Wallace joined other Fox hosts in falsely suggesting Dean criticized McCain for citing his military service
SUMMARY: Responding to Sen. John Kerry's assertion that "[n]obody ever would insinuate that John McCain is anything but a hero for his activities in -- in -- ," Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace interrupted him and stated: "Well, [Democratic National Committee chairman] Howard Dean called him a blatant opportunist," falsely suggesting that Dean accused McCain of being a "blatant opportunist" because McCain has discussed his military experience.
During the April 6 edition of Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace falsely suggested that Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean called Sen. John McCain a "blatant opportunist" for discussing his military experience. Only moments after correctly quoting Dean stating that McCain is "a blatant opportunist who doesn't understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years,' " and showing text of that portion of Dean's quote on the screen, Wallace asked Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): "[D]o you think that John McCain was an opportunist when he was supporting the troop surge, when no one else in the Congress was supporting the troop surge? Do you think John McCain was an opportunist when he refused to take early release from a North Vietnamese prison camp because he was the son of an admiral because he said he was going to stay there for years as well as all the other Americans did?" Kerry replied: "Chris, please, I think you almost insult my intelligence and my values and those of every American. Nobody ever would insinuate that John McCain is anything but a hero for his activities in -- in --." Wallace then interrupted Kerry, stating: "Well, Howard Dean called him a blatant opportunist," suggesting that Dean called McCain an opportunist because he discussed his military experience. In fact, Dean said nothing of the sort.
Rather, in a March 28 statement, Dean said:
The American people have been waiting for a president who understands the challenges they face, not another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership. John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can't change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush for the last seven years. While we honor McCain's military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn't understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.
As Media Matters for America has documented, several Fox News hosts -- including Fox & Friends co-hosts Steve Doocy and Gretchen Carlson, Live Desk host Martha MacCallum and America's Election HQ co-host Megyn Kelly -- have distorted Dean's criticism of McCain, echoing a March 29 statement from RNC chairman Robert Duncan that falsely accused Dean of "stating that Senator McCain is a 'blatant opportunist' for discussing his record of military service with the American people."
From the April 6 edition of Fox News Sunday:
WALLACE: A few days ago, Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean said this about John McCain, and let's put it up on the screen. He called him "a blatant opportunist who doesn't understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years." You complain about Republican attacks on you back in 2004. What do you think about Howard Dean calling McCain a "blatant opportunist"?
KERRY: Well, I honestly don't know what he was referring to or where that comes from. I'm not going to sit here -- I mean, the key issue here --
WALLACE: Do you think he's a blatant opportunist?
KERRY: No, I -- look, I think John McCain has taken positions in the course of trying to win the Republican nomination, whether it's the reversal and flip-flop on the intolerance with respect to Jerry Falwell and others, or whether it's the Bush tax cuts flip-flop, or whether it's this flip-flop now on the issue of Iraq, or whether it is, you know, global climate change where he has not yet signed on to Joe Lieberman and John Warner's bill. There is a clear indication of a nomination John McCain versus the Senator John McCain.
WALLACE: Well, Senator, with all due respect, I mean, every politician -- frankly, including you -- have been accused of flip-flops over the years, but do you think --
KERRY: Yeah, but --
WALLACE: -- if I may, do you think that John McCain was an opportunist when he was supporting the troop surge, when no one else in the Congress was supporting the troop surge?
KERRY: No, I don't --
WALLACE: Do you think John McCain was an opportunist when he refused to take early release from a North Vietnamese prison camp because he was the son of an admiral because he said he was going to stay there for years as well as all the other Americans did?
KERRY: Chris, please, I think you almost insult my intelligence and my values and those of every American. Nobody ever would insinuate that John McCain is anything but a hero for his activities in -- in --
WALLACE: Well, Howard Dean called him a blatant opportunist.
KERRY: Well, I think he's referring to what's happened in the period of time, I assume, with respect to the nomination. I mean, I just referred to several major reversals. Now, you know, come back to what you just said about me, et cetera. You know, the one -- the one reversal that the Republicans tried to play with my vote against an amendment that I had voted for it because I wanted pay for the war. That was a vote of principle. When the Senate refused to pay for the war and the Senate refused to demand a plan from the administration, out of principle I said, "I'm not going to vote for that." They tried -- that was not a flip-flop. That was a vote of principle. Now, you'll have to have to explain to me how voting for the Bush tax cuts after you've voted against them is not a change, a fundamental change from principle --
WALLACE: Senator, we're -- if I may, we're running out of time, but I want to ask you about new events.
C'mon, now. This is just another example of MM trying to cover up for a slip-up by a Dem.
Of course Dean was criticizing McCain for citing his service! Read the entire quote!
"The American people have been waiting for a president who understands the challenges they face, not another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership. John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can't change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush for the last seven years. While we honor McCain's military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn't understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years."
Reading comprehension not your forte?
Highlighting another portion, for the benefit of Shoes:
"The American people have been waiting for a president who understands the challenges they face, not another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership. John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can't change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush for the last seven years. While we honor McCain's military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn't understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years."
Maybe they offer an onling remedial reading course......
I would have loved to hear Kerry lecture Chris Wallace that Wallace is acting more like an advocate and not a real newsman [which is of course the truth] -- and take the discussion off in that direction. Bill Clinton had the right idea that time a few months ago, but I think he showed too much anger, and that worked against him a little. Any Democrat who goes on that show should have that as his ultimate purpose -- making Chris Wallace and FNS look like the republican monkees they are, not newsmen. Don't pretend it is a legitimate news program.
The bill is bass ackwards, it gives our common ownership of the air to polluting corporations. It makes our air a private commodity for businesses to trade.
It's ridiculous. The air belongs to all and corporations who damage our property should be liable for harm.
I don't think a liberal should ever go on Fox without the intention of making everyone of those hacks the object of scorn for which they so richly deserve to be known.
I would agree but I'd go further and say no member of the Democratic Party should go on (except to try to sabotage them as you indicated RH). The way I sort this out in my own mind is to try to picture this situation if all the relevant factors were reversed. That is if the Dems had the super shill network, not the GOP. And the GOP is in the majority in Congress, not the Dems. And the President is a Democrat. Would the GOP allow even one member to go on the Dems’ version of Fox? I think there'd be a lynching if one did. I think they would openly rail against the Democratic version of Fox and turn its’ existence to their net advantage.
What I mean by a Democratic version of Fox I concede is a difficult thing to imagine---a Dem Sean, Bill, etc. I can’t picture it either. It wouldn't be done just like Fox but it would have to have the same beneficial effect in helping the Dems win elections, is what I'm saying. The personalities would (potentially) be just as partisan and just as ruthless in the manipulation of the public and just as dishonest---but obviously it would have to be done artfully because the intended audiences would be somewhat different demographically, and in what they would accept, their biases, etcetera. But I'm only using this as a thinking aid, not advocating for it (or against it).
It seems to me that you bring a gun to a gun fight, or barring the opportunity to get a gun you at least don't make it any easier for the other guy to effectively use his. You wear a vest, stay out of range, etcetera. In this context you either avoid them or jump them when you get into their camp to use their own gun against them. To carry the analogy further, you also don't put bullets in their gun by giving them credibility in the minds of their viewers that they are fair by going on with them and not protesting them.
Say whatever you like about the GOP’s evil ways, they do know politics. We can learn from them. I’m not saying to be exactly like them, but to learn from them and adapt their techniques/attitudes to suit.
I just realized after getting this far why you probably specified that no liberal should go on. We have to compete in the red states and I suppose some Dems would have to go on Fox to maximize their chances in local races. I’ll post it anyway.
I agree. Dems need to make headway in the red states but they won't do it going on Fox and being pushovers, by accepting and arguing from conservative frames. Lefties must, I think, if we are to create a future that puts people first, we must challenge those bastards on their values and principles. Conservative corporatism, materialism and consumerism is worthy of nothing less than utter humiliation. Based on the dire consequences for our national security and well being, conservatism deserves not a moment's rest from our eternal scorn.
You're right also in that, love 'em or hate 'em, conservatives do know politics. We can learn from them.
However their political victories have been made easier because they have so infected our culture with their conservative worldview. They made such mammoth political strides, mostly to the detriment of the common good, by using gut level persuasion about the way our culture should function. They changed the fundamental assumptions of what America is and how people should behave, not through commonsense policy but by constantly assualting the liberal worldview and overrunning the public institutions that secure the common good principles. They ransacked the college campuses and intimidated the fourth estate with foot soldiers trained to fight a culture war.
While I don't believe there need be a militant progressive movement, I do believe in a greater level of aggressiveness in the promotion of the progressive worldview.
The EPA is stalling on supreme court decisions about global warming. Hoping to hold out to the next administration before holding up a limp wrist.
In a nut shell what 7+ of shrubCo has made of our government.
Chris Wallace is ridiculous.
John Kerry said "NO" when asked if he thinks McCain is a "blatant opportunist."
Then Wallace asked him one question after another about: Was McCain an opportunist when...?
It's like:
Q: Is Joe stupid?
A: No.
Q: Was Joe stupid when he got an A on his exam?
A. No.
Q: Was Joe stupid when he won an award?
A: No.
The transcript reads ridiculous. The hack wallace said "blatant opportunist" four times, and said "opportunist" six times in all. And he's supposedly citing the words of Howard Dean, but he's hammering Sen. Kerry with those words! What's up with that? When did John Kerry go on record as saying anything about McCain being an "opportunist", "blatant" or otherwise?
I doubt whatever it was Howard Dean said about "blatant opportunists", I doubt he repeated it half or a third as many times as this hack wallace did, to Sen. Kerry no less!
Kerry made an a$$ out of Wallace in that interview. He totally outmatched Wallace in their "debate" on substance, so Wallace had to resort to bringing in Dean to make the left look bad. It was pathetic. He got so befuddled when he couldn't retort Kerry's solid points on iraq . . .
I like Kerry when he's not running for office. He's an intelligent fellow.
Politicians need to start standing up to this idiotic style of questioning. Chris Wallace does it but even others such as Russert do it. Once they have answered the intitial question and the interviewer keeps asking similar questions in a "gotcha" effort, the politician needs to respond something like "Look, I've already answered that question. Weren't you paying attention? The audience heard my answer. You can go back and read the transcripts, but I'm not going to humor you and keep answering it over and over. Next question please."
You complain about Republican attacks on you back in 2004. What do you think about Howard Dean calling McCain a "blatant opportunist"?
Oh yeah... because the swift boat campaign was just two words from the GOp chairman... no wait, it was an entire CAMPAIGN funded by Republicans and silently accepted by the party, not to mentioned treated as VALID NEWS by the media. Shame on you Chris Wallace for trying to insinuate that this comment by Dean is even remotely like the shameful character assassination of John Kerry.
this is why i like obama. he refuses to participate in that garbage of a sunday morning talk show. he's clearly getting under wallace's skin by not appearing on the show and it's hilarious to see him act like a little baby with his "obama clock." wallace's interview with kerry was so like dodging grenades as opposed to the softballs he threw mccain in the earlier segment.
Simple, stay off Fox anything. Let them have thier own circle-jerks and slap each other on the arse. I think the common-taters have a bonus clause in thier contracts if the can get a "GOTCHA" quote.
Let us be real, these are not intelligent people, how do I know this, they are on FOX (we'll tell you what to say) News.