &quot;Muslim background.&quot;

More grist for the mill.

An look there: Barack&#039;s peeps are looking to sock toys to try to call &#039;racist!&#039; Who would have imagined that?

Bravo to Mark Warner. Strickland, Bartoshevich, Ausman and now Warner. This is exactly what we need and all these heroes are coming through. 

Texan4Hillary -- 4 years under McCain won&#039;t be perfect, but it will be a lot better than being under a lying, corrupt &#039;gun&#039; guy. Many Americans like split governmental power and that is what a McCain presidency and a Democratic Congress will give us. If necessary, a Clinton can clean up after a McCain in 2012. ;)

*

&lt;i&gt;I just want to say again that &lt;b&gt;I read meiyingsu&#039;s post wrong, and I was wrong to attack her about it. I made the mistake of reading what was written in her post incorrectly&lt;/b&gt;. I&#039;m sorry, I messed up and I shouldn&#039;t have said what I said to her nor should I have invoked Sonia&#039;s name when discussing meiyingsu&#039;s post.&lt;/i&gt;

Kirk Wagar has already told me that &quot;(I) [expletive] Hillaryis44.org&quot; with what I wrote for those who want to know.

Just like &quot;Whitey&quot; and the guy who&#039;s step brother is exposing his Muslim past to the world, I broke it and so I gotta own it.

&lt;b&gt;I&#039;m sorry, meiyingsu. And I&#039;m sorry, Sonia.&lt;/b&gt; Also I&#039;m sorry for giving other His44&#039;ers the false impression of what meiyingsu had said.

It was my Bambi (mistake) and I hope you&#039;ll forgive me for it. Sonia has to forgive me twice, if she so chooses, because I have accused her of being a plant before.

I have made many mistakes, will make many more mistakes between now and Election Day. So long as our country doesn&#039;t make the &lt;i&gt;ultimate&lt;/i&gt; mistake of electing Bambi, I am more than ok with my own failures.

*

Regarding the black conservatives for Bambi article:

If this becomes a &#039;vote-by-race&#039; election, Bambi will be thrashed. So I don&#039;t, personally, have any problem with Armstrong Williams saying what he&#039;s saying. Let the working class whites catch wind of Bambi&#039;s AA support creeping up past 92% and see how that works for the Bambians.

It didn&#039;t work well in places like OH, PA, IN, WV, KY or Puerto Rico. And that was just the primaries. 

Again, if you&#039;re core support is 11% of the electorate, you are in trouble. If you get 9.5% of that 11% or 11% of that 11% doesn&#039;t matter. Because when the other 89% sees what&#039;s going on with the lockstepping and the disavowal of MLK&#039;s principles of content of character vs color of skin, the 11% candidate is going to take a huge drubbing at the polls. See recent polling in the Carolinas and compare that with Bambi&#039;s primaries there for a good reference point.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hey Kirk Wagar:</p>
<p>&#8220;You [expletive] (you);” “You [expletive] (you)!”</p>
<p>Ah, and Bambi is making metaphors about guns and knives just as his step brother tells the truth about Barack&#8217;s &#8220;Muslim background.&#8221;</p>
<p>More grist for the mill.</p>
<p>An look there: Barack&#8217;s peeps are looking to sock toys to try to call &#8216;racist!&#8217; Who would have imagined that?</p>
<p>Bravo to Mark Warner. Strickland, Bartoshevich, Ausman and now Warner. This is exactly what we need and all these heroes are coming through. </p>
<p>Texan4Hillary &#8212; 4 years under McCain won&#8217;t be perfect, but it will be a lot better than being under a lying, corrupt &#8216;gun&#8217; guy. Many Americans like split governmental power and that is what a McCain presidency and a Democratic Congress will give us. If necessary, a Clinton can clean up after a McCain in 2012. <img src='http://www.hillaryis44.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p><i>I just want to say again that <b>I read meiyingsu&#8217;s post wrong, and I was wrong to attack her about it. I made the mistake of reading what was written in her post incorrectly</b>. I&#8217;m sorry, I messed up and I shouldn&#8217;t have said what I said to her nor should I have invoked Sonia&#8217;s name when discussing meiyingsu&#8217;s post.</i></p>
<p>Kirk Wagar has already told me that &#8220;(I) [expletive] Hillaryis44.org&#8221; with what I wrote for those who want to know.</p>
<p>Just like &#8220;Whitey&#8221; and the guy who&#8217;s step brother is exposing his Muslim past to the world, I broke it and so I gotta own it.</p>
<p><b>I&#8217;m sorry, meiyingsu. And I&#8217;m sorry, Sonia.</b> Also I&#8217;m sorry for giving other His44&#8242;ers the false impression of what meiyingsu had said.</p>
<p>It was my Bambi (mistake) and I hope you&#8217;ll forgive me for it. Sonia has to forgive me twice, if she so chooses, because I have accused her of being a plant before.</p>
<p>I have made many mistakes, will make many more mistakes between now and Election Day. So long as our country doesn&#8217;t make the <i>ultimate</i> mistake of electing Bambi, I am more than ok with my own failures.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Regarding the black conservatives for Bambi article:</p>
<p>If this becomes a &#8216;vote-by-race&#8217; election, Bambi will be thrashed. So I don&#8217;t, personally, have any problem with Armstrong Williams saying what he&#8217;s saying. Let the working class whites catch wind of Bambi&#8217;s AA support creeping up past 92% and see how that works for the Bambians.</p>
<p>It didn&#8217;t work well in places like OH, PA, IN, WV, KY or Puerto Rico. And that was just the primaries. </p>
<p>Again, if you&#8217;re core support is 11% of the electorate, you are in trouble. If you get 9.5% of that 11% or 11% of that 11% doesn&#8217;t matter. Because when the other 89% sees what&#8217;s going on with the lockstepping and the disavowal of MLK&#8217;s principles of content of character vs color of skin, the 11% candidate is going to take a huge drubbing at the polls. See recent polling in the Carolinas and compare that with Bambi&#8217;s primaries there for a good reference point.</p>
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		<title>By: rgb44hrc</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176820</link>
		<dc:creator>rgb44hrc</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:26:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176820</guid>
		<description>rjk1957 Says:
June 14th, 2008 at 6:51 pm

What the hell is wrong with these republicans, just when things are looking pretty grim in Obamaland, Black republicans are thinking of voting for him. STOP drinking the water in DC it has been spiked!!

Black conservatives conflicted on Obama campaign 
&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;

Let&#039;s see how many are going to be crossing the aisle in what direction...

Black conservatives, who may not like Obama&#039;s policies, but want to vote for the first black candidate, are doing exactly what they say is &quot;wrong with America&quot;.  

&quot;You shouldn&#039;t vote for someone just because they are your color, your gender, your age.  Research the candidates and vote based on merit&quot;.

Now let&#039;s count all these &quot;Black Conservatives&quot;.  How many of them are there in this country?  138?

Now let&#039;s count the legions who are outraged at the Democratic party, who see them as fixing the nomination, and disenfranchising 18 million voters.  This includes the LIFEBLOOD of the Dem party: women, Latinos, middle/lower-class, GLBT, Asian Americans, union members, etc.  

In fact, I bet that the number of African American Democrats who cross over to vote for McCain will outnumber the Republican Obama crossovers, by like 10-1 margin.  That&#039;s not just Crazy Talk.  Think how many conservative Repubs there are, versus the 10% of AA Dems who did not support Obama in the primaries.  If half of that 10% are as angry as we are (and we&#039;ve seen some of them express their feelings here on this web site), that&#039;s easily more than the few black Republicans.

We are angry enough at the Dems, who don&#039;t represent us anymore, who aren&#039;t willing to stick up for their principles or their constituents, that we are going to exact our revenge by doing some &quot;remodeling&quot; this November.  

&quot;We remember what you did last summer&quot;.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>rjk1957 Says:<br />
June 14th, 2008 at 6:51 pm</p>
<p>What the hell is wrong with these republicans, just when things are looking pretty grim in Obamaland, Black republicans are thinking of voting for him. STOP drinking the water in DC it has been spiked!!</p>
<p>Black conservatives conflicted on Obama campaign<br />
&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s see how many are going to be crossing the aisle in what direction&#8230;</p>
<p>Black conservatives, who may not like Obama&#8217;s policies, but want to vote for the first black candidate, are doing exactly what they say is &#8220;wrong with America&#8221;.  </p>
<p>&#8220;You shouldn&#8217;t vote for someone just because they are your color, your gender, your age.  Research the candidates and vote based on merit&#8221;.</p>
<p>Now let&#8217;s count all these &#8220;Black Conservatives&#8221;.  How many of them are there in this country?  138?</p>
<p>Now let&#8217;s count the legions who are outraged at the Democratic party, who see them as fixing the nomination, and disenfranchising 18 million voters.  This includes the LIFEBLOOD of the Dem party: women, Latinos, middle/lower-class, GLBT, Asian Americans, union members, etc.  </p>
<p>In fact, I bet that the number of African American Democrats who cross over to vote for McCain will outnumber the Republican Obama crossovers, by like 10-1 margin.  That&#8217;s not just Crazy Talk.  Think how many conservative Repubs there are, versus the 10% of AA Dems who did not support Obama in the primaries.  If half of that 10% are as angry as we are (and we&#8217;ve seen some of them express their feelings here on this web site), that&#8217;s easily more than the few black Republicans.</p>
<p>We are angry enough at the Dems, who don&#8217;t represent us anymore, who aren&#8217;t willing to stick up for their principles or their constituents, that we are going to exact our revenge by doing some &#8220;remodeling&#8221; this November.  </p>
<p>&#8220;We remember what you did last summer&#8221;.</p>
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		<title>By: skmf12</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176819</link>
		<dc:creator>skmf12</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:22:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176819</guid>
		<description>sonia,

 people let things pass, and dont want to fight any big fights.
now it looks like 18 million voters are looking for a fight...  :)

and obama happens to be on the wrong side of this fight.
they thought they could hold onto that race card, and whip it out
if things got tough.
they thought, we would all back off, cause we would be afraid
of anyone branding us racist...

hhhmmmmm

seems like 18 million of us, dont give a f*ck, cause we arent
racist, and we arent going to let anyone tell us we are.
in fact, we caught them being the real racist, when old rev wright,
videos made prime time.

so that whole racist thing, not really working out for them... :)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>sonia,</p>
<p> people let things pass, and dont want to fight any big fights.<br />
now it looks like 18 million voters are looking for a fight&#8230;  <img src='http://www.hillaryis44.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>and obama happens to be on the wrong side of this fight.<br />
they thought they could hold onto that race card, and whip it out<br />
if things got tough.<br />
they thought, we would all back off, cause we would be afraid<br />
of anyone branding us racist&#8230;</p>
<p>hhhmmmmm</p>
<p>seems like 18 million of us, dont give a f*ck, cause we arent<br />
racist, and we arent going to let anyone tell us we are.<br />
in fact, we caught them being the real racist, when old rev wright,<br />
videos made prime time.</p>
<p>so that whole racist thing, not really working out for them&#8230; <img src='http://www.hillaryis44.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<title>By: admin</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176818</link>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:21:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176818</guid>
		<description>NEW ARTICLE UP.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>NEW ARTICLE UP.</p>
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		<title>By: SONIA4HILLARY</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176817</link>
		<dc:creator>SONIA4HILLARY</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:20:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176817</guid>
		<description>I gotta go guys ,i am just getting upset thinking about all those assholes bashing at hillary .
Everyday i tell myself -to stop blogging ,b/c its been disappointing experience -but i can,t help it -i get pulled to the computer ,b/c there is so much anger agaisnt media,obamas,bots and that rises me every morning and motivates me to blog and share links and encourage everyone else to keep going too .

I also blog at mccain site now because bote are there already -</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I gotta go guys ,i am just getting upset thinking about all those assholes bashing at hillary .<br />
Everyday i tell myself -to stop blogging ,b/c its been disappointing experience -but i can,t help it -i get pulled to the computer ,b/c there is so much anger agaisnt media,obamas,bots and that rises me every morning and motivates me to blog and share links and encourage everyone else to keep going too .</p>
<p>I also blog at mccain site now because bote are there already -</p>
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		<title>By: SONIA4HILLARY</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176815</link>
		<dc:creator>SONIA4HILLARY</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:16:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176815</guid>
		<description>Specially cafferty and olberman and mathews --i bet you they did not get love from thier moms or thier wives are just too materialistic for them to think of any woman in bad way .

(No woman is bad  -its the men -and circumtances that make a woman take drastic steps )

And why men call women -ho --its them who are hos sniffing everywhere .
in this whole world only 11% wealth is owned by women and 89% by men .</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Specially cafferty and olberman and mathews &#8211;i bet you they did not get love from thier moms or thier wives are just too materialistic for them to think of any woman in bad way .</p>
<p>(No woman is bad  -its the men -and circumtances that make a woman take drastic steps )</p>
<p>And why men call women -ho &#8211;its them who are hos sniffing everywhere .<br />
in this whole world only 11% wealth is owned by women and 89% by men .</p>
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		<title>By: SONIA4HILLARY</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176814</link>
		<dc:creator>SONIA4HILLARY</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:11:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176814</guid>
		<description>skmf12 Says: 

And you know what in dec 2007 i always thought if not hillary then obama --

but this elction has me in shock --as u knowmy background indian (where women do get  abused)so i always assumed that nobody in our usa can never be harrased or abused and there is no sexism .But i am proven wrong --in our great usa a former first lady is called b**h --i mean the list just goes on and on .

My issue is why nobody checked mccain_obama,s pen**s sizes like they were picking on hillary,s clevage and ankles -

When i start thinking of all the things about media ,i really get mad</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>skmf12 Says: </p>
<p>And you know what in dec 2007 i always thought if not hillary then obama &#8211;</p>
<p>but this elction has me in shock &#8211;as u knowmy background indian (where women do get  abused)so i always assumed that nobody in our usa can never be harrased or abused and there is no sexism .But i am proven wrong &#8211;in our great usa a former first lady is called b**h &#8211;i mean the list just goes on and on .</p>
<p>My issue is why nobody checked mccain_obama,s pen**s sizes like they were picking on hillary,s clevage and ankles -</p>
<p>When i start thinking of all the things about media ,i really get mad</p>
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		<title>By: rgb44hrc</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176813</link>
		<dc:creator>rgb44hrc</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:09:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176813</guid>
		<description>#  filbertsf Says:
June 13th, 2008 at 4:27 pm

How can someone be healthy one day and dead the next?
&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;

One can be apparently healthy externally, but be a ticking time bomb in any one of the major internal systems.

Just to pass along some good health info, taking trace mineral supplements (in colloidal form is the most effective, having a 98% absorption rate) can be one of the most important things you can do.  Various specific deficiencies of major and trace minerals have direct causalities to specific medical conditions.

Of course, &quot;Big Medicine&quot; pooh-poohs this as phony science meant to sell products.  But BigMed was laughing at glucosamine/chondrointic/MSM just a few years ago, but now it has become medically accepted.  Just like fighting rickets with citrous products.

Search for &quot;Joel Wallach&quot; on the &quot;interweb&quot; for the low down.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>#  filbertsf Says:<br />
June 13th, 2008 at 4:27 pm</p>
<p>How can someone be healthy one day and dead the next?<br />
&amp;&amp;&amp;&amp;</p>
<p>One can be apparently healthy externally, but be a ticking time bomb in any one of the major internal systems.</p>
<p>Just to pass along some good health info, taking trace mineral supplements (in colloidal form is the most effective, having a 98% absorption rate) can be one of the most important things you can do.  Various specific deficiencies of major and trace minerals have direct causalities to specific medical conditions.</p>
<p>Of course, &#8220;Big Medicine&#8221; pooh-poohs this as phony science meant to sell products.  But BigMed was laughing at glucosamine/chondrointic/MSM just a few years ago, but now it has become medically accepted.  Just like fighting rickets with citrous products.</p>
<p>Search for &#8220;Joel Wallach&#8221; on the &#8220;interweb&#8221; for the low down.</p>
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		<title>By: skmf12</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176812</link>
		<dc:creator>skmf12</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:08:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176812</guid>
		<description>FILBERT,

yes mei has been very strong, and infact, i would say, she has
been a warrior for hillary. 
i have very much appreciated both you and mei, over the last year.

thank you, to you both... :)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>FILBERT,</p>
<p>yes mei has been very strong, and infact, i would say, she has<br />
been a warrior for hillary.<br />
i have very much appreciated both you and mei, over the last year.</p>
<p>thank you, to you both&#8230; <img src='http://www.hillaryis44.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<title>By: kostner</title>
		<link>http://www.hillaryis44.org/2008/06/13/big-media-party-head-tim-russert-dead/#comment-176811</link>
		<dc:creator>kostner</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:06:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comment-176811</guid>
		<description>Is Tim Russert More Worthy Than John Aragon?
By Larry JohnsoncloseAuthor: Larry Johnson Name: Larry Johnson
Email: larry_johnson@earthlink.net
Site: http://NoQuarterUSA.net
About: Larry C. Johnson is CEO and co-founder of BERG Associates, LLC, an international business-consulting firm with expertise combating terrorism and investigating money laundering. Mr. Johnson works with US military commands in scripting terrorism exercises, briefs on terrorist trends, and conducts undercover investigations on counterfeiting, smuggling and money laundering. Mr. Johnson, who worked previously with the Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism, is a recognized expert in the fields of terrorism, aviation security, crisis and risk management. Mr. Johnson has analyzed terrorist incidents for a variety of media including the Jim Lehrer News Hour, National Public Radio, ABC&#039;s Nightline, NBC&#039;s Today Show, the New York Times, CNN, Fox News, and the BBC. Mr. Johnson has authored several articles for publications, including Security Management Magazine, the New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. He has lectured on terrorism and aviation security around the world, including the Center for Research and Strategic Studies at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, France. He represented the U.S. Government at the July 1996 OSCE Terrorism Conference in Vienna, Austria. From 1989 until October 1993, Larry Johnson served as a Deputy Director in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism. He managed crisis response operations for terrorist incidents throughout the world and he helped organize and direct the US Government’s debriefing of US citizens held in Kuwait and Iraq, which provided vital intelligence on Iraqi operations following the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Mr. Johnson also participated in the investigation of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103. Under Mr. Johnson’s leadership the U.S. airlines and pilots agreed to match the US Government’s two million-dollar reward. From 1985 through September 1989 Mr. Johnson worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. During his distinguished career, he received training in paramilitary operations, worked in the Directorate of Operations, served in the CIA’s Operation’s Center, and established himself as a prolific analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence. In his final year with the CIA he received two Exceptional Performance Awards. Mr. Johnson is a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He taught at The American University’s School of International Service (1979-1983) while working on a Ph.D. in political science. He has a M.S. degree in Community Development from the University of Missouri (1978), where he also received his B.S. degree in Sociology, graduating Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1976.See Authors Posts (662) on June 14, 2008 at 2:43 PM in Current Affairs

There are many families weeping in America today. A beloved, cherished member of the family is dead. I am thinking of Sgt. John D. Aragon, 22, of Antioch, Calif., who died June 12 in Kadamiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. As the Washington media and political establishment mourn the passing of Tim Russert, behaving as if the Pope had died, we should also remember that Tim Russert did not serve the public interest when it really counted. He did a classy job of hosting Meet the Press, but at the end of the day he avoided substantive challenges to the Administration’s propaganda campaign to make the case for war in Iraq. And John Aragon has now paid the ultimate price.

Tim Russert is not responsible for the decision to invade Iraq–that rests on the shoulders of George Bush. But Russert was a ringmaster in the media circus that helped build public support for the invasion. The so-called “tough” questioning of Cheney might have meant something if Tim, as news director, could have put people on the air and given them comparable time to challenge the Administration’s policy. But he did not. He was playing the role of Jay Leno without the jokes–hosting a talk show–but declining to hold folks accountable for flat out lies. Russert had a bully pulpit but declined to use it. Russert was not the only one. But he was positioned uniquely to help shape public perceptions and his influence in Washington was such that he could have made a difference.. But he did not. He played it safe and he catered to the powerful. 

Check out the transcript of Russert’s so-called grilling of Dick Cheney in September 2002 as the specter of nuclear war was introduced as a casus belli for attacking Iraq:

MR. RUSSERT: He does not have a nuclear weapon now?

VICE PRES. CHENEY: I can’t say that. I can say that I know for sure that he’s trying to acquire the capability. But again, you know, if this-some people say, “Well, if you’re going to use this process, if you’re going to go through the enrichment process, it could take five, six years maybe.” But then the question is: “Well, when did he start?” Did he start back when the inspection regime was still under way, prior to ’98? Because he did have, for example, a robust biological weapons program then, even though there were inspectors present. Did he start in ’98 when the inspectors left? Has he had four years already to work on this process? Or is he only beginning now? We don’t know that. We can’t tell what the start date is. We do know that he is, in fact, embarked upon this venture. We don’t have any way to know, at this point, to specify the date by which he will actually have a weapon he can use.

MR. RUSSERT: There seems to be a real debate in the country as to his capability. This is how The New York Times reported comments by Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican, who said, “The Central Intelligence Agency had ‘absolutely no evidence’ that Iraq possess or will soon possess nuclear weapons.” Is that accurate?

VICE PRES. CHENEY: I disagree. I think the accurate thing to say is we don’t know when he might actually complete that process. All of the experience we have points in the direction that, in the past, we’ve underestimated the extent of his program. We’ve underestimated the speed at which it was developing. It’s important for people to understand, as well, too, the difficult nature of the target here, in an intelligence perspective. This is a guy who runs a totally controlled system. There is no-he doesn’t have to go to Congress to get funds appropriated to build a system. It’s a dictatorship. Secondly, it’s a police state. He runs a very brutal regime. Third, he has been very good at denial and deception. He’s good at hiding whatever he’s doing from public view. And therefore, as an intelligence target, it’s an especially difficult proposition for us.

We have a tendency-I don’t know if it’s part of the part of the American character-to say, “Well, we’ll sit down and we’ll evaluate the evidence. We’ll draw a conclusion.” But we always think in terms that we’ve got all the evidence. Here, we don’t have all the evidence. We have 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent. We don’t know how much. We know we have a part of the picture. And that part of the picture tells us that he is, in fact, actively and aggressively seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Tim Russert, like many of the Washington elite, had the joy of celebrating his son’s graduation from college. Meanwhile, another young man who is about the age of Russert’s son–John Aragon–gave his life serving his country. While I empathize with the terrible loss suffered by the Russert family, I find the public wailing by the media about Tim Russert unseemly. The media now, with a few exceptions, ignore our soldiers dying in a war they helped sell. In the tragedy of Russert’s unexpected death I simply wish the media would find the decency to serve the public good.

Russert’s passing reminds us of an unfortunate truth–it is celebrity not actual accomplishment that counts. A 22 year old soldier dying in the line of duty in Iraq is inconsequential because the media has not employed its resources to introduce him to the American people. Let’s remember that like the family and friends of Tim Russert, the family and friends of John Aragon also weep. Sgt. Aragon, we salute your service.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is Tim Russert More Worthy Than John Aragon?<br />
By Larry JohnsoncloseAuthor: Larry Johnson Name: Larry Johnson<br />
Email: <a href="mailto:larry_johnson@earthlink.net">larry_johnson@earthlink.net</a><br />
Site: <a href="http://NoQuarterUSA.net" rel="nofollow">http://NoQuarterUSA.net</a><br />
About: Larry C. Johnson is CEO and co-founder of BERG Associates, LLC, an international business-consulting firm with expertise combating terrorism and investigating money laundering. Mr. Johnson works with US military commands in scripting terrorism exercises, briefs on terrorist trends, and conducts undercover investigations on counterfeiting, smuggling and money laundering. Mr. Johnson, who worked previously with the Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism, is a recognized expert in the fields of terrorism, aviation security, crisis and risk management. Mr. Johnson has analyzed terrorist incidents for a variety of media including the Jim Lehrer News Hour, National Public Radio, ABC&#8217;s Nightline, NBC&#8217;s Today Show, the New York Times, CNN, Fox News, and the BBC. Mr. Johnson has authored several articles for publications, including Security Management Magazine, the New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. He has lectured on terrorism and aviation security around the world, including the Center for Research and Strategic Studies at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, France. He represented the U.S. Government at the July 1996 OSCE Terrorism Conference in Vienna, Austria. From 1989 until October 1993, Larry Johnson served as a Deputy Director in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism. He managed crisis response operations for terrorist incidents throughout the world and he helped organize and direct the US Government’s debriefing of US citizens held in Kuwait and Iraq, which provided vital intelligence on Iraqi operations following the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Mr. Johnson also participated in the investigation of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103. Under Mr. Johnson’s leadership the U.S. airlines and pilots agreed to match the US Government’s two million-dollar reward. From 1985 through September 1989 Mr. Johnson worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. During his distinguished career, he received training in paramilitary operations, worked in the Directorate of Operations, served in the CIA’s Operation’s Center, and established himself as a prolific analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence. In his final year with the CIA he received two Exceptional Performance Awards. Mr. Johnson is a member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He taught at The American University’s School of International Service (1979-1983) while working on a Ph.D. in political science. He has a M.S. degree in Community Development from the University of Missouri (1978), where he also received his B.S. degree in Sociology, graduating Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1976.See Authors Posts (662) on June 14, 2008 at 2:43 PM in Current Affairs</p>
<p>There are many families weeping in America today. A beloved, cherished member of the family is dead. I am thinking of Sgt. John D. Aragon, 22, of Antioch, Calif., who died June 12 in Kadamiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. As the Washington media and political establishment mourn the passing of Tim Russert, behaving as if the Pope had died, we should also remember that Tim Russert did not serve the public interest when it really counted. He did a classy job of hosting Meet the Press, but at the end of the day he avoided substantive challenges to the Administration’s propaganda campaign to make the case for war in Iraq. And John Aragon has now paid the ultimate price.</p>
<p>Tim Russert is not responsible for the decision to invade Iraq–that rests on the shoulders of George Bush. But Russert was a ringmaster in the media circus that helped build public support for the invasion. The so-called “tough” questioning of Cheney might have meant something if Tim, as news director, could have put people on the air and given them comparable time to challenge the Administration’s policy. But he did not. He was playing the role of Jay Leno without the jokes–hosting a talk show–but declining to hold folks accountable for flat out lies. Russert had a bully pulpit but declined to use it. Russert was not the only one. But he was positioned uniquely to help shape public perceptions and his influence in Washington was such that he could have made a difference.. But he did not. He played it safe and he catered to the powerful. </p>
<p>Check out the transcript of Russert’s so-called grilling of Dick Cheney in September 2002 as the specter of nuclear war was introduced as a casus belli for attacking Iraq:</p>
<p>MR. RUSSERT: He does not have a nuclear weapon now?</p>
<p>VICE PRES. CHENEY: I can’t say that. I can say that I know for sure that he’s trying to acquire the capability. But again, you know, if this-some people say, “Well, if you’re going to use this process, if you’re going to go through the enrichment process, it could take five, six years maybe.” But then the question is: “Well, when did he start?” Did he start back when the inspection regime was still under way, prior to ’98? Because he did have, for example, a robust biological weapons program then, even though there were inspectors present. Did he start in ’98 when the inspectors left? Has he had four years already to work on this process? Or is he only beginning now? We don’t know that. We can’t tell what the start date is. We do know that he is, in fact, embarked upon this venture. We don’t have any way to know, at this point, to specify the date by which he will actually have a weapon he can use.</p>
<p>MR. RUSSERT: There seems to be a real debate in the country as to his capability. This is how The New York Times reported comments by Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican, who said, “The Central Intelligence Agency had ‘absolutely no evidence’ that Iraq possess or will soon possess nuclear weapons.” Is that accurate?</p>
<p>VICE PRES. CHENEY: I disagree. I think the accurate thing to say is we don’t know when he might actually complete that process. All of the experience we have points in the direction that, in the past, we’ve underestimated the extent of his program. We’ve underestimated the speed at which it was developing. It’s important for people to understand, as well, too, the difficult nature of the target here, in an intelligence perspective. This is a guy who runs a totally controlled system. There is no-he doesn’t have to go to Congress to get funds appropriated to build a system. It’s a dictatorship. Secondly, it’s a police state. He runs a very brutal regime. Third, he has been very good at denial and deception. He’s good at hiding whatever he’s doing from public view. And therefore, as an intelligence target, it’s an especially difficult proposition for us.</p>
<p>We have a tendency-I don’t know if it’s part of the part of the American character-to say, “Well, we’ll sit down and we’ll evaluate the evidence. We’ll draw a conclusion.” But we always think in terms that we’ve got all the evidence. Here, we don’t have all the evidence. We have 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent. We don’t know how much. We know we have a part of the picture. And that part of the picture tells us that he is, in fact, actively and aggressively seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>Tim Russert, like many of the Washington elite, had the joy of celebrating his son’s graduation from college. Meanwhile, another young man who is about the age of Russert’s son–John Aragon–gave his life serving his country. While I empathize with the terrible loss suffered by the Russert family, I find the public wailing by the media about Tim Russert unseemly. The media now, with a few exceptions, ignore our soldiers dying in a war they helped sell. In the tragedy of Russert’s unexpected death I simply wish the media would find the decency to serve the public good.</p>
<p>Russert’s passing reminds us of an unfortunate truth–it is celebrity not actual accomplishment that counts. A 22 year old soldier dying in the line of duty in Iraq is inconsequential because the media has not employed its resources to introduce him to the American people. Let’s remember that like the family and friends of Tim Russert, the family and friends of John Aragon also weep. Sgt. Aragon, we salute your service.</p>
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