Brian Williams is apparently lying bastard

In reply to Xceler8x:

"TV news is entertainment. All of it."

Not that I disagree, but the real problem is that the bulk of American's don't know that.

In reply to Xceler8x:

Now now, that would be political. I am not talking about bias. He isn't using the story to somehow advance his political agenda, he's just apparently a lying bastard.

tuna55 wrote: He isn't using the story to somehow advance his political agenda, he's just apparently a lying bastard.

This, and FWIW, it was someone in the chopper that WAS hit by the rpg that called him out on it from what I could tell....

As a friend of mine noted, Williams' account would be like someone who took off on a plane other than Flight 1549 from LaGuardia Airport on January 15, 2009 saying THEY recalled THEIR plane landing in the Hudson River. There is no "foggy memory" of living through something like this.

I can only imagine the left's outcry if a FOX anchor had done the same. Stolen valor is an insult to every service member who actually has been in combat; he has zero credibility left IMO.

In reply to FSP_ZX2:

Well, he wasn't a service member so it's no insult to them. He is just a liar with no credibility. And a super hot daughter. Who got her ass eaten on video for HBO. That is the real story here.

Yeah there's an article on CNN saying he might have memory problems, comparing it to the time N.D. Tyson mixed up a couple of Bush's speeches...not really the same thing though...

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Yikes! Now that is some news I could really get behind!

Oy .......

Did he specifically say that it was his helicopter that got hit by an RPG?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to FSP_ZX2: He is just a liar with no credibility. And a super hot daughter. Who got her ass eaten on video for HBO. That is the real story here.

Wait, whut?

PHeller wrote: Did he specifically say that it was his helicopter that got hit by an RPG?

Yes. Over and over, for years.

In reply to Duke: HBO's show Girls... probably not safe for real workplaces. http://morningafter.gawker.com/while-you-watched-the-globes-allison-williams-got-her-1678892482

FSP_ZX2 wrote: I can only imagine the left's outcry if a FOX anchor had done the same. Stolen valor is an insult to every service member who actually has been in combat; he has zero credibility left IMO.

When Lea Gabrielle got her big break as a FOX news reporter, she took great care to precisely describe her previous experience as an F-18 pilot. “Yes, I flew missions off of carriers in the gulf, no, I never directly engaged an enemy aircraft, etc.”

I sensed she knew that anything that could possibly be construed as embellishment would be brought to full bear against her.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to Duke: HBO's show Girls... probably not safe for real workplaces. http://morningafter.gawker.com/while-you-watched-the-globes-allison-williams-got-her-1678892482

Luckily I don't work in a real workplace.

It is a shame that this story will be a surprise to most people in this country and that they think the people they see on the television are actually reporting the news. The man gets paid to read stuff that is about 10% truth and 90% spin, why would he be expected to tell the truth about his personal life? Does he even know the difference?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'm totally shocked. It's almost like there is no integrity at all in for profit news organizations. He is one handsome devil though. I bet he pulls in a lot of ass.

You should most definitely write a blog or a newsletter or something. I would most definitely pay for the privilege of reading it!

Here's a timeline of his comments.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/05/media/brian-williams-iraq-timeline/index.html?iid=EL

"Right in front of us" could mean "the helicopter we are looking at" or "the helicopter that landed in front of us (some time before)."

He says multiple times the helicopter he was in was "forced down" but not "shot down". There is a difference.

He refers a bunch of times the Chinhook in front of him being hit, and once to his helicopter coming under fire, "being in a helicopter I had no business being in in Iraq with rounds coming into the airframe."

He says " when I was flying in a Chinook with General Downing, that helicopter was shot at by a farmer," and he could have meant the same day as he was flying with the General "that other helicopter" was shot down. '

I dunno. I like Brian Williams, but I'm not sure being a foreign correspondent is his thing. I don't think he lied, I just think people and NBC have focused too much on that event as a way of making it sound like Williams has credentials outside the newsroom (or in a warzone). He's told this story too many times, and never really clarified it until recently.

Richard Engle, however, is the boss.

EDIT: Did some digging. Didn't like Williams comment on his blog back in Sept of 2007: "Not long after Wayne's warning, some men on the ground fired an RPG through the tail rotor of the chopper flying in front of ours." That statement does really make it sound like he witnessed the event.

bravenrace wrote: In reply to Xceler8x: "TV news is entertainment. All of it." Not that I disagree, but the real problem is that the bulk of American's don't know that.

Completely agree. Maybe we need a PSA or something.

tuna55 wrote: In reply to Xceler8x: Now now, that would be political. I am not talking about bias. He isn't using the story to somehow advance his political agenda, he's just apparently a lying bastard.

Understood. In the interest of peace would you like for me to edit my statement? Your thread. I don't mind.

Brian Williams said: I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft. --------- ...when the helicopter we were traveling in was forced down after being hit by an RPG... -------------- ...two of our four helicopters were hit by ground fire including the one I was in. RPG and AK-47's. ------------- We're not near any U.S. troops. So we got hit, we sat down, everyone was okay, our captain took a purple heart injury to his ear in the cockpit but we were alone.

So yeah, he lied. Over and over.

Xceler8x wrote:

bravenrace wrote: In reply to Xceler8x: "TV news is entertainment. All of it." Not that I disagree, but the real problem is that the bulk of American's don't know that.

Completely agree. Maybe we need a PSA or something.

tuna55 wrote: In reply to Xceler8x: Now now, that would be political. I am not talking about bias. He isn't using the story to somehow advance his political agenda, he's just apparently a lying bastard.

Understood. In the interest of peace would you like for me to edit my statement? Your thread. I don't mind.

nah, we're good. I am not entirely convinced that those events are fictional though, but we can discuss those somewhere else.

But wait, there's more! http://thehayride.com/2015/02/brian-williams-tall-tales-extend-to-katrina-too/

PHeller wrote: ....He says multiple times the helicopter he was in was "forced down" but not "shot down". There is a difference...

He is clearly implying here that he was involved in an emergency landing (and he also clearly states his helicopter was hit earlier):

http://youtu.be/GwtxVjNVDBU?t=1m28s

To be realistic, this seems to more of a case of making himself look better (sort like stretching the truth on a resume) then outright miss-reporting news (e.g. a political figure did this, when there is no evidence) by ignorance or for purposes of slant. I suspect, this was the result of "punching up" the story a bit in places like Letterman and eventually believing his own story (e.g. OJ). I have heard he may not have even stayed the night with the hit helicopter although I would suspect is possible he did (sandstorm restricting the flight back maybe).

There are far more egregious cases of mis-reporting actual news (as opposed to personal experiences) out there though. It makes him a bit of an ass, but I am not sure it disqualifies him as a journalist (or news reader). Did he ever actually say anything about this even in an actual NEWS report? (that might be more significant)

The guy, from what I have seen, seems to have a pretty good sense of humor though. I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up on some shows and make fun of himself (if the network allows it of course).

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to Tom_Spangler: Yikes! Now that is some news I could really get behind!

In light of who she is your statement is awesome.

Regardless of the pro/con arguments, his integrity and the integrity of NBC News has deteriorated as a result of this episode, not to mention his own personal mojo and kavorka. A real man just does not create or embellish personal valor.

1. I like that in some other parts of the world, they are called "news readers". Ascribing no other qualification to their jobs.

2. I could get behind that news too. Dayum.

3. All this reminds me of a "Rescue Me" episode where the poet LT shares his 9/11 poems at a 9/11 therapy group, only to find out that none of them were actually there during the event. Like not even in NYC.

4. Something else I forgot. I'm getting another beer.

ronholm wrote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHVEDq6RVXc

Still a classic after all these years.

I can't wait for The Onion's take on this Brian Williams thing.