Report: McCain Campaign Threatened To Boycott Debate With NBC Moderator
I missed this yesterday, but it's really worth a quick mention. Buried in this New York Times piece about NBC anchor Tom Brokaw and his efforts to patch things up between his network and the McCain campaign is an extraordinary glimpse into the equal parts whining and behind-the-scenes ref-gaming the McCain camp has undertaken with some members of the media...
Mr. Brokaw said he had been told by a senior McCain aide, whom he did not name, that the campaign had been reluctant to accept an NBC representative as one of the moderators of the three presidential debates -- until his name was invoked."One of the things I was told by this person was that they were so irritated, they said, 'If it's an NBC moderator, for any of these debates, we won't go,' " Mr. Brokaw said. "My name came up, and they said, 'Oh, hell, we have to do it, because it's going to be Brokaw.' "
Mr. Brokaw will moderate the second debate, on Oct. 7, in Nashville.
A senior McCain adviser actually threatened that McCain might skip the next debate if NBC fielded one of the moderators? This, from the same candidate who hammered Barack Obama for not agreeing to six dozen town hall meetings or whatever it was McCain wanted? Another day, another snit...
Another day, another asshole's move.
September 30, 2008 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
In fairness let me point out that the Wall Street Journal NBC poll prefers Tina Fey's version of Palin over the real thing as commander in chief.
And Big Bird over Brokaw as moderator.
September 30, 2008 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another day, another Depends moment.
September 30, 2008 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ha. This crappy moment was brought to you by, McSame.
Pufferfish
September 30, 2008 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Instead of picking Brokaw as their anchor long ago, I really wish they had gone with John Chancellor. He combined gravitas with levity, and was quite the opposite of a gotcha journalist.
My lasting impression of Brokaw comes from his sneer. He's mellowed a bit in later years, but somehow I still can't imagine him conveying genuine surprise at anything. He'd rather die than let on that he didn't know everything.
September 30, 2008 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with you on Chancellor. A class act -- as was Brinkley, as was Jennings.
September 30, 2008 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Absolutely agree about David Brinkley and Peter Jennings.
September 30, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Word.
Can't stand Brokaw.
September 30, 2008 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shame on Brokaw for cutting a deal with the McCain camp. I never liked him. He was a Clinton slut for years, it's clear from his views during the primaries how negative he was towards Obama. Brokaw is not a good moderator neither is Scheiffer. Both are likely to look for an opening to even the race. Ratings ofcourse. Lehrer must be congratulated for merely staying out of it.
September 30, 2008 3:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
This has actually been my main concern for some time- there is no money in this race for ANY media if Obama begins to pull away.
My anxiety stems from the fact that, at some point, the media WILL pick some inane act by McCain and say "OMG! MCCAIN IS TEH BEST! COMEBACK BABY!"
I'm sure the media will manufacture some comeback- it's Obama's job to make sure his lead holds up.
September 30, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quick: Someone name something this campaign has said or done that was NOT one of the following:
A. A lie
B. Hypocritical
September 30, 2008 3:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I'm John McCain, and I approve this message."
September 30, 2008 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Eh, not so fast. I’d say it's hypocritical for McCain to "approve" attack ads on Obama while also saying this is no time for partisan politics.
September 30, 2008 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this falls into their third communications category: whining.
McWaaaahhhh/Wailin
September 30, 2008 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dammit! I knew I was leaving something out.
September 30, 2008 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lying and Crying... that's their only MO. And by definition hypocritical.
September 30, 2008 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
"We won't go". And Brokaw bought that shit?
Brokaw and Clinton ought to catch a fast train...
September 30, 2008 3:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
A hero ain't nothing but a sandwich, and a maverick ain't nothing but an American made automobile.
September 30, 2008 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I miss Russert
September 30, 2008 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the Commission on Presidential Debates was a really serious organization, they would fire Brokaw and select another person to host the presidential town hall debate next week.
Of course, they won't. What a shame!
September 30, 2008 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Brokaw has been questionable since the day he lobbied for the removal of Olbermann and Chris Matthews from Anchor Chair.
Why it did not look wrong to Brokaw when in 2000 Matthews was openly pleading for electing Bush every day?
Now, when Matthews is siding with Obama, why Brokaw is seeking removal of Matthews?
And you guys read the Moveon's demand of an apology for Brokaw citing a very old poll to justify people's trust in McCain's C-in-C.
So I am curious to watch how Brokaw will try to side subtly and imperceptibly with McCain during the next debate.
September 30, 2008 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah I read about Brokaw using that old poll. If that doesn't prove he's a republican hack I dont know what does. His first question to McCain will probably be "Senator McCain do you sometimes wish you were apart of the greatest generation?"
September 30, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
The VP debate is gonna be great. Popcorn anyone?
Bwahahaha
September 30, 2008 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Palin believes man and dinosaurs walked the earth at the same time.
September 30, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Biden believes FDR chopped down a cherry tree.
September 30, 2008 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah but at least FDR chopping down a cherry tree is possible.
September 30, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fun factoid: FDR is more popular than George Washinton.
Most popular Presidents:
1.Honest Abe
2.JFK
3.Bill Clinton
4.Reagan
5.FDR
6.George Washington
September 30, 2008 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
To be fair, she is pretty sure she's seen fossils of dinosaurs with foot prints near them.
September 30, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Eminent Foghat, who months ago chided us for picking an inexperienced senator for president, now looks forward to an inexperienced mayor of Cicely, Alaska rescuing his party.
Too funny.
Enjoy your popcorn!
September 30, 2008 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did you mean Governor of Alaska?
As in...executive office holder?
Thought so.
September 30, 2008 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who can't recall her own record? Or who has no working knowledge of basic domestic or foreign policy matters? Yeah, a lot of good that "executive experience" has done her.
September 30, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who, in 18 months, has already managed to become knee-deep in scandal?
George W.'s got 6 years as gov. of a MUCH larger state and 7 years in the WH....I sure as hell don't want him at the helm anymore.
September 30, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have two words for you, fogu2
JESSE VENTURA
that is all.
September 30, 2008 6:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
She'll probably hire a manager to run the VP office for her.
October 1, 2008 8:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's called hyperbole.
September 30, 2008 3:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is there intrade odds for which candidate's name Browkaw will garble most?
September 30, 2008 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is there intrade odds for which candidate's name Brokaw will garble most?
September 30, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, President Reagan Democrat.
September 30, 2008 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
This was actually known during the debate negotiations but didn't get much press. I guess this is another reason not to piss off the NYT because not they're making news of it and shining the light on the relationship between the McCain Camp and Brokaw. This will force Brokaw to be neutral during the debate he moderates and he will be under increased scrutiny if he is seen to favor McCain.
September 30, 2008 3:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have done my civic duty - After reading the NY Times article early this morning I emailed:
1) MoveOn - requesting they circulate a petition demanding that Brokow be removed as moderator (Brokaw also quoted some dated statistics in the interview - And MoveOn has already complained to NBC about this, per Huffington Post)
2) NBC News - Demanding they replace Brokaw with someone less biased.
Any ideas on who should replace Brokaw - I do not watch David Gregory. All Brian Williams knows how to do is look pretty and read off a teleprompter. I don't watch him either.
MoveOn had a very successful online petition complaining to ABC after the Gibson Stephanopolous debate fiasco in the primary. I would think NBC doesn't want to fall to the same fate as NBC and CBS and be excluded from debate moderation duties.
September 30, 2008 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
John Madden?
September 30, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gregory would be a nightmare. I don't think he could have his lips planted any more firmly on McCain's backside.
September 30, 2008 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Brokaw's efforts to suck up to the McCain folks severely compromises his ability to moderate the debate evenhandedly. You can be sure that to prove his word to the McCain folks, he will be gentle in the debate.
September 30, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
But wouldn't it be worth it if Gregory and McCain started dancing on stage (ala "MC Rove")?
I haven't be able to take a word Gregory says seriously since he danced at the Press Corps dinner with Rove.
September 30, 2008 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sarah Palin's ancestors caused the extinction of dinosaurs, by shooting them from helicopters. Yup! Yup!
Check out how fast the government of Ireland has moved to prevent a banking crisis, and how it obtained an immediate payoff.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/irelands-government-just-place.php
September 30, 2008 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
OMFG!
Der Obamayouth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW9b0xr06qA
September 30, 2008 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
SFC beat you by like 5 threads.
September 30, 2008 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Only you can keep track of it all!
Smoke , smoke , smoke that....uh, what exactly are you smoking there?
September 30, 2008 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is what happens when you are late to your daily troll meetings.
September 30, 2008 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just a cigar.
September 30, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's pathetic, isn't it?
September 30, 2008 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
You didn't take your aspirin as instructed. Please do so immediately.
September 30, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't bother with Fogu2. He outed himself as a unapologetic racist in one of the earlier threads last week.
September 30, 2008 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, gotta go with Fogu at least on this one. Teaching little kids to sing in costume about a political candidate is creepy. Period.
September 30, 2008 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
So this is part of a viral e-mail that the McCain campaign is sending out to everyone who signed up on their mailing list. Why is this suddenly the topic of conversation among a (ahem) certain segment of the commentariat on this blog?
September 30, 2008 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just curious, is there also a "Muslims For Obama" logo?
September 30, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
A most revealing avatar you have there.
Race-bait much?
September 30, 2008 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since you asked, yes there is.
September 30, 2008 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great.
Scientologists?
September 30, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
That one might be up to you. Given your demonstrated photoshopping skills, I am sure that you should be able to bang it out in a half-hour or so.
September 30, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pornstars for Obama?
September 30, 2008 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is Sarah Silverman fucking Barack Obama?
September 30, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am sure that one or more of your confederates over at No Quarter is already using the same investigative journalistic talents that gave us the his-birth-certificate-says-Barry-Soetoro story to answer this equally compelling question. I have no doubt but that you will eagerly report the answer to us when that "story" breaks.
September 30, 2008 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps you will even photoshop yourself a new avatar to illustrate the claim.
September 30, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
It was just posted on a local college GOP blog with the headline, “If this doesn’t freak you out, nothing will…” I guess nothing will, then.
If only the McCain camp higher ups were this good at message discipline.
September 30, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're a thetan aren't you.
September 30, 2008 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
So SFCWallace, Fogu and some college republican blog all have it up. I am sure others do as well, although I am too lazy to go looking. That prompts my question, who started the interest in this particular theme? Do these folks all look at a particular blog? Did they all get the same mass e-mail? It is not an important point, of course, but I am curious (given the rather small impact of the YouTube video in question) why they are all chattering about it simultaneously.
September 30, 2008 4:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
FWIW, the college Republican blog cites Exurban League as the source.
http://exurbanleague.com/2008/09/30/tomorrow-belongs-to-me.aspx
The Corner, Ace of Spades and Confederate Yankee have posts on it as well.
Talk about grasping at straws.
September 30, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hell look at the cover the National Review:
http://nrd.nationalreview.com/
And a google search of Sarah Palin and Messiah is illuminating.
Hypocrisy is a bitch!
September 30, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's a conspiracy
September 30, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Somebody please explain to me. Why is that video supposed to be... whatever bad thing the wingnuts think it is?
It's a bunch of kids singing. Not my personal cup of tea, but it happen a lot in schools and churches and scout meetings and summer camps. So why is this suddenly bad?
September 30, 2008 4:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Put them all in W shirts and have them sing the "Drill baby, drill" song and you may answer your own question. Creepy. So is Catholics for Obama in my opinion, but they ex-communicated my mother for marrying my father and I never had Rudy's childhood freiend come along to change my mind.
September 30, 2008 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
They should pull the old switcheroo and change the moderator at the last minute to Keith Olbermann!
September 30, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
once again smart people on this blog do not respond to fogu2,sfc wallace,lalo35 and dumbbil c,do barack obama fuck sara silverman,look in the mirror and hear how close minded and dense u sound fogu2,u remind me of elizabeth hasselbitch,michelle malkin and laura ingraham from FOXS News,as well as sean hannity and rush limbaugh,do not respond to these people,fogu2 u r a fine american man my friend!!!
September 30, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is one fine avatar! Well done! :)
September 30, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans: Whiny Ass Titty Babies.
WATB - Waaaah Waaah Waaaah!
September 30, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a simple way of analyzing a political action.
What does the politician stand to gain by taking a certain action?
We've seen Bush and now the McCain campaign trying to control the media, calling it biased, pulling interviews, essentially casting doubt on the media.
If Bush and now McCain stand to gain from casting doubt on the media, that means the media harms them.
Example: McCain and Palin went back for another NBC interview by Couric. She quoted Palin as saying something directly against McCain's stance on Pakistan, they retorted with calling that 'gotcha journalism,' as if taking what someone said and asking them about it is somehow unfair.
Open and accountable government is what we need, and what both candidates have promised, but this isn't reflected in the above example. This is how they will run the country, and that's not the way it should be run.
September 30, 2008 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
FugusDeux and John McCain both would do well to note that my almost three year old daughter makes better and more adult-like decissions than either of them.
September 30, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here is the link to the Move On petition regarding Brokaw: (They have not sent a mass email re the petition yet - like they did with ABC) Just spread the word on the petition - please.
http://pol.moveon.org/emails/brokaw_poll.html
I have almost fulfilled my civic duty for today before returning to figuring out what to do with my dwindling assets - sew them up in the mattress, or what?
September 30, 2008 7:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are several "people" here on this site who should really go home now - back to the gutter with all the other repugs: fogu2,sfc wallace,lalo35 and dumbbil c,do barack obama fuck sara silverman,
We all know who you really are anyway - hacks for Davis, Schmidt and Rove and all mcsenile's gambling buddies. Sorry, game's over. You are LOSERS.
September 30, 2008 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink