Comments on: Attack On McCain Fizzles, Questions For Clinton And Obama http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/ Danny Schechter's daily media dissections Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:41:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.9 by: Lucille http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23857 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:31:34 +0000 http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23857 Where there's smoke there's fire. John McCain isn't above reproach, although he likes to play the part. When The New York Times and Washington Post came out with stories about his questionable relationship with Vicki Iseman, the lobbyist for Paxson, he immediately began defending his honor, claiming to never have had a romantic relationship with "that woman." Okay; he didn't say "that woman". But his intent was clear: take the focus away from the question of his relationships with lobbyists - who, by the way, make up virtually his entire campaign team - and throw it against the straw dog of marital infidelity. And it almost worked. Attacking the Times for impugning his honor, McCain was able to rally the right wing-nuts to his defense. But that was bound to happen eventually anyway. Do you really believe Rush and his partners in prattle would stand back and forgo attacking the Democratic candidate for the months leading up to the election? But, here's the problem facing McClean; not only did he show incredibly bad judgment in hanging out with Ms Iseman (and taking multiple corporate jet rides with her), he apparently wrote a few letters to the FCC on behalf of her employer, Paxson. According to the AP: "In late 1999, McCain twice wrote letters to the Federal Communications Commission on behalf of Florida-based Paxson Communications — which had paid Iseman as its lobbyist — urging quick consideration of a proposal to buy a television station license in Pittsburgh. At the time, Paxson's chief executive, Lowell W. "Bud" Paxson, also was a major contributor to McCain's 2000 presidential campaign. McCain wrote the letters after he received more than $20,000 in contributions from Paxson executives and lobbyists. Paxson also lent McCain his company's jet at least four times during 1999 for campaign travel." But that's not all. McCain, in a news conference on Friday, February 22 said he had never done any favors for any lobbyist and his campaign insisted that McCain had never spoken to Ms. Iseman or anyone from Paxson prior to writing to the FCC. Except he did. In a deposition in 2002, McCain acknowledged he sent those letters after meeting Mr. Paxson. Like I said, smoke, fire. Read the rest of my comments on www.politicaldoodle.com Where there’s smoke there’s fire. John McCain isn’t above reproach, although he likes to play the part.
When The New York Times and Washington Post came out with stories about his questionable relationship with Vicki Iseman, the lobbyist for Paxson, he immediately began defending his honor, claiming to never have had a romantic relationship with “that woman.”

Okay; he didn’t say “that woman”. But his intent was clear: take the focus away from the question of his relationships with lobbyists - who, by the way, make up virtually his entire campaign team - and throw it against the straw dog of marital infidelity. And it almost worked. Attacking the Times for impugning his honor, McCain was able to rally the right wing-nuts to his defense. But that was bound to happen eventually anyway. Do you really believe Rush and his partners in prattle would stand back and forgo attacking the Democratic candidate for the months leading up to the election?

But, here’s the problem facing McClean; not only did he show incredibly bad judgment in hanging out with Ms Iseman (and taking multiple corporate jet rides with her), he apparently wrote a few letters to the FCC on behalf of her employer, Paxson. According to the AP:

“In late 1999, McCain twice wrote letters to the Federal Communications Commission on behalf of Florida-based Paxson Communications — which had paid Iseman as its lobbyist — urging quick consideration of a proposal to buy a television station license in Pittsburgh. At the time, Paxson’s chief executive, Lowell W. “Bud” Paxson, also was a major contributor to McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign.

McCain wrote the letters after he received more than $20,000 in contributions from Paxson executives and lobbyists. Paxson also lent McCain his company’s jet at least four times during 1999 for campaign travel.”

But that’s not all. McCain, in a news conference on Friday, February 22 said he had never done any favors for any lobbyist and his campaign insisted that McCain had never spoken to Ms. Iseman or anyone from Paxson prior to writing to the FCC.

Except he did. In a deposition in 2002, McCain acknowledged he sent those letters after meeting Mr. Paxson.

Like I said, smoke, fire. Read the rest of my comments on www.politicaldoodle.com

]]> by: bob feldman http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23751 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 03:34:05 +0000 http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23751 The involvement of the Obama campaign's national finance chair, Penny Pritzker, in the 2001 Superior Bank S&L Scandal is not being publicized by the Big Media during the 2008 campaign as much as the Clintons' involvement in the smaller Madison & Guaranty S&L Scandal was publicized during the 1992 campaign. But after the Illinois-based Superior Bank S&L collapsed in July 2001, the Office of Inspector General's Feb. 2002 report concluded that "based on our review of the failure of Superior Bank it appears that some of the decisions made by Superior management rise to the level of insider abuse." Yet before Superior Bank failed (at a cost of over $440 million to U.S. taxpayers) due to its board's financially reckles engagement in subprime mortgage lending and predatory lending, Barack Obama accepted a $1,000 campaign contribution on Sept. 14, 1999 from then-Superior Bank board member Penny Pritzker. And after naming Penny Pritzker to be his 2008 presidential campaign's national finance chair on Jan. 31, 2007, Obama said that he was "proud that" the former Superior Bank S&L official "has agreed to partner with me in this important venture." For more information about the Obama campaign's national finance chair's role in the Superior Bank Scandal, you can check out the Nov. 8, 2002 article in In These Times, "Breaking The Bank," at the following link: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/671/ The involvement of the Obama campaign’s national finance chair, Penny Pritzker, in the 2001 Superior Bank S&L Scandal is not being publicized by the Big Media during the 2008 campaign as much as the Clintons’ involvement in the smaller Madison & Guaranty S&L Scandal was publicized during the 1992 campaign. But after the Illinois-based Superior Bank S&L collapsed in July 2001, the Office of Inspector General’s Feb. 2002 report concluded that “based on our review of the failure of Superior Bank it appears that some of the decisions made by Superior management rise to the level of insider abuse.”

Yet before Superior Bank failed (at a cost of over $440 million to U.S. taxpayers) due to its board’s financially reckles engagement in subprime mortgage lending and predatory lending, Barack Obama accepted a $1,000 campaign contribution on Sept. 14, 1999 from then-Superior Bank board member Penny Pritzker. And after naming Penny Pritzker to be his 2008 presidential campaign’s national finance chair on Jan. 31, 2007, Obama said that he was “proud that” the former Superior Bank S&L official “has agreed to partner with me in this important venture.”

For more information about the Obama campaign’s national finance chair’s role in the Superior Bank Scandal, you can check out the Nov. 8, 2002 article in In These Times, “Breaking The Bank,” at the following link:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/671/

]]> by: Heather http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23640 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 06:57:12 +0000 http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23640 I think Bigabe's point about gas is correct and I do think Michelle Obama's remarks about only now being proud of her country (the first time in her adult life) was idiotic and embarrassing. Most important, I agree with what Ryan said and am disgusted that Danny Schechter wants to drag Joe Wilson through the mud. If Schechter is supporting Obama's campaign, he needs to make that clear. I'll avoid this website as I've learned to avoid the other liars. I think Bigabe’s point about gas is correct and I do think Michelle Obama’s remarks about only now being proud of her country (the first time in her adult life) was idiotic and embarrassing. Most important, I agree with what Ryan said and am disgusted that Danny Schechter wants to drag Joe Wilson through the mud. If Schechter is supporting Obama’s campaign, he needs to make that clear. I’ll avoid this website as I’ve learned to avoid the other liars.

]]> by: bigabe http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23599 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 22:48:03 +0000 http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23599 I have noyhing against Obama the only thing is that I don't think that he gas enough knowledge abour running a country as big as ours and the remark that hi wife said about liking the country is because she believes that he might become President and before i guess that she wasn't to crazy about our country and oprah in my opion is a racist I have noyhing against Obama the only thing is that I don’t think that he gas enough knowledge abour running a country as big as ours and the remark that hi wife said about liking the country is because she believes that he might become President and before i guess that she wasn’t to crazy about our country and oprah in my opion is a racist

]]> by: Ryan http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23579 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:50:21 +0000 http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2008/02/22/attack-on-mccain-fizzles-questions-for-clinton-and-obama/#comment-23579 Joe Wilson did not attack Barack Obama. If you can't even be fair, why should any of us listen to you? I read Wilson's original piece and his extended piece. You are wrong. Also, it's "Black Agenda Report," not "Black Agenda." And Wilson's correct, so is Joe Klein and so was Richard Cohen, that if Obama gets the nomination, the right-wing will have the field day they want. I expect more from journalism than what you are supplying. Joe Wilson did not attack Barack Obama. If you can’t even be fair, why should any of us listen to you? I read Wilson’s original piece and his extended piece. You are wrong. Also, it’s “Black Agenda Report,” not “Black Agenda.” And Wilson’s correct, so is Joe Klein and so was Richard Cohen, that if Obama gets the nomination, the right-wing will have the field day they want. I expect more from journalism than what you are supplying.

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