CNN's Bash uncritically repeated McCain's mischaracterization of Obama's tax plan
SUMMARY: Uncritically repeating Sen. John McCain's mischaracterization of Sen. Barack Obama's tax plan, CNN's Dana Bash stated that McCain has "been saying, basically, Barack Obama and the Democrats are going to raise your taxes; I'm going to lower your taxes." But Bash did not note that Obama has proposed cutting taxes for low- and middle-income taxpayers, or that McCain's own chief economic policy adviser has reportedly said it is inaccurate to say that "Barack Obama raises taxes."
During the October 25 broadcast of CNN Newsroom, congressional correspondent Dana Bash again uncritically repeated Sen. John McCain's mischaracterization of Sen. Barack Obama's tax plan. Bash stated that McCain has "been saying, basically, Barack Obama and the Democrats are going to raise your taxes; I'm going to lower your taxes." But Bash did not note that Obama has proposed cutting taxes for low- and middle-income taxpayers, while raising taxes only on individuals earning more than $200,000 per year and families earning more than $250,000 per year. Indeed, McCain's own chief economic policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, has reportedly said it is inaccurate to say that "Barack Obama raises taxes."
As Media Matters for America has noted, the Tax Policy Center concluded that compared with McCain, "Obama would give larger tax cuts to low- and moderate-income households and pay some of the cost by raising taxes on high-income taxpayers."
From the 12 p.m. ET hour of the October 25 edition of CNN Newsroom:
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD (anchor): Well, both spending time there but, Dana, as for McCain, is there a particular message that he thinks -- that he needs to have crafted just for New Mexico? We know, really, from coast to coast the economy is issue number one. But has he crafted something different for the voters there?
BASH: You know, my understanding is no. In fact, the point the McCain people tell me is they're trying to keep a national message going, and that national message is, as you said, particularly focus on the economy. What McCain aides insist, Fredricka, is that their internal data shows that they are making a little bit of headway, particularly with the message that we've heard for the past week and a half or so on using Joe the Plumber as a vehicle, as a metaphor to talk about the issue of taxes, to really use a tried-and-true philosophical discussion, really, between Democrats and Republicans. He's been saying, basically, Barack Obama and the Democrats are going to raise your taxes; I'm going to lower your taxes.
And also, he's been trying to use that to reach out to some of those blue-collar voters that he thinks -- that the McCain campaign really thinks are getable. Even some maybe Democratic blue-collar voters who may not be that comfortable voting for Barack Obama. So that's something I guarantee you we're going to hear again today here in New Mexico.
Also, a discussion that we've been hearing a little bit more about, particularly as the election -- Election Day gets closer and John McCain's prospects don't looks as good. He's been warning more and more, Fredricka, about what it would mean if Barack Obama were to be in the White House, and that would mean total Democratic control. That is something that he's been trying to sort of, you know, say to people: wait a minute, you should be alarmed about this. There will be no Republican in Washington to have kind of a check and balance. So, unclear if that's going to work, but he's certainly been trying over the past couple of days.
WHITFIELD: OK, nothing beats a failure but a try, right? All right, Dana Bash, thanks so much, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, appreciate it.
Finally- the main stream media is "feeling the heat" and - kind of doing their job.
The only part Bash didn't make clear was that the low-icome people already don't pay taxes. But anyone (small businesses) that generate over $250,000 will.
This will put small business and hence- a lot of workers - out of business.
When people hear "tax the rich"- they jump up and down and say YEAH- get those rich people's money.
Not realizing what a hurt that will be putting on the country.
PLUS they've been promised a "rebate" from the $ taken from the rich.
That's really what "spread the wealth around" means- Socialism.
Get ready for change America, but not the kind of change you were planning on.
God Bless America- and all of us Joe The Plumbers out here.
We cannot afford this type of government.
McCain-Palin 2008
What percentage of small businesses make more than $250,000? Hmm?
As I've watched CNN these last couple of weeks, I've noticed a definite slant towards McCain and against Obama.
Right now they are sutlely trying to introduce doubt into the validity of the poles that just happen to show Obama with a significant lead. "Can Polls be trusted?" is their caption. "Some polls have spin to them...". "warning signs". "the language they use can cause bias" "lead the witness...". Basically they're implying that Obama isn't really leading in American public opinion.
Another example is the they way they represent Obama's tax proposal, AND the way they represent McCain's. I don't remember the specifics right. I'd have to review transcripts.
Yet another is their 'fact checking' segments. I haven't caught all their 'fact checking' segments, but in all the one's that I have seen, they carefully frame their question, nitpick, and then claim Obama's and/or campaign's statement is false and ring an ugly bing sound effect. And, then They'll have a 'fact check' for McCain with of course a result of 'true' and a winning bell sounds.
Wolf Blizer let, I think it was Ed Rollins, call Colin Powell (a decorated former general in the U.S. Military) 'gutless' without any questioning of that statement. You know the Republican, GOP, rightwing media would be all over a far less critical statement had it been made of gen Petraeus.
I've seen other examples. I'm going to try and make a note each time I see them, so I can post more details.
Good post. You kind of touch on the fact that these guys need to keep the race close for the sake of their ratings.
By the way, you can be an MMFA tipster. It may be a more effective way for you to help us all keep track of the instances you mentioned.
Great post. I've noticed the same thing from CNN. In fact, yesterday, their "fact checker" made a call saying that something the Obama campaign said was misleading.
The two anchors started arguing with their fact checker and trying to support Obama's claim. In the end, the anchors who defended Obama explained the item to my satisfaction and probably to the rest of the viewing audience but the fact checker just kept babbling on.
At times CNN tries to be the new Fox, but then there are times when they do surprise me by reporting something without any attempt at spin.
If they really wanted to set themselves apart from Fox News, they should have beaten the story about the McCain campaign worker being attacked by the scary black guy into the ground. They should have reported that the McCain campaign had "sweetened" the story when they relayed it to the media.
From what I could see, CNN rolled over and played dead for the Republicans, again.
They should also be reporting all the little tidbits that keep dribbling out about the way Palintwit has run her governorship. Sounds like a lot of Bush-style cronyism. I think that's more important than how much her phony "hockeymom" wardrobe costs.
I have been FED UP with the MSM for a very long time. To think that DECISIONS will be made on November 4th based of what people hear and see on moronic "news" programs like CNN, FOX, etc. starts my blood to boil! The services that MMFA and so many others provide gives me a little hope, but not much. If these services annoy the extreme right-wingers who post on this forum, then GOOD! The obvious panic McGoo's campaign is demonstrating lately will either result in a meltdown or a turning of the tide for the dangerous right. CNN is doing the job they are paid for (by the Republicans).
Look at this http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/25/biden-slammed-during-flor_n_137830.html for Biden reply. What an ambush.
There, that's better. Hey MMFA, there seems to be a small percentage of the reply boxes that don't have any of the formatting options, and run everything into one paragraph. It makes sane people look like loonies.
Here's the link to the Biden interview. Incredible that this woman has a spot even as a local newscaster , and got those idiotic questions past whatever screening process her station has in place. She's like a slightly more sedate version of Sean Hannity.
I had the tv on this morning, and saw two accouts of this, both portrayed as "Joe Biden loses his cool because he wasn't given softball questions".
I thought Biden was extremely generous in his treatment of the zombie wingnut. There's absolutely no sign that his responses register with her, she just drones on into her next absurd question.
I just saw the Biden/Zombienewswoman clip on Fox. At the bottom of the screen the words; "If Obama wins, will the Media be regulated?"
I think I better go outside for a while.
Thanks for that link. I thought Joe handled it pretty well, even though the Troglodyte Reporter was obviously reading from the RNC playbook. I especially liked his last reply to the silly "socialism charge".
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"Stupid is as Stupid does" highlights not only Ms. Bash but her chorts' collective porcine mentality as well. The immense tradgedy within all this covertly appears as the asinine gullibility of too many "voters" lacking the initiave to use their cranial orb's inherent ability. As if it's too onerous to uncover the truth amidst these deceptions. It is a cancer too many endure foolishly.Thus the aforementioned refrain forebodes a potential for future untold sufferings by all. Pray that an enlightening realization will illume some sensible tact within these persons and stifle the claptrap deceptions & lies too many seem to now accept. It's only the life of our country.
Damn that was purty, and too damn true.
The ethical morbundity of MSM's effluence is hard for many to accept. Being able to do so could become a survival skill.
The sanitized pablum, masquerading as actual news, has been served, in elephantine portions, to us for approximately eight years, sans its true scent. As if Crawford’s temporary resident invented scentless goobers. Machiavelli’s true import has also been severely tarnished by that deviant usurper Rove. Also included are Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. So the MSM was covertly coerced into serving up glop for news or potentially face…banishment? One assumes this to have been far easier to achieve than attempting to festoon the news-mantle solely upon Fox with its blathering bumpkins. Lord Ha-Ha seems to appear in that general direction. Though upon closer examination it turns out to be Karl with just some added makeup. Such coercive subtleties evoke Pavlov’s conditioning experiments. And this becomes even more interesting taking into account the penchant of “The Great Decider” to react to any situation, instead of using…critical thinking? Perhaps while acquiring an MBA, that specific lecture was avoided. Analytical thinking, of course, is relegated to lower minions, who will pre-digest any potential difficulties then regurgitate the results upward, towards the Oval Orifice. There, select drones will further sanitize these morsels into something posing as analytical. They are then disseminated, via the Press Secretary…perhaps even by the Decider himself? The select, captive audience being the negatively coerced, brainwashed via operant conditioning, intimidated, mentally malnourished starving husks of what used to pass for reporters, correspondents and journalists. They are surviving. The real audience must do better…for the life of our country.
"he's been trying to sort of, you know, say to people: wait a minute, you should be alarmed about this. There will be no Republican in Washington to have kind of a check and balance."
Oh, so all of the sudden he's no longer a maverick, he's a Republican now. Funny that. In all three of his debate performances, he barely mentioned the word Republican, tried to distance himself from the Republican brand. Now he wants to be the biggest Republican.
What a jerk. So is Bash if she considers, "aaaagghh tax and spend liberal," tried and true philosophic discussion.
A philosophic discussion would include what would or would not be done, on behalf of the people, with those taxes. Oh, that's right. Obama has been talking about investing in healthcare, infrastructure, education and green technology. You know, the stuff that matters.
What have we gotten from McCain? Terrorist, un-American, shady, not like us, risky blah, blah, blah.
Kinda cute eh?
Typical leftist childishness. This looks like something a 12yr old would do.
Sooooo how about this one,looking lost as a child:
"childishness" is Con for funny. Since they have no sense of humor, they try to berate anyone who does.
CNN HAS BEEN IN THE TANK FOR THE REPUBLICANS SINCE TURNER SOLD THE STATION. I BET WHEN THAT STORY CAME OUT ABOUT THAT STUDENT CNN TOLD BASH TO GET HER BAGS TOGETHER AND GO TO THE AIRPORT. AND IF IT WAS TRUE THEY WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW 24/7 INTILL ELECTION DAY BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT COULD HELP MCCAIN. THE ONLY PERSON WHO TELLS THE TRUTH IS JACK.
And that paper's VECO section is a GOP noise machine- can't wait to see their *opinions* on the 7th...
Maybe a similarly "legitimate" question would be to ask Palintwit if she's a Christian Reconstructionist, or why she delivered a speech to the Alaskan Independence Party as the governor of Alaska. Would those questions be okay with you?
Obama has answered all the hard questions, and America likes his answers. McCain: Not so much.
Let's be perfectly honest about this "socialism" garbage. If, as the Troglodytes claim, returning to the tax rates of the 90s is "socialism", then they must really hate Social Security and Medicare. In fact, many Conservatives are on record as opposing these programs, not least of which is PigBoy Limbaugh.
So, if Grampy/Twit believe that the 90s tax code was "socialist", they must also consider Social Security as "socialist". I propose that they campaign hard against all "Socialism", including Social Security..... then we'll see what happens in Florida.
I don't think people understand the reference to 'socialism'.
Raise taxes on the wealthy. OK. Raise taxes on corporations. OK. Cut taxes for middle class. OK. Give people free money who don't pay into tax system in the first place. WHAT? The IRS is just that, a revenue service. It is not supposed to function as a social program. I think this is the biggest problem with Obama's tax plan, and there would be no discussion of 'socialism' if it were omitted. This concept of free money or paycheck from the IRS has tried to be passed off as a 'tax relief'. Relief??? Relief from what income tax? They already weren't paying anything. They still won't be, and now they will be getting a check without even having to fill out a welfare application.
Yes, we have aspects of socialism in this country already. Social Security being one. The question is where does it end. I believe this country has done a fabulous job of picking and choosing which socialistic programs to have. Social security, medicare/medicaid, and public education are all great for the citizens of this country barring they are run correctly. Every child deserves a good education. Our elderly need to be cared for. The thing with social programs is that once started, they can't ever be discontinued. You can't live without them as a country. They also, often, provide mediocrity.
Our tax system isn't really the place to institute elements of government welfare. We have many offices to accept applications for those needing the assistance. The tax plan of Obama would simply give a check to those who don't pay. Instead, why not put that money towards education and other worthy causes?