CNN's Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware crossed the line today with this statement about John McCain and other Republicans who are visiting Baghdad: "Essentially they're here to view the impact of the surge on the Baghdad security plan and essentially to sell its merits to say that, yes, it is having an impact and to take that message home to an American people desperate to hear signs of progress..."
Ware thus claimed that McCain is not conducting a good faith fact-finding trip, but instead will report that the surge is having a positive impact regardless of what he actually observes. Essentially (to use Ware's term), he's saying that McCain is just a pitch-man who is prepared to lie about life and death matters of the utmost importance to Americans. Ware, of course, provides no basis for this accusation, which appears to be the result of a grudge he holds because McCain disagreed with CNN's Wolf Blitzer about the impact of the surge.
The facts show that if McCain reports that the surge is having a positive impact in Baghdad, he will be correct. But that's not really the point. When a reporter escalates a disagreement about the facts on the ground to allegations of bad faith on the part of those who disagree with him, that reporter is, to take the most charitable view, burned out. When the allegations are against a patriot of John McCain's stature, they are even further out-of-line. If CNN were a credible news organization, it would reassign Ware.
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 4)
46. Bubba you really need to get a life. When was the last time you were in a war zone on a daily basis
At least Mr. Ware is over there trying to get the truth to us, McCain is just making this a political issue as he is behind in the polls and needs some points.
Chuck at 7:34AM on Apr 3rd 2007
47. If This Latest Little Drama Hasn't Proved,Once And For All, How Full Of IT The Right Wing Of This Populace Is....I Don't Know What Will......
JannetMoore at 8:07AM on Apr 3rd 2007
48. One thing that I don't think has been mentioned...This flap started when McCain blasted Wolf Blitzer (during an interview with Wolf)for having his facts wrong and for not reporting the "good news" from Baghdad, specifically stating that there were streets where Americans could stroll around in safety and that General Petraeus drove around in an unarmed and unescorted Humvee.
Michael Ware challenged those comments and invited McCain to walk these supposed streets with him. McCain was trying to play the "blame the liberal media" game and had his bluff called. He basically challenged Ware's (and Blitzer's) journalistic integrity, so I have NO problem with him daring McCain to face reality.
chris at 9:02AM on Apr 3rd 2007
49. We were led into this war by lies, and we were supposedly making great progress, winning it, right up until the Iraq study group made that lie no longer tenable. When McCain make absurd comments, while he and his congressional pals stroll around, shielded by 100 soldiers, and attack choppers, a journalist is justified in inferring a PR purpose. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
John at 8:59AM on Apr 3rd 2007
50. John McCain clearly lies on a level equal to our current president. Both apparently consider our troops to be expendable and secondary to their own political goals.
Melissa Baird at 10:22AM on Apr 3rd 2007
51. You can see the press conference here:
www.aolelectionsblog.com/2007/04/03/cnn-reporter-heckels-mccain-an-update/
david knowles at 12:24PM on Apr 3rd 2007
52. Yes McCain did his honourable duty during the Vietnam war. However, his short visit lacks the time for himto come to such a conclusion. Just ask the locals and they will dispute Mcains remarks.
Bagdad is still not safe.
kelly at 1:03PM on Apr 3rd 2007
53. Nothwithstanding the fact that Mc Cain lied through his teeth about the safety factor in Baghdad, it is incredible that the republicans pieces of crappola immediately want the dissenter fired when they expose the truth.
It's Mc Cain who should be tossed for lying to the American people in the first place.
Shirl at 2:42PM on Apr 3rd 2007
54. Oh, yes..if anyone criticizes the Republicans there's hell to pay but they malign Democrats by lying. McCain has already lost his run for President(supports the war) because he's as conniving as Bush, they're manipulators. No matter how the Iraqi war turns out...the Republicans will call it VICTORY. We voted for a Democrat Congress and Senate because we were manipulated into believing it was winnable, now we know it isn't. Shame on McCain, I thought he was a prisoner in the Vietnam, once. If so, he still likes war. Bush and McCain twist things to benefit their party, which is in shambles. Go, Pelosi, Go! If we can get along with the world, it will be the opposite of the GWB administration has even tried to do.
Ann Richard at 4:08PM on Apr 3rd 2007
55. Michael Ware needed to slam McCain, someone should, he's the mouthpiece and Yes-man for GWB. These politicians go to Iraq, but while they want to keep the war going, they get gear to protect their lives that they didn't make available to the troops until Rumsfeld was embarassed by a young soldier when he asked for protection. If Politians are so damned brave why do they need protection. Micahel Ware should not lose his job, either. He's not being the fool the Bushies want him to be, by not reporting everything in their favor. Leave him be, to report the news, no matter in whose favor!
Ann Richard at 8:53PM on Apr 7th 2007
56.
Mr. Mirengoff,
You should really get your facts straight. The decrease in violence is solely attributable to the Sadr brigades compliance with the surge. It has done nothing to deal with the Sunni insurgency, in fact there were 64 car bombings in the two months prior to the troop surge, and 97 in the two months since. That is not progress. That is only showing the militias that their ethnic cleansing had an effect on the violence and if we can't stop the bombings, they will.
McCain's visit was absolutely disingenuine. A temporary mass-deployment of troops to a marketplace just so he could visit it and say "things are really going well here" is not an accurate portrayal of the situation. He would -never- have gone to that market under normal security. I love it when people say "things are great here" while wearing a flak jacket.
Peter at 5:42PM on Apr 3rd 2007
57. Mr. Mirengoff -
It's been almost two weeks since the "developing" story on the "heckling". No follow up on this story ? Care to comment on who is credible about security in Baghdad and who is not ?
And who exactly is guilty of practicing "yellow journalism" ? Maybe it is you who needs to put your backyard in order.
I guess the only thing "worse than heckling" would be printing an outright lie about in a headline and then not having the decency or integrity to retract it.
max at 1:47PM on Apr 12th 2007