AP Gives McCain 'Cigarettes' Story A Ridiculous Headline

Yesterday, while enjoying a meal at a Pittsburgh sandwich shop, John McCain made a joke about how maybe he could kill Iranians with cigarettes, because that's how people with tremendous plane-crashing leadership roll. But rather than capture what happened with a headline that explained how a grown man running for President thinks the indiscriminate killing of a nation of people whose "affection for the United States" is described as "thriving these days" is funny, the Associated Press instead chose to use this headline:

"Political Play: Wife pokes McCain in the back"

That's right! The AP, in their infinite wisdom, wants your attention drawn to Cindy McCain "jabbing" McCain in the back. And it wasn't even a terrorist fist jab!

Cindy McCain's jab to her husband's back came a second too late Tuesday to keep him from making a wisecrack about the health impact of Iran's main import from the United States: cigarettes.

That's the lede, and even it is stupendously out of whack with what actually happened. McCain did not "make a wisecrack about the health impact" of cigarettes. He suggested that cigarettes might be used to murder Iranians, because that is hilarious.

Don't forget to LOL when cigarettes become a major component of John McCain's plan to overhaul Social Security.

UPDATE: Via ThinkProgress, How are reporters are treating McCain's remarks? Idiotically, if you must know!

NBC's Chuck Todd: That's what makes him real and that's what makes people who disagree with him say "ah, you know what? The guy seems like any guy you'd want to have around the dinner table or the bar stool."

CNN's Jessica Yellin: "People who love him think his a maverick and think he's a real guy who makes a joke off the cuff just like real people do [but] we're all waiting to see if something explodes, this kind of comment doesn't."

Now, I'm a Chuck Todd fan, but you really have to question his judgement. Jokes about genocide are not the sort of things I want around my dinner table or barstool, and I think it's safe to say that it's "jokes" like those that make people who disagree with McCain realize that their disagreements are well founded.

As for Jessica Yellin's comment, I think it's safe to say that if McCain is elected President, topping the list of people "waiting to see if something explodes" will be the Iranians.

Comments

[shag11]

He's as bad a candidate as Bob Dole was. He really should be off playing shuffleboard somewhere.

[LTinCali]

There you have it, the republicans answer to holding on to the White House. Can you imagine if he made such a comment while in the presence of a foreign diplomat? This man has no clue on how to be presidential. Even his speeches are creepy when he attempts to attack Obama and then uses that menacing laugh that is just so creepy.

This man is clueless. He may have traveled all around the globe but obviously, it has done nothing to train him on how to be a good politician. Diplomacy is out the window with this man.

[brighterside]

What I don't get about this is not McLames attempt to make a joke out of cigarettes to Iran. But the way the press just lets him get away from answering the question. He was asked about why the administration is shipping stuff to Iran covertly even though there is an embargo on that country. This was his answer, people laughed, and then moved on to another question which was irrelevant to Iran.

This is probably the most obscene and obvious biased media coverage on a presidency. I'm voting for O-bama in the hopes that he will do some kind of media reform on these right leaning mediots.

[LTinCali]

This is in line with his town hall meetings like the one he held today where he is asked one question but seems to answer a different question that was never posed. It is like he has prepared answers for specific questions but when you ask him something unexpected, he just uses one of his prepared ones and hopes no one notices. He did this with every question that was asked of him today and yet he wants to hold joint town hall meetings with Obama. If I was Barack I would stay as far away from this man as can until absolutely necessary.

[4real]

If what he said wasn't a big deal why would Cindy think to poke him in the back?

And didn't the media say the same thing about Bush. How so very funny Bush is and how he is the type of person you would want to have a beer with. Look where that has gotten us.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

McCane is a bigot. Why does he hate innocent Iranians so much?

Was his POW cell in Tehran?

He finds murder of innocent Iranians funny. Maybe that is part of being a 'maverick'.

[Lupin77]

McCooCoo thinks it's funny making jokes about killing innocent men, women and children. Give me a break!! The guy is losing it and should be in a nursing home. His callousness shows how uncaring he is about human life.

[Madampotential]

OMG! And this guy is going to bring peace to the middle east??? I wonder how this is being played on Al Jazeera?? Bill Maher was correct when he said if granpa is elected he is gonna get us all killed.

[zanzig]

Was Chuck Todd the same person who thought that Bush would be a great guy to have a beer with?

[tsloan]

what a class act, that McCain...

[mollysgran]

The Little Lady who just put $750K on her credit card IN ONE MONTH seems to have more sense than the Old Man. He is such a screw up.

This remark is indicative of the fact that he was 5th from the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy.

[jupitor]

That brain of his just likes war and killing! He should have stayed in the Navy! But than they wouldn't have wanted to lose another plane. He could have taught at a Navy Schooll, But that wouldn't work either because he was such a bad student and graduated 6 th from the bottom of his class!

[CaptainVideo]

Lets start a campaign to send cigarettes to McCain and see if he thinks its funny.

[nonconformist2]

Gee, just what we need, another president with diarhea (spelling?) of the mouth.

[RRonin]

McCain's comment is like something my step-dad would say. My step-dad has sat at my dinner table and I've had drinks with him in a bar, but I would NEVER want to see him President!

[wmbear]

AP IS THE FOX NEWS OF WIRE SERVICES...

I've been saying this on Huffpost for some time now. This just confirms it. Many of their headlines and lead paragraphs have this quality. If it's a story that might reflect badly on a Republican or conservative figure (or reflect well on a liberal or Democrat) they minimalize, downplay, or shift the focus, as with this story. If it reflects well on a Republican or badly on a Democrat, they do exactly the opposite, throwing a little misinterpretation and hyperbole into the bargain. As I've been saying (and will say again), AP is the Fox News of wire services....

[Msohio]

How presidential is this? McCain has so many problems and the MSM allows him to get away with his craziness. He has even forgotten his voting record.

[Birdman]

I find McCains attitude toward anyone unlike himself to be reprehensible. Which means it will play well with 70 percent of Americans because they are just like him. I also feel no matter how bad McCain is as a potential president he will win because he can play to the prejudiices of americans. Kind of Like bush did with his lets sit down and have a BBQ and a beer, the sad fact is Bush wouldn't sit down with any average american for a beer, but he made others beleive he would. Fact is he would just as soon fly over in a jet and say it looks bad down there, and then fly off to his whitehouse and have some birthday cake.