On CNN, Kurtz again falsely claimed Clark "strafed" McCain
SUMMARY: On Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz again falsely claimed that, as Kurtz worded it this time, Sen. John McCain got "strafed by [retired Gen.] Wes Clark over his Vietnam service" during Clark's appearance on Face the Nation, and also said: "I would have bet a sizable sum of money that of all the possible attacks against John McCain, the Democrats would not have gone after his Vietnam War record, which, of course, includes his capture and torture in Hanoi. Well, I was wrong." But Clark neither "strafed" McCain's Vietnam service, nor went "after his Vietnam War record."
On the July 6 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources, host Howard Kurtz repeated the false claim that Sen. John McCain got "strafed by [retired Gen.] Wes Clark over his Vietnam service" during Clark's June 29 appearance on CBS' Face the Nation. Kurtz previously wrote in a July 1 washingtonpost.com column that Clark "used" his Face the Nation appearance "to strafe John McCain over his Vietnam War record." Kurtz opened Reliable Sources by saying: "Waging war: McCain gets strafed by Wes Clark over his Vietnam service." He later said: "I would have bet a sizable sum of money that of all the possible attacks against John McCain, the Democrats would not have gone after his Vietnam War record, which, of course, includes his capture and torture in Hanoi. Well, I was wrong." He later said, "The latest round began this week when retired General Wes Clark appeared on Face the Nation and opened rhetorical fire on McCain's war record." But Clark did not "strafe[]" McCain, nor did he "go[] after his Vietnam War record." And while airing part of Clark's comments, Kurtz did not air Clark's praise of McCain as a "hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the Armed Forces as a prisoner of war."
After stating that Clark "opened rhetorical fire on McCain's war record," Kurtz aired an edited clip of Clark's comments on Face the Nation and claimed that the remarks were "all it took for the pundits to make yet another presidential campaign about a war that ended more than three decades ago." But in the video clip he aired of Clark's remarks, Kurtz omitted the portion of the exchange in which Clark described McCain as a "hero." On Face the Nation, Clark stated:
BOB SCHIEFFER (host): Well, you -- you went so far as to say that you thought John McCain was, quote -- and these are your words -- "untested and untried." And I must say, I had to read that twice, because you're talking about somebody who was a prisoner of war. He was a squadron commander of the largest squadron in the Navy. He's been on the Senate Armed Services Committee for lo these many years -- how can you say that John McCain is untested and untried, General?
CLARK: Because in the matters of national security policy-making, it's a matter of understanding risk. It's a matter of gauging your opponents, and it's a matter of being held accountable. John McCain's never done any of that in his official positions. I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the Armed Forces as a prisoner of war. He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Air -- in the Navy that he commanded, it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, "I don't know whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not. Do you want to take the risk? What about your reputation? How do we handle it" --
SCHIEFFER: Well --
CLARK: -- "publicly?" He hasn't made those calls, Bob.
SCHIEFFER: Well -- well, General, maybe he --
CLARK: So --
SCHIEFFER: Could I just interrupt you? If --
CLARK: Sure.
SCHIEFFER: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean --
CLARK: Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.
SCHIEFFER: Really?
CLARK: But Barack is not -- he is not running on the fact that he has made these national security pronouncements. He's running on his other strengths. He's running on the strengths of character, on the strengths of his communication skills, on the strengths of his judgment -- and those are qualities that we seek in our national leadership.
On Reliable Sources, Kurtz aired only portions of the exchange that followed Clark's comments that McCain was a "hero." From Reliable Sources:
KURTZ: The latest round began this week when retired General Wes Clark appeared on Face the Nation and opened rhetorical fire on McCain's war record.
[begin video clip]
CLARK: He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, "I don't know if whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not."
[video break]
SCHIEFFER: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean --
CLARK: Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.
SCHIEFFER: Really?
[end video clip]
KURTZ: That was all it took for the pundits to make yet another presidential campaign about a war that ended more than three decades ago.
As Media Matters for America noted, in a July 1 washingtonpost.com column, Kurtz asserted that "Clark used an appearance on 'Face the Nation' Sunday to strafe John McCain over his Vietnam War record." Kurtz later stated: "No one's saying that being a POW entitles you to the Oval Office or places you above criticism. But Barack Obama frequently prefaces his criticism of McCain with a nod to his honorable service. Which raises the question: What was Wes thinking?"
Also, on the July 5 edition of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, while reporting on an exchange between spokesmen for opposing Iraq war veterans groups, guest host Linda Wertheimer said that the two were "arguing about whether former General Wesley Clark went too far in attacking John McCain's military record." As Media Matters has repeatedly noted, Clark did not "attack[] John McCain's military record."
From the July 6 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources:
KURTZ: Waging war: McCain gets strafed by Wes Clark over his Vietnam service. Obama still battling rumors about his patriotism and his religion.
[...]
KURTZ: I would have bet a sizable sum of money that of all the possible attacks against John McCain, the Democrats would not have gone after his Vietnam War record, which, of course, includes his capture and torture in Hanoi. Well, I was wrong. And I was reasonably certain that by now the media would set the record straight on these scurrilous rumors that Barack Obama is a secret Muslim, or in the latest crazy iteration, a gay Muslim. But plenty of people are telling reporters they still believe it. Which leads me to this question: Do journalists have the will and the ability to police unfair attacks and deep-six the garbage?
The latest round began this week when retired General Wes Clark appeared on Face the Nation and opened rhetorical fire on McCain's war record.
[begin video clip]
CLARK: He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, "I don't know if whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not."
[video break]
SCHIEFFER: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean --
CLARK: Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.
SCHIEFFER: Really?
[end video clip]
KURTZ: That was all it took for the pundits to make yet another presidential campaign about a war that ended more than three decades ago.
[...]
KURTZ: Sure, it made national news. But it went on to day three and four and five. And by the way, the Obama campaign did say to me, among others, that they certainly did not tell General Clark to say that.
DAVID CORN (Mother Jones Washington bureau chief): Well, it made national news because national media loves nothing better than a catfight. And the McCain camp saw an opportunity to make it a catfight. Over and over again this week, the headline was that Wesley Clark attacks John McCain's military record in Vietnam.
I've read this; I don't think it's an attack on his military record. In the same comments he said, "He was a hero to me." You don't call someone a hero if you're attacking them. But he was making the argument, whether true or not -- and this is what we can evaluate -- whether his military service and what happened to him as a POW has any bearing on whether he should be president or not. Now people can make -- can argue that point, but it wasn't a criticism of what he did in Vietnam the way the Swift Boat people criticized and actually called Kerry a fraud for what he did. So I think that's -- I think the media has actually misportrayed this in a pretty fundamental way.
From the July 5 edition of National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday:
WERTHEIMER: The shouting matches this week on cable TV had a military air.
HEGSETH: Jon, let me speak. Senator Obama --
SOLTZ: The entire blogosphere is supporting Senator -- or General Clark.
HEGSETH: The blogosphere, the Daily Kos and the Huffington Post and all those folks on the far left -- let me speak --
[end audio clip]
WERTHEIMER: Pete Hegseth and Jon Soltz, here on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, arguing about whether former General Wesley Clark went too far in attacking John McCain's military record. Hegseth and Soltz lead opposing veterans' organizations -- one conservative, one liberal -- in a year when veterans may have an unusually strong political voice. NPR's Peter Overby reports.
includes his capture and torture in Hanoi.
Kurtz name on Democratic figure who has "attacked" McCain for his service and capture and torture in Vietnam? Just one. LIAR
at least kurtz let someone say the truth - Clark was not attacking McCain's "service" - but it is fair to ask "does military service automatically qualified to be the president".
I'm sick of these blowhards deliberately pretending to NOT GET what he really meant.
but kurtz's coded, heavily analogyzed rhetoric (straffing) was completely inappropriate, from a point of journalistic style.
Clark was not attacking McCain's "service" - but it is fair to ask "does military service automatically [make one] qualified to be the president".
Clark didn't say that, either.
Technically true. But it's a lot closer to what he did say.
That was the crux of his comments.
"...but kurtz's coded, heavily analogyzed rhetoric (straffing) was completely inappropriate, from a point of journalistic style."
Yeah, but from the standpoint of trying to help his fellow Republican get elected, Republican Liar Kurtz's despicable actions were to be expected.
Thanks to the Republican Party nothing is sacred in politics anymore. The right to vote used to be considered sacred...until Republicans, at the urging of Rush Limbaugh, came out in droves and falsely voted as Democrats in the Democratic primaries to try to manipulate the Democratic selection process. War time military service use to be sacred...until the Republicans smeared John Kerry with attacks regarding the medals he won in war time service.
Wesley Clark did take a shot a McCain over McCain's war time service...in the context that McCain's service did not translate into qualification for the Presidency, a fair commentary. If the Republicans are upset about Clark delving into an area considered scrosanct then tough shet...the Republicans opened that door.
"Thanks to the Republican Party nothing is sacred in politics anymore. The right to vote used to be considered sacred...until Republicans, at the urging of Rush Limbaugh, came out in droves and falsely voted as Democrats in the Democratic primaries to try to manipulate the Democratic selection process. War time military service use to be sacred...until the Republicans smeared John Kerry with attacks regarding the medals he won in war time service.
Wesley Clark did take a shot a McCain over McCain's war time service...in the context that McCain's service did not translate into qualification for the Presidency, a fair commentary. If the Republicans are upset about Clark delving into an area considered scrosanct then tough shet...the Republicans opened that door."
Yes, they did. Now the corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media is seeking to CLOSE the door.
The right wing corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media validated and endorsed each and every lie that the Swift Boat Liars told about Kerry, and/or attacked any person or group who exposed them as liars, in 2004. The corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media wanted Liar Bush to be re-elected in 2004, and they want Liar McCain elected this year.
Or that John McCain's dark-skinned adopted daughter was the product of a McCain liason with a black woman...1999 rumor courtesy of George W. Bush and Karl Rove.
These people are shameless...beneath contempt.
"Or that John McCain's dark-skinned adopted daughter was the product of a McCain liason with a black woman...1999 rumor courtesy of George W. Bush and Karl Rove.
These people are shameless...beneath contempt."
So is Liar McCain, since he now embraces these "people" as his allies.
Of course Wesley Clark's remarks were distorted.
But...
1. I notice when Kerry was "swiftboated" this was viewed by the media as a win for the Republicans. Then when Clark was accused of swiftboating McCain this was viewed by the media as a win for the Republicans.
2. Gore Vidal in an interview with the NY Times Magazine section said, I think seriously, that anyone who goes to West Point as Vidal and McCain both did is a liar and anyone who trusts McCain's story is gullible.
3. McCain is described by the media as a "war hero" and I never once remember Kerry being described as a "war hero".
I believe John McCain graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy...
Nevertheless, I agree that it is gullible to believe that John McCain's war record is 100% accurate. The military is known to sanitize war records to create heroes. (Look at Pat Tillman,,,) Secondly, McCain's father was an Admiral in charge of all U.S. military operations in Viet Nam. Does anyone seriously believe that John McCain would not have been made into a hero because of his father. Not saying that what McCain, like many others, went through wasn't very bad. I'd just approach the official version with a bit of skepticism.
"I believe John McCain graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy..."
...reportedly McCain was at the near bottom of his graduating class. The lower 3%, I heard.
That's an excellent point Werner...
Kerry was never called a "War Hero." You're right. That privilege is reserved for conservatives.
Remind me again how the press is in Obama's pocket and constantly trashes McCain?
Because MALKIN ANGRY, MALKIN SMASH CNN...
But seriously, do they have to write a 5 page bio anytime someone in the MSM talks about anyone else?
"Because MALKIN ANGRY, MALKIN SMASH CNN..."
It should be noted that Republican Kurtz did a pro-Republican puff piece about Republican Hate Hag Liar Michelle Malkin in the right wing conservative Washington Post a few years ago.
Howie's money quote...
The only line worth remembering from all of Kurtz's blathering is this one: "... Well, I was wrong."
And Howie, judging from your record, intentionally so.
"Kurtz and Schieffer are both hopeless. Either they do not have sense enough to know what they are saying or they have joined in the republican campaign effort."
BOTH Kurtz and Schieffer are right wing Republican liars, and this was BEFORE they lied about Clark's comments.
Liar Bush appointed Schieffer's brother to an ambassadorship, and Liar Kurtz's wife is a Republican political consultant. BOTH Kurtz and Schieffer are 2 of MANY partisan Republicans throughout the corporatist conservative Republican Party controlled news media, and BOTH want Liar McCain to get elected.
I don't think Clark was ever seriously in the running. My bet is on Sen Webb from VA. Career Navy guy, so that negates any advantage McCain may have in that regard. Plus, Webb is against the occupation too. So, Webb could pick up the military vote for Obama and a large portion of the Independents not in favor of the occupation. Just my two cents............
If that's all we can muster, you're in good shape.
Sen. Allen's crash/burn against Webb was a real spectacle to watch. Webb basically just sat back and watched Allen commit political suicide.
I think Webb, or one of his advisers, may have said the same thing.
Also, I don't think the Democrats wanted to risk a recently won Senate Seat in Virginia, since it's very difficult for Democrats to get elected to the Senate in Virginia, even though Webb obviously did.
My bet is on Sen Webb from VA.
Webb removed himself from the running this morning.
Pity. He would have been a good choice.
"Was what Clark said true? Yes. Was it prudent to say, no."
So now we have to walk around on ice cubes making sure we don't say what's true, if there's a good chance that corporate media dirtbags will be able to somehow use the truthful statement in a deceptive and deceitful way?
Has the corporate media cowed us down to this level? I think we better kick some right-wing ass.
I said nothing to justify the media's reaction to the comment. Nothing at all, other than acknowledge that he was right.
Sorry 8 Homes McCain, but the media looooves to twist and take out of context speakers from both sides. Yeah, you walk on ice cubes if you're a public figure.
I agree. I would be surprised if Clarke actually does become the VP. It would show some chutzpah by Obama for sure.
Personally I like Wes very much. He is not quite a practiced politician, but I think that is what I like best about him.
Conservatives don't walk on ice cubes. Why? Because they know the corporations will cover for them...
We don't need to walk on ice cubes. We need to kick some corporate media ass. Until we start doing so, we're going to be at a disadvantage.
Your solution to a lot of "problems" says a lot about you.
"Sorry 8 Homes McCain, but the media looooves to twist and take out of context speakers from both sides. Yeah, you walk on ice cubes if you're a public figure."
Yeah, but they love to do it more to Democrats than they do Republicans. That's why they are a corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media.
When Republicans tell outright dissemblies and lies, the corporate conservative Republican Party controlled media either says nothing, and/or act as apologists for the comments, and/or they attack any person or group who calls the Republicans on their lies.
The corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media wants Liar McCain to get elected, even more than they wanted Liar Bush to get elected in 2000, and to get re-elected in 2004.
"Was what Clark said true? Yes. Was it prudent to say, no."
"So now we have to walk around on ice cubes making sure we don't say what's true, if there's a good chance that corporate media dirtbags will be able to somehow use the truthful statement in a deceptive and deceitful way?
Has the corporate media cowed us down to this level? I think we better kick some right-wing ass."
Yes, we should. The corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media wants Liar McCain to get elected. This same corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media wanted Liar Bush elected in 2000. They favored Bush for president in 1999, before he even entered the 2000 Republican primary.
This corporate conservative Republican Party controlled news media is attacking any person or group that criticizes Liar McCain and/or any other lying Republican. They attacked Ed Schultz http://www.wegoted.com when he correctly called McCain a warmonger.
Hey Howie,
There's a big difference between saying that a piece of one's personal history isn't a qualifier for being President and "strafing someone" for that part of one's history.
They aren't the same thing at all.
This has been explained in the media multiple times over the past few days? How can it possibly be that you've missed it?
Part of your job description as a host for "Reliable Sources" and as a media critic are to be aware of what's happening and the underlying issues in the media. Those are some of the qualifications that would make someone do a good job in your roles. You aren't doing a good job.
Kurtz gets a pretty sizable hunk of crap into these lines;
"Well, I was wrong. And I was reasonably certain that by now the media would set the record straight on these scurrilous rumors that Barack Obama is a secret Muslim, or in the latest crazy iteration, a gay Muslim. But plenty of people are telling reporters they still believe it."
First of all, "scurrilous" doesn't mean "false", so Kurtz has even passed up this opportunity to do what he's amazed that the media isn't doing.
"Which leads me to this question: Do journalists have the will and the ability to police unfair attacks and deep-six the garbage?"
Apparently not, Mr. Kurtz, since you've repeated another load of garbage without definitively saying that it's garbage, and added to the new pile of garbage regarding Clark.
It seems that we not only have to deal with the likes of Rush Limberger and Billy O, but with CNN, MSNBC, and the rest of the "liberal" media as well.
If old SNOOPY is lookin' fer places to eat in New Orleans, all he has to do is ax!
I just e-mailed Kurtz...
This guy is pathetic. Media critic my ass.
I would have bet a sizable sum of money that of all the possible attacks against John McCain, the Democrats would not have gone after his Vietnam War record...
Psst...Howie - it didn't happen. Quit being a tool.