Media uncritically report McCain camp's assertion that Obama "voted against funds for American troops in harm's way"
Numerous media outlets uncritically reported the assertion by Sen. John McCain's campaign that Sen. Barack Obama "voted against funds for American troops in harm's way." However, none of these outlets noted that McCain himself has voted against legislation to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, nor did they mention that Obama has voted in the past to provide funds for troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read More
Criticizing Carter, Fox News' Carlson repeated falsehood that McCain rarely talks about his POW experience
On Fox & Friends, Gretchen Carlson said that the "first time" Sen. John McCain "really did start sharing some personal moments" about his prisoner of war experience in Vietnam was during his August 16 appearance at a forum at Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, adding that "most people would say that John McCain hasn't talked enough about his POW experience." In fact, McCain has discussed his POW experience, including "personal moments," during the current campaign as well as on numerous previous occasions. Read More
Mitchell falsely claimed McCain has not set a "threshold" for his VP to be "ready to step in on a moment's notice"
On MSNBC, Andrea Mitchell falsely asserted that Sen. John McCain had not set a "threshold" that his vice presidential pick would be someone "ready to step in on a moment's notice." In fact, McCain has said that the "overwhelming priority" for his selection "is a person who shares my principles, my values, my priorities ... and could be -- immediately take my place."
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Limbaugh falsely claimed Biden "wanted to split Iraq into three different countries by ethnic lines"
On the August 28 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that Sen. Joe Biden "wanted to split Iraq into three different countries by ethnic lines." Limbaugh went on to say, "That would have created a civil war. He did not want to win." In fact, as Media Matters for America has noted, Biden introduced a "five-point plan" to "[m]aintain a unified Iraq by decentralizing it and giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis breathing room in their own regions." The plan also states that "[t]he Iraqi constitution already provides for federalism" and that "[t]he central government would be responsible for common interests, like border security and the distribution of oil revenues." Read More
CNN's Castellanos falsely claimed Obama never held a job for four years in his life
On CNN, Alex Castellanos falsely claimed that Sen. Barack Obama has never held a job for four years. In fact, Obama taught at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992-2004, served in the Illinois senate from 1997-2004, and held positions as associate and of counsel at the law firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland from 1993-2002. Read More
With morning announcement of Palin pick comes morning sexism on cable news
With reports that Sen. John McCain had picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate, sexist commentary on cable news followed. On CNN, John Roberts raised the question of whether as vice president, Palin would be able to devote the time necessary to care for her baby with Down syndrome, and on MSNBC, Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd suggested that Sen. Joe Biden bears the burden of having to adjust his behavior in a vice-presidential debate because of Palin's sex. Read More
Print media reported McCain ad congratulating Obama, ignored McCain attacks on the same day
Articles in several print media outlets reported on an ad by Sen. John McCain congratulating Sen. Barack Obama on accepting the Democratic presidential nomination. But none of these articles pointed out that, notwithstanding the ad's suggestion that McCain was taking the day off from attacking Obama, the McCain campaign ran attack ads the night of Obama's speech and issued a web video and accompanying press release criticizing Obama earlier in the day. Read More
Fox News graphic falsely claimed "Obama campaign disse[d] Palin for small town origins"
Purporting to describe the response by Sen. Barack Obama's campaign to Sen. John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate, a Fox News graphic stated: "Obama Campaign Disses Palin for Small Town Origins." In fact, the Obama campaign challenged Palin's experience, not her "small town origins." Read More
Fox News host set up false contrast between Palin and Biden, both of whom have sons going to Iraq
Summary: Fox News' Jon Scott suggested that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can contrast herself with Sen. Joe Biden on Iraq because her son is "deploying to Iraq next month." But Scott did not note that Biden's son is also reportedly deploying to Iraq. Read More
On Today, Lauer asked Noonan about WSJ column on Obama speech, but ignored comparison to "Nuremberg rally"
On Today, referring to Sen. Barack Obama's DNC speech, Matt Lauer said to Peggy Noonan, "[B]efore the speech, you wrote in The Wall Street Journal that you were unimpressed with the staging, the Greek column look, the hugeness of the arena," and then asked her what she thought of the speech afterward. However, Lauer did not mention that in the same column, she had written that the speech "has every possibility of looking like a Nuremberg rally." Read More
Fox's Griffin falsely claimed Clark "disparag[ed] McCain's military service"
On the August 28 edition of Fox News' Special Report, national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin claimed that retired Gen. Wesley Clark "disparag[ed] [Sen. John] McCain's military service," repeating a falsehood previously advanced by numerous media figures, in reference to Clark's June 29 appearance on CBS' Face the Nation. As Media Matters for America has repeatedly noted, Clark did not "disparag[e] McCain's military service" during that CBS News interview. Read More
Ignoring McCain attacks on same day, CNN's Harris called McCain's congratulatory ad "a nice touch"
Referring to a McCain campaign ad in which Sen. John McCain congratulates Sen. Barack Obama on receiving the Democratic presidential nomination, CNN's Tony Harris said, "I thought it was a nice touch to see the John McCain ad congratulating Barack Obama. I guess some would quibble with it, but I won't be one of those." Harris did not note that, notwithstanding the ad's suggestion that McCain was taking the day off from attacking Obama, the McCain campaign did attack Obama the same day that the congratulatory ad came out. Read More
Media affix "maverick" label to Palin as well
Since Sen. John McCain named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, media outlets including the Associated Press, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, the Detroit Free-Press, and the washingtonpost.com blog The Fix have taken the "maverick" label the media have frequently and uncritically applied to McCain and affixed it to Palin as well. Read More
WSJ reported that Palin "highlighted her opposition" to "that bridge to nowhere" -- but not her previous reported support for it
A Wall Street Journal article asserted that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin "highlighted her opposition to a much-derided congressional earmark for her state," uncritically quoting her assertion, "I told Congress 'thanks but no thanks' on that bridge to nowhere." In fact, Palin reportedly had supported the project for the proposed bridge between Ketchikan, Alaska, and Gravina Island and suggested that Alaska's congressional delegation should continue to try to procure funding for it. Read More
Forbes.com claimed Palin "oppos[es]" earmarks -- but her administration said it requested them this year
Forbes.com's Brian Wingfield asserted that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin "shares [Sen. John] McCain's opposition to earmarks." However, in a Juneau Empire op-ed, John Katz -- Alaska's director of state-federal relations and special counsel to Palin -- wrote that in 2008, the Palin administration "request[ed] 31 earmarks, down from 54 last year." Read More
AP falsely suggests Palin supports benefits for same-sex partners of state employees
The Associated Press reported that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin "opposes gay marriage -- constitutionally banned in Alaska before her time -- but exercised a veto that essentially granted benefits to gay state employees and their partners." However, the AP did not note that Palin stated that she vetoed the bill because the Alaska attorney general had advised her that it was unconstitutional, not because she believed same-sex partners of public employees should receive benefits. Read More
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