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Bridge Collapse On CNN

Article By Writer Michael Kraft Author: Michael Kraft
Published: August 2, 2007
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So this is the second half of our articles on the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse.

This is not the coverage, You can see the article on the news of the bridge collapse here though.

This is about how CNN can provide us with good news at all hours but then go so wrong in their delivery and ongoing effort to make everything a “tragedy of horror”.

Watching CNN just 3 hours ago, they were live on the scene at the site of the Minneapolis collapse.

They came back from commercial with slow dramatic piano music panning the camera over the scene. On the screen is “Bridge tragedy!” in large letters.

The story I tuned in during was about the “SCARY” state of bridges, dams, building, pipes and tunnels in this country. They go on to quote a poll or stat given them by the “Association of Civil Engineers” or “American Society of Civil Engineers”? ,which stated that 110,000 bridges in this country are in need of repair or just outdated and obsolete.

This is about the same as an ophthalmologist selling you glasses. CNN gets a poll or stat to “induce terror” that says we need 1 Trillion dollars of repairs and projects to fix bridges to prevent this from happening in your neighborhood.

Next, they will interview an insurance salesman and ask if they think people need more life insurance in America.

Perhaps a more independent source of information would make this more like news and less like “terror” in the news. The facts are perhaps accurate and relevent, but CNN made sure to delivery for shock value.

If you think I am being dramatic, the CNN field reporter went on to say “don’t think you are safe in you neighborhood, bridges are probably just as dangerous.”

So now we should be terrorized to cross a bridge..?
Is this George Bush’s fault too? Like Katrina?

How long before they blame George Bush for bridges collapsing in Minneapolis?

Just when I though this was a joke in the back of my mind they did it.

The on scene CNN reporter, after reading how the Society of Civil Engineers recommend we spend 1 trillion dollars on civil engineering projects, then blamed George Bush.

The CNN correspondent says,

“I am not a Democrat or Republican, but keep in mind we spend billion of dollars in Iraq on the war, billions we could use to prevent these bridges from collapsing”

This is not a perfect quote but almost exact words.
Im not making this up,….who could write fiction this good?

You will also find Democrats, Progressives, Leftists and Socialists saying George Bush caused that brisge to collapse here, and here at American Thinker. You can see here its not the first time, Democrats blamed him 2 years ago in a similar event too.

So the CNN reporter tells you the money spent on the war could prevent you from dying in a random bridge collapse. The war apparently killed those drivers according to what was reported on CNN this morning at 9:20am.

George Bush caused Katrina and now caused this, he is a busy little Nazi isn’t he?
(^ - Sarcasm)

Michelle Malkin writes about the bridge tragedy here, where she found it to be blamed on Global Warming as well.

She may have seen it here on the leftist website dailykos, where only 18 hours after they posted the article - I found 19 posts already blaming George Bush and 5 blaming Global warming.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/1/194040/0486

I am looking for the post that says we need Amnesty for 15 million illegal construction workers to prevent this tragedy repeating in the future…..it’s there somewhere.

Bridge Collapse coverage from CNN blames George Bush

Bridge Collapse

Minneapolis Bridge

Democrats blame bush

blame Bush for Bridge

Bush Blames

Blames Bush

Dailykos

MSM

CNN Minneapolis Bridge news

Minneapolis Bridge Video

Minneapolis Global Warming

Minneapolis Iraq War

Minneapolis George Bush

10 Responses to “Bridge Collapse On CNN”

bluesun on August 2nd, 2007 11:30 am

the CNN reporter is right!
Michael Kraft on August 2nd, 2007 11:47 am

Because if we could get the trillion dollars back, we would have spent it on bridge repairs?
Hindsight is always so productive for nothing.

We could blow it all on $1200 haircuts, pay raises for congress, medicaid for illegal aliens and live earth concerts in about 2 weeks time.

I will be eager to hear what the 19% approval rating congress does to address this, but unlike a leftist I wont waste time and resources trying to place blame with useless congressional commitees, hearings and investigations that further waste taxpayer money.
youngster on August 2nd, 2007 12:18 pm

Your point about CNN is dead on however, the stat quoted by the ASCE is accurate and existed before the collapse. Civil Engineers are plenty busy without needing to whip up hysteria to create more work. Besides, the bulk of the cost for infrastructure repairs is in the construction and bureaucratic adminstrative costs, not the engineering you moron!
Michael Kraft on August 2nd, 2007 12:34 pm

You take wrong the points about the ASCE and hysteria.

I know it is accurate and been there.

Its not that stat or the ACSE that whips up hysteria, but CNN choosing to read in a way that made it sound like a sudden and alarming figure.

I dont imply the ACSE is trying to shock me into watching CNN and make me scared to cross a bridge.

Its not the facts I take issue with, its the info-tainment presentation and the “blame first solve second” nature of the news.
youngster on August 2nd, 2007 2:02 pm

Agreed.

Perhaps you could have come up with a better analogy than comparing a non-profit organization made up of design professionals to an insurance salesman painting a bleak picture in order to make a commission.
Michael Kraft on August 2nd, 2007 2:08 pm

Agreed as well,.. its the misuse of their research that fried me, and the dramatic panic laced presentation
Siona Doyle-McLaughlin (Abbotsford, BC, Canada) on August 2nd, 2007 8:15 pm

I am tired of people putting CNN down. Yes, Lou Dobbs isn’t afraid to give his political views, being an Independent. But, I am an avid CNN viewer and especially enjoy the Situation Room, Larry King Live, Lou Dobbs, and AC360. I was watching the disaster (what do you define as disaster?) last night, and I am watching it on CNN now. The media in general is more concerned with consumer awareness, safety issues, and the welfare of its citizens. It is not uncommon for networks to dig behind the scenes to find research disasters, product flaws, and unscrupulous methods. CNN is no different. I do agree on one point; however, and that is that the TV networks and stations will probably over-emphasize the amount of people who are fearful of crossing bridges. But, it is up to the individual viewer to be intelligent enough to draw his/her own conclusions and opinions. If people are gullible enough to be influenced by everything they see on TV (whether news or programs), they probably need to start thinking for themselves!
Siona Doyle-McLaughlin (Abbotsford, BC, Canada) on August 2nd, 2007 8:19 pm

Typo/grammatical error: should say “research on what caused disasters” instead of “find research disasters.”

By the way, I just stumbled across this site by accident while Googling something on CNN.
Michael Kraft on August 2nd, 2007 8:21 pm

Lou Dobbs is great, I enjoy his show. I dont see how he can even be grouped with AC360, which is like CSI miami non-fiction version.

Anderson used to be likeable enough but has worked his way towards being Geraldo.

Every story looks like a school play with a dramatic soundtrack.

Lou dobbs I like. The rest I could take or leave.

But everyone can watch what makes them happy.
Michael Kraft on August 2nd, 2007 8:22 pm

Happy to have you, I have enjoyed many a trip through your fantastic country. Traveled Highway 1 east to west when I was Younger.