Hello Everyone:

Here is the CNN Situation Room transcript from Monday, March 3 where Howard Kurtz in my opinion very accurately and credibly documented that some long overdue and much needed media scrutiny of Barack Obama finally came just before his three primary losses on Tuesday, March 4:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0803/03/sitroom.02.html

THE SITUATION ROOM

Clinton on the Attack, Playing the Gender Card; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Gets Warm Reception in Iraq

Aired March 3, 2008 - 17:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: "I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Barack Obama is coming under sharper scrutiny from the news media after more than a year of what some say was essentially a free ride.

Howard Kurtz of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES" and "The Washington Post" explains why and now -- Howard.

HOWARD KURTZ, CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES": Wolf, Hillary Clinton's campaign has stepped up the volume in complaining that the media aren't being tough enough on Barack Obama. But there are signs that may be starting to change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KURTZ (voice-over): The notion that Obama is getting a free ride is now enshrined in pop culture, thanks to "Saturday Night Live".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Clinton, you often allude to Senator Obama's eloquence. And let's be honest, he is really, really eloquent. Amazingly eloquent. Quite astonishingly eloquent. Really.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I get it, Tim. He's eloquent.

KURTZ: And even some journalists agree.

MARK HALPERIN, "TIME" MAGAZINE: And I know plenty of smart people in politics who are neutral in this race, plenty of smart people in journalism who would tell you that the coverage hasn't been fair.

KURTZ: But the media's tone is gradually changing now that Obama is the Democratic frontrunner. Stories that drew limited attention the first time around, such as the Illinois senator's relationship with indicted fundraiser Tony Rezko, who went on trial Monday, are making a comeback.

So is the so-called patriotism issue. No flag pin on his lapel? No hand on his heart that one time? Opponents call it unpatriotic. And Obama's eight year record as a state senator in Illinois is also drawing more scrutiny.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obama voted not for or against, but present on 129 bills, including a bill to ban sex shops and strip clubs near schools, churches and day care centers.

KURTZ: Obama's campaign says that on the sex shop issue, he didn't want to add to the workload of local authorities. But in the eyes of an Illinois Republican...

DAN CRONIN (R), ILLINOIS STATE SENATOR: Well, whatever it is, he didn't want to stick his neck out. He didn't want to risk alienating some group.

KURTZ: The issue of Louis Farrakhan's support is also drawing attention, despite Obama's criticism of Farrakhan's anti-Semitic statements.

TIM RUSSERT, MSNBC ANCHOR: What do you do assure Jewish Americans that, whether it's Farrakhan's support or the activities of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, your pastor, you are consistent with issues regarding Israel?

KURTZ: Some Democratic commentators say Obama is smooth at deflecting negative stories and his team has avoided testy dealings with journalists that have marked Clinton's campaign.

MYERS: He's not definitive. His campaign has great relationships with reporters. And while that shouldn't matter, I can't tell you how many reporters have said to me, oh, they're so accommodating.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KURTZ: But after a year of largely upbeat coverage, the real test may lie ahead. Obama is getting just a taste of the sort of media inquisition that a candidate must survive to win the White House -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Howie, thanks very much..."

Right after this excellent report from Howard Kurtz, Wolf Blitzer interviewed Clinton supporter Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Obama supporter former Dallas, Texas Mayor Ron Kirk about this issue.

I completely agree with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones when she said "Oh, clearly the media has given Senator Barack Obama somewhat of a smooth ride in the process" and I strongly disagree with former Mayor Ron Kirk when he said "the average American does not care about how the press thinks they're treating one campaign or the other" which in my opinion was a very insulting comment:

BLITZER: "Let's get some more now on the Democratic race and tomorrow's crucial contest in Ohio and Texas. For that we're joined from Dallas by the city's former mayor, Ron Kirk. He's supporting Barack Obama. Joining us from Cleveland, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She's backing Hillary Clinton. Thanks to both of you for coming in.

Congresswoman, let me start with you. Do you believe the media have been fair to both of the Democratic candidates over these many weeks and months?

REP. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES (D), OHIO: Oh, clearly the media has given Senator Barack Obama somewhat of a smooth ride in the process. Only in the last two or three days are we beginning to see them make inquiry into some of the issues that we believe are important to this particular election.

Hi, Ron, by the way. But I want to say ...

RON KIRK, FORMER DALLAS MAYOR: Hello, Congresswoman.

BLITZER: Let me let Ron Kirk respond to that because you were shaking your head as she was saying the media essentially gave Barack Obama free run.

KIRK: Well, this is such inside baseball. Listen, the average American does not care about how the press thinks they're treating one campaign or the other. Barack Obama has come to the place where he is, which I believe is on the eve of capturing the Democratic nomination because he struck a cord with the American people.

JONES: Hold your breath..."

Howard Kurtz has been doing an excellent job of publicly discussing the very important issue of anti-Hillary and pro-Obama media bias which in my opinion definitely exists and is a big reason why Obama did so well in the February primaries after Super Tuesday, Feb. 5:

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14910

Howard Kurtz asked the tough questions about pro-Obama & anti-Hillary media bias

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on March 3, 2008 - 4:43am.

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/14910#comment-287435

There is NO question in my opinion of anti-Hillary media bias...

Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on March 3, 2008 - 4:54am.

I will make a prediction right now that the more serious media scrutiny that Obama receives going forward, the better that Hillary will probably do in many future primaries. That is because we already know about everything that there is to know about Hillary while we know virtually nothing about Obama except for the fact that he can give a good speech!

I hope that Hillary calls for more debates with Obama, that Hillary keeps publicly calling on the mainstream media (especially MSNBC) to scrutinize Obama to the same degree that they scrutinize her, and I would encourage everyone here to contact any particular media outlet when you see that they are giving Obama a free ride when they are supposed to be asking him the tough questions!

Remember that the tough questions which the mainstream media are not asking Barack Obama right now during the Democratic primary will definitely be asked by John McCain and his allies on the other side in the general election IF Obama is the nominee!

That is the reason why the tough questions have to be equally asked of both Hillary and Obama RIGHT NOW during the primary in order to make sure that we have the best qualified and the most electable general election candidate!

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!