Washington Post Fuels Outrage After Misquoting Obama

Washington Post reporters Dana Milbank and Jonathan Weisman gave the McCain campaign a nipple-stiffening moment today after they picked up a statement by Barack Obama, and used it, apparently, entirely out of context, presenting it for the consumption of Post readers in a way that made it look like Obama was being arrogant.

For Milbank's part, it was all because he wanted to wedge the statement into his preferred frame: "Barack Obama has long been his party's presumptive nominee. Now he's becoming its presumptuous nominee." I believe it was Oscar Wilde who cautioned: "Reality is a MADE thing."

And, as it turns out, Milbank's "reality" is something of a deconstruction. Milbank's remake reads:

"This is the moment . . . that the world is waiting for," adding: "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions."

According to a Democratic leadership aide in attendance, the full quote from Obama is:

It has become increasingly clear in my travel, the campaign, that the crowds, the enthusiasm, 200,000 people in Berlin, is not about me at all. It's about America. I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions.

(For what it's worth, before Milbank's column was published, we received a separate eye-witness account of Obama's meeting with House Dems that mirrored the full context quote above.)

So, in actuality, Obama was attempting to diminish his own importance, not place himself on a pedestal. It was an attempt at humility, not arrogance.

And speaking of arrogance, really - Milbank is a fine one to be speaking on the subject. Via Wonkette, we present to you this video of a slurring Milbank, pompously declaring, "I will not read blogs, I'm sorry...If something is important enough, it will be brought to my attention."

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Which is just the sort of toxic nonsense you get from the high-toned clique of anointed political reporters these days, I'm afraid. Naturally, the difference between Milbank and the blogs he won't read (he's sorry!), is that Milbank is wrong.

And that's not all he gets wrong. Over the course of the article, Milbank - desperately panting - attempts to make the case that foreign travels, adherence to Capitol Hill protocol, Secret Service protection, and meeting with Cabinet officials and foreign dignitaries are all signs of "pride" and "presumptuousness," when in reality, these are the simple, entirely protean tasks that any Presidential candidate performs. McCain has done all of those things. Milbank would have a case were he to bring up the stupid "Presidential seal" the Obama campaign briefly deployed before realizing how asinine a gesture it was (and, as Ben Smith points out, the McCain campaign is no stranger to similarly inane gestures), but Milbank would rather fill his readers' heads with misleading pastry where commonplace activities take on some sort of diabolical dimension.

Worse yet, is this part of the case Milbank builds against Obama:

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder reported last week that Obama has directed his staff to begin planning for his transition to the White House, causing Republicans to howl about premature drape measuring.

But, once again, planning for the transition in July is not something Obama is doing out of presumptuousness, he's doing it because that is what presidential nominees are supposed to do. In the summer of 2000, both George W. Bush and Al Gore did the exact same thing.

The Washington Post is located at 1150 15th Street, NW in Washington, DC, for all those interested in hand-delivering the news to Milbank, so that important things are brought to his precious and presumptuous attention.

Comments

[veracity]

The entire Washington Post is a lying, corporate propaganda media organization, it well deserves the old nickname "Pravda on the Potomac". Dana Milbank is one of its worst reporters - just compile the atrocious articles and abject lying about the Post, and Milbank is always in the middle of those awful stories. Indeed, whenever the Post needs a report to butress the corporate POV, his editors turn to Milbank to write the hit-piece.
("Hit piece" on the facts and anyone trying to use those facts to stand up to the dictatorial, wanna-be slave-owners of the Bush-GOP administration, i.e. Milbank as the DC press corps' oh-so-legitimate version of an Economic Hit Man, "EHM".)

Also note that one of the Post's favorite techiques when they want to DISINFORM readers, is to write long stories mentioning lots of names and goverment positions, but by the end of the report, they haven't told you a thing! They can write 100 stories on Guantanamo, US prisons, and torture, but always manage to avoid the ugly fact that prisoners are killed (murdered) in US prisons.

The amazing thing is that the entire Democrat Party has NO answer to the serial lies and neo-slavery agenda so finely produced by Milbank and his lying, craven editors at the Post, either because the Democrats are too cowed, complacent, or corrupt.

[frappe]

Let's face it, the media, to a large extent, has been part of the problem and not part of the solution. They have been used largely as propagandists, slanting comments and editorializing in ways that benefit the status quo -- a status quo that increasingly looks and acts in dysfunctional ways. If we as a country wish to survive in a manner compatible with the original concept as outlined in our Constitution, then serious media reform is absolutely essential.

[Roseberry]

Yes, you're very right, and the first place for them to start is to demand they fund unbiased investigative reporting. There is very little money coming into most newspapers today and what little they do have, they make damn sure they use it to please stockholders and not the people. That's why you rarely hear of newspaper investigations that result in positive change. They won't pay for the time necessary for the reporter to do the job. Corporations have turned what used to be a powerful watchdog for the people into a little yappie lapbound pet. Oh that we could get back to the original concept of a free press that really held all politicians and judges up to public scrutiny in an unbiased way.....
And as for this particular article, folks, don't just blame the writer of the piece. Blame everybody from the top on down. Because it was read over at least a few times prior to publication.

[thinkb4uleapII]

I believe a paradigm shift in our collective consciousness is needed in order for us to to live up to the founding ideals of our nation.

Our country was founded by those who desired to escape the tyranny of British rule. They desired an unfettered freedom that was impossible to achieve within the confines of the British "feudal" social structure. Through the decades, a vision of "liberty for all" guided us as a nation through many dangers, toils, and snares. As we continue the pursuit of that ideal we now face a danger, unlike past dangers, that threatens the very foundations of our democracy. That danger is apathy on the part of the vast majority of the American populace. Apathy in the face of civil and constitutional violations by our government... apathy in the face of deep-seated and widespread government and corporate corruption... apathy in the face of a propagandizing "free press"... apathy in the face of evil disguised as good...

Vigilant action has allowed us to overcome past efforts to undermine our established ideals and I hope and believe that "we the people" will awaken in time to defend and restore our democracy and continue on the path of living out our highest ideals.

[warmonkey]

How sick. McCain uses this quote in an attack ad. Guess we know what to expect. More Lies

[dickdata]

i'm not going to hold my breath waiting for Millbank's next appearance on Countdown. He would have to talk about the issue of not checking a quote and then not backing down. He's not gonna back down (newspaper people admit error only slightly more often than politicians).

[pbcrunch]

The Washington Post is nothing but an Establishment tool. Its naked, unflinching support for Mac in this election should make it apparent who is truly running as the anti-Establishment.

[Quipman]

I personally have had my fill of just bad reporting over the past seven and a half years. At what point are these newspapers and networks going to draw the line on their employees. Enough is enough! Both reporters should be fired!

[edwarvir]

He should be fired! I am tired of all of them.

[SCG]

Why single just Milbank out, most of the MSM reports in this sloppy manner.

Thank God for C-Span, where you can watch the event in full, and form your own opinion.

[dfletcher]

Great that you mentioned how important regular people's blogs are.

Maybe HuffPost could stop censoring comments that point to blogs?

Just saying...

[janvoght]

pompus reporter, dana milbank, undermines himself and draws attention to his lack of vision and ability to embrace the 21st century candidate, sen barack obama. he's old school all the way, and his slant is clearly behind the tired, blundering tactics of a stumbling campaign, and shows his own inadequacy.
obama '08

[RLaitres]

It would seem to me that some 'so-called' reporters need to be, at the very least, counseled about being accurate. Or, perhaps they believe they are 'entitled' to their positions? The Washington Post, as well as other newspapers, may wish to undertake a very serious house cleaning, getting rid of those exhibiting what can only be called a serious lack of ethics, which it has to be if accuracy is not at all important.

[InfinteShibumi]

C'mon. Like we didn't see the writing on the wall...Doesn't anyone remember Milbank earlier this year (I think it was on Olbermann's show) accusing Obama of being "holier than thou" because he didn't want to respond in kind to Clinton's kitchen sink strategy? (Of course when Obama eventually defended himself he was pilloried for descending into negative campaigning by the media. Hmmm...sort of reminds me of what's going on right now.)

[ebanks84]

To find out what Dana Milbank looked like, I just searched his name. I remember the face from many shows with "talking heads".

I also found out that he is a "Skull and Bones" man which is definitely a neocon and rethug. No wonder anything and everything that comes out of his mouth is detrimental to BO's health. The present administration is full of Skull and Bones members and they are very protected among that group. So I imagine he will probably NEVER be fired as he should be.

I'm so glad that "good old boys club" will soon be out of our government and that's not because of BO. It will be because of the people's awareness of who the real bad guys are today and they will NOT be elected or re-elected without a battle.

We're on to you guys so you better watch out.

[sawdustinhershoes]

John Kerry is a "skull and bones" man.

[ebanks84]

Millbank should be FIRED. People are canceling subscriptions and readers are totally at odds with his outright desire to malign BO.

He's no better than a rethug on the warpath. We, the people, would fire him if we could. And if the Washington Post keeps him on board, then that will be one of their biggest mistakes because not too many people will believe anything Millbank has to say in the future.

[claudiam]

Milbanks is one my least favorite journalists on MSN. I don't find him to have much substance. I want factual information - not sensationalizing.