Schieffer provided McCain with accountability-free platform to criticize Obama on Iran
SUMMARY: Bob Schieffer allowed John McCain to criticize President Obama's response to recent events in Iran but did not note any of the questionable comments McCain has made regarding Iran.
During the June 21 edition of CBS' Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer interviewed Sen. John McCain and discussed his criticism of President Obama's response to recent events in Iran. But at no point during the interview did Schieffer mention any of the questionable comments McCain has made regarding Iran, such as his 2007 response when to a question about when the United States would use military force against Iran: "You know that old Beach Boys song 'Bomb Iran' -- 'bomb, bomb, bomb.' "
During the interview, McCain compared the ongoing protests in Iran to various historical events, including the American Revolution and the Greek revolution of 1823. He said that he'd "like to see the president be stronger than he has been although I appreciate the comments that he made yesterday." He continued: "I think we ought to have America lead. When you look at the statements by [French] President [Nicolas] Sarkozy, [German] Chancellor [Angela] Merkel and [U.K.] Prime Minister [Gordon] Brown have been much stronger." He later added: "I think the president ought to expand this issue beyond just those demonstrators although certainly our hearts and our sympathies goes [sic] out to them and their families."
However, Schieffer did not mention any of the questionable comments McCain has made regarding Iran. For example:
- At an April 2007 town hall meeting in South Carolina, McCain responded to a question about potential military action against Iran by asking: "You know that old Beach Boys song, 'Bomb Iran?' " He then sang: "Bomb, bomb, bomb -- but anyway." Asked about those comments during a September 2007 radio interview, McCain said he was "proud" of the moment's popularity on YouTube and continued: "Look, when I'm in the company of veterans, which I was, and one of them says to me, 'When are you going to send a message to Iran?' and we're joking around, I'm gonna joke around. And if someone doesn't like it, my advice to them is to lighten up."
- As Media Matters for America has noted, on three occasions over two days in March 2008, McCain made the false claim that Iranian operatives were training Al Qaeda for fighting in Iraq -- once on March 17 while being interviewed by nationally syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt and twice during March 18 remarks to reporters in Amman, Jordan. In Jordan, after Sen. Joe Lieberman whispered in McCain's ear, he corrected himself: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not Al Qaeda." McCain's presidential campaign subsequently acknowledged the misstatement.
- In a July 21, 2008, interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's Good Morning America, McCain referred at one point to "the Iraq-Pakistan border." In fact, Iraq and Pakistan do not share a border -- they are separated by Iran:
I guess every time Brock and Co. at mmfa stake out liberal positions we should be sure and bring up the controversial, conservative quotes from Brock's past.
This was just a poor excuse to bash McCain...nothing more...nothing less.
We should be bashing Schieffer. I couldn't believe my eyes when YET AGAIN McCain is on one of the Sunday morning gab fests.
What NT is actually pointing out here is example # 1,001 in the loooooong history of John McCain & Bob Schieffer where the old coots sit around talking and Schieffer lets McCain say whatever he wants without EVER BEING CHALLENGED!
Can I say that the American media is just finding excuses to bash Iran whenever Ahmadinejad's quote is displayed on the tv?
Brock has admitted and explained to what he said, when he said and why he said. If Brock was still parroting his previous life's talking points, sure, point out the hypocrisy.
On the other hand, McCain appears to be the media's go to Republican on Iran. This post deserves its existence.
Iranians know John McCain best as the American Senator who sang, "bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran."
On the subject of Iran, John McCain may have some credibility with a portion of the American public, but he has ZERO credibility with the entire Iranian public, be they demonstrators or otherwise.
Why should "America lead"? Is this a competition between the US and France / Germany?
What would Obama's opponents have the US do, exactly? Occupy yet another country when this issue is not about the US?
Obama's moderate response is pretty much the only response the US can give unless we want to be the scapegoat.
Of course Schieffer wouldn't stop him.
What really came out of the interview was a confirmation of how lucky we are that McCain wasn't elected.
Are they on his speed dial?
Moderation is the key to the US response. The critics of Obama's response are playing domestic politics with US foreign policy and the lives of the Iranian protestors.
Which is what they did to the people of Iraq, come to think of it.
This is pretty lame.
Randy
Amazing how all of a sudden some conservatives LOVE them some Iran, only to use it to bash the President, again. Even though, he's done what he should be doing. Coming out more forceful would be akin to giving the Iran hardliners what they want, and that is to try and blame the US for, well, this.
Even the face of all experts supporting the presidents current appproach, on CNN the question was still framed from a rightwing standpoint, that the pres. wasn't being firm enough.
THANK YOU.
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