NBC anchor Brian Williams reported Wednesday night “there were no devastating or towering moments in the Obama/McCain debate in Nashville last night,” but he insisted, though neither ABC nor CBS mentioned them in their next day stories, “two moments from last night loomed large today.” Both, no surprise, were supposed insults from John McCain, but before getting to those, reporter Andrea Mitchell focused on the “rowdy” McCain and Palin crowds and elevated the importance of a local Lehigh County, Pennsylvania GOP official who dared use Obama's full name:
At one point, someone shouted “off with his head” about Obama. And the Republican County Chairman, William Platt, asked, “Imagine if you woke up on November 5th and Barack Obama -- Barack Hussein Obama -- was our new President?” The campaign later said: “We do not condone this inappropriate rhetoric.” But that kind of rhetoric is becoming commonplace, especially at Sarah Palin's rallies. Today Joe Biden challenged her.
After a clip of Biden castigating Palin, Mitchell relayed how “Democrats are also buzzing about McCain's debate performance last night, saying he seemed dismissive and disrespectful when he referred to Obama as 'that one,'” a reference she asserted has “spawned howls and a cottage industry of headlines on liberal blogs and even T-shirts on Web sites.” Again, for expert condemnation of McCain she went to the Democratic VP candidate: “Biden with Ann Curry on Today explained...” Mitchell then moved to the second McCain foul: “Critics also jumped on McCain for seeming to patronize one questioner in the debate, Oliver Clark, who asked what it will take to help people having a difficult time in the economic crisis.”
While NBC was only concerned about McCain, in a “Reality Check” on Wednesday's CBS Evening News, Wyatt Andrews de-constructed McCain's $300 billion home mortgage idea, but also hit a Barack Obama claim:
Obama made his own stunning claim on spending -- that all of his promises on energy, health care and education, are paid for with his budget cuts. The facts is, Obama's promises will increase the deficit....
The story on the Wednesday, October 8 NBC Nightly News, as provided by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth, who corrected the closed-captioning against the video:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Now, a related topic: presidential politics. And about last night, looks like 63 million of us watched on television -- more than the first presidential debate, but fewer viewers than that Biden/Palin VP debate. There were no devastating or towering moments in the Obama/McCain debate in Nashville last night. All we heard beforehand was that McCain was most comfortable in the so-called town hall format, though many viewers saw something less than that. As it turned out, two moments from last night loomed large today as the campaigns went back on the road with just 27 days to go now until the election. Our report tonight from NBC's Andrea Mitchell.
ANDREA MITCHELL: In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, today, the Republican candidate's wife, Cindy McCain, accused Barack Obama of not supporting the troops in Iraq, including her son.
CINDY MCCAIN: The day that Senator Obama decided to cast a vote to not fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body.MITCHELL: In fact, Obama voted against money for the troops once in May 2007, he said, "because the bill didn't include a timetable for withdrawal." But John McCain also voted against a troop funding bill two months earlier for the opposite reason -- because that bill called for a troop withdrawal. The day after their second debate, John McCain also kept up his attack on Obama.
JOHN MCCAIN: What ever happened to the tax relief he promised them when he was a candidate for the Senate?
CROWD MEMBERS: Liar!
MITCHELL: Again today, the McCain crowd was rowdy.
CROWD CHANTING: No-bama! No-bama!
MITCHELL: At one point, someone shouted "off with his head" about Obama. And the Republican County Chairman, William Platt, asked, "Imagine if you woke up on November 5th and Barack Obama -- Barack Hussein Obama -- was our new President?" The campaign later said: "We do not condone this inappropriate rhetoric." But that kind of rhetoric is becoming commonplace, especially at Sarah Palin's rallies. Today Joe Biden challenged her.
JOE BIDEN: To have a vice presidential candidate raise the most outrageous inferences, the ones that John McCain's campaign is condoning, is simply wrong.
MITCHELL: Democrats are also buzzing about McCain's debate performance last night, saying he seemed dismissive and disrespectful when he referred to Obama as "that one."
JOHN MCCAIN: You know who voted for it? You might never know: that one.
MITCHELL: That line spawned howls and a cottage industry of headlines on liberal blogs and even T-shirts on Web sites. Biden with Ann Curry on Today explained it this way:
JOE BIDEN: When John knows that he's on the attack and he's not feeling good about it, John never looks you straight in the eye. John doesn't go and refer to you by your first name.
MITCHELL: Critics also jumped on McCain for seeming to patronize one questioner in the debate, Oliver Clark, who asked what it will take to help people having a difficult time in the economic crisis.
MCCAIN: Really, the match that lit this fire was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I'll bet you, you may never even have heard of them before this crisis.
MITCHELL: Today Obama was in Indianapolis, the first Democrat to campaign in the heart of that red state in October since LBJ.
BARACK OBAMA: I can take four more weeks of John McCain's attacks, but the American people can't take four more years of John McCain's Bush policies.
MITCHELL: As Republicans try to figure out how to slow Obama's momentum. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, Washington.
A momentum the media are fueling.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Obama was a selfish bully
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 00:40 ET by wdhorningThe only reason McCain was upset a bit was because Obama was allowed time and time again to run over the alloted time. It shows Brokaw has contempt for democracy, and showed Obama's true colors, namely, an egotistical, self-centered, bully.
McCain: "Country First"
Obama: "me first"
"Read my lipstick"
The Russians see Obama running on empty
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 00:47 ET by Lame CherryAmerica is about to get woke up as the people who matter in Moscow, Tehran, Tripoli, Damascus etc... all see Barack Obama for what this chameleon is.
This is getting very serious very fast and for those here and elsewhere thinking this is some game of rating McCain if he is boring there are real men moving to greet Barack Obama if America elects this empty suit.
A four-ship squadron led by the
nuclear missile cruiser, Peter the Great, came out of the Arctic Ocean
mists, passed through Gibraltar on Oct. 5, paid a call in Triopli,
Libya and sits in Tartus, Syria on October 9 before joining in
exercises off the American Gulf Coast with Venezuela.
The Peter the Great is an aircraft carrier killer. America has the only carriers
of note in the world. She has the S 300 defense system with 20 missile
launchers.
Syria has 10,000 troops ready to invade Tripoli, Lebanon under the cover of a Russian fleet moving south out of the ice.
The new Russian tanks are even on the border.
In connection with the Peter the Great docking in Syria, this week Tu-160
Blackjack and Tu-95 MS Bear-H strategic bombers are flying live fire
exercises with cruise missiles off the Alaskan coast.
This week the United States dusted off Cobra helicopters from storage in Jordan
moving them to Lebanon in anticipation of a Syrian thrust.
President Bush as of this week has ended the process of placing diplomatic corps
in Iran. Iran has ceased the "understandings" which were in place in
working with the United States.
This is the real world beyond Newsbusters going unnoticed.
The Peter the Great can not be wrong. She is your worst omen in a
nuclear ship coming in from the cold, seasoning the Middle East waters
with zest and thawing a storm in American waters.
A military is
not dispatched without purpose, strategy and implementation. America
doesn't assemble forces and not invade Iraq and America does not live
fire off of China without message.
They are talking to you Obama even as the MSM is protecting you, because they know you are running on, running on empty.
The big boys and that includes President Bush are moving a great deal of force around. I broke the story in August that the Med has just become a nuclear theater of war. The Admiral K and now the Peter the Great coming out of the frozen Arctic means things people.
Crazy Ivan has not just come back. He is moving with purpose and while this arguement goes on in this nation over Obama, the real players are moving to take advantage and strike.
This is reality. Enjoy it with all the smart answers on the right and left. The enemy is on the move because of Obama.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
World War III
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 02:30 ET by AgentAmericanWhoever wins this election will be dealing with the breakout of World War, which will decide the ultimate future. It's coming, like it or not.
Obama would have no choice but to defend the country he hates because it would benefit him anyway. America would be victorious again.
John McCain is better suited but not by much. Only Reagan could have fought this coming world war.
Drill ANWAR
AA... If a World War does
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 11:54 ET by Clear thinkerAA...
If a World War does break out we need someone with the genes of a real leader...Sarahs Shared Geneology Explains Her Attraction.
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
actually i believe abe
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 15:33 ET by patmac49actually i believe abe lincoln and george washington also could havwe fought this war..presidents come and go but the nation remains forever
I've Got A Great Big Press Machine. You'd Best Not Mess With Us
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 01:34 ET by dodecahedron(Above title sang to the tune of the 70s trucker hit, "Convoy")
OBAMA: I am the one I've been waiting for. When I get here, I'm going to congratulate myself on turning the media into my own little propaganda machine.
You are witnessing the death of the truth.
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 07:02 ET by superconThe limousine liberals and their media hacks have their foot on the neck of the truth and are about to suffocate it.They are lying right to our faces and laughing about it.If that crowd makes it into the White House the damage they could do to this country could alter our history and who we are as a nation. The lying and cheating and the arrogance that they openly show and are proud of will destroy our Democracy just as sure as it destroyed our financial system.
They are openly trying to steal an election and they don't care who knows about it. The behavior of the media has been absolutely despicable and it is network policy.They will lie and cheat and omit the truth and openly campaign for and defend Barack.
They have no shame or credibility.It's disgusting.We can't let them get away with this.
Victory in Iraq.
Liberals suck.
McCain for Preznint.
the double standards are astounding ...
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 08:46 ET by pmohbuckdoes any one think the media is feeling empowered to do what ever it wants without scrutiny?
the double standards are so easy to point out ... here are a few:
disrespectfully refer to the President as "W" but refuse to ever mention that obama's middle name IS Hussein ... and even consider anyone mentioning that name as being inflammatory.
look at the media scrutiny over larry craig for over a year and yet there is complete silence regarding bill ayers
the utter sexism unveiled upon sarah palin and the almost criminal scrutiny of her 17 year old daughter is apparently journalistic "integrity" in their eyes, yet the phrase "that one" is suddenly deemed "racist"
can't mention obama's middle name, reverend wright or bill ayers ... but it's okay to fabricate the story that mccain had an affair.
it is now apparently acceptable to use "i was only 8 years old" when bill ayer's commited "dispicable acts" as an excuse to befriend a domestic terrorist ... would the same media protection be used if it was discovered that a republican candidate was on friendly terms with timothy mcvie or terry nichols?
a vice presidential candidate receives scrutiny for her qualifications because she is only a governor ... yet a man who has held no administrative post and has only participated as a freshman senator for less than half his term is more than qualified to be president.
the "one heartbeat away" reference only refers to john mccain ... because he is 72 ... no reference to obama not surviving as president (even the VP debate question about succeeding as President was an attempt to reference mccain's agae and question palin's experience ... and simultaneously gave joe biden the audience to claim that such an event would "be a tragedy of historic proportions")
what concerns me the most is the media's attempt to sheild and coddle obama's relationship with ayers ... i think it is perfectly reasonable to question a man who claims to be "the one" to lead the US in it's fight against terrorism on one hand, yet nurtures a relationship with a domestic terrorist on the other.
it is completely understandable why mccain waited until the last month to bring this forward ... if he had brought it up earlier, the media would have ensured the issue was rendered "old news" well before the election and made it a non-issue.
it is not difficulty to see todays liberal american media as being a mouth piece for "the state" (led by obama) ... the whole thing reeks of communism ... if obama's elected, i'm sure they will gleefully assist in the obama administration's "purges" of opposition ... maybe not death squads, but a litany of lawsuits and problems for those deemed as trouble-makers ... ie. fairness doctrine, middle-class tax increases, etc.
i have a question..though i
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 15:26 ET by patmac49i have a question..though i totally agree that candidates families should be off limits as far as the press is concerned and the press is totally wrong in how they handle a most of their reporting,how which statute would that bein blue blazes was their reporting on palins daughter "almost criminal"..
i'm not referring to a law/statute ...
Fri, 10/10/2008 - 21:41 ET by pmohbuckit's simple in my opinion ... she's a minor
adults are fair game for candidates ... you leave minor children out of it though (pregnant or not) ... and you don't get near an infant with downs syndrome. one would have to be a loser to think that attacking palin's kids is "ok" (anyone's kids for that matter) ... sorry, just my opinion.
It must be patronizing to point out the obvious to a Liberal.
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 09:03 ET by Hunter12MITCHELL: Critics also jumped on McCain for seeming to patronize one questioner in the debate, Oliver Clark, who asked what it will take to help people having a difficult time in the economic crisis.
MCCAIN: Really, the match that lit this fire was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I'll bet you, you may never even have heard of them before this crisis.
McCain needs to point out that the Bush administration tried to reign in these two institutions for eight years, but the people taking the bulk of the campaign contributions from Fannie and Freddie (Dodd, Obama, Frank) kept getting in the way. He needs to give a economic lessson on stage and hope he can get some coverage to spread the news that this is a Democratic-controlled Congress problem and not a Bush Administration issue. Obama has successfully portrayed this crisis in that light and the MSM isn't going to help correct that without goading. McCain needs to flat out state, "Obama, you took almost as much money in three years from Fannie and Freddie as the highest recepient took in 30. Fannie and Freddie's bad paper fueled this financial crisis. The root of the problem was affordable housing. Affordable housing is Democrat code for giving home loans to people without the financial means to repay them. This is what led to the disaster. A Democrat in the White House and a Democrat congress will cause this country to go down the tubes."
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
What about Bush?
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 11:47 ET by sembyWhere was NBC when people went after President Bush with a vengence. Where are they today?
Please, this is pathetic.
NBC is pathetic.
And I agree, NO-BAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the video during Andrea
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 14:51 ET by Conservative in the Artsthe video during Andrea Mitchell's number was not what aired during the debate. She chose video of McCain's back while he was saying:
MCCAIN: Really, the match that lit this fire was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I'll bet you, you may never even have heard of them before this crisis
The video that was shown during the debate was of McCain's face and the questioner's back. McCain was smiling and being friendly. But she chose to use footage that was not aired and showed McCain's backside because his face would betray her point.
COME ON McCAIN FIGHT!!!
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 16:13 ET by Crash"Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight for what's right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people. Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all."
STOP WITH YOUR "REACHING ACROSS THE ISLE" BULLSHIT AND FIGHT!
The reason Bush polls so low today is because he stopped being a cowboy, and tried to please those on the left who put us in dire straits. Not even his own party think he deserves a D- (25% approval).