Ignoring The Errors

This morning the Washington Post, following propaganda models shown to work, reiterates their mistake (and the AP's and NY Times mistakes) of a couple of days ago in discussing the stalled Senate resolution against the surge.  It was accurately pointed out by numerous bloggers that a vote for cloture ends debate, and a vote against cloture continues debate.  This is a point that had been presented as such by these media sources when a Democratic minority prevented cloture on Senate bills and measures.  Now, however, preventing a measure from going to a vote is called "stifling debate."

Senate Republicans who earlier this week helped block deliberations on a resolution opposing President Bush's new troop deployments in Iraq changed course yesterday and vowed to use every tactic at their disposal to ensure a full and open debate.

Not exactly.  They vowed to use every tactic at their disposal to ensure a vote on that particular resolution, and stifle debate on other resolutions, some of which, like Senator Gregg's (NH), are likely to be more popular.

In a letter distributed yesterday evening to Senate leaders, John W. Warner (Va.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and five other GOP supporters of the resolution threatened to attach their measure to any bill sent to the floor in the coming weeks. Noting that the war is the "most pressing issue of our time," the senators declared: "We will explore all of our options under the Senate procedures and practices to ensure a full and open debate."

Once again, Senators, you can have a full and open debate.  You can all come to the floor of the Senate and make speeches to elaborate your positions to your hearts' content.  What you can't do is railroad through a measure without discussion, which is the ploy that Senator Reid attempted.  Having a couple of GOP Senators on board does not make it "bipartisan."

The letter began circulating yesterday evening after it became apparent the Senate was deadlocked over the war resolution and Reid was prepared to move on to other matters. McConnell and many in his party have aggressively defended their decision to block the bipartisan resolution as an issue of fairness because Democrats would not agree to GOP procedural demands.

But some Republicans were uneasy about appearing to have stymied the debate. The letter appeared so suddenly that, although it was addressed to Reid, the Democratic leader had not seen his copy before Warner read the text on the Senate floor.

Those uneasy Republicans need to visit the Wizard of Oz for a dose of courage.  Much as the "leak" of Valerie Plame's name in connection with the Joe Wilson saga has been described repeatedly and falsely in the media as "illegal leaking" the name of a "covert" agent, this canard if repeated often enough by MSM sources may become the conventional wisdom.  If keeping a measure open for discussion can be described - repeatedly and inaccurately - as "stifling debate" and the squishy Republicans roll over since it's printed in - gasp! - the Washington Post, then there's really no hope for them.

2/8/07 1210: The NY Times propagates the lie in the lead paragraph of this story on Senator Lieberman.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 — It came as little surprise that when Senate Republicans blocked debate Monday on a resolution that would have opposed President Bush’s plan to increase troop levels in Iraq, SenatorJoseph I. Lieberman, erstwhile Democrat, sided with them.

Sigh.