Fox News Channel and reporter Major Garrett misrepresent Obama: an intentional error or a judgment error?
Revised and supplemented at 1:00 pm on Friday.
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This reporter has generally assessed FNC's Special Report as containing the best and most balanced daily hour of news and analysis available on television. Special Report slants to the right, but less so than the other cable networks, e.g., MSNBC (Hardball, Countdown) or CNN slant to the left. The Newshour w/ Jim Lehrer on PBS slants left (albeit less so than MSNBC or CNN) and doesn't provide nearly as much news content as Special Report. ABC, NBC, and CBS have no comparable news programs to Special Report, and what they have generally slant to the left.
In light of the above-discussed, strong, daily, relatively balanced performance by FNC's Special Report, the misrepresentation by FNC, discussed below, appears anomalous and inexplicable, but we are seeking an explanation and/or response from FNC.
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Major Garrett reported, last night, on Brit Hume’s Special Report on FNC, on Wednesday night’s Obama-Clinton debate. Garrett stated, “the first forty five minutes [of the debate] took Obama down the sometimes bumpy road of his recent past.” However, Garrett added a bump that didn’t exist.
The first hot button issue that Garrett reported on was Obama’s defense at the debate of his now famous comments in San Francisco about small town residents, bitter about lost jobs, who focus on things that are constant, like religion. As Garrett said, Clinton “pounced,” at the Obama observation about the role of faith. No problem for Garrett there.
The third hot button issue that Garrett reported on was Obama’s current relationship with former 60s radical Weatherman Bill Ayers. The current Obama-Ayers relationship was characterized by Garrett as a "friendly," one, and Obama and Ayers had served on the same board and Ayers purportedly had hosted an organizing meeting for Obama’s first State Senate campaign.
So far, so good. But Garrett’s discussion of the second hot button issue, Rev. Wright, was a bit more troubling for Fox and Garrett’s reporting:
During the actual debate, the relevant Stephanopoulos-Obama exchange went as stated, below.
Senator Obama: … And, you know, the notion that somehow that the American people are going to be distracted once again by comments not made by me but somebody who is associated with me that I have disowned I think doesn’t give the American people enough credit.
George Stephanopoulos [ABC News]: You have disowned him [Pastor Wright]?
Senator Obama: The comments. The comments that I have disowned. Then, that is not something that I think---.
Note that it sounded to Stephanopoulos as if Obama was stating that Obama had disowned Pastor Wright. But, after that point was raised by Stephanopoulos, Obama emphasized that he had disowned the comments, not the man, i.e., "that," in the above transcript refers to Wright's comments, not to Wright.
So what does Garrett do? He misrepresents Obama by leaving out the above clarification by Obama that Obama stated in the debate. That enables Garrett to claim that Obama said in the debate that he disowned Wright, in contrast to what Obama said in his speech on that subject.
Thus, Garrett has created an Obama contradiction on the hot button issue of Pastor Wright that doesn’t exist and it would seem that Major Garrett, Fox News Channel and Brit Hume’s Special Report owe Barack Obama a big apology. Take a listen, below, to the Major Garrett report and compare it to the transcript of the ABC Obama-Clinton Debate, above.
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Clip of Major Garrett speaking on Special Report on April 17, 2008: "On Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama [during the debate] gave yet another explanation, one in conflict with his speech on that very subject."
Cut to truncated Clip of Senator Obama's words on Pastor Wright, omitting Obama's clarification given to Stephanopoulos during the debate: "You know, the notion that somehow that the American people are going to be distracted once again by comments not made by me but [by] somebody who is associated with me that I have disowned I think doesn’t give the American people enough credit." [Emphasis Supplied].
Clip of Major Garrett stating: "Here is what Obama said about disowning Wright, before."
Clip of Senator Obama from his speech on race: "I can no more disown him [Pastor Wright] than I can disown the black community."
*****************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search,
can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain, former Presidential candidate Richardson-- and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
*********************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs Youtube page include this coming Monday night's show in the Cities of Chicago and Aurora and this week's show in the Chicago North and Northwest Chicago Metro suburbs with Rep. Fritchey, last week's show in the Chicago North and Northwest Chicago metro suburbs with Senator Radogno, our prior shows with Rep. Lang [Watch Lang, Part 2], with Rep. Lang [Watch Lang, Part 1] , with WGN Radio political pundit Paul Green, with Senator and 2010 Illinois Gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady,with former Sen. Rauschenberger, assessing Barack Obama, with Republican U.S. Senate Republican nominee Dr. Steve Sauerberg, discussing his Democratic opponent--Senator Durbin-- and domestic, cultural and foreign policy issues, our prior show with State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston,IL), discussing Barack Obama, as well as various Illinois Budget issues (spending, mass transit, capital budget, education, gaming and taxes) , a discussion with State's Attorney for Cook County Republican and Democrat nominees, respectively Tony Peraica and and Anita Alvarez .
*********************************
This reporter has generally assessed FNC's Special Report as containing the best and most balanced daily hour of news and analysis available on television. Special Report slants to the right, but less so than the other cable networks, e.g., MSNBC (Hardball, Countdown) or CNN slant to the left. The Newshour w/ Jim Lehrer on PBS slants left (albeit less so than MSNBC or CNN) and doesn't provide nearly as much news content as Special Report. ABC, NBC, and CBS have no comparable news programs to Special Report, and what they have generally slant to the left.
In light of the above-discussed, strong, daily, relatively balanced performance by FNC's Special Report, the misrepresentation by FNC, discussed below, appears anomalous and inexplicable, but we are seeking an explanation and/or response from FNC.
********************************************
Major Garrett reported, last night, on Brit Hume’s Special Report on FNC, on Wednesday night’s Obama-Clinton debate. Garrett stated, “the first forty five minutes [of the debate] took Obama down the sometimes bumpy road of his recent past.” However, Garrett added a bump that didn’t exist.
The first hot button issue that Garrett reported on was Obama’s defense at the debate of his now famous comments in San Francisco about small town residents, bitter about lost jobs, who focus on things that are constant, like religion. As Garrett said, Clinton “pounced,” at the Obama observation about the role of faith. No problem for Garrett there.
The third hot button issue that Garrett reported on was Obama’s current relationship with former 60s radical Weatherman Bill Ayers. The current Obama-Ayers relationship was characterized by Garrett as a "friendly," one, and Obama and Ayers had served on the same board and Ayers purportedly had hosted an organizing meeting for Obama’s first State Senate campaign.
So far, so good. But Garrett’s discussion of the second hot button issue, Rev. Wright, was a bit more troubling for Fox and Garrett’s reporting:
During the actual debate, the relevant Stephanopoulos-Obama exchange went as stated, below.
Senator Obama: … And, you know, the notion that somehow that the American people are going to be distracted once again by comments not made by me but somebody who is associated with me that I have disowned I think doesn’t give the American people enough credit.
George Stephanopoulos [ABC News]: You have disowned him [Pastor Wright]?
Senator Obama: The comments. The comments that I have disowned. Then, that is not something that I think---.
Note that it sounded to Stephanopoulos as if Obama was stating that Obama had disowned Pastor Wright. But, after that point was raised by Stephanopoulos, Obama emphasized that he had disowned the comments, not the man, i.e., "that," in the above transcript refers to Wright's comments, not to Wright.
So what does Garrett do? He misrepresents Obama by leaving out the above clarification by Obama that Obama stated in the debate. That enables Garrett to claim that Obama said in the debate that he disowned Wright, in contrast to what Obama said in his speech on that subject.
Thus, Garrett has created an Obama contradiction on the hot button issue of Pastor Wright that doesn’t exist and it would seem that Major Garrett, Fox News Channel and Brit Hume’s Special Report owe Barack Obama a big apology. Take a listen, below, to the Major Garrett report and compare it to the transcript of the ABC Obama-Clinton Debate, above.
*******************************************
Clip of Major Garrett speaking on Special Report on April 17, 2008: "On Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama [during the debate] gave yet another explanation, one in conflict with his speech on that very subject."
Cut to truncated Clip of Senator Obama's words on Pastor Wright, omitting Obama's clarification given to Stephanopoulos during the debate: "You know, the notion that somehow that the American people are going to be distracted once again by comments not made by me but [by] somebody who is associated with me that I have disowned I think doesn’t give the American people enough credit." [Emphasis Supplied].
Clip of Major Garrett stating: "Here is what Obama said about disowning Wright, before."
Clip of Senator Obama from his speech on race: "I can no more disown him [Pastor Wright] than I can disown the black community."
*****************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search,
can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain, former Presidential candidate Richardson-- and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
*********************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs Youtube page include this coming Monday night's show in the Cities of Chicago and Aurora and this week's show in the Chicago North and Northwest Chicago Metro suburbs with Rep. Fritchey, last week's show in the Chicago North and Northwest Chicago metro suburbs with Senator Radogno, our prior shows with Rep. Lang [Watch Lang, Part 2], with Rep. Lang [Watch Lang, Part 1] , with WGN Radio political pundit Paul Green, with Senator and 2010 Illinois Gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady,with former Sen. Rauschenberger, assessing Barack Obama, with Republican U.S. Senate Republican nominee Dr. Steve Sauerberg, discussing his Democratic opponent--Senator Durbin-- and domestic, cultural and foreign policy issues, our prior show with State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston,IL), discussing Barack Obama, as well as various Illinois Budget issues (spending, mass transit, capital budget, education, gaming and taxes) , a discussion with State's Attorney for Cook County Republican and Democrat nominees, respectively Tony Peraica and and Anita Alvarez .
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