Robert Bennett Blitzed on CNN
Media blog
Wolf Blitzer played some “gotcha” today on The Situation Room with Robert Bennett. Bennett is Judith Miller’s lawyer, but he is also William Bennett’s brother. Blitzer had Robert on the show to discuss Judith Miller, but halfway through the interview sprung the clip of Bill Bennett’s remarks and asked Robert to comment:
BLITZER: While you’re here, I’m going to switch gears dramatically on you and ask you a question about your brother. As you know, he’s in some hot water for some remarks he made yesterday on his radio show, Bill Bennett, and uh, listen to this exchange he had with a caller:
(plays clip)
BLITZER: Have you discussed this issue with him?
BENNETT: Well no, and Wolf, let me say that I’m rather disappointed in you for not telling me you would ask me about that. This was about Judy Miller and I think that’s a courtesy you could have extended to me.
Bennett defended his brother, and then Blitzer defended himself for bringing it up:
BLITZER: Well, the reason I ask is because I know you and your brother love each other and you’re good brothers and it was only obvious to me, I assumed that you know I would ask a newsworthy question —
BENNETT: I didn’t know that at all, Wolf. In the past you’ve always been very straight with me. I’m honest with you, and I’m offended by that.
BLITZER: That’s fair enough.
BENNETT: But I have never discussed this with him at all.
BLITZER: Well, you’re a good lawyer and a good brother and a good friend. Thanks very much for joining us.
You gotta see it to believe it. Blitzer’s effusive praise of the Bennett’s brotherly love had the editors falling out of their chairs. Not Blitzer's finest moment.
The Recruiting Shortfall
09/30 05:37 PM
Andrew Sullivan thinks it's demoralization. Not quite. Re-enlistment rates are just fine. The Army missed its first-time enlistment targets by about 7,000 — close to the number it missed by in 1999, when the Army missed by 6,290 recruits. Did I sleep through the demoralizing war that was causing recruiting shortfalls in 1999? I do remember we had a booming economy that year. Do you think that had more to do with this year's shortfall? Just maybe?
Another factor, which goes unreported in this AP account, is that the Army increased its recruiting goals to 80,000 from 72,000 last year. (The story does mention that the Army is trying to grow, but doesn't mention the specific numbers — that 8,000-recruit increase that puts the 7,000-recruit shortfall in perspective).
It's not the disaster that the media are going to make it out to be. That said, it's still not a good sign that we can't grow the Army as fast as we'd like. Nevertheless, the Army is taking steps to account for the competition it's facing from the growing economy — by offering higher bonuses, for instance. It's a challenge, not a crisis.
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