Just in case you were wondering who the mainstream media wants to win the Presidential Election, recent coverage by NBC, ABC, CBS and the New York Times leaves little doubt. 

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Barack Obama is in Iraq and Afghanistan this week.  Yes, the man who has repeatedly called our military mission in Iraq a “failure”, and who, as recent as last week, reiterated that he intends to return our troops home in 16 months regardless of the situation on the ground, and who voted against the funding that our troops used to bring us to the brink of victory has finally found the time to make the trip and see for himself just how wrong he was.

Of course, that’s not why he went.  No, he went because he has a credibility problem.   You see his campaign pollsters figured out that he is weak on foreign policy and national defense, and that his position on the Iraq War is now laughable.  So, his campaign cooked up this trip to show that he’s in touch with what’s going on and to unveil his new strategy: that Afghanistan should have been priority one and that Iraq was only a diversion of resources.  That way he can continue to call for a troop withdrawal without looking like a total fool.  Will it work?   Only if the mainstream media ignores the fact that as chairman of an oversight committee on fighting Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, Barack failed to hold even one hearing on fighting Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan or that he voted against funding military operations there.   In other words: probably.

You see, the mainstream media is in the tank for Barack, and their coverage of this trip proves it.  Not only are NBC, CBS, and ABC giving round the clock coverage, all three networks sent their top news anchors over there to personally cover the trip.  Yes Brian Williams, Katie Couric and Charles Gibson are all traveling with Barack as he makes his way through Iraq and Afghanistan.  This means heavy promotion, heavy coverage and heavy fawning.  

Now, just to show that the media isn’t playing it straight here, John McCain has visited Iraq eight times with his most recent trip just this past spring.  Only you didn't know this because Brian Williams used only two sentences to report it during his “in other political news” segment.  So it seems that when Presidential Candidate John McCain visits Iraq and Afghanistan, its barely news, but when Presidential Candidate Barack Obama makes the trip, its time to roll out the red carpet, turn on the bright lights and parade out the stars.  Just watch the coverage this week and see for yourself: Williams, Couric and Gibson asking Barack none of the tough questions like: “do you realize that if George Bush followed your strategy in Iraq, it wouldn’t be safe enough for you to visit right now?”   Keep in mind that before John McCain last went to Iraq, he put it all on the line and predicted that the military surge would be a success.  He was a lone voice in support of President Bush’s strategy.  Now, just a couple of months later, he's been vindicated; the strategy worked, and McCain was right.  We’ve effectively defeated Al-Qeada in Iraq, the democracy is working and Iraq is free.  Seems newsworthy doesn’t it?    

Just to show that the television networks aren’t the only ones suffering from OOS (Obama Obsession Syndrome), the New York Times recently showed their true colors, again.  Barack Obama wrote an editorial last week outlining his strategy to withdraw our troops from Iraq in 16 months (once again, I can’t go any further without commenting how ridiculous this strategy is because A. we are on the brink of victory and leaving now will reverse all of the progress we’ve made, and B. telling your enemies the exact date you will be leaving is just about the worst military strategy conceivable)   Anyway, the Times was thrilled that Obama would detail his strategy in their paper and published it.  That’s great except Matt Drudge is now reporting that John McCain submitted an editorial to the very same New York Times this week detailing his strategy for a complete victory in Iraq and guess what?  The New York Times refused to publish McCain’s editorial.  New York Times Op-Ed editor David Shipley informed McCain’s campaign of his decision: “It would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain that mirriors Senator's Obama's piece.  I am not going to be able to accept this piece as currently written.  I'd be be pleased to look at another draft."  Shouldn't the Times jump at the chance to have the two top candidates square off in their paper.  After all, that means more readers and isn’t that what the newspaper business is all about?  It used to be.  Tucker Bounds, a McCain campaign spokesman, issued this statement: “John McCain believes that victory in Iraq must be based on conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables. Unlike Barack Obama, that position will not change based on politics or the demands of the New York Times.”  Now you know why the New York Times is a financial mess: zero credibility and all of the news that fits their agenda.

Poor John McCain.  Other than the late night comedians making fun of his age, he is having trouble getting any coverage these days.  I mean what does a guy have to do to get some attention around here: surrender in Iraq, give driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, refuse to drill domestically for oil, raise our taxes?  Looks like all of the above my friends…all of the above.

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