To thank one special veteran bikes tension, our brave military men and women, veterans everywhere those who served while i did not. I hope they know they have my greatest th respect and now my apolo. Host Brian Williams on wednesday night and this morning on washington journal we want to get your reaction to his iraq helicopter story. The numbers are on your screen. Host you can also make a comment via social media. Host front page of usa today, Brian Williams loses credibility with mistake. it is an unmitigated disaster for Brian Williams and nbc news. The revelation that the nbc anchor line on air about being an helicopter that was forced out after it was hit by enemy fire during the iraq war is devastating. It is hard to see how williams survives as the head face of nbc news. If we dont believe what an anchor tells us, whats the point . Its disturbing that wayne sizzled many different versions of the story over the years. In some you was an helicopter that was hit by enemy fire. In some he was in one near the chopper that was hit. Williams, who didnt mention the country mention the con tretemps in his third tonight broadcast, has hardly helped himself with his tortured explanations. After veterans running on facebook challenge his tail, which he told on your recently as last friday, waynes responded on the social media site waynes responded on the social media site that he was in the helicopter behind the one that was hit. On a wednesday night williams said he made a mistake in recalling the events, saying that people incident was a bungled attempt. That is a little bit from usa today this morning. New york times has the story on the front page. With policy, williams digs himself deeper. On the inside, Alessandra Stanley, the tv critic has this article. After a decade Building Trust one wrong move by an anchor starts a firestorm. Public character public figures often have Different Reasons for embellishing the bona fides but it is most often in the service of, sitting for a received inadequacy or vulnerability. Senator Richard Blumenthal of connecticut stumbled during his 20 soon dashes 2010 campaign when the times found a videotape of him telling a Veterans Group in 2008 that he served in vietnam. He hadnt. Mr. Blumenthal sought multiple deferments and when he ran out in 1970, e1 a coveted niche he won a coveted niche in the Marine Reserve in washington. Hillary clinton made a similar gaffe during her bid for the democratic president ial nomination in 2008. She described having dashed across the tarmac to dodge sniper fire during a 1996 visit to bosnia when she was first lady. Video of the event quickly service that showed mrs. Clinton and her daughter, chelsea, calmly and safely shaking hands with local dignitaries. Mrs. Clinton at the time was running on her experience and knowledge of the world. Bosnia wasnt a safe place to be in 1996. Its just that the airport tarmac on that day wasnt nearly as dangerous as mrs. Clinton preferred to remember it. The truth about Television News is that the higher you rise, the less real reporting you do. Anchors mostly travel to war zones and disaster areas to show the flag and to know the stories magnitude. Anchors arent there to ask questions and take notes. They are there to bolster network prestige and project their own journalistic derringdo donning work shirts flat jackets, helmets to look the part. This is Alessandra Stanley writing in the New York Times. Now to your reaction to the brine lames helicopter story. Michigan, you are first up. Caller i like Brian Williams but im glad this came to a head, because i forget tv, essentially ceased i look at tv, especially ceased this type of thing from station to station, including cspan, they all lie. They dont even tell the same truth about one conversation. It is about time that this comes to a head. Now people will notice what goes on 24 7. Just as we put the president when he said slavery. He didnt maybe you should bring in up maybe he should bring it up, but it is the truth. It is the same thing with stations, 4, 7 host all right, thank you very much. Cnn had a tweet. If nbc and vine lames thought of Facebook Post and tv apology were enough, they were wrong. A little more from Alessandra Stanley. Nbc reporter david blo died covering the warom david bloom died covering the iraq war in 2003. Abcs anchor bob woodruff suffered a brain injury and almost died in iraq. This was a year before ryan lames Brian Williams became the chief anchor and two years before he made his bones covering hurricane katrina, and mr. Williams was still seen as a Television Star whose rise had more to do with his swap manner and good looks suave manner and good looks that hardship posts overseas. War stories get more polished in the retelling and the temperate tatian 10 tatian to selfaggrandizing all the greater and easier for people who are popped up by the camera lens and the cult of celebrity. By the time mr. Waynes told a story to David Letterman in 2013, he sounded like sergeant york. He made his fib sound like a onetime misguided effort to pay all much to veterans. This time mr. Williams is really under fire and must endure days of media scrutiny and schadenfreude from his rivals and an overflow of social media scores snark, and satire. Alessandra stanley writing in the near times. Tom, republican in pennsylvania. Caller thank you for cspan. I think Brian Williams should resign good he didnt misspeak he lied. That is one of the things Hillary Clinton supposedly misspoke. They are not mistaken, they are lying. It wasnt a onetime thing. He did a number of times. And its supposed apology the other day, he lied again because he said the helicopter was right behind the one that got hit. It was an hour behind, not right behind the other one. He lied and he has to be accountable for it. Either he resigns or he gets ended for a year gets suspended for a year. He should get off that easily he should not get off that easily, and that is my opinion. Host dylan byers in politico is reporting that dan rather is backing Brian Williams. Verney on our democrats line. Caller hi, thanks for taking my call. Host whats your opinion sir . Caller i think he is human and we have got a lot of humans who make mistakes. He is not a bad man. Ive seen worse. You turn on fox and you can see some of the worst lying you everyone to see and no one says hardly anything about that. It is not like bombs werent going off around him. Give him a break. He has worked hard all his life. He made a mistake. Let him continue making his living. This is what he does for a living. Host flushing, new york. We will put the numbers up on the screen and if you cant get through on the numbers, you can contact us via social media. Caller good morning, sir. Brian williams made a very serious mistake. Not the first time could other journalists like the New York Times done it many times. We want to create our own stories. I agree with the gentleman either he has to resign or there will be some repercussions. We cannot let this journalism to be making sensational things while there are brave journalists who died while reporting. Some are reporting under difficult conditions, some are creating fancy things. Brian williams the least he should do this apology is not enough. He should resign or some high punishment should be made on him. Host heres the headline from the Washington Post. Brian williams scandal is an nbc newswide scandal. Erik wemple story from yesterday. This is the conclusion of Alessandra Stanleys story from the New York Times. The weirdest thing about the scandal is mr. Williams didnt make a journalistic blunder, as, say, the former cbs anchor dan rather did in 2004 with a flawed report on george w. Bushs service in the national guard. As a result, mr. Rather was forced to step down as cbs evening news anchor. But these days, network newscasts are so personality driven that the anchors personnel life, and in mr. Williams case, that includes his daughters acting career, responded on the air and treated like news. These puffy nbc promos that promote mr. Williamss battle scars and integrity dont help. Susan is calling on our republican line. Caller thank you. I think the man should resign, but then again, i feel all of them on the Major Networks should including list of them on fox most of them on fox. They are people of low integrity. There is no middle ground with any of these news anchors from even on your show. Ive noticed the body language and some of the ways you treat the republican callers, which you have a few of now because you let a bunch of people call in and just vent over this black situation in ferguson. You lost a lot of your republicans and you lost me too. This is the first time ive watched the program in a long time. When you cant have any moderate journalists, and we dont have any moderates anymore it is always taking the democrats side or this. They are just too leftwing and whatnot. It is just and yet we are sitting its like nixons impeachment. If the house of republicans if the house had been republican we wouldnt have to worry about impeaching nixon. But it wasnt. So he had to resign. Not that watergate was any big deal, and some of the other stuff, and just like ross perot. Why didnt you report the facts that ross perot only through his hat in the ring so he could beat the bush family . One of my least favorite president s has been george bush the younger one, and i dont know if jeb will get the nomination, and i am from florida. He was a very good governor, and i dont know how he would be as president. We have got to get more moderates doing the news. Ill tell you, i can tell which anchors on your show our democratleaning, and believe it or not you do not have any republicans up there representing people. Host that is a susan in fort myers, florida. Washington times, their article on this. Brian williams fighting for reputation. Tweets with hashtag. Brianwilliamsmemories joked that he blew up the death star, save someone from a polar bear and flew with wonder woman in her in visit will helicopter invisible helicopter. how could you expect anyone who served in the military to ever see this guy on screening and and not feel contempt . How could you expect anyone to believe he or the broadcast heelys has any credibility . wrote the critic for the baltimore sun. caller i kind of agree with one of the other callers on Brian Williams. If you discipline Brian Williams , half the crew on Brian Williams needs to be disciplined. I listen to this woman who got through talking and she is republican and she is so sickening with her bias towards democrat. I am a democrat, i am a proud democrat, but this show gives balance, both sides. This is not just leaning against the republican party. You try to do the best you can to give people the truth right here on washington journal. But back to brian, if you are going to discipline him they say the president was not even an american, fox news just ran that and ran it and just way out about the president. Benghazi, they lie about benghazi, they lie about all of those things that about the guns, the gun thing. Everything is blown out of proportion on fox news. If you take Brian Williams away, take hannity and oreilly away. Host embedding reporters changed the news. Afi seats for white house reporters limod to stage speeches with selected audiences the same. A lot of this began when brian wayne spoke at a soldiers retirement on friday night and nbc nightly news posted on its Facebook Page that brian wanes and soldier were reunited 12 years later. Brian williams told the story and then on facebook, Lance Reynolds posted, sorry, dude, i dont remember you being on my aircraft. I remember you walking up about an hour after we landed to ask me what happened. Then i remember you guys taking off in a different flight of generics chin from another unitooks adding to quit to report your war storyon the nightly news. We were still working aircraft and pulling security. To all of those who have posted, you are absolutely right, i was wrong. I spent much of the weekend thinking i had gone crazy. I feel terrible about making this mistake, especially since i found my own writing about the incident from back in 2008 and i was indeed on the chinook behind the bird that took the rpg, etc. Etc. Chris from ohio, independent line. Caller hi. Host what do you think . Caller well, im in iraq, Afghanistan War veteran, and i think Brian Williams definitely like, and when he tried to apologize, he still lied. He is not sorry for what he has done, he is just trying to protect himself. He should be fired. This should be a huge wakeup call to the media that we the people, we dont believe you anymore. We cant trust you. And a lot of americans i believe dont buy the lie anymore. There is a lot of crap that goes on in washington that isnt about us. It is more about corporations and what corporations want, not what people want. And i see the lies now. There is no more it is not about the people we dont have a decision. People dont vote anymore because it is bullcrap. People arent being representative represented. People this is a very small issue. Deflategate, very small issue. What about the big issues . What about poverty . What about the inequality for the working class . What about just civil rights . Everyone being represented . Thats all i am saying, Everyone Needs to be representative. The masses dont have a choice in anything anymore. We have been lied to, you have been manipulated, and it has all been manipulation. Host all right, chris, lets leave it there. Next up is david in bridgeport connecticut. Democrat. Hi, david. Caller good morning, peter. How are you . Host im good. Caller it will only take me about a minute to say what i have to say. It is fortunate that this happened to Brian Williams. Ive been studying him for a long time and i realized that she is truly he is truly a professional. He has the right spirit, the right town, the right attitude, as he does what and reporting. Im saying that there is not one person all the people who called in this morning, if they were going to look in the mirror, and a think there was one person calling you this morning to complain, has not told the lie about exaggerating. There has been a time in the height of energy that we over exaggerated the truth. Im saying we all make mistakes. I dont believe we should go throw Brian Williams under the bus, all the years of his dedication. You might as well throw everybody else under the bus. They declare the president has the biggest liar that ever was. You talking about Hillary Clinton, blumenthal. I believe we just need to learn how to forgive people that we make mistakes, in the height of energy, and sometimes we overlook things, but i think we just need to move, forgive, and move on. Host from the blaze this morning, claim made on cnn challenge by pilot called into question. A retired army officer claimed he was the pilot commanding Brian Williams helicopter. Jake tapper interview to the pilot who claimed he piloted the helicopter. He said they were not hit by an rpg but took small arms fire. Hours later, a former army pilot challenge to that claim in the new york post, contending that he was in fact the pilot in command of the flight that carried brine lames into iraq in march 2003. The account was further called into question by report in the New York Times. reporter later tweeted that for soldiers completely dispute krells claim that he was the pilot. This is from fox news report raises questions about Brian Williams katrina experience claims. It is called into question his experiences covering the deadly storm and 2005. He reported seeing a body for by his hotel room in the french quarter. An advocate says the advocate say that the area was largely unaffected by the devastating floodings. William in annenberg, indiana, independent line. Edinburg, indiana, independent line. Caller guys need to be held accountable for their statements. Going on fox news just like yesterday on bill oreillys show he said he would throw a pencil of the president. At the president. [indiscernible] i dont see how he could get by a threatening Statement Like that. Its incredible how they get by with some of these really threatening statements. That is all i have to say. Thank you. Host bill tweets in it is a nonstory. Nothing to see here. Move on. Brian lambs ma Brian Williams made an error. Marie what is the name of your town in new jersey . Caller i dont want to say that Brian Williams was telling a lie could he was telling a story in a way that wasnt true as far as what was going on with him. At least he wasnt telling a lie on someone else. It didnt hurt anybody except him. Nobody is perfect. He is still a good media person. We have the media on tv 24 hours a day lying about other people and what they said and what they didnt say. I think it is ok. He should be able to keep his job. He has already apologized. Nobodys perfect except god so who are we to judge. Host Rush Limbaugh spent a lot of a show on thursday talking about this issue. From the website brine lames should not resign his job as nbc narrative reader Brian Williams should not resign his job as nbc narrative reader. They are not news readers anymore and there certai