On Tuesday’s Situation Room, CNN host Wolf Blitzer tried to downplay the significance of the arrest of the Democratic governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich by making an unequivocal statement about Republicans: “You know, most of the scandals -- most of the political scandals...in recent years have involved Republicans...and they’re all pretty well-known.” He continued by labeling the Democrat’s apprehension a “huge embarrassment.”
Blitzer made the remark to Karen Finney, the communications director for the Democratic National Committee, during the regular “Strategy Session” segment. Finney appeared with Republican strategist John Feehery, and the three discussed the political implications of Blagojevich’s arrest. Besides this most recent development, the CNN host only mentioned the recent defeat of Louisiana Representative William Jefferson as an example of a political scandal involving a Democrat.
Finney acknowledged Blitzer’s statement as being correct, and continued by holding up President-Elect Barack Obama as a model politician: “Barack Obama has been the polar opposite to the kinds of allegations that we’re hearing....I think this is a good cautionary tale, frankly, for Democrats and Republicans to remember -- you can’t get complacent. You can’t be so bold as to think you’re above the law, and we have to remember that, you know, we all have to follow the laws, and no -- you know -- no one is above the law.”
Both Blitzer and Finney need to be reminded that there have been plenty of scandals involving Democrats in recent years as well. Do the names Eliot Spitzer, Kwame Kilpatrick, John Edwards, and Tim Mahoney ring any bells in their minds? The political careers of all four Democrats suffered due to revelations of sexual impropriety, which all occurred in the past year. One only need to go back a little further to find a few more Democratic names involved in scandal, such as Bill Clinton and Gary Condit.
One of the main reasons why the Republican scandals are “all pretty well-known,” to use Blitzer’s words, is because the mainstream media too often omits the party affiliation of Democrats involved in scandals, such as in the case of Blagojevich himself, or they try to minimize the coverage of the scandal, as they did with Mahoney.
The transcript of the relevant portion of the discussion, which occurred 50 minutes into the 4 pm Eastern hour of Tuesday's Situation Room:
WOLF BLITZER: You know, most of the scandals -- most of the political scandals, Karen, in recent years, have involved Republicans --
KAREN FINNEY: That’s right.
BLITZER: And they’re all pretty well-known. William Jefferson, the Democrat in Louisiana with the 90,000-plus dollars in his freezer -- he just lost his reelection bid. But this is a high -- high-profile Democratic sitting governor right now --
FINNEY: Yeah.
BLITZER: ...that’s a huge embarrassment.
FINNEY: Well, look, I think there are two key points to this -- number one, Barack Obama has been the polar opposite to the kinds of allegations that we’re hearing. But, number two, I think this is a good cautionary tale, frankly, for Democrats and Republicans to remember -- you can’t get complacent. You can’t be so bold as to think you’re above the law, and we have to remember that, you know, we all have to follow the laws, and no -- you know -- no one is above the law.
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Comments Policy
Oh Wolf!
December 9, 2008 - 20:32 ET by HoosierEmDoh!
Now why'd you have to go and do that? Don't you know there are a lot of smart people around here who will list all of the scandals and divide them up and I think we will find it's fairly evenly divided.
Rangel, Franks, Reid,
December 9, 2008 - 20:37 ET by bigtimerRangel, Frank, McDermott, Reid, Conrad, Dodd..oh yeah...they did nothing wrong, illegal or unethical.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
hey bt don't forget
December 9, 2008 - 20:48 ET by porpoiseboyspitzer, clinton, et al. the list goes on
"Here comes the orator! With his flood of words, and his drop of reason" Ben Franklin
Ecclesiastes 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left
Hey pb... Come to think
December 9, 2008 - 21:05 ET by bigtimerHey pb...
Come to think of it, we can throw in Pelosi and her excluding minimum wage for her and her husband's Starkist business when they raised the rate in congress, plus including her $$$ for their same business in Samoa that got included in the bail-out package.
Nothing unethical or illegal about any of this.
"We are going to have the most ethical house in congress" or some such from Stretch face.
If any repub Speaker of the House had done this...they would be gone... pressure from the msm 24/7 would of seen to that....and we all know it.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
FOB, and gee, I'd forgot about Condit
December 9, 2008 - 21:33 ET by Gary Hallwell, there's always all those close FOB, and gee, I'd forgot about Gary Condit - oh, but right, that was only an affair and a murder.
JAMES RIADY PLEADS GUILTY WILL PAY LARGEST FINE IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE HISTORY FOR VIOLATING FEDERAL ELECTION LAW - How many times was Raidy and Huang in the Clinton white house?
Wolf is correct when he says: involved Republicans...and they’re all pretty well-known.” Well, he's correct about the "they're all pretty well known.
I'd be willing to bet, even if you did this back in 2001, or so, that if we gathered 500 of the top TV, public radio, and MS print media news anchors, staff writers and news editors, and asked them to describe the details of these campaign corruption scandals surrounding Bill Clinton, that a strong majority would be hard pressed to believe that they were even true.
Condit.
December 9, 2008 - 21:41 ET by NL207Condit.
a conduit for murder...?
December 9, 2008 - 21:49 ET by Gary Hallthanks.. gary
No. Just semen and lies to
December 9, 2008 - 21:56 ET by NL207No. Just semen and lies to police investigators.
Aaaand...
December 10, 2008 - 06:23 ET by bmoviesDont forget Jim McDermott:
"...federal appeals court ruled today that Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., violated federal law by turning over an illegally taped telephone call to reporters nearly a decade ago.
In a 2-1 opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that McDermott violated the rights of House Majority Leader John Boehner, who was heard on the 1996 call involving former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
The court ordered McDermott to pay Boehner more than $700,000 for leaking the taped conversation. The figure includes $60,000 in damages and more than $600,000 in legal costs.
McDermott leaked a tape of a 1996 cell phone call involving former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to The New York Times and other news organizations."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002895236_webmcdermott28.html
Why is McDermott STILL in office?
Yeah, but there are a lot
December 9, 2008 - 20:37 ET by HermanoYeah, but there are a lot more people who will take him at his word and believe what he says, despite the facts. 'Tis the nature of the game.
O Lord, Thou givest us everything, at the price of an effort. - Leonardo Da Vinci
Maybe Blitzer should have
December 9, 2008 - 20:58 ET by motherbeltMaybe Blitzer should have said Some say most of the scandals have involved Republicans.
myabe blitzer should have said
December 9, 2008 - 21:02 ET by porpoiseboy"if you excuse all scandals involving democrats ( which is acceptable and expected ), most scandals have involved republicans.
"Here comes the orator! With his flood of words, and his drop of reason" Ben Franklin
Ecclesiastes 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left
Wolf googled "scandal
December 9, 2008 - 23:47 ET by kgWolf googled "scandal democrat" and "scandal republican" to back up his statement. Wolf didn't know that the reason the word "Democrat" is not mentioned in articles on scandals is so they cannot be tracked.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
Here's the count...
December 10, 2008 - 07:25 ET by AJBI counted and found 15 stories where REPUBLICANS were mentioned after the scandal. Then I found 125 stories with no party affiliation after the name. So, there are apparently NO Democrat scandals. By gosh, he's right! You HAVE to believe the MSM, right?
wait... wait..
December 9, 2008 - 20:37 ET by katainkentWOLF BLITZER: You know, most of the scandals [we've covered] -- most of the political scandals [we've covered], Karen, in recent years, have involved Republicans --
.. ok that's better.
"part of what I'm hoping to introduce as the next president is a new ethic of [government enforced] responsibility" - B. Obama
Fact Check
December 9, 2008 - 20:54 ET by dboMost of the scandals-in recent years-have involved the MSM.
Bill Clinton - Impeached!
December 9, 2008 - 20:55 ET by CrashShould we compile a list and have it delivered via "hologram" to WTF Blitzer?
"A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument." Hilmar von Campe
Filled with a hot, hot hate....
December 9, 2008 - 20:56 ET by Lord ErondI know it would be wrong to admit that these idiots get to me but I can't stand the levels of bald-faced lying that they continually plunge to. And they wonder why Fox News has reduced Communist News Network to an afterthought. The libs wonder why the Old Gray Lady is on life support. WE AREN'T INTERESTED IN THE LEFT WING LIES ANYMORE YOU IDIOTS!!! But it's just so stinking obvious anymore, the lies. In the days past, you actually had to do some fact checking to see if what you were being spoon fed was the truth or not but now you can just tell right up front.
"What you can not enforce, do not command" -Sophocles-
Wolfie Run, Run now
December 9, 2008 - 21:04 ET by GoodieWell Well Lookie here since Wolfie cried at ALGORE'S
Concession we should all not be surprised.....Blitzer------GONE....soon to be another Rather.....
Obama's Last Day 1-20-2013
Can things get any more
December 9, 2008 - 21:10 ET by SnappyCan things get any more deranged? Not only do they fail on a regular basis to identify party when its a Democrat involved in a scandle of any sort, but once the size or attention of said scandle reaches the proportion where it cannot be denied. They start trotting out the word Republican, repeating the word Republican and saying the word Republican as often as neccesary to ensure that the word Republican appears as many times as it can in a discussion or story about corruption in the Democratic party!!!!!
Arrest that man!
December 9, 2008 - 21:20 ET by northoneHe may be a sleazy politician, but his real crime is that lousy-looking toupee he has planted on his head!
At this Hour in the Situation Room
December 9, 2008 - 21:28 ET by allanfAn Illinois scandal brings to mind Republican Scandals of old. We will review those Republican Scandals. More on the Republican Scandals in a moment ont he Situation Room
Unfortunately You Are Right AllanF
December 9, 2008 - 22:04 ET by HoosierEmWe can expect that tomorrow. Enough negativity about democrats - let's go back to bashing the republicans.
Sadly, the Dem scandals
December 9, 2008 - 21:31 ET by HockeyKidSadly, the Dem scandals typically end in conviction, whereas the Republican "scandals" typically turn out to be mudslinging on the part of Dems and end in exoneration. Yes, there are a few Rs who have done wrong, but I think Wolfie would be very embarrassed by an exhaustive Lexis-Nexis search.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
What's that Wolf? Excuse
December 9, 2008 - 22:18 ET by oilcanWhat's that Wolf? Excuse me, speak up. Wait, if you get your head out of that donkey's ass, maybe I can make out what you're saying.
Well, I guess we can go back and properly name your network the "Clinton News Network" again.
See, when they don't label
December 9, 2008 - 22:21 ET by muh-oonSee, when they don't label the party, simple minded Democrats assume they are all Republican scandals. I think Wolf's only news source is the CNN teleprompter and whatever he hears spewing out of his own bearded pie hole.
What Wolfie means is......
December 9, 2008 - 22:34 ET by Dad Gummit(Paraphrased) "Most of the scandals that are overly reported involve Republicans. We don't consider Democrat scandals to be newsworthy."
Q: How did I know immediately Blago's a Dimrat?
A: The absence of the word "republican" in the headlines
"If you don't read a newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read a newspaper, you are mis-informed."-Mark Twain
wolf-be a man, have some
December 9, 2008 - 22:51 ET by JIMMY1660wolf-be a man, have some ba$$s. bad guys are bad guys. if you want credibility, tell the truth, report the news. Dems, Reb. who cares, bad guys are bad guys.
Is the Gov part of the nefarious guys BHO hung with.Is that what you are trying to hide . too late BHO is a bad guy.
BHO is a piece of goat dung just like the Gov. bad guy. Now compare them with GWB after 9/11 and all the problems in the world. BHO is a goat farmer.
allow me to Love America
Senile Wolf
December 9, 2008 - 23:12 ET by TN MomA few months ago, Wolf said he had never heard of Biden being accused of plagerism.
Exactly T-Mom... I quit
December 9, 2008 - 23:25 ET by bigtimerExactly T-Mom...
I quit listening to The Situation Room about 3-4 months before the election, I rarely missed the time slot to see what the enemy within was saying with their daily propaganda...just could not take him any longer...
I have listened to the repeating, stand on his tip-toes to make a point, dense, blow-hard since he became a household name with Desert Storm.
I'm done with him.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
hi bt
December 9, 2008 - 23:32 ET by TN MomWolf should just have CNN rename the show: SITUATION SPIN ROOM: "Where CNN SPINS The News To Wolf's Satisfaction"
I NEVER watch CNN.
§Bt,Mom!! Sit Room is a JOKE!!
December 9, 2008 - 23:50 ET by TheSterI Notice how the Republican "stand in" gets weaker every week. What's the point???
Ster.
My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Ster... Just another
December 9, 2008 - 23:56 ET by bigtimerSter...
Just another episode of As the World Turns.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
TN Mom... Didn't Wolfie
December 9, 2008 - 23:54 ET by Clear thinkerTN Mom...
Didn't Wolfie plagerize that statement?
Giovanni’s “Smelly Turd Award” Winner
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
Ct,
December 10, 2008 - 05:51 ET by Indiana JoeI never heard that.
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
CNN's John King Replacing Wolf Blitzer on Sunday's Late Edition
December 10, 2008 - 05:21 ET by Rush FanThe leftist Huffington Post is reporting that CNN's John King will replace liberal, monotoned, and banal Wolf Blitzer on Sunday's Late Edition.
Big Deal! One liberal with an agenda replacing another.
---------------Thought for today-------------------
Those who are against the freedom of speech must be silenced!
---------------------------------------------
Camille Paglia, one of the few liberals with common sense, has an excellent article ravaging the Clinton's and defending Sarah Palin titled: What do the Clintons have on Obama?
"And you were there... and you were there!"
December 10, 2008 - 05:48 ET by Indiana Joe"Do the names Eliot Spitzer, Kwame Kilpatrick, John Edwards, and Tim Mahoney ring any bells...?"
Uh, no, actually. Never heard of those Republicans. Or that Jefferson guy, come to think of it.
Say what? Democrats?!? The hell you say! Are you sure?
"I think this is a good cautionary tale, frankly, for Democrats and Republicans to remember.... You can’t be so bold as to think you’re above the law, and we have to remember that, you know, we all have to follow the laws, and no -- you know -- no one is above the law."
Great advice, Wolf. Kind of like "Watergate" was a "good cautionary tale" for both parties, right?
What was that? "No?" Only for Republicans, you say?
Well then, I guess I don't "get it."
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
I do not understand how
December 10, 2008 - 06:06 ET by ConservativeRexI do not understand how someone at CNN has not won a Nobel prize for science.
Apparently, they have a machine inside their offices in Atlanta, that as soon as they hire you to be a talking head, your memory bank is selectively wiped clean of any bad conduct or crime that any democrat has ever been involved in. Amazing!
I suppose that if, in Wolf's head, a democrat has never done anything wrong, there is nothing to talk about. So Mr. Republican, why do you ask?
Laughable, just laughable. Wolf has got to know that any thinking person does not take him seriously.
C-Rex,
December 10, 2008 - 07:00 ET by Indiana JoeThe really scary thing is, these guys have no idea what they're doing. Just because they can't be professionals and report the facts without coloring them with their personal opinions, they're helping to institute one-party rule in this country. And look how well that's always worked out.
They do it now by choice. But, if they keep it up, one day they will no longer have that choice.
And then they'll wonder how it happened.
"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." - The Who
Wayne: Now, it's time for
December 10, 2008 - 06:25 ET by bmoviesWayne: Now, it's time for the Best/Worst list of media coverage.
Wayne & Garth: [ singing ] "Best/Worst! Best/Worst! Party Time! Excellent!"
Garth: Okay! Best name of a correspondent!
Wayne: Brit Hume, ABC. Geez, I wish that was my name! It sounds like James Bond, you know? "Hume. Brit Hume." Congratulations! Good work, my friend! Okay, Worst Name. CNN Pentagon Correspondent, Wolf Blitzer? Shyeah, right!
Garth: It's so obvious the guy made it up for the war!
Wayne: Yeah! I know, it's like, "Hi, we now take you to our War Correspondent, Howitzer Explosion Guy."
Wayne's World Skit, Saturday Night Live, 1990
too funny
December 10, 2008 - 08:31 ET by mom_roxIs there a video clip available?
Hey Blitzer - ever hear of
December 10, 2008 - 08:26 ET by SickofLibsHey Blitzer - ever hear of New Jersey?
D or R
December 10, 2008 - 09:08 ET by Mr_Priest2008’s top political scandals, it was a tough year for Democrats.
This doesn't include Blagojevich
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick - D
Former New York Goverrnor Eliot Spitzer - D
Former Senator John Edwards - D
Rep. Charles Rangel - D
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn - D
Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella - R
Newark Mayor Sharpe James - D
William Jefferson - D
David Kernell, son of Tennessee Democrat Mike Kernell - D
Former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens - R
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin - R (found innocent)
Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey - D
The latest pole says that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the population.
Wolf's Confusion
December 10, 2008 - 09:26 ET by JohnMcGrewI think Wolf has confused the difference in the number of scandals between Democrats and Republicans with the difference in the amount of time that CNN has devoted to scandals between Democrats and Republicans. Considering where he works, that's an understandable mistake.
Culture Of Corruption
December 10, 2008 - 14:31 ET by JDWRezko, Wilkerson, ACORN and the SEIU...
The Pelosi promise to sweep the floors of GOP dirt.
Considering corruption, how will Fitzgerald's interruption affect due process?
JDW
DAILY WAVE
the left Slant-continues
December 10, 2008 - 09:47 ET by JIMMY1660the left Slant-continues and will continue. Head in the sand mentality.
Slick Willie-the biggest offender did nothing wrong-it was a personal matter, to have a young starry eyed woman, in the Oval Office as he conducted top secret business, as she conducted XXX
wake ups a$$holes, you handed this scum bag the White House. he is gang bangers with all the folks in the Windy City Machine.
allow me to Love America
Blitzer
December 10, 2008 - 10:04 ET by nandrelliThese things definitely go in cycles.
I know in the 90s, there were several prominent Democrats (Rostenkowski, Trafficante, Torricelli) who were either put in jail or should have been put in jail.
Do a search on "List of Political Scandals", you can get to a Wikipedia article (I know, that is hardly 100% reliable; in fact, they list as a "Judicial Branch Scandal" the Heller vs. DC case that established an individual's right to bear arms, so you can tell where the author is coming from here), but you will see that things break pretty evenly by party.
I believe that Blitzer knows this. Technically, his statement is true (because he said "recently", if you take that to mean about 4 years; but if it means 4 months, then the Dems top the list), but it is not "the whole truth", and that is where Blitzer can be blamed for being biased.
Wolf Blitzer
December 10, 2008 - 10:11 ET by Peggy CostionLike Dan Rather, Blitzer has lost his perspective, objecticity and common sense. Has he EVER apologized for his hideous comments about Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy for two days on newscasts? There is something really wrong with Blitzer's thinking. He's starting to act like Day Rather did before his network had to remove him. CNN needs to replace Blitzer before he embarasses them further. Surely there are MORE young and un-biased journalists out there who are more cognisant than Blitzer ! As a former daily print journalist in Maryland and Arizona, a public tv news commentator and a Congressional Press Secretary I KNOW bias when I see it and Blitzer is WAY OUT OF LINE. Give us MORE NEWS and LESS OPINION,! Go out and WORK for real investigative stories instead of sitting in newsrooms and bars regurgitating each other's comments. Reporters are NOT doing their job. Kids think profane comedy is news. It is NOT. CNN has good journalists . SCREAM BLOODY MUDER was great. Get Blitzer out of his studio and on the street one way or the other - working or retired. Peggy Costion
Let's see...Blagojevich,
December 10, 2008 - 10:30 ET by fitzfongLet's see...Blagojevich, William Jefferson, Jim McGreevey, Elliot Spitzer, Don Perata, Bob Toricelli, Charlie Rangel, Gavin Newsom, Antonio Villaraigiosa, Tony Rezko, Fabian Nunez, Tim Mahoney, Patrick Kennedy, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd (not to mention the scandals that the media is not the least bit interested in covering...Harry Reid, Chuckie Schumbag, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein). Wolfie...aka Slick Willie's lapdog...removed all pretense of objectivity years ago. CNN lost all claim to credibility on Day One. Wolfie and his employers are intentionally dishonest in their coverage. Period.
By the way, when does Trafficant get released from the pen? I miss laughing at that toupee.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
Silly Wolf, facts are for
December 10, 2008 - 12:20 ET by wiwfSilly Wolf, facts are for Fox News!
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
Trafficant
December 10, 2008 - 17:40 ET by NorthCoasterI believe I heard on the local north coast news that he would get out sometime in the next year or so.
Yo - Wolfman...
December 10, 2008 - 12:40 ET by cest moi...at least pretend to have objectivity, jerk!
Just caught this by Wolf
December 10, 2008 - 17:39 ET by NorthCoasterTotally B$ Wolf. The Dem scandals usually get ignored by the MSM or buried. There are as many scandals on both sides if you look in every nook and cranny, but that wouldn't support your agenda now would it?