A June 14 FoxNews.com article (retrieved via Yahoo cache) mischaracterized a question posed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) during a press conference to convey the false impression that Reid suggested that Army Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of the multinational force in Iraq, is “incompetent.” FoxNews.com reported that Reid was asked whether he “considered Petraeus competent,” and that “Reid responded, 'Not as far as I'm concerned.' ” In fact, according to the transcript provided by Congressional Quarterly transcription services -- as well as a video aired on Fox News Channel -- Reid was asked whether he believed Petraeus was incompetent, answering, “Not as far I'm concerned.” Fox later altered the story online to accurately reflect the exchange but never issued a formal correction to note that a change had been made. Rather, the new version of the article simply changed the word “competent” to “incompetent,” indicating Reid's denial that he regards Petraeus as incompetent. Fox News congressional correspondent Major Garrett, who is listed as having contributed to the FoxNews.com article, similarly mischaracterized the exchange on Fox News' Special Report. Later in the program, after playing a video clip of the exchange, Fox News Washington managing editor and host Brit Hume properly characterized the exchange, but he did not note Garrett's false report.
Reuters, which also reported the exchange, correctly noted, “Asked if he thought Petraeus was incompetent, Reid said, 'Not as far as I'm concerned,' but he added, 'I'm not going to get into what I said or didn't say.' ”
The original article, as found on Yahoo.com by Media Matters for America:
The updated version of the Fox article now reads:
Asked if Reid considered Petraeus incompetent, Reid responded, “Not as far as I'm concerned.”
Nowhere does FoxNews.com note that a correction has been made.
On Special Report, Garrett reported the exchange by incorrectly paraphrasing the question and then airing Reid's response:
GARRETT: When asked if General Petraeus, whom Reid voted to confirm as the top commander in Iraq, was competent, Reid said --
REID: No, not as far as I'm concerned.
Later in the program, after a more complete video of the exchange contradicting Garrett's report aired, Hume asserted: “Now, the Reid people are saying tonight that the question he was asked -- and you could kind of hear it that way -- was whether Petraeus was incompetent. And Reid said, 'Not as far as [he was] concerned.' ”
The mischaracterization of Reid's quote appeared on a post at National Review's The Tank weblog, which cited the initial FoxNews.com story before claiming that Reid “says Gen. David Petraeus is not competent as far as he (Reid) is concerned; but that he has 'high regard' for the man he believes is incompetent.” Earlier, during the press conference, Reid had said: “Now, with General Petraeus -- which you didn't ask the question, but I will answer it -- I have high regard for General Petraeus.” W. Thomas Smith Jr., who wrote the Tank post on the exchange, used the misreported comment to suggest that Reid's remarks were inconsistent, asserting, " And [Reid's] made all of these declarations since breakfast this morning." National Review has not corrected the post.
Additionally, in a post on Michelle Malkin's Hot Air weblog, lead blogger Allahpundit asserted, “And then there's this, which I'm not seeing reported anywhere except Fox at the moment” before excerpting the FoxNews.com story's characterization of the exchange, after which Allahpundit asked: “Do they mean Petraeus or Pace? If the former, it wouldn't surprise.” Hot Air has also not corrected its post.
From the June 14 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:
GARRETT: Reid also blasted Army General David Petraeus, commander of multinational forces in Iraq, branding him an unrealistic optimist.
REID: The bloodiest three months of the war have just been completed. We're now back up to 1,000 attacks a day in Iraq, and for someone, whether it's General Petraeus or anyone else, to say things are great in Baghdad isn't in touch with what's going on in Baghdad, even though he's there and I'm not.
GARRETT: When asked if General Petraeus, whom Reid voted to confirm as the top commander in Iraq, was competent, Reid said --
REID: No, not as far as I'm concerned.
GARRETT: Reid's comments drew a sharp White House response.
SNOW: It seems outrageous to be issuing slanders toward the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and also the man who is responsible for the bulk of military operations in Iraq.
GARRETT: Campaigning in San Antonio, Texas, GOP presidential candidate [Sen.] John McCain [R-AZ] called Reid's comments out of line.
McCAIN: I don't think we ought to say anything disparaging about people who spend their lives in the service of their country risking their lives.
[...]
[begin video clip]
REID: Pace, as I said, you have to stand in line for people to criticize Pace, but Petraeus, I've told you how I feel about Petraeus.
QUESTION: Sir, is he incompetent?
REID: Who?
QUESTION: General Petraeus?
REID: No, not as far as I'm concerned.
[end video clip]
HUME: Well, that was Harry Reid being asked questions about some things that he said to liberal bloggers this week in which it was -- from which it was reported that he had not only been critical of General Pace, which you saw him reflecting there, but also of General David Petraeus.
Now, the Reid people are saying tonight that the question he was asked -- and you could kind of hear it that way -- was whether Petraeus was incompetent. And Reid said, "[N]ot as far as [he was] concerned." He was however, nonetheless critical of Petraeus on some counts and, indeed, did not even argue that he hadn't also been critical in his interview with these bloggers.