Media play meteorologists, baselessly forecast "clouds" for Obama because of Blagojevich scandal

[DeepModem Mom]

Media Matters for America: Media play meteorologists, baselessly forecast "clouds" for Obama because of Blagojevich scandal
Sun, Dec 14, 2008
Eric Boehlert and Jamison Foser

In the absence of any actual allegations of wrongdoing by President-elect Barack Obama or his staff in connection with the scandal involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), several media figures have in recent days ominously asserted that a "cloud" hangs over Obama because of the Blagojevich scandal, or that the scandal threatens to cast a "cloud" over Obama's presidency.

As Media Matters for America noted, prosecutor and U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald stated during a December 9 press conference that the criminal complaint against Blagojevich "makes no allegations about the president-elect whatsoever -- his conduct," and Fitzgerald cautioned the press to "not cast aspersions on people for being named or being discussed or if you learn they're being interviewed." Indeed, as Media Matters has documented, the complaint against Blagojevich does not include a single allegation of misconduct by Obama, and at least one mention of "president-elect" in the complaint affirmatively undermines any suggestion of wrongdoing on Obama's part.

And yet, there are numerous examples of media repeating the "CLOUD" cliché, even while, in some cases, acknowledging there is no evidence that Obama has done anything wrong. For example:

In a report that aired during the December 11 editions of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight and CNN's The Situation Room, reporter Drew Griffin asserted: "We already knew President-elect Obama was appalled. We already knew he wants Governor Blagojevich to resign. That hanging CLOUD is what he or his team or anyone representing him knew about the deals that at least the governor allegedly thought he was cooking up with the president-elect's administration."

During the December 10 broadcast of the CBS Evening News, reporter Dean Reynolds said: "A dark CLOUD hung over Chicago this morning as Governor Rod Blagojevich made his way to work. And longtime observers of the political climate here wonder whether that shadow will fall on Barack Obama."

During the December 9 edition of The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer stated: "President-elect Obama says he is saddened by the scandal in his home state. Will it cast a CLOUD, though, over his early days in the White House?"

During the December 11 edition of CBS' The Early Show, CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer asserted that Obama must "give every detail of what they talked about, when they talked about, and what the circumstances of that were. The president-elect cannot start a new administration with any kind of a CLOUD hanging over him."

During the 3 p.m. ET hour of the December 10 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Norah O'Donnell asserted: "I understand that the Obama team is essentially huddled behind closed doors today trying to figure out how to respond to all of this. Does this really kind of cast a CLOUD over what has been a pretty fast-moving transition team with their rolling out their cabinet? Has this essentially been a big speed bump?"...

During the December 12 edition of MSNBC's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, MSNBC contributor Pat Buchanan asserted: "I disagree with (Democratic strategist) Bob Shrum to this extent. I think there's a real CLOUD developing over the Obama team. You've got three top advisers -- Valerie Jarrett, (David) Axelrod, and Rahm Emanuel -- whom you would think would be in touch or might be in touch with the governor about this -- who's going to replace -- who's going to replace Barack Obama in the Senate."...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200812140004?f=h_latest

[uponit7771]

1. If the treat Obama like this when they've done the RIGHT thing and it's OBVIOUS just think what they

...will do when someone in the Obama admin does somethin stupid like most people would

[Triana]

2. The only CLOUDS over Obama are the ones the MEDIA created.

I H8 the damn lame$tream media!