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Sinking Couric retreads Obama fraud [VIDEO]

Posted by Evan Derkacz at 11:39 AM on April 16, 2007.


Not just debunked, but looong debunked...
couric obama

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After Katie Couric's (and CBS's) credibility took a nasty hit last week with the embarrassing Wall St. Journal plagiarism incident you'd think she (and they) would be obsessive about getting things right.

You'd be wrong.

In April 12's "Notebook," Couric asked: "Is America ready to elect a president who grew up praying in a mosque?" followed by a recitation of thoroughly debunked rumors about Barack Obama's youth (video, right -- courtesy MediaMatters):

COURIC: Hi, everyone. Is America ready to elect a president who grew up praying in a mosque?
Barack Obama has arguably the most diverse religious background of any candidate ever. He was raised in Indonesia by a Christian mother and Muslim stepfather and attended a Catholic school -- but while growing up, also studied Islam. That background sparked rumors that he had studied in a radical madrassa, or Quranic school -- rumors his campaign denied, declaring that Obama is now a practicing Christian. Last month, the Los Angeles Times interviewed people who grew up with Obama. "We prayed in the mosque," one of them said, "but not seriously," noting that Obama also prayed with his Catholic schoolmates.
It's too soon to know what America will decide about Barack Obama or his background, but it's not too soon to wonder if America will see that as an asset or a liability.
That's a page from my notebook. I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.
As Rachel Sklar notes, the transcript has since been changed:

In this case, the rumors were specifically false, meant to smear, and had been
totally disproven by CNN. In January. This is April.


CBS corrected the print version on the site, which now reads like so:
"Hi, everyone. Is America ready to elect a President whose connections with Islam were the subject of rumor and innuendo? Barack Obama has arguably the most diverse religious background of any candidate, ever. He was raised in Indonesia by a Christian mother and Muslim stepfather, and attended a Catholic school, but while growing up, also studied Islam. That background sparked rumors that he had studied in a radical madrassa, or Koranic school - rumors later disproved. Obama is now a practicing Christian."

Digg!

Tagged as: media, obama, election08, katie couric


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This is one of the reasons I don't watch TV
Posted by: Bruce Wilson on Apr 16, 2007 12:18 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
K.K. should know, as well, that retread smears like the Obama-Madrassa lie are dangerous for high speed news.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Just more of the "liberal" media...
Posted by: JoshuaLudd on Apr 16, 2007 12:33 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
... talking about "BarrakSaddamOsamabinterroristterroristterrorist!"

Either Katie is just letting anybody write what comes out of her idiotic mouth, or she is quite frankly just trying to take pot-shots at Obama for political purposes.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Just whose Notebook are you reading from this time?
Posted by: WRD69 on Apr 16, 2007 12:48 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Who told you to recite this story, Katie Couric?

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Cypher
Posted by: dredge on Apr 16, 2007 12:57 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This automaton is pretty amazing. Katie's been quite the obedient company gal for NBC..now, for CBS. Or maybe she's a freelancer. Regardless, this is beyond the pale in terms of outright smear. If this kind of debunked story is 4 month old and she is trotting it out again, seems willfull and I'd consider charging her with slander if I was Obama..Or, I'd go on her program and rip her a new one. Time for empty vessel to leave the airwaves.

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Chanbed transcripts are JUST LIES!!!!
Posted by: JoshuaLudd on Apr 16, 2007 12:57 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
How do you get a job playing Winston Smith for these networks... going in to change broadcasts of the past to suit the new reality corporate Big Brother wants the world to believe in? What is the point of changing these transcripts except to cover their own asses so that those who didn't see the broadcast will never have any idea what was really said?

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What a relief to hear...
Posted by: Chickensh*tEagle on Apr 16, 2007 1:26 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...that he doesn't beat his wife anymore! ;-)

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Horror of horrors ... a candidate that has been exposed
Posted by: shanaza on Apr 16, 2007 1:55 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
to other religions, has worshiped with others and has even studied them. OMG, everyone knows - anything not Christian must be evil. I don't think the US could tolerate a critical thinker.

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When are you Obama fans going to wake up?
Posted by: xbj on Apr 16, 2007 1:55 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
When are you going to realize that Obama is being funded by the GOP because they know damn well that the older white Americans THAT VOTE will never elect a black man to the White House in 2008 OR 2012?

When are you going to realize that the Rove has hand-picked Obama as his ace-in-hole Nader spoiler of 2008?

The GOP is DESPERATELY AFRAID that Hillary will become the Democratic candidate, because she represents a return to the years of sanity, worldwide respect, and PEACETIME prosperity (despite what she says to keep AIPAC off her back; you actually have to WIN OFFICE before you can do the right thing.) Only a small majority of small-minded intolerant bigoted Americans EVER turned on Clinton.

WAKE UP! Let Obama be Vice President, get in, learn the gig, and win over those older white American voters.

If Obama should win the nomination, we WILL ABSOLUTELY have another Nazi GOP President in 2008. And not an anti-war GOP candidate, either.

Maybe Katie and CBS realize this AND YOU OBAMA FANS DON'T?

You've obviously never looked at the median age and race of the overwhelming majority of US voters...

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» adjust Posted by: brasilaron
» RE: adjust Posted by: xbj
» RE: adjust Posted by: Lauren
» RE: adjust Posted by: theairboater
» Obama fan? Moi? Posted by: Chickensh*tEagle
» RE: Obama fan? Moi? Posted by: xbj
» RE: Obama fan? Moi? Posted by: Chickensh*tEagle
» RE: Obama fan? Moi? Posted by: xbj
» RE: Obama fan? Moi? Posted by: Chickensh*tEagle
» RE: Obama fan? Moi? Posted by: xbj
» You're right again! Posted by: Chickensh*tEagle
» RE: You're right again! Posted by: Chickensh*tEagle
» Damned unbecoming fracus. NM Posted by: Bbear41
You people are paranoid
Posted by: Mojoe on Apr 16, 2007 2:21 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Seriously.

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» You're incredibly naive. Posted by: JoshuaLudd
One More Bad Book
Posted by: NoPCZone on Apr 16, 2007 8:29 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If Couric's May Sweeps suck she will be out of the Anchor chair before the fall. The guy running CBS News and the guy running CBS Corporation are very hard nosed business types.

The chick is grabbing at straws. Russ Mitchell will hopefully get the shot he deserves.

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Good Bye Katie!
Posted by: mebadgett on Apr 17, 2007 12:48 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This editorial should be her "Swan Song"!

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» RE: Swan song? Posted by: Chickensh*tEagle
Lighten up, guys!
Posted by: goldmarx on Apr 17, 2007 6:18 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
..after all, CBS just fired Imus, so all's right with the world. Cut 'em some slack, okey dokey?

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Shades of Dan Rather! I'll be Don Imused
Posted by: marcella317 on Apr 17, 2007 10:45 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Isn't Ms. Couric a good friend of Hillary Clinton?

Plagurism and spreading rumors known to be false. Maybe CBS should continue it's spring house cleaning and send her out to be laundered with Don Imus.

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frank67
Posted by: frank67 on Apr 17, 2007 3:48 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I do not waste my time watching CBS, NBC, ABC, FAUX, Or any other "network" news. Local news for local weather - that's it! I DON'T SUPPORT THE CORPORATE MEDIA!

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» RE: frank67 Posted by: SALLY EVANS
THIS IS SOOO LAME!
Posted by: thetruth07 on Apr 17, 2007 7:53 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Wasn't this story already reported months ago? CBS is so lame what was the purpose? What's really going on? I guess its no news like OLD news!

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