Matthew Dowd Slams Media And Both Parties For Attacking WikiLeaks

National Journal:

Judging by the press accounts, Washington is still buzzing over WikiLeaks' release of classified U.S. government information, with both Republicans and Democrats expressing outrage over the disclosures. Meanwhile, many media outlets seem to be practically mute on the subject, avoiding comment on whether WikiLeaks provided a public service or disservice.

Read the whole story: National Journal

Comments

[aspertame2]

09:14 PM on 12/07/2010

Everyone wants to express their outrage toward those in the media who have called for Assange's assasination and so on. Where is the outrage towards those journalists and pundits who presumably would have a different take on the issue, and have remained silent?

[FREEDOM BELL]

07:51 PM on 12/06/2010

Send donations to Julian Assange c/o his attorney, Mark Stephens, at his law firm in London:
 
ADDRESS:
Finers Stephens Innocent LLP
179 Great Portland Street
London
W1W 5LS

NUMBERS:
T: [phone]
F: [phone]

[nothing2fear]

01:48 PM on 12/05/2010

Governments would much rather conduct business in secret and punish criminals likewise, imprisoning anyone who disagrees with their policies (in secret). This attitude similarly motivates foreign as well as, terrorist driven, domestic policies. Bush/Cheney, of course took secrecy to new levels for government. They pushed presidential powers further than the constitution allows. Our constitution is being negated by this constant state of war, each brings new exceptions to the constitution, implemented by new presidential regimes with no public involvement other then shallow media coverage.

Democracies do not thrive long in environments of secrecy. The last 10 years has effected many citizens similar to the Stockholm syndrome. That is many inmates here exhibit “adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors”. Parties usurper our government, their work slowly erodes our constitutional rights and our Bill of Rights. They live by an unwritten constitution favoring Government cooperating with Corporations while relegating the needs and desires of the people to a “Dog and Pony show” during elections. Spectacles where platitudes are mouthed, mud is tossed about and all is forgotten after the show is over. Pundits work the media to divide the electorate into manageable little groups (divides and conquers).



History shows the cost of controlling other governments is expensive weakening every nation that attempts Empire. The pentagon and armed forces are too big a part of our budget. Like the Dutch, Spanish and British Empires, this financial burden is destructive to government and damages the welfare of the people.

[fineartgalaxy]

09:53 AM on 12/05/2010

Besides trying to shut down J.Assange, is the State Department trying to verify and or correct the information WikiLeaks claims it is taking place? So we just remain outraged at J.Assange and that is all. Right? Now, what would had taken place if all this would had been given to any other media. Are we to believe any other media would had returned all the information to the State Department and not say anything about it? Yeah, right.

[Carl Caroli]

07:43 AM on 12/05/2010

Both parties are protesting because both parties are guilty. The American people need more information, the truth that is not party spin, and we're not getting it from our so called leaders.

[Greenchilistew]

02:40 AM on 12/05/2010

I rarely agree with Dowd, but he hit one out of the park.

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." - Thomas Jefferson

Let's wetting ourselves worrying about terrorism while we are shredding the Constitution and start behaving like Americans again. You remember, those people who used to actually fight for their rights?

[Greenchilistew]

02:42 AM on 12/05/2010

The first line of the third paragraph should read: "Let's QUIT wetting ourselves..."

[zanzy]

02:11 AM on 12/05/2010

If they change the rules to prosecute Assange, wikileaks and whistel blowers like the accused Manning, then that means Cheney, Bush, Libby, Rice, CLinton, etc will all be prosecuted under the changed laws.

[Mikeystyle]

12:47 AM on 12/05/2010

In an effort to protect itself from attacks by American conservatives, the media website WikiLeaks announced Friday that I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby has been hired as a consultant and spokesman for the organization.

Julian Assange, WikiLeaks editor, said via Skype from an unknown location that Libby would primarily serve as a communications consultant and spokesman in the U.S., which he hoped would placate those on the American right.

“Scooter Libby revealed classified information and put a covert CIA operative at risk as part of a political attack, yet Republicans rallied to his cause. He even got a ‘get out of jail free card’ from President Bush,” Assange said. “I can’t think of anyone better suited to represent our organization, which also reveals classified information. Since American conservatives don’t have a problem with one of their own breaking the law, perhaps Mr. Libby can help shield us from some of these attacks.”

(continued....)

http://www.thechicagodope.com/2010/12/03/scooter-libby-hired-by-wikileaks/

[ForemostPanda]

12:34 AM on 12/05/2010

liberals are alweays parading out these guys to denigrate America. Here what Salon says about dowd entitled "Matthew Dowd's not-so-miraculous conversion", described Dowd as an "opportunist". now dowd's opportunity is to suck up to the "blame American firsters".

[dhinds]

01:00 AM on 12/05/2010

America has no trouble denigrating itself - and it's NOT the America **I** (as an American) want to be part of. Can you understand that?

[DD2005]

12:12 AM on 12/05/2010

Kudows to Matthew Dowd. I absolutely agree with the point made about the hypocrisy regarding transparen­cy.

We pay our Governments. Their money comes from money we pay in taxes on goods, services and more importantly, for the sweat off our back. Our tax dollars pay for these diplomats to live the high life in exotic locales so that they can represent the country abroad. We are the diplomats bosses per se since we pay their salary. I can't keep secrets from my boss. I can't make memos discussing issues pertaining to my work and keep them secret from my boss.

Obviously the US Government has egg on their faces (as do other nations). GOOD! It's about time their lies and their bad behavior got some attention too.

[pmorlan]

11:29 PM on 12/04/2010

The only way to defeat the authoritarian control of our government by both major Parties is for good people from all political parties to stand up and be counted.

[ForemostPanda]

12:35 AM on 12/05/2010

it's call voting. do you have a problem with that?

[dhinds]

01:03 AM on 12/05/2010

That's part of what he's calling for.

[dim]

01:07 AM on 12/05/2010

I do. It's called winner-take-all-by-(gerrymandered)-district. A two party system is only one better than a one party system (e.g. USSR).

[pmorlan]

11:26 PM on 12/04/2010

I'm not a fan of Dowd but I posted this piece by him on my Facebook page.

[rhymney]

10:58 PM on 12/04/2010

If we make all State Dept. cables public they will contain no useful information. Therefore there will be no State Dept. cables and information won't be shared. What kind of thinking is this, no wonder strategy was strategery when Bush was in office.

[Ryan Hidalgo]

09:25 PM on 12/04/2010

GREAT article Mathew Dowd. Echoing my sentiment on the hypocrisy regarding transparency. Love it.

[TedEjr]

09:14 PM on 12/04/2010

From the article---“When as a country did we become a place where the government gets upset when its secrets are revealed but has no problem knowing all our secrets and invading our privacy?” (End Quote)

That, without question, is the most succinct description of our current state of affairs that I have heard from any source.