The NY Times asks if Obama is a socialist.

[Mass]

If anybody was still wondering whether the NYTimes was carrying the GOP agenda or not, this latest interview should give us an answer.

As has been reported these last few weeks, the GOP has stopped using the "liberal" attack and replaced it by a "socialist" attack. They have been calling the reforms proposed "socialist", and attacking leading Democrats as "socialists" even though only people who do not understand what socialism is could even ask themselves if anybody among the leading Democrats was even close to the European social-democracy, let alone full blow socialism.

However, we could have expected better from the paper of record "The New York Times", which the right continues to call a liberal newspaper.

Some of us have been questioning whether the Times, just as NBC or Time Magazine, was taking its questions directly from the GOP talking points emailed directly to them every morning.

The answer was given to us in this interview :eyes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/us/politics/08obama-text.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Obama’s Interview Aboard Air Force One
...

The first six weeks have given people a glimpse of your spending priorities. Are you a socialist as some people have suggested?

A. You know, let’s take a look at the budget – the answer would be no.
...

Seriously, a reporter from a leading paper in the nation is asking such a stupid question?

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/times-reporter-defends-asking-obama-if-hes-a-socialist/

Of course, both the Times and Newsweek justify the question by saying it led Obama to an interesting answer, but, seriously? How was Baker able to ask such a stupid question without laughing.:banghead:

[CJCRANE]

1. The NYT gave the game away

with that non-existant "scandal" about McCain and Ms Iseman.

It was a nothing-to-it story which actually helped McCain.

[WinkyDink]

13. I thought Judith Miller put paid to the "liberal"---or even "truthful"---myth.

[BridgeTheGap]

2. Obama must represent real change. If he didn't, they wouldn't be shouting this b.s.

Clearly, many of the "powers that be" don't like what he's trying to do.
They probably did the same thing to FDR.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Meh.

Reading the whole article, I really don't see the big deal. Especially given the follow-ups to that question.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. "Reading the whole article" is the key...

not just taking some blogger's word for it.

Speaking of "agendas"...

[Egalitariat]

4. I don't think it's a stupid question. It's an interview. Were there any other

questions where the answer is "no"? Are they stupid questions too.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. You do realize that...

there is this whole tribe, at least as large as the wingnuts on the other side, populated by people who have no idea that an interview including questions they don't like can still be a proper interview.

[Skink]

5. The mushroom cloud of socialism.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Oh, batshit-- why shouldn't a reporter ask...

the President, any President, to clear up a meme gaining popularity? The question was, if anything, PRO Obama by allowing him to answer the rightwing charges of socialism, communism, or any other dread -isms the wingnuts can come up with.

(RTFA-- Read The Fucking Article before commenting on it)

[Mass]

9. I read the article. Sorry, he did not answer any charges here. Nobody expected him to say Yes,

even if he had been a socialist (not that there would be something wrong there anyway, but he still would not answered yes).

The only reason to ask this question (aside from being a particularly inane interviewer asking questions for which everybody knows what the answer will be), is to repeat the meme. Sorry, I have to disagree with you on this.

[Mass]

10. Seems the White House agrees.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/03/09/obama_calls_back_reporters.html

Obama Calls Back Reporters
The audio of President Obama's phone call to New York Times reporters to explain why he dismissed a question about whether he was a socialist suggests the White House really doesn't want the term to stick.

Said Obama: "It was hard for me to believe that you were entirely serious about that socialist question."

Nonetheless, expect at least some Republicans to continue their strategy.

[indepat]

11. I seem to recall so much of the MSM querying if junior were a fascist

:P

[harun]

12. Yah, nobody asked if B*sh was a Nazi.

[Cha]

14. That's strange..I don't remember anyone

asking if gw bush was a fucking fascist.