McCain's Media Free Ride - Controlled Experiment Example

Rachel Maddow is my new go-to girl. She's right on the money so far, about the election although - she's getting a bit too "pro-Obama" for my taste. However - the below makes a great point about the media giving McLame a free ride. But on McCain, the media, the Bush Crime Family and the disaster in Iraq - bingo! She makes me laugh - because she tells the truth.

Rachel's controlled experiment in media bias during the Associated Press meeting

RACHEL MADDOW: You may know that all three presidential candidates addressed the Associated Press conference this week. Hillary Clinton spoke today. Barack Obama and John McCain spoke with them yesterday - taking Obama’s and McCain’s appearances there was like a controlled experiment in media bias. And of course the line, the line that you hear in the mainstream media, right is that the press is oh so bias toward Barack Obama…Really? Let’s play compare and contras.

At the Associated Press meeting, John McCain made some strange assertions that either show him to be confused or deeply wrong about really basic stuff that is the basis of his candidacy. Either he’s confused and doesn’t understand this stuff or he’s making really shocking assertions that kind of expect would cause a press uproar. First there was this exchange about torture.

CLIP-(McCAIN at AP convention- April 14, 2008)-AP: You've opposed torture because you say our country stands for something better and it exposes our troops to torture, and you obviously have your biography to back that up. Why doesn't the same principle apply to detaining enemy combatants? Don't we stand for something better than holding people without... (CROSSTALK) MCCAIN: Yes. And I've made it very clear and I made it very clear in my statements and I made it very clear in my support of the Detainee Treatment Act, the Geneva Conventions, et cetera, that there may be some additional techniques to be used, but none of those would violate the Geneva Conventions, the Detainee Treatment Act, which I was the author of, and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. And we cannot ever, in my view, torture any American. That includes waterboarding. And if I could just tell you -- and nothing that would violate the Geneva Conventions, of which we are signatories to.

RACHEL MADDOW: We can not ever torture any American? We can’t torture any American? Is that what he thinks the debate is about?! Torturing Americans is even on the table? I thought this whole debate was at least reportedly about what we do to foreigners in foreign prisons.

Now the only place McCain draws the line is apparently at torturing Americans. Like that was under consideration- like that is what some people are arguing for and he’s just against torturing Americans? But he’s for torturing….Yeah, okay. But because it’s John McCain, the assembled press corp. would like us to remember how much they like him and how much they know he doesn’t mean crazy sounding stuff like that. So let’s just give him the benefit of the doubt, okay? Let’s not make a big deal about it.

Also? Same interview. This is the same interview; he is on the same stage, unbroken. This is at the Associated Press convention in a room full of journalist, McCain comes up with whack job assertion number two, again on an issue he is suppose to be an expert on.

CLIP-(McCAIN at AP convention- April 14, 2008)-AP: Are you open to diverting troops from Iraq to Afghanistan if that's what it took to get him? MCCAIN: I would not do that unless General Petraeus said that he felt that the situation called for that.

RACHEL MADDOW: Wait a minute. Why would General Petraeus be the guy who would get to decide whether or not more troops would leave his area of responsibility in order to go to Afghanistan to get Osama Bin Laden? General Petraeus is only responsible for Iraq. He’s not Commander in Chief. He’s not even CENTCOM, head of the Pentagon operations in the Middle East. And the guy who is, or who was the most recent head of CENTCOM, Pentagon operations in the Middle East, Admiral Fallon got in trouble for saying that he did think that troops should go from Iraq to Afghanistan. This is not a General Petraeus question. You would think that the war-president candidate wouldn’t get a pass from the press when he shows a basic lack of understanding about the military chain of command. This is not Petraeus’ decision to make. You’d think there would be a little bit of uproar from a room full of journalist, when I senator running as the war guy gets something that basic, that wrong. But you want to know what actually happened though? Check this out…

CLIP-(McCAIN at AP convention- April 14, 2008)- AP: As you mentioned, Ron, myself, a couple of AP reporters. We spend quite a bit of time with on the back of the "Straight Talk Express" asking you questions and what we've decided to do today is invite everyone else along on the ride. We even brought you your favorite treats. McCain: Oh my God…hehehe..Let's see if we got the right kind. Oh yes, with sprinkles. AP: Sprinkles… McCain: Hmmm. This is our latest health Program.. AP: A little coffee with a little cream and a little sugar. I think we're set for the hard questions. McCAIN: Okay.

RACHEL MADDOW: Let this be the historical snapshot you would refer back to when explaining to future generations how we elected John McCain president after two terms of what was pretty much universally acknowledge to be a national disaster under George W. Bush. Let this be your reference point for your explanation to your grandkids some day.

CLIP-(McCAIN at AP convention- April 14, 2008)- McCAIN: Oh my God…hehehe..Let's see if we got the right kind. Oh yes, with sprinkles. AP: Sprinkles… McCAIN: Hmmm.

RACHEL MADDOW: What other politician speaks to a room full of journalists at the moment they’re suppose to be experiencing the greatest scrutiny, the toughest scrutiny of their entire career? And the journalists start the meeting by giving the politician a treat of his favor donut.

Sound EFX: SWOOSH

RACHEL MADDOW: You want contrast? You want to hear about the AP treated Barack Obama on the same day, same meeting? Want to hear how they treated Barack Obama? No standing ovation, no donuts for Barack Obama; no we saved those for Barack Obama- here’s what Obama got.

CLIP-(OBAMA at AP convention- April 14, 2008)- AP: Can you imagine shifting a substantial number of Afghanistan - a substantial number to Afghanistan where the Taliban has been gaining strength and "Obama bin Laden" is still at large? OBAMA: I think that was Osama bin laden.

RACHEL MADDOW: Oh my God. What’s that?

CLIP-( AP convention- April 14, 2008)- AP: Obama bin Laden.

RACHEL MADDOW: Nice contrast isn’t it? Between donuts for McCain and “Obama bin Laden” for Obama.

CLIP-(OBAMA at AP convention- April 14, 2008)- AP:-- if I did that, I’m so sorry. OBAMA:-- no, no, no. this is part of the.... part of the exercise that I’ve been goin' through over the last 15 months.

RACHEL MADDOW: Oh and by the way, did you bring me donuts? (a dig at McCain's habit of buying boxes of donuts for the press; which seems to have won him a free pass from the media)