Can you BELIEVE the hubris and fake umbrage the Whitehouse is vomiting out over this?!! Are they SERIOUSLY thinking that everyone is so idiotic that they would buy into their hot steaming pile of...complaint?!!

Let me recount a few "exercises in editing" from this administration. I will just use the buzzwords:

9/11=Saddam Hussein and Iraq
Valerie Plame
Global Warming
The environment
Katrina
US Attorney Appointments
Torture
Rendition

and the granddaddy of all whoppers: WMD
(btw, obviously this list only hit the high points, and not even all of those)

Hey Gillespie. Don't think we don't know that carrying  the attack to those who honestly lay out Bush is your strategy to get the American people to focus attention  somewhere other than the morons in office. That may have worked a couple of years back, but it looks like the majority of America is not going to be that distracted.

This is the first news story I have watched on NBC since the network and Brian Williams declared "civil war" in Iraq. This just reaffirms my decision to no longer watch NBC, now known to me as the Neo-Liberal Broadcasting Corporation.

You know, it is a sad state of affairs in this country when petulant, faux outrage over a non-issue leads some people to change the channel on their TV sets.

In the good old days, people just changed the channels in order to watch another program. Some folks even turned OFF their TV sets (shock! surprise!) and would actually read books! Maybe those folks could spell "peasant" correctly, and not speak like a Valley Girl from Sherman Oaks (gag me with a spoon). Maybe.

Just think, if a small portion of the faux outrage expressed over this non-issue had been expressed over the: a)stolen election b)WMD lies c)Iraq war d)Rumsfeld lies e)Cheney war profiteering f)on and on, ad nauseum.... maybe we would not be in the mess we are in today, as a country.

How far America has devolved...

I hope you report on your hack commentary shows like Olberman's and Hardball all these comments absolutely ripping you for your editing.  And your letter here got even more comments about your spin and being the Obama News Network.  You say it has been posted to your web site but only show portions that show the President in the worst light.  You all aren't worthy of the name legitimate news network.  You will go by the way side like the New York Times.  

While I agree that editing is necessary to condense and report the news there are lines that must be drawn.  When editing changes the tone, intent or meaning of anyones words, how can that be considered accurate reporting?  In an ever increasly confusing world, the media should always take the high ground.  Leave the sensationism to the National Enquirer. At least when you read it, you know it's tainted garbage.

My only problem with either version of the Engels interview is that he failed to factually confront Bush's lies, spin and deceptions.

I can sympathize with Engels, however. When confronted with a President so deep in denial that he can call the disaster at Basra a "success" then you've got to wonder what common ground you have for an interview.

Engels is an excellent reporter and a brave man. He just wasn't ready to be confronted with Bush's stubborn alternative reality.

BTW, Bush continues to push the 9/11-Iraq connection despite having personally admitted several times that there was none.

You folks who think that Fox News offers unbiased news seriously should compare them with the BBC, NBC, CNN and the rest of the major news media-- unless you're just looking to have your rightwing viewpoints supported.

Is it too much to report the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth - so help you GOD. Do you actually believe we don't realize that by showing the unedited version on the web site only that NBC is disinfranchising all those with no internet access. Wouldn't your parents & grandparents be proud. This is definitely not even close to the "Greatess Generation". Good Luck to  you in the future you will need it.
and leading them

If there was no effort to be deceptive, as Mr. Capus states, then NBC's judgment is fabulously flawed.  Furthermore through this failure, NBC has done... and continues to do... irreparable harm to it's credibility in reporting the news.  Maybe it's time that NBC moves its broadcast news headquarters to someplace in flyover America, and not treat it as some third world entity.

pssst dirty little secret of the networks. The full interview posted on the web doesn't matter. The fact that it aired on the today show in full doesn't matter. Your target is the "people in the middle" who only catch maybe 30 minutes worth of so called news a day. I've watched enough unedited for time footage on c-span and then watched how it comes out of the filter to know this goes on constantly. I'm so right wing I'd rather sit this election out than vote for McCain, but if I only had time for one news program it would be The News Hour on PBS. Go figure.

You do not deserve the privilege to report on something as important as The President of The United States, no matter who that might be!! You just lost another viewer!  SHAME ON YOU NBC!!!

Wow.  Just... wow.  Although NBC is clearly biased, this isn't just about being biased.  This is about completely changing what the President said.  What was the purpose of removing about 5 seconds worth of words the President said other then to distort the comments?  At least announce at the beginning of the segment that NBC has taken the liberty of editing Bush's comments to promote the NBC agenda.  Did the Dan Rather incident not open NBC's eyes that the American Public (minus the Ultra Liberals) just want to hear the truth and decide for themselves?  In the long run, attempting to control the American public into believing what NBC believes will only result in abandonment.

I am tired of news outlets that willfully distort the comments such as those by President Bush in order to alter the intended message and favor a particular political viewpoint.  That appears to be the case in this instance and it causes me to narrow my nightly news selection to Fox news. I used to think that I needed another perspective besides Fox to offer some balance and used to watch both CBS and Fox  I switched to NBC after the Dan Rather incident and did so because I really thought Brian Williams was a person of character. I still feel that way and do not blame him for this piece but due to the willfully distorted editing as exhibited by NBC, I will rely solely on Fox news as my source of information. They have not given me pause to question their integrity or bias as had CBS and now NBC.    

All of the major network news is a joke. They all want Barack Huessein Obama to win so badly.  I am going to start writing the companies that advertise and tell them I am going to boycott them.

A Different View Point from Ireland:
The American media (including political attack adds) are doing the American people a great disservice, as an international observer it appears the media is excessively hyped up and chopped up to make ratings/profits. I only have CNN and Fox News to compare but the contrast in quality reporting is vast.
The American people need to demand more accurate reporting from their news sources. Their only motive should be TO TELL THE TRUTH not to get profits for cheap hype.

I would have loved it if the reporter pushed the President to a 'yes or no' answer to his question if he was referring to Obama. Note how the President avoided a direct answer.

As a side note- Don't let the GOP scare you into thinking that the Bush foreign policy it has conducted over the last 8 years is a good approach. It's not, it's playground childish behavour.

If Obama conducts robust principled diplomacy, should any country pose a serious direct threat to any other country, it would have the backing and support of the International community (unlike what it had with it's invasion of Iraq) How come nobody is raising this point?!
Oh if I could vote, it would be for Obama, if you want to raise America's standing in the world, Obama is the only choice.
 
Also Ted Lovejoy you said it well.

Congratulations, NBC News has been awarded the Dan Rather Award for Honesty and Integrity in Television News Reporting.  

I will vote with my TV tuner and click away from NBC.

I've read the comments
Mr. Steve Capus
You are a leader in this Media war. For 7 years the White House has been spreading lies and propaganda. Going so far as to develop a Pentagon Propaganda Department.  It is very had for Americans to admit to themselves they have been lied to by the President of the United States for 7 years. We see the lies about the invasion of Iraq, torture and rape of innocent men/woman/children, a US recession and lost of our soldiers for Iraq's oil. Some Americans still believe the lie about WMD as only the US weapons given to Saddam were found. It's easier to believe the lie then know you've been lied to by the White House. Of course as Karl Rove has paid bloggers to push the evil side.  So like many before you NBC stands alone for standing up for truth. We've had Edward R. Murrow who stood alone and later is a hero for life. Some many Americans listed in History who stood up for the real Values of America like Rosa Parks, Dr. King, JFK and so many others. As Jesus said this to shall pass as evil never wins in the end.  The White House is seeing the Evil House they built falling down.  As a Military Mom I can tell you first hand the troops knows Bush is a liar. It's not Richard's fault that President Bush made a fool of himself at the Israeli Parliament, as even the Foreign Press said the guest that his remarks were stupid and they paid not attention to him. Richard Engel has lived in Iraq longer then any US soldier and any American. As for Richard he brings out the best in not only Journalism but America. He didn't read the Pentagon Propaganda report he lived in Iraq and go the story from the Iraq people and our troops on the ground.  That's why ABC,CBS and Fox News reports conflicted with Richards report.  When the American people finally realize the hole truth it will be truly a sad time in America.  Our entire US Government and country has been infected with corruption and lies by the Bush Administration. No American wants to believe this could happen.  We saw Watergate and said it would never happen again but it has and worse.  Cheney has up dated the Nixon crime book and infected every branch of our US system. Our Supreme Court, Judges, DOJ, Congress, Senate, House of Reps. and ever other department has been infected with crime.  Yes excuses have been made for everything from lies to crimes over the pass 7 years.  It's time to get our country back and stand up for the Values/Morals/Honesty/Equality this country was built on.  A President works for the people and we have a Democracy. Bush/Cheney have acted like Dictators and after reading some comments it seems Americans need to read how this country was formed and why. A good place to start is with the US Constitution which starts of with  We the people. Thank you NBC for standing up for Truth.

A US Soldiers Mom and an American
Jackie Rawlings

ps: Mr. Capus as a longer time viewer of NBC anyone can tell those who haven't watched or don't really know Richard Engels work. Just read some of the comments it's easy. So don't be fooled by how the White House works and uses bloggers to spread the lies.

Dear Mr. Williams;
your story about the editing of the interview between President Bush and Richard Engel as reported Monday night was just wrong. You invited viewers to go to the web for the "complete" interview. NBC as a trusted source of information should have aired the complete interview and done away with editing out comments by the President.

I find it strange that so many on here defend Bush, One seems to forget he is directly responsible for the deaths of over 4000 americans and 10s of thousands of Iraq civilians based on lies. And the fact that the Bush Administration has continually lied to the American people to justify all the illegal and underhanded things they have done, the ends DO NOT justify the means. If you really watch both videos, the content wasn't changed.

What ever happened to accurate reporting and honest news?  It is entirely obvious that editing was used to create a story that didn't exist.  Your reporting is entirely biased rather than reporting facts and letting the viewer decide.  NBC has little, if any credibility as a serious news outfit.  Yellow journalism and NBC seem to be a good fit.  

Yes, NBC is responsible for its editing. However, when the purpose of the editing is to distort what was actually said, when the purpose of the editing is to formulate politically biased propaganda, then the editing is unethical.

The liberal-socialist bias of the main-stream media is evident. This is why television ratings fall and newspaper circulation decreases. NBC news now joins CBS in the Hall of Shame.

 Your network has become so biased and this proves it once again.  How does Brian Williams keep a straight face when he knows that he is not reporting the news but some idiots agenda.  I am a Democrat but will now switch to Republican seeing how you think that Obama can do no wrong.  He did nothing in his elected office but stay away from any vote that he might actually have to make a stand on so he could say when he ran for President that he didn't vote for it.  PATHETIC!!    

The uniformed, partisan responses were obvious as were the informed and partisan.  Several items of note were; the distrust the respondents felt toward NBC and the self described main stream media; editing an interview with the President; and the bias slant toward making a story from nothing at all on a slow news day.  I watched them both and I find it to be crystal clear with the reference to hitler that the appeasement concerned Neville Chamberlain not Hussein B. Obama.  This would make perfect sense following the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state and a holocost that might have been prevented.  I believe you did edit the interview to make the claim and create a story about political statements.  No one seems to speak or write about Pelosi in iraq and how no one wants to meet with her.  It is a sad day indeed when journalists and the main stream media cannot be trusted.

After watching and listening to Mr. Olberman’s Special Comments dated May 19th, 2008 to explain his Special comments.  I try for one to be open to the hardcore comments of Mr. Olberman, his continued attack on the current President and his administration for their failures in the past four year go way overboard for any Professional News Services as MSNBC.  He try to explain his comments to avoid associating his comments towards our men and women serving our military.  His comments were way off base to identify the President Bush and his administration and the Pentagon as “Cold Blooded Killers, which one day will be held accountable for WAR Crimes.”  What are you guys thinking over there, we, the United States of America have two wars currently in progress.

  No doubt, the President has made some serious mistakes in administrating this World War on International Terrorist and Tyrants (ITT’s). But to subject the American people with these irresponsible comments is wrong.  To retake the president’s comments and re-point back to his office and his administration on the fire bent to raise Mr. Olberman’s ratings and declare himself a moralist for the American cause of justice and Freedom is morally wrong.  MSNBC is supposed to provide straight forward news to the people without personal attacks or bias.  Your news service makes a hard point to identify to the world of FOX news as being the evil empire. Yet you allow your own news service to behave in this shameful way.   I once enjoy and respected MSNBC News for their unbiased news reporting.  Now, even though I am just one person.  What American would want to place their “I am proud of what Mr. Olberman’s comments said as news worthy or morally right.  Just forget about the ratings folks and just THINK about what he (Mr. Olberman) is saying.

 Oh yeah, I know MNSBC does not take any responsibility for the comments and content of their news personalities.  But wait a minute, your air time, your paying his checks plus bonuses.  Or better yet, you folks at MSNBC really do believe in what Mr. Olberman says every night.  If this is the real truth, than you guys need a new job.

wow i shock the interviewer didnt call G. bush on the twisting of lies to justified his point. example about leben, where the government went after the Helliboz T.V. station and the worker who wanted higher wages that spark that conflict, and for barsa and iraq the shia governement went after sadra in a attempt to weaken him in the next elections, and fail where the U.S. had to step in.
These lies are far greater than someone editing 2 sentence out of bush speech

I believe your editing of the President's interview is nothing more than an attempt to incite people against the current President.  I have watched over the years as you have torn apart one President after another and when you don't like what the Republicans do you go after them.  I also remember when President Clinton was in office and how you ripped him to shreds several times - Monica Lewinski ring any bells????  I agree with the President now that this is nothing other than a way to impact the coming elections - why can't you just report the news and not edit it? People turn to you guys for the truth - the real truth and not some fantasy version that you have altered to make the outcome more "appeasing" for yourselves.  While I may not agree with everything the President has done he is the elected official and deserves the respect as such. Have you not noticed that there has not been an attack on US soil since 9/11 - we must be doing something right - can't you agree? Don't edit people's comments let the people make up their own minds - this is a basic principle this country was founded on - people came to the New World so they could have freedom - freedom that you are taking away by editing interviews.  This truly is a country of the people by the people and for the people and we don't need someone to spin the truth for us - if as you have stated above you believe your editing was accurate then why hide the truth from the people - why not report it on the news not everyone has access to the web (what a concept) - do you not think that we are bright enough to figure things out on our own?  This is truly shameful and I will be finding my news elsewhere!

Another mainstream news media showing bias. Shame on everyone at NBC and MSNBC for distorting the words of the President. Your news program is no longer creditable  and I think there must be an apology to the president and to the American people.

I teach research/public speaking at a University.  Thank you, NBC, for giving me an updated example of taking a quotation and manipulating it for the sole purpose of the agenda of the user.  Sorry, I won't be watching you for more examples.  I have watched the nightly news since Brokaw came on the scene.  Off to find a new evening broadcast.

NBC must stand for "Negative Bush Channel".  When your news network starts reporting things correctly instead of subjective editing, I might return to your news channel.  Until then I will take my television news viewing further up my television remote.  Over the last few years the mood of the country reflects exactly what the media feeds them.  No wonder the President's approval ratings are so low.  It corresponds directly to what you're feeding us threw you're personal views.  I hope someone there gets fired!!

The White House is right. NBC did an awful job of reporting the interviews, as well as many other interviews and news reports. They have repeatedly either smeared, exagerated or heavily biased reports in an effort to smear anything that may be viewed positive to the President.
    Can they go one news cast without bashing the president? This is exactly why no one respects NBC news. Even though "more people watch NBC news" not true. Thats just of the 3 network nightly broadcasts. Both CNN and Fox news smash NBC during the same time frame as well as other time frames.

Yet another instance of the Main stream media influencing the news rather than report it.  This is why more and more people prefer blogs to mainstream.

NBC should air the complete interview on the same news programs as aired the edited ones !! This is like we tell our kids, think before you speak because you can't take it back once it leaves your mouth. In this case I believe the effect was as planned, because it is doubtful that those that were watching these lies on TV will ever go read the real story on the web(which was buried quite nicely mind you). I believe NBC knew exactly what they were doing and made a concience decision to twist the story to suit their obvious bias towards Barack Hussein Obama. What is this country coming to? I will say this, I am proud of the smart Americans (blues and reds)who are speaking out against this shameful act by NBC.

It's easy to say that this was part of "normal" editing. I find that answer inadequate. You asked the President a question..we as viewers are entitled to see/hear the answer, the whole answer. Not the first sentence and the last sentence but not the middle sentence. By not showing us the whole answer the meaning is different. I can make an edited video that shows on primetime Bush supporting Nazis from his speech last week. Then I can tell tell everyone i didn't misrepresent anything and that they can go to my website or watch a different show that they never watch to learn the truth. Maybe 20% of the original viewers will see the truth.

What is really insulting is to tell the viewers that they can see the whole interview or answer to the question online or on a different show. We know the difference in the amount of viewers between the shows, clearly the same number of people will not see it. You also ignore the working class that will not see Today, and those without internet access. This was a lame defense and empty gesture at showing the truth.

What do you expect from a third-rate news organization like NBC News?  Typical lliberal drek.  You would think Brian Williams or Richard Engel might wonder about their reputations, but apparently not.  I use to have some respect for both of them.  The biased editing by NBC News is just another reason why the ONLY news organization worth watching is FOX News.

NBC - you should be ashamed of the blurring of lines between commentator (and nasty man) Keith Olberman and your NBC news organization. Please for the sake of all americans find someone new to host your election coverage because Olberman is a cheap hack. (and that's why his ratings stink) The Bush edit was dispicable and cheap.

There the news media goes again,twisting what people say to report what they want us to think was said. Hummmmmmm!!!!!!!!

It appears that NBC would rather make news rather than report the news. Let the viewer receive ALL the information and then let them decide.  NBC practice reminds us of how the Soviets and China change the news.  Shame on you NBC.  Click, that the sound of many viewers turning you off.

It is obvious to me that none of those complaining about NBC's editing have ever had to deal with the problem of editing! The Bush camp should be THANKING NBC for cleaning up Bush's discursive and "Fact - Baseless" contentions. The part they left on the cutting room floor, besides making Bush look even dumber, added not one whit to my understanding of the issues at hand. Perhaps the optimal solution would have been to delete the interview in its entirety. Then they could have added something more substantive to their original broadcast.

I have gotten my news almost exclusively from NBC for a long time, and I don't feel that there was anything wrong with the editing of the interview shown on Sunday's "Nightly". When the whole interview was 15 minutes long, the editors were right to show the important parts. The interview, even when seen in its entirety, shows President Bush tactlessly avoiding Engel's difficult questions. As the leader of the free world, any President should be have to answer difficult questions and explain his decisions and statements. Just as the White House wanted NBC News to clarify the statements within their context, Engel was trying to get Bush to explain his own comments. Seems fair to me.

I think the important point regarding Bush's "Appeaser (Sic)" charge against Obama is the blatant hypocrisy displayed not this minor editing flap.  Here is G.W.who publicly called the North Korean government a member of the "Axis of Evil," with Iran and Iraq in 2002  and then a mere five years later secretly negotiated the shut down of its nuclear weapons plants in exchange for "bribes" consisting of US food aid and low cost electrical power from our allies in South Korea subsidized by we the taxpayers.  I assume that isn't "appeasement" particularly after NK shot off test missiles, but instead is "quiet behind the scenes diplomacy" with a non-elected dictatorship.  What a hypocrite and he will pass this legacy on to McCain as well!  

If anyone thinks that the NBC edits materially changed the content of the interview, then they have been watching too much FOX news--whose reporters and editorial staff lost objectivity YEARS AGO, despite their claims that FOX is really "Fair and Balanced." All of you FOX watchers have just been conditioned for the past several years that anything someone says in contradiction with the President is untrue.

If anyone wants to consider manipulation of the truth, look no further than our commander in chief, and his statements on global warming and Iraq.

Get over it people. Start being your own fact checkers, and don't rely on any single news source for your facts.

I have lived through civil rights riots, Vietnam, Watergate, Iran-Contra, etc. Through all of those events in which the President was confronted with difficult questioning from sometimes "pushy" journalists (Sam Donaldson, Mike Wallace, Dan Rather, Andrea Simpson, Tom Brokaw, etc.), I have yet to recall a reporter that demonstrated as much outwardly displayed contempt and disrespect for a sitting President as Richard Engle's questioning/interrogation of President Bush. His lack of ethical and professional journalism to the Office of President was unprofessional and blatantly was inter-twined with his obvious disrespect for Mr. Bush. I may not like or even respect all decisions/policies of a President, but I expect the news reporting/media from  which I choose to be informed to respect the position of the person to which the reporter is speaking. In this case, Mr. Engle's interruption and statements in error  of the Bush record were intended to reveal hypocrisies, lies, or worse in President's comments. Regretfully, Mr. Engle's "performance" for his NBC supervisors/editors reveals not only Mr. Engle's bias but that of the entire NBC news organization. The favorable editing which was intended to bolster NBC's on-going pro-Democrat bias was obvious to the extreme. As an Independent voter, I for one will "tune-out" NBC as one of my media sources.

Congratulations on becoming the new CBS!

Dan would be proud of you all.

I can't believe what I'm reading. Are the American people so guilable that they think George Bush trying to control the press is a good thing. I think NBC does a supberb job of news reporting.  Where would this country be without them?  We would still believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and "mission accomplished" was fact.  This is frightening retoric from the white house.  I'm afraid the world of George Orwell is upon us.

I guess this makes Fox News the official white house news channel.  God help us all

Bravo, NBC, to not caving in to these bullying liars. They own FOX news and can't stand the fact other media outlets don't tow the Neo-con line for them.

Count me in as someone who will never watch NBC or MSNBC ever again. But then again no one really watches you anyway, right?

NBC News has followed in the footsteps of NBC Entertainment in chasing viewers away. Maybe they should consider giving Conan the anchor chair and keeping Leno. As it is, where Leno goes next year, I will watch.

This is just another example of The liberal media's bias and it's attempt to influence the political process by distorting actual facts. especially when it was clear to see that President Bush's original comments were meant to paraphrase the context of Winston Churchill's "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Dear NBC News,

It is nice to see that CBS is not the only network with a Dan Rather.

Although it is apparent that NBC/MSNBC has no respect for the current office of the presidency or its administration, perhaps you might consider the respect of your viewing audience - those that generate your ratings and ultimately your revenue.  Frankly, this is the final push required to send me permanently to FOX news for all relevant and balanced news coverage.  You only have to look at your fading ratings to get the picture.  Please continue your very slanted, arrogant and now deceitful "news" coverage for those gullible enough to find you credible.

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