Hume joins other media in ignoring McCain's failure to commit to tax return release
SUMMARY: On Special Report, Molly Henneberg reported that Sen. John McCain's "full medical records will be released around April 15th." Host Brit Hume then asked, "Along with Hillary [Clinton]'s tax records, right?" Henneberg responded: "Right." But neither Henneberg nor Hume noted that McCain reportedly "hasn't released his tax returns either. His campaign has said it won't decide whether to release the returns until after he is officially the nominee."
On the March 10 edition of Fox News' Special Report, correspondent Molly Henneberg reported that presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's "full medical records will be released around April 15th." Host Brit Hume then asked, "Along with Hillary [Clinton]'s tax records, right?" Henneberg responded: "Right." But neither Henneberg nor Hume noted -- as Fox News' corporate sibling The Wall Street Journal reported on February 23 -- that McCain "hasn't released his tax returns either. His campaign has said it won't decide whether to release the returns until after he is officially the nominee."
According to a March 4 MSNBC.com report, primary victories that evening gave McCain "a total of 1,205 delegates, 14 more than the 1,191 required to secure the Republican nomination." However, McCain will not "officially" receive his party's nomination until the GOP's national convention, scheduled for September 1-4.
Media Matters for America has documented several other examples of media outlets noting that Clinton has not released her tax returns without mentioning that McCain also has not done so. During his March 5 washingtonpost.com Post Politics discussion, Washington Post congressional reporter Jonathan Weisman wrongly asserted that "I think McCain has" released his tax records.
From the March 10 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:
HENNEBERG: One other note: McCain, who had been treated previously for skin cancer, said he had a regular medical checkup this morning and a full cancer check with a dermatologist a couple of weeks ago. He said, quote, "Everything is fine," and that his full medical records will be released around April 15th -- Brit.
HUME: Along with Hillary's tax records, right?
HENNEBERG: Right.
HUME: All right, Molly, thank you.
I remember when Mr. Hume was a journalist. His Fox bio still identifies him as a journalist. How can a journalist so plainly apply different standards to comparable situations? How can a journalist ignore information that is easily accessible?
I do, Irony, and it is marvelous! But I'm pretty sure that my vote counts just as much as the person's who gets information from cable TV only.
"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost. - Thomas Jefferson - Letter to Dr. James Currie (January 28, 1786) Lipscomb & Bergh 18:ii"
"Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights. - Thomas Jefferson - Letter to Richard Price (January 8, 1789)"
How can we be well informed when our press/media is not free and self-limits "reporting" to the lowest common denominator arguments?
:soapbox off
Oh, sorry...USA!! USA!! USA!!...gotta get that US flag tattoo so I'm not picked us as a turrist when I forget my pin. :)
This is a non-story, for everyone.
They should lay off the tax return thing, like it is important, and focus on the issues, policies, and positions of all the candidates. The candidates are not required to disclose their tax returns, and it is even ridiculous that we ask them to disclose their tax returns.
Just a pet peeve of mine.
But, if they are going to chide one for not doing it, then they should chide all of them for not doing it.
Good call, ML!
It is so easy to get upset about the little slights and let the fact that this passes for news and reporting go unanswered. How about a reasoned debate on energy policy?
I'd be all for that.
As I said though, if they're going to poke fun at Senator Clinton for not releasing her tax returns (even though she said she is going to), then they should also poke fun at "The Maverick" for not doing the same.
Come on Irony, he paid in cash. Didn't like wire transfers, it seems. :)
Over/under on the identity of "Kristen" being revealed? I say before the close of the markets on Friday. Won't her family be proud...:(
Over/under on the identity of "Kristen" being revealed? I say before the close of the markets on Friday.
I'm wondering more about the identities of clients #1 thru 8 & #10 thru infinity ;-)
On topic: I don't know why candidates should even be required to release their taxes, however if the media carps about Hillary they should do the same about McCain.
Hey, Jeter2! I'm near Chicago...we're all kinda wondering if Client 10 is a local or someone just passing through. That could make for some fun times around here!
More importantly, if Client 10 is someone local, why did they have to bring in an escort from LA? :)
It is Fox new's job (like every other corporate media) to actively distract, disasseble, disinform, misinform and mischaracterize everything. They have to prop up the status quo. That's how it's now done here in America. We just don't have a free press. And people are sitting in front of a non interactive device getting one way information. That's why the bloviators dislike the internet blogs so much. It is more interactive and real time. People have sources to check facts out for themselves and they can read alternative news sources like my favorite Truthout. It drives the likes of Hume and O'Reilly to distraction.
I do remember when Hume was an actual reporter. It's sad to see him become such a media hack. But I guess if you want a job in corporate media, you must toe the line and he seems to be happily fulfilling his obligation (and making big bucks I'm sure) This tax return thing is a non issue.
Now we have to work Hume into the Flow chart, JJ?
You could put Hume above the hammers but below the rock. Poor Sean would go under the bag of hammers ( intellectually that is. I don't want anyone thinking I wish the poor guy any harm).
Many times issues develop simply because of events that happen during the campaign. The reason that Hillary is being pressed on the tax return issue is because Obama made it an issue.
I'm not sure if any of the republican candidates ever asked McCain to make his tax returns public. If they did then I'm sure that the press would be asking McCain about it.
Right now the press is making the question of race an issue because Geraldine Ferraro (a Hillary supporter) said that Obama is only where he is today because he is black.
Since the Hillary camp has (once again) made race an issue I'm sure the media is going to ask Hillary to denounce Ferraro.
These things tend to be event driven.
Let's not forget how Clinton responded to Ferraro's comments, calling them more or less absurd, and that she didn't agree with them at all.
Here we go again with the whole 2 or 3 degrees of separation. Senator Clinton cannot control what Geraldine Ferraro says no more than Obama can control what his church says.
Listen to the candidates, and only the candidates.
"And both of us have had supporters and staff members who've gone over the line and we have to reign them in and try to keep this on the issues. There are big differences between us on the issues — let's stay focused on that."
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4428719&page=1
georgiapeachblossomdespiser,
But will MM(vl) or democrat supporters follow your lead?
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8V25VQ80&show_article=1
http://mediamatters.org/items/200802280010
MAG
You gotta love the loyalty these conservative morons have for the great leader, W mispronounces the Democratic party name and like the good lemmings they are they all follow suit
Good job lemmings, keep walking forward and please, don't look down
flowerfriend,
ic added or not, will MM(vl) stop connecting surrogates' comments from the candidates?
I know this is off-topic, but ya'll need to see this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/12/clinton-camp-to-obama-yo_n_91156.html
I particularly love the last one, which not just implies, but directly states, that Obama caused the unrest in Pakistan.
This is utterly ridiculous. If he's the nominee, and McCain uses these same talking points against him, and he loses because of it, I'm moving to Europe.
Doesn't take too much time on the Huffington Post web site to figure out it isn't a place to go for unbiased, fair journalism. Read the posts. That is by far the most aggressive group of Clinton haters I've found on the web, so far.
SAVE DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!!
Wasn't it Hume that insisted to Juan Williams that any insinuatation that Fox is slanted as a conservative news media is ridiculous, and is little more than jealousy for their success?
Isn't Hume who puts up the biggest front of being "fair and balanced" in all things political while never siding with anything from the Democrat? The man that can't seem to call the Democratic Party anything other than the "Democrat Party?" Sounds like Rat!
Well I'm going to enjoy Mr. Hume's displeasure for the coming months, and years; indeed many years if he's up for it?!
Happy Thoughts;
Dan Grady
I find the tax return issue baffling. Is is meant to be a distraction? It's a far more negative a campaign tactic than Hillary asking Barak to produce evidence that he's got experience in government leadership. My understanding is that tax returns are not required to be disclosed by anyone other than a Presidential candidate. To date, not one of them is officially a candidate. McCain isn't, Obama isn't and Clinton isn't. She shouldn't even have backed down to the insinuation she was hiding something by saying she would release them before she was obligated to. Obama, as I understand the reports, has only released his 2006 returns and that won't be enough to satisfy the obligation should he get the nomination.
People need to demand more even-handed reporting from the media. We must call them to task for participating with Obama supporters and campaign staff (not to mention the man, himself) in their constant references to Hillary's strategy and experience with sexist terms like "kitchen sink" and "tea parties". We must challenge them when they get people who are thought to be serious journalists onair to analyze and decide that the 3 am ad was racist despite the fact it had been compared over and over again to previous presidential campaigns that could not have been racist. We must turn off those programs and cut off our subscriptions to the media that is trying to manipulate us.
MSNBC is rapidly becoming a Fox News, Jr.
At this point, Hume is little more than a corporate prostitute...
He doesn't care. He's well paid to carry the water for R. Murdoch. He sold his soul a long time ago.
recountdisenfranchisedvotersindemocratprimaryinfloridaandmichigan,
Too bad he wasn't carrying governor spitzer's water at $3000/hr!