(2007-10-13) — Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who generated headlines this week by calling the Iraq war “a nightmare with no end in sight,” today released a list of the “least newsworthy remarks” from that same speech to a convention of military journalists.
“While my critique of our government’s failure to formulate a ‘grand strategy’ for military, political and economic victory in Iraq grabbed headlines,” said the retired officer, “I now regret that I devoted the first half of that speech to saying completely worthless things that didn’t merit a mention in the news reports. It’s a good thing that our wise media gatekeepers protected readers, listeners and viewers from my time-wasting remarks.”
Here are verbatim quotes from this week’s speech by the former U.S. commander in Iraq, in the order of their appearance in his address.
“My Top 10 Least Newsworthy Remarks”
by Ret. Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez
10. “Unfortunately, I have issued ultimatums to some of you for unscrupulous reporting that was solely focused on supporting your agenda and preconceived notions of what our military had done.”
9. “Almost invariably, my perception is that the sensationalistic value of these assessments is what provided the edge that you seek for self aggrandizement or to advance your individual quest for getting on the front page with your stories.”
8. “As I understand it, your measure of worth is how many front page stories you have written and unfortunately some of you will compromise your integrity and display questionable ethics as you seek to keep America informed.”
7. “It seems that as long as you get a front page story there is little or no regard for the ‘collateral damage’ you will cause. Personal reputations have no value and you report with total impunity and are rarely held accountable for unethical conduct.”
6. “The speculative and often uninformed initial reporting that characterizes our media appears to be rapidly becoming the standard of the industry.”
5. “Other major challenges are your willingness to be manipulated by ‘high level officials’ who leak stories and by lawyers who use hyperbole to strengthen their arguments. Your unwillingness to accurately and prominently correct your mistakes and your agenda-driven biases contribute to this corrosive environment.”
4. “All of these challenges combined create a media environment that does a tremendous disservice to America. Over the course of this war, tactically insignificant events have become strategic defeats for America because of the tremendous power and impact of the media and by extension, you, the journalist. In many cases, the media has unjustly destroyed the individual reputations and careers of those involved.”
3. “In my business, one of our fundamental truths is that ‘the first report is always wrong’. Unfortunately, in your business ‘the first report’ gives Americans who rely on the snippets of CNN, if you will, their ‘truths’ and perspectives on an issue.”
2. “When you assume that you are correct and on the moral high ground on a story, because we have not responded to questions you provided, is [sic] the ultimate arrogance and distortion of ethics. One of your highly-respected fellow journalists once told me that there are some amongst you who ‘feed from a pig’s trough’. If that is who I am dealing with, then I will never respond, otherwise we will both get dirty, and the pig will love it. This does not mean your story is accurate.”
1. “All are victims of the massive agenda-driven competition for economic or political supremacy. The death knell of your ethics has been enabled by your parent organizations who have chosen to align themselves with political agendas. What is clear to me is that you are perpetuating the corrosive partisan politics that is destroying our country and killing our service members who are at war…For some of you, just like some of our politicians, the truth is of little-to-no value if it does not fit your own pre-conceived notions, biases and agendas.”
In response to the Sanchez quote list, the Society of Professional Journalists released the following statement: “Apparently, Ricardo Sanchez didn’t hear the same speech that the reporters in attendance heard, so it’s just one man’s perception against the eyewitness accounts of dozens of professional journalists. Majority rules.”
54 responses so far ↓
1 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 13, 2007 at 11:29 am
God Bless America
2 RedPepper // Oct 13, 2007 at 11:42 am
I especially like #7 …
3 Possumtrot // Oct 13, 2007 at 11:51 am
Al gore wins Nobel Peace prize:
A-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
Someone stop me from laughing! I’m chocking on green stuff!
4 Possumtrot // Oct 13, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Choke, strangle, whatever. A chock keeps an airplane on the ground.
Al Gore? Peace Prize?
Nobel inveted a great and terrible thing; the overseers of his legacy are a corrupt bunch.
Al and Mr. Jimmy are cut from the same cloth. The base color of that cloth is yellow. ‘Nuff said, and off-topic at that.
5 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 13, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Heh. The bidding is up over $21,000 for the letter documenting the Clinton/Soros/Socialist’s attempt to squelch the Truth.
6 gafisher // Oct 13, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Sounds as though most “reporters” thought that list was the Suggested Story Outline from the Media Kit.
7 University Update - Iraq - Sanchez Releases Top 10 Least Newsworthy Remarks // Oct 13, 2007 at 12:48 pm
[...] House Sanchez Releases Top 10 Least Newsworthy Remarks » This Summary is from an article posted at ScrappleFace — News Fairly Unbalanced. We Report. You [...]
8 gafisher // Oct 13, 2007 at 1:21 pm
JL3 Re#5: Capitalism at work. It’s gone over the $25K mark since you posted and there’s still, uh, five days and 23 hours left to go. I have to wonder what a letter signed by the good Senators would be worth.
9 everthink // Oct 13, 2007 at 1:46 pm
General “Dirty Sanchez” Panza, says the self-styled, though ignorant and evil, “Decider” Quixote has made a mess of la Mancha.
He says our Quixote, who is now the commander of a Corps of wounded and maimed, and a Brigade of lost, served his nation better as a TANG deserter.
There must be money or politics involved!
Then again maybe he’s just satisfied with the disaster, he’s added to 911 (and Katrina).
ET
Lord preserve us 464 all days more.
10 Sanchez nd the press’ willingness to ignore it’s own faults | BitsBlog // Oct 13, 2007 at 1:49 pm
[...] also The Strata-Sphere Powerline ScrappleFace Right Truth, QandO, The Belmont Club  The Jawa Report, Outside The [...]
11 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 13, 2007 at 2:25 pm
RE: #9~~
Sanchez said no such thing; that and the rest of the lies in your comment, are why I consider you a traitor and a fool.
12 everthink // Oct 13, 2007 at 2:48 pm
JamesonLewis3rd,
May The Lord Bless You.
13 onlineanalyst // Oct 13, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Back to the smutty DS allusions, everthink?
Blanco and Nagin were unavailable for comment re Katrina. (They’re probably still drying out the flooded school buses or burying the 10,000 bloated corpses.)
Captainsquartersblog has further commentary on the media’s distortion of Sanchez’s remarks. Not only do the media get a full-bore criticism, but the partisanship of the politicians is roundly faulted. Ed Morrissey’s blog, too, is infected with trolls still stuck in (discredited) arguments about our reasons for liberating Iraq from Saddam’s hegemonic tyranny and old tales about our “errors”. They’re ignoring each day’s good news growing from the successes of the surge. Trolls are selective readers of agenda-driven writers.
14 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 13, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.~~Galatians 6:7
15 prettyold // Oct 13, 2007 at 3:33 pm
So, Lt Gen (Ret) Sanchez ,just what is this Grand Strategy that you alone are smart enough to think up? You alone seem to be able to see into the future,so let’s hear it ,maybe we will elect you President,since you are the only one with the answers.
After your Grand Strategy clears all the problems in the ME maybe you can do something about the drive-by media.Surely you have a Grand Strategy for that ,also.
16 onlineanalyst // Oct 13, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Interestingly, a number of commenters at powerlineblog on this same topic who have had Iraq-theater experience and familiarity with both Lt. General Sanchez and General Petraeus note that there was friction between the two regarding the best strategy for turning the tide. We and the Iraqis are quite fortunate that General Petraeus’s COIN efforts are prevailing.
The irony of the media’s not focusing on Sanchez’s most blistering (and lengthiest) criticism of their own role in prolonging the post-war insurgency is not lost on those of us who have directed most of our skepticism towards the media news outlets.
17 Beerme // Oct 13, 2007 at 4:50 pm
General Sanchez is certainly a credible reporter and one who has the credentials to carry weight with his “opinions”. He has the right to give those opinions and we should all be listening because he has more to offer than almost any politician or journalist.
He is obviously of the camp that believes we were wrong to begin the action in Iraq and I don’t blame him for thinking that way. In fact, I agree with him. He also is of the camp that feels we are stuck in Iraq until stability ensues and thinks a hasty withdrawal would be catastrophic. This view does not place him in either of the majority partisan camps and that also makes him credible. He mentions the Powell Doctrine (Weinberger Doctrine?) as a guiding checklist for making the decision to go to war. It’s hard to argue with that as well.
Politicians are the problem and journalists are their assistants. We just seem to dance to the tune…
18 Beerme // Oct 13, 2007 at 4:51 pm
uh, check…check, one, two…
19 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 13, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Petraeus is in the process of cleaning up the dismal mess Sanchez, et al left behind-this is the pea in the Sanchez Shell Game.
Thus, knowing the Sanchez Back Story (of which I mentioned only one of many facets in the above sentence), upon reading Sanchez’s speech I was immediately aware of the overwhelming aroma of sour grapes permeating every syllable.
20 gafisher // Oct 13, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Beerme Re#17: “He is obviously of the camp that believes we were wrong to begin the action in Iraq and I don’t blame him for thinking that way.”
It’s a free country; any citizen is free to think as he will. However, accepting a command while harboring a defeatist attitude is not acceptable in a military leader. If he went to war wanting to lose, as you imply, it’s no wonder he did so poorly, but if so it’s a crying shame he sacrificed so many of our brave troops just to spite the President. An honorable man would not have done so.
21 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 13, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Sanchez was quite obviously intimidated by the Clinton/Soros/Socialist propaganda blitz via the MSM.
He’s crying in his beer now-covering his behind being beyond futile-realizing he believed a lie but too proud to admit it.
Hand the punk a hanky while he’s on his way to the bank.
I am So Very Thankful for the Internet and the faceless (although that is changing rapidly) personalities who give us what is literally the “other side of the story” so that our information input is no longer the teeny-weeny end of a massive funnel.
22 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 13, 2007 at 6:58 pm
The full text of the aforementioned Sanchez Speech of Shame is available here via Redstate.
23 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 13, 2007 at 7:15 pm
I know Maestro Scott Ott already has the link to that text in his Post-there’s a couple of other interesting links in the Redstate article, too.
24 Chris Broe // Oct 13, 2007 at 8:35 pm
This was unreadable. The person writing this [deleted] is a fiend. Who would bother with something as unfunny as this exercise in wordage. You know, someone even offered a biblical passage to let everyone know what he thought of this drivel. A biblical passage. I dont take kindly to folks what take the name of the lords in vains. I’ll dont be expectin’ that i’ll be respectin’ no man what donts lives by the code. The code of allah. Now some of you pointed heads thinks that allah aint god, and god aint allah, or yahweh, or the lord, or the man upstairs. Well let me tell you something, misters, it dont make a diddle dange piddle poo what you call the supreme being, he dont like tripe like what’s being presented as his word on this pathetic self agrandizing [deleted] website. I’ve warned you folks before what I’d do if I caught you blaspheming again. Christ told us that we can speak to god for all of mankind and any oath we make here on earth we make in heaven and all of mankind is bound by that oath, but only if we speak to god. So speak to god. Just speak. Dont memorize a phony prayer or a self serving bit of tithe reward. No, just talk directly to allah, and bind us all to your oath. Go ahead. Make my diety. Who would write this kind of meticulously unfunny yet mealty mouthed ka ka, except a moron, or a devil, or someone who is going straight to hell for syntactical sins? Give it a rest. You stink, sir. And God is not there for you if you are relying on anything from this site. Thank you, have a nice day, and dont forget to speak to allah.
25 Darthmeister // Oct 13, 2007 at 9:19 pm
More bad news for the Donks … The Shia Awakening.
Not that the Shias are turning into honorable Boy Scouts, but at least they’ve had some sort of epiphany regarding the sectarian violence that was consuming Iraq. Only a fool fights in a burning barn.
26 Darthmeister // Oct 13, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I think @n@lchord has either smoked too much crabgrass or has been licking the coating off of too many diet pills.
He might want to bring his own interpreter the next time he posts.
27 Fred Sinclair // Oct 14, 2007 at 6:58 am
From George Washington through U. S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, General Patton, General McArthur etc. There is no known depth of wisdom comparable to that of a “Retired” General! And now it is more than obvious that Lt. General (3 stars) Ricardo Sanchez is unfortunately the victim of dementia praecox (look it up).
(Sarcasm mode off)
Heirborn Ranger
28 Fred Sinclair // Oct 14, 2007 at 7:04 am
Chris Broe - Re. #24 - Could you please back up and let us in on just what in the he(double toothpicks) you are talking about???
Heirborn Ranger
29 Maggie // Oct 14, 2007 at 8:34 am
Chris…..re#24
“Don’t TAZE me Broe”!
30 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 14, 2007 at 9:01 am
re:24
Maybe there is some truth that if you give a thousand monkeys a thousand years they will write William Shakespeare-but they are off to a shaky start
31 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 14, 2007 at 9:02 am
ugggh, I’m pushing
32 MargeinMI // Oct 14, 2007 at 9:42 am
“it dont make a diddle dange piddle poo”
Well, Scott, I guess you’re toast. You might as well just put down your pen and give up. How could you possibly hope to compete with such eloquence?
“Who would write this kind of meticulously unfunny yet mealty mouthed ka ka, except a moron, or a devil, or someone who is going straight to hell for syntactical sins? Give it a rest. You stink, sir.”
Talking to yourself, Chris?
Maggie #29: LOL!
33 RedPepper // Oct 14, 2007 at 10:02 am
♫ ♪ ♫
There’s a man going around taking names
And he decides who to free and who to blame
Everybody won’t be treated all the same
♪ ♫ ♪
34 onlineanalyst // Oct 14, 2007 at 10:04 am
Good one (#29), Maggie! Bwahahahahahaha!
I interpreted Chris Broe’s rantings as (1) a late-night experience of delirium tremens, (2) the after-effects of ingesting the last of the bad acid from Woodstock, or (3) general grouchiness after finally ending his Ramalamadingdong fast.
Then again, his knickers may have been tightly twisted in a knot. Let’s hope that he has slept off the malice and undone the damage to his testicles.
35 Fred Sinclair // Oct 14, 2007 at 10:28 am
For those in Rio Linda (Beautiful River), those without a dictionary at hand and Chris Broe : ‘early insanity’
dementia praecox |diˈmen sh ə ˈprēˌkäks| noun dated term for schizophrenia . ORIGIN late 18th cent. Latin, literally ‘early insanity.’
Heirborn Ranger
36 conserve-a-tips // Oct 14, 2007 at 10:47 am
Wow…I’m gone for one measley day and I come back to all hades breaking loose…. (according to somebody named Broe anyway).
Scott, I must say that this is one of your hardest pieces yet. It is so to the point and true that you didn’t even have to make up much. I caution you, however, to watch your back, because with the publishing of this particular piece, I have a feeling you may get “Rushed”. That’s my new term for the actions that the McCarthyites in Congress are taking against private citizens who voice their opinions contrary to whatever they deem accurate. Judges get “Borked” - citizens get “Rushed” in honor of “He who runs America.”
37 conserve-a-tips // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:11 am
Maggie, you’re quick!
38 Beerme // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:12 am
Maggie (#29), You rock!
For what it’s worth, I don’t think Sanchez went to war wanting to lose. I think he felt the nation and the political establishment wouldn’t be up to the task of allowing our military to win the war, perhaps. I’m sure he also felt the war was ill-advised. That doesn’t make him a bad guy or a dumb guy and certainly not a Democrat or anti-war nut. It makes him a patriot that felt this war was a gamble that shouldn’t have been taken.
I certainly don’t agree with everything he said and I believe the timing shows him in a particularly unattractive light, but it should be noted (as Scott has pointed out in this article) that he made some pretty powerful points in this speech that are not being paid attention to.
And that’s my dangling participle on the subject!
39 JamesonLewis3rd // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:38 am
While I don’t exactly disagree that, as a man, Sanchez is welcome to his opinions, but I don’t think we pay him for that nor do I think that part of his job is to be heartbroken over output from the Vast Clinton/Soros/Socialist Propaganda Unit.
The Military don’t train to go out and chase butterflies in a field of blue tulips.
40 MargeinMI // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:47 am
Off Topic:
Hey Beerme! Looking forward to our meeting today. I went by Shelly’s Cafe to view the Scrapplepalooza photos so I know who to look for. I’ll be attired in a pink striped shirt and jean jacket, my hair in a bun (along with other appropriate clothing to be in public). Can’t wait to meet you and get my Scrapple shirt!! WOOHOO!
41 Maggie // Oct 14, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Thanks Marge,Beerme and CAT for the good words.
42 Maggie // Oct 14, 2007 at 1:33 pm
OLA ….also a big thanks to you !
43 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 14, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Marge
You should look forward to meeting Mr and Mrs Beerme-they are real fine folk and so easy to get along with, you may think they are kin folk. Well, not kin folk like in my kin folk, but you know, real kin folk like.
Make sense. No, I didn’t think so either.
44 RedPepper // Oct 14, 2007 at 10:33 pm
My, my. Awfully quiet night here at Scrappleface.
Downright peaceful.
JL3 #14: Very appropriate - imho. Always makes me think of Matthew 7:16 …
45 RedPepper // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Has anyone ever come up with an explanation for why some comments just will not display?
Because it’s happening again … I can only see my comment #44 if I’m logged in … if I log out, it disappears … very strange …
46 RedPepper // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Ms RW #43: When you get around to compiling the list of “things that make no senseâ€, don’t forget to include the Limbo of Lost Posts …
47 conserve-a-tips // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Well, I’m sitting here with the wind howling, the lightning flashing, and the rain pelting so it isn’t very peaceful. It’s gonna get less so when the hail starts, which I fully expect in a sec. Ah yes, a quiet Sunday night in Oklahoma - ♪ where the wind comes sweeping down the plain ♪ G’night all, probably better shut down the computer.
48 RedPepper // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:40 pm
I’m sure that there’s a simple, completely rational explanation for why this happens …
I just wish I knew what it is!
49 RedPepper // Oct 14, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Oh, hi there, c-a-t!
Too late in the season for a twister, I hope?
50 conserve-a-tips // Oct 15, 2007 at 7:59 am
Good morning, Red Pepper. No, actually it is tornado season still. We have had some Jim Dandies in the Fall. There was one in the southwest part of the state last night and we got the remnants. Thankfully just high winds, rain and small hail. But at least we got rain. We have been very blessed this year in that area.
51 Ms RightWing, Ink // Oct 15, 2007 at 8:16 am
No twister here, just a wonderful chilly autumn day after our global warming period last week.
We went to a MS corn roast and halloween party (downsized on purpose) yesterday. Well, there is not much laying around here for weenie costumes so I pulled out an old hat, put a press card in the band, got a denim shirt and tie and tried to make a thin 1940’s mustache out of an eyebrow pencil. That didn’t work so I created one out of black mascara, then I had to do my eyebrows and tuck my blond hair under the hat.
Ha, it didn’t take much to hide behind mascara mustaches, old hats and a tie. Seems like nobody recognized me. Now When I go and rob the bank, whoppeeee! Money for everybody
P.S. When most everyone had a cane, walker or chair, my bad gait did little to give me away.
52 conserve-a-tips // Oct 15, 2007 at 10:13 am
I bet you were a real, bad dude Ms Rightwing, Ink. Get down with your bad self!!
53 everthink // Oct 15, 2007 at 12:11 pm
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.~~Galatians 6:7â€
This is posted as though the writer thinks he is on a mission, and has been anointed as a screener for the Almighty.
He was joined “God Hates You†Chorus in a heavy metal rendition of “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Callingâ€.
It was the great Liger who posted as Dirty Sanchez, not poor me! I really can’t remember what the term meant, but I was pretty sure you folks would think Sanchez was a dirty, rotten turncoat.
I was stunned to see Beerme’s reaction. At last some Light!
54 Connecting News, Commentaries and Blogs at NineReports.com - // Oct 17, 2007 at 3:45 pm
[...] about at Sanchez Releases His Top 10 Least Newsworthy Remarks - scrappleface, - Last Updated - 16 minutes ago Follow This Story Change [...]
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