Cafferty cropped Clinton quote in claiming she "compar[ed]" herself to Tubman
On the April 24 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, CNN correspondent Jack Cafferty claimed that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) was "comparing" herself to Harriet Tubman when she invoked what she said was Tubman's urging that "no matter what happens, keep going." Situation Room host Wolf Blitzer then repeated Cafferty's claim that Clinton was comparing herself to Tubman. But in airing the video of Clinton invoking Tubman, Cafferty left out a key part of her statement: She prefaced her remarks about Tubman by saying that she is "one of my favorite heroines." If he had included video of that part of Clinton's remarks -- or noted that in her autobiography, Living History, Clinton refers to Tubman as an "inspiration to Americans of all races" -- viewers might have concluded that Clinton was indeed citing Tubman as an inspiration, not comparing herself to Tubman.
Notably, in a report by congressional correspondent Dana Bash on the April 4 edition of The Situation Room, Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani invoked Jesus Christ, but Media Matters could find no indication that anyone on the show accused Giuliani of comparing himself to Christ.
From the April 4 Situation Room:
GIULIANI: This is -- we're getting -- we're in the Easter season, and my view of Christianity -- and Christianity is very important to me, and the teachings of Jesus is very important to me. And I kind of think when he -- when Jesus drew the line and said, you know, he who hasn't sinned cast the first stone. So I don't go around judging other people. That isn't my -- my role, to determine what is a sin, what isn't a sin.
My role is, what's legal, what's illegal? I've been really clear on that role throughout my life. I've done a pretty good job of putting people in jail who did things that are illegal. And the rest -- the rest of it I leave to the priests and ministers, the rabbis, the imams, and to your personal conscience.
I think that's what -- I think that's what Thomas Jefferson had in mind. And I think it's, you know, gotten America to being the greatest country in the world.
Nor, apparently, did anyone accuse Giuliani of comparing himself to Thomas Jefferson.
Cafferty also failed to note Clinton made her comments before a loudly cheering audience.
On the April 24 Situation Room, Cafferty stated that "Clinton says she's going to fight like the escaped slave, Harriet Tubman," commenting that after a "microphone glitch at a New York fundraiser," Clinton "said it reminded her of Tubman." Cafferty's comment was then followed with a clip of Clinton's speech:
CLINTON [video clip]: She made it to freedom after having been a slave and she got to New York and she could have just been so happy just staying home and just breathing a big sigh of relief, but she kept going back down South to bring other freed slaves to freedom. And she used to say, no matter what happens, keep going. So, we're going to keep going until we take back the White House.
Cafferty went on to insist that Clinton was "comparing" herself to Tubman, asking, "[W]ill Clinton comparing herself to black heroes, or trying to sound like them, ultimately help her get that support, or will it be recognized for exactly what it is, which is pandering?" Cafferty then asked as the daily question to which viewers could respond: "Should Senator Hillary Clinton be comparing herself to escaped slave Harriet Tubman?"
In fact, as the New York Daily News' Mouth of the Potomac weblog noted, Clinton's microphone stopped working during her speech. When it started working again, she said:
"This reminds me of one of my favorite American heroines, Harriet Tubman. She made it to freedom after having been a slave and she got to New York and she could have been so happy ... but she kept going back down South to bring other freed slaves to freedom. And she used to say, 'No matter what happens, keep going,' " Hillary Clinton said. "So we're going to keep going until we take back the White House!
In her autobiography, Living History, Clinton wrote of Tubman:
Harriet Tubman is one of my favorite heroines. A former slave, she escaped to freedom on the Underground Railroad and then courageously returned to the South time and time again to lead other slaves to freedom. While not formally educated, this extraordinary woman was a nurse and scout in the United States Army during the Civil War and became a grassroots activist who raised money to school, clothe and house newly freed black children during Reconstruction. She was a force unto herself and an inspiration to Americans of all races. "If you are tired, keep going," she said to the slaves she lead on treacherous paths from slavery to freedom. "If you are scared, keep going. If you are hungry, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going." [Page 462]
[...]
Choosing to run for elected office is a tribute to those who sacrificed for our equal right to vote for our leaders. I returned home with a renewed reverence for our flawed but vigorous system of government and new ideas about how to put it to work for all citizens. And when I thought about the obstacles Bill and I still faced in Washington, I dipped deep into the well of inspiration that Harriet Tubman had handed down to us all and vowed to just keep on going. [Page 463]
On the April 24 edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, CNN correspondent Tom Foreman also claimed that in her comments, Clinton was "comparing" herself to Tubman, saying she was "once again" after airing a clip of her March 5 speech in Selma, Alabama, in which she recited the lyrics of a song by the Rev. James Cleveland. In neither case did she "compare" herself to those she was referencing.
From the April 24 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
CAFFERTY: Senator Hillary Clinton says she's going to fight like the escaped slave, Harriet Tubman.
Following a microphone glitch at a New York fundraiser last night, Clinton said it reminded her of Tubman.
CLINTON [video clip]: She made it to freedom after having been a slave and she got to New York and she could have just been so happy just staying home and just breathing a big sigh of relief, but she kept going back down South to bring other freed slaves to freedom. And she used to say, no matter what happens, keep going. So, we're going to keep going until we take back the White House.
CAFFERTY: The woman is amazing. Remember last month she was talking at that church down in Selma, Alabama, where the civil rights movement began? At that -- on that occasion, she quoted the Reverend James Cleveland. Listen to this.
CLINTON [video clip]: I don't feel noways tired. I come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy. I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me.
CAFFERTY: It's just painful to listen to.
It's no secret black support's essential for any Democratic presidential candidate, but will Clinton comparing herself to black heroes, or trying to sound like them, ultimately help her get that support, or will it be recognized for exactly what it is, which is pandering?
Here's the question: Should Senator Hillary Clinton be comparing herself to escaped slave Harriet Tubman? E-mail [address] or go to [URL], you all -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jack, thank you for that.
[...]
BLITZER: Also, should Senator Hillary Clinton be comparing herself to escaped slave Harriet Tubman? Jack Cafferty has your email in "The Cafferty File."
[...]
BLITZER: Up next, Jack Cafferty is wondering whether Hillary Clinton should be comparing herself to escaped slave Harriet Tubman.
[...]
CAFFERTY: Question this hour, we've got some great email: Should Senator Hillary Clinton be comparing herself to escaped slave Harriet Tubman?
From the April 24 edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360:
FOREMAN: And remember Hillary Clinton down in Selma?
CLINTON: I don't feel noways tired.
FOREMAN: Noways? No way! Well, she's once again comparing herself to a black leader -- this time, saying she'll fight for the White House like Harriet Tubman fought for freedom. I don't know.
[end video clip]
FOREMAN: African-American voters still generally like her, but there are rumblings that with Barack Obama in the race, some support among black leaders in New York is crumbling.
That's "Raw Politics" -- Anderson.
Strike the words 'compare', 'compared', and 'comparing', and substitute the words 'invoke', 'invoked', and 'invoking'.
--Edit.
...and oh yeah, where rudy said "the teachings of Jesus is very important to me", add laughter... see if we can't find anything on tape that sounds like 'embarrassed laughter', and add it to his words as a 'laugh track'.
--Edit.
Superb edit!
It's very clear that Wolf and Jack are not fans of Hillary.
It's very sad that appear to have sunk to the level of Chris Matthews to distort her words to create issues where none exist.
Since they are known for sometimes acknowledging mistakes, I wonder if they will on this one.
Somehow, I doubt it.
In general, I like and admire Cafferty because he frequently points out the deception, lies, the loss of freedoms, and the corruption and mendacity that's taken place the past six years. So this piece of sloppy, lazy reporting is disappointing. Let's hope it's an abberation.
Cafferty loves banging on Democratic candidates.
I suspect it's laziness. He knows his grumpy old man schtick is easier when the Republicans are in charge.
Cafferty is the very epitiome of the gutless corporate hack.
This is another sad episode.
Great work by Media Matters.
"It's very clear that Wolf and Jack are not fans of Hillary"
Give me a break. Cafferty is a far left nut who bashes the Bush adminstration every single day. He even went so far as to say that the Bush admistration is directly controlling gas prices. The guy is a far left liberal who illustrates CNN's overwhelming liberal bias. Wolf Blitzer is more moderate but still leans slightly to the left. You would have to be an outright socialist to say that either of these two guys are conservatives or even lean right at all. Cafferty is almost identical to Keith Olbermann as far as bashing the Bush admistration on a regular basis.
Word parsing at best here.......the quote Cafferty "left out" does nothing to make it any more or less what it is. She either compared herself, or found inspiration, or was inspired by Harriet Tubman. The differences are so minute and irrelevant, it doesn't matter.
Tommy, Tommy, Tommy- even with the comparison to Rudy's citing of Jesus in a similar context, you don't see the difference?Did you read the item? Are you OK with characterizing Rudy G. as "comparing himself to Jesus"?
Lefty, Lefty, Lefty,
This is about Cafferty, who wasn't commenting on Guiliani.........but if you ask, then Guiliani is equally as "quilty", I would suppose.
Satisfied?
No. Now you're comparing Giuliani to a comforter. ;0)
Ah, you're right - "g", not "q". Thanks for the correction. He is hardly soft and s"q"uishy like a comforter though, more like a wool blanket.
bush said god wanted him to be president.
The inadvertant (I guess) play on words is interesting... I doubt the cleverest of writers could have done it better.
In John, the LORD several times refers to a 'Comforter' (and capitalized as that):
[John 14:16] "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you."
[John 14:26] "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you."
[John 15:26] "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me: And you also shall bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning."
[John 16:7] "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."
...which I figure can be easily appreciated here, not so much for it being Scripture, but for the references to the "Spirit of truth" and "truth", and to teaching [14:26], where the "Comforter" is mentioned.
You can't be serious?
Can't be serious about what?
A poster referred to rudy as "comparing himself to Jesus", and then picking up on a typo, referred to "comparing Giuliani to a comforter"...
...and I pointed out as to the signicance of the word "Comforter", as used by Jesus in the Scriptures... a word which many take as meaning Jesus himself... and I found it strangely co-incidental, this apparently inadvertant use of the word "Comforter", where Jesus was meant.
I guess you didn't get it, but then again it wasn't meant for you, now was it?
So how much did you smoke today?
This isn't going to lead to anything about Rudy's chin is it?
I get worried whenever I see the letters C-O-M-F-O-R-T come up in any thread.
King, I feel quilty about making you uncomfortable.
Thanks HBL, I knew you'd remember how sensitive I am.
But now that I think about it Rudy is going to need a better chin if he's going up against Romney. His is a little on the weak side.
You may have a point, but these irrelevant, minute differences were not recognized, reported, or inquired on by Cafferty. He was simply judge, jury and executioner and Clinton was found guilty.
He clearly leveled the accusations "Clinton comparing herself to black heroes...is pandering"
Cafferty further compounded it with his loaded e-mail question: "Should Senator Hillary Clinton be comparing herself to escaped slave Harriet Tubman?"
He could have asked how irrelevant and minute the differences were, for example, "Is Senator Clinton comparing herself to escaped slave Harriet Tubman? Or is the Senator drawing inspiration from her?"
I do think Hillary is in a bit of a tough spot. Her husband was, and still is, incredibly popular among blacks.........and with Obama as her chief competitor now, she has to try and do whatever methods she can employ to ingratiate herself and strive for equal popularity.
Is she pandering? No more, or less, than most candidates when they address certain people, I imagine. Is she sincere? No more, or less, than most on that front too.
"Is she sincere? No more, or less, than most on that front too."
Still mind-reading, I see.
Pandering would be hiring blacks so that you can parade them around, proving your good intentions, rather than hiring and continuing to employ blacks who have the capabilities to do a good job. {See Colin Powell (had to resign) and Condi Rice (hasn't resigned, but got a promotion) as examples.}
Pandering would entail being content to use homosexuals when it benefits you, but as soon as it's possible, trashing them when they are no longer valuable to you. {See Mark Foley}
Pandering would entail no lifelong history of participating in any activity, but then claiming the moral high ground when the opportunity presents itself. {See Mitt Romney}
Hillary has a pattern of being a liberal. Supporting the full rights of Black Americans. Supporting Gay Rights. Supporting qualified blacks in jobs that hold great responsibility, and not supporting those blacks who don't do a good job.
Maybe all the politicians you know pander their entire careers - people who are never sincere. Maybe you need to associate with a better class of politician.
They were not minute points in any regard. She was clearly invoking Tubman as an inspiration in her speech and in her book. If anybody is trying to score cheap political points with the braindead and comprhension impaired, then, I guess they have a point. But most folks are smarter than that.
BLR, not sure what you're saying here. I was pointing out the difference EXCEPT to the braindead and comprehension impaired. These people can't see the dif..
You don't know the difference between comparing yourself to a person and being inspired by a person?
I know you're smarter than that.
The "smoking gun" quote that was left out did nothing to clear it up either way, in my opinion. Whether she compared herself or was inspired by, is making a mountain or a molehill, in my opinion.
But feel free to disagree.
I meant mountain out of a molehill.
That molehill was inspired by the mountain. But the mole never compared the two as equals.
"harriet tubman is one of my favorite heroines". that would seem to lean more to the "inspired by" class, no?
If you're putting forth a comparison between yourself and a historical figure, it most certainly wouldn't be a "least" favorite of yours, now would it?
i think that's what you call "obvious". the point is that the right likes to jump on stuff like this. look at hillary, she thinks she's suffered like harriet tubman.
Except that Cafferty is not on the "right".
whether he is or isn't [he trashed senator barbara boxer for contesting the 04 presidential vote] does not change the fact that the right likes to do exactly what i said. so provide the complete quote.
i think that's what you call "obvious". the point is that the right likes to jump on stuff like this. look at hillary, she thinks she's suffered like harriet tubman.
Comment by MeFirst
Did you see Laura Bush's comment, where she said that no one suffers more than she and George do over the loss of American soldiers' lives in Iraq? Laura Bush compared herself to parents who have lost a child. Now that's an offensive comparison. As you joked, Hillary didn't compare her situation to that of Harriet Tubman.
Very astute observation. Nice job.
SAVE DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!!
Word parsing at best here.......the quote Cafferty "left out" does nothing to make it any more or less what it is. She either compared herself, or found inspiration, or was inspired by Harriet Tubman. The differences are so minute and irrelevant, it doesn't matter. // TOMMY
I notice that it's not the black community that is complaining!!?
I notice this woman villified for taking on the health care crisis before any man or woman, black or white would have the courage to take the issue in sincerity to the Hill!! I remember the sick rationals used to ridicule her proposal of Universal Health Care, and now everybody is on board 20 years late!
I notice a woman that was villified by the media, RNC, and mostly white commentators that she would move to New York and have the nerve to be their Senator! I also notice she was re-elected in a statewide landslide!
I notice the vitrial opinions she inspires from the white collar white commentators of a corporate media in bed with the insurance companys, amoung others!
I notice she takes it on the chin, and keeps on coming! I notice she has stood up to some of the most dis-honest efforts to discredit her, and yet there she is a front runner for the Presidency!
I see alot of similarities to the civil rights leaders of the past to the deeds of Mrs. Clinton, the first woman contender for the Presidency as a woman!
I don't see many in the nation that are willing to stand up to the constant drumbeat of ridiculous criticisms from those whom have nothing vested, and are full of there own opinions that are usually driven by an Neo-Con agenda facilitated by a corporate-media gone wrong!
Mrs Clinton is not my first choice, but if she is on the Democratic ticket, I will stand with her to the hilt, with pride & honor; something the "Band-Aid Purple Heart Republicans" find revolting!
Happy Thoughts;
Dan Grady
There must be a plaque on the walls of these newsrooms: "When the truth doesn't fit our preconceived notions--print our preconceived notions."
If Cafferty is Anti-Hillary, then is there someone in mind that we are to assume Cafferty supports instead?
Cafferty is quite liberal, so it would be safe to say it's not a Republican.
I don't see him as a classic liberal. I've been watching him for twenty years or so and seem to remember him being called liberal by some conservatives and conservative by some liberals, depending on the issue.
It would be safe to say that he will never be supportive of a Democratic presidential candidate. He may gripe about Republicans between campaigns in order to keep up his credibility as a equal-opportunity grouch, but when it comes to brass tacks, he'll inevitably find that the minor flaws of the Democratic candidates are more noteworthy than even criminal acts on the Republican side.
nay...he's quite independent.
Yes, everyone knows that Cafferty and Blitzer are HUGE conservatives. They never miss an opportunity to bash liberals.
don't know about cafferty, but blitzer listens to limbaugh on a daily basis. i heard him say it.
MMFA is incredibly biased in favor of HRC, and its getting very annoying.
She is a horrible candidate we as progressives can nominate. She is incredibly insincere, a textbook definition of a panderer.
And I'm pretty certain that she won't be the nominee
Whoa! Liberals here cannot take that tone - you are just about to be hit with the "concern troll" label.
maybe on planet tommy. there are plenty of people here who bash hillary.
Not really, they print lots of things about obama edwards and others, just happens to be Hillary's morning today.
Nay - this is Hillary's WEEK! (See yesterday, to start.)
OK, since no one asked, I will give you the link for free:
SavageLies (about Clinton)
Jack Cafferty pictures himself as a man's man. So he'll hurl one at Cheney or Bush to maintain street cred. But gosh, there CAN"T be a woman President in his lifetime. Newsflash: Hillary has bigger cajones than Jack, but is smarter and more low key about it. Blitzer worries that CNN will fire him if he doesn't stick to the script.
Noooooooooo not Cafferty is getting bought out ? Journalistic credentials are being lost at an alarming rate. I thought and believed 24/7 news would give ample time to report in detail the news of the day, not cropped snipits ?
"Cafferty cropped Clinton quote"
Wow, say that three times fast. My tongue hurts.
Isn't Cafferty the guy they used as a model for the Crankshaft comic?
Very disapointing
Cafferty is usually one of the voices of reason on CNN, this was very disapointing. Maybe he had a bad research day. I will give him that.
Whenever any of the left's media soldiers dares to question anyone from the left, it is viewed as "very disappointing"? Doris, I think it enhances their credibility, not diminishes it, when they can criticize one of their own.
Where did Doris say that Cafferty "dared to question"?
I did not say that. Someone was putting words in my mouth.
Doris,
If I misinterpreted what you were saying, I apologize. However, it did appear that you thought Cafferty's questioning of Hillary's sincerity was "very disappointing", did you not?
Tommy
I accept your apology allthough it is not necessary since you have always been respectful to me. I thought that Cafferty not presenting the entire picture and taking things out of context was disapointing, not him being critical of Senator Clinton. As I said , he is allowed to be critical but he should do in a matter that is respectful and not out of context.
Doris, Your distinction is noted.........thanks for clarifying.
"Whenever any of the left's media soldiers dares to question anyone from the left, it is viewed as "very disappointing"?"
Even if Doris was unclear (which she wasn't IMO) Why would you make such a gross generalization on how all people on the "left" would react to this issue?
Jack is allowed to be critical of her, the problem is he is wrong and he is taking her completely out of context. I do not think anyone here has a problem with Jack Cafferey being critical of her.
Tommy,You have got to be kidding if you think Cafferty is a Liberal media soldier. I've been watching this guy off and on for several years. He's actually very independent, in the vein that O'Rielly likes to imagine himself. I can never predict where he will come down on an issue. I know he doesn't like BS, and it doesn’t take a liberal to see that the current executive managers we have in DC are off of their freaking rockers, and Cafferty acknowledges that. That doesn't make him Liberal that makes him honest.
Let me see if I got this straight. Hillary uses Harriet Tubman as her inspiration "to keep on going" after she has problems with her microphone at fundraiser?
the fact that it sort of trivializes Taubman's accomplishments by comparison does not mean Hillary was not sincere and trying to segue from a technical glitch to a campaign cry. I've heard crazier things from the Chairman of the DNC when he was campaigning last time around. :-)
ps. As far as Giuliani goes, would that we all would model ourselves after Jesus. I know MMFA is secular and all that but I would think it not necessary to point out to them that imitating Jesus is the point of Christianity. (Of course we are all imperfect, including Giuliani. so no need in pointing out the obvious.)
Bungle and the Repugnants should considerably improve their emulation, else they won't even make the first telecasts of next year's American Idol.
Harriet Tubman, escaped slave who risked her life over and over again going back into the South to help other slaves escape.
Hillary Clinton, do-nothing right-wing politician, parasite on the taxpayer, supporter of war crimes, facilitator of the impoverishment of working Americans.
No comparison at ALL!!!
By the time this campaign is over, Sen. Clinton will be claiming that she led the fight for civil rights and that MLK was inspired by her.The woman's ability to reinvent herself is amazing (and disgusting).
Interesting take. Let me see if I got your argument right: "This lie didn't stick to Clinton, although there is still a chance that we could be successful in inducing a perception through a cumulative effect, that Hillary 'panders' cynically to this minority; yet, we must press on, for there are soooo many lies we haven't even tried yet."
Hillary's pandering is not a perception but a fact. She is desperately trying to blunt Obama's entry into the race by trying to convince people that she is the "true Black candidate." How else can one explain her adopting the Southern Black vernacular (very briefly for about 1 hour) at Selma recently?
How can one explain her adopting the southern vernacular?
I wondered about this too, when I first heard about it, so, curious person that I am, I looked it up. Amazingly, I found out how to explain it.
She was quoting text written by a black person, meant to be read as written. It was in the "southern" vernacular.
If she had read it in a midwestern accent, and changed the words, now that would have been disrespectful.
There was no reason to diss her on this subject. Reality bites, as my youngest daughter would say.
Give Ghengiz a break. He's obviously thinking "outside the box". :-)
For the millionth time she was reciting the words from an old Black gospel song written in dialect. She read it as it is written and as it is sung. Contrary to what you guys think there are few of us Blacks that would actually use the phrase "I don't feel no ways tired". But so you’ll know here are the words to that Old Negro Spiritual:
NO WAYS TIREDI don't feel no ways tired, I've come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy, but I don't believe He brought me this far just to leave me. I've been sick ,but God brought me he brought me this far. I've been in trouble but God brought me, he brought me this far.. I’ve been friendless, but God brought me, He brought me this far. I’ve been lonely, but God brought me, He brought me this far. Please don’t leave me ,don’t leave me Jesus ….How can CNN get by with this kind of stuff?
I know Blitzer is a Republican, but Cafferty seems to be an equal insulter!
How do we contact CNN to complain? All I ever get is an email that is just generic!