McCain Camp Wages War On The Press

Washington Post: Top Strategist Says News Organizations Are "On A Mission To Destroy" Palin

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Howard Kurtz.

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Sen. John McCain's top campaign strategist accused the news media Tuesday of being "on a mission to destroy" Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin by displaying "a level of viciousness and scurrilousness" in pursuing questions about her personal life.

In an extraordinary and emotional interview, Steve Schmidt said his campaign feels "under siege" by wave after wave of news inquiries that have questioned whether Palin is really the mother of a 4-month-old baby, whether her amniotic fluid had been tested and whether she would submit to a DNA test to establish the child's parentage. (Read all recent CBS News coverage of Palin)

Arguing that the media queries are being fueled by "every rumor and smear" posted on left-wing Web sites, Schmidt said mainstream journalists are giving "closer scrutiny" to McCain's little-known running mate than to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

The McCain camp has been unusually aggressive in pushing back against the media, and it seems to hope to persuade journalists to back off in their scrutiny of Palin. Obama campaign officials have complained to news organizations that their man has been subjected to considerably more investigative reporting than McCain has, but they have done so in more low-key fashion.

By contrast, Schmidt spoke on the record in denouncing as "an absolute work of fiction" a New York Times account of the process by which the McCain campaign vetted Palin. He also charged that Newsweek columnist Howard Fineman was predicting that the governor might have to step down as McCain's vice presidential choice.

Fineman said that he has "never, ever said that," and that he has pointed out positive aspects of Palin's candidacy. "They decided a long time ago that they were going to work the refs," he said.

Elisabeth Bumiller, the lead author of the Times report, said she is "completely confident about the story." As for the campaign's criticism, she said: "This is what they do. It's part of their operation."

McCain also canceled a scheduled appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Tuesday in retaliation for an interview a day earlier in which prime-time host Campbell Brown repeatedly pressed campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds to provide one example of a decision that Palin had made as commander of the Alaska National Guard.

"The interview was totally fair," Brown said. "I was trying to get an answer. I was persistent, but I was respectful. That's my job. Experience is a legitimate issue when John McCain raises it about Obama, and it's also legitimate for us to raise it about Palin."

Schmidt, a former spokesman for President Bush and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, talked openly about his frustrations in an interview with The Washington Post. He said the McCain camp is in the middle of the worst media "feeding frenzy" he has ever seen.

The fact that unsubstantiated allegations appear on the Internet "is not a license for smearing" Palin, he said. "The campaign has been inundated by hundreds and hundreds of calls from some of the most respected reporters and news organizations. Many reporters have called the campaign and have apologized for asking the questions and said, 'Our editors are making us do this, and I am ashamed.' "

The intensity of media inquiries hit a new level after an anonymous blogger on the liberal Web site Daily Kos last weekend charged that McCain's running mate is actually the grandmother of Trig Palin, the 4-month-old baby born with Down syndrome, and that the real mother is her daughter, 17-year-old Bristol Palin. That led to mainstream media inquiries, which prompted the McCain camp to disclose in a statement Monday that Bristol is five months pregnant and plans to have the baby and marry the teenage father.

Markos Moulitsas, the site's founder, said he did not know the contributor's identity but thought that the admittedly "weird" pregnancy questions were a legitimate line of inquiry that he should not suppress.

[ajaxtheleast]

McCain Camp Wages War On The Press

Oh really.!?

And who is the woman leading them

in THIS battle.!?

Heard of Skirt "Chasers",,,,

and Repub Boxer Shorts Chasers,,,

Repub Skirt "Followers" is new.

Hired a tutor though to advise them
what to do if the skirt turns
around and stops.

[caliguy55]

John McSame has destroyed himself by abandoning every principle that bought him the chance to be President. I was one of those Democrats, who was suckered by McSame into believing that he might be what he said he was - a Maverick willing to break with the G.O.P. whenever it was wrong, which was on about every issue. I even wrote to McSame, begging him to run, when given Kerry/Edwards as an alternative to Bush/Cheney. NO MORE. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I won''t be fooled again. McSame''s choice of Palin to be a heartbeat away from the toughest, most critical job in the world is the final nail in a coffin I could see being constructed long ago. In light of McSame''s impulsive, reckless, and dangerous decision to pick Palin as his running mate, I''m now convinced beyond any doubt that Sen. Barack Obama must be the choice to lead my country. I simply can''t stand by and watch the country I love being destroyed by Bush/Cheney and now McSame/Palin. I think a majority of my fellow citizens will agree with me as will be shown on Nov. 4, 2008. Obama/Biden 2008!!!

[dagrandma]

sbbm: "...surely you know clinton was the worst ever...he will always be remembered for dismantling the pentagons weapons, cutting our military..."

Gee, seems to me GWB''s had nearly eight years to rebuild that military that you believe Clinton "dismantled." Why hasn''t he done it? Oh, that''s right, he''s too busy sending our men and women over to Iraq to be killed so he can show up on an aircraft carrier with his "mission accomplished" sign and his woody. Maybe Bill Clinton should have done that instead, huh?

[pbaird2]

The GOP had no problem destroying Kerry through personal attacks, but they are offended when the scrutiny is on them. McCain chose to pander to women, which proves his disrespect for women''s ability to think for themselves. The GOP still believes a woman''s place is behind a man.

[javaflash]

Hey, they elected a Republican governor who grope people, enjoy orgy, and they elected him in a deep blue state. You liberals are mistaken what these filth will do to further causes. Voters in the middle can stomach quite a bit. Keep these sewer materials coming. It only means backfires.

[talkingham]

Frankly, if Sarah Palin is the best this country has to offer we are in deep sht.

The so-called liberal media as usual will roll over and play dead now that they have been criticized.

I mean did you see the news this morning, they are all soiling themselves over the "extraordinary" speech Palin read from the teleprompter. It sounded like a high school journalism student to me with zero substance about anything that matters to me.

It''s all about John McCain''s "destiny" to become president after being a POW and Palin''s focus as the "future" of the Republican Party. On CBS this morning the "newscasterette" put a picture of Palin up beside her and noted how much they looked alike, geez, I''m gonna be sick.

America go ahead and rollover and prepare to take the neocon shaft up your *** for the next 8 years.

Simply extraordinary. God help us.

[kennedy7955]

For a veteran and former POW thst was tortured for 6 years, McCain now has a very thin skin when it comes to criticism about his VP pick.

[asisaid]

Sarah Palin%u2019s church, the Wasilla Bible Church, gave its pulpit over to a figure viewed with deep hostility by many Jewish organizations: David Brickner, the executive director of Jews for Jesus. Palin%u2019s pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church%u2019s website.

%u201CHe%u2019s a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism,%u201D Kroon said.

Brickner%u2019s mission has drawn wide criticism from the organized Jewish community, and the Anti-Defamation League accused them in a report of %u201Ctargeting Jews for conversion with subterfuge and deception.%u201D

Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God''s "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven''t embraced Christianity. "Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It''s very real. When [Brickner''s son] was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment %u2014 you can''t miss it."

Palin was in church that day, Kroon said.

I think the Jewish Community should be VERY worried about this woman!

[asisaid]

Sarah Palin%u2019s church, the Wasilla Bible Church, gave its pulpit over to a figure viewed with deep hostility by many Jewish organizations: David Brickner, the executive director of Jews for Jesus. Palin%u2019s pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church%u2019s website.

%u201CHe%u2019s a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism,%u201D Kroon said.

Brickner%u2019s mission has drawn wide criticism from the organized Jewish community, and the Anti-Defamation League accused them in a report of %u201Ctargeting Jews for conversion with subterfuge and deception.%u201D

Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God''s "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven''t embraced Christianity. "Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It''s very real. When [Brickner''s son] was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment %u2014 you can''t miss it."

Palin was in church that day, Kroon said.

I think the Jewish Community should be VERY worried about this woman!

[ukclh33]

You are a bald faced liar.

Obama is not under federal investigation. Why do you lie? Do you think it makes you look good? Do you think people believe your lies dummy?

I didn''''t say War On Terror wasn''''t important lying dummy, I said McCain apparently thinks so by his unserious pick of a VP.

I don''''t know if Gov "trumps" state senate or not. They are certainly both important and comparable and as I said his experience in regard is OVER FIVE TIMES AS LONG as hers.

I couldn''''t follow the rest of your rambling GOP bootlicking gibberish so I can''''t address the rest of your lies.


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Posted by notelatu

Sounds more like you have met your match and are beginning to see the light in what sbbm is saying, especially after all the kindergarten name calling you are doing.

[ukclh33]

Look i can do anagrams too Obama Biden ticket _ A Backbite Demo Nit LOLOLOL



Heres a cool anagram:

McCain Palin Ticket = It Can Milk Panic etc.


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Posted by tapsettle

[ukclh33]

AH you are correct, i stand corrected..... you don''t get rewards, just "stained clothing and book deals"


Hmmmm..... i don''''''''t know, you must have an idea about points, how many again was it for you


Sorry, we don''''t get rewards points like you boys do.


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Posted by elz523

[nothappyatall]

LOL my oh my how things are so different when the shoe is on the other foot with these rightwing rePUBIC-CONS eh?
THEY can dish it all out on everyone else, but they can''t TAKE it themselves!!! McShame''s WHINING proves it.
Cry me a river McSHame, this is POLITICS and you are part of the worst political party in US history and THAT is why a prisoner sent white powder thru the mail to McShame''s office, why tens of thousands protested at the RNC against the war etc and why Obama is 8 points ahead.

Bend over McShame, cause your azz is going to be KICKED come November.

[tapsettle]

Heres a cool anagram:

McCain Palin Ticket = It Can Milk Panic etc.

[jericho1337]

"Average life expectancy dictates that McCain will be dead before the end of his first term."
------------------

Average prison statistics dictate that Obama will be imprisoned before the end of his first term.

Ageism is just as abhorrent as racism.

[elz523]

Hmmmm..... i don''''t know, you must have an idea about points, how many again was it for you


Sorry, we don''t get rewards points like you boys do.

[elz523]

Are you defending his right to abuse his power as law enforcement?? Are you saying it''''s OK for anyone to beat the wife and taze the child simply because ''''you can'''' and have the power/means to do so? Are you saying that the police officer who is accused of killing his wife who supposably ''''drowned in the empty tub'''' until they had her body re-examined only to find out she was murdered, and to which his reply was ''''wish I''''d had her creamated'''' and now has a missing wife (Drew Peterson) who officers never had a clue to his dark side, was OK?? what the Fu(k is wrong with you???


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Posted by sbbm at 11:18 PM : Sep 03, 2008

No I''m not saying any of that. You are. I''m just saying it had nothing to do with her job and it was an abuse of power and a conflict of interest since she is related to his wife.

[formrusmcsgt]

Are you defending his right to abuse his power as law enforcement??

Posted by sbbm at 11:18 PM : Sep 03, 2008

Is it the governor''s job, typically, to weed out unfit officers?

Of course it isn''t.

It''s up to internal affairs.

[ukclh33]

Hmmmm..... i don''t know, you must have an idea about points, how many again was it for you to become the ball sack of B.O???



Hey sbbm, ukclh33, how many rewards points till you girly men get to blow Karl Rove? You gotta be there by now, or are you on your second time around?


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Posted by elz523

[elz523]

Hey sbbm, ukclh33, how many rewards points till you girly men get to blow Karl Rove? You gotta be there by now, or are you on your second time around?