McCain Gets History Of The Surge Wrong, CBS Doesn't Air Footage - Political Fever

malrenalds · #1 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

During a CBS interview on Tuesday, John McCain made a stone cold error on a subject about which he claims expert knowledge: the "surge" strategy in Iraq. In an interview with anchor Katie Couric, the Arizona Republican said, inaccurately, that the surge strategy was responsible for the much-touted "Anbar Awakening," in which Sunni sheiks turned against Al Qaeda, helping in turn to reduce violence in the country.
From the transcript:

Katie Couric: Senator McCain, Senator Obama says, while the increased number of US troops contributed to increased security in Iraq, he also credits the Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after militias. And says that there might have been improved security even without the surge. What's your response to that?
McCain: I don't know how you respond to something that is as-- such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel MacFarland was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening. I mean, that's just a matter of history.

In fact, as Spencer Ackerman and Ilan Goldenberg have reported, the record firmly establishes the opposite: instead of being caused by the surge, the key signs of the Anbar Awakening occurred not only before that strategy was implemented, but before it was ever conceived.
Yet McCain's error was not seen by any CBS Evening News viewers. As MSNBC's Keith Olbermann noted (video below), "CBS curiously, to say the least, left it on the edit room floor. It aired Katie Couric's question, but in response, it aired part of McCain's answer to the other question instead." (Ironically, this edit came on the same day that McCain's campaign released a video mocking the media's "love affair" with Obama.)
The fact remains, however, that the military official cited by McCain, then-Colonel Sean MacFarland, described the Anbar Awakening in September 2006 -- four months before the "surge" was even announced -- noting that tribal leaders were "stepping forward and cooperating with the Iraqi security forces against Al Qaeda." Moreover, a military review written by MacFarland notes that his unit actually left Anbar before most of the surge troops arrived; his success in the region came between June 2006 and February 2007.
Especially notable is that McCain himself was not always confused as to the start date of the Awakening, and whether or not it was caused by the surge. Fresh off one of his much-touted trips to Iraq, McCain delivered remarks to the conservative American Enterprise Institute on January 5, 2007. Alongside fellow Senator Joe Lieberman, McCain specifically advocated for the newly proposed surge, and cited the already-in-progress turning of Sunni sheiks as a reason to send more troops. From the transcript of the event:

Once again McStupid puts his foot in his mouth. Still waiting on that Obama Foreign policy Gaffe he is supposed to have on his trip.

the real Irony is that this followed his weak attempt to bash Obamas' knowledge of history .

malrenalds · #2 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 04:34 PM

And where is that bias? CBS seems to have helped him out by not airing this. now it cannot be added to a funny "stupid mccain" youtube vid.

Affrayer · #3 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malrenalds

And where is that bias?

Don't worry it's coming. the republicans will rise up and shout that the media is liberal bias and the media won't say a thing about it.

Meanwhile we should answer the question, is McCain't just old or is he an ignorant moron like Bush?

Angel Of Mercy · #4 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malrenalds

And where is that bias? CBS seems to have helped him out by not airing this. now it cannot be added to a funny "stupid mccain" youtube vid.

They didn't just "not air" it, they actually violated their own Standards and Practices mission statement and EDITED IT OUT so that insane McCain wouldn't look like the imbecile that he actually is!

That's not just an oversight or an accident. They cut the tape after Kouric's question and pasted two different McCain statements together to make it seem like he knew what he was saying. They also CHANGED THE TRANSCRIPT!

And then, caught out, they lied!!!!

Finny · #5 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 08:06 PM

Ugh.. its too bad a liberal blogger doesn't know the facts.

When the Tribal leader came to the US Military we offered arms and money to fund them as part of that agreement they would have to accept extra US Marines in Al-Anbar for added protection.

The Surge allowed the Awakening to fight back. No surge = a bunch of dead tribal leaders.

Jojo · #6 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finny

Ugh.. its too bad a liberal blogger doesn't know the facts.

When the Tribal leader came to the US Military we offered arms and money to fund them as part of that agreement they would have to accept extra US Marines in Al-Anbar for added protection.

The Surge allowed the Awakening to fight back. No surge = a bunch of dead tribal leaders.

Man is not a rational animal - man is a rationalizing animal.

So, I guess CBS was trying to make McCain look dumb in your estimation?

malrenalds · #7 (**permalink**) 07-23-2008, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finny

Ugh.. its too bad a liberal blogger doesn't know the facts.

When the Tribal leader came to the US Military we offered arms and money to fund them as part of that agreement they would have to accept extra US Marines in Al-Anbar for added protection.

The Surge allowed the Awakening to fight back. No surge = a bunch of dead tribal leaders.

Um no

This did not come from a blogger. It came from msnbc, the blogger just wrote about what msnbc reported.

The surge was not even a glimmer in McCains eye when this deal went down.

Finny · #8 (**permalink**) 07-24-2008, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malrenalds

Um no

This did not come from a blogger. It came from msnbc, the blogger just wrote about what msnbc reported.

The surge was not even a glimmer in McCains eye when this deal went down.

Actually.. MSNBC (KO- Keith Olbermann)only picked up on it due to a Liberal Blogger.

Drakej · #9 (**permalink**) 07-24-2008, 01:23 AM

Is there even a network that is around that actually has standards any more? CBS may have cut some of the interview but none of you can deny that Obama does not get a boost from other networks.

Jojo · #10 (**permalink**) 07-24-2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drakej

Is there even a network that is around that actually has standards any more? CBS may have cut some of the interview but none of you can deny that Obama does not get a boost from other networks.

It's his side on the upswing of the pendulum in the drama being sold. Remember Willy Horton? "Is Gore a liar?" "Is Reagan senile?" Build em up - to knock em down - anything to get ratings.

Oh, and would you be this blase if CBS had editied Obama's remarks to fix factual errors?

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