I find it hard to fathom how nowaday journalists can speak of themselves in the same breath as Mr Walter Cronkite. Here are a few of their sound bites from the news – which make me wonder how they reconcile what they honor about Mr Cronkite with how they have behaved in regards to barry.
Will they change their behavior now that they know he can hear them?
Originally, I wanted to know what Mr Cronkite thought about the obvious pro-barry media coverage – in particular what he thought about their nonvetting and embargoing of harmful information or just plain ignoring of it (Rezko). I find it hard to believe he wouldn’t have asked barry straight out to produce his birth certificate. (I don’t know if he weighed in on it.) But then I realized that if he, too, was mesmerized it would be too much.
ROGER MUDD:
He was reassuring, he was comfortable. And when you listened to him you knew he knew his business. He had control of his broadcast and he was leveling with you. He was an honest man.
KATIE COURIC:
What I take away [shaking her head] from everything I know about Walter Cronkite is that good journalism matters. Seeking the truth is really important.
DAN RATHER (looks ill):
He was, literally, a living legend and now a legend in memory.
BARBARA WALTERS:
He was someone who made us feel safe and secure.
TOM BROKAW:
He was a quintessential American. He came from the Heartland. He wasn’t flashy one way or the other and his reporting was straightforward.
Didn’t they have their own videographer out there? AMC outfits every single soldier with every single thing – you’d think they’d supply their Commanding General with a video. And the Golden Knights parachuting in. It should be part of the Army’s history like the astronaut tossing it in space.
What about the Yankees? Isn’t that part of the “appreciation”? MLB?
So as long as I was there…here’s an old video with Katie Couric and the second one is PBS.
By law the Army is only allowed 11 active duty generals at one time. Why a law? More than 300 active duty male Army generals 57 female generals Of which there are only FIVE 3-star And only ONE 4-star
Gen Dunwoody is the only woman to get 4th star…after 33 years.
Imagine what type of sexism she faced (faces) and overcame. Does she get paid the same as a male 4-star?
COURIC: She has not only earned a star, she deserves to be saluted.
She would do a great service to women in the Military, women in general and American history if she wrote a book. What are the chances Capt Sullenberger’s publisher will track her down? Or General Schwarzkopf’s? Or a woman-owned publisher? The Army probably does their own.
So barry is heading to the Muslim world again. Hasn’t been to two continents – South American or Australia. Hasn’t been to Eastern Europe (except Russia on a Codel) or Japan or India or China or Central America or Ireland or Vatican City but he added on a stop to visit his old pal King Saudi so he can bend completely over in the privacy of a tent or a cave or a palace or wherever the women and “child brides” are slaves. He has yet to speak out on anything except the marital rape law in Afghanistan – and then only because he was pressured. He has not said anything while in the companies of Arabs. He has the courage and conviction of a gnat.
And how is the center of the Muslim World, the “moderate” and “progressive” land of Saudi Arabia preparing for his visit?
Public execution. In this particular case, the beheading was accompanied by a “crucifixion” – which his nothing to do with Christianity. It means the body is displayed in public as a “deterrent”.
GROSS WARNING: They are beheaded first and their head is sewn back on and the reassembled corpse is mounted on a pole or a tree and left for all to see. His was displayed “throughout the evening”.
2009 and there are still savages beheading folks – as in women, too – in public. [I don't know about Saudi Arabia but Iran executes folks who (allegedly) commit crimes as a minor.] They have a special square just for this purpose. It’s called “Chop Chop” Square (Deera Square) for obvious reasons. In the center is a drain so they can flush the blood and whatever else away when they’re finished. Cleanliness being next to Godliness. They used to be held on Fridays after noon prayers – now they take place unannounced but always at 9:00 am.
…many crimes, such as armed robbery, rape, adultery, drug use and trafficking, and renouncing Islam. There’s a woman on death row now for witchcraft, and the charge is based partly on a man’s accusation that her spell made him impotent.
In this case, the crime was “an offense of rebellion, one that basically rejected all of the rules of religion and society” and he was caught in the act. And what he did was truly evil and would probably qualify for the death penalty in some states.
[The trial proceedings] usually take place behind closed doors without adequate legal representation. Convictions are often made on the basis of “confessions” obtained under duress, including torture or other ill-treatment during incommunicado detention.
At any time until the sword strikes, a victim’s family can pardon the condemned — usually for a cash settlement of at least two million riyals ($690,000 or so) from the convict or his family.
Usually though:
AI’s Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui: Those who are sentenced to death are often not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them or of the date of execution until the morning when they are taken out and beheaded.
How common?
There were 102 executions in Saudi Arabia in 2008 and is aware of 136 people believed to be awaiting execution….”but nobody knows how many people are on death row.”
Sahraoui: King Abdullah should show true leadership and commute all death sentences if Saudi Arabia is to have any role to play as a global leader or member of the G-20.
Do you think that is on barry’s agenda?
Sources: BOLD links are to an article with a description of the beheading — towards the bottom. Amnesty International links are from a CNN article.
Katie Couric recently returned from Saudi Arabia. She gives a glimpse of the Square.
Yep, that’s right. Women in the military are more likely to be raped in the military than on the street and they are more likely to be raped than killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read that again. And then realize that the Pentagon admits that 80% of rapes in the military are not reported. Forget the don’t ask, don’t tell hoopla - their choice to engage in sodomy is voluntary - address the women who are being forcibly sodomized against their will while voluntarily risking their lives for our freedom.
Imagine what could happen/is happening/has happened to a lesbian service member when her military brothers decide that all she needs is a good f*ck.
Veterans Administration has classified a subset of PTSD: Military Sexual Trauma.
Should this be something women who volunteer to serve our country should have to suffer? Is not going into battle difficult enough? Going into countries like Iraq and Afghanistan where women are already thought of as chattel? What happens to them when they get captured? Even if they never are - the thought has to weigh heavily on them.
Why should they have to fear their fellow soldiers as well?
It is heinous.
And what does the media focus on? Wanting to photograph flag-draped coffins. They have no concern for the walking dead.
Here are some interesting comments from DAVID MARTIN:
A Veterans Administration study found that one in sedical records of 125,000 war veterans, both men and women, showed 15 percent reported sexual trauma. That works out to nearly 2,600 veterans, almost all women. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, since the study covered only a fraction of the 870,000 veterans who have fought - and none still on active duty.
1 in 7 female veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan seeking medical care from the VA suffered sexual trauma - everything from harassment to rape.
And:
A recent survey by the Government Accountability Office of just 13 military bases found that 103 service members who say they’ve been sexually assaulted in the previous 12 months.
And:
And women who suffer sexual trauma are more likely to develop medical and mental problems.
Studies show it ranks high - or higher - than combat as a cause of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The chances of being found guilty?
Congress mandated in 2006 that the military keep track of cases - prior to that there was nothing in place. Not a surprise.
2006: 2,974 cases of rape and sexual assault only 292 cases resulted in a military trial.
Doesn’t say how many were found guilty and how many of them actually received punishment.
2007: Over 2200 servicemen investigated for sexual assault only 181 were prosecuted.
How many women soldiers are going to fabricate a rape when to survive they are already trying to stay under the radar? Not happening.
How many women after the investigation and court cases remain in the military vs the accused who got off?
Katie Couric talked with one brave patriot, Jessica, who was one of three women in a unit with 60 men. Just weeks in she was sexually harassed by her superior and then she was raped by a soldier from another base.
It’s one thing if the rapist is a stranger, an acquaintance, a family member, a religious man, a teacher, a person in a position of authority - but someone who you have sworn to risk your life for? Someone who has sworn to save and protect yours? Someone took the same oath of office and who is supposed to follow the same code of ethics?
And what about the rest of the soldiers at his base? Did they turn him in or laugh and ask for details?
It’s disgusting. And some of the rapists who are found guilty are not dishonorably discharged - they are given pay/rank reductions.
What does the military code of conduct entail? And is it enforced conditionally?
“I am gay” gets a soldier fired but being found guilty of sexual assault gets a demotion in rank or pay?
The only way this is going to stop is if the band of brothers decide to make it stop. These rapists do not rape without at least one of their fellow brothers/rapists knowing. Those who say nothing and know about the crime should be punished in the same fashion as the rapist.
Problem is - not very many of the rapist are being punished.
Here is Katie Couric’s interview with the transcript below. Please take the 4:26 to watch.
COURIC VOICOVER: They’ve become an integral part of modern warfare - 200,000 active duty women serving alongside their band of brothers. Jessica was one of those women. Born into a military family, at 24 she enlisted in the Army. Following basic training she was posted half a world away at Camp Humphreys in South Korea. She was assigned to an Apache helicopter maintenance crew, one of three women in a unit of 60 men. Jessica worked hard to blend into a very macho world, CBS News anchor Katie Couric reports.
JESSICA: You figure out how to turn the guy off, and become one of the guys. That’s your safety mechanism.
COURIC VOICEOVER: But that safety mechanism failed. Just weeks into her new assignment, her squad leader began making unwanted sexual comments. Then it turned physical when he tried to force himself on her. She was afraid to report it, tried to forget it, but the assault haunted her. In a completely unrelated incident when she was out one night, someone she knew from another base raped her.
JESSICA: The betrayal issues to this day are still pretty deep. You know, I was like, ‘I’m willing to give my life for this guy next to me but how do I know that he’s not going to hurt me?’”
COURIC VOICEOVER: Jessica’s story is not unique. One in three female soldiers will experience sexual assault while serving in the military, compared to one in six women in the civilian world. The Pentagon released a disturbing report Tuesday on sexual abuse in the military, saying that more than 2,900 sexual assaults were reported last year, up nearly 9 percent from the year before. Nearly two-thirds of the cases involved rape or aggravated assault.
COURIC: How big a problem do you believe is rape and sexual assault in the US Military is right now?
Principal Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ:
DOMINGUEZ: Sexual assault injures troops. Injures readiness. So regardless of the numbers we have, it is by definition too much.
[Look at how uncomfortable he is just talking about it. Notice he said "troops". He didn't say women. He completely depersonalized them. And that it injuries 'readiness". It doesn't get more minimizing than that. Rape murders a woman's soul just as assuredly as an IED.]
COURIC VOICEOVER: But how often does it happen? The Pentagon only started a comprehensive program to track incidents in 2006, and only after Congress mandated it do so. That year there were 2,974 cases of rape and sexual assault across the services. And of those, only 292 cases resulted in a military trial. And in 2007 there were even fewer prosecutions.
COURIC: Of more than 2,200 servicemen investigated for sexual assault, only 181 were prosecuted?
DOMINGUEZ: Yes, we absolutely have to get better. [Defense] Secretary [Robert] Gates himself is driving this initiative this year to improve our ability to investigate, to prosecute and convict. This is not where we want to be.
COURIC VOICEOVER: And in a majority of cases, the punishment doesn’t seem to match the crime. Often most offenders only get a reduction in rank or reduced pay.
[That's it. That's all - compared to the ruination of the female soldier and loss of her career. What woman is going to be able to serve effectively after her rapist basically ends up with a fine? And they get to keep their jobs. What type of incentive is that for a women to report a rape? They want to stop it - stiffen the penalty - summarily discharge if found guilty.]
VIVIAN GEMBERA, a retired member of the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps:
GEMBERA: These are major crimes, not misdemeanors. A lot of times what we see in the JAG court is very inexperienced, brand spanking new lawyers being given rape cases, murder cases.
COURIC VOICEOVER: This month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for a military-wide “review of the training and experience’ of investigators and prosecutors for sexual assault cases. For many victims their assault remains a shameful secret. The Pentagon acknowledges that some 80 percent of rapes are never reported - making it the most under-documented crime in the military.
CALLIE WIGHT, a military sexual trauma counselor for the Veterans Administration said victims haven’t come forward for a number of reasons.
WIGHT: They didn’t report because they didn’t think they’d be believed. They didn’t report because they were ashamed and humiliated and they didn’t want anyone to know what happened to them.”
COURIC VOICEOVER: The military is trying to reduce the stigma through increased awareness, education and guaranteeing confidentiality to victims reporting such crimes. The army has launched a national program called “I Am Strong.” Installations like Fort Irwin in California credit the campaign with driving assault numbers down. But for soldiers like Jessica any changes came too late.
JESSICA: The worst letdown is people who didn’t believe in me to help get through this and keep me in the army. I really wanted to be a good soldier.
COURIC VOICEOVER: Traumatized by assault and re-traumatized by inaction, she has left the military and is now trying to help other victims.
***
In this bit - I don’t know if it was Jessica’s choice - Couric didn’t interview her and there was no grilling of Dominguez or interview of Gates.
This is Aroid's 12-17-2007 60 Minutes interview with Katie Couric where he denies unequivocally that he DID NOT use any performance-enhancing drugs. Couric didn't mention specifically amphetamines so he should be able to say it depends on what the meaning of is is. Aroid's *tell* are his lips, left cheek and his voice. He is not much of a blinker, which shows he is a pretty accomplished liar (as far as this) and has justified it in his mind that he has done nothing wrong. He has had plenty of years to do so and hundreds of millions of dollars as incentive to lie.
His denial is the first part. Following that is the transcript of the rest of the interview and videos of his batting cage and his trophy room. He showed her that knowing he cheated to get them.
CBS
KATIE COURIC: For the record, have you ever used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing substance?
AROID: No.
LIE
COURIC: Have you ever been tempted to use any of those things?
AROID: No.
LIE.
COURIC: You never felt like, 'This guy's doing it, maybe I should look into this, too? He's getting better numbers, playing better ball'.
AROID: I've never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I've always been in a very strong, dominant position. And I felt that if I did my work as I've done since I was, you know, a rookie back in Seattle, I didn't have a problem competing at any level. So, uh, no.
LIE. He did more than his work - he cheated.
COURIC: What is your reaction to this investigation?
AROID: Katie, you're putting me in a tough spot. I mean, these are guys that I play with. They're my teammates. If anything comes of this, I will be extremely disappointed. And it will be a huge black eye on the game of baseball.
HE is the black eye on the game of baseball. HE has disappointed his teammates, the game of baseball and the world. He was in a tought spot because he had to keep lying.
COURIC: It sounds like this is rampant. According to the Mitchell Report, every single club has a player using banned substances. Did you ever witness or hear about or even suspect this was going on?
AROID: You hear a lot of things. I mean, I came in 1993. And you heard whispers from the '80s and '90s. But I never saw anything. I never had raw evidence. And, quite frankly, I was probably a little bit too naïve when I first came up to understand the magnitude of all this.
The emphasis on *first* was his. It is what he is now using as the basis of his apology and excuse - he had it thought out even then. He is beyond a liar and a cheater - he is a pre-meditated liar about his cheating. All he had to do is look in the mirror.
COURIC: Given this controversy, Alex, who do you think has the real homerun record? Barry Bonds at 762 or Hank Aaron 755?
AROID: Well, I think Barry Bonds. He has 762.
Of course he is going to say that - it involves him - his records. Which in my opinion should be wiped out for the years he admits to using steroids. The years he used to extort his money.
COURIC: But, he has an asterisk next to his name.
AROID: Does he? Not yet.
Funny he used *yet*. I remember hearing this the first time I watched him say this and I was hoping Couric would have pressed him on it. Derek Lee also said the same thing. The players all know who is cheating and who isn't. And now that Aroid has admitted to it it will allow them to come forward - especially the ones whose jobs (and money) he took. It explains why Jeter was not moved from shortstop.
COURIC: In the minds of many, he does.
AROID: The federal government is going to make its decision on that. Barry's been a phenomenal player. And I've really enjoyed watching him play. But, he's innocent 'til proven guilty.
Again, he is speaking for himself. And he thought he would be able to slip by until he was found guilty.
****
Here's the rest of the interview even though it's not on this video.
This is what he attributes his success to.
FOLLOW LINK ABOVE TO SEE VIDEOS THAT DON'T EMBED HERE
He was asked why he thinks he gets so much grief over his salary.
AROID: Cuz I make a lot of money.
Based on cheating - that is what they are mad about. Money the ones who haven't cheated deserved and didn't get. The money fans had to play to get into the park.
COURIC: Your new contract is worth $300 million-plus. Are you worth it? Is any player worth that kind of salary?
AROID: I'm not sure. I mean, that's not my job to evaluate or appraise players. I love to play baseball.
But the game that got Alex Rodriguez the most attention this past season was one he wasn't even in. It was the fourth game of the World Series and the Red Sox were about to sweep the Colorado Rockies, when the announcer suddenly broke away from the game, saying that Rodriguez had decided to opt out of his Yankees contract. Opt-out, meaning he was leaving to become a free agent. That announcement upstaged one of the biggest nights in baseball.
COURIC: Can you understand why so many people found that so incredibly offensive?
AROID: Absolutely. A hundred percent. If I was a sports writer, if I was a fan, I would have been very, very upset. I was angry and upset. Shocked -- disbelief. I mean, I'm sitting in my living room.
COURIC: You were watching the game?
AROID: Yes. And that was very, very difficult.
What about the players he again upstaged? He knew what was going on or at least that it might happen. What more publicity could he have gotten?
COURIC: What did you do when you heard it?
AROID: Nightmare -- you know, I got white like a ghost. I just couldn't believe my eyes. I was under the impression that it would come out a day or two after the World Series concluded. And I would never do anything to harm the game [this is laughable]… to the Red Sox and the Rockies, my deepest apologies, and to all of Major League Baseball.
COURIC: You got hammered by the press. A number of respected sports writers called you, among other things, 'A gold plated phony.' 'Pay-Rod in Pinstripes.' They say you upstaged more World Series games than you actually played in. Were you surprised at the level of vitriol that came your way?
You want to know who uses steroids - look at their post season records - if they have any. Soriano is 0 for the post season as in no hits...not that I am saying he uses anything...I just find it curious - and disgusting - that he comes to the Cuns and makes this huge salary and then spends most of the time on the DL and sucks in the outfield and never gets on base and therefore cannot use this speed I've never seen evidence of. In othe words, since he got his deal, which cannot be broken, he has sucked. I haven't calculated how much he gets for each at bat but he doesn't even run to first base half the time and he stands at the plate after his homers like he just did something great when that is exactly what he is getting paid for. Jim Hendry made a HUGE mistake with him and made a UNBELIEVABLE mistake trading Mark DeRosa. That was wrong and ranks up there with what they did to Mark Grace. And getting rid of Kerry Wood who has been very active with Children's Memorial Hospital and kids said who said pay me whatever I'm worth? Wrong. The two bright lights of last season are now gone.
ROID: No. If I was a writer, I would have done the same thing, because it was unacceptable. And inappropriate. And, you know, when you do things the wrong way, that’s what you get.
The whole debacle started, he says, when his agent, Scott Boras, told him the Yankees didn’t want him anymore.
COURIC: But they were trying to reach out to you. It's kind of hard to believe that you were taking Scott Boras' word as gospel when you had all these other signs coming from Yankee management.
AROID: You're right.
COURIC: Why did you fall for that?
He didn't fall for anything he is using him as a fall guy.
AROID: Why wouldn't I trust my attorney. Most people trust their attorneys. I'm a baseball player. I'm not an attorney. I've never negotiated a contract. When I realized things were going haywire, at that point, I said, 'Wait a minute! I got to be accountable for my own life…this is not going the way I wanted to go and I got behind the wheel,' and I called Hank.
Hank, as in George Steinbrenner's son, who is now in charge of the Yankees. Taking the advice of his friend billionaire Warren Buffet, A-Rod says he negotiated directly and personally with the Yankees. Scott Boras, who told 60 Minutes he couldn't talk about his clients, was not welcome at the table, but he still stands to make about $15 million on the deal. A-Rod says he will pay him, and will keep him.
COURIC: What is your relationship like with him today? Why do you have to think about that so much?
AROID: Well, the whole situation saddens me a little bit.
Asked if he talks with him at all, Rodriguez said "No."
COURIC: Do you think that will change?
AROID: We’ll see.
He's still standing at his side. This guy lies about things that don't matter.
Asked if he was talking to Boras during the negotiation process.
AROID: No, I wasn't. I was talking with my wife.
COURIC to AROID's (then) wife: Cynthia, how do you think Alex changed as a result of this?
AROID: He wasn't used to having to take such initiative and such action, especially in this arena….and he actually had to pick up the phone, make the calls, make some decisions and stand behind them…be confident and be sure…it was very difficult, but it was a huge growing experience.
COURIC: Is it all about the money for you?
AROID: No. But economics always play a part of it. I wanted the best deal the Yankees had for me. Whatever that number was.
Yes it is. He wanted to be the best ever and make the most ever and he cheated his way to it. He is a cheater. He should be treated as such. If he got caught using steroids even once without a prescription let alone smuggling them into the country he would be charged with a crime. Whether it stuck is another matter. And that number was based on his numbers in Texas where he admits to using "banned substances". He's a CHEATER, A LIAR and an overpaid criminal. This whole discussion on his grotesque salary shows what a truly dishonorable man he is. He was greedy and he was asking for more money based on his past cheating. Cheating is one thing, lying about it another, but extortion because he did both is beyond the pale.
COURIC: Some people say you overplayed your hand. That there wasn't that much interest in you among other teams.
AROID: I beg to differ.
COURIC: Why?
AROID: I thought there was a lot of interest out there.
COURIC: You thought or you knew?"
AROID: I knew.
By the time this contract is over, Rodriguez will have made nearly $500 million playing baseball. Life in Coral Gables, Fla., is a far cry from his childhood in Miami, which changed dramatically when he was only nine. His father abandoned his family, leaving his mother to support them.
$500M every penny of it tainted.
AROID: My mother's been a rock for a long time. And again, she's working two jobs, secretary in the morning. She was a waitress at night. And it's funny 'cause when she got home and she would pick me up at the Boys and Girls Club in her beat-up car that half the times couldn't start, we would go home. And I was so excited to kind of get all her money out of her pocket. And I would sit there and count, you know, 23, 24, 25, 38, 40. Mom, you did great.
COURIC: Why haven't you done better in the post-season
AROID: I've stunk. You know? I've done very poorly. And that's not acceptable.
Acceptable? And the drugs you injected and then lied about at this very minute to make you not stink.
Asked what it is like being booed by his own fans, Rodriguez told Couric, "Oh, that's awful. That's terrible."
Here's the cheater's spoils.
FOLLOW THE LINK ABOVE TO SEE THE VIDEOS
This year there was a lot less booing. He seemed more relaxed and says he was finally comfortable enough to laugh at himself.
A state-of-the-art batting cage he built near his home raised his game. Every day in the off-season, he blasts his music and gets to work.
COURIC: How much of getting a good hit is technical and how much of it really is psychological?
AROID: I think it really comes down to 90 percent mental and you know, once Yankee Stadium, the lights are on, you have 55,000 people there. It's all about your mind. You know you better than that guy on the mound, and you cannot let that guy beat you. It becomes a competitive battle, one on one.
But the lights are on Alex Rodriguez 24-7, and he’s gotten singed, routinely described in the press as arrogant and disingenuous, not a team player. Then there were the tabloid reports about an alleged extramarital affair.
AROID: It was a challenging time. And you know, we’ve learned from it, we’ve regrouped, we’ve stood up and now I think we’ve become much closer because of the whole situation.
AROID: These are the two MVP awards. And this right here is the Babe Ruth Award -- for most home runs in Major League Baseball. But I would like to yank all three of 'em and put World Championship there. That's my goal. That's my ultimate goal. I feel comfortable my team can expect me to be in the line up every day and at the end of the day, I get paid to be a Major League Baseball player, not anything else, and I do that pretty well.
Can you imagine what Babe Ruth would have done to these guys? They wouldn't even have their pea-sized nuts. There is a very simple way to tell if someone has used steroids for a while. I'll go into this in another post. [Produced By Kyra Darnton, Michael Radutzky, and Lori Beecher]
What's interesting is the Captain's face when he is listening to the cockpit recordings. He keeps blinking - he is actually reliving it in his head live. Same thing has happened each time he has listened to them throughout his media appearances. I wonder if he actually wanted to listen to them and how he slept after hearing them.
The crew was on Larry King last night but they were preempted by barry. Very curious how they were seated. They're at a triangular desk. Larry King is on one side with Capt Sullenberger on his left at the apex. Across from Larry is seated the crew and behind them on raised seats some passengers and others via video feed. Here's a tease from CNN (unembeddable here). To the left of Sully is a passenger - to his left is Doreen Welsh, Jeff Skiles, Sheila Dail. Up in the back is Donna Dent and two other passengers. I presume Dent started out on the bottom and moved up when the passengers were brought on but I can't tell from this.
Doreen Welsh was not at the Inauguration or the Inaugural Ball. She was in the rear of the plane and had an injured leg (only 2 folks were injured) but she hasn't discussed whether she missed it because of that or because she didn't want to fly. She is unable to put on her uniform. It's a shame she wasn't included in that photo. There was some tension between her and the crew on 60 Minutes, which might have had something to do with the fact they were sitting in a hangar next to an Airbus 320. Or not. Hopefully, her prime seating will help out. She has seniority.
Part 3 Text Passengers Part 3 Video Passengers (a still photo of President and First Lady at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball with Capt Sullenberger, Jeff Skiles, Donna Dent and Sheila Dail.
2-10 Larry King (taped the 9th preempted by barry)
2-10 David Letterman
No NBC. The Today Show refused unless they were exclusive - they were supposed to be the original interview. I don't understand the selfishness. Each show the story becomes more complete - especially with the passenger stories. It's their audience who is going to be angry.
As far as a comprehensive list of posts on Flight 1549 in one post? We tried to link the posts together but there are too many (40) to collect in one post. Here are the links to the archive pages where you can find whatever you need.
No, we don't have anything on the air traffic controller Pat Harten other than the cockpit recording with his voice. If I have a chance later maybe I'll see what's out there. I, too, would like to know how long he had to wait to find out. The Teterboro recordings show they knew about 20 minutes later.
As far as those sites using our posts without sourcing us? I don't get it either. It's a matter of personal blogger integrity. Thanks for letting us know, though.
Yes, you can use whatever information you like. That's what it's here for. We just ask you attribute the site like you otherwise would.
Flight 1549 Flight Crew is on the Early Show right now. I wonder how angry Matt Lauer still is. It's infantile. Besides, the crew was first unveiled at the Super Bowl so they got their scoop. Not Matt himself but NBC none-the-less. Anyway, the crew will be presented the keys to the city by Mayor Bloomberg. He had said immediately after the landing: "It would appear that the pilot did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river, and then making sure everybody got out."
Beyond masterful. Sullenberger said some interesting things to Katie Couric on 60 Minutes last night.
I was sure I could do it. I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation to handle that particular moment. I had this expectation that my career would be one in which I didn't crash an airplane.
In regards to the first responders and ferry captains:
Thank you seems totally inadequate. I have a debt of gratitude that I fear I may never be able to repay.
I think the fact that there was a good outcome and that they were instrumental to the success gave them and the entire city something to be proud of. Not only did Sullenberger avert disaster - he did it in the most dramatic way possible. Truly nowhere else on American could a rescue like that have taken place. They should be very proud of themselves - something positive after 9-11. And here was the bonus for them. A man whose brother had been murdered on 9-11 who told Sullenberger that he didn't think his family could have taken another loss.
SULLENBERGER: He showed me a picture of himself with his niece, and the niece was a child of his brother, who was killed in 9/11. And he told me, he didn't think that his family could take losing a second son.
UNNAMED PASSENGER (see video): My brother was a firefighter killed at the Trade Center. And the whole way down I'm thinking my family's not gonna survive this. I've gotta get off this airplane. I can't believe that everyone walked off that airplane. It's a miracle. And I really thank you.
As to being called a hero:
I don't feel comfortable embracing it, but I don't want to deny it. I don't want to diminish their thankful feeling toward me by telling them that they're wrong. I'm beginning to understand why they might feel that way. Something about this episode has captured people's imagination. I think they want good news. I think they want to feel hopeful again. And if I can help in that way, I will.
UPDATED: Mayor Bloomberg handed out the keys to the city to each flight crew member calling them "five real American heroes". He introduced Sullenberger as "Captain Cool himself". He then presented him with a copy of a library book he had lost into the Hudson: "Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability" and laughed, "No due date." What about the library?
BLOOMBERG: This was a day that could have been one of our most tragic, but instead was one of our most triumphant. It's been called a miracle, but in this case there is no miracle without the experience of these people.
SULLENBERGER: I want to correct the record right now. This was a crew effort. [He said the same on the Early Show.]
I have not flown as a pilot since the event. I have flown several times as a passenger. I have visited my colleagues in the cockpit in flight and after a brief few seconds of it being not as familiar as usual - it quickly felt right at home.
He described the landing, and the subsequent surge in media attention as a "life-changing event," and he says that he plans to use his position as a "temporary spokesman" for the aviation industry to represent those who work in the industry "as well as I can."
The entire flight crew of Flight 1549: Capt Sullenberger, First Officer Jeff Skiles, Flight Attendants: Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh to appear on Larry King Live on Monday 9, 2009. I hope he asks them how many flights they've taken since then and how they've felt. Doreen Welsh hasn't been able to put on her uniform yet. The rest of the crew were wearing their uniforms on 60 Minutes, which didn't even devote the whole show to them.
The Today Show refused unless they were exclusive. They were supposed to be the original interview. I don't understand the selfishness. Each show the story becomes more complete - especially with the passenger stories.
(2-8-09) 60 Minutes - Katie Couric gets the first [Sullenberger] interview, portions of which could air on "The CBS Evening News" this week.
(2-9-09) The Early Show -- Sullenberger talks to Harry Smith and will be joined by family and flight crew: First Officer Jeffrey Skiles, and flight attendants Donna Dent, Doreen Welsh and Sheila Dail .
(2-10-09) Late Show With David Letterman - Sullenberger and flight crew.
Notice no NBC. Matt Lauer is pouting and putting his ego before the heroics of the crew and his audience.
2-1-09 Honored at the Super Bowl - wasn't this enough?
Sullenbergers' media adviser, Alex Clemens of the communications firm Barbary Coast Consulting, confirmed the "60 Minutes" interview but said he would have no other comment.
The Today Show was not pleased and has no intention of interviewing him now. There are folks swearing they won't watch it now because Katie Couric is interviewing him. Madness.
NBC Spokeswoman MEGAN KOPF: What Captain Sullenberger did in the cockpit on Flight 1549 was heroic and admirable. Unfortunately, people close to him have not acted nearly as admirably over the past few days. They gave us their word, and then broke their commitment. We wish Captain Sullenberger the best.
Right. Captain Sullenberger and his crew are less newsworthy on a second interview? The flight crew's actions are less heroic and the lives of the 150 passengers less important because it's a different channel? They ever hear of You Tube?
How much did the decision have to do with an iconic legitimate prime time news show vs morning talk show? NBC vs CBS? Or Matt Lauer vs Katie Couric?
When are they going to realize it's not about them and all they are doing is diminishing what was an amazing feat of experience, skill, judgment and execution that saved 155 (and perhaps many more) lives?
The media just can't leave things lie. They have to find controversy over pride and ratings. Captain Sullenberger was scheduled to be interviewed by Matt Lauer on January 19th in Washington. Sullenberger would be there since he was invited to the Inauguration. He was a ni show, citing the pilot's union not wanting any of the crew to speak publicly until the investigation was completed.
We have been guaranteed we'll still have the first interview with Captain Sullenberger - we’re just going to delay it for a few days.
I don't know what happened in the interim. Maybe Sullenberger (or his wife) took exception to Chris Matthews' metaphor about outgoing VP Dick Cheney sitting in the wheelchair. Whatever happened, Katie Couric will now be interviewing him - and the whole crew I imagine - on 60 Minutes set to air on Feb 8th.
Here's what the classy folks at the Today Show had to say. "Today" spokeswoman Megan Kopf:
What Capt. Sullenberger did in the cockpit on flight 1549 was heroic and admirable. Unfortunately, people close to him have not acted nearly as admirably over the past few days. They gave us their word and then broke their commitment. We wish Capt.Sullenberger the best.
She does not in the least bit wish him well. Isn't that show located in New York?
How can she possibly think the 155 souls he saved from a certain death care what channel it will be on?
A nice hometown, respectful welcome for an unassuming man. He truly believes he was just doing his job and they were both happy to get home.
LORI SULLENBERGER: To say that we are completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and love and cards - there are no words that we can express to say to thank all of you....We were breathtaken when we walked around the corner and saw all of your faces.
...We love Danville!!
...People have said alot of things about my husband in the last couple of days, so my comments will be brief.
And this is where I cry.
I knew when I married Sully, the one thing for sure, was that he was the most honorable man I knew. I have always known him to be an exemplary pilot. I knew what the outcome would be that day, because I knew my husband.
But mostly, for me, he's the man that makes my cup of tea every morning.
I'd like you to meet my husband, Sully.
They gave each other a really nice hug and a kiss. That said more than any words - especially for a man of few words. I was surprised by the wholeheartedness of it - how he shared his love and respect for his wife with all of us. It was a truly intimate moment that for a controlled, contained man seemed to come easily and unselfconsciously. He is a very curious (in a good way) man. The crowd clapped and started the Sul-ly, Sul-ly chant and he laughed but he looked so uncomfortable they stopped to let him speak. Watch his left hand - he wipes his palm briefly on his suit coat and then fidgets. He can make a perfect landing on an icy river having lost both engines - but standing there makes him nervous.
CAPT SULLENBERGER: Lori and I are grateful for your incredible outpouring of support. It's great to be home in Danville with our neighbors and our friends.
Circumstance determined that it was this experienced crew that was scheduled to fly at that particular flight on that particular day.
But I know that I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you - we were simply doing the jobs we were trained to do.
Thank you.
Not even a word per passenger. Quite a humble man. How refreshing. It seems the rest of his crew is too.
I was watching CNN and after the Sullenbergers spoke - they cut back to the reporter who recapped Sully's 73 word speech. Meanwhile, the Mayor was presumably saying something about who they are and what they mean to the community.
Governors Palin and Blagojevich will not be at the Inauguration. Hard to believe Gov Palin would miss a photo op. This most likely explains the situation. She was not invited to a ball in honor of Senator McCain whose ear barry has been bending overtime. The recent release of snippets of her interview with the documentarian John Ziegler where she ripped Katie Couric "Katie you're not the center of everybody's universe" (3:30) and continued to complain about her handlers might have a lot to do with it.
According to McAllister, Palin will spend next week in her home state preparing for the legislative session, which begins on Tuesday, and for her State of the State address on Thursday.
Was she even invited? "I don't know if she was invited," McCallister says. Don't know? How could that be? It's hard to miss an invitation from a presidential inauguration committee. For its part, Obama's inaugural committee has declined to say whether an invitation was sent to Palin. Repeated phone calls to its press office produced no answer to this simple question.
As for Blagojevich, he wasn't allowed to do much at the Convention before he was impeached so does there really have to be a statement? Spokesperson Lucio Guerrero:
He doesn't want to be a distraction from Obama, and unfortunately he thinks (his presence) would be.
And what about the adulterer John Edwards who made barry's win in Iowa possible?
About the Bradely effect - that does not exist. barry has already said that race will not be a factor if he loses. Period. The candidate doesn't feel that way - nobody else should - but what would the pundits complain about. What are they going to talk about now that race will be shown not to have an effect at all in the election? Maybe now barry can actually act like the postracial candidate he claims he is.
Katie Couric: A lot of people say it's a phenomenon thats outdated and overstated and misunderstood - having said that do you think we'll see that on election day
BARRY: You know, I have to tell you, I-I'm part of the camp that says it's outdated and overstated. I mean that the fact of the matter is that people have been worrying and fussing about whether or not I'm hampered because I'm an African American since we were campaigning in Iowa. The reason I'm sitting here two days before the election as the Democratic nominee is because The American People ultimately care about whether or not you can do the job.
And how can they know you can? You have done nothing and continued to change your stance on almost everything. They have hope that you can and I hope you won't disillusion them...in the first six months. I hope I never hear this term again. Next it will be the Obama Effect.
