ABC Misrepresents Palin

[jiffy]

ABC Misrepresents Palin Quote in ‘Holy War’ Question
by FOXNews.com
Friday, September 12, 2008

This promo of Sarah Palin's ABC News interview appeared on the Yahoo! News Web site.

Millions of TV viewers who watched ABC News’ interview with Sarah Palin Thursday night never saw her take issue with a key question in which she was asked if she believes that the U.S. military effort in Iraq is “a task that is from God.”

The exchange between Palin and ABC’s Charlie Gibson, in which she questioned the accuracy of the quote attributed to her, was edited out of the television broadcast but included in official, unedited transcripts posted on ABC’s Web site, as well as in video posted on the Internet.

But in the version shown on television, a video clip of her original statement was inserted in place of her objection, giving a different impression of how Palin views the Iraq war.

In the interview, Gibson asked Palin: “You said recently in your old church, ‘Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.’ Are we fighting a Holy War?”

Palin’s response, which appears in the transcript but was edited out of the televised version, was:

“You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.”

“It’s exact words,” Gibson said.

But Gibson’s quote left out what Palin said before that:

“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God. That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.”

The edited televised version included a partial clip of that quote, but not the whole thing.

Gibson’s characterization of Palin’s words prompted a sharp rebuke from the McCain campaign on Thursday.

“Governor Palin’s full statement was VERY different” from the way Gibson characterized it,” read a statement circulated by McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.

“Gibson cut the quote — where she was clearly asking for the church TO PRAY THAT IT IS a task from God, not asserting that it is a task from God.

“Palin’s statement is an incredibly humble statement, a statement that this campaign stands by 100 percent, and a sentiment that any religious American will share,” Bounds wrote.

In the rest of the segment that aired, Palin told Gibson that she was referencing Abraham’s Lincoln’s words on how one should never presume to know God’s will. She said she does not presume to know God’s will and that she was only asking the audience to “pray that we are on God’s side.”

A promo posted on Yahoo! News Friday continued to misrepresent the exchange. It displays Palin’s image next to the words, “Iraq war a ‘holy war?’” implying that Palin — not Gibson — had called the War on Terror a holy war.

ABC News did not respond to requests for comment from FOXNews.com.

ABC’s mischaracterization of Palin’s words was not the only one in the media. The Washington Post also did some last-minute clean-up in one of its articles on Palin — a front-page story Friday with the headline “Palin Links Iraq to Sept. 11 in Talk to Troops in Alaska.”

As pointed out by The Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol, the original version posted online used harsher language than the one that hit Beltway newsstands early Friday morning.

The original passage, written by staff writer Anne E. Kornblut, read:

“Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would ‘defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans.’

“The idea that the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein helped Al Qaeda plan the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a view once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself. On any other day, Palin’s statement would almost certainly have drawn a sharp rebuke from Democrats, but both parties had declared a halt to partisan activities to mark Thursday’s anniversary.”

But in the print version, and the version now appearing on the newspaper’s Web site, the article softened its claim a bit by swapping in the last line with this: “But it is widely agreed that militants allied with Al Qaeda have taken root in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion.”

[zx6rracer]

oh, imagine that. another liberal tv channel caught with their pants down. first nbc, now abc.

[Gaolee]

Congratulations, misery doesn't love company. People who don't march in step with the rest of you brownshirt idiots have been putting up with these kinds of smears from the press, propagated by wingnuts like you two dimbulbs for years. Now that you have felt the sting, maybe you partisan hacks will cut out the same crap.

Whiny pussies, both of you.

[jiffy]

I'm a whiny pussy for putting up an aritcle... You're such a partisan whore you can't tell who is with you and who is against you. Your douchebaggery has no bounds.

[leemajaz]

if people look closely and check the facts,bipartisanly, palin does a good job of misrepresentin' herself as it is. nobody need to help her.

[Mooosman]

Originally Posted by jiffy

In the interview, Gibson asked Palin: “You said recently in your old church, ‘Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.’ Are we fighting a Holy War?”



But Gibson’s quote left out what Palin said before that:

“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God. That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.”

I don't see how adding the rest of the quote changes anything. She still insinuates that the U.S. is serving out "God's plan" in regards to the Iraq war. In the quote she mentions the words "task from God", and "God's plan", so how can you deny what she means? She's saying that the U.S. has been charged with a holy crusade!


This isn't the same thing as saying: "Pray for the health and safety of our troops overseas", which doesn't infer anything other than praying for a soldier's safety. Palin's quote infers that the military and political leaders of the United States invaded Iraq because they were carrying out "God's plan". That right there means that the U.S. has started a holy crusade!




Nick

[MontereyDave]

Thank you for this post. It is important to set the record straight on deception from networks such as this.

I guess it is only natural that in an interview such as this, those who dislike Palin will hone in on certain things and those who like her will hone it on other things. What was so noticeable from the first moment throughout to me was Charlie Gibson's demeanor. He is a news personality whose always previously come across as happy-go-lucky but in this interview he was amazingly standoff-ish. Looking down over his glasses and asking questions in such a pompous, arrogant tone of voice and posture - so out of character for Charlie Gibson (in stark contrast to the respectful and even friendly tone that Bill O'Reilly exhibited when he interviewed Obama). Just one more excuse for ABC, NBC, & CBS to lose more viewers - why can't news commentators present themselves in a fair and balanced neurtal manner?

[shah269]

Like faux news never does this shit!
Oh brotha pleas brotha....gopers my good friends. The words are....eating the shit that thow had place oppon the table.

[county]

NO deception, just editing to present accurately in the time slot.

For you whiney fcuks, well, you're gonna whine about something said about the lipstick clad pig.

Speaking as a representative of the far left, we're having a lotta fun with Palin.

[Gaolee]

Originally Posted by jiffy

I'm a whiny pussy for putting up an aritcle... You're such a partisan whore you can't tell who is with you and who is against you. Your douchebaggery has no bounds.

I am used to crap like this from the hard right. You are whining about a bit of editing being used against Palin. I haven't seen you being so righteously outraged at some of the right wing smears and outright lies the GOP has puked up lately. There's a reason I think you are a wingnut partisan hack. You sometimes show a bit of balance, but you tip hard right again on a regular basis.

I don't like seeing things taken out of context like that, and I acknowledge it was a bit out of context. However, my point remains. If you don't call the Republicans on it as well, you have no leg to stand on. It makes you another whiny right wing wuss who preaches a thick skin until it is time to cry a river over a small slight.

[SlowGoose]

Originally Posted by MontereyDave

Thank you for this post. It is important to set the record straight on deception from networks such as this.

I guess it is only natural that in an interview such as this, those who dislike Palin will hone in on certain things and those who like her will hone it on other things.

Sorta like lipstick on a pig, isn't it?

[jiffy]

Originally Posted by Gaolee

I am used to crap like this from the hard right. You are whining about a bit of editing being used against Palin. I haven't seen you being so righteously outraged at some of the right wing smears and outright lies the GOP has puked up lately. There's a reason I think you are a wingnut partisan hack. You sometimes show a bit of balance, but you tip hard right again on a regular basis.

I don't like seeing things taken out of context like that, and I acknowledge it was a bit out of context. However, my point remains. If you don't call the Republicans on it as well, you have no leg to stand on. It makes you another whiny right wing wuss who preaches a thick skin until it is time to cry a river over a small slight.

Call me what you will, devils advocate has no friends.
The balance has to come from somewhere, 99% of the posts on this PR forum are far left. When are you going to post up some smears by democrats? Does that make you a whiny Leftie for not doing so?

[RiverCityRebel]

Originally Posted by jiffy

99% of the posts on this PR forum are far left.

Factcheck.org would have a lot to say about your numbers there, Mr. Huckabee.

[Fun Crusher]

Adding those two sentences to the beginning of that quote changed absolutely nothing about the context of what she said.

She still said it was "God's plan/war". That's the fucking context. Phoney outrage like that is pathetic.

She totally aced that interview

[SXSMITH]

Isn't it about time that CBS started forging documents?

Poor Dan....

YouTube - Poor Dan is still depressed...