MSNBC's Gregory reported Palin quote on Obama "palling around with terrorists" -- but not her distortion of the NY Times article she cited to make that claim
SUMMARY: MSNBC's David Gregory reported Gov. Sarah Palin's assertion that Sen. Barack Obama has been "palling around with terrorists" without noting Palin's distortion of The New York Times article she used to make her claim, or that the Obama campaign issued a statement rebutting the claim.
On the October 6 edition of MSNBC's Race for the White House, host David Gregory showed video from the previous weekend of Gov. Sarah Palin saying, "Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country," which Gregory noted was a reference to 1960s radical Bill Ayers. Gregory then reported that Palin "changed that language a little on the campaign trail today, but it was the same message." However, Gregory did not note that in her original comments, Palin referred to an October 4 New York Times article which, as Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented, reported that "the two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers, whom he has called 'somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8.' "
Gregory also aired a clip of Obama calling the McCain campaign's attacks "usual political shenanigans and smear tactics," but did not note that the Obama campaign issued a statement specifically rebutting Palin's claim. The statement reportedly said: "In fact, the very newspaper story Governor Palin cited in hurling her shameless attack made clear that Senator Obama is not close to Bill Ayers, much less 'pals,' and that he has strongly condemned the despicable acts Ayers committed 40 years ago, when Obama was eight."
From the October 6 edition of MSNBC's Race for the White House:
GREGORY: We're below 30 now -- 29 days to go in the race for the White House. Welcome to the program. I'm David Gregory.
My headline tonight: Panic attack from Wall Street to the campaign trail. The stock market plummets once again. Here are the boards. The Dow Jones industrial average diving as much as 800 points at one point today before closing at just below 10,000. You see the numbers.
Meanwhile, Obama's stock is on rise. The latest NBC News electoral map shows Obama opening up a nearly 100-point electoral vote lead and double-digit leads in key battleground states such as Virginia and New Hampshire. But instead of addressing the financial crisis with plans of attack, character attacks ruled the day. Senator McCain blasted Senator Obama at a rally in New Mexico, while Governor Palin attacked Obama for his relationship with '60s radical Bill Ayers.
McCAIN [video clip]: Whatever the question, whatever the issue, there's always a back story with Senator Obama. [break] What does he plan for America? In short, who is the -- who is the real Barack Obama?
PALIN [video clip]: Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country.
GREGORY: That was Governor Palin over the weekend. She changed that language a little bit on the campaign trail today, but it was the same message. Obama fired back at what he called Swift boat-style attacks.
OBAMA [video clip]: I cannot imagine anything more important to talk about than the economic crisis, and the notion that we would want to brush that aside and engage in the usual political shenanigans and smear tactics that have come to characterize too many political campaigns, I think, is not what the American people are looking for.
let not forget David Gregory has been a Bush puppy for almost eight years
I was going to make the same point. Gregory's a lying Republican, AND Gregory's a McCain lover!
That idiot Hannity did the same thing last night but even worse. That complete moron acted as if the NY Times wrote that piece due to his urging. Basically he indicated that it was only after he has brought this issue to the nations attention that the NY Times finally did a story on the Obama/Ayers relationship. Of course he failed to menton to his viewers the final summary of the article. He even gave Colmes the hand when Colmes tried to point out that the article was actually a debunking of some kind of sinister relationship between the two. I am to the point where all these conservatives including Tracy Flick aka Palin, and McCain are making me physically ill with this crap. They have lost in the arena of ideas so now they must grasp at filth. As for the media I say this: any media outlet who even gives airtime to campaign rallies in which this filth is spewed, they are just as guilty as Flick and McCain. Honorable people would not even give airtime to known lies. Gregory is trash along with all the others. That includes any media personality or network who has given airtime to Flick as she lies through her G0*d@MNED TEETH.
I'm hoping that the Obama campaign will bloody the McCain campaigns nose for this but I doubt it. If I were them I would come with every nefarious relationship tht both Flick and McCain have. That would include the Jews for Jesus pastor in Palins church, the psycho witch hunter at Palins' church, Charles Keating, G. Liddy, and finally; I have been trying to push this on anyone who will listen. Some time ago John McCain had a formal Senate Ethics Complaint brought against him for sexual misconduct. Apparently he got physically handsy with a woman who sought his help with a POW/MIA issue regarding her husband. There were witnesses to this and Rep. Duncan Hunter being one of them. Former Republican Congressman from New York John Leboutillier has written about this. It seems that when this was brought to the attention of the Senate, Senator Mitch McConnell dismissed the complain due to the incident happenning while McCain was in the House. The pitiful part of this whole charade is that nobody in the MSM knows about this or thye just don't care. I will guarantee you that if Obama had this skeleton in his closet that dirtbag Gregory would be talking about it along with that filthy lard ass Hannity and that pervert O'Reilly. I guess nobody cares. All they want to talk about is a debunked story about Ayers and Obama. Its so darn pitiful it is sad. You betcha!
Chris wrote:
>>'m hoping that the Obama campaign will bloody the McCain campaigns nose for this but I doubt it. If I were them I would come with every nefarious relationship tht both Flick and McCain have.
That would be a big mistake. Independents don't like negative attacks, and at this point in the election you want to appeal to the independents. Right now, the public views Obama as more stable and more capable of handling the economy. Obama doesn't want to spoil that image by getting as dirty as McCain.
The media should do its job in showing these claims by McCain are not true. MMFA had a good piece on this several Fridays ago, talking about hwo the media shold not privelege a lie. If the media just repeats he says she says, they are priveledging a lie. The liar gets the smear repeated, and it sticks in peoples' minds. The only way for the press to handle this is to open each news story with something like "McCain camp cotinues falsehoods agains Obama."
We'll just have to disagree then. I am aware of the "convential wisdom" going around concerning independents being turned off by negative attacks. My guess is that is bull$h!t given what happenned in 2004, seeing as how Bush garnered more of the independent vote. My other guess is that because the swiftboat crap independent voters were swayed to Bush's side. they had nothing to weigh those attacks against. My next guess is that if Obama doesn't counter attack swiftly and more decisively than merely bringing up the Keating 5 he will only be allowing the seed, Flick is trying to plant, to germinate in swing voters minds.
There are plenty of ways Obama can appear to remain above the fray and eviscerate McCain in the same negative manner McCain is trying to use on Obama. The bottom line is that if Obama doesn't stick up for himself and bust the bullies nose then he risks appearing aloof and indicisive when cornered. My opinion is that Obama can win over many independent votes by directly confronting McCain on his dishonorable campaign while at the same time informing Americans about the hypocrisy of McCain talking about questionable relationships. How do you inform the public about such hypocrisy if you don't bring into question the relationships of Palin and McCain.
I agree. Staying above the fray gets you a republican president. If Obama has information that will put him on the offensive he should use it.
Did y'all see the keating 5 documentary Obama put out? It was so hard hitting that it drove McWhiney to scream like a baby and call Obama a liar today. McWhiney is starting to become really unhinged. I hope Obama puts out more stuff like that.
It was very good. I initially thought there was nothing to it (the McCain angle specifically). Even if you buy McCain's version of events that he was only trying to protect a constituent and that the letters he wrote to regulators in support of Keating's position had nothing to do with the campaign contributions and free vacations, McCain was a witness to illegal activity and he did nothing. He sat on he ass and it cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Now this is only if you buy McCain's version of events, I don't.
I find it interesting that the only reason he avoided the ethics investigation that would have likely led to charges was because he committed the crime while in the House. The senate couldn't do anything because of that, and the house couldn't do anything because he was no longer in the house. Talk about dodging bullets.
I thought it had to do with the almost impossible task of proving a person's intent.
That was seperate from the ethics investigation. If he had been found guilty of ethics violations he would have had additional charges.
Become unhinged?! Liar McCain has BEEN unhinged. Hearing Liar McCain call Obama (or anyone else) a liar is the height of audacity!
Achris,
I agree with you that Obama can and should bring up those issues. Lets see what sticks.
Here in Ohio I have heard blatant misrepresentations in ads by the Obama campaign approved by BO himself. There is one going around about "stem cell" research. The Obama add leaves out explaining the critical difference between adult and fetal stem cells.
So your candidate is not all sweetness and light. He's down in the mud already.
ps. Should be an interesting debate tonight. I hope they both take the gloves off.
AA wrote:
>>Here in Ohio I have heard blatant misrepresentations in ads by the Obama campaign
Not true about Obama's ad being wrong. Adult stem cells do not hold the same potential for research as fetal cells:
While it has been theorized that some adult stem cells may have a broader potential to form different cell types than was previously suspected (for example, cells from the bone marrow may contribute to regeneration of damaged livers, hearts and other organs), this is highly controversial in the scientific community. Currently, it is not clear whether stem cells from adult tissues or umbilical cord blood are truly pluripotent. The comparison of human embryonic stem cells to adult stem cells is currently a very active area of research.
link
>> Should be an interesting debate tonight. I hope they both take the gloves off.
Of course you do. That is all you have left. You are desperate, so you want to turn this into a mud fight, which will alienate voters and help McCain. For the same reason you keep posting inflamatory remarks about Obama, but then disappear when anyone asks you to back up those claims.
It is all smear and hate with you know, isn't it AA?
Here in Ohio I have heard blatant misrepresentations in ads by the Obama campaign approved by BO himself.
I'm also in Ohio. The Cleveland Plain Dealer regularly publishes reviews of the candidates tv ads. Obama routinely gets a 5-8 on the truth meter. McCain usually a 0-5. In fact, the last ad Gramps put out got a ZERO!
Obama's above the fray. He's not going to call Gramps a terrorist (which is absurd on its face because the only terrorizing Gramps can do is yell at the kids to get off of his lawn).
forhornleghorn wrote:
>>Obama's above the fray. He's not going to call Gramps a terrorist (which is absurd on its face because the only terrorizing Gramps can do is yell at the kids to get off of his lawn).
Now we're talking! That is the way Obama should respond. He should respond with scorn and make it seem that McCain is irrelevant at this point.
I've read about those sexual harassment charges too and wondered why they don't get any air time. I agree, if it were Obama, he would have been destroyed by Gregory and the others.
What really sickens me is how shameless these people have become. McCain and Palin are close to inciting violence at their rallies. They need to tone it down for the good of the country.
I'm starting to get the feeling that if McCain were to win, we would no longer be welcomed as citizens.
The right has been smearing Obama with this "messiah" BS but it it's the McCain/Palin appearances that are starting to look messianic. I just watched a video of the Palin supporters watching the VP debate. They were ridiculing Joe Biden's breaking up as she spoke of losing his wife and little girl and seeing his two young sons in intensive care.
How can anyone take pleasure in someone's tragedy?
I would take great pleasure in the tragic loss of 10 GOP Senate seats along with the presidency.
worrierking said "I'm starting to get the feeling that if McCain were to win, we would no longer be welcomed as citizens." I'am starting to feel too, like a "Stranger in a Strange Land." I caught that video of Palin supporters also and couldn't help but reflect back on their fawning over her "special needs" baby and Bristol's pregnancy as the most touching thing and private matter. What hyprocrites and phonies, and they probably consider themselves "pro-life" and are church goers.
No doubt Worrier. I guess that the point I am trying to make here, is that if Obama is counting on the media to right this wrong then he is truly mistaken. He nor us can count on the media to do what it "should" do. Each and every time they show the soundbytes of Palin inferring that Obama is a terrorist sympathizer they are in fact giving the McCain campaign a free ad. Each and every time.
Tracy Flick scares the hell out of me. Therefore it is incumbent upon Obama to confront this trash the same way we teach our children to confront a bully. The time for taking the high road is over. If Obama does fails to take care of this I fear he will be at home on Jan. 20th taking solace in the fact that at least he didn't engae in nagative attacks; meanwhile he and the reat of us will be subject to a crazed woman being one heart beat away from the Presidency. I don't know about you, but I don't have a whole lot of hope that a 72 year old crotchety old man who has had cancer 4 times can last 4 years much less 8.
This type of trash does not deserve to be given a pass. It needs to be confronted and confronted harshly. The GOP needs to get the message that this crap will no longer work. Peace through strength, if you will.
I agree whole heartedly, Chris. Obama and all of his supporters have to fight back and let nothing go unchallenged.
You're correct about the media. The McCain/Palin campaign has denied the media access to their candidates and their supporters, yet the media continues to repeat their message unchallenged.
The media is being used more than they ever were by the Bush/Cheny administration. By replaying the rallies they're complicit in slanting the election.
If this continues, we may not just lose the election, but our Democracy.
Yep. I can understand the media reporting on campaign rallies and airing the candidates words. But when it comes to airing filthy lies which have been debunked they are complicit (that's the word I was searching for, thanks). They are in fact giving the McCain campaign free air time to air negative ads. It is so sickening. I hold fast to the hope that Obama will still pull it out and each and every one of these jackals will get a big ol bite of a nice poo poo sandwich.
I'm going to contribute now more and more to each and every democrat I can. That includes dog catcher if I can. these SOB's time has come. Let's hope that there are many many others out there like us.
That would include the Jews for Jesus pastor in Palins church, the psycho witch hunter at Palins' church, Charles Keating, G. Liddy, and finally; I have been trying to push this on anyone who will listen.
If Ayers is brought up during the debate, Obama should say the bombings occurred when he was eight years old and he became acquainted with Ayers thirty years later when Ayers was a professor at a university in Chicago and a board member of various charities. He should then say since associations are so important to McCain, people should look into McCain and Palin's association with the people and groups you listed. He can also bring up Vicki Iseman to tie McCain to this economic mess. The surrogates should already be out there pushing this stuff.
Well stated. That would be a turning point in how negative campaigning is done in this country. But, I still think it is incumbent for Obama to take this fight to McCain and Flick. Take it right ot their doorstep, light it on fire, ring the doorbell but don't run. Give the McCain campaign a big ol' bit of the same $h!t sandwich they are trying to feed Obama. I am a firm believer that when you confront your attacker more harshly than you were initially confronted they tend to leave you alone.
I was just over at the Google News page and one article stated that Barack was prepared to use the Keating Five if necessary. You got be fvcking kidding me. The Keating Five versus planting bombs, no dice; Liddy and the AIP are the way to go.
loonz,
The Liddy comparison is also a loser for Obama. Isn't Liddy a radio talk show host now? What relationship does McCain have with Liddy as opposed to the relationship Obama has with Ayers.
Ayers/Wright/Rezko/Phlager are Obama's achillies heel. He had alliances with these radicals for years and shows again what a radical leftist Obama really is. He cannot hide his past and trying to fight fire with fire will backfire. I hope he tries it.
Got any links to back up your already debunked claims of guilt by association?
Ayers was never convicted of anything and he's now a distinguish professor in Chicago and on a number of charity boards.
MM had a good write up of Liddy the other day.
Wright/Rezko/Phlager are old news. Ayers is the potential problem.
Anti-American for every name or association you throw out, there is an equal one that would show McCain/Palin to be rabid right wing conservative radicals. What has your trickle down BS done for the working man. We've had enough of your "compassionate" conservatism or your new "reform maverick conservartism"(how come you guys always run from your Party)we get it's the same old S$%t,and it's time for you to take your tired old Republican identity BS politics that has brought this country to it's knees and dump it in the trash. Distract, distort and lie is your game . People are waking up to your okie doc, and your not going to bambozzle us and we are not going to be led astray this election! McCain/Palin are conservative radicals spouting policies that would destroy this country and drive the working man further into poverty. Eight years is enough, the show is over and this November us "liberals" and progressives and "lefties" will turn the lights out on your tired show!
AA wrote:
>>The Liddy comparison is also a loser for Obama. Isn't Liddy a radio talk show host now?
Good grief, your hypocrisy never ends. Yes, he is a talk show host. But Ayers is now a professor!
Here is what Liddy did in his past:
Liddy has acknowledged preparing to kill someone during the Ellsberg
break-in "if necessary"; plotting to murder journalist Jack Anderson;
plotting with a "gangland figure" to murder Howard Hunt to stop him
from cooperating with investigators; plotting to firebomb the
Brookings Institution; and plotting to kidnap "leftist guerillas" at
the 1972 Republican National Convention -- a plan he outlined to the
Nixon administration using terminology borrowed from the Nazis.
---
During the 1990s, Liddy reportedly instructed his radio audience on multiple occasions on how to shoot Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents and also reportedly said he had named his shooting targets after Bill and Hillary Clinton.
---
(See Loonz's link above)
Further, from the same link:
During the segment, McCain praised Liddy's "adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great," said he was "proud" of Liddy, and said that "it's always a pleasure for me to come on your program.
---
Did you get that? While Obama has denounced Ayers past activities, McCain *praised* Liddy's!
Mr. Republican candidate: "I wish to complain about this talking point what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique."
Roveclone: Oh yes, the, uh, the Ayers bit...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?
Mr. Republicancandidate: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'It's dead, that's what's wrong with it!
Roveclone: No, no, 'e's uh,...it's resting.
Mr. Republicancandidate: Look, matey, I know a dead talking point when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.
Roveclone: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable comeback, the terrorist frighten 'em bit, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!
Mr. Republicon: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.
Roveclone: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!
Mr. Republicon: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the public) 'Ello, Mister Gullible Voter! I've got a lovely fresh scary terrorist threat for you if you
show...
( hits the sleeping voter)
Roveclone: There, he moved!
Mr. Republicon: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the television!
Roveclone: I never!!
Mr. Republicon: Yes, you did!
Roveclone: I never, never did anything...
Good job, Mary! Change Republican candidate to knee jerk reactionary (as is the case here), and I like it even better.
I heard the voice of the good Palin, (in fact great) Michael Palin as I read the Roveclone parts.
He'd probably like to change his last name about now.
Good grief, your hypocrisy never ends. Yes, he is a talk show host. But Ayers is now a professor!
Here is what Liddy did in his past:
Liddy has acknowledged preparing to kill someone during the Ellsberg
break-in "if necessary"; plotting to murder journalist Jack Anderson;
plotting with a "gangland figure" to murder Howard Hunt to stop him
from cooperating with investigators; plotting to firebomb the
Brookings Institution; and plotting to kidnap "leftist guerillas" at
the 1972 Republican National Convention -- a plan he outlined to the
Nixon administration using terminology borrowed from the Nazis.
---
During the 1990s, Liddy reportedly instructed his radio audience on multiple occasions on how to shoot Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents and also reportedly said he had named his shooting targets after Bill and Hillary Clinton.
---
(See Loonz's link above)
Further, from the same link:
During the segment, McCain praised Liddy's "adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great," said he was "proud" of Liddy, and said that "it's always a pleasure for me to come on your program.
---
Did you get that? While Obama has denounced Ayers past activities, McCain *praised* Liddy's!
Liar McCain is just as sociopathic and murderous as Liar Liddy is! Same with Palin!
Naturally, the corporatist conservative Republican news media doesn't report this, or trashes the people and groups and alternate media and blogs who do report it.
Loonz wrote:
>>I was just over at the Google News page and one article stated that Barack was prepared to use the Keating Five if necessary. You got be fvcking kidding me.
Well, at the risk of sounding tiresome, I don't think Obama should respond *at all.* He should sadly shake his head, briefly mention that fact checking agencies have found those claims to be true, and end by saying "That is all I am going to say about that. The American people deserve a president who will have programs, which I am not hearing from you, John."
I was thinking about it and it could be an advantage to stay above the fray. He could ask McDouche if the faculty at the University of Chicago are palling around with terrorists or are Ayers' students palling around with terrorists. He could then say to the camera if you have any association with the University of Chicago it could be used against you by desperate and unscrupulous people.
I will guarantee you that if Obama had this skeleton in his closet that dirtbag Gregory would be talking about it along with that filthy lard ass Hannity and that pervert O'Reilly.
On behalf of overweight people across America, please stop referring to Sean Insanity as a "lard ass". We don't want to be associated with this lying loser.
Fair enough. How about just dumb ass? I wonder if he has ever thought about growing corn in those eyebrows?
BTW, there used to be an old video game console called "Intelevision" and it had a game called "poker" or something like that. Anyway, the dealer looked exactly like Shammity. It's uncanny really. I'm willing to bet on which had the higher I.Q. Any bets?
You might try sending this story about the sexual harrassment to Rachel Maddow at MSNBC. She might look into it. I would have said send it to Keith Olbermann but I can't find an email address for him. I think hers is RACHEL@MSNBC.COM
I was not aware of this story but it seems possible. I truly think that McCain selected Palin in large part because she is "hot". I know that at least once, while Palin was speaking, McCain seemed to stare at her derrierre. I asked my wife "what is he looking at" and she answered "her ass".
McCain/Palin want to talk about "paling around with terrorists" and how there are no civilian casualties when America participates in a war, while the stock market plunges most days and we've lost $2,000,000,000,000 (2 Trillion Dollars) in our retirement accounts in the last fifteen months.
If we had followed McCain's advice, we'd have also lost part of our social Security.
It's time to either lead or go home McCain. And take that creepy woman with you.
Obama needs to hammer it home that McCain has admitted on cutting Medicare and Medicaid. He needs to hammer it home that McCains advisor has been quoted as saying that "if we continue to talk about the economy; we lose" He needs point out McCains complicity in allowing de-regulation especially the Phill Gramm bill in 1999. The Obama campaign is lowering expectations as we speak on this debate which I think is a good tactic. I've got a good feeling that McCain is about to get "owned" as my grandson says. His campaign also needs to get to work on eviscerating Flick and McCain as well as letting the 527's do their thing as well. I say....release the hounds!!!
Oh geez. Now Palin is accusing Obama of having ties to the weather channel!
Did you see this one? Also by Andy Borowitz.
"It may sound like she's spouting idiocy, but there's a method to her madness," said Tracy Klugian, a Republican strategist. "She's speaking to her base."
That's a fantastic line.
The Obama campaign just sent me a text telling me to tune into the debate tonight. I replied "Use G. Gordon Liddy".
Next week is thelast debat. Obama better mention Liddy then. If he mentions him before, that's even better!
There's an unwritten rule that when a candidate is burying a loved one, the other camp will respect their opponents loss and not drag them into their campaign stump speeches.
Joe Biden's mother in law passed away.
Palin broke the rule. Here's a link to the story.
Wasn't it the Republicans who said this comes down to character?
Once again Gov. Palin shows she has none.
There's an unwritten rule
That's exactly why she didn't know about it because it wasn't written down.
Randy