Blitzer failed to challenge Snow's suggestion that Mueller did not contradict Gonzales

http://mediamatters.org/items/200707270009?f=h_latest

On the July 26 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer did not challenge White House press secretary Tony Snow's claim that there was no inconsistency between testimony by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and that of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales over which surveillance program was discussed during a March 2004 confrontation in the hospital room of then-Attorney General John Ashcroft. Gonzales, who was White House counsel at the time, and another administration official went to the hospital to try to persuade Ashcroft to overrule then-Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey, who had refused to reauthorize the National Security Agency's (NSA) warrantless domestic wiretapping program. In his July 24 testimony, Gonzales told Congress that the "disagreement that occurred, and the reason for the visit to the hospital ... was about other intelligence activities. It was not about the terrorist surveillance program that the president announced to the American people." However, in a July 26 House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) asked Mueller whether the warrantless wiretapping program was discussed at the meeting, and Mueller replied that he "had an understanding" that Gonzales' hospital "discussion" with Ashcroft, which Mueller did not witness firsthand, was about an "NSA program that has been much discussed, yes." Nevertheless, after Blitzer said that Mueller was "contradicting what Alberto Gonzales says," he allowed Snow to respond, unchallenged: "Does Bob Mueller once use the phrase 'terrorist surveillance program'? I'll save you the wait. The answer is no."

From Mueller's July 26 testimony, in which he explained that he was not present for the confrontation but spoke with Ashcroft at the hospital after it had ended:

<snip>JACKSON LEE: And I respect that. Could I just say, did you have an understanding that the discussion was on TSP?

MUELLER: I had an understanding that the discussion was on a NSA program, yes.

JACKSON LEE: I guess we use "TSP," we use "warrantless wiretapping," so would I be comfortable in saying that those were the items that were part of the discussion?

MUELLER: I -- it was -- the discussion was on a national -- a NSA program that has been much discussed, yes.

In contrast to Blitzer, MSNBC host Chris Matthews challenged Snow on the July 26 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, airing video from the hearing and asking, "What else could possibly mean besides the word 'yes?' " Blitzer aired a smaller portion of the video on the 4 p.m. ET hour of The Situation Room.

Reminder to self - send some money.


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With Edwards leading in Iowa, until this week he never mentioned his name except when it was something that was going to hurt Edward's. Is he that strong of a republican, or is it Begala and James C. I have started by passing CNN news and moving on, I am tired of two republicans, Wolf and then Dobbs.

No. Yer kidding!