TRANSCRIPT: Howard Kurtz on the free pass that Obama is getting from the media!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 27, 2008 - 7:22am.
Media
Hello Everyone:
It was a real breath of fresh air and a good dose of reality to see Howard Kurtz give this concise yet very accurate interview to Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday, February 26 about the free pass that Obama is getting from so much of the media right now which in my opinion along with his high powered speeches is a big reason why "Barack Obama is doing so well:"
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0802/26/sitroom.01.html
THE SITUATION ROOM
Power Outage in Florida; Chris Dodd Endorses Obama; McCain Backer Blasts Obama
Aired February 26, 2008 - 16:00 ET
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: "Some say Barack Obama is doing so well because of a political love fest between himself and the major national news media.
Let's talk about that with the host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES," Howard Kurtz.
Howie, some of this is actually coming, the suggestions of this love fest, from the Clinton campaign. Explain what's going on.
HOWARD KURTZ, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Wolf, Hillary Clinton's campaign has been complaining for months that the media are giving her a hard time and Barack Obama a free pass. Now the candidate herself is pointing to an unusual source to back her up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Like nearly everyone in the news media, the three of us are totally in the tank for Senator Obama.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KURTZ (voice-over): Comedy aside, it's hard to deny that Senator Obama has gotten largely upbeat coverage from the time he first flirted with running for president.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Barack Obama, the rising rock star.
BILL PRESS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It's about Barack Obama, the rock star.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His rock star popularity.
SCHNEIDER: The media gave a big ride to Obama's endorsement by Oprah Winfrey. And, when Ted Kennedy backed him, there was talk of Obama as the new JFK. Some journalists have talked openly about the inspirational quality of his rallies and speeches.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC ANCHOR: The feeling most people get when they hear a Barack Obama speech, my -- I felt this thrill going up my leg.
KURTZ: The news magazine covers on Obama and his wife, Michelle, have been glowing. "Why You Love Him" says "The New Republic."
While Hillary Clinton has been scrutinized from everything from her cleavage to her laugh to a couple of teary moments, controversies involving Obama never seem to get the same traction in the media world, his ties to indicted fund-raiser Tony Rezko, his pattern of voting "present" more than 100 times, sometimes on controversial bills, in the Illinois legislature, his decade-old meeting with former Weather Underground radical Bernardine Dohrn, Michelle Obama's comment that this is the first time she's been really proud of America.
Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said this week that the media have largely applauded Obama for attacking Clinton, while his candidate gets criticized when she goes after Obama.
And, while that overstates the case, some journalists say the details are less important than the overarching plotline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every big story has a narrative. And the narrative here has been one of the heroic young challenger against the mighty incumbent-like woman who is running for president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KURTZ: There are signs that Obama is starting to draw a bit more critical scrutiny, now that he's the Democratic front-runner, but it will take a lot more of that to change the "Saturday Night Live" image of a pro-Obama press corps -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Howie, thanks very much -- Howie Kurtz reporting..."
That "There are signs that Obama is starting to draw a bit more critical scrutiny, now that he's the Democratic front-runner" as Howard Kurtz is saying is a clearly good thing BUT it is still absolutely disgraceful that this is happening so late in the primary process. The state of objective journalism is definitely a broken system right now in my opinion!
Howard Kurtz in my opinion is one of the few journalists left I see out there who are credible, objective, and who do their best to call things right down the middle when reporting about Presidential candidates. I completely agree with all of his points in this excellent interview!
Please forward this information on so that many more Democratic primary voters (especially in Texas and Ohio) will be aware of this blatant anti-Hillary/pro-Obama media bias that is going on and will hopefully think twice before believing any of it when they see it. I will definitely continue to keep on exposing this unprofessional media bias nonsense as I continue to see it!
Mitch Dworkin
http://www.securingamerica.com/
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/10756
StopIranWar.com: "War is not the answer"
Submitted by Wes Clark on February 21, 2007 - 11:40am.
http://www.securingamerica.com/ccn/node/7191
Listen to Gen. Wes Clark fight for Dems on Sean Hannity's radio program: An excellent example for all of us to follow and what we all need to be doing to help fight back against extreme right wing Neocon smear propaganda!
and that Barack Obama has received a free ride from many pundits in the media as I have very credibly and thoroughly documented:
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14665
MEDIA STUDY: Media Boost Obama, Bash “Billary” and "NBC Is Toughest on Hillary"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 9, 2008 - 1:01am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14826
TRANSCRIPT: Obama is called "a guy that America is infatuated with & phenomenon"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 25, 2008 - 4:13am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14789
Dan Abrams Videos on Media Bias: Clinton vs. the Media and Clinton vs. the press
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 20, 2008 - 3:52pm.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14759
YouTube: Chris Matthews said Clinton Press Shop Composed of "Kneecappers"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 18, 2008 - 9:39am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14717
VIDEO: Chris Matthews said "I Felt This Thrill Going Up My Leg" As Obama Spoke!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 14, 2008 - 10:23am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14623
VIDEO: Dan Abrams on Super Tuesday media coverage: Media rooting against Hillary
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 5, 2008 - 6:29pm.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14606
Chris Cillizza admitted: "the Obama campaign has gotten very favorable coverage"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 4, 2008 - 10:08am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14569
VIDEOS: Dan Abrams on the media: Media smearing Hillary? & Muzzling Bill Clinton
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 1, 2008 - 6:16am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14472
VIDEO: "Dan Abrams argues the media invented a race war to bait" Obama & Hillary
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on January 21, 2008 - 10:33am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14454
VIDEO & ANALYSIS: What about the seeming apology of Chris Matthews to Hillary?
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on January 19, 2008 - 5:50am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14425
VIDEOS: Dan Abrams of MSNBC did a 3 part series exposing anti-Hillary media bias
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on January 15, 2008 - 9:14am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14414
Lee Cowan of NBC News said about Obama: "it's almost hard to remain objective"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on January 14, 2008 - 9:32am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14336
Howard Kurtz on Obama's "easy ride" & will the press "provide tougher scrutiny?"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on January 7, 2008 - 2:44am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14319
Carl Bernstein said about Barack Obama "he had a kind of free ride up until now"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on January 5, 2008 - 9:40am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14266
Dana Milbank on Hillary: "The press will savage her no matter what, pretty much"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on December 30, 2007 - 10:48pm.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14242
Joe Sestak did a great job of defending Hillary to a very biased Chris Matthews!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on December 28, 2007 - 5:40am.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/13814
Why I think Chris Matthews crossed the line showing his own bias against Hillary
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on November 5, 2007 - 3:30am.
Chris Matthews and many other pundits like him in the mainstream media are being very clearly unprofessional when it comes to the goal of being truly objective journalists and these links show that the current state of the media is definitely a broken system right now in my opinion!
It is nice to see that at least a few of these media pundits are being honest about the role that they are playing in this election as I have documented:
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/13942
Media Pundit Admits: "We talk about polls... We're creating the inevitability"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on November 19, 2007 - 11:52pm.
in the context of what so many pundits in the mainstream media are doing to Hillary right now to try and ruin her campaign:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_113007/content/01125121.guest.html
Drive-By Media, Explained
November 30 2007
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT 
RUSH: Brad in Topeka, Kansas, welcome to the EIB Network.
CALLER: It's an honor to talk to you, Rush.
RUSH: Thank you.
CALLER: I was just wondering when did you first use the phrase Drive-By Media, and where did you come up with that?
RUSH: When did I first -- gosh, I don't know, it's probably over a year now. It's the perfect illustration of what they do.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: You know what a Drive-By shooting is.
CALLER: Sure.
RUSH: You got a bunch of renegades in a car and they drive into a crowd and they start spraying bullets around and they head on down the highway and make a total mess of things. They ruin some people. They kill some people in the case of Drive-By shootings. Then they head on down the highway and they do it again. Meanwhile, other people have to clean up the mess. The Drive-By Media is the same way. They come in with their cameras and their microphones and their news reporting, and they create an absolute mess. They scare the hell out of people. They literally cause carnage. Their actions sometimes are destructive and ruinous to individuals. They kill the reputations of people, or try to. And then they get in the convertible, they head on down the highway and they find the next group of people to do the same thing to while there are those of us who have to go in and clean up the mess.
RUSH: Okay, I completely agree with you. I was curious of the origin or when you first started using that. That answers my question.
RUSH: Why. Has somebody stolen it from me?
CALLER: Oh, no, no. No way. (laughter)
RUSH: Well, just checking. I'm not sure when I started it. It could have a year and a half ago. Time flies.
CALLER: Right. Okay, thank you, Rush.
RUSH: Katrina is a great example of it. Katrina is a great example of the Drive-By Media. (interruption) What did you say, H.R.? All the rapes; all the murders; all the destruction inside the Superdome that didn't happen; all the rescues that weren't taking place, great example there of the Drive-By Media and that's pretty much what they do in every instance. I just don't remember when it started. The creativity on this program is spontaneous in many cases. I don't sit around at home and dream this stuff up. It just pops out of there. Well, sometimes something strikes me when I'm doing show prep at home and so forth, for the most part it just pops out.
END TRANSCRIPT
*Note: Links to content outside RushLimbaugh.com usually become inactive over time.
is because of her longer record which I think is a lame excuse to hardly scrutinize Obama who has a very short record:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23370001#23370001 (08:08)
What bias?
Feb 27: The numbers aren't in Hillary Clinton's favor, and Tuesday night's debate had the potential to help her in the polls. NBC's Chuck Todd wonders if she really made the most of this debate.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23370001#23370001 (08:08)
against Hillary and reply to Howard Kurtz's comments that I quoted in this post by attacking what they personally do not like about Hillary. John King says "It's not my call to make, but it is a reality and a political reality."
Jack Cafferty in my opinion is the CNN version of Chris Matthews at MSNBC whose personal bias against Hillary and love for Obama sticks out like a sore thump and is highly obvious!
Gloria Borger in my opinion is not that far behind Jack Cafferty when it comes to showing her own personal bias against Hillary and her love for Obama!
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0802/26/sitroom.03.html
THE SITUATION ROOM
Obama Campaign Getting Free Ride From Media?; Chris Dodd Endorses Obama; Interview With New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
Aired February 26, 2008 - 18:00 ET
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: "So does the national news media have a double standard for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?
Let's talk about that and more with our senior political analyst, Gloria Borger. She's here in Washington. Our own Jack Cafferty in New York. And our chief national correspondent, John King, once again joining us from Cincinnati. He was featured on "Saturday Night Live" himself this past weekend.
Jack, what do you think? Is there a double standard? Is Hillary Clinton sort of getting tough coverage and he's getting a free ride?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That would be the meaning of double standard. I got it. No, it's a vast left-wing conspiracy, Wolf. We all got together in the media and said OK, let's all decide collectively to beat up on Hillary and be nice to Barack Obama. That's nonsense.
This is a tailor-made story for the U.S. news media from a couple of perspectives. One, the arrogance and the incumbent presumed nominee way with which this thing was launched -- I don't need the voters, I'm going to be the next president. Katie Couric says what if you -- what if you're not the nominee? Oh, I'll be the nominee -- this arrogance, almost. The lack of planning, figuring it's all going to be over February 5th. No money, no people on the ground in the states that came after that.
And this young guy who recognized the deep dissatisfaction among the people in this country -- not the politicians, the people -- at their government, at their foreign policy, at the economic policies, at the military-industrial complex's chokehold on the country. And it began to resonate. And all of a sudden, it's the media's fault? Get out of here.
BLITZER: What do you think, Gloria?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Sure, blame the media. Don't blame the candidate. Don't blame the campaign. Blame the media. And Hillary Clinton herself said look, I've been vetted. Well, she's continuing to get vetted in the way she performs as a candidate.
Is Barack Obama new on the scene? Of course. Has Hillary Clinton been around for a couple of decades? Do voters think they know her? Does the press think that it knows her? Of course. But is she getting favorable treatment because of some mystical quality that Barack Obama exudes? No. It's her campaign and it's the candidate.
BLITZER: Listen to what she told David Brody, John, of the Christian Broadcasting Network, because she's saying -- she's suggesting she's misunderstood.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID BRODY, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK: Are you misunderstood? And if you are, why?
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, I have to believe I am because time and time again people who have been criticizing me in very harsh and personal terms, once they have gotten to know me, have apologized to me, have asked even for my forgiveness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: You've covered her, John, for a very, very long time -- going back to the '92 campaign. What do you think about this whole issue?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, her record is much more public than Barack Obama's record because Hillary Clinton has been in Washington throughout her husband's presidency -- eight years of that, plus her time in the Senate. So it is easier to go back and look at the Hillary health care controversy, to look at her sparring with what she calls the vast right-wing conspiracy over the years.
And, yes, she does get the baggage of Bill Clinton's presidency attached to her. Is that fair? It's not my call to make, but it is a reality and a political reality. She benefits from Bill Clinton's likeability in Democratic politics and she is criticized sometimes from it.
I think, in the long run, this all balances out. The Rezko trial begins next week in Chicago. Senator Obama will get some scrutiny because of that. But it has been a constant complaint from her campaign, Wolf. Without a doubt, they believe there has been a double standard and they complain about it on a daily basis.
BORGER: But, you know, the notion that Hillary Clinton is somehow misunderstood, which is the word that was used, is sort of beyond me. She's been in public life for a very long time.
And if she has not been able to make the public understand who she is, then who's to blame for that? I mean it's -- you know, it is, after all, presidential campaigns are about the ways that candidates communicate with voters.
BLITZER: And, Jack, if you take a look at the so-called poll of polls that we have, on the national level, it's pretty dramatic when you think about where it was only a few weeks ago. Right now, Obama is at 50 percent among Democratic voters. Hillary Clinton at 40 percent, 10 percent unsure. It's a significant change we've seen over these past several weeks.
CAFFERTY: Well, and it goes to what I was saying just a moment ago. Barack Obama is in the right place at the right time. The exit polling from places like Wisconsin and Maryland and Virginia showed that he's been gradually eating into Hillary Clinton's base and attracting people from all walks of life who hear what he has to say about the crummy job the federal government is doing running this country.
And they believe that something different is needed or we're headed off the edge of a cliff. And, unfortunately -- and it's no fault of Hillary Clinton's -- she's identified with the past history in this country that has led us to the point where we are now. And that's just the way it goes..."
someone who isn't interested in protecting their own henhouse. What a crock; typical media b.s. "Who, us, biased? No way, If you believe we're biased, just ask us."
"First, we take out Hillary in the primary then use the lack of experience card to take out Obama in the fall." Repub. talking head.
a credible study revealed about this issue:
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14665
MEDIA STUDY: Media Boost Obama, Bash “Billary” and "NBC Is Toughest on Hillary"
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on February 9, 2008 - 1:01am.
http://www.cmpa.com/releases.html
Press Release:
Election Study Finds Media Hit Hillary Hardest
Obama, Huckabee Fare Best;
FOX Is Most Balanced (not a typo)
"TV election news has been hardest on Hillary Clinton this fall, while Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have been the biggest media favorites, according to a new study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) at George Mason University..."
http://www.cmpa.com/election%20news%202_1_08.htm
CENTER FOR MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
2100 L Street, N.W. * Suite 300 * Washington, D.C. 20037 * 202-223-2942
February 1, 2008
Contact: Donald Rieck
MEDIA BOOST OBAMA, BASH “BILLARY”
NBC Is Toughest on Hillary; FOX Has Heaviest Coverage
"Hillary Clinton is getting the worst press and Barack Obama the best press of any major presidential candidate..."
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/
Quick Vote
Do you believe that the press is giving preferential treatment to Senator Obama over Senator Clinton?
Yes 72% 11110
No 28% 4252
Total Votes: 15362
This is not a scientific poll
so far as of the time of my posting this comment!
Jack Cafferty in my opinion is the CNN version of anti-Hillary/pro-Obama Chris Matthews at MSNBC:
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/27/news-media-unfair-to-clinton/
February 27, 2008
Posted: 06:51 PM ET
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/02/27/cafferty.file.wed.cnn
Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.
FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:
It seems like Hillary Clinton is not only running against Barack Obama these days, she’s also running against the news media.
Early on in last night’s debate, Clinton referenced a “Saturday Night Live” skit that showed reporters fawning over Obama and showering him with softball questions. She said, “Maybe we should ask Barack if he’s comfortable and needs another pillow.” Clinton also whined about getting asked the first question more often in the last several debates.
The Clinton campaign has been complaining recently – more so since she has fallen behind – that the news media is tougher on her than Obama. It’s a tactic as old as politics: things aren’t going well, blame the media.
In today’s column in The New York Times, Maureen Dowd questions Clinton’s line of attack against the media.
She writes: “Beating on the press is the lamest thing you can do. It is only because of the utter open-mindedness of the press that Hillary can lose 11 contests in a row and still be treated as a contender.”
She has a point. If Barack Obama had lost the last 11 races in a row since Super Tuesday, we wouldn’t even remember his name.
Here’s my question to you: Have the news media been unfair to Hillary Clinton?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Bob writes:
Hillary needs to quit complaining and get with the program. Just face life. She isn’t a likable person and does not come off well against someone who has control of his emotions. No matter how hard the press tries to make her look good, she will find a way to mess it up. She is a fighter and it shows. Obama is a negotiator and it shows. People are tired of fighting.
Amy from Kalamazoo, Michigan writes:
Jack, You’d have to be blind and deaf not to notice some of the media bias against her. Is it something she should bring up in the manner she did last night? No. Is it a totally unfounded complaint? Not at all. If you think the media have been across-the-board fair to all candidates, then you’re the one living the fairy tale.
M. from Los Angeles writes:
Hillary Clinton is looking for someone to blame, anybody to blame for her problems. Anybody but herself. She has blamed and fired staff, she has blamed Obama, she has blamed voters for not being “realistic in their support,” and now she blames the press. At some point, she is going to have to take responsibility for her own campaign.
Mark from Asheville, North Carolina writes:
Aw, gee, Jack. Just because everything she and President Clinton say and do are attacked by the media, and Obama gets continual positive coverage and commentary, you are asking if the media is unfair to her? I’m shocked, I tell you - shocked! In all my 40+ years watching politics, I have never seen anything like the obsessive, relentless pro-Obama bias that is rampant right now.
Gerry writes:
When CNN used to be called Clinton News Network, Hillary had no complaints. It’s not that the media are giving Obama a free ride. It’s just that the media are accurately reflecting a strong desire among the electorate to see an end to the Clinton/Bush era. And as the pressure has mounted on Hillary, she has become increasingly less gracious.
Dale from Alexandria, Virginia writes:
Obama has won 11 contests in a row, has received multiple high-profile endorsements, and has passed Hillary in the polls - all in a matter of weeks. It appears that the facts are biased against Clinton, not the media.
Filed under: Hillary Clinton • News Media
the press..."
I completely agree with Paul Begala and I appreciate his being willing to say "Let's just tell the truth here:"
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0802/26/acd.01.html
ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES
McCain Apologizes For Supporter's Harsh Words; Florida Blackout
Aired February 26, 2008 - 22:00 ET
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Paul Begala, Clinton also made an issue of feeling like the press has not treated both candidates equally. I want to play some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Well, can I just point out that, in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time. And I don't mind. I -- you know, I'll be happy to field them. But I do find it curious. And anybody saw "Saturday Night Live," you know, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow.
I just find it kind of curious that I keep getting the first question on all of these issues. But I'm happy to answer it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Paul, how did that come across to you?
PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I don't like politicians whining about the press. And yet, she's right, simply as a matter of objective truth. Watch the debate.
My e-mail was going off -- not a one from the Clinton campaign, by the way -- but from friends, colleagues, competitors in other news media outlets who were struck that the tough question on health care, the tough question on Iraq, and even the gotcha question -- what's the name of the obscure opera chick (ph) who Vladimir Putin has put up to be his puppet replacement? OK, that's like -- that's Final Jeopardy. Really a hard question. Nobody knows that. She even knew that one.
And really, frankly, that's a question you logically would give to Barack, who many voters, and Hillary alleges, is not ready to lead on national security.
COOPER: So you think it is, what, is too favorable toward Barack Obama?
BEGALA: I don't -- I think they're going to be plenty tough on Barack. I don't think the media is anti-Clinton; I know the media is anti-Clinton, Anderson. Let's just tell the truth here. I mean, there's a horrible deep bias against Hillary in the press. But that's life. There was a bias against her husband, and he carried 37 states..."