"We've had a Hallmark Card image of the Bush Family. It lifts the blinders

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

...so you can see the other side."

The video of Kitty Kelley's Today Show interview is up. Matt Lauer was in full Sean Hannity mode, obviously prepped by Rove or Hughes or one of their lackeys, and made no effort to conceal his contempt for Kelley and her book:

http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?t=1&i=543cac65-5251-449a-8154-e842a99a9eba



Lauer: "Why release this book 50 days before what is a hotly contested, incredibly divided election? Do you want people to read this and do you want it to influence their choices as they go to the polls on November 2nd?"

Kelley: "Matt, I want them to read this book. It's an important book, there are relevant themes here. Is it going to change an election? No."

Lauer: "Do you think your level of standards needs to rise, for proof and accountability, when you are dealing with a sitting president of the United States?"

Kelley: "My standards are my standards. I write books the same way every good reporter writes books, and that's to abide by the laws of libel and abide by the laws of invasion of privacy."

[Old and In the Way]

1. Where was Matt when the VRWC was running $70MM of

taxpayer funded investigations on Clinton, based on rumors, distortions, etc?

"Do you think your level of standards needs to rise, for proof and accountability, when you are dealing with a sitting president of the United States?"

No, your standards need to rise, Matt. If you did your job, we wouldn't need Ms. Kelley to explain the truth to the American people.

[AlCzervik]

2. I cant play that on my mac

Damn you Bill Gates!!!!!!!!!

[displacedtexan]

3. I'm pretty sure no one has ever sued KK successfully.

She's very careful.

Not even Nancy Reagan could sue.

[zoeb]

4. She's been sued but no one has won. n/t

[GimmeDANEger]

5. my e-mail to The Today Show

Mon, 13 Sep 2004 14:12:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Dane ***" <*******@yahoo.com>
Subject: Scroll down to find Matt Lauer's journalistic integrity
To: [e-mail]

Lower...

























Lower....

















Lower.....










Lower.....




















Almost there....
















Damn, it's vanished!!

[jimshoes]

6. Why did the swifties release their book?

You couldn't get enough of that twaddle. This is different how?

[argyl]

7. Matt Lauer is a whore.The book's going to make a lot of money.That's his

usual standard for judging a new book,cd,movie,etc.

I remember when Steve Earle was on the Today two years ago to promote "Jerusalem".After performing "John Walker's Blues" Lauer laid out what he must have considered the ultimate smackdown;namely,that the cds controversy would cut into its airplay and therefore its profits.

Earle calmly replied that he received little airplay as it was and didn't expect this to change.Lauer appeared flabbergasted that anyone would put principle before profits.He's there to look good;no critical thinking skills required.

[Stuckinthebush]

8. Wow.

I just watched that and have to say that I agree with those who think that Matt was doing this on behalf of the White House. Clearly, this was the plan...have her on but create a hostile interview situation. Make it look like she is crazy and vindictive.

Matt did not have the same sense of outrage over the Clinton smears did he? Folks, the only reason W has any chance at all is because the media has either directly or indirectly been playing for him.

The entire world sees W as a real threat and a sick man, yet 50% of Americans don't have that view. Why? The messages they get from "news" channels are that W is OK and we are OK with W.

Orwell was prophetic.

[crispini]

9. Kelley did GREAT on the interview.

Book was vetted by "four sets of lawyers."

Amazing.

Matt was being an attacker, but I think that's OK. Kelley came off GREAT.

Can't wait to get my copy. Intend to go off and read it in public as much as possible. Heh!

"I feel sorry for Sharon Bush in a sense.... We knew the next day that Sharon was going to be frightened over this. She was hysterical at the time. And she said herself that Neil Bush left a message on her tape machine that if she didn't stop what she was doing she was going to find herself in a dark alley."

DAYUM!

[Renew Deal]

10. Matt was frothing at the mouth

lol