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Originally Posted by 525600minutes
I don't get this. I love NPR, but many of my conservative friends think that it is left biased. I am not naive enough to believe that media is always straight down the middle, but I don't find NPR being that partial. Heck, they are funded by the Cato Institute, which is a pro-capitalist, libertarian institution.
There news features seem pretty open to all interpretations, and how can their artistic programming (jazz programming, Thistle and Shamrock, etc.) even be considered political at all? Any thoughts?
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Neil Conan is my favorite interviewer. He is right down the middle with everyone and always tough and if the interviewee does not answer the question he doesn't give up.
For instance here is his interview of Cindy Sheehan. He was "Fair and Balanced" and he had educated himself prior to the interiew on the FACTS.
He was so fair that Cindy Sheehan hung up the phone on him because he had revealed her double talk and dishonesty in the way she had presented facts dishonestly:
NPR : Cindy Sheehan and Families of the Fallen <Audio here.
NPR's Neil Conan, speaking by phone with Cindy Sheehan:
Neil Conan: Very nice of you to be with us today.
Cindy Sheehan: [cheerfully] Oh, thank yooou!
NC: I know that you were, uh, out in California last week because your mother was ill. How’s she doing?
CS: Um, she’s doing better. They’re trying to keep her from having another stroke. And if she doesn’t have another stroke, she should be able to recover.
NC: That’s good news. Now, tell us, a little bit about your son, Casey.
CS: My son Casey was an amazing human being. He was gentle, loving, peaceful, sweet. He always just wanted to help people. He was an Eagle Scout and an altar boy for ten years. He had been in college for three years before he was recruited. He was just, uh, an almost perfect son and a really good big brother to his two sisters and his other brother.
NC: Why did he decide to join the Army?
[Not only did Casey Sheehan willfully join the Army he re-enlisted in 2004, after the start of the Iraq War, knowing his unit was going to Iraq!]BLACKFIVE: Army Specialist Casey Sheehan - Someone You Should (Have) Know(n)
CS: Well, he got lied to by his recruiter.......[
If he was "lied" to why did her RE-ENLIST in the Army in 2004, after the start of the Iraq War?]
His recruiter made him five promises that he broke all the promises to Casey. Casey was a very trusting and trustworthy person. So, he felt everyone else was trustworthy. Especially somebody who represents the government.
NC: Mmm hmmm. But, so, did he say afterwards, “I was duped?”
[He RE-ENLISTED after serving 4 years already! This makes no sense!]
CS: Um, he, he, when we’d ask him about all these things that your recruiter promised you, he’s just say, “Well, Mom, you know, it’s the Army. They didn’t tell us they didn’t have to fulfill their promises. We were the only ones who had to fulfill our promises.”
[Then why did he RE-ENLIST in the Army Cindy???? Makes no sense!]
NC: Mmm hmm. And did he write you letters about what he was doing in Iraq?
CS: Well, he was only there five days before he was killed. He started one letter that he never finished, and we got it back with his things.
NC: What did it say?
CS: [Hesitant] Um…...well, I’ll give you the general thing, but it was kind of personal. Y’know, he said that, um…it should be a pretty smooth year, that they were looking forward to a smooth year. And he was killed four days later. And he said that he wished he could be home for his sister’s graduation. And some other personal things.
NC: Um, and of course, I don’t want to get too personal, but…I wonder: When he was deciding to join the Army, did you try to talk him out of it?
CS: We didn’t have a chance because he joined before he talked to us.
[He RE-ENLISTED in 2004, after already serving 4 years, Cindy!]
NC: Before he talked. So, he made a choice of his own?
CS: [
pauses. Does not like question.].......... Right.
NC: Um, now, you were…
CS: [
not so cheerfully] But does that have to do with him being sent to a war that’s illegal and immoral to kill people and get killed for, um, a country that was no threat or harm to the United States of America?
NC: Uhhh…no. But, he wasn’t drafted. He made a choice of free will??
CS: Yeah, and if we give our children to the government to serve their country, we should make sure that they’re only used if it’s absolutely necessary to defend the United States of America.
NC: I wonder, now, you got a chance to meet with President Bush with a group of other families for a brief time. What happened in that meeting?
{{Neil Conan is the only member of the media to ask Cindy this question and point out Cindy Sheehan's bull crap of "not getting a chance to meet with Bush", and that in fact she had already met with President Bush, which she didn't like or appreciate.
President Bush was actually polite, humble, and very nice to the Sheehan family in the meeting HE initiated in 2004. Cindy Sheehan spoke of the meeting in 2004 to her local press and spoke very kindly of her meeting with Bush.
He even kissed Cindy Sheehan on the cheek, which there are photos of on the internet}:
Cindy Sheehan Told George Bush To "Make My Son Count" | Sweetness & Light
CS: [Ummm…..I’ve talked about this a lot. Do we have to talk about this? Do you have any questions about what’s going on right now or what we’re gonna do in the future?
[{{Cindy Sheehan did NOT like Neil Conan pointing out that she had actually been invited to a meeting and had already met with President Bush.}} ]
NC: I’m just curious; I’ve not heard your answer to this.
CS: [
Not happy]Um, excuse me?
NC: I’ve not heard your answer, if you wouldn’t mind.
CS: [someone speaking in background] I have two minutes.
NC: [amazed] You have two minutes???
CS: I have two minutes so…he was—George Bush acted like we were at a tea party, he was rude to us, and we felt worse than we did after we met with him.
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[That wasn't what Cindy Sheehan said in 2004]:
Cindy Sheehan: "Casey Wanted To Fight For His Country" | Sweetness & Light <
Video included at this site.
Cindy Sheehan stated,
Quote:
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"Casey wanted to go to Iraq and fight for his country" and "Casey wanted to help the Iraqi people" is what she stated in 2004!
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After meeting President Bush in 2004 Cindy Sheehan also told her hometown newspaper about the meeting]:
Quote:
We have a lot of respect for the office of the president, and I have a new respect for him because he was sincere and he didn’t have to take the time to meet with us," Pat said.
Sincerity was something Cindy had hoped to find in the meeting.
Shortly after Casey died, Bush sent the family a form letter expressing his condolences, and Cindy said she felt it was an impersonal gesture.
"I now know he’s sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis," Cindy said after their meeting. "I know he’s sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he’s a man of faith."
The meeting didn’t last long, but in their time with Bush, Cindy spoke about Casey and asked the president to make her son’s sacrifice count for something. They also spoke of their faith.
"That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together," Cindy said.]]]]]]
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The Reporter - From our archive: Bush, Sheehans share moments
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NC: Mm hmm. Um, I didn’t realize you just had two minutes. We thought we had more time with you today, but, uh…I did want to ask. I know you’re planning to, when President Bush comes back to Washington, you’re planning to continue the protest here in Washington D.C.
CS: Yeah, we’re taking the bus tour to Washington D.C. and we’re all meeting there on September 24 for the big United for Peace and Justice…um, war protest.
NC: And you did get a chance to meet with some of his senior advisors a couple of weeks ago. Did you get a chance—did they listen to you, or did they talk to you?
CS: [
Cindy does NOT like this fact pointed out and pretends she didn't hear the question].......He-hello?
NC: Did they listen to you? Or did they talk to you?
CS: Hello?
NC: [
clear as a bell]Yes. Hi?
CS: [
clear as a bell] I didn’t hear your question, I’m sorry. We have a really bad connection.
NC: I apologize for that. It’s the cell—
CS: That’s not your fault. I’m in the middle of Crawford, so, you know, it’s very spotty cell phone service out here.
NC: [
Neil doesn't give up and asks the question for the 3rd time] I understand. I was asking about your meeting with some of the President’s chief advisors, including the National Security Advisor. In that meeting, did they, did they listen to you?
CS: Ummmm...... they listened to me and they talked to me. They tried to tell me things that I knew weren’t true..... and so finally I said, “Just because I’m a grieving mother doesn’t mean that I am stupid.” And I said, “I don’t believe you guys are stupid either.” So we ended the meeting and they said they would pass on my concerns to the president, and then…they left.
NC: So you felt like you were being dismissed.
CS: I felt like I was being patronized.
NC: Patronized....
CS: And I felt that they thought that they were gonna be able to intimidate me into leaving, and, or impress me by the high level of officials that they sent.
NC: What would you say to President Bush if you had another chance to meet him?
CS: [
Angrily] I’d say, what was the noble cause he sent my son to die for? And, why are soldiers still fighting over there when we know this war is based on lies, and to tell him to quit using my son’s name to justify the continued killing.
NC: As you know, there are parents of other men and women who died in Iraq who say you’re using their sons’ and daughters’ names in your cause.
CS: To stop the killing? You know, just because my son’s killed, why should I want any other children to be killed? Why would I want any other families to be going through this and this seems to be the President’s reason for continuing the war because he’s killed so many American soldiers already he has to kill more. And I believe that’s the most insane and the most immoral reason for continuing the war.
NC: I understand what you’re saying, but, they say you don’t speak for them.
CS: I never said I spoke for them. I never said I spoke for 100% of the military families. I never claimed to. I know they have their opinions and I believe that’s their right to their opinions.
NC: Fair enough. Do you st—You’ve come out…A lot of statements have been attributed to you as this…Camp Casey has grown, as this movement has grown, and uh…
CS: I gotta, I have to go now. Thank yoooou. [click]
NC: [dumbfounded] Cindy Sheehan. Leaving us there in Crawford, Texas. We apologize for that. We had arranged with people there to speak with Cindy Sheehan for the remainder of this segment and take some phone calls as well. Uh, evidently, plans changed at the last minute and we apologize for that.
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Wow.....Cindy Sheehan received the most informed & toughest interview EVER while on NPR with Neil Conan!!!
Show any of you Conservatives friends this interview from NPR and they might have a different opinion.
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