Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

onecaliberal

(32,483 posts)
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 07:20 PM Feb 2019

Media is again mischaracterizing what Cohen actually said.


@SethAbramson
MEDIA, please make these connections:

(1) Cohen met Mueller's team—7 times—for many hours.
(2) Based on cooperation deal, Mueller believes Cohen now.
(3) Cohen says Stone was Trump-WikiLeaks intermediary.
(4) Mueller is charging Stone with crimes.
(5) Russia probe far from over.
6) If Cohen by *chance* overheard one Trump-Stone call about WikiLeaks, Mueller must believe many such calls actually happened.
(7) Mueller's charging of Stone gives him a chance to squeeze Stone to talk.
(8) If Stone admits to being Trump-WikiLeaks intermediary, it's collusion.
(9) Mueller therefore has *just* initiated a prosecution he credibly believes will lead to collusion.
(10) Media statements that Cohen "threw cold water" on collusion are therefore 180 degrees from the truth.
(Conclusion) Media statements that probe is almost over are also wrong.
14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Media is again mischaracterizing what Cohen actually said. (Original Post) onecaliberal Feb 2019 OP
My takeaway was simply that Cohen maxsolomon Feb 2019 #1
Was Cohen asked if he went to Prague? triron Feb 2019 #2
Yes. He said no Chakaconcarne Feb 2019 #3
Yes, he said no. He said it kind of happily, I noted. (why?) He was quite satisfied when he said CharleyDog Feb 2019 #6
ok. Wonder if Cohen is covering something up or does not want to cross triron Feb 2019 #11
He would not be helping himself with either mueller or the sdny jberryhill Feb 2019 #12
I guess what I'm saying is if someone else had his phone triron Feb 2019 #13
The question he was asked was jberryhill Feb 2019 #14
He denied visiting the Czech Republic jberryhill Feb 2019 #8
That would be MSGOP onecaliberal Feb 2019 #4
Soooo.. cannabis_flower Feb 2019 #5
hairsplitting. maxsolomon Feb 2019 #7
PBS Newshour asked Repub Hermit-The-Prog Feb 2019 #9
They should change their name to "The Fox-Adjacent Propaganda Hour" diva77 Feb 2019 #10

maxsolomon

(32,984 posts)
1. My takeaway was simply that Cohen
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 07:25 PM
Feb 2019

didn't go to Prague and didn't think the Pee Tape was real.

What Media outlet said that Cohen "threw cold water" on collusion?

CharleyDog

(755 posts)
6. Yes, he said no. He said it kind of happily, I noted. (why?) He was quite satisfied when he said
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 08:00 PM
Feb 2019

"No."

I think we will learn that it was Don Jr. with the phone in Prague. Don Jr. is in this up to his four o'clock shadow. Dad has thrust Jr. in every nook and cranny of his widespread corruption in order to shield his own orange self.

triron

(21,915 posts)
11. ok. Wonder if Cohen is covering something up or does not want to cross
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 08:32 PM
Feb 2019

Mueller or SDNY? Schiff wil find out more about this I bet.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
12. He would not be helping himself with either mueller or the sdny
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 09:34 PM
Feb 2019

...by lying.

The SDNY busted him for lying to Congress.

On areas he was not allowed to talk about by the SDNY, he answered that he could not answer because it was under investigation.

That was a fine answer each time he gave it.

He would not honor his agreements with the SDNY or Mueller by lying under oath to Congress. That would be stupid.

triron

(21,915 posts)
13. I guess what I'm saying is if someone else had his phone
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 09:46 PM
Feb 2019

he might not voluntarily offer that information due to the reasons I gave.
That would not be lying.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
14. The question he was asked was
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 10:15 PM
Feb 2019

“Have you ever been to Prague?”

This was in a grab-bag of clean up questions.

He said no, and further volunteered that he had never been to the Czech Republic.

Two things I would suggest:

1. It’s a really good idea to get into the habit of checking source material yourself when it is available, instead of having strangers (including me) describe it. It’s a good way to avoid being manipulated.

2. When layers upon layers of twists and turns are required to keep building scaffolding to preserve the “truth” of something that can’t be proven, but you want to believe anyway, then that thing might not be true.

One way to discredit a true story is to propagate an exaggerated or extreme version of it, or to provide fake evidence for it.

The Texas Air National Giard Memo effectively shit down discussion of just wtf did W do during Vietnam. It did that because people wanted to believe it, were predisposed to believe it, and accepted it at face value without any really good idea of just where it came from.

It is an effective and powerful tactic. 9/11 trutherism was marvelously effective at channeling disgust at the W administration’s utter failure to focus on actual security risks, and subsequent use of that event to pursue a disastrous agenda, into nonsense about fake planes, fake victims, hidden explosives and and endless hall of mirrors constructed of bullshit. That was political energy which COULD have been directed to ensuring he was not re-elected, instead of drawing the gullible off into Ron Paul cuckoo land.

Confirmation bias is a thing.

I can’t fucking stand Donald Trump. For that reason, I tend to be careful about that “silver bullet” story that is going to rid us of him. Because hucksters feed on other people’s hopes.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
8. He denied visiting the Czech Republic
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 08:00 PM
Feb 2019

You know, YouTube captures of the whole thing are readily available. Certainly, watching the hearing would be time better spent than reading cuckoos on twitter.

onecaliberal

(32,483 posts)
4. That would be MSGOP
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 07:46 PM
Feb 2019

I heard Stephanie Rhule this morning say the president isn’t a criminal because he’s not convicted.

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,033 posts)
9. PBS Newshour asked Repub
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 08:01 PM
Feb 2019

When Republicans held a majority in the House, Judy Woodruff asked Republicans about goings-on in the House. Now, with a Democratic majority, she had a Republican on last night to discuss Cohen's testimony. Fair and balanced.

diva77

(7,604 posts)
10. They should change their name to "The Fox-Adjacent Propaganda Hour"
Thu Feb 28, 2019, 08:15 PM
Feb 2019

so much shoddy reporting, shoddy analysis, wingnut talking points

Gwen Ifill must be rolling in her grave!!

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Media is again mischaract...