Bob Schieffer - Undeniably Partisan

The following from MediaBloodhound.

"It seems timely to dig up this MediaBloodhound post (from May 6) on Bob Schieffer, tonight's debate host. Schieffer, an undeniably likable guy, has ties to the Bush White House that raise serious conflicts of interest. Will Schieffer's brother, for example, lost his ambassadorship to Japan if Obama wins?

"Here are some things to keep in mind when you're watching tonight:

"Bob Schieffer's coverage during the George W. Bush years, weighed against his hushed compromising relationship with the president, belies the CBS newman's project image as an unimpeachably principled journalist and typifies the way our media class operates. ...

"The truth is, ... in covering the Bush administration, Schieffer has been overly willing to trust and, whenever discrepancies between administration claims and the facts are verified, ever reluctant to hold anyone accountable. ...

"Throughout his January 2006 interview with Bush, Schieffer responded 'Um-hmmm' and 'Okay' and jarringly changed topics when the president's absurd answers demanded further inquiry. His misplaced deference lent credence to Bush's specious, unconstitutional explanations on everything from wiretaps, speaking with our enemies, the state of Iraq, Katrina, healthcare and energy independence. ...


MediaBloodhound tells of Senator John McCain's "caving to the White House on the 2006 Military Commissions Act ... [which] nullified habeas corpus and granted Bush the absolute power to devise his own definition of torture and to designate any American an 'enemy combatant' that can be held indefinitely without charge."

MediaBloodhound says, rightly, that McCain should have known better, but "unconscionably, still went along with it. And Schieffer, certainly in one of his worst moments covering the Bush White House, told Americans:

"'...Senator McCain and the White House came together on a plan that ensures America will abide by the Geneva Conventions in dealing with enemy prisoners. It is not a perfect plan, to be sure, but it shows how we do things in a democracy -- out in the open and in accordance with the law, even when dealing with the worst of the worst.'"

This is mindboggling. And, as MediaBloodhound points out, you want to believe what this "genial and grandfatherly figure" says, even if he is ignorant of the facts and skewing things to the benefit of George W. Bush.


There's much more...much more...all of it worth reading and worth chewing over. If you can read it before tonight's debate, all the better.

Click here for the entire article.