CBS Does Puff Piece on Obama, Depicts McCain as Dumb ‘Punk’

On Monday’s CBS "Early Show," correspondent Jeff Glor did a report on "five things you should know about John McCain" and highlighted details such as: "Number four, a maverick even back in high school, John McCain was nicknamed ‘the punk’...A reputation that followed him to the naval academy." During the segment, USA Today columnist Walter Shapiro added: "John McCain graduated five slots from the bottom of the Annapolis class of 1958."

Contrast those bits of information with the hard-hitting facts revealed about Barack Obama during a similar segment on last Wednesday’s show: "Number four -- in addition to enjoying basketball and cycling during down time, Obama loves to play Scrabble...Obama's job as a teenager was at a Baskin Robbins and to this day he does not like ice cream." The segment on Obama also described how he and Michelle met and where he buys his suits.

Meanwhile, on Monday’s show, Glor also focused on McCain being born in Panama: "Number five, McCain was not born in any of the 50 United States...His father had been stationed there by the Navy, creating an eventual source of controversy." Shapiro added: "The Constitution says a president has to be a natural born citizen." Glor also questioned McCain’s skill as a pilot: "Number three, when McCain was not down in Vietnam, it was not his first. It was not his second. But his third plane crash as a pilot." Finally, Glor got to number one: "...when he first ran for Congress he was charged with being a carpet bagger."

Glor did mention McCain’s time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and Senator Lindsey Graham was quoted throughout the segment, usually defending McCain against the information that Glor was highlighting. Glor also offered this positive assessment at the end of the segment: "I would say with John McCain it's a commitment to country, the idea of service. I mean, this is a man who's done everything, been everywhere all over the world and still there's this desire ‘I'm not done yet.’"

Here is the full transcript of the segment:

7:44AM SEGMENT:

HARRY SMITH: Last week we showed you the five things you probably didn't know about Barack Obama. Now we continue our series, 'Five Things You Should Know,' this time about John McCain. And here with some interesting political tidbits, 'Early Show' national correspondent Jeff Glor. Good morning.

JEFF GLOR: Harry, good morning to you. So much of John McCain's story is so well-known it was not easy coming up with five things. But here's a list we think might surprise you.

JOHN MCCAIN: I served our country all my adult life and I'm prepared-

GLOR: Number five, McCain was not born in any of the 50 United States.

WALTER SHAPIRO: John McCain is the first presidential candidate to be born in -- wait for the beat -- the Panama Canal Zone.

GLOR: In fact, McCain lived there almost the whole first year of his life. His father had been stationed there by the Navy, creating an eventual source of controversy.

SHAPIRO: The Constitution says a president has to be a natural born citizen.

LINDSEY GRAHAM: I think we all feel really good that being assigned to the Panama Canal by the Navy and being born on a military base where you're doing your duty makes you an American citizen.

GLOR: Number four, a maverick even back in high school, John McCain was nicknamed 'the punk.'

SHAPIRO: There was always the cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

GLOR: A reputation that followed him to the naval academy.

SHAPIRO: John McCain graduated five slots from the bottom of the Annapolis class of 1958.

GRAHAM: I'd love to have met the other four. He's obviously a very bright guy. I think his problems at the naval academy had to do with his maverick streak more than his intellect.

GLOR: Number three, when McCain was not down in Vietnam, it was not his first. It was not his second. But his third plane crash as a pilot.

GRAHAM: I think John represents the spirit of a Navy fighter pilot to the fullest. And I will just end it with that.

GLOR: Number two, McCain's North Vietnamese captors called him the 'crown prince.'

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Who is your father?

JOHN MCCAIN: His name is Admiral John McCain.

GRAHAM: John's dad was in charge of the Pacific.

SHAPIRO: And the Pacific included the air over Vietnam.

GRAHAM: They were going to let him go as a gesture to the United States. And John said basically no.

GLOR: And the number one thing you might not know about John McCain, when he first ran for Congress he was charged with being a carpet bagger.

SHAPIRO: John McCain decided to move to the state of Arizona, a state in which he never lived, and run for the U.S. House in 1982. The Republicans running against him shouted 'carpet bagger, carpet bagger.'

GRAHAM: And I think he had a pretty good reply: 'Well the longest I've stayed anywhere was in Vietnam.' And that put it in perspective.

SHAPIRO: Game, set, and match.

GLOR: Couple other things we learned about John McCain that did not quite make our list. Senator Graham told us that McCain is an avid bird watcher and a huge fan of Borat. And did you know, Harry, that McCain has a budding acting career, appearances in both the movie 'Wedding Crashers' and the TV show, '24.'

SMITH: Next time Borat comes we'll have -- we'll let him wrestle with-

GLOR: I remember seeing that actually-

SMITH: That's right. Last week there was kind of a takeaway about Barack Obama's ambition. What is your sense, your takeaway from the five things you didn't know about John McCain.

GLOR: I would say with John McCain it's a commitment to country, the idea of service. I mean, this is a man who's done everything, been everywhere all over the world and still there's this desire 'I'm not done yet.'

SMITH: Yeah, there you go. Jeff Glor, thanks so much.

GLOR: Sure.