CNN Election Center yet to report McCain's claim that he "voted to condemn" the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terror group is false
SUMMARY: On July 9, CNN Election Center uncritically aired Sen. John McCain's false claim that he "voted to condemn" the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization "when a amendment was on the floor of the United States Senate" -- the Kyl-Lieberman amendment. However, a July 10 CNN.com blog post reported that "McCain was in New York instead of being in the Senate chamber for the vote in question. The McCain campaign admits the error." But CNN Election Center has yet to report that the McCain campaign has admitted that McCain's assertion was false.
As Media Matters for America documented, on the July 9 edition of CNN Election Center, anchor Campbell Brown uncritically aired Sen. John McCain's false claim that he "voted to condemn" the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization "when a amendment was on the floor of the United States Senate." In fact, McCain did not vote on the amendment to which he was referring, the Kyl-Lieberman amendment. In an entry posted on CNN.com's Political Ticker blog at 5:30 p.m. ET on July 10*, Evan Glass and Kerith McFadden wrote that "McCain was in New York instead of being in the Senate chamber for the vote in question. The McCain campaign admits the error but points to their candidate's tough stance against the country President Bush once grouped into the 'axis of evil.' " Yet while CNN.com reported that the McCain campaign has admitted its error, the July 10 edition of CNN Election Center failed to do so, despite having aired McCain's falsehood.
During the July 9 edition of Election Center, Brown also uncritically aired McCain's false suggestion that Obama opposed designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, as Media Matters further documented. However, neither Brown nor anyone else noted on the July 10 edition of Election Center that Obama co-sponsored a bill in 2007 that would have designated the group as such, even though the Political Ticker post noted that fact. As with his false claim that he "voted to condemn" the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, McCain's assertion that Obama "refused to vote" on an amendment that would have designated the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization referred to the Kyl-Lieberman amendment. However, Obama said he would have voted against that amendment because it "states that our military presence in Iraq should be used to counter Iran," not because the resolution expressed the sense of the Senate that "the United States should designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organization."
The July 10 Political Ticker post, in its entirety:
It turns out that John McCain made an off-the-mark error when he launched at Barack Obama this week over Iran's missile tests.
In a statement criticizing Obama's positions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the organization claiming credit for the missile launches, McCain wrote, "This is the same organization that I voted to condemn as a terrorist organization when an amendment was on the floor of the United States Senate. Senator Obama refused to vote."
The problem with the critique? McCain also missed that vote on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on September 26, 2007. Records show that Obama was in New Hampshire and McCain was in New York instead of being in the Senate chamber for the vote in question.
The McCain campaign admits the error but points to their candidate's tough stance against the country President Bush once grouped into the "axis of evil."
"Its time to make the Iranians understand that this kind of violation of international treaties, this kind of threat, threatening of their neighbors, continued military activity is not without cost," McCain said on Wednesday.
Despite Obama's voting absence, his campaign is touting legislation he sponsored in March 2007 (S. 970) which also would have designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Obama's legislation never had a vote in the Senate.
* While the Political Ticker entry states that it was posted on July 11 at "08:38 AM ET," the first comments on the post were made at 6 p.m. ET on July 10. Additionally, a Google search shows that the entry was originally posted at 5:30 p.m. ET and that the time stamp was later updated to 8:38 a.m. ET on July 11.
From a Google search, performed at 11:05 a.m. ET on July 11:
According to a separate Google search performed at 11:05 a.m. ET on July 11, both the July 10 and July 11 posts contained the language: "The McCain campaign admits the error."
** Media Matters examined transcripts posted on CNN.com as of 3:55 p.m. ET on July 11. Media Matters also searched transcripts available in the Nexis database as of 3:45 p.m. ET on July 11, using the following search terms: publication (CNN) AND revolutionary guard! w/50 McCain OR Obama.
I'd like to defend McCain by saying he just forgot. But then, I will condemned for picking on his age.
I'd like to defend McCain by saying he got confused. But then, I will be condemned for picking on his age.
I'd like to defend McCain by saying it was just a joke. But then, I wll be condemned for picking on his lack of humor.
I'd like to defend McCain by saying he was misquoted. But then, I will be condemned for drinking the Obama kool-aid.
So, McCain just said it to say it. He told a Republican lie No big deal. It is what he needs to do to win. Condemn me if you wish. But this old guy gets confused about 5 times a day. No big deal, he's a Republican. Just keep talking Senator, you are the best thing going for President Obama.
I realize that MSM would love to see a close election because it's good for their ratings, but their coverage so far has been overly charitable toward McCain and remorseless toward Sen. Obama.
Honestly, how can the media be made to be more responsible when covering Sen. McCain? Sites like this exist, but most voters do not read them.
I know. I love it: McCain gets credit for voting for somethign he didn't and Obama gets criticised for NOT voting for something he DID! There's that LIBERAL BIAS again!
(And shouldn't have because it' a stupid and wrong-minded idea anyway!!!)
Its a little encouraging that fewer and fewer people believe the corporate news media is their friend. As they continue to push McWivesbucks and dis Obama they convince more that feckless marplots is a civil description of them.
With an Obama Presidency there is a chance to set some kind of fairness doctrine for broadcast media in place. Another chance to disconnect the media from the corps and/or break them (the media) up into smaller pieces.
Chances of them changing in this election cycle are miniscule. Consider them a puppy. An unhouse trained puppy. Disipline is applied here, not to hurt the puppy but to get his attention. Get a cause effect cycle going in his brain. MMfa is apart of getting the puppy/media to pay attension. To try to get the media concious that their sh*t does stink. Change can come possibly dramatic but not till shrubco is replaced. Johnco is just another word for shrubco.
McCain just isn't very good at generating excitement. Even the right-wing pundits refuse to talk about him. The pundits only want to smear Obama. It is the only tactic they seem to know, but for some reason it isn't working this time. People are just tired of it, I guess. Time to find some new tactics. That is why McCain will lose. His time has passed. It is really pretty sad. I voted for him in the 2000 primaries and will probably vote for him this year. He just wasn't dirty enough to beat Rove/Bush back then and he's too old and feable to take on Obama convincingly now.
That is the current plan. My First Principle is to have divided government - although I really prefer a Democratic President and a Republican controlled House or Senate. That just isn't going to happen.
The Democrats are going to massacre the Republicans in Congressional and Senatorial elections. That leaves the Presidency as the closest race.
This is very hard for me as I personally believe Obama is the best candidate either party has had in 40+ years. I really don't know if I can stop myself from voting for him.
As for the big picture (what is best for the country), I just think the worst thing for Obama is to have a Democratically controlled Senate and House. As Oscar Wilde said, "There are two tragedies in life...not getting what you want...and getting it." Maybe being a frustrated Cub fan all of my life has given me a different perspective on "winning" than most folks.
I will admit, I may vote for Obama if I get too disgusted with the McCain Campaign. All in all, right now I think he is a pretty decent guy.
I'm with you on the divided government bit, OM. I guess I'm just not as confident about the general public wising up enough that the GOP is going to get wiped out as decisively as some predict. I laughed at the idea of W. ever being elected (once even), so I try not to overestimate my fellow Americans.
BTW, I'm an Angels fan, so I've usually learned to just appreciate the regular season, especially the part before the traditional September nose dive.This seasons badass road record is either very promising, or setting me up for an even bigger fall. ;0)
If only that were true.
We live in dangerous times. We were attacked on September 11, 2001 by agents of Saddam Hussein.
Secular humanist, agents of intolerance, are attacking our society at every turn.
We need to allow the government access to everything including our most personal thoughts.
If we have nothing to hide, we should not be concerned.
The human race has no effect on our environment. Climate is cyclical. Since the beginning of time, more than 6,000 years ago, the earth has warmed and cooled.
We've allowed Christians to become the most persecuted of all the earth's people.
Our religion is being assaulted by those who fight to keep religion out of public schools and buildings.
My marriage will fall apart if I allow same sex unions. After all homosexuality is a slippery slope to bestiality.
Children need to know that there is an alternative to Darwinism. There are two sides to everything, including scientific principles.
I know that if I drop a bowling ball from the roof of my house, the force we call gravity will in most cases cause the bowling ball to fall to earth, but once in every thousand times that I do this, there enters a theoretical possibility that the ball will fall up and land on the moon.
Why do we allow our children to learn only the one theory of gravity?
I enjoy the freedom America grants me to sit here and cheer on our country as it invades each and every non-Christian country with oil reserves. I have no problem sending others to fight and die so that I can drive my SUV.
I have no obligation to expose myself to anything more dangerous than Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as I peck away at my keyboard. After all, it's a volunteer military and these people chose to serve.
I chose to sit at my keyboard and tell everyone else that they live in Fantasyland.
Oops, I forgot, it's the Clinton's fault!!
NLT. Obama will be pulled across the finish line by millions more voters than McBush. The color of this country will finally be blue.
Get off the DearthControl pills offered by the Cons..Be a good Republican and vote Democratic. The Cons have CONtrol of the Repbub Party. Do something about it rather than pick on us poor, dumb libruls. Save yourself.