The broadcast network evening newscasts stories Thursday night all described Barack Obama's decision to opt out of public financing as a “flip-flop,” a “reversal” and/or a “direct contradiction” of a pledge, but CBS's Dean Reynolds also relayed Obama's rationalization -- that “he's opting out of the system to have enough money to fight the unlimited spending and what he called the 'smears' from unregulated Republican-allied organizations” -- and then, with a 2004 anti-John Kerry ad clip on screen, forwarded his own example of a supposed past smear from the right: “Such as the Swift Boat group which attacked John Kerry in 2004.”
On FNC, however, reporter Carl Cameron pointed out what didn't fit the CBS prism (nor ABC's or NBC's) in which outside groups only unfairly attack liberal Democrats: “Right now it's Obama who's getting the most outside help. He met with AFL-CIO leaders today who pledged more than $50 million to defeat McCain and the anti-war group MoveOn.org is running this attack ad nationally.” Viewers then saw the MoveOn ad with a mother and a baby:
John McCain, when you say you would stay in Iraq for 100 years, were you counting on Alex? Because if you were, you can't have him.
From the Thursday, June 19 CBS Evening News:
DEAN REYNOLDS: Obama indicated he's opting out of the system to have enough money to fight the unlimited spending and what he called the 'smears' from unregulated Republican-allied organizations, such as the Swift Boat group which attacked John Kerry in 2004.
OBAMA, IN WEB VIDEO: We face opponents who have become masters at gaming this broken system.
From FNC's Special Report with Brit Hume, anchored by Jim Angle:
CARL CAMERON: A flip-flop Obama tries to justify by arguing he'll need it to counter what he predicts will be millions in attack ads by independent GOP groups trying to help McCain.OBAMA, IN WEB VIDEO: We've already seen that he's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations.
CAMERON: But McCain's denounced the attack ads from outside groups and insisted they stop. Right now it's Obama who's getting the most outside help. He met with AFL-CIO leaders today who pledged more than $50 million to defeat McCain and the anti-war group MoveOn.org is running this attack ad nationally.
WOMAN IN MOVEON AD, HOLDING A BABY: John McCain, when you say you would stay in Iraq for 100 years, were you counting on Alex? Because if you were, you can't have him.
I'd also note that it would be illegal for McCain or his campaign staff to “coordinate” with a 527 group, which would include doing anything to stop them from exercising their free speech rights -- beyond, of course, McCain's legislative efforts to outlaw political speech.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center





DEAN REYNOLDS: Obama indicated he's opting out of the system to have enough money to fight the unlimited spending and what he called the 'smears' from unregulated Republican-allied organizations, such as the Swift Boat group which attacked John Kerry in 2004.
CAMERON: But McCain's denounced the attack ads from outside groups and insisted they stop. Right now it's Obama who's getting the most outside help. He met with AFL-CIO leaders today who pledged more than $50 million to defeat McCain and the anti-war group MoveOn.org is running this attack ad nationally.















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Flip-Floppers all of them
June 19, 2008 - 22:22 ET by bigtimerFlip-Floppers all of them this season.
Whatcha' gonna' do?
Btw...I got it just fine about the bias...nothing new either...I do appreciate the fine work here Brent Baker.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson
"WOMAN IN MOVEON AD,
June 19, 2008 - 22:32 ET by Clear thinker"WOMAN IN MOVEON AD, HOLDING A BABY: John McCain, when you say you would stay in Iraq for 100 years, were you counting on Alex? Because if you were, you can't have him."
Is she saying that she would rather the terrorists had her son? I'm just saying...
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm
You know Ct...I also have
June 19, 2008 - 22:45 ET by bigtimerYou know Ct...I also have thought exactly the same thing when I see that gal...which the msm has shown repeatedly now...as if it is a good ad....
How dumb they count on us being out here.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson
Not to mention the fact
June 19, 2008 - 22:48 ET by motherbeltNot to mention the fact that we have a volunteer army. Instead of telling McCain he can't have her Alex, she's going to have to tell her Alex he can't go.....
So, this child will be another
June 19, 2008 - 23:33 ET by DEVILDOCMOMmommy's boy liberal...who will go on to begat more pw'd liberals. The ad sickened me. I am so glad there are men who will stand up for their country and join the military, after all in 100 years I will be real, real old. LOL.
Plus, as much as the failing media would like to use "swift boating" as a negative, I see the swift boat veterans as truth tellers who made a difficult decison.
bigtimer, When I see that
June 20, 2008 - 08:32 ET by AntiMediabigtimer,
When I see that gal I see white trash.
When I see this liberal
June 20, 2008 - 10:39 ET by BDWhen I see this liberal woman, I think "This kid has really got the deck stacked against him." After all, he will probably end up in law school somehwere and become a parasitic lawyer for the ACLU or a performance artist in SOHO.
Not a productive citizen who will join the military. Why should she worry about him enlisting? She will likely forbid it anyway....
Thankfully, when they grow
June 21, 2008 - 03:12 ET by Rush FanThankfully, when they grow up the sons and daughters sometimes have more of a commitment to their country than their parents. Cindy Sheehan was against her son Casey’s enlistment. He re-enlisted fully aware that he could be sent into a combat zone. After he was killed, Casey was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his valor.
Which political party is invested in our defeat in Iraq?
RF... Amen to that. I
June 21, 2008 - 03:23 ET by bigtimerRF...
Amen to that.
I don't know if you know who misterbill is here...but he wrote a beautiful poem and put it out here so long ago now...it was priceless.
I will try to find that sometime and insert it. I think you will like it.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson
I would love to see this
June 20, 2008 - 08:25 ET by JerryI would love to see this counter ad...
Woman holding baby: "Barrack Obama, when you support abortion on demand and abortion for teenagers without parental consent, were you counting on getting Alex? Because if you were, you can't have him."
I'm sure the press would give it lot's of free play...
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
They can't see the truth
June 19, 2008 - 22:46 ET by kgThey can't see the truth for the lies.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
What's with Obama using the
June 19, 2008 - 22:46 ET by motherbeltWhat's with Obama using the term "so-called" 527 groups????? Is he implying that they pretend to be 527's but are not? And I guess it's OK to have organizations like unions spend $50 million dollars that they confiscate from their members, on your behalf, but not a bunch of navy vets who organize themselves and raise their own money from voluntary contributions!
You know, Sen. Obama, someone who really believes in a principle doesn't toss it aside because others are not willing to follow the same one....
Right mb...and let's don't
June 19, 2008 - 22:50 ET by bigtimerRight mb...and let's don't forget the Soros funded different networks with him and his leftist buddies ponying up.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson
Really. I can even guess
June 19, 2008 - 23:20 ET by motherbeltReally. I can't even guess how much money MoveOn will spend for him.
This is not even hypocrisy! It's just plain going back on one's word and using the "everybody's doing it" excuse!
Obama in video: We face opponents who have become masters at gaming this broken system.
Yeah, so we're gonna game it too!
Update: From the Yahoo! News story (emphasis mine):
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama
is abandoning public financing for his presidential campaign, reversing
his earlier stance in bold certainty he can raise millions more on his
own as the first major-party candidate to bypass the tax-checkoff
system that was hurried into place after the Watergate scandal.
Oh, so THAT's what you meant by "change" and "a new kind of politics!"
Hehehe, MB, you saw this
June 20, 2008 - 08:51 ET by WolfremHehehe, MB, you saw this one too, eh? And you even bolded the lie "the first major-party candidate. How short do they think our memory is? It was the week before that McCain announced he wasn't going to use public funds and then Obama followed suit. So the GOP is no longer a major-party? I beg to differ......hehehe.
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana
Please Save Baby Alex
June 19, 2008 - 23:05 ET by Airforce_5_OI am starting the save baby alex fund here and now. He must be saved from a life where he will end up pale and angry at the world. He must be saved from a liberal life style where he will think that everything a Republican does is to take away his free speech and that the only thing the military does is kill babies.
SAVE BABY ALEX FROM LIBERAL BIAS!!!!
But what do I know? I am bitter and cling to my religion and guns.
It's hopeless AF. Even if
June 20, 2008 - 08:35 ET by JerryIt's hopeless AF. Even if you were to get him out of that socialist state, BHO will bring Janet Reno out of retirement to lead a commando raid and return him to his rightful... I mean leftful... place.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Kerry and Obama
June 19, 2008 - 23:25 ET by Gat New YorkThe criticism Kerry received from Swift Boat Veterans was well deserved. Kerry first went for a commission to a swift boat because at the time he made the decision swift boats were not seeing combat. But by the time he was commissioned they did - something he did not count on and has admitted to.
Then he finds a way to manipulate three purple hearts under suspicious circumstances to get his automatic get-out-of-Vietnam-early discharge. Only to come home and slander his fellow soldiers in front of the entire nation with charges of slaughter and rape. Yet he never offered a single name or a shred of evidence.
Kerry got a lot less than he deseved.
John McCain immediately came to Kerry's defense because in McCain's world he placed honor and standing with fellow soldiers over politics.
But when the tables are turned and McCain is outrageously trashed by the Oamination camp on his age by using epithets like "confused" Kerry shows why he deserved much more than he got.
Kerry not only does not come to McCain's defense but actually becomes the leader of perpetrating the trashing of McCain.
There are words we cannot use on a public blog that best describe Kerry. I only hope McCain remembers how his "good friend" came to his defense as McCain came to his.
Moveon.org a anti-war group?
June 20, 2008 - 00:49 ET by jefflebowskiThat's like calling the Hell's Angels a boy scout troop.
But I don't mind watching McPain getting trashed by the lib media. He has spent his career spitting in the faces of the conservatives in the Republican party while kissing the rears of the leftoids in the media and in congress.
You are reaping what you have sewn, Juan McPain.
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.c...
Service
June 20, 2008 - 09:47 ET byGeorge W. Bush joined the Texas National Guard so he could avoid combat in Vietnam. Is it ok to criticize him in this regard like you do Kerry in your first paragraph?
Not that I care, because it was a long time ago. Just wanted to have some consistancy.
Anyways, just curious, how did he manipulate his three purple hearts?
Of course, it was before I was born so I"m not familiar with his testimony, but I have read reports that there were activities like slaughter and rape being commited in Vietnam. I remember years ago reading a big article about some group named Tiger Company who did some unpleasant things.
you probably really shouldn't post your ignorance here
June 20, 2008 - 12:33 ET by wizardjr"so he could avoid combat in Vietnam"
I've got a news flash for you: every element served in Viet Nam. That includes Reserves and Guard units. Not all units of the Guard or Reserves got to go to Jungle Hell, but then neither did all units of the 'regular' military. I should know. I served in the Regular Air Force from '62 to '70 and my cousin Craig was a combat infantry officer in Viet Nam.
The 'Tigers' you are probably referring to were the Republic of Korea (ROK) Tiger Division, not an American outfit.
John Kerry stated that he volunteered for the boats to stay out of combat. President Bush never made such a statement.
You appear to be ripe for a career in the MSM considering you could have Googled any of this information quite easily but didn't.
George W. Bush joined the
June 20, 2008 - 13:35 ET by Gat New YorkGeorge W. Bush joined the Texas National Guard so he could avoid combat in Vietnam.
As wizard jr. said, air national guard pilots were also involved in Vietnam combat. Also did you ever pilot a fighter jet? Any idea how dangerous it is? Ask Dean Paul Martin how dangerous flying these jets are as a member of the air national guard.
Anyways, just curious, how did he manipulate his three purple hearts?
I only knew one man who went back a second time into combat in Vietnam after he was shot down as a rescue helicopter pilot. It is very rare that any soldier was wounded, got a purple heart and was able to return to combat. For a swift boat pilot to do that, separate from the rest of his crew, THREE TIMES, defies credibility. And none of those wounds were serious.
Tiger Company who did some unpleasant things.
The enemy used unconventional methods to fight Americans. They called it guerilla warfare but in today’s world it would be called terrorism. They dressed as civilians – hid among civilians - and then would blow up barracks – like the one that killed a friend of mine who had just arrived.
Anyone from that era looked at Kerry as an opportunistic SOB who was a liar and a coward. He still is.
Left out his identity as
June 20, 2008 - 12:00 ET by Eileen RightLeft out his identity as the reincarnated JFK, Navy, PT Boats, Hero, etc... All calculated to earn credibility for public office.
Hypocrisy
June 20, 2008 - 02:57 ET by Parker1227Strange how the late Tim Russert is lionized for putting powerful people on the spot by quoting back to them (and the public) their own words and insisting on explanations, but when conservatives quote back the exact words of Barack and Michelle and friends, its "the Republican attack machine" or a smear campaign, or Swift Boating.
Concerning Swift Boats
June 20, 2008 - 04:46 ET by ChuchulainnI was an undesignated striker in OI division on the USS Galveston CLG-3 in '68-'69, the same time Kerry was in the Navy. We did a little shore bomb in support of the Marines near Da Nang, and when we weren't doing that, we monitored Hanoi airport from Yankee Station with our long range radar.
I remember the Navy asking for volunteers for Swift Boats and PBRs, and it was common knowledge that anyone volunteering for such duty would see a hell of a lot more action than on a big Navy Destroyer or Cruiser--especially on the PBRs, but also on the Swift Boats.
So when people say than Kerry volunteered for easy duty, I'm not buying it. No matter how you slice it, Kerry HAD easy duty on his Destroyer, and then volunteered for more dangerous duty on the Swift Boat.
Also, you believe what you want about Kerry, but I wouldn't trust anything that any sailor said about him that wasn't on the same boat with him. Navy scuttlebutt is notoriously inaccurate.
Just a few observations from someone who was there.
It never ceases to amaze me
June 20, 2008 - 07:00 ET by MOONSTRUCKIt never ceases to amaze me how the left and libs believe that their candidates can say or do anything they want and there are few that hold them to the fire. And the liberal American's that seem to think this is okay. I am a proud conservative, and if my candidate did the flip floppin', anti-american etc. crap that bho has done, there would be no way I could support him or her. I am not a big McCain supporter, but at least he stands by what he say's. (most of the time) I may not like it, but at least he has the courage to stand by his beliefs.
I have to believe America will see through this hopey changey fraud come November.......
One Problem With Your Argument
June 20, 2008 - 07:17 ET by Gat New YorkKerry admitted to it.
He said that at the time he volunteered, Swift Boats were NOT seeing combat action. They were essentially doing policing patrols. But when he was commissioned the war had changed and so did the assignment of Swift Boats had changed dramatically.
Regardless, explain how a Swift Boat captain gets 3 purple hearts, returns to trash his fellow soldiers with concocted stories of atrocities (none he saw), and then once again turns on a fellow soldier (McCain) who had come to his defense?
Kerry has deserved much worse than he has received.
Also keep in mind
June 20, 2008 - 08:13 ET by pbanks7Also keep in mind that people with high draft numbers enlisted in the Navy because it was safe duty compared to the Army and Marines.
Also, being in charge of a swift boat would be more glorious than being just another officer on a larger ship. "I'm a Captain!"
And we're still waiting for him to release his full military record.
MSM - shaping all the perceptions you need to believe.
Kerry
June 20, 2008 - 09:11 ET by ToddonCapeCodOl Senator Waffles said on Thursday that if he had opted out of public financing he would have won in 2004.
http://dyn.politico.com/...
Whatever you gotta keep telling yourself, Kerry
What does Alex have to say?
June 20, 2008 - 09:55 ET by Ole_SargeWOMAN IN MOVEON AD, HOLDING A BABY: "John McCain, when you say you would
stay in Iraq for 100 years, were you counting on Alex? Because if you
were, you can't have him."
So stupid... another Cindy wanna-be, remember Cindy Sheehan, her son, despite his mother's "peace-nic" activities, enlisted, not once but twice. Died a hero in Iraq and had his memory and deeds forever disgraced by his mother. The family was torn apart by Cindy's actions and "speaking out" and now where is she?
Oh, wait, the exact same nuts that promoted Cindy in the first place... MOVEON (as in move on from the focus of a President that LIED under oath, not once or twice) Great people sheepple!
While not eager for McCain as President, I sure as heck don't want Obama. The lying Democrat that claims He's above "smear" ads, as this garbage is playing. Who is slinging mud? Not John.
Words Mean Things/Defining Terms/Ceding the Issue
June 20, 2008 - 10:18 ET by CaringwhiteguyIt never ceases to amaze me how easy it is for the left to take control of virtually every debate. And they've been so successful by using the most elementary tactic in debating. They've monopolized the definition of terms for damn near every issue. Swift Boating = "BAD". True and accurate quote = REPUBLICAN ATTACK MACHINE".
Unfortunately the meek and totally disorganized "leadership" on the right has ceded this most important ground. They've tacitly (and sometimes not so tacitly) gone along with the left's definition of terms before the debate is even joined. By doing so they continue to lose the debate before it begins.
"They've monopolized the
June 20, 2008 - 12:48 ET by Jerry"They've monopolized the definition of terms for damn near every issue"
So very true, Pro-choice vs Anit-abortion, Global warming scientific community vs "skeptics", any disagreement with democrat views are "racist, bigoted, homophobic, etc. And it only works because the MSM is the propaganda arm of the democrat party.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
So...
June 20, 2008 - 10:20 ET by americaneagleAre we to believe that by opting out of public financing and spending privately raised funds that NO left wing groups are going to be spending money to help Obama? If I recall, there was no hue and cry from the left when moveon.org was launching broadsides against GWB; at that point the 527's were better than sliced bread. 527's only became a "problem" when Republicans decided they would get into the game on behalf of their guys.
Will Obama's hypocrisy never end?
you can't have him
June 20, 2008 - 12:41 ET by wizardjrWho needs him? This is the volunteer military - no metro sexuals needed. Sounds like another Jesse McBeth in the making here.
I pity this poor kid. Can't we define liberalism as a disease and raising a child under that influence is child abuse?
Swiftboating the Swiftboat
June 20, 2008 - 14:21 ET by mattmSwiftboating the Swiftboat Vets really worked for Kerry, didn't it?