Thursday, April 30, 2015

Jon Stewart finally interviews the disgraced New York Times reporter Judith Miller the way she needs to be interviewed.

Click image to play extended interview.
I watched this last night standing on my feet.

That's how excited I was to see somebody finally, at long last, holding Miller's feet to the fire.

I had already watched several interviews which had me yelling at the screen in anger, and here was one that had me yelling at the screen in support.

Here is more from the Daily Beast:  

Stewart did not let Miller off easy, claiming that Miller partook in a “concerted effort” to lead us into a war with Iraq. 

“I think it was a concerted effort to take us into war in Iraq. You had to shift, with energy, the focus of America from Afghanistan and al Qaeda to Iraq. That took effort,” Stewart said. “Somebody pointed the light at Iraq, and that somebody is the White House, and the Defense Department, and Rumsfeld. He said right after 9/11, ‘Find me a pretext to go to war with Iraq.’ That’s from the 9/11 papers and the study.” 

Much of the focus of their on-air tussle was Miller’s front-page Times story from September 8, 2002, headlined, “U.S. Says Hussein Intensifies Quest for A-Bomb Parts.” In it, Miller and her Times colleague Michael R. Gordon cited anonymous officials from the Bush administration who believed that Iraq had “stepped up its quest for nuclear weapons and embarked on a worldwide hunt for materials to make an atomic bomb.” 

Here is part of their heated exchange:

MILLER: “Jon, were we not supposed to report what it was that had the intelligence community so nervous about Saddam?” 

STEWART: “No. You should have reported it, though, in the context of this administration was very clearly pushing a narrative, and by losing sight of that context, by not reporting—” 

MILLER: “I think we did.” 

STEWART: “I wholeheartedly disagree with you.” 

MILLER: “That’s what makes journalism.” 

STEWART: “It’s actually not what makes journalism...”

At one point in the interview Miller claims that a statement by David Albright, an expert she claims she trusted on nuclear weapons, which disagreed with the White House about Iraq's ability to build that type of weapon, was cut due to space. Which is one of the most bullshit answers I have ever heard in my life.

Usually at the end of an interview,  even with somebody that Stewart disagrees with wholeheartedly, he is always magnanimous and makes a joke and shakes their hand to signify no hard feelings.

But not this time.

At the end of this interview Stewart looks disgusted with the fact that Miller will not take responsibility for her biased reporting, and expresses how deeply sad that makes him.


29 comments:

  1. Boscoe4:41 PM

    I nearly puked when she tried to divert the topic first to Hillary then to Bill. Miller is just another right wing operative who cannot accept responsibility for anything.

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  2. Anonymous5:05 PM

    This is precisely why Jon felt the need to retire. There are so many terrible people that cannot be brought to justice regardless of how hard he tries that he feels impotent and ,much like would we all, unable to bring justice through journalistic effort.

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    Replies
    1. But in today's postings, two comedians have proved better than journalists at pointing at the truth and trying to make people accountable. They are today's court jesters.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous5:13 PM

    Judith Miller is an accessory to one of the worst crimes committed ever - the illegal invasion of a country that did not attack the U.S. Innocent people were slaughtered in a war trumped up on phony, twisted evidence. Miller, and those she 'spoke' for, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, et al, should all be in prison.

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    1. Anonymous9:03 PM

      Yes, they should. For the "I love MyPresident" crowd, one of the reasons I don't love Obama is the complete pass his administration gave these war criminals. I used to wonder why... and then I realized it was to set a precedent.

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  4. Almost immediately she goes to blame shifting, Democrats wanted war and believed the stories, Clinton, etc..

    She was part of scam to pull the wool over the eyes of the American public to go to war in Iraq. The blood of so many innocent Iraq citizens is on Millers hands and she has the gall to sit there and laugh at a lot of the facts the Jon Miller presents.

    I'm an agnostic but when I see what people like Miller, Bush, Cheney, and the rest of "war is fun as long as I don't have to fight in one" gang I hope there is a hell. A hell where they are on the battle field and day after day their limbs are blown off their bodies and it happens again and again and again for all ages.

    This country fell apart after 9/11 and we still see it circling the drain because of a single terrorist attack. We don't have to forget but we do need to move on towards progressing our country and not regressing to the 50's.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, pursang.

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    2. Anonymous7:30 PM

      Spot on.

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    3. Anonymous5:24 AM

      Totally with you, pursang833. Miller, the New York Times editorial board, and a few hundred more supposedly fact purveyors all did their best to suck up to Bush, Cheney and the rest of the Bush administration evildoers during that period. It's enough to make you question 9/11. In fact there are questions that have never been answered about that day, not the least being the decision to ignore the warnings coming from the intelligence community prior to 9/11, the decision to send the military jets from the northeast away on a training mission that particular day, the hours that Bush was totally incommunicado on 9/11, and on and on. No one in the media ever pressed for answers to those questions and to the really big one: why pick on Iraq, the one Middle Eastern country that was least likely to have been involved in 9/11. And then there's the huge question: why were all the bin Laden family members quietly removed from the US in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the twin towers? Where was Judith Miller then? Was she tracking down answers to those questions? No, she was sucking up to the administration and doing their bidding at her laptop.

      Good for Jon Steward, the only courageous journalist out there! And he's a comedian. That alone tells us a lot about the plight of journalism today. It's been completely Koch-i-fied.

      God save us all from another Bush in the White House.
      Beaglemom

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    4. When 911happened, my British husband said what America should do is -- nothing. Nobody listened.

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  5. Grrrr !5:18 PM

    Well said, Griffin.

    An extended version of the interview is here:

    http://thedailyshow.cc.com/extended-interviews/xjg4x6/exclusive-judith-miller-extended-interview

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  6. Anonymous5:53 PM

    It was almost difficult to watch. But you can tell, by the way the interview ended, that Jon was majorly pissed - did you see him grab that book and shove it under his desk? I only saw it once but I swear it looked like she was getting ready to grab that book and he just took it! He also didn't lean over to talk to her as the camera faded - something he does with almost everyone at the end of the interview. Very good stuff. Going to hate to see him go. Except that today I read that he will start a farm for rescue animals. Go ahead Jon, take ALL the feels and love from us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why does it take the end in sight for people to speak their minds? How have we become so mealy-mouthed?

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  7. Anonymous6:08 PM

    Stewart was poetry in motion, he wound her yo yo tight then let her unwind so her prepared lies couldn't help her. The man was spot on with all of his facts, and he scared the beeejeeezus out of poor judy, thank goodness she double depended before putting on her spanx and girdle. And thank pharmaceuticals, or this woman would die from lack of sleep over her lies and bullshit. Guess she went to the same journo school as another dim bulb whose initials are on salt and pepper shakers everywhere.
    For a second there, I thought Jon was going to loose it and rip the book to shreds, instead he gave her the heave ho and tossed the book on the floor.
    Damn, I'm going to miss his show.

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  8. Randall6:13 PM

    It is sad - and disgusting - that the best journalist in the United States is a comedian.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:27 PM

      Even sadder that he's moving on, Randall. Wish he would have stayed through 2016 but, when you think about it, no wonder he's had enough.

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    2. Grrrr !6:45 PM

      "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down ..."

      And America IS on the way down.

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    3. Anonymous7:51 PM

      And guess who's responsible for it?

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  9. Anonymous6:22 PM

    I am going to miss Jon Stewart. His replacement had better bring his A game if he can even begin to hope to fill his shoes. Frankly, the new guy seems a little wet behind the ears.
    M. from MD

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  10. Anonymous6:49 PM

    I was watching and when she told her most egregious lies she could not even look at him. She makes me vomit. God he will be missed!

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    1. Anonymous7:29 PM

      It makes me want to vomit too. All those wasted lives.

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  11. Anonymous7:50 PM

    I hope she's been taken down on Twitter.
    Too old to do that.

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  12. Anonymous8:09 PM

    I saw that George was riding bikes with wounded war Vets on his ranch today.
    I wonder sometimes,
    Is he afraid to leave the ranch?

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  13. Anonymous8:33 PM

    my family members spouse was part of Bush's inner circle,that walked us into Iraq. to this day not only will this family member not discuss it,but they will admit no guilt. that's the right wing neocons for you. heartless towards lives lost. lack of compassion and a soul. its all about $$ and WAR. AND THATS WHY IM A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT.

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  14. Anonymous9:55 PM

    AND he shakes her hand and is quite gentlemanly about it.

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  15. Anonymous11:00 PM

    OT, but was just watching Andy Cohen's "Guess What Happens" show tonight and his guest was Nicolle Wallace. Andy asked her if GAME CHANGE was really accurate, and she quickly responded "alarmingly so."

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  16. What bothers me most is....why is it left to Stewart to do an interview of this extent? Why is it on his shoulders to cross examine her and hold her feet to the fire?

    He's a late night show comedian.

    Where are the "journalists" whose job this is?

    Has journalism sunk to the extent that they will not make waves or risk pissing anyone off?

    Do they not know how to do their jobs or simply prefer to stay shallow, soft and amiable.

    Do they think if they do interviews such as this they won't get good ratings? Because I can tell you, if there is one show with one brave, intelligent, competent journalist that can do what Jon Stewart does, their ratings will go through the roof.

    I totally understand why Jon cannot bring himself to live day in and day out with this filth any more. I applaud him for sticking it out this long.

    But I mourn his "retirement" and the hole it will leave.

    Thank goodness we still have John Oliver and I now have HBOnow.

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  17. It was something to watch him skewer her and not let up. I remember reading an article lately on his biggest regret was throwing softball questions to Rumsfield so there was no way he was going to give her a pass.
    Stewart needs an award, he shone light on topics that journalists avoided all these years and without him, I don't know how we all made it alive and somewhat sane during those crazy unbelievable days of Bush & Co. As much as I will sorely miss him, he deserves to get on with his life. He served his country well.

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  18. Anonymous5:28 AM

    "will not take responsibility for her biased reporting"
    Kinda like all the "reporting" about the "violence and chair throwing" at the NV convention,huh?

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