McCain Goes Vindictive On CNN, Cancels Larry King Live Appearance

Remember how yesterday night, CNN's Campbell Brown asked McCain flack Tucker "Anchorman" Bounds a simple question, then chortled and smiled at the sight of Bounds struggling to not answer her? Well, John McCain remembers! And as punishment for CNN daring to impose some level of journalistic rigor, McCain has abruptly canceled a scheduled appearance on Larry King Live tonight. Via TPM:

Wolf Blitzer just reported that the campaign has canceled a scheduled interview with Larry King due to an unfriendly segment last night on CNN -- the segment we flagged last night where the network's Campbell Brown grilled McCain spokesperson Tucker bounds over Sarah Palin's lack of foreign policy experience.

...

Blitzer said the McCain campaign complained that Campbell Brown's grilling of Tucker Bounds over Sarah Palin's lack of foreign policy experience was "over the line."

"Over the line?" Really? What would have been in bounds? Repeating the words "war hero" until overcome by the vapors?

Oh well, the joke will be on McCain once he finds out that the only unfouled restroom at the convention site is at the CNN Grill.

Comments

[Whitepoodle]

This is what journalists are supposed to do - ask questions. Anyone who has been watching knows that, over the past eight years, most journalists have not been asking the hard questions. The press appears to have been in collusion with the Republicans and this is one of the big reasons the country is in the mess it is in today. Republicans figured out early on that if they co-opted the press, they could do anything they wanted with no questions asked. That led to a war for truly ignoble reasons, unethical figures in power and a loss of America's credibility and leadership-position on the world stage. Campbell Brown got it right. Don't let the Republicans set journalistic agenda. Keep asking the hard questions - like you are supposed to - and expect answers.

[drec1500Madrid]

It's not just that the journalists are in collusion with the Republicans. The corporate owners of the media outlets dictate what gets asked or investigated all in the name of profit and protecting their own interests.

The military industrial complex is one threat to our freedoms and now we have the media political complex.

[tgimacb]

[The military industrial complex is one threat to our freedoms...]??

Oh, yeah...Imagine there's no heaven, above us only sky...nothing to kill or die for... and no religion, too
Family; community; honor; valor; nothing no nothing to die for

Imagine all the people ...

[neo1]

And it's about time they did their jobs.

[longdvr]

way to go, Campbell Brown....some of the best interviewing I've seen in a while

[neo1]

She needs to replace Wolf. Give her a raise.

[Canadian4Obama08]

I saw the interview and thought it was about time that CNN showed some "balls" and ask the pertinent questions. They blast Barack Obama for any and everything but in the case of John McSame they actually try to explain all the "reasons why" themselves. It sometimes appear to me as if Barack is not patriotice simply because of his color and constantly has to prove himself, meanwhile Teflon John walks free. Barack is an American!!! The same color blood runs through his veins as does McCain!!

I often watch with disgust and dismay and wonder if CNN can be that racist in their views. The balanced views only come from David Gurgen (spelling) Donna Brazille or Roland Martin and a few others.

I was actually pleased, for the first time, with Campbell Brown. She was respectful but showed some journalism skills in her questioning. I was surprisingly pleased. Good job!! Do it more often and do not bow to pressure. Search for truth always!

Good job this time Campbell Brown. I'll start watching your programs for now and see how you continue to develop.

[risdmom]

I agree it was good to see some CNN balls. I think they have been fairly easy on McCain. Did you read that FLUFF piece in (CNN owned) Time last week? It read like a fairy tale. All sugar plums.

[Time2WakeUpUSA]

So the "Maverick" dodges a pillow fight with Larry King and Barack Obama will face blow-hard Bill O'Reily on Thursday. Yeah....McCain is a tough, no nonsense fighter alright! LMAO!

Obama/Biden 08

[emmaspeaks]

Bottom line. He didn't have an answer. He thought spin would do it. McCain has to protect his people. Country first? I don't think so.

[speciallady2003]

Tucker Bounds went on CNN touting Palin's experience commanding the Alaska National Guard without knowing what that experience was , or if in fact she had ever deployed them. The questions asked of him were fair and any 12 year old would have done their homework better.
John McCain canceling his appearance on Larry King because of this is really disturbing. It smacks of fear. And if John McCain is afraid of Larry King that does not bode well for the USA if he is elected POTUS.

[neo1]

A scared old man with bad judgment would make a helluva president, don't you think?

[patriotic008]

wah wah wah!
why does the m c c a i n campaign always try to bully the press
whatever - now i am looking forward to seeing Senator O b a m a on tomorrow night
nice move mc b u sh
shows how you would act as leader - a country doesn't kiss your a$$ enough i guess you would just get vindictive and BOMB BOMB BOMB i r a n
this man is a warmonger, a GOP sellout, an egomaniac and an opportunist

[SouthpawSass]

If anyone thinks the Bush administration controlled the media, imagine how bad a McCain adminstration would be...

There would not be an open door policy with a McCain adminstration...

[JesustheLiberal]

"Oh please Cambell Brown, don't pick on me as I am just a spineless republic who cannot answer questions I have not already been given the answers to. I thought McCains act at Saddleback should have given the media a clue that they need to be nice to us because without our talking points from Lord Rush, we have no thoughts of our own".

[TheIndependenceParty]

Ah, ... the empty microphone speaks volumes. Nice temper there Grandpappy! Rather than take the opportunity to explain his running mate's lack of experience, he huffs off (sorry Arianna!) and "punishes" CNN.

Well, he'll have about sixty day in which he can BUY the time he would have received for free in the interview.

Class act, Senator McCain! Do you think it will get easier between now and the election?

[hopefulinflorida]

Good, who wants to see him or hear him anyway. He's another dictator who has to control every question, plant the audience with his supporters and cry fowl when he doesn't get his way, just like the president. I think CNN should ban him. Can;t take the questions, stay off the air. You're running for president, everything is fair game.

[LedBelly]

This is the MOST EXPLOSIVE I have seen in this election cycle!!!

The former Chairman of the AIP goes way beyond just mentioning Sarah Palin at the AIP convention. In this video he is actually advocating that members "INFILTRATE" mainstream political organizations as a method to achieving political power to achieve the AIP's aims.

First he refers to Sarah Palin as a former member then uses Sarah Palin and Ron Paul's career as an example to be followed. He mentions Palin as a member who moved up and Ron Paul running as a republican to get elected (rather than the Librarian Party where his true beliefs and sympathies lie.)

It definitely comes across as if Sarah Palin has a complete agenda different from the Republican Party and United States of America as the former AIP definitely sees her as an "INFILTRATOR" (you can easily subsitute:­Saboteur/t­raitor/sec­ret separatist)

It makes sense why she wouldn't be on any official AIP records!

Check this video out. It gets going at about 6.00
MSM needs to report more on this angle!!! Pass around for further discussion!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHFY1otOWjQ

WHAT ON EARTH IS JOHN MCCAIN THINKING?

[drec1500Madrid]

So McCain spent 5 years in a POW camp so little Sarah Palin could grow up to help her state secede from The Union.

Alaska First!

[mesmerize]

I think she had a right to ask that question. A lot of Republicans for McCain had no problem wanting Senator Obama people to answer the same type of questions. Tucker Bounds were so happy to speak about all the other V.P choices that was being looked at and their qualifications. What makes him being questioned about Sarah Palins qualifications any different. I guess that was being Sexist also. He couldn't answer because he have'nt had enough time to know much about her except she governs alaska. I don't see how they expect Sarah Palin to learn about National Security, a subject more harder, in just two months if they can't learn anything about her qualifications in 1 week.

[PuppaX]

A right? She had a responsibility to ask that question. I don't understand how Bounds didn't expect this to be the first question of every interview.

[kappa08]

pu55y...

[Bernice]

So much for McCain being unlike Bush!

[ProudLiberalDan]

McCain has gotten a free ride from the media that he called his "base". He wants to have it both ways. Have a compliant media who doesn't ask the tough questions or report the tough stories, but then accuse the media of having a "liberal bias" to keep them compliant.

All that happened was that Campbell asked a legitimate question (finally) and McCain camp ran away.

Like any bully, when you finally stand up to him, he backs down.