<< COMPULSORY WALKING DAY ABANDONED ~ MAIN ~ CHOICES MADE >>
TURKEY FRENZY!
George W. Bush was only in Iraq for a few hours, but that’s long enough to spawn a crazy new batch of plastic turkey drones, including Chicago’s Pam Berns:
Bush’s six-hour visit and photo op in front of a few hundred troops and his traditional triple kiss to President Jalal Talabani (who arrived late) compares favorably, however, to Bush’s 2003 surprise Thanksgiving trip to Iraq in which he posed for a photo op while serving a large plastic turkey to soldiers.
Pam is on the board of Chicago Media Watch, which “aims to ensure that this region’s media remains open, honest and responsive to the people’s needs”. So she’ll soon be publishing a correction. The Hartford Courant’s Jim Shea writes:
The only difference between this visit and the first one that President Bush made over Thanksgiving in 2003 is a photo-op with a fake turkey.
Contact Jim here. From a St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial:
On Labor Day President George W. Bush made his third secret trip to Iraq (no need for a plastic photo-op turkey this time, not with CBS’ Katie Couric already in the field) this time landing at a remote air base ...
A correspondent to the Charleston Daily Mail:
Again, Bush sneaks into Iraq like the coward he is. Did he take the plastic turkey this time?
San Francisco’s Jim Provenzano finds a musical angle:
As you may know, Franti went to Iraq, and he didn’t serve a fake turkey.
Neither did Bush. The Oregonian’s associate editor David Sarasohn - he could do with a note, too - is so confident of his turkey facts that he visits the subject twice:
For Thanksgiving 2003, Bush appeared on front pages all over the nation holding up a turkey that turned out not to be, well, exactly a turkey ... like the turkey that wasn’t exactly a turkey and the close-up of Anbar province from inside a U.S. military base, the claims present problems.
As does Sarasohn’s claim. Let’s see him fix that. Best saved till last; here’s Mary Lyon, “an advocate for liberal causes, responsibility and accountability in the media”, in a piece actually titled Everything But the Plastic Turkey:
It made a great photo-op, until the truth got out - that what he carried was as phony as he and his policies are - complete with a turkey made of plastic. The only troops allowed to partake in that feast, or even to get close enough to be photographed with that plastic turkey display were those who obediently stuck to the script. Any dissenters hoping to press for a little truth were left outside in the heat, making do with MREs. As long as the cosmetics are there, who cares what’s really underneath? Little did Young George realize how painfully accurate that visual metaphor was.
Wrong, Mary. The turkey was real.
(Via Doug E. and Murph)
UPDATE. The Oregonian’s associate editor David Sarasohn promises a correction, but Jim Shea of the Hartford Courant wants to do things the hard way:
It was later determined the nyt correction was wrong.
Oh, dear. Looks like we have another Mike Hudson on our hands.
UPDATE II. This might explain Jim’s attitude:
You could probably label me a shy egomaniac, a description that fits a lot of newspaper people.
...no need for a plastic photo-op turkey this time, not with CBS’ Katie Couric already in the field…
I knew Couric is a vapid national TV text reader, but I didn’t know she was a plastic turkey….
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2007 09 06 at 10:44 AM • permalinkThe sad thing, C.L., is that they may actually believe what they are saying. Psychosis is funny that way.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2007 09 06 at 10:45 AM • permalinkEvery word of that Mary Lyin’ quote is dead wrong. Intentionally so, in all likelihood.
Idiots. Blinkered partisan propagandists, all of them. Small wonder the public at large has developed such a low opinion of the Mainstream Media.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 09 06 at 10:48 AM • permalink#2 The_Real_JeffS
I knew Couric is a vapid national TV text reader, but I didn’t know she was a plastic turkey….
Well, the ever-perky Katie IS a turkey as a “journalist” and is as plastic as plastic can be.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 09 06 at 10:52 AM • permalinkWell, it now truly is a plastic turkey. It can be used at any time and in any situation.
Posted by flying pigs over mecca on 2007 09 06 at 11:13 AM • permalinkHmmmmmmmmmmm be careful Tim. These guys are gonna have you chasing plastic turkeys like Fox Mulder chases aliens if you’re not careful. Its good fun, but leave plenty of time for more important commentary such as the enslavement of third world children by western ecofascists.
Posted by ThinAndBritish on 2007 09 06 at 11:17 AM • permalinkLook at it this way—it’s a sure-fire signpost for “this person is ill-informed, bigoted, and their opinions may safely be ignored”.
Posted by Rob Crawford on 2007 09 06 at 11:23 AM • permalinkWell look here people. Be reasonable. Do you know how hard it is to be a journalist? Hard. Real hard. First you have to leave your hotel room and go places to find out the truth. Many of those places are dirty. And dangerous. And when you do leave your sanctuary, it’s hard, real hard, to find people who will give you the truth. The real truth. Not the storyline that the fake President and his evil cohorts make people recite. They’re all cowed by the menace and evility of that man. I mean all of them. All Iraqis. And Afghans. And other brownish people.
It’s much easier to make it all up, knowing in our heart of hearts, it’s really the truth. The real truth. Journalists know it. At least, the good liberal ones do.
Posted by wronwright on 2007 09 06 at 11:56 AM • permalink#6 What do people do for real news in seppoland?
Oh, things like “Paris Hilton goes to jail.” “Paris Hilton gets out of jail.” “Britney Spears pulls another dumb stunt.” That sort of thing.
If you think about it, the plastic turkey story is a welcome alternative.
Not that our journalists are too lazy to actually pursue real news or anything.
Oh sure!
You woof at the MSM. I will have you know that even as I type the AFP,AP and Reuters are striking blows for press freedom at the World Rugby Whatever.
Reuters! is concerned about possible restrictions on their “editorial integrity”!
AFP!, the people who brought us Flat Fatima and her unspent rounds, is going on about restrictions to their imaging capability!
I have no idea about what the AP is going on about since I can only read so much of that at one sitting and still keep my food down.
Now, don’t you feel ashamed? Yes, I thought so. So quick to rebuke and judge. Let this be a lesson.
What is the point of the plastic turkey fantasy? It is two-fold. It’s supposed to be a quintessential and comic case of the supposed Bush’s supposed phoniness. It’s supposed to be about Bush’s media manipulation. But it’s really about the msm’s and the left’s self-manipulation. As Diamond Dog says at Tim’s link, “The most important aspect of the story is not that the turkey was real, but as an example of how msm bias works. And it works effectively. I was totally hornswaggled.”
The other purpose, closely related, is to taint or eclipse all else that was happening at the time—and anything that’s happening at whatever later time a given writer is referring to the plastic turkey. It’s about killing or preventing any good feeling about success.
Important events around that time, which many media critters love to taint or eclipse with their plastic-turkey myth and decorative-turkey consolation hysteria:
Nov. 19, 2003 - Bush’s “Three Pillars” speech at Whitehall Palace in London.
Nov. 27, 2003 - Bush & Condi Rice fly into Baghdad to visit the troops and reassure Iraqis of US resolve.
Dec. 5, 2003 - Anti-terrorism march in Baghdad, “Iraqis march in salute to U.S.,” Washington Times, Dec. 6, 2003.
Dec. 10, 2003 - Anti-terrorism marches in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities,
“Thousands of Iraqis call for end to violence,” Maureen Fan, Knight Ridder via the Seattle Times, Dec. 11, 2003;
“Iraqis for the ‘Occupation,’” Walid Phares, FrontPageMagazine.com, Dec. 11, 2003
“Iraqis march against ‘terror’,” News24.com (South Africa), Dec. 12, 2003
Also it was blogged at
IraqTheModel The Iraqi people spoke today, Dec. 10, 2003,
Healing Iraq A great day for Iraq, Dec. 10, 2003 (with photos still accessible)
Text dated Dec. 10, 2003 of UPI article Thousands of Iraqis demonstrate against terrorism; I saw it in Pravda on Dec. 11, 2003
Extensive quotes from Rocky Mountain News article itself no longer online: Baghdad rally coverage, Donald Sensing, One Hand Clapping, Dec. 11, 2003.
Dec. 13, 2003 - Capture of Saddam Hussein.Photos of Bush serving, yes, edible turkey from behind counter to troops in Baghdad:
Visual II, The Corner, National Review, Dec. 6, 2003, 9:15 AM
Touching Turkey, The Corner, National Review, Dec. 6, 2003, 9:12 AMArtificial cooked poultry, prices http://www.trengovestudios.com/food/food23.shtml (h/t to Tim Blair commenter goldsmith Dec. 16, 2003
I mailed Jim Shea with the NYT retraction link:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E7DE113BF932A25754C0A9629C8B63
His response:
“It was later determined the nyt correction was wrong”My response:
“Hi, can you provide links?”That’s the state of play at the moment.
Posted by ThinAndBritish on 2007 09 06 at 01:03 PM • permalink#12 I’ve got an idea. We could pay little brown children in India to spend time chasing down the plastic turkey myths while neglecting their own education.
That way the rest of us can get on with the big stuff.
Posted by ThinAndBritish on 2007 09 06 at 01:09 PM • permalinkPersonally, I prefer plastic turkey. It is re-usable and doesn’t destroy the environment.
Posted by miriams ideas on 2007 09 06 at 02:10 PM • permalink28. Personally, I prefer plastic turkey. It is re-usable and doesn’t destroy the environment.
Plus, it fills the gap left by the pink flamingo, which is now extinct.
Well, Cripes Paco…get some real ones
Kinda brings reminiscence of this, this and this
The Detective Paco, era.
OH….
Phase one of Pavlova, in oven baking.
Are we really surprised that the plastic turkey story is alive and well? Since when has the truth, or reality for that matter, ever, ever, ever, ever influenced the left when it went against what they want to believe? The leftist, the quintessential, myself-as-God, is completely unreflective on all of his actions past and present. The only thing that counts to the leftist is his self-image of his role in the “struggle.” The left wants to destroy the West in general and the United States in particular, period. Anything that promotes, furthers, or advances that “struggle” will be used and embraced. Whether it is “true” or “just” or “moral” is entirely irrelevant. When Matthew Shepherd, a gay boy, is murdered in Wyoming (I may have the wrong state) the left is outraged and furious. But when gays in Iran and Afghanistan under the Taliban are murdered in the hundreds there is hardly an outcry. One event can be used to attack the West, the other cannot. Examples of the treatment of women or just plain people under Islamic and socialist regimes can provide countless other examples. The left’s political calculus is quite simple: regarding any event anywhere in the world. Will the promotion of the event hurt or help the West? If it will hurt the West the event is promoted in direct proportion of its perceived value in attacking the West; if it will help the West the event is ignored or downplayed in direct proportion of its perceived value that the event might reinforce pro-Western beliefs or policies. We need politicians that will directly confront and attack these leftist cretins relentlessly. The current disaster that is the Bush Administration should serve as an example of the consequences of the policy of refusing to attack or just ignoring the left. Bush has allowed the left to frame and control the debate.
Posted by Mark Razak on 2007 09 06 at 04:58 PM • permalinkSarasohn of the Oregonian says a correction will be run.
Posted by Ernst Blofeld on 2007 09 06 at 05:11 PM • permalink“Thus clue-batted, you may now proceed with standard goalpost-moving and straw-manning.” (Dave S. in comments at this loony bin).
Poetry.I emailed David Sarasohn (associate editor at the Oregonian) a somewhat rearragned and edited-down version of my comment #17 above.
Sarasohn’s response:
66~~~
Subject: Re: plastic turkey links, “On to Plan D,” “September Song”
Thanks for your note.We will run a correction.
Best,
David Sarasohn
~~~99So far, so good! Pending the correction itself, I’d call that gracious enough.
I put both him (re the Oregonian’s “September Song”) and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial page editor (re “On to Plan D”) as the addressees of the same email. Haven’t heard from the latter, yet.
17 FOrNow,
36 Mark R.
Fine summaries. 17’s list in particular is illuminating. Who now remembers any of those important events? Plastic turkeys work.Posted by arrowhead ripper on 2007 09 06 at 06:21 PM • permalinkre APEC, kinda…
Human rights in China - it’s a bummer.
Now check this searching critique
BTW Hey Tim McBlairHitler, looks like you must have had column problems. Not to worry, happens to the best of us.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2007 09 06 at 06:38 PM • permalinkOnce a story that suits the media is out there, it seems you can’t - as my mother would say - kill it with an axe.
Like the one where John Howard supposedly tagged himself George W. Bush’s “Deputy Sheriff”. That particular piece of misinformation was flogged to death by Their ABC.
Plastic turkeys. Deputy sheriffs. All one and the same to a biased media. Truth doesn’t enter into it at all.
Guys, I’m sorry to have to inform you the plastic turkey has now reached consensus point, the tipping point, where feedbacks have overwhelmed the world, and the turkey, once a gobbler, and even cooked, has been literally, and not just mindlessly figuratively, been changed to plastic.
The good news is we can rest easy with our qualms over media reporting on the fake turkey, as they now represent the putrid boiling mass of fake consensus, and therefore reality.
So, in summary, the real turkey has now been historically corrected as fake.
Apologies to the turkey for it’s sacrifice in vain.
Blair APEC delegates please SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH while I sing along to the
New Zealand Anthem.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YMSPDqZUnY&mode=related&search;=
The plastic turkey meme officially bores me. Feel free to send these to any ‘journalist’ you see repeating it… ask them if they can find anything similar with Hillary!, Kerry, Reid, Levin, Murtha or Pelosi…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 09 06 at 08:07 PM • permalink#52 peter m
Guys, I’m sorry to have to inform you the plastic turkey has now reached consensus point, the tipping point, where feedbacks have overwhelmed the world, and the turkey, once a gobbler, and even cooked, has been literally, and not just mindlessly figuratively, been changed to plastic.
Picture this: at some turkey ranch in California (or Texas or wherever), the foreman asks one of his workers,
“If I told you this big ol’ tom here will someday convince the smartest newsmen and politicians the world over that he’s made entirely of plastic, would you think I was crazy?”
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 09 06 at 08:43 PM • permalinkEl Cid, I just checked out a recipe for the soon-to-be renamed (at least here at Tim’s?) “Poglova.” Sounds yummy. D’you know if Austrailians & New Zealanders argue over it as they do cricket or football? Seems to be a bit of a tussle between ‘em on the origin. “Although Australia is credited with inventing this dessert, New Zealand also lays claim to it as a similar dessert was being served in that country around the same time as it was said to have been invented in Australia.” from ‘JoyofBaking.com’
Care to share YOUR recipe?
On topic again - Those who believe in the plastic turkey really need to get better meds.
KC, NZers’s argue about everything. It’s best to ignore them until they go away.
Warning to any non-Aussie watching 1.618’s link at #53: The flag appearing on the left of your screen is NOT the NZ flag. Not sure about the one on the right because it is in the dark, but it may be the crude copy of our flag used by NZ.
The Kahlua is fine but any pav coming my way with kiwi fruit instead of passion-fruit will be taste-tested by my Doberman. If she gives it the OK, it will then be fed to the chooks.Kae, I don’t like the Velcro sensations of strawberries on my tongue and I’m seriously allergic to kiwi fruit. Discovered this during a visit to NZ’s kiwi orchards in blossom time. Ate lots of the fruit, drank kiwi-fruit wine and sniffed up the pollen. Bloody near died and the little furry monsters are no longer allowed in the house.
Be listening this week on The Conversation Hour as Richard Fidler introduces you to some truly fascinating people, including psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Greg, rock star Suzi Quatro and Forbidden Lie$ director Anna “my auntie is Helen Caldicott”... Broinowski.
Interesting story, but she justifies it, or wonders that it’s OK to lie when the Pres of the US lied about WMD.She’s a documentary maker and she’s not used to triple checking her facts…
Podcast here I hope.
You know, it would have been hilarious if someone had been shot in the fake motorcade prank.
“It’s all fun until someone loses an eye.”
If you think plastic turkey is repeating on you, wait ‘til you eat petrol (gas) station chicken sandwiches.
Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2007 09 06 at 11:39 PM • permalinkI just realised why Tim’s column isn’t up today - some bastard moved Saturday to tomorrow. This Sydney Friday long weekend is confusing
Posted by Margos Maid on 2007 09 07 at 12:11 AM • permalink#97 - Relying on Blair’s blog for the correct date is risky at best. Take this week - Monday became Sunday and then Monday again, but with totally different posts. I blame “The Man” or wronwright.
Good work sticking it to Tim anyway. There was a higher truth to your statement that we all understood.
Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2007 09 07 at 12:44 AM • permalinkThank you to everyone for their support for seeing that while I may not know what day it is, there are much, much deeper levels of meaning and contextualisation with which we engage with this blog.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2007 09 07 at 03:18 AM • permalink#6 Maree; I swear I never heard of the stupid turkey until I read about it here.
Posted by dean martin on 2007 09 07 at 09:16 AM • permalinkThanks for the recipe, Pogria (& kae & el cid) - one day when it isn’t as humid, (& I’m not running errands for others all day long) I’ll see if I can put one together…the recipe I first saw had kiwi, strawberries, blueberries & blackberries on top. That sounds good, too…but I just like all kinds of fruit, so don’t any of you take any offense, ‘k? Peaches or pineapple are my favorites, is any substitution acceptable to be ‘authentic?’ Anyway, I thank you for the info! YUM!
Darn. I missed the plastic turkey shoot.
Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2007 09 07 at 10:07 PM • permalinkLike the legend of Santa Claus, the legend of the Plastic Turkey will never die. That’s because child-like minds want desperatly to believe it.
Posted by Michael Lonie on 2007 09 08 at 11:42 PM • permalinkBTW, I didn’t see a correction from Sarasohn of the Oregonian this week.
Posted by Ernst Blofeld on 2007 09 10 at 04:15 AM • permalinkOK, the correction for Sarasohn’s column is posted:
http://www.oregonlive.com/corrections/oregonian/
Posted by Ernst Blofeld on 2007 09 10 at 03:41 PM • permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages
Members:
Login | Register
| Member List
God forgive me but I’m beginning to actually hate these lying cockroaches.