CNN's Acosta smeared 16-year old McCain questioner as a "heckler"
SUMMARY: On Ballot Bowl, Jim Acosta reported on an appearance by Sen. John McCain at his former high school in Virginia in which a student asked McCain to clarify why he was visiting the school if not for political reasons. Acosta claimed that the student "apparently ... started heckling the senator" and twice referred to her as a "heckler." In fact, the question came during a question-and-answer session, and, according to a transcript of the event, McCain called on the student.
During the April 5 edition of CNN's Ballot Bowl, host Jim Acosta reported on an April 1 appearance by Sen. John McCain at his former high school -- Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia -- in which 16-year-old student Katelyn Halldorson asked McCain to clarify why he was visiting the school if not for political reasons. During his report, Acosta claimed that Halldorson "apparently ... started heckling the senator." Additionally, Acosta twice referred to the high school junior as a "heckler." In fact, as both The Wall Street Journal and the Politico noted, Halldorson's question came during a question-and-answer session. Indeed, according to a Federal News Service event transcript retrieved from the Nexis news database, McCain called on Halldorson during what the school's headmaster described at the time as a "question and answer session."
From an April 1 Federal News Service transcript of the Episcopal High School event:
MR. [F. ROBERTSON] HERSHEY [Episcopal High School headmaster]: Senator McCain, your comments have special meaning to all of us here today. And before we begin the question and answer session which you've been so nice to offer, I wanted to introduce you to the students who are behind you. They're behind you in more ways than one; they're behind the entirety of Episcopal High School. The students here are those who've accepted leadership positions as monitors or as members of the honor committee and also students and faculty who participated in our mission trip to the Dominican Republic. So I just wanted to acknowledge them to you, and -- (applause).
Senator McCain will now take some questions.
[...]
Q If you could -- sorry. If you could list five values that you took from Episcopal, what would they be?
SEN. MCCAIN: The honor code, academic excellence, athletic excellence, friendship, and frankly, a clear -- a clearer definition of the goals that we set for ourselves in our lives.
And there's a young lady right back behind you that also -- yes, ma'am?
Q I think, judging by the amount of press representatives here and also by the integration of your previous political endorsements in your earlier personal narrative, we can see that this isn't completely absent -- political motivation isn't completely absent, yet we were told that this isn't a political event. So what exactly is your purpose in being here? Not that I don't appreciate the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification.
SEN. MCCAIN: I knew I should have cut this thing off. (Laughter.) This meeting is over. (Laughter.)
This is an opportunity and part of a series of visits that I'm paying. We started in Mississippi, where my family's roots are back to the middle of the 19th century, to here. We're going from here to Pensacola, Florida, and to Jacksonville, Florida, and a couple of other places where -- we're going to Annapolis, where I obviously attended the Naval Academy. And it's sort of a tour where we try to not only emphasize the values and principles that guided me and, I think, a lot of this country in the past, but also portray a vision of how I think we need to address the challenges of the future. And a lot of that is in retrospect, but a lot of it is also advocacy and addressing certain challenges that face the nation.
I hope that attendance here was not compulsory. If it was, then you -- I apologize for -- if you were -- if you were not -- unwillingly in attendance here. But I -- and also, very frankly, it's great to come back to -- as you heard me say in my prepared remarks, to a place that had such an impact and that I admire and respect so much.
And with that, I would like to say thank you all, good luck, God bless you, and thanks again. (Applause.)
In an April 5 Wall Street Journal article, reporter Laura Meckler noted McCain's appearance at the high school and wrote: "In a question-and-answer session at his former high school, Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., junior Katelyn Halldorson said that students had been told the visit was 'not a political event' and yet, she said, it appeared obvious that it was. 'So what exactly is your purpose in being here?' she asked." Similarly, Politico senior political writer Jonathan Martin wrote in an April 1 blog post: "After taking a range of routine questions about what he learned here, what he was most proud of, why Woodberry [Forest School in Orange, Virginia, Episcopal's athletic rival] hadn't produced any presidential nominees and who he liked in the Final Four, McCain took his final question from a young lady. Taking note of the many cameras present, this student said the event had been billed as non-political."
On Ballot Bowl, Acosta said McCain "visited ... Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, where apparently a student there started heckling the senator, and John McCain then had to respond. So here's John McCain responding to what appears to be a student heckler earlier this week in Alexandria, Virginia." After airing video of McCain's answer, Acosta stated: "So there you have it. John McCain, who is no stranger to incoming fire, able to handle that heckler there in Alexandria, Virginia." By contrast, The Wall Street Journal reported that McCain "stammered through a reply but never fully answered her question."
Media Matters for America previously noted that while CNN reported on McCain's April 1 event at Episcopal High School, it wasn't until two days later that any report on the network mentioned Halldorson's question to McCain, despite having extensively reported on students' questions to Chelsea Clinton about the Monica Lewinsky scandal. CNN aired a report on Halldorson's question during The Situation Room on April 3.
From the 2 p.m. ET hour of CNN's Ballot Bowl on April 5:
ACOSTA: But it was earlier this week in Alexandria, Virginia, where he visited a high school -- Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia -- where apparently a student there started heckling the senator, and John McCain then had to respond. So here's John McCain responding to what appears to be a student heckler earlier this week in Alexandria, Virginia.
[begin video clip]
HALLDORSON: We can see that this isn't completely absent a --political motivation isn't completely absent, yet we were told that this isn't a political event. So what exactly is your purpose in being here? Not that I don't appreciate the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification.
McCAIN: I knew I should have cut this thing off. This meeting is over.
This is an opportunity and part of a series of visits that I'm playing -- paying, started in Mississippi, where my family's roots are, back to the middle of the 19th century to here. We're going from here to Pensacola, Florida, and to Jacksonville, Florida, and a couple other places. We're going to Annapolis, where I obviously attended the Naval Academy. And it's sort of a tour, where we try to not only emphasize the values and principles that guided me and, I think, a lot of this country in the past, but also portray a vision of how I think we need to address the challenges of the future. And a lot of that is in retrospect, but a lot of it is also advocacy and addressing certain challenges that face the nation.
I hope that attendance here was not compulsory.
[end video clip]
ACOSTA: So there you have it. John McCain, who is no stranger to incoming fire, able to handle that heckler there in Alexandria, Virginia. That wraps up this first hour of Ballot Bowl here on CNN, but there's much more to come. Stay with us. This is Ballot Bowl on CNN.
But I'm not implying there's any kind of double standard for Democrats and Republicans.
Not me.
It is actually a bit worse then you have described. First off, this question was to the candidate himself and not to his child. The question on the Lewinsky affair was asked of their daughter!! It always amazes me that they all it the "Liberal" press and yet it is the repugnant that get the kit glove treatment and the Democrats that get bullied.
Worse of all, McCain did not answer the question and Chelsie did. They might not have liked her reply, but she did give a direct answer, which was not to make any comments on that and why. I thought her answer was quite calm compared to what I would have done if someone were to be so rude to me. But I am not running for office either. ;-)
Hi W-King,
Continuing my weekend off-topic wandering, you might appreciate this-I went to see a friend's band play last night. He's Irish/German, and his bands called Craic Haus.I wish I'd thought of it.
It's clear that GOP-CNN is a right wing conservative news networok, no different than the rest of the corporatist conservative Republican Party controlled news media.
It's also clear that GOP-CNN's Jim Acosta is a right wing conservative Republican himself, AND that Republican Acosta is a McCain lover, and that Acosta was throwing a lifeline to Liar McCain. It's also clear that GOP-CNN wants Liar McCain to be elected president, as does the rest of the corporatist conservative Republican Party controlled news media.
Acosta is a low rent Lou Dobbs.-- which isn't saying much. I love it when he gets outraged about things.
Isn't Acosta the same guy that, though he is Cuban, tries to pass himself off as some kind of voice of the Latino audience? I say this because if so, Cubans are notoriously right-wing Republican as a whole, and are not representative at all-- though they are about the only Latinos that the MSM is willing to hire nationally.
Think there might be a market for an, "I heckled John McCain?" tee shirt?
And what ever happened to Jeckle?
The questioner was not a heckler, clearly. And I was glad to see MMFA post the entire answer that McCain gave to the question, in context, because on Friday they failed to do so and it left a very misleading take on McCain's answer. In this thread, it is clear that McCains initial response was lighthearted before he went into his serious answer. On Friday's thread, the response was truncated to only include his first statement without the context of laughter in the background.
From Friday's thread:
BASH: It was so windy and cold, he skipped a page of the speech. And McCain's return to his old high school Tuesday was not welcomed by all.
[begin video clip]
[end video clip]
Let's be honest, that doesn't put McCains answer in the proper context like today's thread does.
Bruce, when I first saw the clip , I criticized it as a non-answer, but trying to put myself in McCain's shoes, I don't know what I would have said,as a politician, looking for a succinct response. I still see a rambling and vague response, but to be faiir, I guess anybody on the campaign trail takes every question as an excuse to bloviate.
Calling the questioner a heckler, on the other hand, is mighty weak.
Of course, there's no need to worry about boring the kids with those long rambling answers, now that McCain and Lieberman have released their youth appeal video.
And keeping to the Abe Simpson theme, the first season of "Matlock" finally comes to DVD this Tuesday.
Maaaaaatlock!
OK, great idea, LET'S BE HONEST:
"I was glad to see MMFA post the entire answer that McCain gave to the question, in context, because on Friday they failed to do so and it left a very misleading take on McCain's answer."
WRONG, it was CNN, not MMFA, who cutoff McCain's answer. That's how it was presented in CNN's report, and that's how MMFA presented CNN's report. In addition, MMFA linked to a Time Magazine blog entry that did include McCain's entire response.
"On Friday's thread, the response was truncated to only include his first statement without the context of laughter in the background."
MMFA provided a video of the CNN report, which did include the audience reaction to McCain's initial response.
Is that an honest enough assessment on my part? Or can you prove me wrong?
As a supporter of Obama, I have to admit that McCain did a great job in answering the question. That should have been the headline.
Was the snotty little ingrate who asked the question a "heckler"? Not really. This appears to be a media hyped non-story.
He's been claiming to be an Obama supporter for weeks. Yet every one of his posts props up some nitwit conservative drooler at the same time he takes a swipe at Senators Obama and/or Clinton.
His act is getting old.
I thought he remembered the first time...
As someone who actually attended the event, your assessment of her as a "snotty little ingrate" is so far from accurate that any future comment you might wish to make on the subject would have zero credibility.
NAC,
Wow, the ad hominem attacks started early.
I doubt anybody took, if I remember correctly, you stating that you "...want to smack the teen" or something similar, as a serious comment advocating violence. But it makes for good moral indignation by our friends here.
Oh well.
ps. I thought it was a good question by the kid but not an important enough to devote at least threads by MMFA to it. However it gives us all a chance to again opine and for some, another chance to attack on a personal level, some of those with whom we disagree.
The issue here isn't that "very good" question. It's about another detached from reality journalist taking the time to characterize that girl as a heckler.
Pathetic attempt, Mr. Nice Guy.
Ballet Bowl? Jim Acosta tries bowling over the facts in his foul-fest, calls an aware and interested student a "heckler"
Foul white guy who sits at a table
Spouts a weird spin and misleading fable
In his dirty glass house
He throws stones like a louse
Can we get some real news on our cable?
The kid's question Acosta derides
He doesn't recognize Bona Fides
This limp piece of pasta
The accoster's Acosta
As he heckles and jeckles and hides
The pasta man's brain is al dente
His talent is nil, so we all say
But he has steels balls
When this young girl he calls
A heckler, to collective dismay
He's trying to gain traction with Rush
So
(oops pressed post prematurely)
He's trying to gain traction with Rush
Which means that his brain's turned to mush
To question McCain
Puts a fog in his brain
So he deposits his poo and we flush.
But it was afterwards when apparently this same smear merchant, in a roidlike rage, violently head butted Mr. McCain’s hand after he had calmly sprinted up to her after the event. McCain’s reaction was to smile warmly, which caused her to faint dead away and bleed profusely from the nose. It was obvious McCain only meant to thank her for her participation. Her reactions remain unexplained at this moment but it is believed no charges will be placed at the Senator’s request.
So there you have it. John McCain, who’s no stranger to irrational attacks, able to handle a devil possessed she-beast for a second time, there in Alexandria, Virginia.
Actually, the "heckler" characterization seems far less outrageous to me than Acosta's likening Halldorson's question to "incoming fire." Why stop there? Why not just compare any critical question of McCain to Vietnamese torture?
On a side note, I have to say that McCain is taking the news about being a Cylon very well.
Unwound unsound groundround downtown.
On special this week at Balliol Bros. Don't worry about the flies, we won't wieght them.
Nergy. *O!
What a phony you are, Acosta.
Heckler my backside.
What was the purpose of that young persons's question? She wasn't a heckler but she didn't have a legitimate question. And as usual you do not play the actual occurence just the reporting of it and a dry transcript.
I say so what! Who cares. Obviously this individual had an agenda. And it was a waste of the Senator and Nominee elect of the Republican party's time.
Why do you waste your time on this garbage. Cover Hillary's running from sniper fire instead. See if you get more then 42 comments.
"What was the purpose of that young persons's question?"
Her purpose was to expose the fact that the students of her school were told that the visit was not a campaign event. They were lied to.
"She wasn't a heckler but she didn't have a legitimate question."
And your conclusion is based on.....????? You give no reason or support for this. You just say it. My junior high English teacher would like to have a word with you.
"And as usual you do not play the actual occurence just the reporting of it and a dry transcript."
Obviously you have never read MMFA's mission statement on this very website. http://mediamatters.org/about_us/
Do you realize that you just criticized MMFA for doing exactly what their job is? They cover coverage, not the acutual events, hence the name of their organization.
"I say so what! Who cares. Obviously this individual had an agenda. And it was a waste of the Senator and Nominee elect of the Republican party's time."
Great! Fine! Who cares if McCain gets a pass for misrepresenting a campaing event? Furthermore, Guess what? I have an agenda too. Oh no. I must be a bad person. Why can't I be like you who would never dare have a political agenda?
Oiks! A candidate running for president shows up at your school....and a 16 year old doesn't know it really is political no matter what they were told?
(better find the rocks they are living under and turn them over, expose them to the sun once in a while)
Course if the question she asked was to put him on the hotplate, which in all likelihood it was, then she was right on spot to do so. Most people don't like being lied to right in their face...regardless of whether or not it was a stupid lie that everyone with an ounce of intelligence knew was a lie in the first place.
"So what exactly is your purpose in being here? Not that I don't appreciate the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification."
That's "heckling"?
Why are the RWnuts so scared of questions?