John McCain

Nicolle Wallace Jabs Laura Ingraham Over Jeb Criticism: 'She Hates Everybody'
By Mark Finkelstein | March 31, 2015 | 9:31 AM EDT

On today's Morning Joe, liberal Republican Nicolle Wallace sought to slough off a Politico article reporting that Jeb Bush is losing the influential "Laura Ingraham primary." Claimed Wallace, who served as Jeb's press secretary when he was governor of Florida, Ingraham "hates everybody.  She always hates the Republicans more than the Democrats at this point, too."

Wallace even suggested that Ingraham's criticism of McCain [for whom Wallace also worked] and Romney contributed to their defeats: "will we ever wonder what effect that has in the outcome; both guys lost?  Do we think it's good to cheer down our own side? I just wish we spent as much time cheering against the Democrats."

Axelrod Book: Suckers! Obama Was Really For Same-Sex 'Marriage' in 2008
By Tom Blumer | February 10, 2015 | 3:28 PM EST

In a new book, Obama 2008 campaign manager and longtime Obama adviser David Axelrod reveals that, in the words of Zeke J. Miller at Time.com, "Barack Obama misled Americans for his own political benefit when he claimed in the 2008 election to oppose same sex marriage for religious reasons."

The subheadline at Miller's coverage calls it "A striking admission of political dishonesty from the keeper of the Obama flame." In my view, given that David Axelrod wouldn't make such an admission without permission, it's also a juvenile "Nyah-nyah, we fooled you, and you can't do anything about it!" taunt. Additional excerpts from Miller's article follow the jump (HT Michael Walsh at PJ Media; bolds are mine throughout this post):

MSNBC.com Omits Obama Defense Pick's Key Stumble in Testimony
By Ken Shepherd | February 4, 2015 | 3:54 PM EST

Covering Obama Defense Secretary nominee Ash Carter's Senate confirmation hearing today, MSNBC.com writer Zachary Roth painted a picture of a man who is gliding along smoothly into his post as the new Pentagon chief. But completely omitted from his story was any mention of Carter's rambling non-answer to Sen. John McCain's inquiry as to what Carter understands Obama administration strategy for defeating ISIS to be.

MSNBC Host Scolds McCain for Calling Anti-War Protesters 'Scum'
By Kyle Drennen | January 30, 2015 | 3:01 PM EST

Even as his fellow Morning Joe co-hosts praised John McCain on Friday for denouncing Code Pink anti-war protesters who attempted to disrupt a Senate hearing as "low-life sum," MSNBC's Thomas Roberts lectured the Republican Senator for shutting down the intruders: "If people want to show up and protest, right? They should be allowed to hear their voices. And instead of calling Capitol Hill police and then calling them 'low-life scum.'"

CBS’s Nancy Cordes Only Plays Up Split in GOP on Cuba; Frets Blockage of Ambassador
By Curtis Houck | December 19, 2014 | 11:16 AM EST

During the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley on Thursday, CBS News congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes reported on the continued response from members of Congress to the move by President Obama to normalize relations with Cuba, but chose to exclusively play up the split among those in the Republican Party on the issue. 

Cordes first focused on the many Republicans against the President’s decision, with soundbites from Republican Senators Marco Rubio (Fla.) and John McCain (Ariz.) and Congresswoman Ilena Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), but then made a point of pointing out that not all Republicans feel the same way.

Politico Discovers 'The Return of Mean John McCain'
By Tim Graham | October 31, 2014 | 10:02 AM EDT

Politico isn't holding back its tilt at the end of this campaign. Here's a headline: "The return of mean John McCain." Reporter Burgess Everett began: "Mean John McCain is back on the campaign trail."

Return to mean? Everett dug up AP bias from 2008: "He’s called fellow Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa a 'f——- jerk' and former Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, also of the GOP, an 'ass——' — just two examples from a 2008 Associated Press story about 'Senator Hothead.'”

CNN Lobbies McCain to 'Help the Administration Succeed' with ISIS Strategy
By Matthew Balan | September 11, 2014 | 7:07 PM EDT

On Thursday's New Day, CNN's Kate Bolduan hounded Senator John McCain to back President Obama's new strategy to combat the Islamist terrorist group ISIS and help him gain congressional support: "We talk about how you are a critic of the administration. But now that there is a strategy, Senator – now that there is going to be action...how are you going to help the administration succeed now in implementing this?"

Carney, McCain Engage in Epic Battle on CNN Over Obama's Handling of Iraq and ISIS
By Curtis Houck | September 11, 2014 | 2:28 AM EDT

After President Obama’s speech to the nation on Wednesday night, CNN brought on its newly-minted senior political commenator and former Obama White House press secretary Jay Carney and Republican Senator John McCain (Ariz.) to comment on what the President’s speech regarding U.S policy in dealing withy the Islamic terrorist group ISIS. However, the next eight minutes instantly evolved into a heated debate between the two over the President’s actions of withdrawing troops from Iraq early in his administration and whether that allowed a threat like ISIS to proliferate.

McCain Fires Back at Jon Stewart: 'Gets Away' With Being 'Absolutely Wrong;' Jabs Media
By Matthew Balan | July 21, 2014 | 4:02 PM EDT

On Sunday's Media Buzz, Senator John McCain brushed off Jon Stewart's latest blast at him over the Iraq War. Host Howard Kurtz wondered, "Is Jon Stewart fair to Republicans?" McCain bluntly answered, "No, but it doesn't matter really. He's a comedian." When Kurtz brought up Stewart's "sizable following among young people," the Republican contended that "he's a very entertaining and funny guy, but...when he says things...that are absolutely wrong, he gets away with it."

Earlier in the interview, the Fox News Channel host raised the conservative critique about the liberal media's deferential treatment of President Obama. Kurtz wondered if that was less true since his second inauguration: [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]

CBS Host Schieffer Wonders How Sens. McCain and Graham Deal With GOP During Immigration Crisis
By Jeffrey Meyer | July 6, 2014 | 2:56 PM EDT

CBS Face the Nation moderator Bob Schieffer attempted to create controversy within the Republican Party over the subject of immigration reform during a joint interview with Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) on Sunday, July 6. 

Schieffer lamented that an immigration bill hadn’t passed Congress and asked his Republican guests “how do you feel about being members of a body that won't act and a party on a crisis like this?” [See video below.]

McCain Spokesman Slams Chuck Todd's 'Liberal Bias' After NBC Reporter Mocks Senator on Open Mic
By Kyle Drennen | June 23, 2014 | 3:00 PM EDT

Just prior to President Obama's Thursday press conference on Iraq, NBC's chief White House correspondent and political director Chuck Todd was caught on an open mic joking that Republican Senator John McCain "must have had heart palpitations" after former general and CIA director David Petraeus seemed to back up President Obama's inaction during the crisis. Todd quipped: "Did anybody check John McCain? Is he okay now that David Petraeus came out against doing anything?"

In a statement to Business Insider on Friday, McCain communications director Brian Rodgers hit back at Todd: "It's not like further evidence was needed to prove the liberal bias at MSNBC and in the mainstream media, but Chuck Todd's 'hot mic' comments...show just how quickly the media will try and discredit Senator McCain and anyone who questions President Obama."

Sen. John McCain Stands Up To Liberal 'Morning Joe' Panel
By Laura Flint | June 13, 2014 | 3:45 PM EDT

The panelists of MSNBC’s Morning Joe got a little more than they were bargaining for when they brought Sen. John McCain on their June 13 program.

With the Arizona Republican making the case that the Obama administration was leaving Iraq in a hostile situation in which all of America’s past sacrifices “will have been made in vain,” both host Mika Brzezinksi and Sam Stein of the Huffington Post went above in their efforts to defend Obama’s decision to pull out of Iraq completely.[See video below. Click here for MP3 audio]