Why Won't Harry Reid Answer the Question?

Senator its a simple question why won't
you answer the damned question? During
Thursday night's press conference to talk
about his surrender strategy, Harry Reid
was asked by ABC's Jake Tapper if he
thought that "Do you think the Iraqi people
will be safer with U.S. troops out? As I write
this two nights later Senator Harry has yet
to answer the question.



Perturbed Reid Scolds ABC's Tapper for
Questioning Withdrawal

ABC's Jake Tapper on Thursday night raised the prediction "genocide" will result after a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, a forecast Tapper put to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a Capitol Hill news conference: "Do you think the Iraqi people will be safer with U.S. troops out?" Reid didn't respond to the point, leading Tapper to retort in the exchange played on World News: "You didn't answer my question." A perturbed Reid, presumably not used to

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challenging questions from the Washington press corps, chastised Tapper: "This isn't a debate. We're answering questions." Tapper then repeated his question -- "Will the Iraqis be safer?" -- but Reid ignored him and moved on: "Anyone else have a question?"

Tapper's story ran a night after Wednesday's World News featured a report from Terry McCarthy in Iraq on how General David Petraeus, commander of all multi-national forces in Iraq, "is still very optimistic about the military battle, if the politicians give him enough time." See the July 11 CyberAlert: www.mediaresearch.org

[This item was posted, with video, Thursday night on the MRC's blog. The video will be added to the posted version of this CyberAlert, but in the meantime, to watch the Real or Windows Media video, or listen to the MP3 audio, go to: newsbusters.org ]

On his "Political Punch" blog, Tapper posted a transcript of the entire exchange with Reid: blogs.abcnews.com

Tapper's July 12 World News story was pegged to the House passage of a resolution calling on troop withdrawal from Iraq to begin within four months, a measure to be taken up next week by the Senate. Following a pro and a con soundbite on the resolution, Tapper showed his exchange with Reid:

JAKE TAPPER: Some foreign policy experts predict that such a U.S. withdrawal could unleash genocide against innocent Iraqis. It's a subject Democrats do not want to discuss.
TAPPER TO REID AT PRESS CONFERENCE: Do you think the Iraqi people will be safer with U.S. troops out?
REID: It is clear that the Iraqi people don't want us there. It is clear that there is now a state of chaos in Iraq. And it is up to the Iraqi people to make themselves safe.
[Edit jump]
TAPPER: With all due respect, Senator, you didn't answer my question.
REID: This isn't a debate. We're answering questions.
TAPPER: Will the Iraqis be safer?
REID: Anyone else have a question?
TAPPER: This week's renewed push to withdraw troops, two months before General Petraeus reports to Congress on the progress of the surge strategy, has Republicans saying these votes are more about politics than national security....