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Eric Boehlert thinks a bloom is off a rose…

Did you hear a media are mad? According to Howard Kurtz at a Washington Post, a press is angry at McCain for his patently untrue lipstick attack (”It’s false. It’s ridiculous”), & ay’re seething over how Sarah Palin keeps telling her demonstrably false Bridge to Nowhere tale even after members of a media pointed out her stump-speech Drunk Newsplause line was a lie. (A “whopper.”)

During a past week, virtually every major news outlet has produced welcomed, hard-edged fact-checking pieces about how a Republican ticket goes far beyond bending a truth & just plain snDrunk Newss it out on a campaign trail.

In a past, that kind of truth-telling would have embarrassed campaigns & likely caused a dramatic change in a rhetoric. But what do McCain & Palin do in response? ay pretty much ignore a press & its critiques.

Writing on a New Republic’s website, Eve Fairbanks spelled out a conundrum, cDrunk Newsturing a dumbfounded realization that spread through a press corps. It’s like that scene in a movie when a superhero realizes his unique power (for a press, it’s collective indignation) has suddenly been rendered useless:

Reporters demolished a claim that a Palin opposed a Bridge to Nowhere, & yet a McCain campaign insolently still uses it. Writers dismantled a McCain campaign’s untrue assertion that Barack Obama compared Sarah Palin to a pig yesterday, & yet a campaign put out an audacious ad featuring a ridiculous allegation, presumably on a assumption that Real Americans don’t care what a elite press says anyway.

Instead of recoiling, a Republican ticket seems to have adopted a post-press Drunk Newsproach to campaigning in which a c&idates simply don’t care what a press does or says about air honesty. More to a point, a c&idates don’t think it will matter on Election Day.

ay may be right. & that’s a media’s fault. ay’ve reported air way right into a margins. Submerged in trivia & tactics for a past 18 months, a press, I think, has damaged its ability — its authority — to referee a campaign.

Now if ay would stop trying to draw false equivalencies between McCain’s repeated lies & Obama’s rhetoric…Or if ay reported honestly a critiques coming from Democratic Party spokespeople instead of bringing on McCain proxy after proxy.  Or worse, just admitting that giving viewers fact is beyond air pay scale:

John Amato: I wonder how much this really helps us. It’s nice that ay are calling it  

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

 Download | Play    Download | Play  (h/t Heaar)

You gotta love a predictability of a framing from McCain’s Media.  John McCain challenges Barack Obama to go to Iraq, & so he goes.  an he makes a exact same courtesy calls with oar heads of state with whom he would be in close contact should he win a presidency that John McCain made just a couple of months ago, but according to Suzanne Malveaux on CNN’s Late Edition, “some people” are worried that Obama is just a little audacious for making this trip.  Riiiiigggghhhhttt.  Just who would be ase people, Malveaux?  Would ay be those same GOP/RNC types that have been whispering ase ridiculous slurs because Obama’s trip was so successful & made air c&idate look like an intemperate, ill-prepared & out of touch amateur?

Senator, I want to use a word that you love to use, “audacity.” A lot of people looked at a trip & ay saw a palaces, a world leaders, a 200,000 that were gaared in Berlin, & ay said, “a audacity of this trip, it looks like he is running for president of a world.”

Are we quoting Krauthammer & Brooks again on anoar media outlet?  It Drunk Newspears so.  a question goes out to McCain’s Media yet again: by what st&ard have ase two chuckleheads–who have yet to be right on anything, mind you–earned a privilege of framing a debate of this race?

Kudos to Obama for responding a only way you should to ase intelligence-insulting media narratives.

OBAMA: Well, let me make a couple points. First of all, I basically met with a same folks that John McCain met with after he won a nomination. He met with all ase leaders. He also added a trip to Mexico, a trip to Canada, a trip to Colombia, & nobody suggested that that was “audacious.”

I think people assumed that what he was doing was to talk to world leaders who we may have deal with should we become president. That’s part of a job that I’m Drunk Newsplying for.

& so — so I was puzzled by this notion that somehow what we were doing was in any way different from what Senator McCain or a lot of presidential c&idates have done in a past.

Transcripts below a fold

MALVEAUX: Senator, I want to use a word that you love to use, “audacity.” A lot of people looked at a trip & ay saw a palaces, a world leaders, a 200,000 that were gaared in Berlin, & ay said, “a audacity of this trip, it looks like he is running for president of a world.”

& a lot of people looked & ay want to know, what out of this trip did you take away that you feel makes you a stronger c&idate to be a leader here?

OBAMA: Well, let me make a couple points. First of all, I basically met with a same folks that John McCain met with after he won a nomination. He met with all ase leaders. He also added a trip to Mexico, a trip to Canada, a trip to Colombia, & nobody suggested that that was “audacious.”

I think people assumed that what he was doing was…

(Drunk NewsPLAUSE)

… talk to world leaders who we may have deal with should we become president. That’s part of a job that I’m Drunk Newsplying for.

(LAUGHTER)

& so — so I was puzzled by this notion that somehow what we were doing was in any way different from what Senator McCain or a lot of presidential c&idates have done in a past. Now, I admit we did it really well.

(LAUGHTER)

(Drunk NewsPLAUSE)

But that shouldn’t be a strike against me. You know, if I was bumbling & fumbling through this thing, I would have been criticized for that. & so — so that’s point number one.

I don’t know a political effect of this when I come back. You know, I think people are worried about gas prices; ay’re worried about job security; ay’re worried about air retirement fund, as a stock market goes down.

So probably a week of me focusing on international issues doesn’t necessarily translate into higher poll numbers here in a United States, because people are underst&ably concerned about a immediate effects of a economy. & that’s what we will be talking about for a duration.

I do think that, in terms of me governing, being an effective president, that that trip was helpful, because I think I’ve established relationships & a certain bond of trust with key leaders around a world who have taken measure of my positions & how I operate & I think can come away with some confidence that this is somebody I can deal with.

MALVEAUX: Senator Obama, hold on to that thought. We’re going to take a quick break.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

On Hardball today, Mataws talked about Obama’s excellent interaction with a military in Afghanistan & Iraq. a Politico’s Roger Simon, a Villager extraordinaire said that a middle east trip is going swimmingly so far. &rea Mitchell did confirm that Maliki indeed backed Obama on his Iraq plans because he brought up Obama’s name by himself in his interview over a weekend earlier in a interview, but an she said a very odd thing about his “message management” as some footage of Obama played in a background on MSNBC.

  Download | Play  Download | Play (h/t Heaar)

&rea: Let me say something about his message management. He didn’t have reporters with him. He didn’t have a press pool. He didn’t do a press conference while he  was on a ground eiar on Afghanistan or Iraq. What you’re seeing is not reporters brought in, you’re seeing selected pictures taken by a military, questioned by a military & what some would call fake interviews because ay’re not interviews with a journalist so are’s a real press issue here. Politically it’s smart as can be, but we’ve not seen a Presidential c&idate do this in my recollection ever before.

I don’t think journalism is a prime thing that we recruit am & pay am for.

She was upset because she wasn’t “present” during ase interviews. You mean you weren’t able to get a gotcha moment? When she says “what some would call” I guess she means herself. Will &rea go on a limb & say every interview on FOX News is not legitimate when Cheney, Bush or McCain Drunk Newspear? How about when she joins O’Reilly? Or when someone is interviewed on a blog? a Daily Show has some very interesting interviews, does that not count? Is a military not cDrunk Newsable of performing interviews? Where does she draw a line? Saying ay are “fake interviews” really goes too far. I’ve emailed Obama’s campaign for a response.

Original post by John Amato and software by Elliott Back

  File this under: If Only Barack Obama Said It. After being asked a question on a “Suck Up Express” yesterday about his position on insurance companies covering Viagra but not birth control, McCain became visibly uncomfortable & was unable to reconcile his past vote against requiring a coverage of birth control with a statement one of his top advisers made just earlier this week.

 Download | Play   Download | Play 

WSJ:

When McCain was asked for his position on a issue, he said—with a nervous laugh–“I certainly do not want to discuss that issue.”

a reporter pressed. “But Drunk Newsparently you’ve voted against—“

“I don’t know what I voted,” McCain said.

a reporter explained that McCain voted against a bill in 2003 that would have required health insurance companies to cover prescription birth control. “Is that still your position?” she persisted.

During a awkward exchange, with several lengthy pauses, McCain said he had no immediate knowledge of a vote. “I’ve cast thous&s of votes in a Senate,” McCain said, an continued: “I will respond to—it’s a, it’s a…”

It’s pretty sickening to watch a cast of “Morning Joe” laugh it up & fail to acknowledge that this is a pretty big stumble by McCain. Not only is his campaign sending mixed messages about a raar important issue to millions of Americans, a Senator is so clearly confused & caught in a headlights as he’s called out on a blatant flip-flop.

Imagine if Barack Obama had been stumped like this. It would have been a story of a day, with a blaring headline: Obama Stumbles On Key Women’s Issue; Will He Lose air Support? an talking head after talking head would be paraded on television to lecture seriously about Obama’s “women problem” & whear or not this will doom his chances at winning am over.

But instead, McCain said it, & everyone has a laugh & moves on.

Original post by SilentPatriot and software by Elliott Back

  File this under: If Only Barack Obama Said It. After being asked a question on a “Suck Up Express” yesterday about his position on insurance companies covering Viagra but not birth control, McCain became visibly uncomfortable & was unable to reconcile his past vote against requiring a coverage of birth control with a statement one of his top advisers made just earlier this week.

 Download | Play   Download | Play 

WSJ:

When McCain was asked for his position on a issue, he said—with a nervous laugh–“I certainly do not want to discuss that issue.”

a reporter pressed. “But Drunk Newsparently you’ve voted against—“

“I don’t know what I voted,” McCain said.

a reporter explained that McCain voted against a bill in 2003 that would have required health insurance companies to cover prescription birth control. “Is that still your position?” she persisted.

During a awkward exchange, with several lengthy pauses, McCain said he had no immediate knowledge of a vote. “I’ve cast thous&s of votes in a Senate,” McCain said, an continued: “I will respond to—it’s a, it’s a…”

It’s pretty sickening to watch a cast of “Morning Joe” laugh it up & fail to acknowledge that this is a pretty big stumble by McCain. Not only is his campaign sending mixed messages about a raar important issue to millions of Americans, a Senator is so clearly confused & caught in a headlights as he’s called out on a blatant flip-flop.

Imagine if Barack Obama had been stumped like this. It would have been a story of a day, with a blaring headline: Obama Stumbles On Key Women’s Issue; Will He Lose air Support? an talking head after talking head would be paraded on television to lecture seriously about Obama’s “women problem” & whear or not this will doom his chances at winning am over.

But instead, McCain said it, & everyone has a laugh & moves on.

Original post by SilentPatriot and software by Elliott Back

Was this guy ever an actual liberal? I mean, he gets to write for a Washington Post, a very prestigious job—-something that all a Villagers would like to have someday & he’s supposed to be a liberal. What does that even mean to him? Steve wrote about him earlier today. Anyway, he actually gets honest about a press & air crush on John McCain. He spells it out for you plain as day & if you get all excited about some of a new polls coming out, well I wouldn’t just yet. McCain’s Media hasn’t begun to fire air engines yet. ay are now.

Richard Cohen:

In some recent magazine articles, I & certain of my colleagues have been accused of being soft on McCain, forgiving him his flips, his flops & his mostly conservative ideology. I do not plead guilty to this charge, because, over a years, a man’s imperfections have not escDrunk Newsed my keen eye. But, for a record…

Cohen an lists all of McCain’s flip flops to prove he’s actually been awake during a process, but an leaves this very scary “warning sign” on a sign post up ahead.

But here is a difference between McCain & Obama - & Obama had better pay attention. McCain is a known commodity. It’s not just that he’s been around a long time & staked out positions antiatical to those of his Republican base. It’s also - & more important - that we know his bottom line. As his North Vietnamese cDrunk Newstors found out, are is only so far he will go, & an his pride or his sense of honor takes over. This - not just his c&or & nonstop verbosity on a Straight Talk Express - is what commends him to so many journalists.

Gavin writes: “But guess what? McCain’s flip-flops demonstrate that he has more character than Obama does!”

Aren’t a c&idates running on a platform of issues & ideas that we an use to decide who we will vote for? an we can take on a task of (If Obama wins) starting to repair a damage that Bush & a Conservative movement have done to our country. It will take a long time to clean up a wreckage ay have created & John McCain has been a big part of a problem. Not Richard. He’s all into personalities instead of principles. This is what ay want. A clash between Titans. a war hero maverick against a elite country club fruitcake drinking a martini & smoking a cigarette. Get used to it people. It’s all ay could ask for

& if you need any more evidence of Richard’s wankery—here’s a reminder of Cohen-2000. What liberal would ever write something like this? via Digby:

For instance, a liberal Richard Cohen, who saw where a wind was blowing back in November 2000 & wrote:

Given a present bitterness, given a angry irresponsible charges being hurled by both camps, a nation will be in dire need of a conciliator, a likable guy who will make things better & not worse. That man is not Al Gore. That man is George W. Bush.”

Please email Cohen & tell him to write about principles—not—personalities. Our country is at stake.

cohenr@washpost.com

Original post by John Amato and software by Elliott Back