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"...even the wicked get worse than they deserve." - Willa Cather, One of Ours

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Woodward backing off original claim

CNN
LARRY KING LIVE Interview With Journalist Bob Woodward and Ambassador Bandar Bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia
KING: The story that Mr. Woodward has about the promise to lower the oil prices by the election. Your government has denied has.

WOODWARD: That's not my story. What I say in the book is that the Saudis, and maybe you looked at this section of the book, Ambassador, that the Saudis hoped to keep oil prices low during the period for -- before the election, because of its impact on the economy. That's what I say.

BIN SULTAN: I think the way that Bob said it now is accurate. We hoped that the oil prices will stay low, because that's good for America's economy, but more important, it's good for our economy and the international economy, and this is not -- nothing unusual. President Clinton asked us to keep the prices down in the year 2000. In fact, I can go back to 1979, President Carter asked us to keep the prices down to avoid the malaise. So yes, it's in our interests and in America's interests to keep the prices down.
That is not the same as what he told 60 Minutes. I suspect many of the other claims that have garnered so much attention are equally exaggerated.

For example, if the question is who you believe, Woodward or Powell. I will believe Powell every time.

Remember CIA Director William Casey supposedly wispering his secrets to Woodward on his deathbed. It was later proved that Woodward was not there. Woodward later claimed he did hear this "confession", but at a different time and place than the one he stated in his book.

Woodward's first book about Bush just after the Afghan campaign, was the most abject hagiography I have ever seen. Now he turns around 180 degrees and writes a book critical of Bush that either 1) says things that everyone already knows or 2) makes claims that are flatly denied by the parites involved.

The only reasonable conclusion is that Woodward writes books slanted to please his audience (Republicans in the first Bush book and Democrats in the second). Woodward isn't really interested in informing his audience of the facts. He is just trying to sell books.

UPDATE: "Bob Woodward could have been a great writer, and instead chose to be a rich writer."

ORIGINAL ITEM: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0404/19/lkl.00.html
Posted by: Zayphar / 4/20/2004 02:40:00 AM
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