On the August 31 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, guest host and CNN chief national correspondent John King failed to challenge Rep. Christopher Shays's (R-CT) claim that “since January,” the Iraqi government “has done nothing.” When Shays made his statement, he was responding to a question from King, who asked him why he now says “there should be a timetable” for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq when Shays had previously been “a strong supporter of the war.” But King did not address Shays's claim about the lack of progress in Iraq despite the fact that Shays has, since January, touted “progress” there.

Shays's claim echoed his comments from the August 28 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, in which Shays told guest host and MSNBC chief Washington correspondent Norah O'Donnell that "[s]ince January ... you did not see progress" in Iraq. As Media Matters for America noted, Shays has made numerous claims since January that “progress” has been made in Iraq. For example, in a May 8 letter Shays wrote to Vice President Dick Cheney, he pointed to “clear signs democracy is taking hold” and asserted that “sectarian violence is being contained.” He also stated that "[t]he American public should be better informed of the progress being made developing Iraqi forces." In an opening statement at a House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations hearing on July 11, Shays claimed that "[t]he Iraqi economy is growing" and that "[w]e made mistakes in our efforts to secure and rebuild the country, but we are correcting those mistakes and progress is being made."

From the August 31 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

KING: You were, as you note, a strong supporter of the war at the beginning. You now say there should be a timetable.

Just a few weeks ago, you said this: “Only about 40 percent of Iraq is under the military's control. You have 60 percent still not under control. To have a timetable is absolutely foolish.”

As you know, your opponent and other critics would say, “What in Iraq has changed in three weeks? The only thing that has changed is Christopher Shays's political position, running for re-election in Connecticut.”

SHAYS: Yeah, thanks for the question. You left out an important part.

The people who were talking about a time period were saying leave immediately, or leave in six months, or leave in a year, with nothing to do with the capability of the Iraqis to defend themselves. We attack them, we abolish their army, their police, and their border patrol, and it would be an outrage to leave before they have their army, their police, and their border patrol. But the key point is, we know how long it will take to train their army, their police, and their border patrol.

And when they have their army, their police, and their border patrol, then we can leave. But to leave when we only have 40 percent would be an absolute outrage.

My point to you is, we need to drive this issue. We need to get the Iraqis to do their job. We need to get them to take action. And since January, they have done nothing other than create a government, and the government has done nothing. The political leaders are now, as we speak, on vacation, not doing the heavy lifting.

KING: Well, then let me -- I understand the distinction you're making. Not immediately, but let's set a timetable.