http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/2008_elections This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: 2008 Elections en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America http://mediamatters.org/items/200805120006 On <em>America's Newsroom</em>, Andrea Tantaros stated: "Barack Obama refuses to salute the flag. He refuses to wear a flag pin. He's been named the most liberal senator in the United States Senate right now." Bill Hemmer did not challenge her statements, the first two of which are false and the third of which echoes a <em>National Journal </em>rating given Obama that was based on a limited number of Senate votes selected by<em> National Journal</em> staff. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805120006 Mon, 12 May 2008 20:19:06 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805120003 Reuters reported that Sen. John McCain would pledge "to take the lead in combating global climate change if elected president in a speech that set him apart from the policies of U.S. President George W. Bush." However, in reporting on McCain's environmental positions that his campaign believes will "win support from independents and centrist Democrats," Reuters did not mention his voting record and did not include any criticism of McCain's positions. By contrast, <em>The Washington Post</em> noted that "McCain's lifetime League of Conservation Voters score is 24 percent, compared with 86 for Obama and 86 for Clinton." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805120003 Mon, 12 May 2008 15:10:17 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805120002 The Drudge Report ran the headline "West Virginia country folk keep distance from Obama: 'I heard he's a Muslim ...' " in linking to a <em>Financial Times </em>article. The article quoted a West Virginia resident stating, "I heard Obama is a Muslim and his wife's an atheist." But Obama is, in fact, not a Muslim. While the article characterized the rumors of Obama's religion as "unfounded," it did so 12 paragraphs after quoting the "I heard he's a Muslim" assertion and did not report that the Obamas are both Christians. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805120002 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:35:17 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805110001 On <em>Lou Dobbs Tonight</em>, <em>Wall Street Journal</em> deputy editorial page editor Dan Henninger said of Cindy McCain's refusal to release her tax returns: "I think it's a fairly marginal issue." But in a July 2004 editorial, the <em>Journal</em> asserted that it was "past time" for Sen. John Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, to release her tax returns, stating, "Their assets should be disclosed to the voters so that they can assess whether there are any potential conflicts of interest." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805110001 Sun, 11 May 2008 15:30:42 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090011 On numerous May 8 programs, Fox News anchors and reporters promoted the notion that Sen. John McCain is reluctant to discuss his experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. In fact, as Media <em>Matters for America</em> has documented, McCain has repeatedly highlighted that experience. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090011 Fri, 9 May 2008 19:36:15 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090009 CNN's Wolf Blitzer did not challenge Mitt Romney's false suggestion that during the Republican presidential primary campaign he had not attacked Sen. John McCain's lack of accomplishment "in the world of business." In fact, during the primary campaign, CNN had aired a clip of Romney saying, "I think, at a time like this, it makes sense to have a president who's actually had a job in the real economy." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090009 Fri, 9 May 2008 18:21:45 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090007 Reuters reported that Sen. John McCain's campaign "is preparing to take $84 million in public funding after the Republican Party convention in September and he is challenging [Sen. Barack] Obama to stick by last year's pledge to use public money and its accompanying spending limits," but did not note that Federal Election Commission chairman David Mason has taken the position that McCain cannot opt out of public financing in the primary without FEC approval, as McCain has attempted to do, or that McCain could be breaking federal laws by exceeding spending limits within the public financing system for the primary. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090007 Fri, 9 May 2008 15:50:02 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090005 Referring to comments Sen. Barack Obama made during a CNN interview, Fox News' Julie Banderas stated that Obama "made what some are calling a dig at John McCain's age." But Banderas did not provide the full context of Obama's remark, nor did she note that Obama was responding to a smear by McCain. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090005 Fri, 9 May 2008 14:48:19 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090004 A <em>Wall Street Journal</em> article reported that "Sen. [Barack] Obama suggested Sen. [John] McCain was 'losing his bearings,' " and noted the response of a McCain adviser, who "called it a 'not particularly clever way of raising John McCain's age as an issue.' " But the <em>Journal</em> did not note the context of Obama's remark, which he made after accusing McCain of violating his pledge to avoid negative campaigning, and it did not report an Obama spokesman's denial that Obama was referring to McCain's age. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805090004 Fri, 9 May 2008 14:41:31 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080011 During an interview, <em>Today</em> co-host Ann Curry asked Cindy McCain about her refusal to release her tax returns, but did not challenge McCain's refusal by noting that John McCain's campaign has benefited financially from her wealth, and without noting that McCain supports the permanent extension of President Bush's tax cuts, from which those with capital gains -- something that would be indicated on Cindy McCain's tax returns -- benefit significantly. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080011 Thu, 8 May 2008 19:50:44 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080010 On <em>Special Report</em>, Juan Williams cited Sen. John McCain's record on immigration as evidence of a willingness to "work[] across party lines," without noting that McCain has said he no longer supports his own bipartisan bill. Williams then claimed that Sen. Barack Obama "doesn't have a record" of "working across party lines." In fact, Obama has co-sponsored bills with Republican Sens. Tom Coburn and Richard Lugar that have been signed into law. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080010 Thu, 8 May 2008 18:55:23 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080008 On MSNBC, Chris Matthews, Tim Russert, Dan Abrams, and Rachel Maddow discussed how the media, in Matthews' words, "completely ignore [Sen.] John McCain's problems." But in purporting to explain "the way the media works," Matthews suggested that it is not possible for the media to cover both the Democratic primary and McCain adequately, asserting: "[A]s long as we focus on the fight between Hillary and Barack, and perhaps more recently just on Barack's problems, it blocks the sun -- the media, the public's attention -- from the problems that are obviously incipient and coming to be at some point with McCain." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080008 Thu, 8 May 2008 18:00:30 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080007 On <em>The Live Desk</em>, Martha MacCallum did not challenge the false assertion by Christine O'Donnell, 2008 GOP Senate candidate in Delaware, that Sen. Barack Obama "and my opponent [Sen. Joe] Biden are pushing for this global tax that would require America to pay tax to the U.N." In fact, the Global Poverty Act, a bill introduced by Obama, would not "require America to pay tax to the U.N.," and it would not commit the United States to any targeted level of spending. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080007 Thu, 8 May 2008 15:59:50 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080006 In an online article, the <em>Detroit Free Press</em> reported of Sen. John McCain's May 6 town hall meeting at Oakland University: "As usual, McCain was candid and said things like fuel efficiency standards have to increase and the way to make the domestic automotive industry more competitive is to get other costs, like health care for autoworkers, under control." While the media routinely refer to McCain as a straight-talker who resists pandering,<em> Media Matters for America</em> has identified numerous instances in which McCain has promulgated falsehoods about himself and his opponents. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080006 Thu, 8 May 2008 15:49:39 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080004 NBC's Ann Curry did not challenge Cindy McCain, Sen. John McCain's wife, when she claimed, "You won't see [negative stuff] come out of our side at all," and asserted, "My husband is absolutely opposed to any negative campaigning at all." In fact, John McCain has a history of negative campaigning and has promulgated numerous falsehoods about his opponents during the 2008 presidential campaign. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080004 Thu, 8 May 2008 14:29:49 EST