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Obama Hints He Sees Imbalance in the Way the Press Covers McCain

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May 18, 2008 3:19 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., offered up a criticism of the press' coverage of Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, during a town hall with seniors in Gresham, Ore., today.

Obama, hoping to soon become the Democratic presidential nominee, was asked in a town hall why McCain, the junior senator of Arizona, doesn’t get "tough questions" when he has things like the Keating Five savings and loan scandal in his past. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21mccain.html

Obama chalked it up to the Republican side of the race being settled earlier than the still-ongoing Democratic side and the fact that McCain was at one point counted out of the race.

"I actually think that part of it has to do with the fact that they wrapped up their nomination fairly early," Obama said, "Sen. McCain, you recall, had been written off as not being viable about half way through last year, and he came back. ... During that period people were not paying close attention to his record."

Obama did not mention McCain’s involvement with the Keating Five scandal, something that he’s suggested would be fair game in the general election.

"It is very understandable that the press focus has been on myself and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., because this has been a pretty exciting race on the Democratic side," said Obama, the leader in delegates.

Obama then added a bit of a warning for the McCain press corps if Obama is the nominee.

"I would expect that the press will submit him to the same scrutiny that they submitted me [to]," Obama told the questioner. "And if they don’t, I’ll have them talk to you."

Obama continues campaigning throughout Oregon today with his family, where the campaign says he will continue to draw comparisons with McCain.

"I hope that as we move forward in the general election that you pay careful attention to this debate between myself and John McCain, should I end up being the nominee," Obama concluded.

May 18, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (243)

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Whine! Whine! Whine!

Racists Media --

OK when it was sexist ---

Posted by: Arkietwo | May 18, 2008 3:37:23 PM

So, it's perfectly fine for Obama to have "concerns" but if it's Clinton, it's called "whining?"

I guess then, that's it's fine to have a sexist media, but not a racist media.

There is no difference! Both are terrible and should not be tolerated!

Posted by: Jackson | May 18, 2008 3:41:44 PM

Obama is about to be indicted for his role in the Rezko/Auchi/General Mediterranean/Syrian mafia criminal enterprise. Just check out the chronology of his activities in Evelyn Pringle's series at opednews.com:

Sunday, May 18, 2008
Curtain Time for Barack Obama - Part V
(1 comments) If the Combine's plot to get rid of Patrick Fitzgerald and shut down Board Games had worked, Rezko would have landed an office right smack in the middle of the White House.

Friday, May 16, 2008
Curtain Time for Barack Obama - Part IV
(17 comments) The solution to the problems arising from the unsuccessful attempts to shut down Operation Board Games would be for Barack Obama to become president and issue a bipartisan pardon to all members of the "Combine" who funded his seat in the US Senate. The scam worked when Scooter Libby took the fall for the Bush administration.

Thursday, May 15, 2008
Curtain Time for Barack Obama - Part III
(11 comments) Three days after the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Aiham Alsammarae, the former electricity minister convicted of corruption in Iraq, put up $2.7 million in property to help raise $8.5 million to free Tony Rezko from jail in Chicago, the Times reported that Alsammarae had contributed six times to Obama's presidential campaign.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Curtain Time for Barack Obama - Part II
(13 comments) If the Combine's plot with the Bush administration to shut down Operation Board Games had worked, Obama would be home free. But it failed and the Republicans are just waiting to air the roadmap of dirt pieced together from Fitzgerald's investigation if Obama is nominated. McCain is in the clear because there is no sign of his involvement anywhere.

Monday, May 12, 2008
Curtain Time For Barack Obama - Part I
(32 comments) Republicans have enough damaging information against Barack Obama to knock him off the ballot before the November election. Those at the top of the Democratic Party know this by now and voters need to recognize that if they nominate him they are throwing the election. Nothing else can explain why they would allow this disaster to happen.

Posted by: John Ryskamp | May 18, 2008 3:45:25 PM

It's all about HOW you do it. These are legitimate concerns and comments. McCain's campaign is rife wife corrupt ties and schemes on public financing and the media acts like he is a long lost buddy. Can't wait for that 1st debate.

Posted by: ROB | May 18, 2008 3:48:48 PM

Obama is complaining about press coverage? Are you sh*tting me?

Posted by: Tabitha | May 18, 2008 3:51:24 PM

ahhhh i love it.. it sure didnt take obama very long, considering he technically isnt the cAnidate yet, to start the "oh poor me" bull##@@. give me a break.. you could have waited a LITTLE longer before you started whining, i mean, what are you gonna come up with when you actually start debatiing him?! dont waste all of it so soon.. thats like starting a one mile race in a dead sprint..

Posted by: tim | May 18, 2008 3:53:09 PM

Big people talk about ideas, little people talk about other people

Posted by: jozy | May 18, 2008 3:53:39 PM

What a joke! When the boyz club at MSNBC was making fun of Clinton and the Obama fan club was selling "bros before hoes" T-shirts, I never heard a single word of complaint from this elitist snob. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, all of a sudden complaints about bias in the media are legit rather than whining? Give me a break. If you can't take the heat "sweetie" get out of the kitchen. This is yet another reason why this Democrat is not voting for Obama.

Posted by: bells | May 18, 2008 3:55:43 PM

Of COURSE McCain has received less coverage. He isn't news! McCain is getting a "free ride", partly because the news media has been so busy with the anointing of Obama for the last few months. Any "extra" time on a newscast has been spent tearing Hillary Clinton apart and telling us she's "finished". The media paid attention to the Republican race for awhile, until they helped Huckabee get rid of Romney, the most viable and intelligent candidate. Ron Paul is still a minor worry, but mostly to McCain. If Paul decides to run an independent campaign, it will surely elect a Democrat in November. Otherwise, McCain's chances of election will be greatly increased if Hillary is forced out by the DNC (as they've been trying to do from the get-go). But, for the moment, Old Man McCain isn't especially newsworthy.

Posted by: Rhys | May 18, 2008 3:57:03 PM

well first of all, what do you really expect obama to talk about?? his experience on the issues?? ok, so that takes up a half an hour, then what?? im pretty sure we all already know where he stand s on the issues, and we all know where mccain stands on the issues. so really, it all comes down to the mudslinging and the B.S. that americans really cant stand. who needs campaign reform though right?? i mean, its only going to cost between one and a half and two BILLION dollars to elect a president. i mean, what else could that money really be spent on right??

Posted by: tim | May 18, 2008 4:01:13 PM

"I would expect that the press will submit him to the same scrutiny that they submitted me [to]," Obama told the questioner.

Does Obama think he has been scrutinized? Give me a break.

Posted by: Joe in GA | May 18, 2008 4:01:28 PM

Aahhaaaaa. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Oh this is rich. Really, I have decided...I hate this guy for sure. I saw him and Michelle at a rally, they encouraged us to vote for the "First African American", as one, I'm not easily manipulated by race. This takes the cake. He wants kit glove treatment all the way and there are the idiots out there who do what he says. Invasion of Body Snatchers: "Why do you speak ill of Obama? You obviously have not been taken over, follow me." "No! You people are WHACKED big time! HILLARY, HILLARY, HILLARY!"

Posted by: irma | May 18, 2008 4:02:11 PM

first off, im just AMAZED at the amount of attention (or in my opinion,excuses for whoever is losing) that democrats, by in large, put on media coverage. do democrats just vote soley by what fox news or msnbc reports?! is that what you go to the polls and vote on?! is the average american not smart enough to read throught the lines, and realize that certain tv stations and newspapers lean one way or the other?! im not saying its right, but do you automatically think because fox news leans towrds conservatives, that THATS the reason one canidate or another will lose the election?! i mean, maybe its true, but have americans become THAT stupid??? what ever happened to actually listening to the words that come out of the canidates mouths, and there past voting records?? hmmmm, just a thought.. quit trying to find excuses for EVERYTHING.

Posted by: tim | May 18, 2008 4:10:20 PM

It’s pretty clear by now that Barack Obama is running a defensive (some would say whining) campaign. While it may not be the complete picture that is being painted thus far I think it’s fair game to assume that a large proportion of Americans would agree.

Considering that the majority of the MSM is clearly “in the tank” for Barack Obama I cannot understand today’s complaint. True, they have somewhat subjected him to some scrutiny thus far (Rezko, Wright, Michelle Obama, Hamas) the counter to that is that the MSM is more than happy to “spin” these events in Obama’s favor.

Regarding Keating 5, this matter was already settled in the Senate years ago. His involvement was minimal and nearly 100,000 dollars was returned to the United States Treasury. However, unlike Obama’s characterization of this matter, McCain continues to face scrutiny over this event not only from the MSM, but from extremist factions on the left and the right.

Finally, Mr. Obama stated, "I would expect that the press will submit him to the same scrutiny that they submitted me [to].” It is incorrect for him to use the past tense of the word, submitted, since the scrutiny that Mr. Obama should face and will face is far from over. The American public has many questions that they will submit to Mr. Obama which he will have to face until the general election.

Posted by: Thunderbolt | May 18, 2008 4:11:09 PM

The Obama bashers don't even read the articles they comment on now(have they ever?). There isn't a single thing in this article that indicates Obama is whining about anything. In fact, he acknowledges that it is reasonable for the media not to cover McCain and seems to relish the time to come when they will cover him.

Come on you tools, if you're going to whine about Obama, at least have the decency to read the articles you're commenting on. You think you're going to win swing voters like me over with those tactics? Your choir is the only one who is impressed with those tactics, those of us making up our minds see those tactics for what they are- Stupid and desperate.

Posted by: Benjamin | May 18, 2008 4:11:49 PM

Response to Jackson, there are more scandals related to Mccain and his wife than Obama. Do don't worry, time will come to stripe down Mccain down to dust.

Posted by: Jacky | May 18, 2008 4:15:29 PM

Response to Jackson, there are more scandals related to Mccain and his wife than Obama. Do don't worry, time will come to stripe down Mccain down to dust.

Posted by: Jacky | May 18, 2008 4:15:33 PM

The "Vote for Change" reregistration drive and the "Obama Organizing Fellows"
program are two things that the GOP and McCain should really worry about. This is not 2004. The old rules and divisions
are fading fast.
I already see a trend for McCain - the Maverick - Bush makes ignorant comments regarding "Appeasement" in Israel and McCain backs up Bush's statement. McCain then goes before the NRA (Introduced by Karl Rove) talking about Democrats lack of support for the second amendment. He is taking up the Republican lines to shore up his numbers. The GOP is a sinking ship and a proponent of failed economic, social, environmental, and diplomatic policies.
This will be an easy decision when voters see Obama and McCain side by side in a debate - the choice will be very clear.

Obama 2008

Posted by: Josh in Seattle | May 18, 2008 4:17:33 PM

For Benjamin:"I would expect that the press will submit him to the same scrutiny that they submitted me [to]," Obama told the questioner. "And if they don’t, I’ll have them talk to you

Posted by: irma | May 18, 2008 4:19:28 PM

BENJAMIN...

see theres the problem.. you're leaving it up to other americans to try to swing your vote one way or the other??!! it has NOTHING to do with what i, or the nextt preson tells you.i think thats a huge problem in america today. NO BODY THINKS FOR THEMSELVES ANYMORE. listen to the canidates talk about the issues, see how they have backed that up in the past, and then decide on who fits your beliefs and values best. if there are people on the fence between barack obama,( the most liberal voting record in the senate) and john mccain (not a HUGE conservative, but lightyears away from the socialistic obama) you just shouldnt be able to vote. im not saying that any of the canidates are who i want, i cant believe we couldnt come up with something better than this, but i knew who i was voting for months ago. i just dont understand how people could be on the fence between these two?! they have TOATLLY differnet values and beliefs on governments role for the country.

Posted by: tim | May 18, 2008 4:19:52 PM

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