HOW HOEKSTRA'S REMARKS WERE COVERED

Because I consider Hoektra's defection from Fredo's Fiasco very important to Wingnut World, I wondered if the major organs of the "liberal" MSM picked up on it. I did a Lexis search in U.S. Newspapers and Wires for the last week and here's what I found in addition to the Detroit Free Press report: 3 AP articles and 2 from UPI. There were some APs and UPI reports that I consersidered duplicates and left out of the tally. The important point is that so far neither of the major opinion shapers, the NY Times and the WaPo, have directly reported on Hoekstra's defection.

The Associated Press
August 24, 2007 Friday 2:58 PM GMT
U.S. general disagrees with Warner proposal to start troop redeployment by Christmas

BYLINE: By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

SECTION: WASHINGTON DATELINE

LENGTH: 794 words

DATELINE: WASHINGTON

In another reaction Friday, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee also said he disagreed with Warners's idea, but that Bush needs to move away from trying to establish democracy in Iraq and concentrate instead on security and stability.

"Establishing a democracy in the time frame that we've wanted to do it, over the period of three to five years, was too big of a reach," Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra said.

The Associated Press State & Local Wire
August 24, 2007 Friday 6:53 PM GMT
Michigan congressman says Iraq goal no longer should be democracy

BYLINE: By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN, Associated Press Writer

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 529 words

DATELINE: LANSING Mich.

President Bush needs to move away from trying to establish democracy in Iraq and concentrate instead on security and stability, U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said Friday.

But a White House spokesman said Iraq already has a democratic government in place.

"They have an elected government in a sovereign country. And that's what the Iraqi people want. They showed it when they went to the polls," Gordon Johndroe told reporters in Crawford, Texas, where the president is vacationing.

The Associated Press
August 24, 2007 Friday 2:58 PM GMT
U.S. general disagrees with Warner proposal to start troop redeployment by Christmas

BYLINE: By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

SECTION: WASHINGTON DATELINE

LENGTH: 794 words

DATELINE: WASHINGTON

n another reaction Friday, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee also said he disagreed with Warners's idea, but that Bush needs to move away from trying to establish democracy in Iraq and concentrate instead on security and stability.

"Establishing a democracy in the time frame that we've wanted to do it, over the period of three to five years, was too big of a reach," Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra said.

UPI
August 24, 2007 Friday 4:35 PM EST
UPI NewsTrack TopNews

LENGTH: 1237 words

DATELINE: Aug. 24

Bush Iraq strategy gets double GOP whammy

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- A key Republican senator called for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, while a senior GOP congressman said the U.S. strategy for Iraq may be doomed.

U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., urged U.S. President George Bush to start withdrawing troops from Iraq by Christmas.

Warner, the former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made his remarks as a new intelligence report concluded Iraqi political leaders are "unable to govern effectively," The Washington Post said Friday.

"I really, firmly believe the Iraqi government, under the leadership of Prime Minister (Nouri) al-Maliki, let our troops down," Warner said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, ranking member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, said Friday the strategy to install democracy in Iraq within three to five years was flawed and has little chance of succeeding, the Detroit Free Press reported.

UPI
August 24, 2007 Friday 12:46 PM EST
Bush Iraq strategy gets double GOP whammy

LENGTH: 201 words

DATELINE: WASHINGTON, Aug. 24

A key Republican senator called for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, while a senior GOP congressman said the U.S. strategy for Iraq may be doomed.

U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., urged U.S. President George Bush to start withdrawing troops from Iraq by Christmas.

Warner, the former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made his remarks as a new intelligence report concluded Iraqi political leaders are "unable to govern effectively," The Washington Post said Friday.

"I really, firmly believe the Iraqi government, under the leadership of Prime Minister (Nouri) al-Maliki, let our troops down," Warner said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, ranking member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, said Friday the strategy to install democracy in Iraq within three to five years was flawed and has little chance of succeeding, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Hoekstra had been a supporter the Bush administration's efforts in Iraq. Speaking during a taping of Michigan Public Television's "Off the Record," he said Congress and President George Bush together must decide on a strategy that would stabilize Iraq, the Free Press reported.

However, he didn't call for a timetable for withdrawal.