http://mediamatters.org/items/200703290009Summary: On NBC's Nightly News, David Gregory reported that "Senator John McCain {R-AZ}, like the White House, insists Iraq is getting safer," but did not offer any differing views. By contrast, CNN and Time have asked reporters in Baghdad to evaluate similar assessments by McCain.
On the March 28 edition of NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams, NBC News chief White House correspondent David Gregory reported on President Bush's "showdown with Democrats in Congress over the {Iraq} war" and stated that "Senator John McCain {R-AZ}, like the White House, insists Iraq is getting safer," but did not offer any differing views. By contrast, CNN and Time have both asked their Baghdad-based reporters for their response to similar assessments from McCain. Referring to McCain's recent assertions that he "could walk through" neighborhoods in Baghdad today and that the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, travels through Baghdad "in a non-armed Humvee," the CNN and Time Baghdad correspondents said, respectively, that the claim that "an American can walk freely {in Baghdad} is beyond ludicrous" and that he "needs a reality check."
On the March 27 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer asked McCain about comments he had made to conservative radio host William Bennett that "{t}here are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods today. The U.S. is beginning to succeed in Iraq." While McCain did not directly address the quote Blitzer mentioned, he responded: "You know, that's where you ought to catch up on things, Wolf," adding that "General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in a non-armed Humvee. I think you ought to catch up."
Later in the program, Blitzer asked CNN Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware to reconcile McCain's comments. Ware told Blitzer that "{t}o suggest that there's any neighborhood in this city where an American can walk freely is beyond ludicrous," adding: "I'd love Senator McCain to tell me where that neighborhood is, and he and I can go for a stroll." Regarding McCain's claim that Gen. Petraeus travels "almost ever day in a non-armed Humvee," Ware said that McCain "is way off base on this one": snip
GREGORY: But Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, like the White House, insists Iraq is getting safer and challenged Democrats to take a stronger stand.
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