Hey Brian Williams, "I got your back bro", Sincerely Dan Rather

[Gd5150]

Williams caught lying about being in a Chinook helicopter that took fire back in 2003. Whoops.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/05/brian-williams-lied-about-his-copter-being-shot

[albrecht]

Williams caught lying about being in a Chinook helicopter that took fire back in 2003. Whoops.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/02/05/brian-williams-lied-about-his-copter-being-shot

His explanation, or apology, or whatever it was, was amazing! He should interview Hillary about her "experience" ducking bullets in Bosnia!

[Eddie Coyle]

    New York Socialite Brian Williams. Maybe he can "slow jam" his apology with Jimmy Fallon. This would be a blow to journalism, but no journalist was involved.

[Gd5150]

The Chinook can hold 46 soldiers. There were at least 2 others, with escorts, and then all the soldiers back at the base. How could Williams possibly think that the truth wouldn't get out. Wonder how the soldiers in the helo that took fire felt when they heard Williams claiming he was in that helo that took fire. The term douche bag comes to mind.


Oh well it was just a small white lie. The managing editor and anchor of NBC news would never lie more important issues that NBC really cares about. Like election issues and candidates.


"The truth always comes first!"
[attachimg=1]

[basswood]

New York Socialite Brian Williams. Maybe he can "slow jam" his apology with Jimmy Fallon. This would be a blow to journalism, but no journalist was involved.

Yep.
Here's some footage of him moments before he knew he had to come clean:

http://t.co/ylNOpVa3WN

[Richard Groyper]

Two words: stolen valor.

[VtaGeezer]

I think Williams is toast.  One doesn't "misremember" such things unless perhaps the event was in early childhood.  But don't sully Dan Rather's rep by mentioning him in this context; he was dead right warning the country about W's "service" and what it said about the man.

[aldousburbank]

Two words: stolen valor.

Two more words: chump fuck

On behalf of all you veteran men and women, let me say it for you- Brian Williams Sucks!

[albrecht]

Grasping at straws here....but IF Brian Williams was really, really drunk (or etc) over a long time maybe I could believe his excuses and "misremembering." Maybe? I don't know him. Maybe he is really a Hunter journalist type but just closeted? I know a lot of foreign press and especially stringers back in the day were sauced much of the time and some used harder stuff.

But I'm guessing it was more like Hillary with her lie about dodging bullets. Just trying to make a good story, get ratings, seem relevant, etc. And, maybe, some some shame thinking I'll I do is report what other people actually DO and I get paid a hell of a lot more than people doing real jobs and so makes up his war-story? What is more worrying is the lack of "fact checking" reporter's stories and the covering for him now that this has broken.

[136 or 142]

I think Williams is toast.  One doesn't "misremember" such things unless perhaps the event was in early childhood.  But don't sully Dan Rather's rep by mentioning him in this context; he was dead right warning the country about W's "service" and what it said about the man.

I'm  not sure that is true.  Dumbya was apparently a genuinely rather good pilot.


That said, I'm not sure that Willams should be held to a higher standard than a Faux News reporter.  Also, this was a lie about a personal matter, it doesn't mean he lies about the news he reports.  A rather bizarre lie to be sure, and certainly the network would likely want nothing to do with him after this.

[Eddie Coyle]

    Apparently, Williams tales about Katrina and what he claims to have encountered are drawing scrutiny as well. Does NBC News fire it's "face"? They've barely recovered from Russert's sudden death. I think Williams survives...for now.

[VtaGeezer]

I'm  not sure that is true.  Dumbya was apparently a genuinely rather good pilot.


That said, I'm not sure that Willams should be held to a higher standard than a Faux News reporter.  Also, this was a lie about a personal matter, it doesn't mean he lies about the news he reports.  A rather bizarre lie to be sure, and certainly the network would likely want nothing to do with him after this.

Having served in the Air Force during the same period as W  ('68-'72), I've always believed his training, assignments, and activities were, at best, highly unusual.  As for Williams, it's my hunch that embellishing a story to present himself as a sort of combat vet/hero will destroy his reputation.

[Richard Groyper]

So far Williams story is embellished according to CNN's Jake Tapper. I had a twitter conversation with Tapper and he says a soldier (Army pilot) flying the chopper confirmed- "incoming small arms fire" but no direct rpg strike. Williams was in a Chinook helicopter that took fire, and performed a hard landing to aviod it.

I'm glad it wasn't a total lie...however Williams should have come clean much sooner. A direct rpg strike to an unarmored vehicle would be devastating. I've seen armored vehicles destroyed by rpg rounds. Williams most likley would have been killed if his story was 100% accurate.

[Richard Groyper]

Two more words: chump fuck

On behalf of all you veteran men and women, let me say it for you- Brian Williams Sucks!

I appreciate your support! The sad part is the real story was interesting enough.

[Richard Groyper]

Jake Tapper interviewed another Army pilot that says HE was the mission pilot. 2nd pilot says: the chopper took NO FIRE??? Good god. I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt Brian.

[136 or 142]

Having served in the Air Force during the same period as W  ('68-'72), I've always believed his training, assignments, and activities were, at best, highly unusual.  As for Williams, it's my hunch that embellishing a story to present himself as a sort of combat vet/hero will destroy his reputation.

While I don't know this for sure, I suspect that you'll find that many 'fortunate sons' also had activities that were 'highly unusual'.  Though not Al Gore.

Officers who flew fighter-jet patrols in the early 1970s with George W. Bush describe him as a gung-ho warrior and a gifted pilot who was popular in his Texas Air National Guard unit.

"He was a hell of a good pilot," one of Bush's former commanding officers, Walter B. "Buck" Staudt, recalled in December 2000, shortly after Bush was elected president. In 1971, he rated among the top 10% of fellow pilots.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-02-15-bush-record_x.htm

So, I really have no idea why Dumbya would have failed to complete his military requirements if he in fact didn't.

[FightTheFuture]

Brian Williams is emblematic of what's become of today's journalist. They are no longer satisfied with merely reporting the news; today they feel they must be a part of the news.

[PB the Deplorable]

Williams caught lying about being in a Chinook helicopter that took fire back in 2003. Whoops...

He figured as a DC insider in good standing he could get away with it. 

He saw Hilary make the very same claim, get caught, then elected Senator, be the front runner to be her party's Presidential candidate, when that fell thru get appointed Sec of State...

[FightTheFuture]

He figured as a DC insider in good standing he could get away with it. 

He saw Hilary make the very same claim, get caught, then elected Senator, be the front runner to be her party's Presidential candidate, when that fell thru get appointed Sec of State...

To Ms. Clinton's defense, she did confess to being "sleep deprived" when she related that little anecdote about the sniper fire. 

[136 or 142]

He figured as a DC insider in good standing he could get away with it. 

He saw Hilary make the very same claim, get caught, then elected Senator, be the front runner to be her party's Presidential candidate, when that fell thru get appointed Sec of State...

Nope, that's wrong. I don't know when she first made the claim, but she was only caught on it when she ran for president and it did hurt her in the polls after her fibbing came to light, though it of course wasn't the reason she lost the race.

While it is a bizarre thing to lie about especially since she must have known she was on camera at the time of the alleged incident if everybody who told a lie was suddenly unemployable nobody would have a job.  In short, I don't believe it's serious enough to have denied her from being appointed as Secretary of State, and neither did any of the 94 Senators who confirmed her.

[PB the Deplorable]

... I don't believe it's serious enough to have denied her from being appointed as Secretary of State, and neither did any of the 94 Senators who confirmed her.

'Course you don't.  Maybe if we held those who would govern us to some sort of standard - regardless of party - we'd have better people in high office.  Just a thought

By the way, when is the last time the US Senate failed to confirm one of their own?  It's tradition to confirm their colleagues and former colleagues, because they themselves wish to be named to a post requiring confirmation at some point, and it helps keep the chamber civil when they aren't failing to confirm each other.


The only one I can think of offhand was John Tower, I'm sure there were others but comparatively few

[VtaGeezer]

While I don't know this for sure, I suspect that you'll find that many 'fortunate sons' also had activities that were 'highly unusual'.  Though not Al Gore.

Officers who flew fighter-jet patrols in the early 1970s with George W. Bush describe him as a gung-ho warrior and a gifted pilot who was popular in his Texas Air National Guard unit.

"He was a hell of a good pilot," one of Bush's former commanding officers, Walter B. "Buck" Staudt, recalled in December 2000, shortly after Bush was elected president. In 1971, he rated among the top 10% of fellow pilots.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-02-15-bush-record_x.htm

So, I really have no idea why Dumbya would have failed to complete his military requirements if he in fact didn't.

Sure, a lot of guys with connections took NG slots.  In the mid-60s it took either connections or great foresight to get on the long wait lists in time to be signed in before being drafted.  Gore is no warrior, at least did a tour in VN at enlisted rank while his father was a senior US Senator. If W was a "gung-ho warrior", he only had to check the "volunteer for overseas assignment" box on his assignment sheet as most pilots did. I won't even get into his skipping his physical, being grounded, thereby rendering all his fighter pilot gung-ho-warriorness a moot point, and skipping out of reserve duty.

[Gd5150]

he was dead right warning the country about W's "service"

Rather lied and his career died.

[Gd5150]

I appreciate your support! The sad part is the real story was interesting enough.

Agreed. The fact he was there and choppers in their convoy were taking fire was enough. You're a millionare media guy, pay hommage to those who are making the sacrifice and be humble. Everyone would have said bravo. Instead theres the real story which is, he lied.
Simple fact is if the face of NBC will lie about something small like this, then what else has he lied about. Clearly NBC has an agenda and is quite passionate about pushing that agenda. Having a liar at the helm lowers their credibilty even more, if that was even possible to begin with.

[FightTheFuture]

Rather lied and his career died.

"If the lie don't fit; you must quit"

[VtaGeezer]

Rather lied and his career died.

Actually Rather didn't, at least about W's avoiding his flight physical, being grounded, and not showing for reserve duty.

[Richard Groyper]

Agreed. The fact he was there and choppers in their convoy were taking fire was enough. You're a millionare media guy, pay hommage to those who are making the sacrifice and be humble. Everyone would have said bravo. Instead theres the real story which is, he lied.
Simple fact is if the face of NBC will lie about something small like this, then what else has he lied about. Clearly NBC has an agenda and is quite passionate about pushing that agenda. Having a liar at the helm lowers their credibilty even more, if that was even possible to begin with.

Embellishment is something people do, however you can't do it on national tv multiple times. The story seems more nebulous now than it did 12 hours ago. Unfortunately for Williams multiple soilders are claiming he took "no fire". The story isn't going away which can't end well for his career.

[NowhereInTime]

Embellishment is something people do, however you can't do it on national tv multiple times. The story seems more nebulous now than it did 12 hours ago. Unfortunately for Williams multiple soilders are claiming he took "no fire". The story isn't going away which can't end well for his career.

Except that the pilot does claim the chopper took small arms fire.  An RPG? No, but potentially lethat rounds, nontheless:


http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/317739/pilot-of-brian-williams-helicopter-in-iraq-we-took-small-arms-fire/


Williams was wrong to escalate this, a' la Hillary Clinton, to an episode of bravery and heroism, but the backlash, rife with sanctimony, is in itself not wholly accurate.

[Richard Groyper]

Except that the pilot does claim the chopper took small arms fire.  An RPG? No, but potentially lethat rounds, nontheless:


http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/317739/pilot-of-brian-williams-helicopter-in-iraq-we-took-small-arms-fire/


Williams was wrong to escalate this, a' la Hillary Clinton, to an episode of bravery and heroism, but the backlash, rife with sanctimony, is in itself not wholly accurate.

Krell, the former Army pilot retracted his statement regarding Williams being on the aircraft that took fire. -CNN

[NowhereInTime]

Krell, the former Army pilot retracted his statement regarding Williams being on the aircraft that took fire.

After going on CNN?  I cannot find retraction.


No, actually I just did:


http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/06/who-flew-brian-williams-chinook-pilots-disagree-over-details-of-newsmans-story/

Fascinating how this tale twists and turns.