Simply put, there are only two options:
a) Chertoff lied to Russert and the American people
b) Chertoff presented a storyline to suggest that he was out-of-touch with the situation, out-of-contact with appropriate sources of information, and thus grossly incompetent heading the federal response.
***
But wait, it gets worse.
Chertoff's fictional headline — the presumptive lie he told the American people — has been repeated, several times, in the days that followed.
-- General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, used the talking point at a press conference. He wrongly said "most of the papers" had the headline on Tuesday.
-- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used the talking point in an interview with the Sean Hannity radio show. Rumsfeld told Hannity that the federal response was confused because of the misleading newspaper headlines — headlines that didn't exist.
-- GOP matinee idol (and California Congressman) David Dreier used the talking point in an interview with the BBC.
How can this be? How can a canard become a talking point? Because now, on top of the Homeland Security Secretary, the Secretary of Defense and others, you have conservative talk radio and the right-wing of the blogosphere trying to convince people of this lie. And an illogical lie at that.
This is reason enough for an independent commission to investigate the Katrina response, rather than the Republican-led effort that is proceeding.
***
This article first appeared at Journalists Against Bush's B.S.
Article comments
1 - Bennett
Great job researching this post, Mark.
Once you peel away the outer layers of the onion, the eyes begin to weep a bit, eh?
Damn, I hate to be lied to by these bastards. On a daily basis it seems.
2 - Georgio
I believe if it wasn't for CNN the government would not have known anything..maybe they should hire CNN to advise them when there are catastrophes
3 - Dave Nalle
Not if it's a tasty Texas 1015 Onion, Bennett.
Dave
4 - Temple Stark
>>First, are we to believe that the person in charge of managing the federal response to Katrina got his information from newspaper headlines?
I'm sorry, but that's EXACTLY what I've been thinking. since I heard that.
Newspaper headlines are good - but they reflect (or are supposed to reflect if you prefer) what people and experts are telling the reporters.
done. Temple
5 - David R. Mark
If in fact there was a plethora of headlines with the same theme, this would make sense. But go check out Newseum -- there's nothing close to this, let alone any kind of consensus.
6 - Liberal
Well, you are talking about a guy who apparently thinks Lousiana is a city. What can you expect from the Party that believes that trees cause air pollution?
7 - Dave Nalle
You know, I find it endlessly fascinating how Republicans can never make a misstatement or a mistake which they might later correct or reconsider. They can only lie or be incompetent.
It must be comforting to live in a simplistic world of all black and all white. Fashionable too.
Dave
8 - ukexpat
Same old story -- if you repeat a lie enough times, people believe it's true...
9 - David R. Mark
Dave -- they haven't corrected themselves on this. In fact, as stated in the article, they have repeated the lie several times. Rumsfeld repeated it on Tuesday on Sean Hannity's show.
But hey, why let little facts get in the way of empty charges that you can't back up with anything other than your own opinion?
10 - Liberal
Hey Dave,
Can you say, "subliminable"? How about "Nukular"? Will we be putting food on the families of the victims? Do you think, after this hurricane, that human beings and fish can coexist peacefully? Do you think we will have the same peaceful relationship with Japan that we've had for the last century? How about those Harkin "tragsactions"? And that Iraq "intelligy" - still "darn good intelligy"?
Morons are morons, whatever their political philosophy.
11 - Dave Nalle
Liberal, you're axing me too many questions which are none of your bidness.
Dave
12 - Jewels
Chertoff's a pasty faced weasel. At least Michael Brown's been sent back to the barn.
13 - Scott
That's Grenada, as in a small town in north central Mississippi, not the island med school.
14 - Nancy
I didn't pick up on it being a different Grenada, because I knew we had already invaded & annexed it years ago. ;) The island, that is. Dave - LOL! Funny response.