Former CBS news anchor Dan Rather noted on today's Morning Joe on MSNBC that the traditional media is largely ignoring Democratic Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden's alarming comment on Sunday: "... (M)ark my words, within the next, first six months of this administration if we win, you're gonna face a major international challenge, because they are going to want to test him...."
Rather pointed out "... (C)ertainly if Sarah Palin had said this it would be above the fold in most newspapers today... (I)f Sarah Palin had said this, the newspapers would have jumped all over it and so would have the major television outlets."
Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski agreed with Rather's assessment, saying "I'm seeing spotty media coverage."
Spotty is an understatement.
Last night, Rather's old network CBS never mentioned Biden's assertion on his old show, the Evening News. ABC's World News also failed to report it. NBC's Nightly News did, but omitted the most volatile portion of his statement, "(M)ark my words, within the next, first six months of this administration if we win, you're gonna face a major international challenge...."
Not only was it not above the fold in the New York Times, it was on Page A18 in paragraph eleven of a story headlined "Obama Briefly Leaving Trail to See Ill Grandmother." The Washington Post made brief mention of it on Page A4.
MRC President and Newsbusters.org Publisher L. Brent Bozell, III issued the following statement in response:
"The liberal media's silence on Sen. Biden's guarantee of a ‘major international challenge' in the ‘first six months' of an Obama administration is a crystal clear example of their horrendous coverage throughout the 2008 Presidential campaign.
"It's media bias so bad, even Dan Rather can see it. A Vice Presidential candidate tells us to ‘mark his words' that some enormous global crisis will occur on their watch, and the liberal media either intentionally omit it, skew their reporting to minimize it or bury it deep in the inner recesses of their newspapers.
"Rather is right again about Gov. Palin. The liberal media have gone into overdrive since Day One to smear her as a dolt, a ‘Caribou Barbie', yet here we have perpetual gaffe machine Sen. Biden promising us an international catastrophe as a part of their Administration's transition effort and the press reports nothing."
MRC President and Newsbusters.org Publisher L. Brent Bozell, III issued the following statement in response:
"The liberal media's silence on Sen. Biden's guarantee of a ‘major international challenge' in the ‘first six months' of an Obama administration is a crystal clear example of their horrendous coverage throughout the 2008 Presidential campaign.
"It's media bias so bad, even Dan Rather can see it. A Vice Presidential candidate tells us to ‘mark his words' that some enormous global crisis will occur on their watch, and the liberal media either intentionally omit it, skew their reporting to minimize it or bury it deep in the inner recesses of their newspapers.
"Rather is right again about Gov. Palin. The liberal media have gone into overdrive since Day One to smear her as a dolt, a ‘Caribou Barbie', yet here we have perpetual gaffe machine Sen. Biden promising us an international catastrophe as a part of their Administration's transition effort and the press reports nothing."
... you know, like "W" reading "My Pet Goat" while the world around collapsed into chaos.
who know that he is right, cannot take him seriously. The whole media has itself to blame - and it would be very hard to correct this situation without an overhaul of the entirity of the media... Right AND Left.
Clearly as folks wake up and realize that they really have NO rational choice, they are a bit spooked! I am! even TER has it wrong... they post on the main page the poll - who are ya votin for.. and my candidate is not even listed... Ralph Nader that is... why? to send the message to BOTH parties - to quit letting special interest groups ruin (or run) this country... we cater to everything from illegal immigrants to rampant assault weapons groups... without a care or concern about the protection of our citizens... and our values and the best parts of our country...
I am - a registered disgusted voter.
-- Modified on 10/21/2008 12:51:20 PM
Its just not as entertaining to hear an intelligent, thoughtful response to a question as it is to watch the MILF squirm under pressure and reply with something as presidential as "Ill try and find some and Ill bring 'em to ya" on National TV.
I for one am sick of all the bullshit. 8 Years is enough. Dont forget for all the political grandstanding; 9/11 happened on W's watch. So did the housing bust. So did the wall street bailout.
All Clinton did wrong that I remember is extramarital sex. And none of us here can really bitch too much about that now can we. It didnt bother Hillary.
The media is still part of our great nation and driven by the will of the masses. Its all about the money baby. Ratings bring advertisers bring dollars. Start slamming the Man and his boys all your going to have watching your show is few rich white racists. And they dont even drink Bud Light.~Felix
you think "All Clinton did wrong that I remember is extramarital sex. And none of us here can really bitch too much about that now can we. It didnt bother Hillary."
too funny.
Good thing Bush saved us from the Clinton economy. All those jobs and a surplus in the federal budget. We might have paid off the foriegn banks who own our ass by now. Whew!!! Thanks GW!!!
REP Congress did that and Clinton had the dot .com boom .
He was still the HNIC for 8 years baby. Just like GW. And whats worse is GW had the majority in the house and the senate for 6 of them. There is no excuse for such a poor performance and lack of leadership.
Interesting fact: GW's approval rating is only 1 point higher than Nixon's when he left office.
Defend that. I dare you.
There really is no good choice for me. Im voting against Sarah Palin ever having the nuclear codes or control over anything else that matters. However, she is really sexy in a strictly "hot for teacher" way.
What do providers charge in Alaska? I would definately choose the anal option with her.
When it O, everything gets swept under the rug. We have plenty of example, don't we?
See, MSM is determined to get the most liberal O elected so, journalism, who cares?
They will turn on O soon enough. Got to sell papers and up the ratings!
I don't know which is stupider: interpreting Rather's comments as meaning he sees a liberal bias, or over-blowing Biden's comment, especially when McCain, and/or Palin are largely going to have the same test. You don't think someone is going to challenge our very aged and not too wise foreign policy hawk?
No, I don't think Biden was promising "international catastrophe." International challenge doesn't mean an international catastrophe. Not even close. It might just mean that Obama and Biden are thinking ahead.
No, Palin doesn't think worldwide. She proved herself a fool in other ways.
Do you really think the rest of the world is going to look at a known quantity like McCain and lick their chops in anticipation like they will with Obama? You are sounding as naive as Moosie if you believe that nonsense.
Obama has already proven himself as weak as Carter where it comes to foreign policy. Lie to me if you like, but be honest with yourself. Obama will be the new kid on the block who already has at least one hand tied behind his back. Don't blame the Republicans, Obama did this one to himself.
Equally interesting fact. GW's approval rating low as it is, is still much higher than that of Pelosi, Reid and Co.
LOL... so that's your insidious plan.
Just call me the Manchurian Hobbyist
Get the "white devils" fighting the "black devils", yep that's my plan.