I believe Media Matters is an accurate site, but it certainly has a bias (deservedly so, imho) against Fox News. With that in mind, put this in the “interesting if true” category:
Fox News’ Special Report with Brit Hume showed an edited video clip of Rev. Joseph Lowery’s remarks at Coretta Scott King’s funeral, during which he mentioned the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Lowery’s remarks were greeted with 23 seconds of applause and a standing ovation, but the clip Fox News aired presented nine seconds of applause and little hint of the standing ovation without noting that the clip had been doctored. After seeing the clip, Roll Call’s Morton Kondracke concluded that the audience “wasn’t exactly uproarious in its response” to Lowery.
That’s pretty low even for the folks at Faux News. Editing the footage, then airing commentary that is based on a perception created by the editing? Not cool.
No, that wasn’t cool to edit then make a comment based on that.
HOWEVER, what in the WORLD did WMD’s have to do with Mrs. King? I was terriable how many people used a FUNERAL, a place to honor HER memory, for their own gain.
Not nearly as awful as starting a war on the pretense that non-existent WMDs were going to get us. All the Republican hand-wringing about how awful the funeral service was seems a bit self-serving.
she was a peace activist, with many causes – including non-violent protest against the war. It’s perfectly appropriate, just like it was perfectly appropriate at Wellstone’s funeral, to address her legacy and comment on the beliefs she cherished. I think it’s more hypocritical to give lip service to what a great loss it is to the country that she’s gone without mentioning that the things that she fought for still need attention.
The Wellstone funeral is an old scab for me. I was really excited about that last race, and had a lot of respect for the man and the way he lived. I watched the whole funeral and will admit to being moved to tears several times. At the end, one young man who idolized him and had known him several years got fired up and implored the audience to carry on his legacy at the polls. After that, all the pants-pissing Righties came out of the woodwork claiming that it wasn’t a funeral, but a political pep-rally. As usual, they hadn’t seen the funeral. Of course, the pants-pissing “liberal” media was then obliged to run with the pep-rally theme. Drug-addled, ass-boil-afflicted draft-dodger Limbaugh had to put his two cents in, and much hand-wringing and tsk-tsking ensued. This is the same story, verse two. If it was inappropiate, maybe the King family can step forward and complain about it. Otherwise, everyone else can STFU about it. And if Bush was uncomfortable taking criticism in a black church about his conduct in office, that’s too damn bad. It’s not like any of these people can tell him their concerns in private, and they’re screened out of his public appearances. He only talks to the converted (but on my dime). So if was made to feel uncomfortable when in the company of people whose votes he tries to suppress, and whose programs he works to cut, and who don’t agree with his arbitrarily chosen and poorly planned war, well tough titty, Mr. President. Welcome to the world, where most people have to face the consequences of their actions.