"All I can say is this: these two guys never gave what I considered to be the party line. They were tough, honest critics of the U.S. military effort in Iraq."

I can see it now:  The Greaterest Generation by Brian Williams.

Brian,
Have you ever heard of that other Pastor, Rev. Hagee?
I'm just asking because, heck, I don't exactly recall you ever mentioning that the GOP frontrunner and presumed nominee *also* has a 'pastor problem' (tm).
Seems there is this pastor with views so extreme that he makes Rev. wright seem quite the moderate.
Oh, you know, claims God smote Louisiana with all his mighty wrath because of a gay parade that never actually took place, since God answered Hagee's prayers to a fare-thee-well before it could be implemented. Quite a story, actually. I knew you'd jump all over this and I am glad to be the one to bring it to your attention first since you have evidently never heard that, at least i you couldn't have since you have never even mentioned it!

Also, has the art dept. been instructed yet to create a logo and background music for the ongoing Rev. Hagee story? Complete with a clip from Youtube where anyone can view it at will?

Please enlighten us all....

Ah, I am so reminiscient of Don Henley's song "Dirty Laundry" with people like you Brian. Like he says, "The bubble headed bleach blonde comes on at 5, she can tell you about a plane crash with a gleam in her eye...".
The media in this country has turned into such a vapid and mindless wasteland. I doubt any of the nightly new anchors for any network has a useful thought in their heads any more. This has led to the downfall of this country. It used to be we could count on the media to question the government, not be a mouthpiece for it. Using implants from the Pentagon to push a war agenda that is killing this country slowly is reprehensible, I don't care if any were critical about the way it was being run, they still did nothing to stop it.
For my sake and the sake of the country, do your job, or get out! I am sure you could retire comfortably, unlike most of us working folk who will never see $10 million in our lifetime, and get someone in there who will actually do the job of reporting real news and being critical of the government instead of another shill.

IPTV had the temerity to air a program entitled "Bush's War." I have neither seen nor heard one major media element deal with the question, "Where did Bush get his information about the now infamous WMDs?" Well, Readers, what is your answer? Do you think he discovered them while in company of a clandestine party of Navy Seals? MOST LIKELY that information came from the CIA -- the same outfit that supplies the day-to-day intelligence from all over the world to our government. The same group that supplies the intelligence and operations plans to our forces (air, land, and sea). Can our armed forces initiate an action and skip informing or running it through the CIA first? The US debated going into Iraq for over a month. When we did go in, we did not use paratroops to seal off the roads going north and west out of Iraq. Why not? That is basic military strategy. Just tonight (Tue 29 Apr) IPTV continued its series on the carrier Nimitz. Every day launching planes. Every day dropping no ordinance or firing any rockets in anger. Over 2 months went by and the planes delivered no ordinance. Lack of targets? The whole ship was disappointed and discouraged that all of their training and efforts were going for naught. Very demoralizing. We used to have small patrols that were dispersed at night to act as FOs (Forward Observers). They might be deployed for 2 or 3 days or even a week or longer. Surely there can't be that many roads between Iran and Iraq (or wherever else from which the enemy may be being supplied). Infra-red observations. Or even close enough to the roadways to hear the traffic. Give our flyboys some targets. Perk up their morale, if for no other reason. I would like for you to check into THIS, Mr. Williams.

Brian,

The allegation is that these gentlemen had a conflict of interest and were strongly incented to give a biased, favorable view of a war that has cost us over a trillion dollars with no benefit to any of us (except war profiteers and the Republican party).

Whether or not they later wised up (McCaffrey) or didn't (most of the rest of them) is irrelevant.

Your response is that you like them.  It is no response at all, and it shows you don't have the integrity or critical thinking skills to be a journalist.

Four thousand US dead.  Twenty thousand maimed.  At mimimum, five hundred thousand Iraqis dead.  At least a trillion in costs, now and later.  And you can't even lift a finger to find out the truth.

We pay you millions for this?  Shame on you.

Mr Williams,
I appreciate that you respect and trust the former generals you mention in your blog, but that does not address the charges of the NYT article. Specifically, has NBC used military analysts that were briefed on talking points by the pentagon?  Has NBC used military analysts that had a financial interest in the war? directly or indirectly?  Using an independant standard and investigation, did NBC participate in what would be considered war time propaganda or hire analysts that were doing so?

Please reveal this information along with a strategic plan to make sure this information is revealed to viewers in the future.    

Dear Mr. Williams,  
The problem with "military analysts employed by the news services" is that at no time were "the people" afforded the knowledge of their briefings by the Pentagon and their ties to the military contractors and defense industries.

I do not doubt the generals patriatism or expertise.  However, a man is judged by the company he keeps and the by the advice he gives.  Th NYTimes article has irrepairably damaged the influence of these analysts and again added the Orwellian perspective that we as a people cannot afford to tolerate in the very news agencies that help to provide the knowledge we require to attend to maintaining our Constitution, government, and way of life.

The generals, knowingly or unknowingly, in passing knowledge or views gleened from the pentagon or white house to inform the people have actually aided the enemy by destroying one of the few remaining foundations of our Constitution by destroying one of the true keepers of our freedoms - the press.  If we cannot trust the Press to give us the truth there is no hope for freedom to remain.  

As to your defense of the generals under your hire, it is expected, but one thing needs to be added to your explanation and that is, thank you for your service and that will be all, goodbye.  

J.E. Chinn      

Hi Brian,
   I just wonder when the "real" issues of the day will start to be discussed. The facts that everyone of us in america are all using the same currency (US Dollar) with which to purchase goods (gas, food, utilitys, mortgages). The differences in the population being those that have and those that do not.
I mean how do people like the trumps & gates, et al. of this world justify the need for their wealth vs. folks like myself who are disabled and are forced to live on virtually nothing??
How is it that social security in it's infinate wisdom actually believes that a person collecting social security is supposed to live on 30% of their monthly salary. I did not ask to be injured on the job. I paid into the system for years under the premise the system would be there for me when I needed it to be. Do you have any idea of how horrible the care is for someone on medicare?? To begin with most doctors refuse to treat you because they do not accept medicare and if you do find a doctor, they tell you they can only treat you withing the scope of what Medicare will pay for?? There is no such thing as preventative medicine just what is the shortest and least expensive route in which to treat the patient to get them out of the doctors office or the hospital. Everything in America regarding the decision makers seems to be predicated on job security and to hell with the people who pay the taxes which in turn pay the salarys of those same decision makers. The decision makers have compensation packages, salarys, and perks that amount to 10's if not hundreds of times what it takes to maintain a normal middle class life all off the backs of the blue collar worker. How is this right, Brian. How do you as a journalist justify to the american people the corruption and abuses of power going on around us every day. Nothing of this is ever mentioned. Our soldiers are fighting and dying everyday to keep this country free for all and they way they and the american worker are paid back for their service is just more retoric from the establishment about how we are all in this together. There is nothing "together" about a senate and congress, corporate CEO's and upper management, being rewarded with "executive" packages that amount to nothing more than "greed".
Why are we all spending so much for a gallon of gas when we have the resources and technology right here at home to ease the crisus at hand?? Why are we talking about the rising cost of food to ourselves here at home when we have give-away food subsidies to other nations of the world?? Why are our own children, elderly, and those disabled like myself basically forgotten about here at home while we spend BILLIONS to re-build a country (Iraq) that our military has blown back into the stone age??
Why can't this country just go back to minding it's own business instead of minding everyone's else's business?? These are the topics you should be speaking about every night instead of just following the corporate line. I stop what I am doing every night to watch your program. Why?? Because as a broadcast journalist, I admire your style and what I hope is honesty but as I watch your show each evening, I hope to come away with some evening with a feeling there is "light at the end of the tunnel".
People are not as stupid as the politicians, the police, and those in the media think we are when they "spin" and "slant" the truth to justify the actions of the oppressor against the oppressed. The average "joe" is getting really tired of it. I live in small town america and I see things on a daily basis of the struggle to put gas in the car, food on the table, and keep the lights on that those of you with your exhorbanant salarys do not even have to think about. Why do we not talk about the abuse of power, the excessive salarys, and the deep rooted corruption that plagues our financial markets and the crooks who stole from people who could not qualify for mortgages in the first place that caused the sub-prime mess to begin with?? Where are the arrests of the people who caused this mess, Brian?? It was the personal greed of the brokers who started this domino effect that has bled over into the financial markets, the weaker dollar, the rising cost of gas and now the rising cost of food. So why are these decision makers still walking around free to create a new scam to steal the rest of the peoples money?? Do a story on that Brian. Give america back it's desire and purpose to be the most prosperious nation on the planet. Show the average "joe" that radical changes are happening to the "old boy network" of backslapping and I think you will start to see a re-newed desire of the people of this country to want to work harder to make this a better place for future generations. But until something is done to stop the apathy and feelings of "there is nothing we can do" for the little guy, the problems that america are facing right here at home are only going to get worse.
I do not care what your polls are telling you about how the people are feeling about hillary, obama, or mcCain, the truth is from what I see here in upstate NY is NOTHING is going to change regardless of what the canadates say. Why?? Because the Senate and Congress will NOT work with them unless there is a financial personal reward for the politicians that LOOKS like it is going to benifit their constituents whereupon the policitians will be re-elected, thereby insuring job security. In the meantime, the rest of us just go futher and further into debt trying valiantly to pay for the continuing mistakes the politicians just keep creating for us. It is ALL about GREED and CORRUPTION and nothing more.      

At first I couldn't understand why professional wrestling was playing on one of the video monitors behind Nancy Snyderman when she was giving her closing remarks during her Tuesday story about childhood vaccinations.  Then it occurred to me:  WWE Wrestling is a mainstay on the USA Network, which is owned by NBC Universal.  Even during a story on childhood vaccinations, you're subliminally plugging "WWE Monday Night RAW" on your sister station!  Nice synergy!

I would like to hear an Iraqi program on the
Nationalists vs. the Separatists.

The mounting troubles this country faces at the moment are directly traceable to the vapid "rah-rah" journalism Mr. Williams and others chose to engage in so they could advance their careers.  Him and the others will never admit to having failed to do their job covering the Iraq War or the housing bubble.  When people ask me what it is like to live in DC these days, I tell them you can't beat a front row seat watching the fall of modern Rome in real time.  And Mr. Williams and his ilk are one of the circus acts the ruling class has given us to distract us from noticing the country problems.

We need to thank Brian Williams for showing us what kind of "newsman" rises to the top of a corporate media empire today.

Here we have a highly paid and esteemed journalist who can't for the life of him understand what's wrong with offering up the "analysis" of two deeply compromised and partisan generals -- ideological advocates of the Iraq invasion long before it occurred, and profiteers from the venture itself.  I mean, there's no such thing as deceit and conflict of interest in public life, is there -- especially among the rich and comfortable?

And he evidently has no idea that public praise for a Peggy Noonan column which impugns not only the patriotism, but the very Americanism of Barack Obama, while praising the Republican nominee in an equally shameless and preposterous manner (McCain, unlike Obama, cries at the thought of Henry Ford and the Wright Brothers, because he learned true American values at his grandfather's knee, again unlike Obama, who learned exactly what?) just might raise questions about his (Williams') judgment and impartiality.

And finally we learn the Williams listens to the indispensable Rush Limbaugh on a daily basis, time he might have better spent looking into the previous associations and current financial arrangements of his Iraq war "analysts".  

And this is "journalism" in America today, the top of the profession.  It ain't just bad.  It's truly beyond belief.

Brian, you neglected to mention that the entire Iraq war was based on LIES!!! The real reason was to secure OIL and once and for all establish the welfare of the "Military complex" and domination of the American people by the CORPORATIONS that really run everything.

You are  and were one of their finest cheerleaders.
Good Job !!!!!

No Meters = Stolen Billions
Old story, but still nobody does a thing

Excerpt:
Atop Iraq's al Basrah Oil Terminal, heavily armed anti-terrorism forces stand guard — while the theft of the century may be occurring right under their noses. Tankers berthed at the sprawling platform, located in the Persian Gulf, take on the oil that is the lifeblood of Iraq's war-torn economy.

Millions of dollars' worth of oil is stolen daily in Iraq because of the absence of oil meters, a basic tool for preventing corruption. "I would say probably between 200,000 and 500,000 barrels a day is probably unaccounted for in Iraq," says Mikel Morris, who worked for Bush's State Department in Baghdad. Depending on the price of oil, the thefts could be worth $20 million to $30 million per day.".
 

Half a million barrels at $120 each is $55 millions dollars, and that estimate  has to be low becauseonly Bush cronies know what new wells are open, what pipelines  were built, where the oil is stored, etc.

This is why the evil rat-bastards invaded Iraq and  they're in their SIXTH YEAR of stealings millions per day.

Even after all this...  ...nobody ever asks Bush at a live press conference,
"Why, after all these years, are there no meters on Iraq's oil wells?"

Doesn't anybody care?

Had company; missed the broadcast.  I appreciate the time you took to explain your view of the NYT article, Brian.  I agree with Lisa M's first post; everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion.  I just find it intriguing that more people come here and post only when they have an ax to grind.  Seems to be a symptom of any website I happen upon.  Also seems very simple to me: no one forces anyone to watch a particular program.  If you don't agree, turn the channel.  That's the #1 reason I know watch Nightly News over the "other guy" I had been watching.  With the internet these days, you can find just about any opinion you want, so why fuss with one that doesn't suit your tastes?  Then again, harsh words are also subject to the reader's interpretation; when you can't hear the inflections of a person's voice and see the person's face, you loose some of that important communication. Just my two cents on the issue.  

Wish I'd been able to see the story on Amtrak.  One day I'm going to take the train to Boston.... I promise I will!  It's the "in" thing to do around here!  

Glad you're okay, Jackie!

Brian:
I appreciate your belief in the honesty and sincerity of the military men you hired as analysts.  At the same time, there is no doubt that they were getting special treatment from the pentagon.  When a doctor writes a research paper, they must disclose from where they got financial support.  Was it a drug company?  Many medical schools are now banning special treatments (free samples, lunches) from drug company representatives to avoid questions of conflict of interest.  I have no doubt that most physicians are honest and sincere in their work, but the conflict of interest questions should not be hidden.

In matters of life and death, such as whether to go to war or to continue a war, an American media consumer (excepting Fox News) has an expectation that their news is free from propaganda or bias.  When a news organization like NBC fails to address or disclose conflicts of interest in their analysts, they are not fulfilling their responsibility.

So no matter how much you personally vouch for your analysts' integrity, the fact remains that NBC, and all major television news sources were using men in whom there was an obvious potential conflict of interest-  The pentagon was sculpting the information available to them and providing them with perks.  Yet the TV news never disclosed the conflicts, and has not even acknowledged the NY Times' in-depth story on the air....

To me, this is a failure to adhere to core responsibilities of journalism.

The NYT article and the Nation article referenced above raise some pretty serious questions about the integrity and reliability of NBC News. So please excuse me if I'm not willing to simply take your word for it that your friends wouldn't do anything wrong. Since we're constantly being reminded that "the news business is a BUSINESS" it may be useful to think of this in terms of a business term that everyone understands: brand. Asking us to accept the integrity of your commentators on your say-so in the face of very real and serious questions hurts the brand of NBC News. Nightly news pieces on Miley Cyrus hurt the brand of NBC News. Investigative and appropriately skeptical journalism build the brand of NBC News. The lack of willingness to address the military analysts story begs the "bottom line" question that should make sense to the corporation: is NBC News concerned with its brand?

Was my comment to truthful??..still think you should read glenn greenwald's column in salon Brian...its right on about you and the state of the news media today..could be a wake up call..stranger things have happen..you might even remember why you wanted to be a journalist..but then again maybe not..just a "Vinny" from the blog..

Brian,

In response to the writer who questioned why the generals did not speak out sooner or while in uniform, I offer the following thougts.

Officers of all military branches take an oath of office during which they swear to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States".  The Constitution outlines many responsibilities, one of which is the President is Commander in Chief of the military.  

While in the service your opinions are subordinate to the commands of the seniors and a good leader does not permit his subordinates to know if they differ.  A leader owes his superiors 100% commitment to their positions and orders.  That does not mean there is not a lot of discussion in private between subordinates and superiors but once the decision is made all must comply.

If an officer feels strongly a position or order crosses a moral, ethical or legal boundary he must make a decision whether in good conscience, he can continue to serve.  Although the boundary has been crossed, an officer is still bound by the oath of office and allegianceto the chain of command until they resign.

Officers recognize they have given up many freedoms guaranteed civilians under the Constitution, one of which is freedom of speach.  Only when they are no longer serving as a military officer are all their freedoms restored.

     

Thanks for the laugh Brian, I really needed it.  Like millions and millions of other Americans, I stopped watching network news a long time ago.  All of you are beholden to corporate interest and the quality of your product shows.  It's a shame that the US media, you very much included, shoved this war down our throats and failed to ask the critical questions.  That you would ignore something as important as this story says volumes about the integrity of NBC News and it's employees.

Since Brian is "just folks" like me, he knows the news we need to know.

Can't wait for more naughty Hannah Montana updates on tonight's broadcast, or something on Jeremiah Wright.

Health care.  Nope...too boring and too complicated.

BTW:  I last boarded an airplane in 1987, so does that mean the Supreme Court said I can't vote?

Brian, I am a honorably discharged U.S.Navy veteren with over 9 years of service. I would like to thank you for your genuine support of the military. I feel America needs to remember we have a Democracy and not a Dictatorship as our governing body. No one person causes or solves the problems of this great country. It requires actions from at least 2 and sometimes all 3 branches of government for change to take place. I think alot of us could use a refresher course in civics. If we truly want change, it must start at all levels of government not just the Presidency. Please continue the wonderful job you do and I will continue to watch you nightly. P.S. America if you must protest, protest the government not the military, remember they protect your right to protest. Thank you.  

Joe Standish,of Portland, Oregon asks "How many anti-war people does NBC News employed on an "of counsel" basis? You know, those people who doubted the WMD evidence, who thought UN inspections were working, who thought we should have a plan for after the invasion, and have never been employed by the Pentagon? You know, the people who were right.  Do you have any on staff? It would be nice to hear from people who demand hard evidence (rather than just administration say so) about future conflicts such as Iran.  Can you name one?"

Let me answer for Brian:  Michael O'Hanlon, of Brookings is, according to Tim Russert and Wolf Blitzer, a well-known war opponent, and appears to be "of counsel" for all of the networks.

col wayne downing was the guy featured in my briefing videos when i did the at/fp thing while active duty, he was very respected for his expert insights into potential and real global threats. the tv analyst thing became a easy route for old soldiers still with working brains, whether or not they leaned 6 or 12 was an individual choice. i like to think col downing was a straight shooter instead.

Brian,

I will no longer be watching NBC News.
Your behavior on this issue is unprofessional.

The point isn't that the two particular pentagon shills you like best said things you felt were not the party line.

How do you even find out what the party line is?

How is it ok that you present people as independent when they're not, even if you somehow feel it's ok because the propaganda they spewed was subtle enough to fool most of us country rubes?

Isn't part of being a competent journalist identifying not only the content of someone's speech, but the context out of which that speech emerges?

Then again, we both know you're really just a guy who looks good in a suit and can read out loud in a serious voice.

If you want that Edward Murrow respect from Americans, you have to have that Edward Murrow integrity and competence.  When you allow shills to come and spew propaganda without even having the decency to point out who pays them, you're doing your country a disservice.

A correct response to this revelation on your part might be a little shame and contrition, not the smug hubris we've seen to date.

Mock the times if you must, and granted I would very much like to have the 10 minutes I spent on that dating vs babysitting article back, but at least they have the stones to admit their failures, unlike yourself.

I guess no one expected you to admit that you have been dutifully spouting this criminal and corrupt administration's talking points. Pat yourselves on the back for being the "team" players that you and the rest of the mainstream media are for Bush and Cheney's ruination of our country.

I highly recommend Glenn Greenwald's response to Brian Williams:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/04/30/williams/index.html

It's essentially a longer, documented version of howard L.'s comment above.

Even if I accepted your defense (which I don't - see Glenn Greenwald's much broader view of the situation), why didn't NBC report this story to its viewers?  A front page story in the NYT, denouncements from Clinton and Obama, investigations to be initiated by Congress, and finally suspension of the program by the Pentagon.  But it put the major networks in a bad light, so not one word on any of it for viewers of the Nightly News (or any other network news show).  How convenient.

"But far worse, the specific, undisclosed conflicts of both McCaffrey and Downing -- the two Generals cited by Williams to prove NBC did nothing wrong -- were disclosed more than four years ago by The Nation. And there is no way that NBC and Williams can claim not to have known about it, since The Nation described those ties as specifically as could be. Did NBC ask the Generals about these ties? Did they consider disclosing them to their viewers? Did the undislcosed ties violate NBC News policy? Does NBC have policies now to prevent this from happening again? Who knows? NBC refuses to comment on any of this.

[snip]...Apparently, the substantial financial interests of their "independent" military experts to advocate for the war were simply "not their interest." Of course, it's not all that surprising that NBC News doesn't consider these conflicts worth noting, given that, as a subsidiary of General Electric, a corporation that also profits greatly from increased defense spending and wars, NBC is plagued by the very same conflicts."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/04/30/williams/

Brian, did you ever disclose the participation of either Barry McCaffrey or Wayne Downing in the 25-member Committee for the Liberation of Iraq?

"I think it's fair, of course, to hold us to account for the military analysts we employ, inasmuch as we can ever fully know the "off-duty" actions of anyone employed on an "of counsel" basis by us."

Well, Brian, it'd be far better if you did your homework up front so you didn't get yourself in a position where you've got clearly compromised "analysts" on your airwaves.  As has been pointed out, the ties of these folks were hardly a secret.  If you spent a fraction of the time looking into your "analysts" as you did parsing Rev. Wright's comments or reporting on how much John Edwards' haircuts cost, maybe you wouldn't have to make these specious defenses of your behavior.

Brian:  Greenwald's columns are devasting.  We have known for years that we were being feed "hookum" by the analysts.....none of whom were actually against the war.........only anti rumsfield at best.  You owe yourself a good look in the mirror and the kind of self reflection absent defensiveness that will allow to learn from this debacle.  a real mea culpa would help as well.  there is plenty of complicity to go around.  accept your share gracefully and with full awareness of the mistakes you have made.  by the way, no regular guys i know drive a g2.

Good comment from "howard L.".

Brian, you wer the only evening newscaster I listened to anymore, however in the last month, the more I hear on your broadcast, the less it seems to matter, so NOW I can't even listen to you.

You and all the other commercial networks have become irrelevant.  And I chose to not pay for cable.  But I do watch PBS, and I will increase my support of public broadcasting even more and more in the future.  Thanks to you.

Glenn Greenwald explains why this is such an outrageous conflict of interest:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/04/30/williams/

I look forward to your response on the nightly news.

Hey, Norman, I hope you are having a great day in NYC.   Funny what viewers notice.   I was watching CNN one day and they were showing FOX in the background -- Bill O no less!  I think all of the networks watch each other.   Hey, let me know if you see the Cartoon Network running on CNN.  (Chuckles)

Hi Howard.  Journalism today is crazy!  I agree.  That's why I watch and read from many sources.  In the meantime, I look at the celebrity that has been brought into the news at the network and cable level.   Some of these celebrities I don't believe because I have watched them over the long-term.

Others I believe are really trying to "get it right the first time."   Overall, I would give Brian an A minus.    I think as Managing Editor and Anchor he does his best in 22 minutes per day.   Will he make mistakes?   Absolutely.  He is human just like you and me.

When I read on this blog folks poking fun of Brian's salary and his homes and family, I just wonder could the average man or women handle all of this?  

While his compensation package is large so isn't the budget at network news, don't forget agent's fees, federal, state, local and city taxes in NYC.   At the end of the day, 55% of that paycheck is gone.    Net, net of it all, isn't this America?   Doesn't every man and woman have the opportunity to maximize their income based on their talents and experiences?   I hope that opportunity continues to exist in America for every man and women.  

Just a few thoughts for Wednesday!

Mr. Williams, if NBC and the other networks made a sincere effort to put objective analysts on the air, how do you explain the "coincidence" of the fact that so many of these analysts turned out to be Pentagon sock-puppets?

I actually would be willing to cut you some slack if you simply admitted that you put on their air pro-war analysts working with the Pentagon to push propaganda, but that you did so because you considered it your responsibility as a corporate citizen to aid the war effort once the decision had been made to go to war.  Saying "Look, once we're at war, we're going to show a certain deference because that's what the public expects, and because we want the nation to succeed," would still be bad, and would still be an indictment of NBC's journalism across the board, but at least it wouldn't insult my intelligence.  But the fact that you prefer simply to deny the network's obvious bias is really regrettable.

Brian Williams: "It's ok, they're my friends and we're all really patriotic, so you'll just have to trust us, despite all evidence to the contrary."

Retired Generals McCaffrey & Downing were NEVER war skeptics in regard to Iraq, they were war supporters from the beginning.  At no point is this ever pointed out...at no point has NBC News attempted to use military experts that opposed this war or stood up to Pentagon spin ... or who had an interest with defense contractors.  

They are out there and available...

And your FRIENDSHIP with these individuals is NOT a defense, it is far closer to an indictment, not of them, but you.

Read this article, then make up your mind Brian Williams and the rest of the news media were honest.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/04/30/williams/

Your "analysts" are neocon partisans who were prime movers in banging the drum for war with Iraq - meaning you gave a platform to these buffoons to get us into the debacle we are currently in. As a result, we are less safe than before the war with huge resulting deficits and more Iraqi civilian deaths under US occupation than under Saddam. You are complicit in all of this.

What's the Brian Williams mantra - "give war a chance" ? Can we go back to "give peace a chance" ? Or is that not manly enough for ya?

"All I can say is this: these two guys never gave what I considered to be the party line. ... I knew full well whenever either man went on a fact-finding mission or went for high-level briefings. They never came back spun, and never attempted a conversion. They are warriors-turned-analysts, not lobbyists or politicians."

Kool-Aid. Tastes. So. Good.

"They are warriors-turned-analysts ..." That's rich. Try warriors-turned-mercenary cheerleaders.

I'd invite anyone who is interested in this story to read Glenn Greenwald's blog on Salon.  He has some lengthy posts backed by numerous quotes and evidence to support his claims.  In short, he exposes Brian Williams for the hack he is.

Brian - good try. You failed to mention that these military experts that you claim to be such great men were on the board of defense contractors and personally profited from this war. Why doesn't NBC at least acknowledge that? I will NEVER watch NBC News again. Not that CBS or ABC is any better. They are all a joke!!!  

I know why Mr. Williams won't address the topic seriously, he's as complicit as the Pentagon Message Force Multipliers in the propagandizing of the war. It's really that simple.

For example, a responsible and principled journalist would disclose to viewers the relevant background of an expert guest, just as Mr. Williams did on his November 24, 2003 broadcast:

WILLIAMS: Retired four-star General Barry McCaffrey joins us from Seattle tonight. He earned three Purple Hearts in Vietnam, two Distinguished Service Crosses, was a division commander during the first Gulf War.

These days, he's a professor at West Point and an NBC News military analyst, and I know him well enough to know that he's going to want to say a word here, General, and please feel free, about the value of sergeant majors in the U.S. Army who are as talented and as beloved as that man.

But, Mr. Williams chose to mislead, to lie by omission, by failing to mention that the General was also on the advisory board of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, whose stated purpose was:

"...educational and advocacy efforts to mobilize domestic and international support for policies aimed at ending the aggression of Saddam Hussein and freeing the Iraqi people from tyranny."

To have mentioned this very relevant information would call the General's independence into question, and hence his value as an expert guest on the broadcast. Mr. Williams did not do this, just as he continues to sweep the Pentagon Military Analysts' news story under the rug.

Mr. Williams is the news, and he doesn't want to report on it.

Hi Brian. Don't let the critics and little people get you down. You still look *great*, and that smooth authoritative voice of yours could sell ice to the Inuit or sand to the Arabs. I'm sure the NBC/GE paychecks will keep coming, and that's what really matters in the end.

Brian,

It is your responsibility as a journalist to fully disclose whatever interests your sources have that a reasonable person might consider to be conflicting. It is not your responsibility to reason for we the viewers whether or not there really is one. To paraphrase those god-awful hacks over at Fox "you report (and disclose), we decide." In these matters you should always err on the side of disclosure. I am disappointed, but not surprised, that I had to find out about this conflict of interest through The NYT and Glenn Greenwald's column in Salon.com.

If their intentions were honorable as you suggest, why didn't you disclose the obvious conflicts years ago?  Why would you intentionally keep your viewers in the dark?  And since it's illegal for the Pentagon to propagandize, why won't you report it on air? Shouldn't you report on government law-breaking?  Or would that be an admission of your bias?

The so-called "liberal media" has exposed itself as a shill for the government when they failed to question the WMDs.  You could have avoided this mess that Bush created.  Instead, you continue the deception.

It's time you people start questioning an obvious corrupt government instead of enabling them.  It's your job!

Williams is clearly out of his league on the nightly news.  Asking his viewers to essentially "trust him" because these generals are his friends is even worse than his failure to cover the story at all.  These men were exposed as war advocates several years ago, when they served on the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq with such neocons as Bill Kristol and Richard Perle.  Both generals have direct ties to the defense industry.  Yet Williams never divulged any of this information to his viewers, and never relied on the many generals who opposed this war from the beginning for their expertise.  I guess nobody should be surprised when the owner of NBC, GE, stands to make billions off this war.

Thank you Brian for addressing the controversy about the generals employed by NBC, but could you talk about the questions of legality surrounding this, as pointed out in this column?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/

Also, I believe the other poster made a good point. How about NBC employ people who have actually been right about how the whole course of the Iraq invasion has gone? Those are the ones that said crazy things like: "The invasion is really going to be about oil. You just watch. Not only will we find no WMD, but we'll end up staying there after getting rid of Hussein!" Now shouldn't NBC be employing true experts like that? One would almost think that there is some kind of nexus between NBC and the military invasion/occupation, but that would be crazy conspiratoial thinking. I know you can't change everything there at NBC Brian, but you should try. Shouldn't you?

Hey Brian,
I see why your viewership is down to historic lows, but don't let that stop you, have more nerve like your general buddies, who sat on the commitee to liberate iraq while pushing for war on your network.

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