MSNBC's Brzezinski asked if McCain is "the perfect candidate" without disclosing that her brother advises him
SUMMARY: On Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski asked presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin: "[A]t this moment in history, isn't John McCain the perfect candidate to deal with what challenges we face as a country, and given the presidency that is just coming to a close right now?" At no point during the segment, however, did Brzezinski disclose that her brother is a McCain adviser.
On the February 7 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, co-host Mika Brzezinski asked presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin: "[A]t this moment in history, isn't [Sen.] John McCain [R-AZ] the perfect candidate to deal with what challenges we face as a country, and given the presidency that is just coming to a close right now?" At no point during the segment, however, did Brzezinski disclose that her brother is a McCain adviser.
Brzezinski has previously informed viewers that her brother Ian works for the McCain campaign and that her father, former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, and another brother, Mark, advise Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (IL). On the January 3 edition of Morning Joe, after co-host Joe Scarborough said, "And by the way, your dad involved, once again, very much so, in the Obama campaign," Brzezinski responded, "And my other brother an adviser to McCain. I feel like I need to say that." On December 21, 2007, after an appearance on Morning Joe by Obama, Brzezinski said, "I just always have to point out when we have Senator Barack Obama on that my father and my brother advise him on foreign policy. And for the record, I have another brother who works for McCain."
From the February 7 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:
BRZEZINSKI: All right, Doris, so here's my thing. I just -- I still -- I understand the parts about John McCain that some of the conservative base may have a problem with. At the same time -- and this is a question that's perfect for you -- at this moment in history, isn't John McCain the perfect candidate to deal with what challenges we face as a country, and given the presidency that is just coming to a close right now?
So, a "perfect candidate" is one who is LOATHED by his own party's BASE??!?
Who knew?
Forget her brother's connection to the McCain campaign, this question was worthy of an infomercial not political coverage.
"Infomercial" is exactly what it is, and it's just about all that these cable outlets are ever running, when they pretend to be "reporting" on the presidential campaign.
Two things to note: One, you referred to what this hack said as being a question. In truth it's not a question at all, but a statement, disguised as a question, to hide the intention of the one making the statement. It hides the biased promotional effort for a political candidate, behind the contrived appearance of "curiousity" or "inquisitiveness" or even "investigation" (yeah right, let's get an investigation going into the matter of Mr. McCain being a "perfect candidate").
It's not a question, but an excuse to utter these exact words in this exact manner:
"...John McCain the perfect candidate to deal with what challenges we face as a country"
BANG! The moment the hack said those words, her mission was accomplished.
The other thing I'd note is the completely phony self-serious considerate thoughtful introspective "inquisitive" manner which the hack-woman affects, in "asking" Ms. Kearns Goodwin this phony "question"...
Watch it in the video. It's bad acting, pure and simple. She's drawing out the words as though they were all just now being formed in her "inquisitive" mind...
What a sham of an act.
Even those sales hacks on those infomercials that at least honestly profess their intent up-front (the ones for excercise equipment and kitchen gadgets), even those hacks are better actors than this phony woman, and her drawn-out self-serious "question" to Ms. Goodwin.
The whole Morning Joe crowd is beyond belief. Today I tuned in when they started-- immediate Hillary bashing and ridicule. really nasty stuff- and I'm not much of a Clinton fan-- not liberal enough for me.
The way they were acting, you would have thought Hillary was Brittany Spears. She couldn't do anything right.
I went away for an hour, tuned in again-- they were STILL AT IT!
Regardless of your candidate, this entire MSNBC network is despicable. But the MJ crowd-- what ugliness and nastiness, and so early in the morning. A vile crowd they are-- their cynicism and ugliness is downright creepy.
I watch Morning Joe. Mika should have disclosed this fact, but just to be FAIR, she usually does mention it, just like she mentions her Dad supports Obama.
J,
I never watch this program, but I trust your fairness and judgement in putting this "misinformation" in its proper perspective. One might jump to the conclusion that this "deception" is the norm, instead of an exception.
Appreciate it.
That's true, but I don't think it's their place to provide that. However, I don't think her failure to disclose her brother's affiliations with the party was worth mentioning in the first place, especially since she discloses it rather often, according to Jeter. I mean, I even knew her brother worked for the campaign, and I've never watched the show.
To be fair to MMfA though, strict journalism standards do dictate that you must disclose information that is a conflict of interest to the story you are reporting. But since when does MSNBC adhere to strict journalism standards? Or any cable news show for that matter?
I hear ya. But instead of trying to paint the "misinformer" in the worst possible light, in this instance by not letting the reader here know that this is an exception, based on their monitoring of these shows, rather than leave that out altogether, just seems a tad unfair.
Why not just include that in the copy they write? Enhances credibility, that's for sure.
Hi Tommy and Jeter,
The problem I have is that for people who aren't regular watchers of the show and tune in to hear that even one time. I think if you have such close involvement and are going to promote yourself as a "news" show, you have to bat 1.000 on this kind of thing.
disturbing. She always seems as if she is in need of a nicotine fix or a bathroom break. A train wreck waiting to happen for some time now, in my opinion.
Not withstanding the lack of full disclosure, Brzezinski's statement juxtaposes two contradictory thoughts and presents them as congruent. Given the presidency coming to a close . . . domestic, foreign, and fiscal policy disaster. At this moment in history isn't John McCain the perfect candidate? Only if you want to continue/exacerbate these disastrous policies.
Nov 08, cast a vote for accountability.
Dumbo? Are you making fun of Obama somehow? Or Clinton? I don't really get it (nor do I think I want to.)
For a lawyer, you sure are childish.
And for the record, when the Democrats have twice as many people voting in their primaries as the Republicans do, that's a pretty good sign of things to come.
And how is McCain going to win if his own party is disowning him?
Oh, and don't forget the fact that the GOP is now being investigated for voter fraud from the past 8 years. Hope they don't have any skeletons in their closet...
I am not familiar with any on-going investigations of voter fraud. I know there was fraud in N.M., on both sides.
I was in Ohio working as a poll watcher for the 2004 election. The only improprieties we witnessed were those by groups like ACORN, and in one instance a poll captain parking her car too close to the polling station with a Kerry sticker on it.
There were no long lines, and the longest time to complete the voting process that we witnessed was about seven minutes. That's from entering the polling station to exiting. We were not permitted to enter the stations.
Now, I know this will let off a storm of protest, hate, name calling, for which this forum is justly famous, and i dare say proud.
Buf,
Did you poll watch in urban areas? The reports there were lines of 4 hours or so. It sounds like the affluent counties had very short lines. Do you still live in Ohio?
Sounds like you got lucky in your assignment. The rest of the state's urban areas, not so much
http://www.archive.org/details/ohio_vote_2004
it was pretty uneventful, except immediately after the polls were supposed to close (some delayed a few minutes), a car burst into flames. poor fellow, he had just purchased it. it burned furiously.
It was exhausting work because we were staying in Columbus and having to drive in the cold rain on a highway packed with 16 wheelers in a tiny car that the Republican party hired for us. We had to go to Richland the day before to check it out, and then return on election day and drive from polling station to polling station from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
I didn't stay up to get election results, and did not know how things were going until the next day when my plane was landing in L.A. when Kerry conceded and I checked the news on my cell phone.
I thought I was having a heart attack (I'm certain I will hear from many on this board that it was too bad I didn't), but I determined it was from gripping the steering wheel so tightly for those 20 some hours I drove on those two days.
I have never lived in Ohio, although my father was born in Cleveland. I live in L.A. I'm not certain I even met a volunteer from Ohio. We were all lawyers and drawn from across the U.S.
I have a friend from Houston, not a lawyer, but a multigazillionare, who flew in her own Citation to go door to door in Iowa to stump for GWB. Yes, she knows the family, geez.
Col,
Why does Buf hate American Democracy?
HSTYBUF:
Odd. When people ask me what I think of YOU, I only have to hold up ONE finger ...
TRUTH SEEKER:
Not only, with McCain, will the "SAME PROBLEMS CONTINUE", but in every instance, conditions for American citizens will get WORSE. The Bush policies McCain will CONTINUE are horrendous. The War, the Debt, the Cronyism, the Economy, the Torture, the Economy. Plus, McCain will continue to NEGLECT the things BUSH is currently neglecting: Health care, immigration reform, poverty, the environment, worker's safety and rights, disaster relief.
In EVERY INSTANCE, continuing Bush's policies will not be a "continuation" of problems, in every instance suffering will INCREASE, and it will get WORSE and WORSE for working Americans. Their wages will slide, jobs will be lost, necessities like heating oil and gas will get ever more expensive, and our young men and women will CONTINUE to die and be maimed in a senseless war with no end.