Hillary Clinton, 60 Minutes, and the Muslim question

When people suggest that the press employs a separate standard for covering Clinton, this is the kind of episode they're talking about. There simply is no other candidate, from either party, who has had their comments, their fragments, dissected so dishonestly the way Clinton's have been.

If you look at Clinton's exchange with Steve Kroft in its entirety, I count eight separate times in which she either plainly denied the false claim that Obama was Muslim, labeled that suggestion to be a smear, or expressed sympathy for Obama having to deal with the Muslim innuendo. Eight times.

Either journalists failed to read the entire transcript or watch the relevant video from the 60 Minutes interview and therefore were not informed about Clinton's response. Or worse, they knew about her entire response and purposefully left out key phrases in order to portray the candidate in the worst possible light.

Read the full Media Matters column here.

Comments

[NYRalf]

Clever qualifier #1:
"I take him on the basis of what he says."

Clever qualifier #2:
"No, there is nothing to base that on, as far as I know."

Why would she say "on the basis of what he says"? She knows damn well that he is a Christian. She should have just said I know him and he is a Christian. End of story. This was deliberate on her part. I'm sorry you've been hoodwinked too Eric, but the qualifiers in her statement are blinding bright.

[AnninCA]

I agree. It's heartbreaking for women to see how her words are constantly twisted. Ferraro is brave to speak out right now.

This is just sickening.

[starcycle]

She's a lawyer! Of course she would say "as far as I know." It's called "cover your butt," and is a perfectly reasonable and even responsible answer.

Why should anyone be asked to comment on someone else's religious beliefs, anyway? That's the real question. You don't see the media asking john mccain if he believes george bush is "really a christian," do you? It would be unthinkable. But somehow it's acceptable to ask Hillary if she thinks Barack is a muslim -- in Hillary's words: Get Real!

[vitasackvillewesttexas]

oh boo hoo. poor wittle hillary being savagely misunderstood yet again by the mean old media.

[idontthinkthisishelping]

Are you insane? I read the transcript on your site; there were three relevant exchanges; her first and last answer contained qualifiers, the middle confirming her first qualifier when Steve Kroft repeated it, and only it, to Mrs. Clinton. She NEVER said "no," without a qualifier immediately afterward.

Bloggers here have noticed a trend in which Mrs. Clinton or a supporter throws a bomb like this (after Steve Kroft gave her two extra opportunities to get off the qualifiers, to simply say, "no," she wouldn't do it or else she's lost control of her faculties) she then has an immediate denial which incorporates how she's been picked on -- see your own transcript, and for another example, see her "rejection" of Ferraro's statements.

Matthews isn't a reporter. He's an idiot. If you or anyone else turns to him to get your news or the proper tone to feel about a candidate, you clearly aren't too familiar with the TV. He is clearly as biased as Bill O'Reilly, but only toward the stupid. MSNBC is hoping to get shocking "opinions" from "both sides" to cash in on the "lizard brain" that Fox panders to, but with liberals as well. It's all about ratings and money, and it all no different than Howard Stern, except without the sophistication and all that considered thought. Matthews said she answered that question "aufully late..." I read the transcript; I can't tell one way or the other, so I'll defer to your sense of timing. In which case he was reciting a statement given to him by a production assistant who also had not watched the interview. Do you think THIS qualifies as news?

A friend consistently supports the obvious fact that NPR is extremely biased to the left with this other fact: Daniel Shore. That would make "60 Minutes" biased toward early-onset dementia because: Andy Rooney.

But somehow I suspect you already knew this...

[ariadne1]

as hillary clinton is/was a media matters adviser, this per the atlantic monthly, i take everything reported by mm with a grain of salt. mm was 'out there' screaming for chris matthew's head, even to the point of creating a "special" chris matthews site. this site was initiated in order to parse every word out of cm's mouth for perceived transgressions against women.

mm posted the email addresses of msnbc exec's and in conjunction with now, encouraged their readers to contact msnbc in order to complain, scream for blood, and intimidate/threaten the station and their sponsors.

in the world i grew up in this was called intimidation.

so it appears that mm has assumed the mantle of protecting hillary from one and all who dare to criticize her less than appropriate behavior throughout this campaign.

how about geraldine ferraro's cleverly designed remarks made [with the blessing of hillary, who refuses to fire her] to turn this campaign into a racial divide... [check out the spread between the black and white voters in mississippi... it appears to be working.]

hillary has played the victim... woe is me, the press are complicit in keeping women in the kitchen and sobbed 'foul' into her hanky.

regardless of what you think of chris... imagine the firestorm if ferraro said something negative about hillary on the chris matthews show.

[BigBen]

Please; Ferraro said nothing negative about Obama .She said something negative about the voters. Maybe.

[shaggles]

Media Matters posts the contact information for every story they run. They do not encourage people to complain. With the exception of 3 blog posts a week Media Matters does not even express opinion on anything. Look at any story on Media Matters and see if they are posting anything inaccurate, opinionated or inflamatory. They post what was said or written and what was said or written previously that contradicts or discredits it.

[midtown]

You would be right if you discounted the facial expressions. Suggest you familiarize yourself with Dr. Paul Ekman's world famous work on involuntary muscle movement and lying. You can spot what Hillary was up to in a heartbeat. Her bulging eyes of insincerity with the 'as far as I know' comment, and a few others.

[yoyo1959]

With comments like this, no wonder Hilary Clinton used the words 'vast right-wing conspirary" back in the 90's....nothing much has changed. Except that the ignorant, story-desperate media and pundits have shown all young girls that America has a long, long way to go in the equality of women. A very long way to go.

[anywho]

Hillary is very well aware that her campaign has been using the race card against OBAMA, and no doubt will continue to use it in her run up to Pannsylvania. Her response wasn't definitive enough to come from someone innocent of the smear. Drudge also claimed that the picture of OBAMA in local Somali garb came from the Clinton's........and the NAFTA charge was repeated ad nauseum long after it was refuted with proof on the Internet.......the timing of all of the slime coming out just before the March 5 primaries was just too well coordinated to be an innocent coincidence.

[LeoMarvin]

"As far as I know" is a type of disclaimer we lawyers are trained to make automatically. It can just become a habitual part of the language that doesn't necessarily add meaning on purpose. So yes, in that regard, the coverage is unfair. But so is assuming Barack was slighting Hillary by saying, "you're likable enough" while he was looking down, scribbling notes in the middle of a televised debate. To think these people are in perfect, pre-programmed control of every word and gesture is nonsensical if you look at even 10 minutes of your own life (or at least mine). Highly scripted, yes, but still human. On the other hand, to paraphrase Hyman Roth, this is the life they've chosen. Micro-Kremlinology is an unavoidable fact for any politician in the electronic era. And it's equally unfair to all of them. Not just Hillary. Not just Barack. All of them.

[shaggles]

Thanks Eric. You are spot on as usual. Thank also for pointing out that Joe Scarborough actually pointed out how ridiculous the whole thing was. I may actually start respecting him a little.

[Oldtt]

Maybe not so strangely, the two MSNBC commentators who are most likely to see through the media-contrived attacks on Hillary Clinton right now are Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan, both persons who have deep hands-on experience in politics not just self-assigned expertise.

[alkamm]

To understand the subtle implications of that fearful phone ad, I'd advise reading the following New York Times link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/opinion/11patterson.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Such veiled appeals to racism are reprehensible, and of a pattern that should disqualify the Clinton attack machine, or at least discredit, disavow, or shame them. Strike the last one because they are fundamentally shameless. It's their best attribute.

[Oldtt]

One of the children in the 3 AM ad is clearly African-American, as shown in the video-still posted on Hillaryhub.com. Whether or not this is even important depends on your political bias. I don't think it matters much.

[tomcj]

I disagree with Eric Boehlert, whom I admire (I am also a fan on Media Matters).

Hillary did deny the original claim, but she never questioned the presmise. Then she got all Clinton-y. She used the opportunity of Obama being the victime of rumors to (once again) feel sorry for herself, and then she added the phrase that pays, "as far as I know."

I also disagree with Mr. Boehlert about the LBJ remark. Clinton and Obama are each sitting Senators running for President, like JFK and LBJ before he was VP. Martin Luther King was a Preacher/Pastor who never sought nor held elective office.

Obama is NOT running for Pastor of King's old congregation. The only way Obama is analogous in Hillary's stupid analogy is that Obama and King are eloquent, "as far as I know". Unless they have something else in common. King and Obama don't have any other quality in common besides eloquence, do they?

The fact is that Obama=LBJ much more than Obama=King. It isn't racist, perhaps, but it certyainly is sloppy thinking that looks less sloppy when Bill compares Obama to another person who never held office rather than another Senator who also won SC? Again, what do Jesse Jackson and Obama have in common that Senator Edwards and Senator Obama do not?

As far as I know Hillary and Bill are as honest as can be, but defending them is a full time job because either they are deliberately out to treat us like Monica's Blue Dress or else they sure make a lot of innocent mistakes.

[efranklin]

It was the "not that I know of" that stuck in the craw. As if she doesn't know he's Christian? All that research for nothing? The Clintons are never blatant or obvious (e.g., "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina too"). It seems that at every opportunity they get, they boldly push the envelope in showing what they're willing to do or say if it can be used to their advantage. It's the subtlety that silently, but steadily brings the whole conversation into the sewer.

[ivana]

Didn't he become a "PRACTICING CHRISTIAN" in his late 20's? Obama was born a Muslim - you can't take that away from him. NOT THAT YOU SHOULD WANT TO! His entire extended family is Muslim - and the media has made it a dirty word. All the muslims I know support Obama unequivocally and solely for the reason that they believe him to be muslim "in his soul." They believe he will help unite the Muslim community and contribute to peace around the world - a worthy cause to be sure.

BUT - Don't pin Obama's insecurities on Hillary - it just not fair, and I'm glad that MEDIA MATTERS agrees. The Clinton is an example of tolerance in this world. The media would love to portray otherwise and would the Obama campaign.

Hardly a way to unite the country, let alone the world.

[jackbauer0396]

Hillary?? Is that you!? Oh my, it's nice to finally see you live in action! I'm glad you're finally just coming right out and saying it, though, instead of using coded hate messages.

[SCharb]

Ann Dunham and BHO's maternal grandparents were secular Christians. BHO, Sr., was an Atheist-convert who didn't stick around long enough to celebrate his son's second birthday. Obama was raised a secular Christian, but started getting more religious after graduating from college and working as a community organizer for a church group registering voters in Chicago.

He has never practiced Islam in his entire life... but when he lived in Indonesia, I'm sure he must have made quite a few Muslim friends.

[gplaw]

You just did it yourself! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. No. No. No. No. No he is not a Muslim- end of question.