WMUR CloseUP: Did we catch Josh McElven in a lie? - Granite Grok

WMUR CloseUP: Did we catch Josh McElven in a lie?

New WMUR logoThis week’s CLOSEUP had a couple of tidbits in it that I just went “really”?  For instance, in his first interview, with Hillary Clinton, he had the chance to put her under the journalistic microscope with a follow up question.  No, not a CNBC type gotcha type – but just good journalism.  Result?

The question was about the Benghazi hearing – wrapped up?  She went on about the ARB results and all but deflected from giving a “whole truth and nothing but the truth” type answer.  Now, Josh McElven is supposed to be a good TV journalist – SURELY he was following the hearings – and must have reviewed the highlights (been all over the blogosphere, bub) of which one was where Congressman Jim Jordan brought up the emails where by she talked about it being an attack with her family and a couple of Prime Ministers, and then said it was a video to the family members of the murdered four and to the American public (reformatted):

At a House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing Thursday, Rep. Jim Jordan introduced e-mails that show then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya terrorism to family and the Egyptian prime minister.  Jordan then questioned why she told Americans the Benghazi attack was a response to an infamous YouTube clip mocking Muslims but e-mailed it was a terrorist attack to the Egyptian prime minister and family.  “You can tell the Egyptian prime minister it’s a terrorist attack, but you can’t tell your own people,” Jordan scolded Clinton.

This is not partisan, nor partisanship – her own emails.  This was not yesterday – did McElven not do his homework KNOWING he was going to ask that question of Hillary?  Or is softball more the genre?

He FAILED to follow up what Hillary said by not mentioning the emails that came out.  He whiffed – media bias by omission (CNBC showed their bias by what and how they questioned; bias by what is not asked).  that said, unequivocally, that Hillary told her family one thing and the American people another.

What should McElven asked?  THis:  Which is the truth and which is the lie, Madam Secretary.  He whiffed, he gave her a pass – all for the sake of “access”, perhaps?  Why else take such a softball answer from her with no follow up?

*****

Dan InnisHis second interview was with Dan Innis who has announced he is ready to primary Frank Guinta in a primary in NH’s First Congressional District on the Republican side.  McElven asked a question about running against Guinta (emphasis mine):

McElven: Are you concerned that his candidacy damages the Republican car as a whole?

Innis: Don’t know that it does.

I think Innis is right – I think the Party and its leaders are doing that all on their  own – all you have to do is watch them mouth all the right words but then study their actions.

McElven: “What kind of Republican are you are you gong to describe yourself as…clear in this day and age, there are different kind of Republicans”?

Innis: I suppose; the media enjoys, sorta, dividing the Party into pieces and I am not sure I buy into that.”

McElven: “Say national media <cross-talk>!

Innis: “National media; never WMUR – you’re right.  You’re actually right about that”

SNAP goes the self-laid trap – McElven lied (or just pulled a Hillary)!  I guess that McElven forgot that time a few cycles ago when a Presidential debate was held in NH – we caught him conspiring with John King in trying to do the same thing that CNN and CNBC just did – get the Republican candidates to fight amongst themselves and diminish their images in front of the audience(s): GrokTV Special Interview: NH Prez Debate – the Moderators deliberately tried baiting the Republicans:

…Well, it seems quite obvious that these two chuckleheads have proved my point as in “let’s make the Republicans look petty, argumentative, and start a food fight”.  Thus, instead of merely reporting the news, they were actively trying to make the news, to start the skewing of public opinion…

So, will McElven apologize to Innis for this little episode? Or his viewers? What will WMUR management do – or will they consider it just the rantings of a blogger?

Dan, remember one thing – the MSM (national OR local) is not your friend.  Beware their dulcet tones and smooth words because when it comes down to it, they are not on your side (we caught his co-worker, Amy Coveno, doing a similar thing to Herman Cain here).

I do need to knit a nit with one thing (although I agree with him about the “just leave me alone” and personal LIberty par) as I do with many who say the same thing:

The social issues really don’t come up that often on the campaign trail.  We’ve decided that many of these issues, you know, and when they come up, am happy to talk about them but I really believe it is about solving the nation’s fiscal problems, our international affairs problems sort of thing, that is driving the conversation.

Really?  Settled?  Hardly, I see little on the social issues that are EVAH settled.  Abortion certainly isn’t – and that’s been “decided” for how long?  How about guns and the Second Amendment?  Even gay marriage.  The breakdown on the traditional family?  How about Political Correctness?  Gee, I thought the Rule of Law was settled a long time – on a lot of social issues (like illegal immigration) they are not.  Why?

Because the Democrats won’t let them stay settled.

Watch each and every election – social issues are their bread and butter electoral battering rams.  Dan, remember one thing: ALL social issues have (and are) fiscal issues.  Doubt me?  It doesn’t take a college prof to see how the Fed budget (and priorities) is constructed – the vast majority of it is nothing BUT funding social issues.  Thus, to eschew the social issues for the fiscal one tells me one thing:

You are admitting that you are merely willing to MANAGE the social issue budget instead of LEADING on the drivers of that budget.

Is this true – is this what you want to be known for?  I posit that you cannot just manage one side of the equation.  Doubt me?  With the current Muslim invasion of Europe, how is that social issue, that of open border immigration, now driving the democrat socialist welfare States doing on their budgets?  Hint: they are getting ready to cry “Uncle” and setting up the fences.

Sorry, but to willfully give up on one necessarily means you are willfully giving up on the other.

And one other nit: Debt Ceiling?  This caught me.  Sure, planning is necessary, but I take issue with this:

I don’t think that Government should ever shut down.  I think it is a failure of leadership when GOvernment shuts down. It’s an absolute failure…it’s used as a club.  Look, when you pass a budget, you know you are gonig to run up against the debt ceiling.  So when you pass the budget, pass the debt ceiling increase with it.  THe key is to pass a responsible budget that’s thoughtfully done and is fiscally responsible. That’s what we’re not doing; THAT’s the bigger problem.

So you are in favor of ever spiraling debt?  I’m not the biz prof here, just an ordinary schlub from central NH, but I can forecast one thing – debt management is already item #6 in the budget.  It will skyrocket upward as the Feds start to raise interest rates and investors start figuring out that Uncle Sam is a bad risk.  Throw in that our GDP has averaged about 1.8% under Obama (historically 3.2% if I remember right) and we aren’t growing fast enough.

So, you wanna come on GrokTALK! to discuss?  No, Josh, not you – Dan Innis.  Dan?

*****

GrokTV Special Interview: Pam Tucker-RNC Committeewoman Candidate. Question 9 – Will the NH GOP defend Grassroots Ideals?McElven’s third interview was Pam Tucker.  Frankly, a much shorter interview and nothing that I thought was controversial.  But hey, she’s been on GrokTALK! multiple times before and we’d be happy if she decided to return!

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