Wash. Times uncritically reported Graham's claim that Obama did not vote on resolution condemning "General Betray Us" ad
SUMMARY: The Washington Times reported that Sen. Lindsey Graham "said Obama forfeited the respect of the military by not voting on a resolution condemning MoveOn.org's 'General Betray Us' ad denouncing Gen. David H. Petraeus" -- but the Times did not note that Obama did vote for a separate amendment that condemned the ad, an amendment that Graham voted against.
An October 27 Washington Times article uncritically reported that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) "said [Sen. Barack] Obama forfeited the respect of the military by not voting on a resolution condemning MoveOn.org's 'General Betray Us' ad denouncing Gen. David H. Petraeus, which ran in the New York Times on the eve of the general's testimony on the Iraq war." Reporters Stephen Dinan and S.A. Miller did not note that while Obama was not present for the vote on an amendment by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) that, in the words of the amendment, "repudiate[s] the unwarranted personal attack on General Petraeus by the liberal activist group Moveon.org," Obama did vote for a separate amendment offered by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) that condemned the ad, as well as other attacks on past and present members of the armed forces. Dinan and Miller also did not note that Graham and Sen. John McCain, for whom Graham was campaigning, voted against the Boxer amendment.
As Media Matters for America documented, the Boxer amendment "strongly condemn[ed] attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably in the United States Armed Forces, by any person or organization." The amendment stated of the MoveOn.org ad: "On September 10, 2007, an advertisement in the New York Times was an unwarranted personal attack on General Petraeus, who is honorably leading our Armed Forces in Iraq and carrying out the mission assigned to him by the President of the United States." It also criticized Republican-backed attacks on Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) military service, as well as attacks on Vietnam veteran and former Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA). Fifty senators, including Obama, voted in support of the measure, while 47, including McCain, voted against. As Media Matters noted, under an agreement reached by the Senate leadership, a cloture vote and a vote on final passage were combined for this and other Iraq-related amendments, meaning that the amendment needed 60 votes to pass.
From The Washington Times article:
On the campaign trail in Iowa and Ohio, Mr. McCain stuck to his message of the past week but his close friend, Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, questioned Mr. Obama's fitness to lead the military.
Mr. Graham said Mr. Obama forfeited the respect of the military by not voting on a resolution condemning MoveOn.org's "General Betray Us" ad denouncing Gen. David H. Petraeus, which ran in the New York Times on the eve of the general's testimony on the Iraq war.
"Barack Obama was in the Democratic cloakroom. It would have taken him five seconds to come out and vote," Mr. Graham said at a rally in Cedar Falls, Iowa, attended by about 2,000 people. "He does not deserve to be commander in chief."
Republicans are devolving into the Whiney-Butt Party.
Why is Graham bringing this up again. It was debunked months ago and is in fact much more damning to the Reps than to Obama. Voting for an ammendment that only condemns MoveOn but against an ammendment that condemns all such ads proves that their motivation is purely political.
He's got nothing. Graham is an embarrassingly unrepentant talking point machine. My feeling is that the Repubs have put the memo around to just "stay on message," so they can start the "I told you so" meme (more lies) as they devolve as a voice.
I'm glad someone's focusing on the most important issues like how someone hurt the feelings of a poor general, instead of dwelling on all of the minor things like the war and the economy and the future of this great country.
The way I see it, we should make sure that no one on the right has their feelings hurt and stop the gays from pairing off legally and everything else will fall just into place.
Howdy, WK. I had to take a drive down PCH on Saturday and the wingnuts were out in force for Prop.8 (to outlaw gay marriage).I'd estimate 10 different groups of 20 - 40 people each spent their Saturday standing on the side of the road demanding some people they don't know don't get to have the same rights as the protestors do.
My favorite sign; :"Prop. 8 = less government". Yes, passing additional legislation to reverse a court decision, in order to give the government more authority over people's personal lives is "less government" on PLanet Wingnut.
Right, less government. That's why they need a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Less is more, more or less.
On the bright side, I got to do some heckling while stopped at red lights. I got two old geezers to actually turn around by shouting "Look out! Gays!" and pointing behind them.
Mr. Obama forfeited the respect of the military by not voting on a resolution condemning MoveOn.org's "General Betray Us" ad - Graham
Let's ask some actual military people if Obama's lost their respect. I would venture to guess that he has MORE of their respect because he's going to try to keep them from getting KILLED!
Even though some here deny it, Lindsey Graham's facts are correct.
Given that the amendment Obama did vote for did not pass, it is still true that Obama did not vote in favor of the passed resolution to condemn the Move-on Patreaus ad.
And that is enough for you, AA?
A statement of narrow focus is "correct" if the facts are correct, regardless of whether it intentionally creates a false impression in the listener?
Is that a universal standard to which you adhere when judging statements such as these, regardless of political alignment? If so, I applaud your consistency, even as I dismiss your disregard for principles of truthful communication.
That is spiliting the hair mighty fine ...
So does that mean that every positive thing that GOP'ers voted for but did not pass should be taken into account or held against them. As Graham is doing to Obama. Or are Dem.s only able to blame the GOP'ers on what passed -- and granted the sum of that gift to the American people is more than enough to bring their judgment into question.
It's an old tactic used on both sides of the aisle when there are opposing bills on the same subject matter...vote for one, against the other, and then conveniently forget there was an alternative when noting your opponent voted against the bill you voted for.
So, I guess, AA, the fact that McCain voted against funding the troops means he doesn't support them, correct?
Can you believe its October and none of the media has asked him why he missed 10 of the first 14 Iraq War votes in 2007? You yourself said he had some explaining to do for that before you excused him for campaigning. Using your standard in the above post, is it obvious McCain doesn't care enough about the troops to show up? I would disagree, but I think you should hold every candidate to the same standard.
Nice try but it is a lawyers argument you offer to try to confuse the issue.
The one amendment McCain did not vote for, did not pass because it included the "cut and run" clause.
It is obvious that Obama has been against the war, and wanted to cut and run even in the darkest hour.
It is also obvious that McCain has consistently been for the war and the surge, which Obama opposed.
McCain voted against troop funding before he voted for it. That's a fact. No amount of spin will change that.
The whole "cut and run" meme is a joke. The dear leader said that the mission was accomplished. We achieved the goals we set out for Iraq. Our intent to get out of there would have been a "come to Alah" moment for the Iraqis and they would have been more motivated to get their act together. Instead, we've wasted more American lives and vast amount of treasure with no end in sight.
Obama was right. McCain and Bush were wrong.
AA,
Its the same argument you were making on this thread, AA. Its factually true that McCain didn't vote to fund the troops, just like your insistence that Graham's facts are correct. If you and Graham get to leave out relevant reasons for votes, prepare for it from the other side. What you, and for that matter, McCain, have failed to do is explain why a supporter of the war missed so many votes on his pet issue.
As for your cut and run rhetoric, its tired, old and wrongheaded. Obama was precient on what would happen if we invaded Iraq. He treats the troops well with his funding of their benefits back home and their advocacy for their rights. Ask the DAV what they think of McCain's voting record.
And please, AA, its not an insult to me to say you make a "lawyer's argument" when you are doing the same thing yourself. I am an attorney and your innuendo about us is a bit much.
How can you insinuate McCain is a friend of the troops when he votes against them more often than not? In fact, windvane McCain changes his position so often you can't figure out what he supports! I'm still waiting for him to articulate how his plan is different from Obama's...
National Security Policy
1. McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.
2. McCain insisted that everyone, even “terrible killers,” “the worst kind of scum of humanity,” and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, “deserve to have some adjudication of their cases,” even if that means “releasing some of them.” McCain now believes the opposite.
3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”
4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.
5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.
6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He’s since come to the opposite conclusion.
Foreign Policy
7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it. Now, he’s for it again.
8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.
9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.
10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.
11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision.
12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.
13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.
Military Policy
14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”
15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.
16. McCain was against additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan before he was for it.
17. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”
18. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the “enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.
19. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.
20. McCain staunchly opposed Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama’s policy, McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like “a pretty good timetable.”
Domestic Policy
21. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)
22. On Social Security, McCain said he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Soon after, asked about a possible increase in the payroll tax, McCain said there’s “nothing that’s off the table.”
23. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.
24. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.
25. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite.
26. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.
27. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.
28. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.
29. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.
30. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.
31. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.
32. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
33. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.
34. And on gay adoption, McCain initially said he’d rather let orphans go without families, then his campaign reversed course, and soon after, McCain reversed back.
35. In the Senate, McCain opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for women, and endorsed the Supreme Court’s Ledbetter decision. In July, however, McCain said, “I’m committed to making sure that there’s equal pay for equal work. That … is my record and you can count on it.”
36. McCain was against fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act before he was for it.
37. McCain was for affirmative action before he was against it.
38. McCain said the Colorado River compact will “obviously” need to be “renegotiated.” Six days later, McCain said, “Let me be clear that I do not advocate renegotiation of the compact.”
Economic Policy
39. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.
40. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding of economics.
41. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.
42. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.
43. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.
44. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”
45. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.
46. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.
47. McCain was against massive government bailouts of “big banks” that “act irresponsibly.” He then announced his support for a massive government bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Energy Policy
48. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s against it.
49. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.
50. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.
51. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.
52. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t.
53. McCain was for national auto emissions standards before he was against them.
Immigration Policy
54. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. In 2007, he announced his opposition to the bill. In 2008, McCain switched back.
55. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.
56. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders “before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.”
Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law
57. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite.
58. McCain’s position was that the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.
59. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.
60. In June, McCain rejected the idea of a trial for Osama bin Laden, and thought Obama’s reference to Nuremberg was a misread of history. A month later, McCain argued the exact opposite position.
61. In June, McCain described the Supreme Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush was “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” In August, he reversed course.
Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform
62. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t.
63. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.
64. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.
65. In May 2008, McCain approved a ban on lobbyists working for his campaign. In July 2008, his campaign reversed course and said lobbyists could work for his campaign.
Politics and Associations
66. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.)
67. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t.
68. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.
69. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.
70. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.
71. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
72. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.
73. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.
74. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was “corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff’s gay lover.” McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.
75. McCain was for presidential candidates giving speeches in foreign countries before he was against it.
76. McCain has been both for and against considering a pro-choice running mate for the Republican presidential ticket.
Great response to AA, snoopy!
another American is right. The facts are true, and they do honor to Obama. What kind of cheap hack supports Petraeus on this, but refuses to stand up against the Swift Boaters? Hmmm...John McCain comes to mind. The resolution that passed is partisan garbage; only the amended version deplores unjust attacks on ALL those who have served honorably.
What is most significant to me is McCain's vote against the Boxer amendment. He made a few pleasant noises about being against the Swift Boaters, but where was he when the chips were down? Similarly, he pretended to be against torture, but helped Bush sweep it under the rug later. This has been McCain's modus operandi for years: Make a big noise about being a 'maverick' on some issue, then, once the public's attention has turned away, join the Republican herd. In my opinion, the man has always been a fraud, starting with the trophy girl he took up with after the war. He richly deserves the defeat he faces now.
I think we're still waiting for someone at the RNC to apologize for the Purple Heart Bandaids that were, apparently, officially sanctioned at their convention in 2004.
*crickets*
I'm kind of sad that anyone in the Senate voted FOR this condemnation. Why? It was about condemning free speech actually. And you have a couple of the most powerful deliberative bodies on the planet telling you that you did "bad" with your Constitutionally protected rights, and pointing the finger at one group in particular is just silly politics. If we had any Congressmen and women worth their salt, it would have been 0 for and 100 against in the Senate. Nobody should vote to condemn free speech, no matter what it says.
Magnolialover, you're right of course. But I can't exactly condemn Democrats, who were facing an infamous legislative trap and at least tried to use it as an opportunity to condemn the Swift Boaters, who were not only speaking, but lying outrageously. May we soon return to a climate in which something like the originally proposed resolution would not even come up.
Colonel for what it's worth I got an email last week and signed a letter in support of telling the Mormon church to stay out of Prop. 8 and mind their own business.
"Minding their own business" is an art that a lot of people have really almost forgotten.
Can I get an AMEN!!!
No! I'm not getting into your bizness ! ;0)
I was surprized but pleased to learn Media Matters came to the defence of Obama in his denouncement of Moveon.Org. The ad put out by Moveon was one of the worst of is kind. Thank you MM for pointing out that the country was united in its condemnation of the insufferable fringe crowd of Moveon.org.
Work on your reading comprehension would you.
Asking a question makes you an insufferable fringe how?
Our military answers to us. They are not above questions or even critisim.
Eweston, Indeed. No individual or group is above critisism or questions. This of course includes Moveon. The "General Betrayus" ad was not a question but a statement. A statement Senator Obama and just about every U.S. Senator found deplorable. As stated by Media Matters. As such when just about the whole country is condeming Moveon then YES I believe we can define Moveon as the insufferable fringe.