CNN International "fact-checks" the debate

This afternoon, CNN International ran a short "fact-checking" segment that purported to correct some of the misstatements made during Thursday's debate.  In their quest for a mythical "balance" between the candidates, they mentioned two "misleading statements" for each, along with the correct information.  

How do you think they did?  Please check the extended comments for a description of CNN's commentary.

According to CNN International:

Kerry's misleading statements -

1. He claimed that it would take Russia 13 years at the current pace to secure its nuclear materials, and that he would get the job finished in just 4 years.  Here, CNN fudged and said that 4 years was "optimistic" and would be difficult to achieve without Russia's cooperation.  Uh, OK...so is that really a misstatement?

2. He claimed that while Bush was occupied in Iraq, North Korea had developed nuclear weapons.  In reality, N. Korea already had some nuclear weapons, so he should have claimed that they had "increased" their nuclear weapons, instead of having "developed" them.

Bush's misleading statements -

1. He claimed that funding for securing nuclear material had been increased by 35% during his term.  The 35% increase referred to a program to handle waste nuclear material here in the US.  Unfortunately, the topic in the debate was nukes from the former Soviet Union.  This program has had only a 9% increase in funding, and that was done at the initiative of Congress, without the President's input or direction.

2. He claimed that having bilateral talks with N. Korea would destroy the current 6-party talks in progress.  CNN reserved their strongest comment for this statement: "that's just wrong."  China, Japan, and South Korea have all individually requested that the US engage in bilateral talks with N. Korea and are quite frustrated with the current US position.  
   

•  What about Poland

  I see they passed on the easiest fact-check.  Kerry was right when he said we went into Iraq with only Britain and Australia, and Bush was wrong for correcting him.  It was only afterwards that Poland joined in with actual troops.

  by DaveOinSF on Sat Oct 02, 2004 at 03:48:29 PM PDT

  •  No kidding

    Not only the Poland comment -- just about anything in regards to Iraq that came out of Bush's mouth.  Allawi's statements, Saddam "not disarming", and so many more.  

    Fact-checking Bush is "a target-rich environment"!  I think that CNN wanted to balance it out, and couldn't find jack that Kerry misstated, so they had to leave it with just two each.  Especially when you consider that they had to really reach for one of Kerry's statements, while the other one wasn't even a misstatement at all!

    Some have commented that CNN International is better than CNN in the US.  I don't know because I don't get CNN-US anymore - thank God.  The good and bad thing about CNN International is that it is CNN stripped of all the pundits and spinners, etc.  Their news reports are still the same old pablum, however.  This makes them simply excruciatingly boring to watch.  I much prefer BAND news for 24-hour news.

     

    by SLKRR on Sat Oct 02, 2004 at 03:57:11 PM PDT

•  Contact info

  Phone: [phone]  
  Fax: [phone]

  by Newsie8200 on Sat Oct 02, 2004 at 04:00:23 PM PDT

•  CNN International

  is actually not that bad. Over here we occasionally see CNN US and then it becomes clear what you guys are always bitching about. I wish I got the BBC though.

  North Korea was suspected of having enough material for one or two nukes as early as 1994 but most experts thought that it had not actually been weaponized. I believe their recent announcement that they have weaponized the material from the fuel rods is the first time we can be relatively certain that they are actually now a nuclear power joining the ranks of the US, Russia, Britain, France, China, Israel, India and Pakistan. In any case, it is at least arguable that North Korea was not a nuclear power before 2002-3.

   Thinking dangerous thoughts in the birthplace of democracy

  by Athenian on Sat Oct 02, 2004 at 04:09:33 PM PDT