Noonan, Brzezinski mischaracterized Clinton's 60 Minutes response about Obama's religion

Summary: While discussing Sen. Barack Obama, The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan said, "Remember that thing Mrs. Clinton said where she was asked, 'Do you think he's a Christian?' And she said one of those formulations like 'Oh, as far as I know, look into it.' " MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski replied, "Wink-wink, yeah." In fact, during an interview on CBS' 60 Minutes, Clinton was not asked, "Do you think he's a Christian?" -- when asked, "You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?" she immediately responded, "Of course not." Moreover, she compared "ridiculous rumors" circulating about her to rumors about Obama, making clear that the Obama rumors are false.

On the March 14 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, while discussing Sen. Barack Obama, Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan said, "Remember that thing Mrs. [Sen. Hillary] Clinton said where she was asked, 'Do you think he's a Christian?' And she said one of those formulations like 'Oh, as far as I know, look into it.' " Co-host Mika Brzezinski replied, "Wink-wink, yeah." In fact, during an interview on the March 2 edition of CBS' 60 Minutes, Clinton was not asked, "Do you think he's a Christian?" -- when asked, "You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?" she immediately responded, "Of course not," as Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented. Indeed, it was in her fourth separate response to Steve Kroft's repeated questions about Obama's religion that she asserted that Obama was not a Muslim "as far as I know," and Clinton followed that statement by noting that she, too, has been the victim of "ridiculous rumors" -- making clear that she knows the Obama rumors are false. Further, Clinton did not, in her interview, tell Kroft to "look into it."

From the March 14 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

NOONAN: I think Obama -- you know what he really has to do? Remember that thing Mrs. Clinton said where she was asked, "Do you think he's a Christian?" And she said --

BRZEZINSKI: Right.

NOONAN: -- one of those formulations like --

JOE SCARBOROUGH (co-host): Right.

NOONAN: -- "Oh, as far as I know, look into it."

BRZEZINSKI: Wink-wink, yeah.

NOONAN: You know, what I think Obama has to do is make a speech or make remarks, not manipulative, not creepy, just honest, about what his religious views are and what his Christianity is and how it informs his life. Just go and do it now. He didn't put this on the table. Somebody else did. But I really think he ought to address it.

—M.G.