ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 3, 2008
McCain Camp Wages War On The Press
Washington Post: Top Strategist Says News Organizations Are "On A Mission To Destroy" Palin
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Play CBS Video Video GOP Anticipates Palin Speech Supporters will be eager to hear Gov. Sarah Palin speak for herself at the RNC, reports Nancy Cordes. Maggie Rodriguez interviews Kristan Cole, a lifelong friend who talks to Palin daily.
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Video Palin Prepares For Prime Time Sarah Palin is preparing for her prime time address at the Republican National Convention. Will she talk policy or address the questions that have arisen about her? Maggie Rodriguez reports.
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Video Palin, Politics And Pregnancy Governor Sarah Palin is a hot topic for many women. The question is whether a mother of five can be an effective vice president. Maggie Rodriguez leads a discussion on the subject.
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With a cutout of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. at left, McCain adviser Steve Schmidt comes to the back of the airplane to speak to reporters on board the Straight Talk Air campaign charter airplane, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP)
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Photo Essay Sarah Palin Alaska's youngest and first female governor tabbed to be McCain's running mate.
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In-Depth GOP Convention Center Latest news and video from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.
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Some journalists, Schmidt said, have demanded to see Trig's birth certificate, or have asked when Palin went into labor and whether her contractions increased or decreased as she traveled from Texas to an Alaskan hospital in her home town, Wasilla. Others, he said, have asked whether Palin's eldest son, Track, who serves in the Army and is deploying to Iraq, is a drug addict. "Categorically false," Schmidt said, adding: "This is crazy."
News organizations routinely ask questions about allegations in an attempt to determine their veracity, and Schmidt did not contend that they were publishing or broadcasting false information about Palin and her family. But he said the media is asking more questions about Palin's pregnant daughter than about Obama's real estate deal with fundraiser Tony Rezko, who recently was convicted on corruption charges. Obama has called that transaction a "boneheaded mistake."
Bloggers on the left and right increasingly drive media coverage by turning up the volume on questions until they are difficult to ignore. Sometimes they are right, as when they questioned what CBS's Dan Rather said were National Guard documents in a 2004 report on President Bush's military service that led to Rather's ouster as the network's anchor. And sometimes they are wrong. Last year, the New Republic retracted a soldier's dispatch on petty wartime cruelty in Iraq, and National Review Online acknowledged that two blog postings by a former Marine about military movements in Lebanon were misleading.
Major newspapers, magazines and networks no longer play their traditional gatekeeper role in the digital age, as was evident during the eight-month period when the National Enquirer was charging former senator John Edwards with fathering an out-of-wedlock baby. Most national news outlets did not report the allegations until last month, when Edwards acknowledged an affair with a former campaign aide but denied being her child's father.
Still, traditional media outlets can amplify and legitimize such reports, which may be why the McCain campaign is fighting so hard to keep the Palin allegations confined to the Internet. Denouncing the news media as biased also plays well with many Republican voters.
Palin has been unavailable to the media since she became McCain's surprise choice Friday, adding to the difficulties for news organizations pursuing stories about her life and career. Campaign manager Rick Davis said it would be unrealistic for her to grant interviews as she prepares for "the most important speech of her life," her acceptance address at the convention here. Schmidt said she will be made available for interviews after the convention, a similar timetable followed by Obama's running mate, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.).
Perhaps the greatest concern to the McCain campaign is that the constant inquiries, amplified by cable television debates over whether a mother with a pregnant daughter and four other children can effectively function as vice president, will create a perception that her nomination is in trouble. "We are being bombarded by e-mails and phone calls from journalists asking when she will be dropping out of the race," Schmidt said.
Howard Kurtz hosts CNN's weekly media program, "Reliable Sources."
By Howard Kurtz
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
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Add a Comment See all 583 Comments
- 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. - Reply to this comment
- 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!!!
- Reply to this comment
- 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? - Reply to this comment
- 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.
- Reply to this comment
- 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.
- Reply to this comment
- 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. - Reply to this comment
- 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.
- Reply to this comment
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!- Reply to this comment
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!- Reply to this comment
- 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. - Reply to this comment
- 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 - Reply to this comment
- 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 - Reply to this comment
- 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. - Reply to this comment
- Heres a cool anagram:
McCain Palin Ticket = It Can Milk Panic etc. - Reply to this comment
- "Average life expectancy dictates that McCain will be dead before the end of his first term."
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Average prison statistics dictate that Obama will be imprisoned before the end of his first term.
Ageism is just as abhorrent as racism. - Reply to this comment
- 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. - Reply to this comment
- 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. - Reply to this comment
- 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. - Reply to this comment
- 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 - Reply to this comment
- 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?
- Reply to this comment
