CNN Takes the lead in Debunking McCain / Palin Lies in Back-to-back reports:

Obama wants to teach sex to kindergarteners? Lie.

Palin opposed the Bridge to Nowhere? Lie.

Palin hasn’t taken earmarks as Governor? Lie.

Alaska produces 20% of America’s energy? Lie.

Palin visited Iraq and Ireland? Lie.

From Darrel West:

Despite these historical precedents, the 2008 campaign has reached all-time lows in the use of misleading and inaccurate political appeals. Even Karl Rove, the architect of negative ads in previous campaigns, has complained about the tenor of this year’s campaign.

And:

And:

This imbalance has caused some soul-searching and second-guessing in newsrooms as reporters realize they are being successfully manipulated by the McCain campaign. “Stop the madness,” said TIME’s own Mark Halperin in an appearance on CNN to discuss the controversy. “I think this is the press just absolutely playing into the McCain campaign’s crocodile tears.”

By the weekend, many news organizations had mounted a backlash of their own, running prominent pieces accusing the self-branded “straight-talking” McCain of deceiving voters. “The ‘Straight-Talk Express’ has detoured into doublespeak,” announced the Associated Press, while the New York Times blared, “McCain Barbs Stirring Outcry as Distortions.”

And:

The backlash has not yet had an impact on voters’ perceptions of McCain’s credibility, though with the press emboldened, that could change.

And from CNN’s Report on this morning’s Palin-POW-wow in Ohio:

Palin’s claims aren’t exactly accurate: Obama would maintain the Bush tax cuts and offer tax breaks to individuals making under $250,000 a year. According to the non-partisan Center for Tax Policy, Obama’s tax plan would offer greater tax relief than McCain’s for low and middle-income earners, but McCain’s plan would lower the tax burden more across the board.

And this from TIME:

In the heat of a campaign, Schmidt understood that outrage could cut through the news clutter like a buzz saw. It didn’t matter much if the outrage was fueled by fact — better if it was fueled by emotion, which would tweak the fury of his base, leading to exciting exchanges on cable television and fresh chatter around the watercooler. Unlike health care or foreign policy, the emotional charge of outrage has a magnetic effect; voters are forced to take sides and respond, shifting the debate.

Now, four years later, Schmidt and the McCain campaign have returned to outrage, and there is little doubt that the tactic is again having the desired effect.

MSNBC Lets McCain off the Hook

Reporters forgo their journalistic responsibilities to have a POW-wow with Mike Murphy and John McCain:

“t.F.o.o.E.a.S.’ - say it 16 times after me!

Now, cross your fingers, and hope it comes true!

NYTimes Caucus Blog continues to focus on Puff Pieces while Economy Reels, and Elected Leaders Get Let Off the Hook

Biggest Economic Melt Down Since the Great Depression:

Meanwhile - let’s see what the NYTimes Politics Caucus Blog is covering:

NYTimes’ Caucus Blog has a long history of putting Puff at the top of the Page fold:

And:

‘Without the help, A.I.G. was expected to be forced to file for bankruptcy protection.’

In return, the Fed will receive warrants, which give it an ownership stake. All of A.I.G.’s assets will be pledged to secure the loan, these people said.

The Fed’s action was disclosed after Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson and Ben S. Bernanke, president of the Federal Reserve, went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday evening to meet with House and Senate leaders. Mr. Paulson called the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, about 5 p.m. and asked for a meeting in the Senate leader’s office, which began about 6:30 p.m.

The Federal Reserve and Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase had been trying to arrange a $75 billion loan for A.I.G. to stave off the financial crisis caused by complex debt securities and credit default swaps. The Federal Reserve stepped in after it became clear Tuesday afternoon that the banking consortium would not be able to complete the deal.

Without the help, A.I.G. was expected to be forced to file for bankruptcy protection.

Outstanding back-to-back editorials by one right-leaning, and one left-leaning NYTimes columnist:

I would have more sympathy for this view if I hadn’t just lived through the last eight years. For if the Bush administration was anything, it was the anti-establishment attitude put into executive practice.

According to the study: “The McCain plan will force millions of Americans into the weakest segment of the private insurance system — the nongroup market — where cost-sharing is high, covered services are limited and people will lose access to benefits they have now.”

And:

You would think that with some of the most venerable houses on Wall Street crumbling like sand castles right before our eyes, we’d be a little wary about spreading this toxic formula even further into the health care system.

But we’re not even paying much attention.

Updated:

In the Collins / Brooks Campaign Conversations today Brooks Gives fresh insight to the column;

At about 4 p.m. yesterday, I was working on an entirely different column when it struck me somehow that it was a total embarrassment. So I switched gears and wrote the one I published. I have no idea why I thought the first one was so bad — I was too close to it to have an objective view. But I reread it today and I was right. It was garbage. I’m not sure I would have had that instinctive sense yesterday if I hadn’t been struggling at this line of work for a while.

Alaskan Radio Host Releases Contact Details of Organizers On Air and Encourages Retaliation

Reprehensible on air remarks from Eddie Burke cause radio suspension:

Anchorage AM radio host Eddie Burke has been suspended after broadcasting the phone numbers of women involved in organizing a protest rally against Sarah Palin over the weekend, his station manager said Monday.

In a statement, KBYR-AM 700 station manager Justin McDonald said broadcasting the numbers last week was “breaking station policy.” Burke will be suspended for one week without pay, he said.

“Though I do not agree with some of the comments he made, as a licensee, we attempt to respect everyone’s First Amendment rights, including Eddie Burke’s, our listeners’ and our nonlisteners’,” McDonald’s statement said. “That does not mean I condone inciting violence or harm in any way to people wanting to voice their opinions with peaceful protest.”

MSNBC, for all their ‘liberal bias’ is probably worse than Fox News when it comes to calling out the McCain Campaign on their lying ads.

Watch as Chuck Todd, Joe Scarborough, Andrea Mitchell, Mika Brzezinski waste their air time and platform struggling to find the perfect sports metaphor to describe the McCain Campaign’s spin;

Watch Joe Scarborough and Peggy Noonan intimidate Andrea Mitchell into backing off from her honest reaction;

Mitchell; “It’s all made up.’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cnq6J7GJ9U