Oops! During Segment on Bin Laden, CNN Graphic Asks ‘Where’s Obama?’

January 2nd, 2007 10:57 AM

Previewing a segment on the January 1 edition of "Situation Room," a CNN graphic confused the world’s most wanted terrorist with Senator Barack Obama. Anchor Wolf Blitzer teased a piece on the hunt for Osama bin Laden by wondering about "another man feared and hated around the world. That would be Osama bin Laden." Unfortunately, the onscreen graphic asked "Where’s Obama?" Perhaps the cable network was just following the lead of Ted Kennedy, who famously referred to the Illinois Senator as "Osama Obama."

CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien apologized for the gaffe on the Tuesday edition of "American Morning." Blitzer’s tease and the subsequent apology are below:

Situation Room

1/1/06 7:23pm

Onscreen Graphic: "Where’s Obama?"

Wolf Blitzer: "And still ahead, as the world focuses in on Saddam Hussein, what about another man feared and hated around the world? That would be Osama bin Laden. Are American forces any closer to finding him in this new year?"

American Morning

1/2/06 6:26am

Soledad O’Brien: "And we want to take a moment to correct and also apologize for a mistake that was made yesterday’s on CNN’s ‘Situation Room.’ An onscreen graphic questioning where Osama bin Laden might be, showed the words ‘where’s Obama’ briefly on the screen instead of saying, ‘Where’s Osama’? CNN regrets the error and obviously Senator Obama, our apologies to you."