If there’s one thing I know folks can’t stand, it’s journalists who editorialize for political points. Bloggers are routinely criticized for being nothing more than sounding boards for opinion and “echo chambers” for what is, but facts remain facts.
So when journalists misinform the public as they did with Rep. Jo Ann Davis’ remarks concerning Iraq, bloggers should all take note:
Davis said she still supports the U.S. involvement in the war in Iraq because of “the intelligence we’ve picked up over there that’s protected us here,” but she is having second thoughts about American troops being there in the first place.
“It’s hard for me, especially being one who voted for (the war), when I go and visit a young soldier or airman or Marine and they’ve been lamed for life by the war,” she told the ASMC.
“I feel a little guilt there because I voted for the war. … It makes you feel like, ‘My vote caused this.’ … But I still believe it was the right decision at the time.”
…
“All of the intelligence we were given says we should be over there,” she said. “If I had known that the intelligence they gave us wasn’t correct, I don’t know how I would have voted.”
I’m sorry but when… someone takes a quote… and adds things… like this… little snips of information… to put words in the… mouth of others, should we… take exception with those trying to… insult our… intelligence?
I think so, and it’s now coming out that Rep. Jo Ann Davis’ comments in Hampton Roads were inappropriately taken out of context.
For Democrats to be going out on a limb and suggesting that Rep. Davis is “switching sides” on Iraq is just plain wrong.
Secondly, we’re all entitled to debate the best way to prosecute the Iraq war. Davis supported General Shinseki’s opinion that we should have had more boots on the ground. Rumsfeld disagreed. Jo Ann offered a joking comment to the Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society of Military Comptrollers that this was “probably the only thing in my life I’ve ever agreed with Hillary Clinton about,” the folks in the room laughed.
Instead of reporting what happened though, someone at the Daily Press decided to turn this into something else, as if Rep. Jo Ann Davis were backtracking on Iraq. Clearly not the case, but for some odd reason, someone made the decision to generate a news story (no matter how conflicting it is with truth) for whatever ends.
Of course, if a blogger were to do this, the entire medium is shamed. When a journalist does it, they’re a superior breed.
Strike number 1,034,435: When someone mentions the standards of journalism vs. the standards of blogging, remind them of this little episode.