http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/associated_press This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Associated Press en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America http://mediamatters.org/items/200807220001 Several print media outlets reported that during a July 21 campaign event, Sen. John McCain, in the words of the Associated Press, "disparaged [Sen. Barack] Obama as 'someone who has no military experience whatsoever.' " But none of the articles noted that McCain has previously said he does not "accept the notion" that military experience is necessary to be an effective commander in chief. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807220001 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:54:43 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200807160010 Since July 13, the Associated Press has produced four separate articles that have described Sen. John McCain's position on immigration reform without mentioning that McCain's current position that the borders must be secured "first" represents a reversal from his previous position that border security could not be disaggregated from other aspects of comprehensive immigration reform without being rendered ineffective. Nor did the articles mention that McCain said in January that he "would not" vote for the immigration reform bill he co-sponsored if it came to a vote on the Senate floor. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807160010 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:38:52 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200807150005 The AP's Ron Fournier asserted in a 2007 essay that reporters must "[w]rite with authority" and that "[t]he AP's hard-earned reputation for fairness and nonpartisanship must not be used as an excuse for fuzzy language when a clear voice is demanded." But Fournier apparently did not follow his own prescription for clarity and candor in responding to a report that he told Karl Rove to "[k]eep up the fight" following the death of Pat Tillman in 2004. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807150005 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:54:04 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200807130004 An Associated Press article claimed that Sen. John McCain "is respected by many Hispanics for refusing to pander to anti-immigrant sentiment over the years." But the AP reported in November 2007 that McCain now "emphasizes securing the borders first" and quoted McCain stating: "I understand why you would call it a, quote, shift. ... I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people's priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders." http://mediamatters.org/items/200807130004 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:13:58 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200807070012 In an article about a Vets for Freedom (VFF) television ad, <em>The Washington Post</em> reported that VFF chairman Pete Hegseth denied that his organization is operating on behalf of Sen. John McCain, but "conceded that the message in the ad is almost identical to McCain's on the stump." Similarly, the Associated Press reported that McCain "is getting ... help from" the VFF television ad campaign. But neither the <em>Post</em> nor the AP mentioned that Sens. Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman -- McCain supporters and frequent campaign surrogates -- had served on the VFF Policy Board of Advisors. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807070012 Mon, 7 Jul 2008 18:47:24 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806250004 An AP article stated that Sen. John McCain "chid[ed] [Sen. Barack Obama] for never receiving a briefing from Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in [Iraq]." The article reported McCain's claims without challenging them -- it made no mention of the fact that Obama has twice questioned Petraeus on the situation in Iraq during Senate hearings. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806250004 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:51:04 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806240003 Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler falsely asserted that former President Bill Clinton "said [Sen. Barack] Obama's candidacy was a 'fairy tale.' " In fact, Clinton's comment -- "Give me a break. This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." -- referred to Obama's statements about his position on the Iraq war, not the Obama campaign itself, as Pickler herself has previously reported. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806240003 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:46:41 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806230007 The AP reported that Sen. John McCain's campaign "promises to condemn any race-based political appeals" and, referring to a controversial television ad by the North Carolina state Republican Party attacking Sen. Barack Obama, asserted that McCain made "repeated calls to kill the ad." But according to the party's chairwoman, at no point did McCain call her directly and ask that she not run the ad, and McCain reportedly said that "he wouldn't have run the GOP ad, 'but I am not going to referee, I am just going to run my own campaign.' " http://mediamatters.org/items/200806230007 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:50:57 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806230001 An AP article reported: "[Barack] Obama, an Illinois senator, canceled a visit to eastern Iowa last week at the request of state officials and instead went to fill sandbags in Quincy, Ill. [John] McCain, an Arizona senator, toured flood damage in Iowa Thursday." However, the article gave no indication that the AP had previously reported that Iowa Gov. Chet Culver requested that both Obama and McCain refrain from campaigning in the state, but McCain decided to go to Iowa anyway. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806230001 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:16:43 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806200009 The Associated Press reported that Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign "suffered because of his stance" on comprehensive immigration reform, without noting that McCain subsequently reversed himself on the issue. McCain now says he no longer supports the immigration bill he co-sponsored. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806200009 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:17:19 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806190013 In an AP news analysis discussing Sen. Barack Obama's decision to opt out of public financing, Liz Sidoti claimed that "the only outside groups running ads in earnest so far are those aligned with Obama." However, independent group Freedom's Watch has put out ads attacking Obama over tax and health care issues, and the Vets for Freedom political action committee has run television ads attacking Obama over issues related to the Iraq war. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806190013 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:41:05 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806100010 An AP article reported that Sen. John McCain's campaign attacked Sen. Barack Obama over a member of his vice presidential search committee who had received loans from a subprime mortgage lender, but the article did not note the Obama campaign's response to the attack. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806100010 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:04:04 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806090011 In recent comparisons of Barack Obama's and John McCain's positions, Gannett News Service and the Associated Press claimed that McCain opposes a constitutional amendment banning abortion. However, McCain has previously asserted that he supports such an amendment, and McCain advisers have reportedly said that he would not try to change the Republican Party's platform on abortion, which in 2004 called for a constitutional ban on abortion. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806090011 Mon, 9 Jun 2008 17:22:41 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050010 In an article discussing Sen. Barack Obama's and Sen. John McCain's positions on direct diplomacy with Iran, the AP reported that "Condoleezza Rice, a key player for eight years in the Bush administration's strategy to try to isolate Iran, told AIPAC on Tuesday that there is no point engaging Iran 'while they continue to inch closer to a nuclear weapon under the cover of talks.' " But, while noting that Madeleine Albright took a different position in a speech two years ago, the article did not note that President Bush's own secretary of defense, Robert Gates, has also reportedly said the United States should "sit down and talk" with Iran. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050010 Thu, 5 Jun 2008 20:12:46 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806040007 Articles by the AP and <em>The New York Times </em>uncritically quoted Sen. John McCain's labeling of Sen. Barack Obama as "the most liberal" senator without mentioning that the <em>National Journal</em> rankings to which McCain was referring did not offer a ranking for McCain himself because he "did not vote frequently enough" to receive one. They also did not mention that the ranking was based on subjectively selected votes, or that a separate study that considers all non-unanimous votes offers a notably different ranking for Obama. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806040007 Wed, 4 Jun 2008 17:34:52 EST