Uh oh, someone is feeling a little threatened by Cliff Schecter’s new book, The Real McCain. Perhaps it’s a little too close for comfort for Grampa McSame to have someone in the media actually not falling over themselves to paint him as the lovable curmudgeon or buying him doughnuts. A prominent paper in the UK has killed a feature they were going to run on Cliff and The Real McCain after McCain’s team was contacted for a comment and they proceeded to smear Cliff as “unstable.”
The journalist in question asked not to be identified so as to not face any problems from the paper in question. But I did confirm that the story was killed based on a conversation with McCain’s staff. From the email received by the journalist at the newspaper:
They told me that first that this was all off the record, that (Cliff Schecter was) a super liberal with a hate streak, known to make outlandish comments like this and not a reliable source. Then they said that they would prefer that we didn’t go with anything, just to protect the Senator’s image from false information. Because this was just a crazy, gossipy piece of journalism anyway.
I then asked for a quote for the article, as my editor needed something from them. They said, “Well, I know you aren’t going to like this” and with a little almost smirk from them: “This book is just tabloid trash,” said Crystal Benton, a spokeswoman for the McCain campaign. “The fact that it is even being reported speaks to the sad state of journalism today.”
Actually, the fact that this stuff NEVER gets reported speaks to the sad state of journalism today, but it’s typical Republican logic to twist that around. There’s no question that McCain would prefer that this information stay private, why would he be happy that people know he gets into fistfights with colleagues and calls his wife vulgar names? But Cliff’s book is hardly full of false information. All the revelations inside have been confirmed and further, many were available from various other news reports over the years, but as is the sad state of journalism today, hardly focused on and never pulled together into one compendium.
But the official quote given to the paper is the kicker. That’s a dogwhistle to anyone in the industry that calls their credibility into question if they run the story. That’s some cagey work, a non-denial denial of facts and yet guaranteed to make any editor reluctant to run the piece.
But this is also why it’s so important for us to support our progressive community. We know that the media is loathe to break past the little narratives they’ve created, so it’s up to us to make sure books like The Real McCain get noticed. The higher up it goes on the booklists, the harder it is to ignore and the more likely we’ll see more of that famous McCain temperament if journalist actually start asking him about information from the book. It’s a win-win for our side.
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Perhaps they should just run to faux news so they can have an in-depth discussion of the topic with Hannity, KKKarl Rove, and the toe-sucking Morris.
toe sucking morris 1.5 million in back taxes…. LOL
the mccain thugs and media whores are only giving schecter more publicity and press.
remember when fauxNoise tried to sue al franken over ‘lying liars’? let’s hope the same happens to cliff.
hat tip: the mccain/bush hug as a cover is perfect.
Let the Swift Boating begin.
I don’t see how McConfederacy’s behavior during the Civil War is off limits for journalistic review.
The irony is that they are accusing a paper that runs an article about Mr. Schecter’s book of tabloid journalism, YET you’d think a respectable journalism outlet would have investigated for itself the claims McCain’s people made against Mr. Schecter and not taken their word for it.
Fortunately I get my news from a far more reliable source than the MSM
*throws chicken bones on the floor*
Oh, I see the Media will hand McCain a victory in the GE rather than do their jobs because their corporate masters would rather have them not rock the boat. Good work chicken bones.
What are the libel laws in the UK…. Don’t the Brits have fact checkers, so they can confirm Cliff’s claims?
Cliff Schecter is the last person the McCainiac’s wanna go after. He’ll whoop ‘em upside the head so fast they won’t know what hit ‘em.
McShameless
“Grrrrr! Dont let this book ruin the horserace my friends!”
—McSprinkes
wow, tell me that trick isn’t pure Karl Rove.
Wow, guilt the paper into not running a story by questioning the veracity of someone. Awesome, and it worked is the best part.
No wonder the press is so freaking scared. They are more worried about what a politician will think about them.
BLOGGERS ARE THE NEW 4TH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT! DON’T FORGET IT!
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Tabloid trash…?
They most certainly don’t mean FOXPRAVDA …NO?
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Ebittered @ 11:
I prefer calling them Foxaganda.
I bought mine this weekend. It’s a fast, engaging read. I found myself saying “I did not know that…” several times.
The book is very inexpensive. I encourage you to buy one, read it, pass it along to your conservative friends and family members, noting your favorite substantiated fact.
Better yet, at about $12 a pop, buy more than one.
Does the book go into how many Depends per day he uses? Does he need multiple naps like Reagan? Does he get an AARP discount when he flies charter? Will the American People have to pay for “leaning” limousines?…handicap bars in the WH Master Bath?…a “Clapper” in the Lincoln bedroom?
Wait wait wait! Since when did a UK paper give a rats ass about what kind of smear they get from America?
#12 @ Dr.
That’s what they practice…
.
Wow - C&L is all McCain - All the time!!
Nothing more interesting than a non-candidate’s story!
Does anyone think the repubs stand a snow balls chance in HELL of holding the WH?? And of those how many beleive in the Tooth Fairy?
er…
I meant,
That’s what they catapult…
.
emphasa @ 15:
You’d think! But we don’t know what the McCain staff said. And we only have one Brit staffer willing to give a clue about the reasons for killing the story. There’s got to be more here?
I knew the Tooth Fairy…the Tooth Fairy was a friend of mine….
“the mccain thugs and media whores are only giving schecter more publicity and press.”
Hmmm, I read it here first!
What does that mean?
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Hea Levi, did you sign it?
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“This book is just tabloid trash,” said Crystal Benton, a spokeswoman for the McCain campaign. “The fact that it is even being reported speaks to the sad state of journalism today.”—
Damn, I could do better than that. I need to get a job there.
Before I get bitter.
Levi @ 17:
We are unapologetically liberal in our slant and committed to seeing a Democrat in the White House. Unfortunately, because of the cozy relationship McCain has cultivated with the media, the public by and large views McCain as an independent instead of the conservative Republican promising us a 3rd Bush term that he is. Because of the false meme propagated in the media, a McCain/Rice ticket was recently polled as more favorable than a Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket.
That’s why we’re doing this. We want to get this information out. We’re hoping that you send it to everyone of your friends who says “McCain seems okay” and “if my candidate doesn’t get the nomination, I’m voting for McCain.”
donviti @ 10:
The theory of a Karl Rove tactic was the first thing that came to my mind too.
So is McDonut running for president in the US or the UK? Why does a paper in the UK give a rat’s ass what a candidate for president in the US’s campaign staff says?
It goes much deeper than propaganda and political opinion…the ‘Right’ knows that liberals are enemies of the US same as terrorists and commies. Anything is allowed for the ‘Right’ to fight and win their holy ‘wars’ and establish a fascist corporate oligarchy. That’s why blackmail and murder could be commonly allowed in battle against democracy by Republicans.
projection, the highest form of irony, i do believe.
“Mentally Unstable”
Actually I’m surprised the Neocons Gestapo already hasn’t engaged in a major cleansing of the American populace based upon the premise of the mentally unstable (anyone who isn’t like us).
dennis @ 23:
Then Mc100yearwar called her a “c*nt”.
Hell, now I gotta buy the book!
henry wallace @ 26:
Anyone who THINKS rather then falling in line and taking orders from idiots with rank is an enemy of the Right.
There’s so much out there in support of Chris’s book. McCain’s temper is well-known and there are many examples of it, even little Timmy Russert mentioned it on TV once.
It’s hard to believe that a British paper would kill the story just because McCain asked them to, or threatened them with libel, or whatever….
Myself I will not under any circumstances “obey” and order or instruction I know is WRONG or self serving to the person giving the order.
I don’t care who doesn’t like that.
After the smearing he took in 2000 for being “unstable”, where does mcpoopy-pants get off smearing someone else as unstable?
Of course where else are you going to find poopies than in a stable?
Leslie @ 6–
The problem is the libel situation in the UK.
You can be sued for libel or slander in the UK for printing or saying pretty much anything.
Whether the suit has merit or not has no bearing on the fact that you will have to defend yourself in a court of law if you publish “questionable” quotations or accusations.
Court defense is expensive, and the paper will not be bringing in enough extra readers by publishing a piece on the US candidate most likely to lose to warrant the expense of the inevitable McSame lawsuit.
It’s merely a matter of risk/reward, and the story never made it past legal review.
I am buying several copies. The new power is the old consumerism beefed up with Progressive values. Screw McCain, Clinton and the rest of the real elitist (and their msm minions)!
My copy of Cliff’s book arrived from AMAZON last night.
It’s actually a good read.
comsympinko @ 35:
Yes, that’s what I’ve heard.
Nicole Belle @ 24:
Right you are Nicole.Unfortunately because of the endless spin and smears and media nonsense,McCain stands a very good chance at the top slot.I can’t-don’t want to- imagine another even crankier version of Bush in the W.H.
This incident continues the time-honored tradition of the MSM pouncing on ANY negative story about a Democrat, no matter how trivial or suspect, with guns blazing, while backing away from almost all similar stories about Republicans — no matter how significant and well-sourced. Why? In large part, because the Republicans bite back with a vengeance, bare their brass knuckles, and threaten retaliation; our guys, not so much. But it’s also about the GOP being the favored party of Corporate American and its Corporate Media.
Non elitists only read “My Pet Goat” and don’t bother to read such intellectual tripe such as intelligence reports entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike In The United States”.
Already ordered my copy. Some day my grandchildren will have to write a paper on the Republican Right years and why America went crazy for a while. They will have access to the facts from all the books I’ve bought over the last 15 years.
41 Liberal AND Proud Says: Non elitists only read “My Pet Goat” and don’t bother to read such intellectual tripe such as intelligence reports entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike In The United States”.
I get Barely Legal, and don’t claim to read it.
His minions? I wonder who his minions are aside from one or two button men on loan from his wifes father. “Some day, and that day may never come, you will be asked to do a service for your don”.
What’s that saying? Oh, yeah,
Attack the messenger!
All these “liberal” “journalists” are just shameless.
I’ve been so frustrated over the MSM’s extensive coverage of the “bitter” Obama statement while ignoring of the Bushco torture meeting. WAR CRIMES get no coverage? WTF? WTF*ckityF*ckF*ckF*ck?!
Worthless!
Thanks for the heads up - bought some books for friends in the US plus one form amazon.uk for a firend in London. Wierd note - Amazon UK selling a paperback version dated March 2008 but cites a hardback version dated September 2007. I hope Cliff was able to add 6 months of info in the new version.
What Sen. McCain needs is a good court case. It is about time all of the information about him comes out as a matter of public record. He needs to sue away before the GE. Let it all hit the papers. Let the public read all about his skeletons as they are.
And the beautiful part is that the MSM couldn’t spin it away. McCain would be even more tarnished than what a book could do. And it would be like falling on one’s sword.
I feel an urge to let out a Lewis Black scream about now.
I have relatives in the AZ area and they all agree that McCain’s temper is a very serious problem. Apparently when one of my relatives was at a fund raising event for him about 20 years ago in Phoenix, his wife did something minor (she doesn’t remember what it was) and he completely flew off the handle at her. My relative said that he just lost it.
We don’t need this boy close to the button if you ask me.
He did Jake. It orginally got delayed when McCain was tanking in the primaries, and he updated it as soon as it was obvious McCain had “come back”.
otoh- Why is MSNBC doing “Live Coverage” of the Poop arriving in the US. Talk about a non-story.
My two copies are in the mail….But it will be nice to see how the MSM reacts. It’s only if we progs
drive up sales to the point where they will need to