CNN ignored McCain's missed vote while highlighting Obama's missed vote
SUMMARY: CNN's The Situation Room reported on Sen. John McCain's attacks on Sen. Hillary Clinton's support for a $1 million earmark for a museum at the site of the original 1969 Woodstock music festival, more recently as part of its "top 10 debate zingers." But, as in multiple previous reports on the subject, CNN did not note that, although McCain is listed as a co-sponsor of the amendment to remove the funding for the museum, he missed the vote on the earmark.
During the November 15 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, CNN national news correspondent Jeanne Moos compiled "the top 10 debate zingers" of the 2008 presidential campaign and included a video clip of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) attacking Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) support for a $1 million earmark for a museum at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, located "at the site of the original 1969 Woodstock Festival" in New York. However, as CNN reporters have done on multiple occasions, Moos did not report that McCain skipped the vote on removing the earmark. Nevertheless, CNN hosts and reporters have at least twice noted that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) missed a vote on legislation for which he has criticized Clinton.
As Media Matters for America has noted, although McCain is listed as a co-sponsor of the amendment to remove the earmark, he was one of six senators to miss the vote to "table" -- or kill -- that amendment. The motion to table the amendment failed by a vote of 52-42, and the Senate subsequently passed the amendment by unanimous consent. The McCain campaign website states that McCain had a town hall meeting scheduled in Greenville, South Carolina, at noon ET on October 18, the same day as the 3:37 p.m. ET motion to table.
Media Matters has noted that the November 2, October 22, 25, and 26 editions of The Situation Room all included reports on McCain's attacks on Clinton over the earmark without noting that McCain missed the vote on that earmark. But CNN has at least twice noted that while Obama criticized Clinton for her vote in favor of a sense of the Senate amendment urging President Bush to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, he missed the vote himself, most recently in a question from moderator and CNN host Wolf Blitzer during the November 15 Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas.
Further, during a November 2 Situation Room segment on Obama, CNN congressional correspondent Jessica Yellin reported on the voting records of Democratic presidential candidates who are also current U.S. senators. Yellin stated that Obama has missed "nearly 80 percent [of Senate roll-call votes] since September" and that Sens. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (DE), Chris Dodd (CT), and Clinton "don't have great voting records, either." However, Yellin left out the fact that, according to washingtonpost.com's U.S. Congress Votes Database, McCain -- the only current Republican presidential candidate who is a sitting U.S. senator -- has missed more votes than any other senator since Congress convened in January, with the exception of Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), who spent months recuperating from a brain hemorrhage.
From the November 15 edition of CNN's Situation Room:
BLITZER: Tonight's key Democratic presidential debate is only about an hour or so away, and one thing you can count on, some verbal jabs will be landed.
As we continue the countdown, Jeanne Moos takes a most unusual look back at some of the most memorable lines from earlier debates.
[begin video clip]
MOOS: Electrifying, no, but after more than 20 debates, we've managed to compile the top 10 debate zingers.
Number 10 -- by a hair.
MIKE HUCKABEE: We've had a Congress that's spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop and it's high time --
MOOS: Number nine was out of this world.
[...]
BIDEN: Rudy Giuliani -- there's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, and the verb, and 9-11. I mean there's nothing else.
MOOS: Number five was when Mitt Romney compared the debate process to Law & Order.
ROMNEY: It has a huge cast, the series seems to go on forever, and Fred Thompson shows up at the end.
MOOS: John McCain liked his own witticism so much that he put it in a campaign commercial. He zinged Hillary for wanting to spend money on a Woodstock museum.
McCAIN: Now, my friends, I wasn't there. I'm sure it was a cultural and pharmaceutical event.
[applause]
MCCAIN: I was tied up at the time.
MOOS: One of our favorite zingers came post-debate -- not from a candidate, but from a snowman.
[...]
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
[end video clip]
BLITZER: We'll see if there are any zingers tonight. I suspect there will be some.
Thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room.
Up next, Lou Dobbs Tonight -- Lou, we're only an hour away from the start of this debate.
From CNN's November 15 broadcast of the Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas:
CATHERINE JACKSON (mother of Marine who served in Iraq): I finally got my son home after three tours of policing Iraq's civil war. Now members of the Bush administration and neoconservative members of Congress are beating the drums of war again. My son is still part of the Marine Individual Ready Reserve, and if President Bush starts another unnecessary war, there will be a chance that he'll likely be recalled for war.
All of you on the stage have either -- I'm sorry -- have formal political power or significant informal power, and have the ability to stop the rush to war.
Please tell me, how are you going to show us your leadership so -- on this issue now so I can decide who I think would be the best leader for tomorrow?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX (CNN White House correspondent): To Senator Biden please.
BIDEN: The way to do that, ma'am, is to not ratchet up the winds of war here. We had a vote in the United States Senate on declaring the Quds Force, their special forces, and the Revolutionary Guard to be a terrorist organization. A lot of people voted for that -- 70-some voted for it -- it's a serious, serious mistake, because what it does, it was completely counterproductive.
What it did was, ma'am -- what it did was, it convinced the rest of the Muslim world this is really a war against Islam and not a war in Iraq, and number two, it rose the price -- it caused the price of oil to head to $100 a barrel. We're paying $30 a barrel for what they call a risk premium and it helped destabilize the situation both in Iran -- I mean Afghanistan -- and Pakistan. So, the way to do this is keep quiet, hush up, and do what I told the president personally when I said as chairman of Foreign Relations Committee: If he takes the country to war in Iraq [sic] without a vote of Congress, which will not exist, then he should be impeached.
BLITZER: Senator Clinton, you voted for that resolution, you're the only one on the stage who did vote for that resolution. Do you want to respond to Senator Biden?
CLINTON: I do.
BIDEN: I wasn't attacking Senator Clinton.
CLINTON: No, no, no.
BLITZER: I know, but she did vote for the resolution. If you could address this young man and his mother --
CLINTON: Yes.
BLITZER: -- about their fear that because of your vote, he might have to go fight in Iran.
CLINTON: Well, there is no basis for that fear. There is, however, a deep concern that is well justified about this president. That's why what I've tried to do is oppose a rush to war, I started speaking out against it back in February because I was worried about President Bush, working with members of Congress to do exactly what Joe is saying, which is to make it absolutely clear, there is no legal authority whatsoever.
[...]
BLITZER: Very quickly, Senator Obama.
OBAMA: Well, Chris, we appreciate your service, and your mom, I can only imagine what she went through when you were away, so we're glad you're back home.
But understand the problem with this vote on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard: It wasn't simply that it was identified as a terrorist organization; it was also that in the language of the resolution it said we should maintain our forces in Iraq with an eye towards blunting Iranian influence. So it's not just going to have an impact in terms of potentially having a war against Iran. It also gives this administration an excuse to perpetuate their failed strategy in Iraq, and that could mean that you could be redeployed in Iraq. That's why this was a mistake, and that's why not only do we have to bring the war in Iraq to a close, but we have to change the mindset that got us into war, which means we initiate -- yes, I agree with Hillary -- that we've got to initiate bold diplomacy. I think the next president has to lead that diplomacy. It can't just be envoys.
And one of the reasons I'm running for president -- and Hillary and I had a disagreement with this -- on this. I said I would meet with not just our friends, but also with our enemies because that's what strong countries and that's what strong presidents do is meet with our adversaries, tell them where we stand.
BLITZER: Senator, I want to go back to Suzanne Malveaux, but this was an important vote, and you missed that vote. You weren't present in the Senate when that vote occurred.
OBAMA: No, this is true. And it was a mistake. This is one of the hazards of running for president. But the -- but what I've -- but what I have consistently said, and I said at the time of the vote, was that we should not take steps that would increase troop presences inside Iraq with an eye towards blunting the impact of Iran. I always think that's a mistake.
BLITZER: Thank you, Senator.
Geez, MMFA!!! Don't you realize senator McHaste has to do PRESIDENTIAL stuff for the next year...?? He can't be bothered with congressional dealings at this point in the game- he has too many meetings with Rove in a deep dark dank cave somewhere... C(ertainly) N(ot) N(ews) is a stand up media outlet...
I AM STILL WAITING FOR MMFA TO POINT OUT THAT CNN PLANTED 6 DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVES AS "UNDECIDED VOTERS."
IT WAS WORSE THAN WHAT HILLARY CLINTON DID WITH THE PLANTED QUESTIONS.
And your source for this information is....(I mean other than the Right Wing bloggers)...?
What do you mean "other than the right-wing bloggers!?"
Why not address the fact that the information on the "Right-wing blogs" are true!
LaSannon Spencer is the Democratic Political Director, and she was disguised by CNN as an "Undecided Voter"
See others.
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2007/11/cnn-plants-questions-to-protect-hillary.html
Wow. Good catch. A glaring omission by Media Matters.
One would almost think Media Matters' mission was monitoring ONLY conservative misinformation.
Wow, what a surprise, a bunch of b.s. Talk about attempting to create a scandal where there is none. Democratic operatives? "An antiwar activist, a Union official, an Islamic leader. a [former] Harry Reid staffer, and a radical Chicano separatist"? These are "democratic operatives"? CNN presented them as undecided voters, and that's apparently what they are. The fact that they lean left is completely immaterial. They were undecided voters who went to a Democratic debate. What's the problem exactly?
Thanks for pointing out the glaring nonsense being peddled by CorpulentDescent. I was a little slow on the uptake. I'd be surprised NOT to find Democratic operatives at a DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY debate.
Sheesh!
And we're still waiting for you to make an intelligent, fact based argument.
But, while we are waiting, for your entertainment here's McCain's voting record. Seems he missed 87% of them.
Likewise, we're still waiting for YOUR web site to point out that CNN ignored McCain's missed vote while highlighting Obama's missed vote.
My site does not purport to point out misinformation.
When CNN knowingly uses 6 planted Democrat operatives in the debate as undecided voters, that is misinformation.
How about those hand picked audiences for Bush's so called townhouse meetings? Or the carefully vetted audiences at the republican conventions? Oh, that's right, I forgot. It's only an issue if democrats do it, right hipocrite?
---"My site does not purport to point out misinformation"---
Yeah. That's why this CNN/"plant" item is also on your site right at this moment, top of page.
I'm still waiting for CorpulentDescent to provide a source other than a Drudge-Wannabe Flying Monkey Blogger.
Did CNN plant "Democratic Operatives" to pose as independent voters? Maybe they did, but I want a credible source.
Well, even his flying monkey blogger link doesn't attempt to actually prove that the questioners were "planted" by CNN. They just keep repeating the word "plant" in lieu of any actual evidence. As it stands, they've only managed to dig up the shocking fact that 6 of the people who asked questions at a Democratic debate are liberals.
His brand does say it's for informed voters though. guess he's wrong on that account too. All his site is is a liberal bash fest, not even an attempt to discuss politics.
Waitaminnit. I just realized that CorpulentDescent is playing us for suckers, along with his Drudge-Wannabe blogger. And I fell for it. Even if these guys are Democratic "operatives", how is this a scandal? They are asking questions at a DEMOCRATIC debate. They can be Democratic Operatives...AND undecided in a DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
DOH! Try again, Corpulent.
I said: "on your site".
I should have said: on your free blogger page.
"My site does not purport to point out misinformation." - Copiouscopious
Um, no, by all indications your site is intended to *spread* misinformation.
You have been debunked ReNAMBLACan not to mention that since you are too stupid to even KNOW the name of the largest political party in the US we understand that your foolishness is without merit.
Change the subject much? I am still waiting for you to STOP screaming look over there, and there, and anywhere but at conservative media hypocrisy. I am still waiting for a single post of yours that after reading it doesnt leave me feeling like your are a waste of precious oxygen.
... The No Senator Left Behind Act gives a failing grade to Senator Thompson for not using his electronic voting device to vote on issues.... McCain gets a passing grade because he doesn't want to use electronic voting devices made from other countries- he's a gosh-darn PATRIOT, people!!
Not only that, but he says he won't need Secret Service protection as President. Now, there's a REAL man!
It's true, he won't need it After South Carolina in 2000 he's damaged goods. Bush's b!tch.
Not only that, but he says he won't need Secret Service protection as President. Now, there's a REAL man!
Ha! Now that is just plain looney tunes & makes me wonder if this guy is competent to be President.
Perhaps he should take into consideration that the country might not want or need to go through an assassination?
On topic: CNN's omission is glaring. If they were just talking about Obama they'd be no need to bring everyone's voting record into it, but since they brought up Woodstock, at least an aside about McCain missing the vote should have been mentioned.
Yeah...like he didn't "need" all those soldiers and helicoptors and armor in Baghdad...right?
$1,000,000 for a museum at Woodstock. Hillary actually voted to waste taxpayer dollars on this? Mc Cain should've been there to vote NO, but the fact that Hillary voted YES in support is enough to make me sick. Yeah, yeah, I know....the war is costing us plenty. So the solution for that is spending a million bucks on a hippie museum?
I'd go visit it.... that was a time of conscience awakining and respect and love for all humans...
Take a big gulp of the bong water and kiss the doves before you release them. My tax dollars have never been used in a better way. Have fun at the museum...hippie. And thank you for being a great custodian with the precious money you have left. Hillary should be ashamed.
speaking of being a 'custodian' with precious monies, hasn't Bush and co. 'flushed' away half a trillion dollars to 'mop up' Iraq and 'whitewash' the results as a 'clean and sparkling' victory for America when it's really a 'big f-ing mess'...?
Yeah....just think how many Iraqis you could kill with that $1,000,000! Let's get our priorities straight, here.
Go looking for some brain cells moron. Increase your medication. A museum is a good idea as far as I am concerned, you dont like it fine. I think it is a WASTE of my tax dollars to make nuclear weapons. You might disagree, that is why we have representatives vote on it. Why do you hate democracy?
---"Have fun at the museum...hippie."---
Aren't you going to say "Get a haircut!" or "Love it or leave it"?
Not even "Quit cutting across my lawn you kids!"??
that was a time of conscience awakining and respect and love for all humans...
Ha! Interesting way to define those times.
I would have said that was a time of Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-Roll & maybe some flowers in your hair.
;-)
====
I've tried to post this 3 times...without any luck. Hope it works this time Should duplicate posts appear out of the blue later...I apologize in advance :-)
"a time of Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-Roll"
Yeah, and I was still too young to participate! Dammit!
I went and got rained at The Sky River Festival. Other than being wet it was a good time. Didn't get offerred any drugs or sex though.
Sure that is the rightwing mantra. Civil rights, an end to the war, Womens rights, Free speech rights. All those things were being talked about and demonstrated for. A time of concience works for me and you would boil it down to drugs and rock and roll. That is just sad and simplistic.
Aw come on Solon, I thought it was obvious my post was tongue in cheek. I even included my winky face ;-) and the fact that I made reference to flowers in your hair should have been the dead giveaway that I was being facetious.
Solon, I respect you a lot, but your reply does give credence to the rap that Liberals Lack A Sense Of Humor.
I'm willing to bet that her constituents in Sullivan County, New York, might appreciate what she tried to do for their county.
That's what our congressmen and senators do beside making legislation. They see that some of the money spent by the Federal Government goes to their constituents.
Were you this outraged when Senator Stevens (R Alaska) tried to build a $400 plus million dollar bridge to nowhere for his 300 to 400 constituents who would have benefitted from the bridge?
I was living up there for a spell and was happy as heck when the FBI raided his house... he and all the other repugnants and Big oil need to stop hurting people and the environment...
So the solution for that is spending a million bucks on a hippie museum?
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was a historic event held at Max Yasqur's 600 acre dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York.
Thirty-two of the best-known musicians of this time period appeared during the sometimes rainy weekend. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest moments in music history and was listed on Rolling Stone's 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll. [1]
The concert signaled the end of the so-called "Flower Generation".
A million bucks for a museum for the people of New York as opposed to $223 million for a mile long bridge linking an island with 50 residents. "I'll take museum for a million, Alex".
Another thing many people don't realize is some of the performers were veterans.
Jimi Hendrix was in the US Army's 101St Airborne division. County Joe McDonald was also a vet who has spent the time since the festival working for veterans rights.
And there were also many active duty military personnel there at the time, enjoying the cultural event of their lives.
Many of us are able to say that we attended the two events that defined our times, Woodstock and Vietnam.
Worrier,
If you remember Woodstock, you weren't there. :-)
This is the type of expenditure that the locals should invest their time and money in raising through their community, through charitable events and donation......the people in North Dakota, for example, needn't be paying for this.
And I needn't be paying for government contracts to Blackwater, but, I do through taxes...
"This is the type of expenditure that the locals should invest their time and money in raising through their community"
They have...and they are. This was to be a grant to add to their existing monies. The museum already exists, but my understanding is it's not finished.
You made the mistake of expecting Tommy to know the first thing about the topic before spouting off about it.
These days, a million wouldn't get you much in the way of anything approaching a museum facility.
Not to mention the fact that it's about what we spend in a single afternoon in Iraq, I think.
100% funding at the local level, they have their handout for a cool million from the rest of us......my original post stands.
Pearlene,
I don't think this has to be an either/or choice. I was very glad to see the Bridge to nowhere go nowhere. It was a bondoogle of the worst sort.
That being said, anyone can go visit Yasgur's farm. Why do you need to spend $1,000,000 on it? I have no idea. Anyone can look it up online. If they want, they can also go visit the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
BTW, the RnR Hall of Fame in Cleveland is outstanding! I spent eight hours there one day and could've spent lots more time. Of course I grew up listening to most of that music. If anyone gets a chance to visit Cleveland, I heartily recommend it! :-)
Sounds like a double standard there, my friend.
But seriously, you can say the same thing about the holocaust museum, wwI and 2, the american revolution and cival war to name a few other issue specific museums. They don't appeal to everybody, but we still funded them with tax dollars because they recorded an event of importance to the US. Just because you don't like one is unimportant, you can't just pick and choose what museums we should have.
---"BTW, the RnR Hall of Fame in Cleveland is outstanding!"---
And how do you know that it didn't receive any government assistance?
How about Federal tax dollars not being used for either of those things?
Oh, you're so right, Ripper! There are far too many Islamofacist brown people out there to be killed, and so many Corporations wanting to gain by killing them!
Oh sweet it's a race thing now. If the Repubs win an election in the next 30 years, I'm holding your stupidity personally responsible.
Thanks, Dexter! Your handle chosen from the serial-killer series?
I'll admit that I venture into irony and sarcasm with trepidation when responding to hate-wingers, for their recognition of irony and sarcasm is not a given. Yours shoulda been.
hate-wingers.
So because I don't agree with you ideology, I'm a hate winger? Got it. Are you on Ann Coulter's mailing list? If not, you should be.
---"So because I don't agree with you ideology, I'm a hate winger? "---
No. But maybe it's because of things like this little gem of yours:
"Just because you can't see Hillary's [she-devil] horns under her grey-blonde hair, doesn't mean she doesn't have them; maybe she uses John Edwards' stylist".
There's no hate there at all, no.
Besides all that, I wasn't responding to you! Note the "reply to" sequence, and only Ripper is specifically noted to be a "hate-winger" in this thread. However, if the shoe fits . . .
Where do you see that I advocate killing anyone?
Do you assume that anyone who doesn't agree with you, or more specifically in my case, doesn't support big government, is a "hate-winger" and advocates killing "brown skinned" people? That's a pretty big leap and a sadly narrow view.