CNN's Henry Quotes Dems' Wrath, Fails to Search Obama Statements
By Ken Shepherd | May 15, 2008 - 14:41 ET
CNN correspondent Ed Henry hacked out 29 paragraphs on his network's Web
site dedicated to the proposition that "President Bush launched a sharp
but
veiled attack Thursday on Sen. Barack Obama and other Democrats." Henry
cited anonymous White House sources to acknowledge that "the remarks
[before
the Israeli Knesset] were aimed at the presidential candidate [Barack
Obama]
and others in his party."
Henry then expended much energy tracking down Democrats to bluster about
Bush's "veiled attack" and how specious it was, including a hot-tempered
Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) declaring the charge, "bulls**t."
But aside from the he-said/she-said treatment of quoting Democratic
outrage
and finding Republicans -- White House Press Secretary Dana Perino and
presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain -- on the defensive, Henry failed
to look into Obama's past statements on his vision for presidential
diplomacy.
Yet Obama's presidential campaign Web site itself lays out in pretty
simple
terms the Illinois Democrat's view about engaging the Iranian regime in
"direct" negotiations with no preconditions (emphasis mine):
Diplomacy: Obama is the only major candidate who sup****ts tough, direct
presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions. Now is the time to
pressure Iran directly to change their troubling behavior. Obama would
offer
the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and
sup****t for terrorism, we will offer incentives like member****p in the
World
Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal
diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will
step
up our economic pressure and political isolation. Seeking this kind of
comprehensive settlement with Iran is our best way to make progress.
What's more, as Michael Goldfarb at The Weekly Standard noted on May 10,
Obama was asked in last year's YouTube debate (emphasis mine):
[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during
the first year of your administration, in Wa****ngton or anywhere else,
with
the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to
bridge the gap that divides our countries?
Obama's response (emphasis mine):
I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not
talking
to countries is punishment to them - which has been the guiding diplomatic
principle of this administration - is ridiculous.
(h/t e-mail tipster David Anasco)
-Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
--
"I understand MSNBC has suspended Mr. Imus," Obama told ABC News, "but I
would also say that there's nobody on my staff who would still be working
for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group.
And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude."
April 11 2007 B.Hussein Obama
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