Media Pushing GOP Spin on Iraq Filibuster

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Wednesday July 18, 2007 · 7:22 AM PDT

2007/07/18 · 07:22

If anyone wonders why the Dems don't do stuff like this more often, just look at how the GOP/Media Complex slants it. [UPDATE: Media Matters has noticed this, too.]

Reporters like the AP's Anne Flaherty and the NYT's Carl Hulse are more than happy to push the GOP framing of this issue as the unadorned truth. Follow me past the jump for examples and e-mail addresses to use.

First, here's the opening grafs of Flaherty's atrocity. Check this out:

Democrats stage all-night debate on Iraq

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer 32 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats made Republicans stand, talk and sit for marathon arguments against the protracted war in Iraq in an all-night session where the most eye-catching props were the beds brought in for the sleepy.

Republicans, indeed, responded with a yawn — agreeing to stay around as Tuesday turned to Wednesday and respond to any votes that might be scheduled even though they remained steadfast in their opposition to the Democrats' anti-war legislation.

"This is nonsense," said Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

Added Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., of his Democratic colleagues: "I bet I can stay up longer than they can."

The whole damn article is written that way. It's all about Those Silly Democrats And Those Nice Polite Republicans -- as opposed to highlighting the fact that the Republicans have been repeatedly blocking votes on Iraq withdrawal for months now.

Next up, Carl Hulse, pushing the myth that the GOP "moderates" are willing to break with Bush when (as TPM's Greg Sargent points out tartly) they've never ever voted against Bush on Iraq.

And here's the AP's Laurie Kellman, making sure that the GOP spin is in the first few grafs and the truth is buried waaaaaay at the end of her article (which most readers will skip).

Here's some contact information, courtesy of Media Matters. You know what to do. Be polite but firm; cussing at them just gives them an excuse to blow off our concerns and whine about "those meeeean internet people".

For Carl Hulse and the NYT:

The New York Times
Clark Hoyt, NY Times public editor
public@nytimes.com
New York Times
letters@nytimes.com
executive-editor@nytimes.com
managing-editor@nytimes.com

For Anne Flaherty's and Laurie Kellman's bosses at AP:

Associated Press
Associated Press

The Associated Press
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001

Main Number
+1-212-621-1500

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