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Brian Williams became the seventh anchor and managing editor in the history of NBC Nightly News on December 2, 2004. Read his full biography.
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As is the custom prior to a major speech (normally the State of the Union and select others), the White House today invited a small group of broadcast journalists to the Roosevelt Room for a briefing, which was mostly with national security types... until the President walked in, unescorted. Tim Russert and I calculated that he was with us for just over an hour. He was forceful, animated and at times aggravated by the current state of the debate over Iraq. While the conditions of the conversation do not allow for direct quotation, we can certainly reflect the President's thinking when we come on the air tonight. Upon exiting the West Wing, I phoned one particular detail into MSNBC: Toward the end I asked the President if he'd seen the Saddam Hussein execution video. He said he had, and when I asked where it "ranked" (among the mistakes of the war) he indicated it was just below Abu Ghraib in terms of damage -- meaning slightly less damaging. The President also noted the damage done at Haditha.
It was, as I discussed with Brit Hume on my way down the West Wing driveway, an energetic and muscular tour of the world that the President gave us today. It was full of detail, but delivered in plain language. It is safe to report that the President is acutely mindful of the position this speech puts him in, and the position his policy puts him in. He sees the numbers. One thing he refuses to discuss is the notion of a "what if/plan B" backup. He says he is, in this instance, all about this portion of the mission. It is clear he is ready for a fight, and ready to take his argument to the people if opponents start tinkering with the machinery of war funding. In repeated bows to realism, the President indicated the patience of the United States is not limitless -- while he strongly indicated that generations of Americans would pay a heavy price should we retreat now. As for the other material we learned, Tim and I will take a moment and go through, on the air tonight, our joint recollections of today's session at the White House.
We'll also check in with David Gregory (who will by air time have portions of the speech in hand) for the state of the administration going into tonight's speech. Richard Engel will report from where this all matters most: the streets of Baghdad. Richard has been out and about in some very dicey and dangerous real estate for us this week, and he's on my mind constantly, as are all of our people there.
Lisa Myers will follow up on her investigation into anti-RPG weapons systems for American armed forces. Don Teague will report the fascinating and harrowing story of a commercial airline flight on Dec. 29 that turned into a genuine American travel nightmare. And we'll round out the broadcast with an equally timely story on the Third Infantry. Those were the good folks who took such good care of us at the start of the war -- the "tip of the spear" heading up the attack.
I often wonder if I'd be alive today without one armored, mechanized platoon of the 3rd I.D. in particular, who were with us after our helicopters were forced down under fire in the desert south of Najaf. They have had several tours in this war, and elements of the Third are heading back yet again.
AMTRAK DIARIST
In part to avoid interrogation or possible cavity searches at the airport, I took Amtrak to and from Washington this time, as I did on my last trip. I can report a generally favorable experience, which included an EARLY arrival last night. While the dinner rolls could easily substitute for the balls used during competition at any jai alai fronton in the world, it is a comparatively relaxing way to get from point to point. Question: When did "stations" (example: Penn Station, Union Station) become "station stops?" I first remember this term making its way into the Amtrak lexicon a few years back. It's clear they are now station stops, despite the seeming redundancy. Announcements are plentiful, and the slamming overhead compartments are louder than any 50mm in the military's arsenal. But there's something to be said for not having to remove one's shoes, belt, watch -- generally stripping to the skin -- for the unrestrained joy of sharing an inch-wide armrest with a complete stranger inside a flying tube filled with stale air and little food or water.
GETTING TO THE CORE OF THE APPLE
Electro-geeks (and a good many law-abiding, Luddite-leaning civilians) are atwitter over Steve Jobs' newest reason for us all to throw away our expensive, tricked-out iPods. The new iPhone was unveiled yesterday (full disclosure: I am a religious iPod user and a Mac laptop owner) and the reaction from my most clued-in friend on all things technological is this: If you drop it, you ruin your life. Thus the financial clamp of the dreaded service agreement. The very same screen intended as a touch-screen you must then use to view video -- fingerprints notwithstanding. Also, no one is raising the elephant in the room: the face goo that can often collect and mar the surface of any phone. That almost crosses the TMI line in personal electronics reviews, I know, but someone had to say it. I'm sure it's a cool device, while perhaps not for everyone.
It snowed in New York today. For three minutes. And I missed it.
We hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast, and especially for our live coverage and analysis of the President's speech tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. on the West Coast.
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Bush's speech on Iraq
Brian,
You are the anchor that Americans trust most. Now is the time to give one of those rare editorials like Cronkite did and tell everyone how much of a threat this man is to our Constitution.
(Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:56:15 PM)
Talk about on-the-job training - this President has shown nothing but arrogance, stubborness and incompetence since he has taken office. His "inexperience" has been disastorous for this country - and all the naive Americans that voted for him because he seemed like a nice guy to have a beer with!! It is amazing to me that this Adminstration acts as if the insurgency was something that "developed suddenly". There were war plans made up that warned what would happened if Iraq was invaded - that's why Bush 41 backed off of Baghad. Americans really need to start taking responsiblity for their vote!
This Adminstration has consistently shown that they are inept, unwilling or in total denial to any situation - until it becomes so catastrophic that there is no good solution. Denying the PDA report on Aug. 6th advising Bin Laden determined to attach America - CIA's "hair was on fire" and this President and his "team" are cutting brush in Crawford. We get 9/11. New Orleans and Mississippi are drowning - and he waits 4 days to act - and the South is still waiting to rise again! And, Iraq - he had to go in there, had to bomb the hell out of it & cause so much destruction these poor people and our poor soldiers are living in hell - Just think if Eisnehower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon etc - all decided to get rid of the communists by "smoking" them whereever they gathered - just think of all the pockets of communists that were/are spread across this world. How the hell does he think he can "fight terrorism" with bombs, death and carnage??? His twisted logic has brought us nothing but problems - and sadly, I am sure this is only the beginning! Bush has only brought us grief!
(Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:54:27 PM)
Brian, you have sold out. You should never go into a meeting with the President unless you can report everything -- everything -- that has been said. (If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for us.) Yeah, it's nice being flattered by the most powerful moron on Earth, but it's your job to resist this kind of cheap seduction. Shame on you.
Crusher, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:46:32 PM)
"Energetic and muscular" tour of the area? Huh?
NO plan B.....sounds like a lot of BS to me......
"Muscular tour" I am still laughing.
(Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:42:13 PM)
Brian,
Why not report on the whole picture in Iraq? Why not report on the fact that we seem to want to fight a war with one eye on being politically correct. The main stream media has no desire to do this and all it has done is embolden the enemy.
Why anyone would admit that the publication of the Saddam execution video is a mistake is beyond me. The guy got his just reward and got off much easier than any of the innocent people he had killed during his reign.
(Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:39:23 PM)
Ditto Mike Butler of Clayton, CA. From what I read, Mr. Bush is surrounded by Yes Men, and gets snippy when told something he doesn't agree with. Please call him on his questionable logic and truth-bending when you're able and permitted to. If someone had done this a couple of years ago, I suspect we wouldn't be in this situation, the rest of the world might have our back, and our homeland security wouldn't be endangered because our forces are tied up elsewhere.
Vinnie Sullivan, Eureka CA (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:37:19 PM)
I'd really like to have an explanation of "the heavy price" Americans will have to pay if we retreat from Iraq now, especially if that "heavy price" involves the U.S. being cut off from oil supplies from the Middle East. I hope someone will take the conversation tonight in that direction -- what happens if the Middle East collapses into an escalated civil war? What are the chances of that happening? And, no, I'm not a Bush supporter.
Jan Robertson, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:35:56 PM)
Brian, what is wrong with the people of Iraq that allow the carnage to continue? Why are they not rising up against the terriorists?
jim gremminger menomonee falls, wi. (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:30:57 PM)
Brian,
I assume the president is animated and aggravated because now almost all of the country are against his Iraq misadventure. This president bristles at any and all criticism. Being annoyed is all he has left to give us. Leadership requires a whole range of emotions. Primarily patience, understanding, and compassion. I doubt we'll see any of this tonight.
Timothy Moody, Dallas, Texas (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:29:38 PM)
Brian,
I heard an interesting option at work today on Iraq. Give them 6 months to stabilize themselves, or we will change our strategy to making them a territory like Puerto Rico. Basically, give them the option to make peace or we will by whatever means necessary. I realize this is a bit out there, but it seems they don't have the drive to create their own peace.
Chris Lawson, Des Moines, IA (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:24:38 PM)
I would hate to have to lead this Nation in any conflict that lasts longer than Grenada. If war must become POPULAR before we think it worth fighting, we can just go ahead and learn Arabic to go with Spanish because between Jihad and Hugo Chavez we have had it.
Joe Hudson Bristol, TN (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:24:31 PM)
Call me cynical, but the only good thing that will come from the President's continual prosecution of this war is that it makes it far more likely that a Democrat, any Democrat, will win the White House in 2008 and put an end to it.
I am 110% behind fighting terrorism and getting al Qaeda. But I am totally against this pointless war in Iraq.
The Bush administration removed the minority Sunnis from power and handed over control to the majority Shiites. If that is not a prescription for civil war, what is? It will probably take decades for the fighting to stop. Just look at how long the Israelis and Palestineans have been at each other's throats.
Jack, Scottsdale, AZ (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:24:06 PM)
"Press briefing" = "Management". This is a ploy as old as the Kennedy administration, if not older. Invite some influential press representatives, dazzle them with facts and figures (along with a healthy dose of "you owe us") and let them cushion the blow before your speech. Perhaps in the days of Murrow and Cronkite this may not have worked, but unfortunately today's media do not dare question the answers. However, it's not too late...
(Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:20:31 PM)
For how long have we been hearing the spin/lies from the administration concerning Iraq? "I will do whatever the Generals on the ground want." Now, the Generals who don't agree with Bush are replaced with people who do. How can we possibly listen to the President tonight and think this "new" program is any different?
W. Knop, Coal City, Illinois (Sent Jan 10, 2007 6:04:36 PM)
Brian
I would sure appreciate learning if any Marine units currently in Iraq and Al Anbar and scheduled to come home this month or next month will be made to stay longer as a part of all of this. The New York Times reporter C.J. Chivers has done some excellent combat reporting with Marine units like the 2/3 and the 2/8 in areas west of Fallujah like Karma and so forth. I would very much like to know, with all those fine young marines have already faced for a second and in some cases a third time if they are gonna be made to stay yet longer.
Can you or Tim or David find that out and report it, hopefully tonight?
Thanks, RRobinson
Richard Robinson, Columbia, SC (Sent Jan 10, 2007 5:51:47 PM)
Please elaborate on "what conditions didn't allow for direct quotation." Were you prohibited from note-taking or recording comments? Were you prohibited from quoting?
The Constitutional Crisis that we are in is kept invisible by mainstream media. It is your duty to expose it or to explain why you (NBC News) are unable or unwilling to report it.
When a supposedly freely elected President, against the express will of the people and the legislative branch, escalates an occupation made under false pretenses, advances 21,000 more soldiers and marines into a foreign civil war, domestically spies without warrants, reads mail without warrants, eavesdrops, strips habeas corpus, tortures and does it all in our names, there is a Constitutional Crisis.
Consider the Germans and their unwillingness to confront their actions under the Nazis. It's only a matter of degree, not of principle and issue. We have slipped far down the slope, and we will soon be without means of return to our shared Constituional protections and structure.
We, the People, cannot claim ignorance. We are fully responsible and so is George W. Bush and his appointees.
Annie, MA (Sent Jan 10, 2007 5:50:00 PM)
Hello,
I do expect he was forceful, because he wants you to report it HIS way, which may not jibe with reality, certainly not with a majority of the voters. Please, when he pulls out strawman arguments or twists differing views to make false choices, please call him on it. Don't just pass it on and assume everyone will see them for what they are. The public counts on you and the rest of the Fourth Estate to keep us informed. How can we be informed if only one side is presented, without challange to inaccurate or misleading statements?
Regards
Michael Butler, Clayton, California (Sent Jan 10, 2007 5:07:51 PM)
Brian
With all of the pre-coverage of the President's speech why bother having him deliver it live? The only attraction left to watching it is to see what gaffes he commits in butchering the English language. All of the key details have already been spoon fed to you and your colleagues within the media to in turn repeat ad nausea to viewers.
Perhaps the President can reveal the exact troop arrival plans and logistics so the Iraqi insurgents can plan accordingly for a new round of killing US troops. The American people are unwavering their support of the troops who sacrifice everything -- family, life, limb -- but the support of the American people for continuing this President's boondoggle in Iraq is diminishing by the second.
The thoughts and prayers of a grateful American people go with the troops.
Amanda - Ridgewood, NJ (Sent Jan 10, 2007 5:05:13 PM)
Hi Brian -
I find it very interesting that today at the very hour that this President is finding no cover and must act, several men and a woman are wracking their brains to figure out how they can have that job.
Don't they read history? The burdens of the office far outweigh the perks. Maybe it's time to show some before and after photos of some Presidents who had very difficult times while in office. And, it's 24/7/365, there really is no time off.
An aside - 'The Sopranos' debuts on A&E tonight at 9PM - wonder what their numbers will be??
Joan Chapman, Cheshire, CT (Sent Jan 10, 2007 4:59:14 PM)
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