Couric didn't challenge McCain's false claim that Biden proposed "break[ing] Iraq up into three different countries"
SUMMARY: During an interview with Sen. John McCain, Katie Couric did not challenge McCain's false claim that Sen. Joe Biden "said you had to break Iraq up into three different countries" as part of his Iraq plan. On America's Election HQ, Karl Rove falsely asserted that Biden's proposal for Iraq involved "unilaterally splitting up a sovereign nation," a statement that Chris Wallace echoed. In fact, Biden introduced a "five-point plan" to "[m]aintain a unified Iraq by decentralizing it and giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis breathing room in their own regions." Further, Biden has made clear that he was not proposing that his plan be imposed on Iraq "unilaterally."
During an August 23 interview with Sen. John McCain, the video of which is available on CBS' website, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric did not challenge McCain's false claim that Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) "said you had to break Iraq up into three different countries" as part of his Iraq plan. McCain's false statement was also aired without challenge on the August 24 edition of CBS News Sunday Morning. Additionally, on the August 23 edition of Fox News' America's Election HQ, Fox News contributor Karl Rove falsely asserted that Biden's proposal for Iraq involved "unilaterally splitting up a sovereign nation," while Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace falsely stated that Biden's plan consisted of "unilaterally dissolving a sovereign nation." In fact, Biden introduced a "five-point plan" to "[m]aintain a unified Iraq by decentralizing it and giving Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis breathing room in their own regions." The plan also states that "[t]he Iraqi constitution already provides for federalism" and that "[t]he central government would be responsible for common interests, like border security and the distribution of oil revenues." Further, Biden has made clear that he was not proposing that his plan be imposed on Iraq "unilaterally."
Biden and Council on Foreign Relations President Emeritus Leslie H. Gelb initially proposed their Iraq plan in a May 1, 2006, New York Times op-ed. They wrote that the idea "is to maintain a united Iraq by decentralizing it, giving each ethno-religious group -- Kurd, Sunni Arab and Shiite Arab -- room to run its own affairs, while leaving the central government in charge of common interests." In an October 3, 2007, Washington Post op-ed, Biden and Gelb explained that "we are not trying to impose our plan. If the Iraqis don't want it, they won't and shouldn't take it."
Indeed, a September 2007 Senate amendment proposed by Biden stated that "the United States should actively support a political settlement among Iraq's major factions based upon the provisions of the Constitution of Iraq that create a federal system of government and allow for the creation of federal regions." It did not call for "unilaterally" imposing such a system. Biden's amendment was co-sponsored by Republican Sens. Sam Brownback (KS), Arlen Specter (PA), Gordon Smith (OR), and Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), as well as Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer (CA), John Kerry (MA), Bill Nelson (FL), Charles Schumer (NY), Barbara Mikulski (MD), and Blanche Lincoln (AR). It passed the Senate on September 26, 2007, by a 75-23 vote.
From Couric's interview with McCain:
COURIC: Do you think it will be more difficult now, Senator McCain, to criticize Barack Obama's foreign policy credentials when someone like Joe Biden is on the ticket, a very experienced and respected voice on Capitol Hill in these matters?
McCAIN: Well, I've always respected Joe Biden, but I've disagreed with him from the time he voted against the first Gulf War to his position where he said you had to break Iraq up into three different countries. I've never agreed with that, but I appreciate very much his dedication to trying to solve this genocide that's going on in Darfur and other things that Joe Biden has done. But we really have different approaches to many important national security issues. I look forward to whoever my running mate will be having a respectful debate with him on that as well.
COURIC: Where are you, Senator McCain, in the vice-presidential process?
From the August 24 edition of CBS News Sunday Morning:
DEAN REYNOLDS (CBS News correspondent): John McCain's campaign reacted critically, releasing a statement raising doubts about the pick more than an hour before it was even made official, and then following it up with an advertisement.
[begin video clip]
STEPHANOPOULOS: You said, "I think he can be ready, but right now, I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training."
BIDEN: I think I stand by the statement.
[end video clip]
REYNOLDS: McCain himself kept the pressure on in an interview yesterday afternoon with Katie Couric.
McCAIN [video clip]: Well, I've always respected Joe Biden, but I've disagreed with him from the time he voted against the first Gulf War to his position where he said you had to break Iraq up into three different countries. I've never agreed with that.
From the August 23 edition of Fox News' America's Election HQ:
ROVE: And most important of all, as we begin to examine the ideas, you know, particularly on foreign policy, I wonder if it's going stand up well to scrutiny. Barack Obama says John McCain is disqualified to be president by his judgment and supporting and voting for the Iraq war. Well, guess what? So did Joe Biden.
And some of the ideas that Biden has offered from his foreign policy perch are frankly a little goofy. You know, when the surge -- when there was an argument about the surge, he said, well -- his answer was to split the country into a Kurdish state, a Shia state, and a Sunni state. You know, the United States unilaterally splitting up a sovereign nation, Iraq, and telling everybody they had to move to their own geographically separate quarters. A little strange.
WALLACE: Yeah, it's interesting, because we got some reporting out of Iraq today, Karl, that one of the few subjects that all of the various ethnic and religious factions in Iraq agree about now is what a bad idea Joe Biden's tripartite splitting up of the country there would have been, and, as you say, the United States unilaterally dissolving a sovereign nation.
You talked about the weaknesses of Joe Biden. Now tell us about his strengths. If you're sitting there in the McCain camp, what about Joe Biden worries you?
ROVE: You know, the United States unilaterally splitting up a sovereign nation, Iraq, and telling everybody they had to move to their own geographically separate quarters. A little strange.
No stranger than invading a sovereign nation to impose a democratic form of government.
Amplifying his remarks, the former POW, John McCain, said he was pretty sure that he didn't own any houses in Iraq... ;>)
C'mon Irony!!
You know the only house McCain had overseas was in Hanoi when he was a POW!!
Why is this woman still allowed to interview McCain anyway? Didn't her network edit the last one she diod with him to create a false answer. I'm surprising myself saying this, but even FoxNews havn't had the balls to do that!!!
You know the only house McCain had overseas was in Hanoi when he was a POW!!
Yes...and in this same interview the former POW confirmed that the said home was not equipped with either a table or a chair...
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12754.html
But the former POW doesn't like to talk about it...
At least the media largely seems to have stopped with the whole "McCain doesn't like to mention his time in Vietnam" now.
A verb, a noun, POW.
We'd like to sign you up for our party. Our leadership consists almost entirely of others, like yourself, who would have gladly sold out their grandmother to avoid serving themselves. Sorry but our list of candidates this year was so lame, we resorted to using someone not smart enough to avoid serving. But don't let that stop you from singing the enclosed membership card.
We may even have a leadership position for you since you show such patriotism in your willingness to stay stateside with the other patriotic folks who work work as bug killers, rich guys sons, and common drunks.
One word of caution. As much as we like to see initiative, we're concerned that you may be one of those tree hugging hippies with your suggestion to use renewable resources like wood to build our spacefleet. Might I suggest you rework your idea to include more corrosive, environmentally unfriendly materials? Just a suggestion.
And don't forget to wear your flag pin for your interview.
Welcome to the Republican Party
But don't let that stop you from singing the enclosed membership card. - WorrierKing
Does it come with the necessary sheet music? Is there a penalty for being out of tune, like personal lessons with Ashcroft?
Let the eagle soar ...
I think we might be able to entice that Hannity fellow into becoming an astronaut for the maiden voyage. I've been working on a pressure suit for Sean made from the skin of endangered bears and coated with the feathers of the protected piping plover. It will protect him during extra-vehicular activity.
And please don't worry, if you ship design or my pressure suit design fails, the right will have no problem replacing Mr. Hannity.
I'm growing some cucumbers in my yard. One has a face that I though was Jesus, but now I'm convinced that it's the face of Sean Hannity. I've contacted Fox and they said they'd like to interview the cuke but they said that they're probably will not be interested in anyone smarter than Sean, so there goes that idea.
Sean Hannity doesn't a need a rocket to go into space. When he wants space, he'll send Chuck Norris to fetch it.
By the way, Chuck Norris was once named "Sean Hannity". That was his LAST mistake.
UK, you forget that BOTH Couric and GOP-Viacom-CBS are in COLLUSION with Liar McCain.
Couric's a right wing Republican hate hag who wants Liar McCain to be elected, as do her bosses at GOP-Viacom-CBS. The only difference between GOP-Viacom-CBS and the Fox Lies Channel is that the Fox Lies Channel are OVERT supporters of the Republicans, while GOP-Viacom-CBS supports the Republicans from behind the back door.
I think he had to ask someone on his staff before he could confirm that he didn't.
I think he had to ask someone on his staff before he could confirm that he didn't.
TRANSLATION: I'll have to check with Cindy. ;>)
I don't know if you saw Keith Olberman a few days ago when he reported that a reporter had caught up with John McCain's brother and asked him about the number of homes the former POW owned. The former POW's brother said that in the McCain family the women usually handle the finances. As an example he said his mother handled his family's financial affiars and that the former POW's father couldn't even tell you anything about the oil wells in Oklahoma they owned...that his mother handled that. Makes you wonder about the former POW and whether he's up to handling trillions of dollars if he doesn't even handle the money in his own household. Maybe he'll have to rely on Cindy for that...
I watched it Thursday when they showed the interview where he said he would have to ask his staff how many houses he had.
I knew that your post was satirical and though that you'd see my response the same way.
So, not only did McCain lie about Biden's idea, but it was a great idea from a great thinker. I also don't believe a united Iraq can't survive for long without a dictator or 150,000 foreign troops to keep it a united nation.
So, he attacks him for something he didn't say, and ignores that fact that what Biden did say was a great proposal. What a sad nominee for the Republicans.
And he went from being unwanted to being considered the GCOAT, and all the things his biggest supporters said before he got the nominee all of a sudden just, um, vanished.
... and they accuse the Dems of being full of flip-floppers. Amazing what Selective Alzheimers can do.
And he went from being unwanted to being considered the GCOAT
You mean like his 9000 votes vs. Hillarys 18,000,000 votes?
REMEDIAL101 was already taken... ;>)
United States of Iraq
That's exactly what Biden was suggesting...autonomous states under a federalized system.
However, it's my understanding that the former POW says that he was against Biden's suggestion because anything with the name United States in it was probably too liberal and, besides, Biden only wanted to raise the taxes of the Iraq people... ;>)
Left,
Sentient? Ok. Good attempt snarkiness. I'll give you credit for that. :-)
Why is it that lefties here cannot just make their point without resorting to childish names for ideological opponents?
This obsessive need to insult and derogatory names makes you, (and others who obsess with these names,) sound too radical to be taken seriously. Posts like yours reminds me of the Olympic divers who have gone too far when they enter the water. They make a nice splash, but lose points. :-)
Mags,
Glad to see someone else has the same faulty memory. You are misresembling me. Next you'll say we all look alike! :-)
"Couric has shown from literally Day 1 at CBS that she's in the tank for the right wing. Inviting Rush Limbaugh onto the CBS Evening News is all the proof any sentient being (which automatically excludes ColombianScience, Shoes, Philib, AnotherAmerican, Leatherhelmet, etc.) needs that Couric is actively working with the Repugnantcons to make CBS Faux News Lite..."
Correct as your post is, it's only HALF of the story.
Katie Couric was a right wing Republican BEFORE she went to GOP-Viacom-CBS, she showed favoritism to the Republicans whe she was at GOP_GE-NBC.
You are right about GOP-Viacom-CBS being another extension of the corporatist coservative Republican Party controled news media.
It's more like 7+ years of George W. Bush in the White House. Actually, I've been personally fired up since about 2001 (January of 2001). I just keep getting more and more fired up, as we approach January 2009.
Good for you! I love the election season!
(off topic) Unfortunately I believe Obama blew it with Biden as his veep.
He would have locked up the election by having Hillary as #2.
Now we'll see if McCain can return the favor?
I do believe he did propose breaking up Iraq into three parts on Meet the Press quite a while ago,even before the surge began.he re-iterated it several times over the past few years,but what does it all mean now, since the surge has worked and no one took this proposal seriously anyway. It's always best to leave these kinds of decisions to trained military experts. General David Petraus has done an outstanding job,I'm sure we can all agree on that.
How come no one has commented on Mr Obama's brother who lives in a shack and only makes 12 dollars a year? Is this not as bad or worse than Mclame not knowing how many homes he owns? Would any of us make 4 million dollars and not help OUR BROTHER who lives in squalor? I understand Cindy Mccain bought one of those homes for an aunt and one was for her daughter. If Mr. Obama will not help his own flesh and blood, what make s us think he gives a snit about the american people?
Why are people like you so eager to prove that you have the reading comprehension of someone who doesn't know how to read yet, and the morals of someone who has no morals, and the common sense of someone who has no sense at all?
Go back and read just the bold section at the beginning.
Then read something besides a right wing rag about how Obama's brother has a job, and owns a small business, and manages just fine, and likes his life just the way it is. But somehow you know better than the man himself how he should live? No common sense, no brains, and no morals. What a delightful combo. I sure hope you don't truly pollute our military with your presence.
How come no one has commented on Mr Obama's brother who lives in a shack and only makes 12 dollars a year? Is this not as bad or worse than Mclame not knowing how many homes he owns? Would any of us make 4 million dollars and not help OUR BROTHER who lives in squalor? I understand Cindy Mccain bought one of those homes for an aunt and one was for her daughter. If Mr. Obama will not help his own flesh and blood, what make s us think he gives a snit about the american people?
BEFORE you repeat lunatic fringe "talking points", use your brain AND your computer and G O O G L E Obama's brother and YOU will find:
Obama's Brother Chooses Life in Slow Lane
But Kenya has few roads, railways and airports and nothing like the city of Chicago. And that's just fine for Malik Obama, the older half-brother of Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat running for U.S. Senate.
"An African doesn't need too much to go on," he said.
Still, Malik Obama prefers the village to the fast-paced capital, Nairobi, where he grew up. He runs an electronics shop in a town a half-hour drive away, and works as a consultant in Washington for a few months each year.
It was in the United States, in 1985, that he first met his 43-year-old half-brother Barack.
"He was best man at my wedding and I was best man at his," said Malik, who likes to point out that his younger brother's name is actually Barack Obama II, because their father was the original Barack Obama.
Barack grew up in Hawaii with his American mother after his parents divorced. He has visited Kenya three times, most recently in the early 1990s to introduce his fiancee to his Kenyan family.
When pressed for more details about the family, Malik said, "As far as I'm concerned, we are one family."
Sitting in his shop, wearing glasses and a traditional cap, Malik explained that he likes his privacy. He hasn't enjoyed visits by dozens of journalists searching for the African family of an up-and-coming politician.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6333496
I just sent Couric an e-mail...
Thank you for the fine post FISHER. I can see you're really on top of things. I think we can all agree on that.
Maybe you should go to Africa yourself and interview Obama's half-brother? You only make a fool of yourself when you repeat the lies and smears of Rush and Hannity, and their dozens of clones, etc.
How come no one has commented on Mr Obama's brother who lives in a shack and only makes 12 dollars a year?
Because it ain't true. I saw the guy interviewed last week and he resented that he has been portrayed as destitute. Yes, he lives in a small village that is poor by our standards of living. But he was dressed nicely, spoke well and he's not destitute as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have shamelessly depicted him in an attempt to make Obama look bad. Why don't you spend less time listening to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and get some real information?
Irony, most of the "people" who listen to Liar Hannity and Liar Drugbaugh are just as big or BIGGER right wing liars than they are.
Roly-Poly Fish Head falls in the BIGGER RIGHT WING LIARS category.
Would any of us make 4 million dollars and not help OUR BROTHER who lives in squalor? phonyUSMCgirl
You mean someone like Cindy McCain who publicly states she's an only daughter while her two sisters live in near squalor conditions here in the USA vs. some half brother who lives in Kenya? Someone like that two faced hipocrite?
Oops! Aparently Cindy's hipocracy doesn't just extend to her sisters. Why does she treat her adopted colored child poorer than she does her biological children?
"Meghan, Jack and James, the biological children of Mr. and Mrs. McCain, each have 7.73 percent of Hensley & Company... Bridget McCain, the McCain's adopted daughter, has shares worth 3.4 percent."
since the surge has worked
The surge has NOT worked. There is NOT a working political settlement, which was the reason behing the escalation, er, surge.
Dropping 40,000 well trained and hopefully well equipped marines into any city in the world would reduce violence. It's another false victory cry for the Bush apologists. Surge Accomplished!!!
It's like they don't understand anything but force and totalitarianism...
You got that right...and IMO it also explains why they always want to go to war at the drop of a hat.
I understand your point.
What other tools do you feel are available but not or under used?
You mean the great Obama cannot even afford to send his brother 100 dollars for a nicer shack?
How do you know Obama didn't offer assistance but his brother turned it down? That's right - you don't and assume the worst.
I have been amazed so far at the CBS coverage...Are they taking a feed directly from Fox??
Katy Couric has been awful, absolutely awful, Andrea Mitchell over at MSNBC should probably go directly from her slot to McCain HQ to get her next script of talking points and Tom Brokaw was the worst I've seen him in years (not saying much but still)....
WHY IS CBS RUNNING MOSTLY RETHUGLICAN TALKING POINTS???
I was under the impression this was DEMOCRATIC convention.... AWFUL!!
"I have been amazed so far at the CBS coverage...Are they taking a feed directly from Fox??
Katy Couric has been awful, absolutely awful, Andrea Mitchell over at MSNBC should probably go directly from her slot to McCain HQ to get her next script of talking points and Tom Brokaw was the worst I've seen him in years (not saying much but still)....
WHY IS CBS RUNNING MOSTLY RETHUGLICAN TALKING POINTS???"
Answer to the last question: Becuse GOP-Viacom-CBS wants Liar McCain to be elected presidet.
Also, since BOTH Couric and GOP-GE-NBC's Mitchell are stanuch right wing Republicans themselves, along with GOP-CNN's Dana Bash and GOP-Disney-ABC's Diane Sawyer, all of might as well call themselves the press secretaries for Liar McCain and/or the Republican National Committee.
Since Katie Couric is a right wing Republican herself (Couric is despicable Republican Bush-loving scum), she clearly did this deliberately, and GOP-Viacom-CBS, which wants Liar McCain elected, ordered her to do this, or didn't stop her from doing it on her own.
If GOP-Viacom-CBS ordered thi, they told Couric that they can't pull the old scrub & whitewash of Liar McCain's comments like they did last time.