Moos distorts Clinton's 60 Minutes comments, blames Obama's middle name -- which she was among first to highlight -- for false perception that he's Muslim
SUMMARY: On The Situation Room, Jeanne Moos conducted a "quiz" of people on the street and asserted that Sen. Hillary Clinton "got the answer right when 60 Minutes asked, you don't believe Barack Obama is a Muslim?" But Moos went on to misrepresent Clinton's response by broadcasting only a portion of Clinton's answers on 60 Minutes.
During the March 17 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, national news correspondent Jeanne Moos conducted a "quiz" of people on the street and asserted that Sen. Hillary Clinton "got the answer right when 60 Minutes asked, you don't believe Barack Obama is a Muslim?" But Moos went on to misrepresent Clinton's response by broadcasting only a portion of Clinton's response to correspondent Steve Kroft's questions during the March 2 edition of CBS' 60 Minutes. Moos aired only one comment Clinton made in which she said: "No, there is nothing to base that on, as far as I know." Moos then showed a video clip in which Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan emphasized the latter portion of Clinton's response: "Oh, as far as I know." In fact, as Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented as a result of similar distortions by the media, Clinton's first three words in response to Kroft's initial question -- "You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?" -- was, "Of course not." Moreover, Clinton made clear that she equated the false rumor that Obama is a Muslim with "ridiculous rumors" that have circulated about her.
From the March 2 edition of CBS' 60 Minutes:
KROFT: You don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim?
CLINTON: Of course not. I mean, that's -- you know, there is no basis for that. You know, I take him on the basis of what he says. And, you know, there isn't any reason to doubt that.
KROFT: And you said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not a Muslim.
CLINTON: Right. Right.
KROFT: You don't believe that he's a Muslim --
CLINTON: No. No. Why would I? There's no --
KROFT: -- or implying, right?
CLINTON: No, there is nothing to base that on, as far as I know.
KROFT: It's just scurrilous --
CLINTON: Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors. I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time.
During her report, Moos also noted that "in a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 13 percent still thought Obama is a Muslim." When Moos later asked an unidentified man and woman to identify Obama's religion, the woman responded, "Muslim." Moos then asked, "Why do you think he's a Muslim?" The man responded: "Barack Hussein Obama." Moos then said, "Ah, that name." But as Media Matters documented, Moos was among the first national media figures to mention "that name." During the December 11, 2006, edition of CNN's The Situation Room, Moos said, "As if that similarity [between "Obama" and "Osama"] weren't enough. How about sharing the name of a former dictator? You know his middle name, Hussein."
From the March 17 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
BLITZER: Like many Americans, Barack Obama takes his faith very seriously. But that's not stopping others from finding humor in the confusion over exactly what religion he practices.
Our Jeanne Moos finds all of this "Moost Unusual."
[begin video clip]
MOOS: You don't have to be a whiz kid to get through this quiz.
What religion is Barack Obama?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Muslim.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Muslim.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: American.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Muslim. He's --
MOOS: The correct answer is --
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: He's a Christian.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: A Christian.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: He's a Christian from a Muslim father.
MOOS: But in a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 13 percent still thought Obama is a Muslim.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: A Muslim.
MOOS: Do you really think that?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Well, that's what I heard.
MOOS: Heard where, on a parody show?
STEPHEN COLBERT (host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report): Barack Obama is a secret Muslim!
MOOS: Just in case anyone missed Stephen Colbert's joke --
BILL MAHER: Is Obama a Muslim?
No, he isn't.
MOOS: And yet, of the 65 or so folks we interviewed in Times Square --
What religion is Barack Obama?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Oh, jeeza whiz.
MOOS: No, "jeeza whiz" is not a religion.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: "Jeeza whiz" is not a --
MOOS: Out of 65, 10 said --
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Muslim.
MOOS: One couple was split.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Muslim.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Christian.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I think he's Muslim.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I know he's Christian.
MOOS: Why do you think he's Muslim?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Just that's what everybody says.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Barack Hussein Obama.
MOOS: Ah, that name.
But at least Hillary got the answer right when 60 Minutes asked, you don't believe Barack Obama is a Muslim?
CLINTON: No, there is nothing to base that on, as far as I know.
NOONAN: Oh, as far as I know.
MOOS: And on the street, some added a dollop of doubt.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: He says he's a Christian.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: He says he's a Catholic, but I think he's a Muslim.
Tommy
I was thinking sadly that Ellie717 and notthatgeorge and the other aliases including the original Sue is back. You can tell with the tone of this one. I am sure this one will be banned also. Good catch Tommy!!!
Bingo. Nobody can condescend like our beloved Sue.
Welcome Back!
I am sure it will not take long for Ellie to disrupt this board.
We have a real Sue now Sueeld, so Ellie and notthatgeorge must be very upset that her name was forgotten for awhile . But we will never forget the venom that came out of her mouth the last few years.
Why are you lumping MSNBC in with FOX again? I already called you on this yesterday. Why are you repeating the same smear of MSNBC by comparing them with FOX today?
There are different levels of conservative misinformation out there. Faux News, NewsMax, and World Nut Daily are the worst. CNN is quickly descending to their level, and MSNBC is not that far behind.
I would much prefer it if ALL news sources were unbiased, accurate and excercised journalistic integrity, but it looks like that's impossible to achieve in this age of corporate-controlled media.
BottleBlonde, I wouldn't go down that road if I were you...
I assume you are a newbie (not that there's anything wrong with that!) but Sueeld has a particular disdain for MSNBC, and a lot of her claims are valid. More than a few I have had issue with, but over all she makes a good point about MSNBC.
The program: ""The Situation Room," anchored by Wolf Blitzer, assembles top CNN correspondents, analysts, contributors and guests for complete, up-to-the minute coverage of the day's events."
Ms. Moos: "Jeanne Moos is a national news correspondent based in New York. During her 20 years at CNN, she has covered national and international issues, as well as ground-breaking news and features. Moos carved out a niche in broadcast journalism with her off-beat, thoughtful reporting on the quirkier aspects of life in the 1990s. In her reports, entitled "Making the MOOSt of It," which debuted in 1995, Moos has examined subjects ranging from the uncanny characteristics of automobile air fresheners to the pains of pantyhose runs."
I wonder if this is the best that CNN can do? "Finding humor in the confusion..."? Come on, Mr. Blitzer & CNN, you can do better than this.
The percentage of respondents who correctly identified Obama as a Christian increased from 18% to 37%. But those identifying him as a Muslim also increased five points (from 8% to 13%).
Some people are not tuned in yet. Must be they don't have cable. :-)
Yes - he's a Christian that apparently doesn't go to church very often!
So what, are you saying he's less of a Christian now? Is God counting church attendance now as a pre-requisite to get into heaven? If so, I should have been there long ago, spending 3 nights and sunday mornings in church for nearly 20 years, before breaking my ties with organized religion.
DB,
I think he's making reference to Obama's claim he wasn't in church those days Rev. Wright made some of his incendiary remarks.
IF that were true he would have that in common with George W Gump.
Imbeciles.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/23/politics/main625520.shtml
"This is the style of analysis--and a level of thought--we have become utterly used to, especially from Blitzer, but also many others on TV: everything is a move in the game of getting elected, and it's our job in political television to explain to you, the slightly clueless viewer at home, what the special tactics in this case are, then to estimate whether they will work."
This is the tripe they use to fill 24 hours of daily programming. Meanwhile, the Iraq war goes largely unreported and uninvestigated; Bush and Cheney skate ever closer to leaving office without being held accountable..... for ANYTHING. It's obscene.
You got it. I have beenwatching a lot of cable news recently, and FOX, CNN, MSNBC they are all the same. Literally ALL THEY TALK ABOUT when it comes to politics is tactics or "scandals" that they manufacture. They do not cover the issues that people care about, they do not ask the candidates questions about it, they do not have the "talking heads" talk about issues... it's all meta-debates about the process. It's truly reprehensible.
Just imagine the power these channels have - they are on at post offices, hospitals, waiting rooms in various locales such as bus stations and airports. They could have debates about the issues, and it wouldn't have to be boring - exchange of ideas isn't boring. They could use their power to actually enlighten people and stimulate the country, instead they dive headfirst into the sewer and wrestle around in the filth.
Sad and disgusting.
what do you have against exxonmobil? i think we're being screwed because we can't drill in all the places where there is oil. alternative energy can only go so far.
here's how i am being screwed. yesterday i what was to be the final inspection on my remodel of three bathrooms. the inspector said i had to put in switches for the incandescents that turn off automatically, whether a timer, or if there is no motion. i already paid 27 bucks for the dimmers i have, now i have to pay 20 bucks (plus the electrician) to replace them.
that's five switches, so that's about 300 dollars. this is an energy saving measure, so called. how many years will it take me to recoup 300 dollars by having the light turn off automactically in the event i inadvertently leave the light on in a bathroom. never.
"how many years will it take me to recoup 300 dollars by having the light turn off automactically in the event i inadvertently leave the light on in a bathroom. never."
Really? never? I'd say 3 years, but then again, I have a propensity to accidentally leave the light on.
Can you give me a good reason why the oil companies are recording record profits in a time when I'm paying 40 dollars for 10 gallons of gas? Do you know how much money I'm wasting so that these CEO's can one-up each other in some kind of mega-keeping up with the Jones'? I'm guessing I am never gonna see that money again, why you will actually recoup your expenses.
i'm kind of like lyndon johnson, going around turning off lights. it is very rare that i leave a light on.
as for exxonmobil making a lot of money, they're a giant company. but they do not control the price of oil or gas. oil is a world commodity and the international community sets the price. here in california we have many different types of gasoline forumlas, depending on the weather, the creation of which adds to the cost of gas. the state, through taxes, gets more per gallon than the oil companies.
if you want to impose a windfall profit tax on the oil companies, i wouldn't stop with them. farmers are getting record prices for soybeans, wheat and corn. tiger woods just bought a 65 million dollar house, hit him. the horton movie hit 45 million in the first week, get a pound of flesh from them.
I'm not advocating for a wind-fall tax on profits. I actually have some interest in keeping the markets free while maintaining regulations to ensure the health and safety of me and my family.
a few years back i had some work done on my swimming pool. it had to be permitted. we had to put alarms on the doors leading to the pool area. big ugly alarms that let out a terrible shriek after about three seconds. we had to put special latches on the doors in the wall surrounding the pool. all this to protect kids which we don't have.
immediately after the inspection we removed it all. but it wasn't cheap.
Zamfir,
If he does all that, it will be voodoo economics. :-)
An MIT study found 5000 times current energy production availible from geothermal resources. Solar cells can now be produced via printing process. Hydrogen can be produced at the cost of a barrel of oil Circa mid 2007 price. DARPA is working on a very efficient fuel cell powered by alcohol.
As far as I can see alternative energy can do it all. Somehow this is unacceptable to certain parts of the population.
So certain part of the population, more of our money should belong to the few oil companies? Is this your agenda? If so why? You like living in chains?
i hope you are right. but a recent report i heard about on the radio is that solar is more costly than burning coal or gas for electricity. also, you can't use it everywhere. as for geothermal, i think that would be great. there's a big project ongoing in northern california. we'll see what it does, but you can't use it in a car.
a taxi using natural gas has a range of only 100 miles.
The alcohol fuel cell would convert the chemical energy directly into electrical energy. Which could power individual motors in each wheel. It still puts out carbon dioxide, but is very efficient.
Don't see how printing solar cells could be very expensive. Dyes make the conversion to electricity, not doped crystaline silicon, which is a bit expensive.
Assuming an adequet storage system for hydrogen can be developed. Nano tubes could be it, a hydrogen economy would be good. Some more esoteric systems may come along, we'll see.
For the lack of interest and joy in driving types perhaps a space warp or two will keep them gratefully off the roads.
Yeah he wasn't much of a Muslim. In fact, I'm fairly certain he WASN'T a Muslim. Funny how those Muslim fundamentalists that attacked us on 9/11 had those ties to those radical secularists...
wait a minute, I'm beginning to see a conspiracy afoot...BO going off on his SP's...Hussein was secular, yet they tied him to fundamentalist Muslims...They're trying to lump all us secular peoples in to one boat, and add the fundamentalist Muslims in there too.
Garrett: Sir, would you have quit the church had you heard them personally?
Obama: You know, I guess, keep in mind that just to provide more context, this is somebody who I'd known for 20 years. Pastor Wright had been a pastor for 30 years. He's an ex-Marine. He is somebody who is a Biblical scholar, has spoken at theological seminaries all across the country from the University of Chicago to Hampton. And so he is a well-regarded preacher, and somebody who is known for talking about the social gospel.
But most of the time when I'm in church, he's talking about Jesus, God, faith, values, caring for the poor, family. Those were the messages that I was hearing. And so, you know, I think that the statements that have been strung together are compiled out of hundreds of sermons that he delivered over the course his lifetime. But, obviously, they are ones that are, from my perspective, completely unacceptable and inexcusable.
And if I had thought that was the tenor or tone on an ongoing basis of his sermons, then yes, I don't think that it would've been reflective of my values or my faith experience.
The Friday comments referred to the specific comments being broadcast endlessly. The statement you quote from him today didn't specify those comments. Obama just stated that he had heard Wright make controversial statements.
That's a pathetic attempt to call Obam on a lie.
Name-thiefpig is a flat-out, bold-faced LIAR.