MSBNC on-screen text touted McCain's claim that Baghdad is safer, even as NBC reporter rebutted it
On the April 2 edition of MSNBC News Live, on-screen text highlighted Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) recent assertions that the security situation in Iraq is improving, while NBC News correspondent Tom Aspell simultaneously rejected McCain's rosy assessment. The on-screen text read: "Sen. John McCain: Baghdad crackdown is working," and, "Sen John McCain says there are reasons for 'cautious optimism.' " But as these captions flashed across the screen, Aspell reported on the increasing Iraqi civilian casualties and said of McCain: "It's hard to see where he's getting his information from."
While separate captions appearing during the segment noted a suicide truck bomb attack in Kirkuk, at no point did the on-screen text note that NBC's own reporter rejected McCain's assertion that the overall situation is improving or warrants "cautious optimism."
From Aspell's direct rebuttal of McCain's assessment on the 9 a.m. ET hour of the April 2 edition of MSNBC News Live, in which he noted that McCain walked in a so-called "safe area of Baghdad" while "guarded by more than 100 American soldiers with three Black Hawks, 2 Apaches overhead":
AMY ROBACH (host): Tom, Senator John McCain made a trip through Baghdad over the weekend, and he said, "The situation here is not as bad as reporters -- as the media makes it out to be." What's your reaction to that?
ASPELL: Well, certainly, the press here are quite disturbed about those -- the figures really don't back that up. In fact, last month, in the month of March, 1,860 Iraqis were killed, which was a 13 percent increase over the figures in February. Just 500 Iraqis died just last week. And as Senator McCain was talking, in fact, the military was announcing the death of six more American soldiers.
It's hard to see where he's getting his information from. In fact, the senator went on a tour of what he called a safe area of Baghdad yesterday. He visited an open-air market, but neglected to mention -- as he said it was safe to walk around and mingle with the Iraqis -- that, of course, he was guarded by more than 100 American soldiers with three Black Hawks, 2 Apaches overhead. It's not the kind of military protection that the average Iraqi gets when he strolls around Baghdad.
So, I think, really, when he said that the American people are not getting the full picture, he was really telling the media that they're distributing the news through a filter, but to its -- in its own the defense, the media is saying they're just reporting the casualty figures and what happens, as it happens.
Similarly, as Media Matters for America noted, CNN Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware, discussing McCain's assessment of the security situation in Baghdad, said on the March 27 edition of CNN's The Situation Room that the claim that "an American can walk freely [in Baghdad] is beyond ludicrous." Further, Time national political correspondent Karen Tumulty reported that Baghdad-based Time correspondent Brian Bennett said of McCain's claim that an American could walk around in Baghdad: "McCain needs a reality check."
WTF?
100 soldiers, 3 Black Hawks and 2 Apaches because some idiot has a point to prove. And the point he's trying to prove is how safe it is to walk around.
What if one of our people was injured or God forbid, killed because of this cowboy??
I never thought I'd say this, but John McCain is a royal, f__king dick.
Also goes to show you ... to what extent these creeps will go to perpetuate a lie. HE knows he's lying... WE know he's lying. Yet, he flew all the way to Baghdad to PROVE that his lie isn't lying.
These people are insane. I hope this is the straw that finally breaks this bootlicker's bid for higher office. POW or not... he's a liar and apparently will do anything to win that nomination.
I forgot where I read it earlier, but someone said with that kind of protection, Paris Hilton can be safe riding the streets of baghdad on a bike wearing a mini.
i saw this last night on nbc nightly news. i was astonished to see mccain talking about how safe his little stroll was, and then they show the pictures of him with the vest and all the soldiers around him. i understand the rightie talkers are livid about this and trying to turn the subject to anything else, but mccain has no one to blame but himself. could this be the moment when the war and mccain "jumped the shark"?
I think McCain is on to something here. Apparently all we need to do to make Iraq a safer place is to account for 100 soldiers, 3 blackhawk and 2 apache helicopters for each Iraqi.
Now it appears the only pesky little detail left is how we are going to pay for that?
That's easy.
TAX CUTS for the wealthy!
Hurray! Problem solved. Somebody call the WhiteHouse and tell them the good news. For some reason they have stopped taking my suggestions.
Too bad you guys don't live in Minnesota. Senate DFLers just pushed through a $1 billion state tax increase on the wealthy.
http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1092482.html
Sweet. When I was rich (during Clinton economic boom), I was happy to pay more. I'd love to do it again.
the story does note that the increases on the wealthy are because of earlier tax cuts aimed at that class. it also says that the top class pays 9% of taxes while the middle class pays 12. it also says some of the money goes to tuition relief and property tax reductions.
Bruce,
For the record, I am not a fan of tax increases. I would generally like to see taxes come down over time, due to increases in government efficiency and dropping less effective programs and/or privatizing some governmental functions.
However, I am mostly against increasing funding for things like unnecessary wars, while lowering the tax burden at the same time. We are just putting our solutions on the backs of future generations when we do that. Wars should cost the current generation something or else we may become too fond of it.
Shhhh.. Worrierking- tax cuts aren't for the wealthy- it's an average tax cut of 3 grand or so for every American family.I'm not sure how that's divvyed up between me and Dick Cheney.
Think of a bus with 100 americans on it, their average wealth is $12,000. The bus stops, one gets off, Bill Gates gets on. Now their average wealth is $120 million. Problem solved!
That guy that got off must have been a real slacker!
I am not really sure I can fault MSNBC here. It kind of makes McCain out to look like a real dufus -- when the words he says on screen are simultaneously directly contradicted by the reporter's spoken facts.
If you are on a treadmill and/or not listening to audio, it may be misleading.
Exactly open_mind!
The captions read:
"Sen. John McCain: Baghdad crackdown is working"
"Sen John McCain says there are reasons for 'cautious optimism."
MSNBC is in no way endorsing his remarks or agreeing with McCain, simply quoting him as Aspell said "It's hard to see where he's getting his information from."
Had I been in charge of captioning this footage I might have written:
"The demented Sen. McCain continues to offer a lot of mumbo-jumbo that flies in the face of reality"
Then I'd probably be fired, but it would have been worth it ;-)
Lol. That was really good, Jeter. Thanks for the laugh.
Cracks are beginning to show...
in the cozy relationship between the media and the government. Sure, CNN was happy to sell the war, but now that they're being blamed and accused of "filtering" the news, they have to call out McCain's B.S. just to protect themselves.
Funny how they were were willing outlets for government propaganda, as long as they weren't on the government's target list.
After watching this, I'm not even convinced that McCain believes it. Did one of those guys in the background have a gun in his ribs? I think the British captives in Iran sounded more convincing when they confessed to crossing into Iranian territory.
Oh grandpapa, did you have a nice constitutional? Were the others helpful for you? Did you cover your head, so as not to get sunstroke? Was the sun in your eyes, so as you couldn’t see? Did you have a nice chat? Do you remember what you saw?
¶ Oh grandpapa, we’re so glad you were protected.
Generally when you say something stupid, its best not to compound the mistake by your subsequent actions. I'm by no means a political strategest, but didn't he learn that in kindergarten?
"It's hard to see where he's getting his information from."
This speaks to the assertion from Lara Logan that reporters can't get to the "good news in Iraq" not only because of the logistics involved in procuring their own security, but because the military is not forthcoming on the locations of success stories of Iraq because reporting them will turn them into a target.
Regardless, McCain and the rightwing noise machine continue to denigrate the media for not reporting on positive events in Iraq.
Damned if they do (by the miliary), damned if they don't (by the rightwing noise machine).
(Re)build it, and they (insurgents) will come.
is MSBNC stand for Backwards News Corp? Nice typo
No. Silly. It's Microsoft British Nut Connector. Or is it Microsoft British Naval Connector?
I thought it was My Silly British Neo Con.
Actually, I just got it! It means "More Security Boys, No Cameras!"
Too bad you guys don't live in Minnesota. Senate DFLers just pushed through a $1 billion state tax increase on the wealthy. bruce1ace / Monday April 2, 2007 05:51:47 PM EST
bruce1ace,
The billionaires that you are feeling sorry for could sure use all the help they can get from you; given that millions of American works like a dog for scraps and can't even afford insurance something that doesn't register on your radar.
It must be really hard to go from 90 billion in tax free income down to 80 billion dollar a year income because of those taxes. Oh the pain of it and the nerve of those Americans thinking their life living in a shanty hunt is a hardship. If only those Americans living in shanty hunts knew what it is like to be a billionaire looking at a yearly report of only 80 billion income after taxes; if those Americans living in shanty hunts could experience that then they would know what a hardship really is.
bruce1ace, should we hire professional wailers for the wealthy? By the way what in the world does your little rant have to do with the story about McCain's expensive photo opt on tax payers dollars since we are on the subject of taxes?
It's not due to this behavior that McCain is falling from even the favor of his true believers. As the axiom goes, LOOK TO THE MONEY.
McCain's fundraising has fallen off the cliff. His explanation? He "doesn't like raising money".
Wasn't it ROVE who accuses McCain of having fathered a black baby? WHY, or why, would this war hero cozy up to the Bush Administration, to whom he should show ZERO respect? By doing so, he has lost the respect of the American People. He's toast.
Somebody help me! I am having some trouble tracking down exactly how many trrops have moved into Iraq, in the process of the surge. I know that we have added three brigades thus far; I know that Gen. Pace has complained that those three have shown up only about 60% manned. I know that Bungle has bespoken an additional "7,000" troops, to support the surge (entirely above and beyond the dedicated support; I gather those 7,000 would be "back-up" troops, again from Gen. Pace, and thus would be actual combat units.) I cannot find whether any of that 7,000 has been moved, or even identified. I am also being confused by the back-and-forth about the numbers of "support troops", and whether those are included in, or additional to, the 28,000 in combat brigades. And are the support groups also running 60% manned?
The mystery deepens when looking at the prospects of the remaining two brigades of the "primary" surge, due April and May: are they as short-manned as their predecessors? Are we then NOT adding (as requested) 28,000+7,000, but instead only 16,800+4,200? Has anyone told Bungle? Or are other plans afoot to fulfill the assigned brigades from some "pool" of loose manpower, to restore that 28,000+7,000? Or will additional brigades be assigned, to complete the head-count (and will those brigades also suffer the 60% manning)?
Once upon a time, I had sources for some of that type of info, but had to wait a year or more before I could disclose; now, I look on the web, and cannot get a satisfactory answer.
Blowhard McCain is going to need that "cautious optimism" when he takes those five rugs for $5 home on his magic carpet and sees that they are/were made in China!
NOIBN
It wasn't only MSNBC misrepresenting what is really taking place in Baghdad. The Chicago Sun-Times carried a story on Monday with a headline saying how McCain found the "surge" is working in Baghdad. Nobody mentioned that on the very day McCain was making his statement six U.S. soldiers were killed just west of Baghdad.
Corkcol, why are you such a "doom -and- gloomer"?. You didn't mention the thousands of troops who didn't get killed.They're safe, for now.
I agree, how un-American.
Let's just remember what General Franks said when this fiasc..., I mean quagm.., sorry, this imperiali..., wait a minute, this war began.
"We don't do body counts". - Gen. Tommy Franks
MCCAIN HAS CHANGED A LOT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, UNFORTIONATELY FOR THE WORST. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I THOUGHT HIS WORD WAS GOOD. NOW HE DOESN'T GIVE A RATS ASS ABOUT HIS WORD. I
UNDERSTAND HE'S BLINDED BY THE RUN FOR THE WHITEHOUSE, BUT NOW PEOPLE ARE WONDERING IF HIS WORD WAS EVER GOOD .
IT CHANGES TO FIT THE OCCASION