The fact check brigade frustrated the lefties again last night by finding flaws on both sides. The left-wing media critic handbook at “Media Matters for America” suggests that only conservatives make errors, and finding an error or two on each side gives the misleading perception that liberals make errors. Both ABC and CNN suggested crumbling patience on Kerry’s claim that Bush fired Gen. Shinseki for speaking out.
On CNN, Wolf Blitzer said “You’d think after all these times that John Kerry makes that claim about General Shinseki being forced to retire, not a correct claim, somebody would have told him he’s got to reword his, the way he utters that so-called fact.” On ABC, Jake Tapper said, “That is incorrect and Senator Kerry must know this by now – it’s been pointed out on fact checks all over the country. But General Shinseki, who was the Army Chief of Staff, announced his retirement in 2002. He did not make his controversial remarks until 2003, so the idea that he left the military because of the remarks is just not a fact.”
With Bush, both Tapper and CNN’s Bill Schneider harped on Bush for suggesting “75 percent” of al-Qaeda has been brought to justice. They insisted the numbers are pre-9/11 numbers and far too nebulous to pretend to be precise about. Certainly the media have never wanted to project the idea that Bush has had measurable success putting the kibosh on terror.