CNN's Yellin uncritically aired unidentified woman's false assertion that Wright's "avowed interest was the elimination of the Jewish race"
SUMMARY: In a report on Sen. Barack Obama's outreach to Jewish voters in Florida, CNN's Jessica Yellin aired a quote from an unidentified woman who said that Obama "was affiliated with someone whose avowed interest was the elimination of the Jewish race, and that was Reverend [Jeremiah] Wright." Yellin did not challenge or contradict the woman's false assertion.
In a May 22 report on CNN's The Situation Room about Sen. Barack Obama's outreach to Jewish voters in Florida that same day, Capitol Hill correspondent Jessica Yellin said that "Jewish voters in a South Florida community Obama visits today have mixed views." During the report, Yellin aired statements from four unidentified women, including one who said of Obama: "He was affiliated with someone whose avowed interest was the elimination of the Jewish race, and that was Reverend [Jeremiah] Wright, and it's a very unsavory connection." Yellin did not challenge or contradict the woman's false assertion.
From the May 22 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
[begin video clip]
YELLIN: As Obama courts Florida's Jewish voters, he has his work cut out for him. This ad by a Republican Jewish group accusing him of anti-Israeli views is running in three local papers and critics are playing on Jewish fears.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 1: We know that his alliances are Reverend Wright, Louis Farrakhan, known haters of the state of Israel.
YELLIN: Yet Obama has denounced both men.
OBAMA: I pledge to you that I will do whatever I can, in whatever capacity, to not only ensure Israel's security, but also to ensure that the people of Israel are able to thrive and prosper.
YELLIN: Jewish voters tend to be reliable Democrats, but a significant minority are wary of an Obama presidency. John Kerry won 80 percent of the Jewish vote in 2004, but a recent Gallup poll shows only 61 percent say they would vote for Obama in November. Jewish concerns include Obama's past association with Reverend Wright; false rumors that he's Muslim; praise he received from a Hamas leader; and, most significantly, Obama's offer to hold talks with the leader of Iran, a sworn enemy of Israel.
OBAMA: That doesn't mean that we would not have preparation. ... But what I have said is that, at some point, I would be willing to meet.
YELLIN: Jewish voters in a South Florida community Obama visits today have mixed views.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 2: He was affiliated with someone whose avowed interest was the elimination of the Jewish race, and that was Reverend Wright, and it's a very unsavory connection.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 3: Well, you hear the people saying that he's anti- -- an anti-Semite, that he is Muslim. ... I don't feel that way. I really don't.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN 4: I think we will find that he will be a good friend to the Jews, and he'll be a good friend to everyone.
[end video clip]
YELLIN: Now, Wolf, I'll tell you the campaign points out that the same Gallup poll I cited earlier showing Obama getting 61 percent of the Jewish vote -- that's double the Jewish vote that McCain would get. The campaign -- the Obama campaign feels very strongly that, as soon as Jewish voters learn more about Barack Obama's positions, as soon as they learn that he is Christian and not Muslim, as soon as they have a chance to talk to him, they will come around to voting for him in November. And he has a chance to talk to all these folks any minute now.
WOLF BLITZER (host): He'll be walking into this synagogue very soon. We'll go there live once he starts his remarks. Jessica, thanks very much.
Oh for crying out loud, cute, MMFA. Nice way to slime the Wright issue back up here under the guise of some unidentified woman's ignorance. How incredibly transparent.
Hillary must have called.
Indeed it is amazing how some wingnuts on here can find a way to make things like this the fault of MMFA, instead of the media outlet actually responsible for the misinformation.
Tommy is particularly good at that kind of error.
I kinda agree with you here. The actual piece of misinformation is what Yellin said while introducing these opinions:
"...Jewish concerns include Obama's past association with Reverend Wright;"
Want to clarify that, Ms. Yellin? Is there any evidence that Rev. Wright is anti-semetic or has said anything anti-semetic? And is Wright's expressing anger that Israel is killing and starving Palestinians anti-semetic?
So, Tommy, if you are looking for the misinformation, I helped you find. And so ends Onionhead Jones and the Search for Ms. Information.
Careful, Captain Above-it-all. Your stripes are showing.
Just when I think Tommy's comments here couldn't get any more ridiculous, he goes an outdoes himself.
Tommy, if you really can't see the misinformation which MMFA is dutifully reporting here, then there is truly no hope for you.
More cause for rejoice on the part of the right-wing slime machine (including its members who are supporting Hillary).
Too see the fruits of their labor given airtime by the "liberal" media must really give them confidence heading into the main event.
The more relentless they are with their smear campaign, the more people they can keep from listening to Obama's own message and the more people they can get to shove aside the kitchen table issues to dwell on crap like this.
It would be one thing to have a live interview with someone who says something stupid. It would be harder to blame CNN for that.
In this case it's easy to blame CNN and its reporter, because this time the reporter edited her report to purposely include this woman's ridiculous comments.
The only valid reason to include comments like this would be if you were going to contradict them with facts to demonstrate how some voters are misinformed. There's no good reason to have shown this woman's comments without correcting them.
The only valid reason to include comments like this would be if you were going to contradict them with facts to demonstrate how some voters are misinformed. There's no good reason to have shown this woman's comments without correcting them.
Given that CNN seems to be constantly competing with FOX, neither network needs a valid reason for its choice of stories other than to satisfying its "base," a base group that thrives on stupidity. It should surprise no-one that both these cable "news" organizations spend more time on spin than on information. While the folks on FAUX "news" tend to be blatant liars, many of those on CNN tend to favor the misinformed with the microphones. Nor should we be surprised that there are some not merely misinformed Jews in the Jewish community but some who don't ask questions and others downright nasty. (We read about the four sons at each Passover Seder. Just because we encourage some basic literacy by bar or bat mitzvah age doesn't mean that we're all bright, literate and moral! Wearing a yarmulke doesn't guarantee an intelligent mind!)
here's some of it.
Typical neo-con trash.
It's easy to get someone to lie on TV these days. Lots of people are in substantial debt. She is a paid shill.
This woman serves the Jewish people in no way. She only serves her own interests. She is a liar.
Shame on CNN for giving her a platform.
Wright has called Israel an illegal state and has called for the United States to stop support of this illegal state. Obama has said he wants direct talks with the foremost enemy of Israel, Iran -- and Ahmadinejad has called for the elimination of Israel. Then there is the Wright/Farrakhan support issue. No wonder some jews would think Obama is associated with someone who wants to eliminate the jewish race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrB2VnIqA88
http://english.aljazeera.net/English/archive/archive?ArchiveId=15816