NPR Ignores Obama's 2001 Interview with Chicago Public Radio

Although the audio that recently emerged of Sen. Barack Obama discussing "redistributive change" came from an interview he did with Chicago Public Radio, National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" on Monday as well as "Morning Edition" on Tuesday completely ignored the audiotape of Obama's 2001 interview.

During his campaign stop in Dayton, Ohio, on Monday, Sen. John McCain specifically addressed the recently surfaced audio and even quoted Obama as saying, "One of the tragedies of the Civil Rights movement was because the Civil Rights movement became so court-focused I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change."

Nevertheless, during Monday's "All Things Considered" report on McCain's campaigning in Ohio, there was no mention of the audiotape or of McCain using Obama's own words against him. Instead, the broadcast focused on McCain's argument that one party ruling the country would be disastrous.

Tuesday's "Morning Edition" story on McCain's speeches from the previous day did include a clip of the Arizona senator in which in he said, "That's the problem with Senator Obama's approach to our economy. He's more interested in controlling wealth than creating it. In redistributing money instead of spreading opportunity. I'm going to create wealth for all Americans by creating opportunity for all Americans."

However, reporter Scott Horsley framed this as McCain merely continuing to use Joe the Plumber's exchange with Obama rather than the audiotape from 2001.

The Tuesday morning show did find the time to feature two newspaper cartoonists who joked about Sarah Palin's comments that you can see Russia from parts of Alaska. One of the cartoonists also claimed that he, as a cartoonist, was "dreading" Obama becoming president because he is difficult to mock due to his ability to string together coherent sentences, unlike our current president.