'i believe in free speech but...'

NEWSWEEK STUFF
* "Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) is planning to introduce a resolution in the House on Wednesday condemning Newsweek for “irresponsible and inaccurate journalism,” according to the Texas Republican’s office.
The Neugebauer resolution, which was still a work in progress Tuesday night, will note that a free and independent press is vital for the success of any democracy while at the same time cautioning U.S. media outlets that their now global reach requires greater accuracy and responsibility than has been demonstrated up until now." LINK
this meme has been running all week - i think it started at instapundit: 'i believe in free speech but...'

* "MR. McCLELLAN: But there's a larger issue here. Let's not point to the background briefings as the problem with the credibility in the media about using anonymous sources, because it's a much larger issue than that" LINK

* "By the time this is all over, I suspect the Pentagon is going to be sorry it ever made a fuss over the Newsweek item in the first place. Every reporter in town is now going to start investigating this stuff, and the results are not likely to be pretty. Stay tuned for a fusillade of deeply researched stories about allegations of religious desecration by American troops starting in about a week." LINK
kevin drum is optimistic

* "The D.C. lawyer also alleged that one of the Administrative Review Board's criteria for deeming a detainee too dangerous to release was whether or not they prayed in their cell. You pray, you stay." LINK

* fredbarnes: "jornalists need to remember that they are americans first, journalists second."

* dirita: ""There is a command philosophy that is clearly one of treating religious items, including the Koran, with a great deal of respect," he said. "That being said, there have been instances, and we'll have more to say about it as we learn more, but where a Koran may have fallen to the floor in the course of searching a cell."" LINK

* "At the Pentagon, Mr. DiRita also said that the military had waited more than a week after publication to comment on the article because officials did not notice the outcry until last week. "When it started to become something we were more cognizant of, we focused on it," he said." LINK

* "Newsweek has said it checked the article before publication with two Pentagon officials, one of whom refused to comment. The other corrected a different element of the article, but not the discussion of the Koran." LINK
thats funny for 3 reasons - not only did they pass over the koraninthecan story, but there was something worse in there, and thirdly, the pentagon can apparently just take a pen to any article. in advance.

* BUMILLER: "Republicans close to the White House said that although President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were genuinely angered by the Newsweek article, West Wing officials were also exploiting it in an effort to put a check on the press." LINK
protectin' da bosses... altho she does seem to indicate that the shitehouse has a problem with this.

* the other thing about the newsweek story, if we assume for the moment that its a replica of rathergate (which somehow eliminated discussion of awol bush), is that it doesnt really make sense - does anyone really believe that when the discussion of torture comes up, people will actually think of the newsweek debacle and assume therefore that we dont torture people? no. surely not. fer starters, the newsweek story will never supplant the abu.g photos, and fer seconds, most americans wouldnt even think of koranflushing as torture. (and this little stunt was only directed at americans)

* i just watched some hi-level afghani guy on hardtalk - with most of the interview talking about and around the newsweek riots - except neither newsweek or the article or the koran issue were mentioned. i heart hardtalk.