Who is hiding the truth about Moore, Oklahoma ?
(or why there is NO coverup in Benghazi, Libya).
The Republican Party is positive there is a huge coverup regarding the terrible events in Benghazi which lead up to the loss of American lives. They point to the descriptions provided by the media in the first hours of the attack which characterize the attack as a protest or rally – not a full fledged terrorist attack. Benghazi is around the world, a smaller town in a practically lawless country, far from the mainstream media. Initial reports were made by embassy staff and military personnel. So did accurate reporting do any better right in our own backyard ?
In Moore, in the middle of the afternoon, news helicopters from Oklahoma City first reported and filmed the storm, and some of the most dramatic photos where taking immediately after the storm by Oklahoma photojournalists. West coast media were on the scene within several hours, and the East coast media were reporting live from Moore by the 11:00 news EST. So why are the basic facts so screwed up? The following facts come from CBS, NBC, CNN and NPR:
Initial report – tornado lasted at least 30 minutes, revised report, 40+minutes.
Initial report – tornado path 11 miles by 2 miles, revised report, 17 miles by up to 1.5 miles. Initial report – 51 dead, with “dozens” of children missing and feared dead in Plaza Tower, revised report, 24 dead including 10 children. Initial report, EF4, revised report EF5. Initial report, 5,000 homes destroyed, revised report 13,000 homes destroyed, and last night’s revision places the lost homes at 1,900.
I believe that these numbers are messed up primarily because the news media are trying to be the first to report SOMETHING, even if it proves to be wrong. There is no coverup in Moore, and none in Libya. Benghazi is a red herring, but still a sad loss of life. And to those who lost property or loved ones in Moore, to borrow a phrase from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “what does it matter” how long the tornado was on the ground – long enough.
If you can, please give cash to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, Moore, and the families in West, TX, who lost 1/4 of the town and 14 people in that terrific blast.