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On Sunday's Face The Nation, Doyle McManus, Washington bureau chief of the L.A. Times (yes, Mr. Zell, they still have a Washington bureau, why do you ask?), gave an invaluable insight into the way stories do, or don't, become "news". Asked about the supposed John McCain gaffe, in which the Senator conflated Iran's interests in Iraq (Shiite) with Al-Qaeda (Sunni), McManus explained that it didn't become a major news story this week because "Iraq wasn't what was on voters' minds."

Forget the fact that the supposed gaffe had been spoken by McCain more than once (including on Hugh Hewitt's radio show), or that McCain had even had to be corrected by Joe Lieberman when he described Purim as sort of like the Jewish Halloween (really). Voters decide, by what's on our minds, what stories make the news. Never knew you had that much power, did you?

Thank goodness the polls, by which Mr. McManus divines what's on our minds, always get it right.



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collapse StillAmused See Profile I'm a Fan of StillAmused



It's enough to make one wince, every time some talking head regurgitates the mindless narrative that McCain is busy "looking presidential" and "building his foreign policy credentials" while the Democrats are "fighting among themselves".

... and, here, I thought McCain has been making an embarrassing fool of himself, every time he opens his mouth (with or without JoeMentum there to correct him). Forgive the sacrilege, but McCain's finest hour expired when he was released from the Hanoi Hilton.

Here's another bulletin: generally speaking, the press hasn't gotten ANYTHING right since... oh, say, 2000... when it completely missed a breaking-and-entering at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:08 PM on 03/25/2008
collapse sethrp See Profile I'm a Fan of sethrp

Come now. Be fair. For a while, at least until the mid or late 90's, McCain at least distanced himself from the fringiest of the fringe of right-wing politics. The media meme of "maverick" wasn't based on air. But also to be fair it's clear that since 2001 McCain has been thoroughly in lockstep with the rightest of the right wingers.

"Forgive the sacrilege, but McCain's finest hour expired when he was released from the Hanoi Hilton."

Cheap. Very, very cheap. I wish the guy could distinguish between just and unjust wars, but he's made a career of service to the country. Can we liberal blogger commenteristas at least be the fairer half of our HuffPo-LittleGreenFootballs coin, and give McCain what little credit he is due?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:23 PM on 03/28/2008
collapse mitch4822 See Profile I'm a Fan of mitch4822

Based on McCain's gaffes, is he now unfit to become president? Not one, but four times he made the same mistake and had to be corrected by his buddgy, Lieberman. Supposed it was Barack Obama ?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:51 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Garvagh See Profile I'm a Fan of Garvagh

McCain revealed as clearly as possible his intent to convince the American public that Iran is a grave threat to US soldiers, even if he has to resort to fibbing. Is it possible McCain is unaware that Iran warned the US not to invade Iraq because this country would get bogged down in a civil war?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:20 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse soonerdem See Profile I'm a Fan of soonerdem

I would hate to think what Repubs would have had to say if this had been Obama's gaffe.They would have made it look like he was totaly misfit to be president.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:38 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse TonalCrow See Profile I'm a Fan of TonalCrow

We need to pressure the media again and again (and again) to prevent them from spending all their effort promoting the GOP and its candidates. Please write letters to the editor, give feedback directly to media, and CC MediaMatters.org.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:43 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse DaveMacaray See Profile I'm a Fan of DaveMacaray

Harry: Get with the program, dude. Haven't you read the polls? 55% of Americans DON'T believe in evolution (we've got one of them in the White House); half the high school seniors think that the U.S. fought with Germany AGAINST the Russians in WWII, and 60% of the country still thinks that Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9-11. At best, we're a very distracted citizenry; at worst, we're criminally anti-intellectual.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:33 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse loucheish See Profile I'm a Fan of loucheish

What ever happened to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable?"

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:18 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse loucheish See Profile I'm a Fan of loucheish

oops... that had been a much longer reply. The gist of it was: yes, we're a willfully ignorant society -- I just wish the media would 'afflict' us with heavier doses of the truth.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:53 PM on 03/25/2008
collapse Spider53 See Profile I'm a Fan of Spider53

Senator John McCain chose to follow a family tradition of military service. No human being merits criticism for such familial loyalty: the parent's profession or occupation usually generates respect or admiration from the children. However, for a person to change professions but remain locked into the value structure of the original vocation or refuse to extricate himself or herself from the parameters of that life's work that was devoted to terminating the existence of objects or human beings as war requires raises serious questions.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:17 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse JMEB See Profile I'm a Fan of JMEB

McCain could admit that he feasts on fetuses for breakfast every morning, and no one would notice or care. Why? Because "our side" is embroiled with the Hillary/Obama battle.

I think we'll get the opportunity to focus on McCain once our nominee has been chosen (i.e. when, hopefully, Hillary bows out gracefully).

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:02 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Maifmart See Profile I'm a Fan of Maifmart

Unfortunately what is on our minds is what corporate media provides us with. Oh sure ratings matter if a show or talking head doesn"t produce ratings, they"re gone. They do their demographics, what kind of audience do they have, is it right for their sponsors, how do they increase the numbers for the target they want, etc.

The news media picks stories of interest to their sponsor's target and perhaps of public interest as determined by ratings, circulation, etc. that determines their advertising rates. Thus the cheaper it is to produce a story that results in ratings the better, making run-away brides and Paris Hilton irresistible, and stories their sponsors may not like are vetted to be more in the public interest, than contrary to their sponsors.

So when a newsman tells us the McCain gaff wasn't on our minds he probably means Spitzer's sexcapades were getting better ratings.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:44 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse research See Profile I'm a Fan of research

The War Proffiteering MSM is supportive of wars and war mongering candidates.

Duh.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:35 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse BinBaldwin See Profile I'm a Fan of BinBaldwin


There is no HARD Divide between Sunni and Shia terrorism and the argument that secular Muslims leaders do not mix with Jihadists is another myth. The clear proof is Syria ( SUNNI and Secular ) and its support of Hezzbollah ( SHIA).

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:24 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Garvagh See Profile I'm a Fan of Garvagh

While the Sunni are the majority in Syria, they do not control the government. Between 10% and 13%

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:26 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse BinBaldwin See Profile I'm a Fan of BinBaldwin

NBC NEWS June 25,2005

Suleiman Abu Ghaith, once a spokesman for bin Laden, is believed to be living Iran. Gaith and other former al-Qaida leaders, fled to Iran after the U.S. military invaded Afghanistan in the fall of 2001.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:21 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Justtellthetruth See Profile I'm a Fan of Justtellthetruth

Al Qeada is DESPISED in Iran. DESPISED. They were Despised by Saddam as well.

They are, however, LOVED in pakistan, where OSB himself, along with his leadership and that of the Taliban are living, unthreatened by the likes of John McCain. When Obama suggested that he would go in after them with or with out the dictators permission, he was roundly chastised by McCain, Hillary, and the Bush administration. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that the Bush administration had sent drones and special forces in to kill al qeada leaders, without Paksistani permission.

McCain is too old and not in control of his temper or faculties (thus the confabs about al qeada, which even LIEBERMAN had to correct him on. He's going senile.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:52 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Larry Kegel See Profile I'm a Fan of Larry Kegel

It just shows that McCain doesn't know as much as he thinks about whats going on... Now he has proven that Hillary knows more in both the economy & whats going in with the war... When she says she i the only one ready right away to be President... She is right...

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:21 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Incredulous See Profile I'm a Fan of Incredulous

Iraq wasn't on our minds? Who does McManus think he's kidding! We're in the middle of an election cycle where Iraq is discussed every day. Just because Iraq isn't the MSM's lated obsessive compulsion, it doesn't mean that we're not thinking about Iraq. How arrogant! And f.y.i., we all know about John McCain's "gaffes" too, even if they're given a pass by the MSM. The MSM isn't the only news kid on the block. And thank God!!! Because if they were, we'd all think that news meant sex scandals and fiery preachers and extreme weather, and whatever other tabloid trash they could sell to us as news. It's time that Americans took a good hard look at their media. Cable networks took news and gave it the Entertainment Tonight treatment. Now it's all candy-coated dross. And worse, we're force-fed this crap, under the guise of "news". And worse still, it's all thrown out there as a red herring. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, robbing the treasury and besmirching your good name. No, instead focus on the latest pop star's fall from grace or that politician with his dick out, or look at all that snow! In winter! Go figure!

The answer to the bigger question, of why John McCain continues to get a pass by the MSM, seems obvious, and I'm a bit surprised not to see more written about this. Does anyone really believe that John McCain misspoke? He repeated his assertion many times, not just once. He's a senior senator with decades of government and military experience. Are we really expected to believe that he all of sudden forgot? That he had a Reagan moment? That he's a doddering old man? Because I'm not buying that. I don't support John McCain, but I do believe that he still has his faculties, and I think he knows exactly what he's doing. It's called propaganda. He continues to equate Iran and Al-Qaeda, and by repeating it, in exactly the same way George Bush before him equated Iraq and Al-Qaeda, he's laying the ground work for future war. Repeat it, sew a seed, keep repeating it, and soon there'll be enough support for him to invade Iran, or bomb bomb bomb, bomb Iran at the very least. And the MSM is complicit in this. They allow him to disseminate his propaganda, unchecked. Just like they did with Bush in the lead up to Iraq. Expect an editorial by Judy Miller or Bill Kristol sometime soon, espousing the reasons why America needs to battle Iran. Because history is repeating here, in ways that can't be ignored. The MSM isn't some altruistic entity whose purpose is to get information to the people. It's a corporation that functions as the propaganda arm of the government. The government deregulated their industry, and in return, they do the government "favors". I illustrate my point with the crazy story about the release of the latest Bin Laden tape. Apparently Bin Laden is still railing against that Danish cartoon, 2 years after the fact. How convenient that on the 5th anniversary of the failed Iraq invasion, a tape magically appears from Bin Laden, giving talking heads across America the opportunity to utter "Iraq invasion" and "Bin Laden" in the same breath, over and over and over. Kind of like John McCain and his Iran/Al-Qaeda "gaffe"; over and over and over.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:11 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse CTma4pax See Profile I'm a Fan of CTma4pax

Back in June, on Bob Schieffer's show, Lieberman himself spouted about AlQaeda-Iraqi-Iranian connections similar to those made by McCain. Citing similar assessments by a General Luke, Lieberman described Iraq as the "main front" in our war with the 9/11 attackers, and noted the presence there of foreign Al Qaeda fighters who were 90% responsible for the suicide bombings that kill Americans, and then quickly added that the people killing Americans are trained and equipped by Iran. One would think McCain's handlers must have found Lieberman a bit out of line for publicly correcting McCain for his similar statements, thereby making the candidate look the fool. Hopefully, McCain has had enough and will put Lieberman away in some far corner where he can only communicate with those belonging to his "Lieberman Party"

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:01 AM on 03/25/2008
collapse karrezza See Profile I'm a Fan of karrezza

Fuckin A, Incredulous .. finally someone who gets it... I always figured its all sowing the seeds of doubt, I blogged that a long time ago... they did it with 9/11 - Iraq, enough times repeated... and are now doing it with Iran!!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:49 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Ironfox See Profile I'm a Fan of Ironfox

Edward Bernays: the tricks of totalitarian manipulation of public opinion; simplification of the issues, repetition of empty phrases, demonization of foreigners, and falsification of history. Works all the time, every time, everywhere.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:06 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Garvagh See Profile I'm a Fan of Garvagh

Bang on the money! McCain lives in a fantasy world where the US military can reconstitute foreign social and economic arrangements so that American political objectives are advanced.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:31 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Robert Wechsler See Profile I'm a Fan of Robert Wechsler

Not that I enjoy defending Lieberman, but anyone who's been in Israel during Purim knows that, at least there, it's exactly like Halloween.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:55 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Jeff1958 See Profile I'm a Fan of Jeff1958

Halloween and Purim have costumes in common. Nothing else. Lieberman should have told McCain to read the Book of Esther in the Old Testament to get a clue. And I thought neo-cons were well-versed in the Bible.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:40 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse FOXYLADY See Profile I'm a Fan of FOXYLADY

SPEAKING OF LIEBERMAN, DOES ANYONE REMEMBER OR HAS SEEN THE TV PROGRAM WHERE, TWICE IN ONE DAY, LIEBERMAN HAD TO "CORRECT MCCAIN"? MCCAIN COULDN'T EVER GET THE DIFFERENT NAMES OF FACTIONS IN IRAQ STRAIGHT....HOW THE HELL CAN THAT OLD MAN BE PRESIDENT, A 24 HR. DAY JOB?????

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:27 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse JulieSA See Profile I'm a Fan of JulieSA

Can you please stop shouting?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:12 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse devild1nosaur See Profile I'm a Fan of devild1nosaur

Harry,
McCain isn't any more likely to get the allegiances right after 5 years in that insane quagmire (and how many trips to the Green Zone escorted by Hueys, tanks etc.?) than his buddies George and Dick. They're just making it up as they go along! A report on the news this morning talked about how our "staunch allies" in Saudi Arabia have been sticking it to us for years, even as the administration praises their cooperation and support in maintaining stability in the Middle East. Like that's happened in the last 20 years! But they keep selling it, repeating it louder and louder aided and abetted by the propaganda ministers at Faux News hailing their achievements (4,000 dead Americans now? That's "acceptable losses," and would still be even if it were ten times that number!) and keeping the disinformation and BS streaming steadliy along. Sunnis, Shi'ites, Kurds, Baathists, they ALL hate us, just discredit all of 'em and protect our appointed stooge, al Maliki, and have Blackwater shoot first and ask questions later. We don't even keep records on how many of them get killed- they're less than livestock to our leaders spreading democracy at gunpoint over there. It will just make it that much easier to sell escalation again when things start getting hairy...
Now if McCain got caught putting the stones to a campaign worker- THAT would be news!!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:42 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse heywhat See Profile I'm a Fan of heywhat

Sad, sad but the truth is America's mind is now on the economy and most (hell, all) follow rather than lead.

http://strictlyanecdotal.com/2008/03/23/unless-senator-john-mccain-tells-the-nation-that-al-quaeda-has-taken-up.aspx

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:27 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse Kepps See Profile I'm a Fan of Kepps

Judging by McCain's missteps during the European trip, I believe we're seeing the beginning of early onset Alzheimer's. Let's all keep an eye on the progression of this condition through the summer.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:19 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse FOXYLADY See Profile I'm a Fan of FOXYLADY

RIGHT ON KEPPS........ANOTHER PRESIDENT SO OLD HE'LL START "REGRESSING INTO ALZHEIMERS IN HIS TERM"...JUST LIKE THAT OTHER ONE...THE ACTOR!!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:28 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse clifwest See Profile I'm a Fan of clifwest

Thank God our Democratic Party is above such gaffes. We don't bother with mistakes, because we don't make them. We carefully study what is going on in the world, spend countless hours pouring over what is happening and pick out what we can take advantage of and what is useless. While all others lie, we "mis-speak." If someone tries to corner us on any issue we are uncomfortable with, we carefully side step and go in a completely different direction. We answer most questions with a question and have long ago learned that the best defense is an offense. Having been a registered Democrat for fifty-three years, I am quite familiar with how our Party works. I long for a political candidate from either Party who can stand on his or her own merit without all of the hype. It should not take over one hundred fifty million dollars to elect any qualified candidate. The positive side of spending large amounts of money on our political process is that it does give a large number of Americans something to do and gives them paychecks to feed their families with and an income at least until November 8, 2008, when they will have to find real jobs with a future.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:44 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse GuiltyUndertaker See Profile I'm a Fan of GuiltyUndertaker

As a Democrat you had a chance to support Dennis Kucinich for president. Did you? If not, why? Kucinich is an old-fashioned pro-labor, pro-environment, pro-education, anti-war Democrat free from the DLC horse**** that has taken over the party and infatuated the media. Kucinich doesn't misspeak and doesn't spin like a top when the media try to paint him as something he's not (as over the UFO non-story). Even his enemies don't argue with his integrity.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:33 PM on 03/26/2008
collapse rlmcintosh See Profile I'm a Fan of rlmcintosh

Don't worry clifwest! that $600 economic stimulus check will be coming soon - that should really help the folks looking for work after the election. Oh and by the way, if you are not currently a Ron Paul supporter, you should be. Check him out - seriously - for yourself. Once you start researching him you'll wonder why you never knew about him (or took him seriously) before - and it will be right about then that you'll come to some obvious conclusions (once you've done your research.) Good luck in your search for a qualified presidential candidate!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:41 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse FOXYLADY See Profile I'm a Fan of FOXYLADY

WE COULD ALWAYS "WRITE HIM IN" RLMCINTOSH.............

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:29 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse jswan See Profile I'm a Fan of jswan

Harry, are you being scarcastic? I think the media outlets are the ones who decide what we are interested in hearing. I really doubt that there is any interest in the latest celebrity news or hours upon hours on "breaking news" with about 45 seconds of information. How can a poll tell them that we have this stuff on our minds when it just happened?

No, the media outlets simply whant to entertain us and their "polls" indicate they will keep more viewers with mindless dribble all day long than with anything that really matters to more than a half-dozen of us at a time.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:41 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse JSquercia See Profile I'm a Fan of JSquercia

Yes I KNOW the American Public was interested in the non stop coverage of Britney Spears latest episode and of course Paris Hilton's most recent escapade . THAT MUST explain the continuous coverage of those two twits
AND could we possibly survive a day without Photos of some Celeb's new born . It all smacks of BREAD and CIRCUSES

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:51 PM on 03/24/2008
collapse thesimulacra See Profile I'm a Fan of thesimulacra

Yes, he was being sarcastic, thus the rhetorical "Never knew you had that much power, did you?" quip immediately afterwards.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:47 PM on 03/24/2008