Greens for Greens â„¢

Over at The Nation — where few ever grasp anything — Ari Melber demonstrates (by omission) why it matters that readers be informed and not trust The Nation.  The mag that called Hillary out on a vote she missed . . . due to Bill having heart surgery, offers Ari’s wet dreams of “Why Obama’s Win Is Bigger Than You Think” which takes Hillary to task for spending $7 million of her campaign money.  How much did Obama spend?  Melber’s not interested in saying. $9 million.  Doesn’t fit with the spin Ari wants to blow out his butt so it doesn’t make his blog post.  He’s not really a reporter (real ones don’t work for that rag), so let’s turn to a real reporter. 

 

Amy Goodman: I think one big difference, Ellen Chesler [cross talk] I think one big difference and I think this has certainly been brought out is that Barack Obama said he was opposed to the illegal war from the beginning and of course Senator Clinton voted for it. 

 

See the problem?  Obama tells Monica Davey (New York Times, July 26, 2004) he doesn’t know how he would have voted if he’d been in the Senate.  Two years later, he’s telling David Remnick (The New Yorker) he doesn’t know how he would have voted.  Why is Amy Goodman not noting that or the fact that, until the summer of 2007, he voted for every authorization?  Why is she noting in the segment that Hillary Clinton’s campaign offices have been occupied by peace activists but not noting that Barack’s have as well?  Shouldn’t Wayne Ford have been asked about that?

 

Hillary’s a War Hawk.  That’s who she is and needs to be pointed out.  So is Barack Obama.  And these attempts to shield the public from reality may be part of what a political party does (or tries to) but it’s not reality and has no place in journalism.  Ari thinks it’s cute to call Hillary out for her millions spent in Iowa while ignoring how much money Obama spent (like he thought it was cute to call her out for missing a vote when Bill was having surgery).  Glen Ford and Bruce Dixon (Black Agenda Report) have repeatedly pointed out that Hillary and Barack are siamese twins.  So it’s not impossible to report the truth. And it’s not impossible to give readers, viewers, listeners the information and trust them to make their own decisions. 

 

Ellen Chesler, speaking for Clinton’s campaign, needs to get her act together.  Stating that Obama wasn’t in the Senate isn’t telling the full story.  Obviously, Goodman isn’t going to bring up the illegal war with Barack’s supporter Wayne Ford.  Rebecca, back when Obama was lying on stage and hitting Edwards with Edwards’ 2002 vote, made the point that Obama needed to be challenged on that nonsense.  Obviously the press isn’t going to do that (maybe Big Media, but not Little), so any supporter needs to drive the reality home.  [Note, the transcript at DN! is currently wrong.  Amy Goodman, not Ellen Chesler, says, "Well, let me put the question to Danny Glover.  Do you think John Edwards has the same position as Obama, as Clinton, on the war?"]

 

This isn’t minor.  The war was a question for Chesler and for Danny Glover (speaking for John Edwards’ campaign).  For Obama?  Wayne Ford wasn’t asked one word.  If you’re not seeing the problem, you’re lying to yourself.  A bit like the lie being spread that “Obama’s a closet socialist, hop on board, he’s big time left, he just can’t say so.”  He’s not and he’s not left.  Do we want a War Hawk in the White House, as the US moves to the wars to Africa, who can lie to the camera and say, “Oh, my father was from Kenya, this is a just war, don’t even ask me that!”