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[ManaByte]

From Drudge:

SOURCE: MSNBC PREPARES CLINTON OBIT [JUST IN CASE]
Mon Sept 6 2004 12:30:31 ET

As Bill Clinton hit the operating table at 6:45 a.m. at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia in upper Manhattan, MSNBC almost simultaneously was preparing a video package of the former president's obituary -- just in case.

An internal email sent from NBC tape producer Peter Hitchins to NBC staff just 20 minutes before the operation began describes a contingency video prep if the former president died from complications from heart surgery:

From: Hitchins, Charles (NBC Universal, MSNBC)
Sent: Monday, September 06, 2004 6:25 AM
To: @MSNBC Newsforce Staff
Subject: Clinton Obit

Just in case it's needed
Mitchell Obit on Clinton
C1052
Trt 3:47

------

Developing...

This reminds me of the time when the Smoking Gun found Obituaries for famous people housed on the CNN server "just in case", or that one funny SNL skit:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/cnnobit1.html

 

[Chesapeake Silt]

DEVELOPING.....................

 

[deadhorse32]

Every press agencies have obituary of famous people just in case.

Same thing for new channels you have to be the first one as soon as someone dies.

 

[belgurdo]

"Have that ready to go in three days."

 

[Malleymal]

nothing wrong with being prepared..

 

[Dan]

On 9/11, I tuned into a radio station at school shortly after the attacks and it already had sound bites with all kinds of dramatic crap.

I think it's pretty safe to say this is anything but unusual.

 

[Diablos]

DEVELOPING.....................

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

 

[capslock]

BREAKING NEWS: Clinton Not Dead!!!!!

 

[Killthee]

Was anyone else watching ABC a half an hour ago? They went in to a Breaking News Special Report, Charlie(Primetime/Good Morning America Anchor) introduced himself, and a picture of Bill Clinton covered the screen. Charlie then said Bill Clinton is (1 sec pause) now out of surgery. My heart litterally skipped a beat during that pause.

 

[Phoenix]

All of the news sites do this. Most of them have obits prepared for everyone 'famous' already because you can't wait until someone dies to do a special piece on them.

 

[cvxfreak]

Geez, that's disturbing. But I'm glad Clinton survived.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Was anyone else watching ABC a half an hour ago? They went in to a Breaking News Special Report, Charlie(Primetime/Good Morning America Anchor) introduced himself, and a picture of Bill Clinton covered the screen. Charlie then said Bill Clinton is (1 sec pause) now out of surgery. My heart litterally skipped a beat during that pause.

i saw that too. Scared the shit out of me.

 

[Hournda]

OMG because if a former president died, it would totally turn my life upside down and cause fundamental changes throughout every aspect of my being!

 

[explodet]

OMG because if a former president died, it would totally turn my life upside down and cause fundamental changes throughout every aspect of my being!

Hey, for some, it happened with Reagan.
(Or at least you'd think so with the way some people carried on)

 

[KarishBHR]

OMG because if a former president died, it would totally turn my life upside down and cause fundamental changes throughout every aspect of my being!

I would be pretty upset if Clinton died... I had no feeling when Reagan did (Im only 15... Clinton IS my president)

 

[Unresponsive Bee Victim]

I would be pretty upset if Clinton died... I had no feeling when Reagan did (Im only 15... Clinton IS my president)

I'm the exact way, I'm 14 and I've lived through the Clinton era, besides getting blown in the Whit Hosue he did a great job with everything. I'd be greatly saddned if he died.

 

[DCharlie]

Thatcher next please.

 

[Escape Goat]

oh teh noes

 

[videogamer]

I'm the exact way, I'm 14 and I've lived through the Clinton era, besides getting blown in the Whit Hosue he did a great job with everything. I'd be greatly saddned if he died.

How much do you remember about his adminstration? You probably were about 10 when he left office. I hardly remember anything from Reagan's time and not much from Bush's time.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I would be pretty upset if Clinton died... I had no feeling when Reagan did (Im only 15... Clinton IS my president)

Same here, I'm only 18 so Clinton is the president I really remember.