Flash! From Liz Smith | 08/06/2009 12:45 pm

LIZ SMITH FLASH! Strictly an Opinion on the Ling/Lee Rescue

While most of the world rejoiced that Bill Clinton and Al Gore and so many other dedicated people helped secure the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee from North Korea, I see my former newspaper the New York Post took an opposite stance. "Bill’s H-wood Blockbuster" they headline, writing that the "Homecoming Drama Is All About Bubba." (Well, I do believe the North Koreans demanded the presence of President Clinton as a prelude to letting these girls escape a dozen years of hard labor. Who should have gone instead, Rush Limbaugh?)

I enjoyed the ridiculous criticism against mogul Steve Bing, who donated his jet and paid the fuel bill, and the fact that the enterprise "had Hollywood written all over it." The plane landed at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank for the girls to be reunited with their families. Maybe it should have gone someplace else less convenient to all concerned.

I love it that the Post dumps on Hollywood as if their owner Rupert Murdoch doesn’t own a lavish house there and he is invited and goes to most of the big La La Land galas and parties. He also owns a successful movie production company. Criticism that the return of Ling and Lee was partly orchestrated by the Rogers and Cowan PR Firm seems to fly in the face of Fox’s own dedicated PR mechanism. The company is repped by the greatest PR man in New York history (Howard Rubenstein) with all the benefits that engenders.

Talk about the mote in somebody’s eye! So you don’t like Bill Clinton and his Hollywood pals. Your own Hollywood and PR pals are preferable. And who have they saved from 12 years of hard labor lately?

170 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Brava, Liz Smith.

Peace and grace

By beth willis on 08/06/2009 7:59 pm

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Well, I think it’s terrible, just terrible that these women were rescued and brought home. They should have been imprisoned. What business did they have there anyway, and that mother that left her duty as a mother should be punished the worst. Her child should have to grow to adulthood knowing that her mother abandoned her in infancy. It was all done to the greater good of the ones who got so much publicity in the rescue. You nay-sayers are right as always…keep up your good negative work. The country needs you to keep up the division. MEH!!!!!!!

By Lizzie R. on 08/06/2009 8:03 pm

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As Jon Stewart said — when they hear the laughter of babies, they hear the sound o fo kittens drowning.

By MK P on 08/06/2009 8:38 pm

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Jon Stewart was great on this story!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/87588/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-wed-aug-…

By DeBúrca obj on 08/06/2009 8:58 pm

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"Its always easier for that type of mentality to tear down rather then offer any help."

____________________________

No offense but your type of mentality is just a mirror of hers. And neither type of mentality produces much of anything other than an increasing crescendo of hateful rhetoric.

By Baby Snooks on 08/06/2009 9:06 pm

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I’m sorry that you feel that way. I think if you look back on the comments you will come to the same conclusion I did.

By Patricia Partin on 08/06/2009 10:17 pm

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These corporate-owned media outlets know there’s profit in being controversial. They’ll write anything to get a rise (or raise).

By James the Game on 08/06/2009 10:19 pm

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They keep blaming the reporters for being over there in the first place? WTF. If not for these types of reporters that put themselves in locations to uncover stories that we need to know about, then how would we know about the tragedy going on in the Killing Fields of Cambodia, and the atosity of Darfur, ect, ect, ect.

By Lotus Kann on 08/06/2009 10:57 pm

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Watching John Stewart is the only thing that keeps me sane in this crazy world. He said "Doesn’t the sun ever shine on Fox News?" Referring to the negative attitude on Fox about the return of the two women. He has the only show that makes sense. After watching his show and Corbett I can say, yes, there are other people out there that "get it." I can then sleep peacefully.

By Lindy Finestein on 08/07/2009 4:58 am

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*Sigh* No good deed goes unpunished. Note also that John Bolton has been speaking out against this as giving North Korea "legitimacy" and possibly endangering more Americans in the future. I disagree.

First, Kim is the leader of North Korea, and we do interact legitimately with North Korea in things like the Six-Party Talks, for instance. Clinton’s visit did not lend Kim any extra "legitimacy."

Secondly, Kim may see Clinton’s visit as a PR coup, but it does not get North Korea anything material nor change world opinion of North Korea one whit. Clinton is NOT a serving US official and granted North Korea NOTHING other than a few photo ops. That is a miniscule price to free two Americans.

Third, as to this rescue endangering Americans in the future - nonsense. Just stay away from the borders of hostile police states, and don’t illegally cross borders, and you won’t have any problems! These journalists took a calculated risk, and lost. It’s not an event we should expect to happen often.

By Lila Kuh on 08/07/2009 9:48 am

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I personnally would not have cared if the ghost of Michael Jackson carried them home on angel wings. OF COURSE it was motivated by other interests. If Rush himself had gone it still would have been. The very idea that one group is better than the other or more human is so laughable as to make the true believers on both sides aound like morons. They are home and safe. What more did you want?

By Joy Whitfield on 08/07/2009 10:29 am

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The only solution ——

All of us to stop patronizing these institutions of negativity and derision. Since this is a capitalistic country, we can talk with our pocketbooks….wallets……..no money coming their way, no audience numbers……they move into obscurity, obsoleteness….relics of another time and place……

By Suzanne Frazier on 08/07/2009 10:39 am

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I agree Suzanne!

Boycott GE! Boycott MSNBC! Boycott NBC! Boycott "Green technology"!

Green is the new communism.

And what are the ratings at Fox now? Hmmm??? Oh yes….HUGE. Getting a larger audience share every day….

FSM~

By Kelly In Texas on 08/08/2009 2:18 pm

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I am really, really tired of the manner in which the Clinton family has been treated by the conservative press. History is going to treat Bill Clinton a lot more kindly than his countrymen have done, and while the book hasn’t even begun to be written on the current President, I believe he will, also, go down in history as one of the smartest, ablest Presidents we ever had.

Those young women have their lives back thanks to Bill Clinton’s status in the world community. Although, it has to be said: the next time they leave the country, someone needs to give them a global positioning device.

By Sally K on 08/07/2009 9:46 pm

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Better than a GPS…how about the state dept. pulls their Visas and passports. Obviously, they refuse to abide by our laws and those of other countries

And…how about an investigation of the company that they were "working" for. What was their "assignment"…what is an American company doing over there that would put their employees directly in violation of a border dispute?

We are being lead to focus on the women while Gore is silent. How easily distracted most of you are…!!! That is the story…what WAS Gore having them do?

Why?

FSM~

By Kelly In Texas on 08/08/2009 2:26 pm