On Cavuto, Floyd Brown claimed Obama has "a pattern of weakness" on crime; likened Chicago to Baghdad
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SUMMARY: On Fox News' Your World, Floyd Brown, creator of a new ad claiming that Sen. Barack Obama is "weak in the war on gangs," asserted: "[I]n Chicago, we saw six people killed and over 31 injured. People were stabbed. This is, you know, like Baghdad. And he was the state senator there, and he didn't do anything to clean it up, and I think it's a legitimate issue." Host Neil Cavuto gave no indication that Obama has responded to the ad, much less provide Obama's response.
On the April 23 edition of Fox News' Your World, host Neil Cavuto interviewed Floyd Brown, creator of the infamous Willie Horton ad, who recently released an ad that attacks Sen. Barack Obama over a 2001 vote he cast in the Illinois Senate in opposition to H.B. 1812, which would have, among other things, made defendants eligible for the death penalty for committing a murder in furtherance of the activities of an organized gang. The ad concludes by asking about Obama, "Can a man so weak in the war on gangs be trusted in the war on terror?" During the interview, Cavuto noted the ad's question about Obama and terrorism and asked: "[Y]ou are implying, since he was presumably ineffective at dealing with some of these issues in his own home turf, how could he deal with guys meaning us harm, I guess terrorists. It's a bit of a leap, don't you think?" Brown replied: "I don't think so at all. What you have is a pattern of weakness, a pattern of a man who hasn't been able to stand up against tough situations. I mean, just this past weekend, Neil, in Chicago, we saw six people killed and over 31 injured. People were stabbed. This is, you know, like Baghdad. And he was the state senator there, and he didn't do anything to clean it up, and I think it's a legitimate issue." Cavuto gave no indication that Obama had responded to the ad, much less provide Obama's response.
Obama's campaign issued a statement in response to the ad, which said in part: "Floyd Brown and the garbage he puts on TV represent everything the American people hate about politics, and we look forward to John McCain denouncing this shameful effort to boost his candidacy using Willie Horton ads." The campaign also posted a Fact Check, which, among other things, listed legislation Obama voted for in the state senate targeting gang violence:
- HB4788 (5/13/04): According to its synopsis, the bill "[c]reates the offense of criminal street gang recruitment on school grounds. Provides that a person commits the offense when on school grounds he or she threatens the use of physical force to coerce, solicit, recruit, or induce another person to join or remain a member of a criminal street gang, or conspires to do so. Provides that criminal street gang recruitment on school grounds is a Class 4 felony."
- HB506 (5/7/03): The bill provides "that if the State presents evidence that the offense committed by the defendant was related to or in furtherance of the criminal activities of an organized gang or was motivated by the defendant's membership in or allegiance to an organized gang, and if the court determines that the evidence may be substantiated, the court shall prohibit the defendant from associating with other members of the organized gang as a condition of bail or release."
- HB2529 (5/13/03): "Amends the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act," so that it "[i]ncludes in the definition of 'course or pattern of criminal activity', acts of criminal defacement of property if the defacement includes a sign or other symbol intended to identify the streetgang."
- SB400 (3/18/1999): "Permits the court, as a condition of probation, to require that the minor undergo a medical or other procedure to have a tattoo symbolizing allegiance to a street gang removed from his or her body."
- HB2287 (5/9/97): "Makes it unlawful for a peace officer or correctional officer to knowingly commit an act in furtherance of gang-related activities, except when acting in furtherance of an undercover law enforcement investigation."
Cavuto also left out any mention of the reasons Obama gave at the time for voting against the bill identified in the ad. During the Senate debate, he said that the bill could be used to "target particular neighborhoods, particular individuals," while the death penalty should be applied "absolutely uniform across the board." Cavuto also failed to note that then-Gov. George H. Ryan (R) vetoed the bill, stating that it was "misdirected in light of existing laws, constitutional concerns and our past history of erroneously sentencing individuals to death."
Media Matters for America has documented other examples of media figures uncritically airing or repeating the assertions put forth in Brown's ad attacking Obama.
From the April 23 edition of Fox News' Your World with Neil Cavuto:
CAVUTO: Attack ad mania, 13 days ahead of the North Carolina primary. Just hours ago, a conservative group releasing this ad, hammering both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. All right, it was a pretty nasty ad. I'll get to the details as we discuss it with my next guest.
Floyd Brown is the man behind it. He is the president of the National Campaign Fund, and Floyd, the rap against the ad, and I hope to show it very shortly, is that there's implied racism in it, and equating a lot of the riots that were going on in Chicago and the uprisings in Chicago with the city councilman at the time, state senator at the time, Barack Obama at the time, with having any ability to deal with that. Is that fair?
BROWN: That's not fair at all, Neil. In fact, it's a bunch of bunk. And if you look at the polling results real carefully what you'll find is that the racism that exists, exists inside the Democratic primary voters. In fact, if you analyze the vote from Pennsylvania real closely what you're going to see is a lot of those Hillary voters voted against Barack just because he was black. You don't see that same kind of racism in the Republican Party.
CAVUTO: OK, but the rap against the ad, Floyd, is that it's implied racism. Is it?
BROWN: It's not. I challenge anybody to watch the advertisement.
CAVUTO: What are you trying to say in the ad?
BROWN: Well, in the coin ad, we're talking about taxes, and we are talking about -- you know -- licenses for illegal aliens, and the other ad that I released, the victims ad, we talked about victims, several of which were African-American, and you know this is a serious issue -- crime. You can't say every time you talk about crime, you're talking about racism. You know, not all criminals are black, and not all criminals are white, but victims are both black and white. This isn't racism; this is about an important issue where Barack Obama has had no leadership, the crime issue.
CAVUTO: All right, so, what some are charging for -- and I think the gist of their argument is that you are implying, since he was presumably ineffective at dealing with some of these issues in his own home turf, how could he deal with guys meaning us harm, I guess terrorists. It's a bit of a leap, don't you think?
BROWN: I don't think so at all. What you have is a pattern of weakness, a pattern of a man who hasn't been able to stand up against tough situations. I mean, just this past weekend, Neil, in Chicago, we saw six people killed and over 31 injured. People were stabbed. This is, you know, like Baghdad. And he was the state senator there, and he didn't do anything to clean it up, and I think it's a legitimate issue.
CAVUTO: OK, now have any of the McCain people, Floyd, talked to you as they did my last guest, Brent Woodcox, and told you, "Pull this ad"?
BROWN: First of all, Neil, that would be a violation of campaign rules --
CAVUTO: I know that, but it wasn't a violation of them sending a letter to the prior guest, so did they do anything like that with you?
BROWN: No, and why in the world would they try to violate the law? I don't see -- the Congress has made it very clear: Independent campaigns are not to be coordinated at all with major presidential campaigns.
CAVUTO: Absolutely, but they can voice frustration with an ad that they think might speak for them when they say that it does not. So no one -- let me just say, no one from the McCain campaign has contacted you or expressed frustration or opposition to that?
BROWN: Neil, that would be a violation of the current campaign finance laws, and I don't see them doing it.
CAVUTO: Well, then they violated it with my last guest, because they told him take the ad down.
BROWN: Well, he's with the Republican Party; I'm not. I'm with an independent committee. I don't have anything to do with their campaign, and so, I don't expect to be getting any kind of letter or communication from them, because that would be a clear violation of the law.
CAVUTO: All right, Floyd Brown, thank you very much.
2006, Chicago - 453 homicides, Baghad - about 20,000
I wasn't expecting the Swift Boating till summer.
Mr Cavuto,
Perhaps you should quit your job...... that or never again should you be permitted to speak about matters that pertain to our form of government at any level......
First of all.... comparing Chicago to Baghdad..... is this to score points with your weak minded fans? To get them all scared about that 'bitter' black man.... or are you just stupid?
Second..... a state senator has as much to do with cleaning up crime in Chicago as a baseball player has with performing surgery......
Yes, he was a representative to a Chicago district.... but it is the city aldermann that ultimately would have something to say about crime in that section of the city.....
All Barack could do is petition a bill in Springfield that might further fund the Chicago police or give some extra money for security in other areas....
Only a pathetic small minded dimwit would be so pathetic at trying to blame Barack for not doing enough to fight crime..... or perhaps you knew that and are an unethical lying sleezeball?
FOX Noise....... CRAP!
Pigs.
They love McCain. Don't let them tell you he's not conservative enough, he's fine by them. He'll continue the death in Iraq.
But War on Gangs? F**k your fearful, violent worldview you idiot pant pissing cons. Everything is war and profit with you twisted f**ks. Let's just send in the Pinkertons, I mean Blackwater. They don't have to follow the law and they can turn the whole country into a hot zone.
Gang violence is the result of poverty and is best neutralized by showing gratitude for working poor people by enabling them to prosper through access to healthcare, education and living wages.
And now Limbaugh is inciting riots in Denver during the Democratic convention. The hypocricy of you thug Republicans disgusts me.
Obama can be pretty tough as well. I don't know if you would call him a "pant p*ssing con" but he seems to "get it" in my view.
From the Factcheck link:
Obama Voted For Tougher Penalties For Gang Activity.
Obama Voted To Prohibit Released Gang Members From Associating With Old Gang
Obama Voted To Make Recruiting For A Gang At School A Crime
Obama Voted To Permit The Required Removal Of A Minor's Tattoo Symbolizing Allegiance To A Street Gang As A Condition For Probation
Obama Voted To Criminalize Willful Gang Activity By A Peace Or Corrections Officer
Obama Sponsored Bill To Extend Death Penalty For 1st Degree Murder Within 500FT Of A Place Of Worship
Obama Supported Extending the Death Penalty For Certain Domestic Violence Cases
Obama Voted In Favor Of The Death Penalty For People Who Murdered Disabled People Knowing That They Were Disabled And For Senior Citizens.
Don't forget that they are also pigs. ;)
So what do you think of your boy Limbaugh calling for riots in the streets of Denver during the convention? He's seriously damaged and damages the name good folks like yourself bruce.
Now now Roundhouse.
I wouldn't tag Bruce, or anyone else for that matter with Rush's words, anymore than I would tag Obama with Wright's alleged controversial sermon, unless of course someone were repeating said words and passing them off as something that they believed in.
Know what I mean? I seldom see Bruce, and even other of our more conservative friends in here posting anything that reflects the Limbaugh world (I'm talking about the conservatives in here with a brain, and actual thoughts, not the repeaters, and you all know who I mean by that no doubt).
Despite the fact that I illustrated it poorly, that was kinda my point too. The guilt by association trip isn't fair.
Air America is dying because of poor management. Nova M is thriving because it is primarily listener funded.
Thanks for the tip!
I mainly like Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow on AAR as being "reasonable" progressives. The Mike Malloys and Randi Rhodes of the world, I won't give them any of my time. They have a niche following but I don't like their style.
I guess I'm a niche guy. I like Malloy and Rhodes they're in your face liberals and I think in our current political moment you can't cut the right wing much slack. I mean, I bet you're a real nice guy, in person bruce but your support of conservatism has screwed us all. I don't think your politics deserves merit. Conservatism has been a dismal disaster.
But as our sons and daughters die for the occupation of Iraq, as families have their homes foreclosed, as we fall behind in education, pay polluters to continue polluting have a nice weekend, bruce.
Bruce, you're probably a Thom Hartmann fan then, yes? He's on the dial from 12-3 on Air America, and I hope when they go under he switches to Nova. The man is a walking encyclopedia of American History
Can you imagine an oval office that doesn't micromanage torture sessions? Can you imagine no preemptive wars that indiscriminantly targeted civilians for the sake shocking and awing the world into utter hatred for America? Feet to the fire indeed.
Can you imagine what a strong coordinated and efficient rescue for New Orleans would have looked like? Feet to the fire indeed. You cons gut public services like FEMA to make the argument that the private sector does it better. It's sick.
Can you imagine what our economy would look like today had banking regulations and government oversight still been in tact? Feet to the fire indeed. That stupid hands off market fundamentalism crap has taken ownership of the economy from we the people, placed it in the hands of the elite few and left us all so vulnerable to financial ruin.
Feet to the fire my foot.
No. You cons and the multiple Dems, who stood by and permitted this mess to occur, need to slink away in disgrace for the damage you have brought to our country.
I like ya bruce, I like your grace and charm but your conservative politics are for the birds.
I looked at the link to the bill in question. It was vetoed by the Republican Governor Ryan. His reasoning is registered here:
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/legisnet92/hbgroups/hb/920HB1812gms.html
It turns out that gang related murder was already subject to capital punishment upon conviction. Whooda thunk it? The bill is apparently just chest-thumping.
Once again, wingnuts try to punish Obama for being too darn thoughtful and unwilling to harumph along with the rest of their bitter mob.
But republicans don't care if innocent people are killed. Just look at shock and awe or look at New Orleans for something closer to home.
There seems to be this tendency elsewhere in the media-- it's suddenly Fear and Loathing time all over the news.
Our cities are Baghdad, cults are molesting our children, your kids aren't safe anywhere, immigrants are buying up our food supplies, North Korea is going Arab--you name it, it's Panicsville again in Republican media-land.
Happens every big election year-- and it's gonna get worse before November. They're going to try to drive the American people into a tizzy.
Even though this is typical of the media, this incident really pissed me off. Ignoring Brown, let's look at the failings of the "host".
"Floyd Brown is the man behind it. He is the president of the National Campaign Fund" -- and the Willie Horton guy, the most obvious bit of context in the world an honest host would supply to his viewers.
Brown: "the racism that exists, exists inside the Democratic primary voters." Cavuto: "OK" -- no, it's not OK. It's inflammatory and completely unsupported. Something tells me Cavuto would not move on if a liberal did what Brown did.
"but the rap against the ad, Floyd, is that it's implied racism." -- no, the rap is everything MMFA listed here.
"since he was presumably ineffective at dealing with some of these issues in his own home turf" -- first, a single bill isn't "some". An incident of violence isn't "some" either, as then every politician in the country would "fail". More importantly, some viewers are too busy to figure out if the "presumably" is valid or not. They have other jobs. Cavuto doesn't have another job. His job is to get to the bottom of the "presumably". If he doesn't do that job, he and the channel he's on have no reason for existence.
"It's a bit of a leap, don't you think?" -- a pretend challenge intended to allow the guest to get his full message out unimpeded, which is then followed up by "OK" like every other lie the guest spewed. Challenges to liberal guests, by contrast, are intended to block the guest's message getting out.
I know Cavuto is a particularly egregious example of a host. But the others have the same failings, which are exhibited again and again.
This little example should be in textbooks. It's a microcosm of everything wrong with the media. The problem isn't that the guest is a conservative and on the "fringe". The problem isn't that the guest is lying. The problem is what the host did and didn't do.
Media bias studies frequently look at the guests. They never look at the hosts. If two shows each have 50% conservative and 50% liberal guests, one show could be conservatively biased and one show could be liberally biased, dependent entirely on the host. And the host's biased isn't determined by who he gave money to, who he worked for 30 years ago, or even who he voted for. It's determined by what he says and does on his show.
When is Cavuto gonna point out John McCain's "weakness" in not doing anything about the gang problems in Phoenix??
I won't hold my breath...
If they would give equal time to John Hagee's repulsive remarks, they could at least retain the pretense of objectivity, though the news value would still be miniscule.
Speaking of Chicago, how many heavily armed policemen were killed there last year? Now, how many American and Iraqi soldiers were killed in Baghdad last year? This is the same bogus analogy that Rush Limbaugh tried to float when he was poo-pooing American casualties in Iraq. And these people claim to "support the troops"?. Lying scumbags.
They kept changing the cities, and or states that they would reference. I think I remember hearing Detroit, Philly, NYC, LA, and others dumped in there. The warbloggers were all over that one as well, except for the fact that the comparisons they were making were for US troops killed, and not for all deaths, which is the comparison that you'd have to make. Unless you cited statistics for say, how many police officers died in the line of duty in those cities, then you could start to make a sort of comparison, but still, not really.
Think about the VT shootings last year. Think about the ink, endless speculation, tributes, outpourings of support, and everything else tied up with that horrible event. Now think about something like and more happening every day for years on end, then you might approach what happens in Baghdad on a daily basis, not to mention what happens around the rest of the country of Iraq.