McCain Makes False Claims On Iraq Timeline (VIDEO)

In an interview with CBS News' Katie Couric tonight, John McCain made the false assertion that the Surge brought about the so-called Anbar Awakening. Except, as MSNBC"s Keith Olbermann points out, the Surge was announced after the Awakening. Olbermann also explains that CBS News edited the gaffe out of the final interviewed that aired Tuesday night.

Watch the video:

HuffPost blogger Ilan Goldenberg points out that this is not some minor gaffe, but a fundamental misunderstanding of the Iraq situation:

This is not controversial history. It is history that anyone trying out for Commander and Chief must understand when there are 150,000 American troops stationed in Iraq. It is an absolutely essential element to the story of the past two years. YOU CANNOT GET THIS WRONG. Moreover, what is most disturbing is that according to McCain's inaccurate version of history, military force came first and solved all of our problems. If that is the lesson he takes from the Anbar Awakening, I am afraid it is the lesson he will apply to every other crisis he faces including, for example, Iran.

Comments

[LaFilleEnRose]

Oh yes the media has been soooo unfair to McCain. Previously we only knew they ignored his gaffes. Now they're editing them out.

[TheSpider]

Just sent CBS an email. Don't think it will help. But if enough of us shoot them email about how to do real reporting. The truth will prevail.

cbsnews.comnews.com

[williamg]

Mc Cain accuses O bama of deliberately compromising national security:

"This is a clear choice that the American people have. I had the courage and the judgment to say I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me that O bama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign." - J ohn M cCain

After doing some research, Ben smith finds that relatively few accusastions of another candidate compromising national security "come out of the nominee's mouth, and none suggesting that his rival was deliberately selling America out" -- which is exactly what Mc Cain did today.

Shameful.

[DJ23]

Just watch AC360 @ 11pm. They talked politics but not one mention of this.

[dthom403]

Don't watch anderson, watch pbs newshour with jim lehrer. STOP WATCHING CNN, ABC, MSNBC, CBS, ETC...

[AdLib]

KO on MSNBC though.

[ZHarris]

But if I don't watch AC, I miss E rica H ill

[williamg]

That's not true. To be fair, this story led the show, with a big banner saying "Breaking News". They brought in Joe Klein, and David Gergen to talk about it. Both openly questioned Mc Cain's capacity because of his age.

[nellie]

Finally. If he were a robust 72, maybe age wouldn't be an issue. But he's not able to do the job.

[williamg]

Mc Cain accuses O bama of deliberately compromising national security:

"This is a clear choice that the American people have. I had the courage and the judgment to say I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me that Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign." - J ohn M cCain

After doing some research, Ben smith finds that relatively few accusastions of another candidate compromising national security "come out of the nominee's mouth, and none suggesting that his rival was deliberately selling America out" -- which is exactly what Mc Cain did today.

Shameful.

[JiminNC]

And in another story on this blog, Katie Couric lamenting the death of big news. Wonder why Katie? Maybe, twits like you taking the jobs of real journalists. It started by replacing news men and women with talking legs.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Communications Majors replacing Journalism Majors.

Cute trumped Crusty.

[nellie]

GE replacing the News Bureau. Corporation trumped information.

[dentuso]

Bingo. It's no longer about telling people what's happening. It's about telling people they're right about what they believe is happening.

It's marketing vs. message.

[NochlessMonster]

Hence why the majority of female "reporters" on Faux are blonde bimbos.......

[GeoLee]

Heck, half of them are lawyers these days. Good training ground for sayng what others what you to and finagaling a way for it to sound honest.

[PleaseSaveAmerica]

For all of you trying to defend McCain -- for the love of humanity, please, please admit this is more than just a minor slip-up.

The surge is the whole campaign for John McCain. He says without the surge, then Iraq would be in horrible shape. He said that Obama was wrong about the surge.

But, how could McCain not know this important detail. The Anbar Awakening was very critical in bringing stability to Iraq, every bit as much as the surge. And now he either lies or forgets the history.

It's one thing to make a mistake; but it is a whole other thing when you have been selling the American people on your foreign policy expertise and know-how, and make a obscenely erroneous statement like this.

Go ahead McCain lemmings; defend your boy.

[hopefull2008]

Its not about bias ... its about money. The networks need the race to be close to keep their ratings up. And they will keep it close ......

[nellie]

Exactly right. And we need to put a stop to all this fake objectivity.

[truthtopower007]

The press IS his base. You thought he was joking.

[Superbus]

The MSM loved McCain when he was running against Mittens. Now the MSM is in the tank for Super O's.

[dbdzen]

CBS has been caught being deceitful to cover for a presidential candidate.
End of story.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

Why end of story?

It should be all over the place. Repeated until every grandma who watches CBS news knows it.

[kellygrrrl]

there are many many chapters to go

we haven't even gotten to the good part yet :)

[TheFirst]

I truly believe that John McCain is not up to the task of running for the presidency of the United States or even being this country's president. I know several men and women his age that show more enthusiasm about life and what they are looking forward to in their lives then he does. Even his body language exhibits a lack of "I really want this job." Wake up America! We really need to get it right this time. This country needs someone who exhibits enthusiasm along with an intellect that inspires others. Sadly, McCain lacks those important skills.

[alvdh1]

I am running out of news stations to watch. Fixed News was never an option. Then ABC did their had their debate debacle. I can only hold my nose for a few minutes with CNN. Chris Matthews and David Gregory are barely tolerable and only when they have decent guests which only leaves Keith and the blgosphere. It is a sad day when the MSM has to edit out gaffes to protect a candidate. He must of have prerecorded the event so his handlers could review and approve any release for viewing. If this happened, it is a scandal in the brewing. We can't have another president who is incapable of getting the facts right.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

News Hour on PBS and any news broadcast on BBC America are good.

[AdLib]

And Bill Moyers Journal is fantastic for in depth and thoughtful exploration of important news issues.

[Superbus]

Both are socialist propaganda outlets.

[kellygrrrl]

PBS

[macbabe]

try progressive radio, Ed Schultz is GREAT!

[Superbus]

Try the Golf Channel. It'll keep you sane.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Off topic. Flagged. The question was which NEWS programs to watch.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

Link TV
Free Speech TV
PBS and BBC
The Jon Colbert show
The Internets

[macbabe]

don't forget Jon Stewart!

[knixphan]

Air America, Nova M

And yeah, them internetz!

Mainstream TV has been compromised, EVACUATE!

[gtpeds]

There was a difference between the CBS broadcast and the complete webcast of the McCain interview. The segment in question was in the webcast version. I am not trying to defend Katie Couric but I think the TV version was edited in the interest of time. By the way I am not a great fan of Ms. Couric .
More power to LARA LOGAN!!!

[Rog49Thomas]

And for CBS.

He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future.

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

He who controls the past, is doomed to repeat it.

Psssst...Neocons...

[Rog49Thomas]

The truly sad ones are those who want to repeat the past.

[editor]

CBS is now far worse than FOX news; and kAtiE has been a disaster.

[dentuso]

Ouch... Look we've all learned over the past couple of years that CBS has gone off the deep end, but don't ever compare it to FOX. That's like comparing an AMC Pacer to the Titanic.

[Rog49Thomas]

I don't often do this, but I want to stand up for Faux News.

In terms of ideological bias and screaming idiot pundits, they cannot be beat!

[JohnFromCensornati]

If MacThuselah did not make "mistakes", the Liberal Media would give him no attention at all.
Like gyp $y girls in ltaly.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Been listening to the OxyAddict and She-yawn?

[Chillinout]

Great plan! Be stoopid to get noticed.

[JiminNC]

McThuselah! Nice ;)