Friday, March 20, 2009

the problem with criticizing someone without the facts - you just look like a partisan hack

Meghan McCain Knocks Obama For Going On Leno (And Gets Her Facts Wrong)

The McCain family remains a tough one for the president to win over.

Half an hour or so before Barack Obama's interview on the Tonight Show was set to air on the East Coast, he was already getting criticism from Meghan McCain, daughter of John.

"Hmmm," McCain tweeted, "maybe the president shouldn't go on Leno and talk about basketball and instead explain to me how those morons at AIG got bonuses..."

Perhaps Meghan shouldn't have been so impatient with her critiques. Obama's appearance on the show was remarkably wonky for the forum. Indeed, the main topic of discussion was the very issue -- AIG -- that Meghan McCain was knocking Obama for avoiding.

As the New York Time's write-up noted: "most of the discussion was devoted -- perhaps for the first time in the show's history -- to in-depth discussions of tax policy, as well as macroeconomics and finance. And there was a reassurance from the president that the American people 'should have complete confidence in the banks,' and should not be putting their money 'in their mattresses.'"

The Tonight Show transcript finds Obama referencing AIG no less than 7 times.

(Huffington Post)