Michelle Obama proclaimed that “for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country,” but instead of putting the burden on the Obama campaign to defend her admission of a lack of pride in her nation, NBC on Tuesday night framed its coverage around Cindy McCain's “rhetoric” in issuing a “political jab” over the remark and concern over whether that “was a knock at Michelle Obama?” But at least NBC highlighted the comment from Monday. ABC's World News didn't utter a word about it while CBS's Jim Axelrod pointed out how the Obama “campaign says don't slice apart the quote to infer she's not a patriot.”
NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams set up the story: “For the Republicans, the rhetoric today was also largely about words. And today it involved the wife of the frontrunner, Cindy McCain.” Kelly O'Donnell relayed how “the most memorable political jab of the day did not come” from John McCain but from Cindy McCain who declared “I'm proud of my country.” O'Donnell treated that as an attack which required justification: “Asked directly if this was a knock at Michelle Obama, John McCain steered clear.”
From the February 19 CBS Evening News story, picking up after more charges over plagiarism by Barack Obama:
JIM AXELROD: It's Michelle Obama's words that may give her husband's opponents an even sharper line of attack.
MICHELLE OBAMA, ON MONDAY: Let me tell you something: For the first time in my adult lifetime I'm really proud of my country.
AXELROD: That was her yesterday. Less than 24 hours later, John McCain's wife jumped in.
CINDY McCAIN: I'm proud of my country, I don't know about you if you heard those words earlier. I'm very proud of my country.
....AXELROD: Michelle Obama's words -- the campaign says don't slice apart the quote to infer she's not a patriot. They understand that those words could be a problem down the road, Ohio and Texas two weeks from today, and then later on April 22nd in Pennsylvania.
Next, anchor Harry Smith discussed the campaign with Bob Schieffer and Jeff Greenfield, and wrapped up with this exchange:
HARRY SMITH: The Michelle Obama dust-up, does it have legs? Will it last?JEFF GREENFIELD: I think it's a bigger problem for Obama in the fall if he's the nominee. But you have to believe the Clinton campaign is trying to find some way to use those words in the working class areas of Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania.
The MRC's Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video to provide this transcript of the story on the Tuesday, February 19 NBC Nightly News:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: For the Republicans, the rhetoric today was also largely about words. And today it involved the wife of the frontrunner, Cindy McCain. Here is NBC's Kelly O'Donnell with that. Kelly, good evening.
KELLY O'DONNELL: Good evening, Brian. And today, John McCain made a point to talk about things beyond this race. He commented on Fidel Castro and the Pakistan elections. So, yes, the most memorable political jab of the day did not come from him. John McCain's Milwaukee event hit all of the usual notes.
JOHN McCAIN: We will carry the state of Wisconsin.
O'DONNELL: But then, the unexpected, from Cindy McCain, who speaks often on the trail, but rarely gets political.
CINDY McCAIN: My job is to, is very brief today, but it is to introduce my husband.
O'DONNELL: Today Mrs. McCain made a subtle but pointed reference to this comment by Michelle Obama Monday:
MICHELLE OBAMA: And let me tell you something. For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.
O'DONNELL: And Cindy McCain today.
CINDY McCAIN: I'm proud of my country. I don't know about you, if you heard those words earlier. I'm very proud of my country.
O'DONNELL: Asked directly if this was a knock at Michelle Obama, John McCain steered clear.
JOHN McCAIN: I don't think we have any comment on it, do we? Do you have any comment?
O'DONNELL: Asked again later, Cindy McCain chose not to escalate the exchange, but repeated her point.
CINDY McCAIN: Well, really, all it was about is I always have been and will always be extremely proud of my country. I have led a very fortunate life. It was nothing more than that.
O'DONNELL: And besides opponents on the Democratic side, John McCain has to contend with Mike Huckabee, who's still in this race. He's headed to Texas, where Huckabee argues voters there are independent enough to pass on the frontrunner and vote for him.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
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Comments Policy
Unbelievable! The MSM's
February 19, 2008 - 23:31 ET by JerryUnbelievable! The MSM's bias could not be more obvious if they wore "Vote Obama" pins. Defend democrats, attack republicans. Explain what democrats "really" meant to say, put republicans and their "rhetoric" on defense. I'm sick of it. The MSM disgusts me.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that an President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Not really unbelievable.
February 19, 2008 - 23:59 ET by Sonny LykosNot really unbelievable. Think about it. It's the socialist MSM. Expect anything different? I don't.
Wow................. speechle
February 20, 2008 - 00:03 ET by USA4freedomWow.................
speechless........
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party,the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
just a small taste of what
February 20, 2008 - 00:04 ET by USA4freedomjust a small taste of what is to come.
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party,the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
grabbing the popcorn
February 20, 2008 - 01:14 ET by candanceThis is how the MSM plans on treating McCain when his people say something harmless. Just wait for the vitriole when they actually get something juicy.
Get used to seeing McCain dumped on every day. This is just the beginning.
Liberal word association
February 20, 2008 - 01:38 ET by KC MulvilleTherefore, being proud of your country must be ... an attack against hope!!!!!
It's like, (giggle), sooooo obvious, ya know?
The MSM is psychotic.
February 20, 2008 - 01:39 ET by rbosqueThe MSM is psychotic.
Will the real Michelle Obama please stand up!
February 20, 2008 - 06:15 ET by pocomocoA note to the MSM:
The words spoken by both women have nothing to do with patiotism, but gratitude, which Michelle seems to be lacking.
When will we stand up?
February 20, 2008 - 07:05 ET by dronetekSomething needs to be done folks. If we continue to let the media do stuff like this, our freedoms and control of this country are going to go bye-bye. It almost seems like its already too late.
Pins
February 20, 2008 - 07:16 ET by ThisnThatAnd this comes from an MSM which, en masse, has decided to NOT wear American flag lapel pins because .... they're too patriotic? And show bias towards America!
What was Cindy thinking of by stating she's proud of this country? And lordy, please don't show up wearing an American flag lapel pin. </sarc>
___________________________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
This is an example of how
February 20, 2008 - 07:18 ET by motherbeltThis is an example of how the media will continue to treat the Obamas with kid gloves.
Mrs. Obama says something deeply offensive to most Americans. Mrs.
McCain pointedly says the opposite. The Obamas respond with a variation
of the usual "How dare you question my patriotism!" and the MSM go John
McCain to "explain" HIS wife's "knock" of Mrs. O.
Typical. And pathetic.
Obama
February 20, 2008 - 07:46 ET by BlueoystercultA great idea for a bumper sticker.......................JUST SAY NO TO B.O. .......BARRACK AND OPRAH
The dishonesty is deafening
February 20, 2008 - 09:40 ET by Mr. TerryThe MSM will do whatever it takes, say whatever it takes, and lie and twist the truth as much as they can to put their president in the White House.
An interesting aritcle about Obama's communist leanings and his childhood mentor, Frank Marshall Davis, written by Cliff Kincaid can be found HERE. It is no small wonder that his wife is not proud of this country. She and he are Marxists.
Viva Fidel! Viva Cuba!
“A nation that cannot secure its borders is not a nation.” Ronald Reagan
Mr Terry
February 20, 2008 - 17:50 ET by Jerry MackThis is the Msm philosophy: If you believe it ; It is not a lie.
To quote Rush Limbaugh: "The
February 20, 2008 - 09:39 ET by pocomocoTo quote Rush Limbaugh: "The MSM, it is what it is!"
You should have heard the other O'Donnell, Nora, on MS-NBC
February 20, 2008 - 11:05 ET by krendlerYou should have heard the other O'Deonnell, Nora, on MS-NBC
earlier in the day as part of a roundtable, going after Cindy McCain, saying that it was "unprecedented" that a candidate's wife would "attack" another candidate's wife. Had to see it to believe it.
My take:
1) Obama's statement was completely disgusting to most Americans
2) It was clearly deliberate (she didn't mis-speak) as she said it at two different rallies, inserting the word "really" before "proud" only during the 2nd speech. (Yeah, that makes it better).
3) Michelle is making campaign speeches for her husband, but we're supposed to think she's off limits in terms of criticism? Sure.
4) The Obama strategy is to play the class warfare thing to the hilt in front of their massive, jazzed-up crowds and if some of their more outlandish statements manage to trickle out into the msm, they can always "clarify" what was meant. As in Michelle's surrogates saying "Oh, of course she's proud of her country!"
She is? Then why did she just say TWICE that she's never been proud of her country for the past 25 years.
I wonder if NBC/MS-NBC would have even reported Michelle's remark if they hadn't been able to focus on Cindy McCain's comment.
Insult
February 20, 2008 - 17:44 ET by Jerry MackIt is an insult to the small amount of intelligence that I have when people tell me what I heard is not what I heard.