My Letter to the MSM: The Double Standard

I am writing with regard to your network's coverage of Rev. Wright's comments. As a long time viewer of your news broadcasts, I am downright appalled that the videos continue to be shown over and over again, and that the commentators on your network continue to link Rev. Wright's comments to Senator Obama's candidacy, even though Obama has denounced those comments in no uncertain terms, and even though Obama himself has never said or written anything remotely close to those statements. Shouldn't the coverage of presidential candidates be about what the candidates themselves believe? What I am seeing reeks of tabloid journalism and is not the place of a serious news organization, particularly when it comes to something as important as the selection of the president of the United States.

I also can not help but notice the double standard in your coverage. If your network deems Rev. Wright's comments to be relevant to Senator Obama's candidacy, then where is the comparable coverage of John McCain's associations with Rev. Hagee and Rev. Parsley? I do not see endless video loops of their comments, nor do I see a steady stream of commentators discussing how hateful these pastors’ comments were and the fact that John McCain embraced and accepted their endorsements.

John McCain actively solicited the support and endorsement of Rev. Hagee, and then held a joint appearance with him to formally receive this endorsement. Yet this is a man who called Catholicism "the great whore." This is a man who talked about holding a "slave sale" where he announced that participants should "make plans to come and go home with a slave." When speaking about this nation's great tragedy in New Orleans, Hagee said, "all hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that." Moreover, Hagee has made statements directly related to foreign policy, stating that "military confrontation with Iran is foretold in the Bible as a necessary precondition for the Second Coming," that the endtimes are imminent, and that "the U.S. Government must do what it can to hasten it." When directly confronted with some of these disturbing comments, McCain replied, "I am very proud of the Pastor John Hagee’s spiritual leadership to thousands of people" and "all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee's support." So here we have Senator Obama outright rejecting and denouncing Rev. Wright's statements, making it very clear that he does not agree with those statements, while in contrast, John McCain embraces John Hagee, seeks out his endorsement, and offers no such denouncements. Yet we see Rev. Wright's videos being played over and over and over again on your network, but there is virtually no coverage of John Hagee whatsoever?

John McCain has also made appearances with Rev. Parsley, calling him his "spiritual guide." This is a man who spews hatred toward Muslims, Jews, gays, the federal judiciary, and civil libertarians with such rhetoric as "Man your battle stations! Ready your weapons! Lock and load!" and "I came to incite a riot! Man your battle stations. Ready your weapons." Rev. Wright's comments are hateful?!? How about the hateful statements of Rev. Parsley and his obvious appeals to outright violence? And John McCain calls him his "spiritual guide"? Yet we see Wright's comments being played in a non-stop loop on your network, but none of this about Rev. Parsley?

Why the double standard? Is it because Senator Obama and Rev. Wright have one color of skin, but John McCain, John Hagee, and Rod Parsley have another? To this pale-skinned, blonde-haired, blue-eyed middle class American from the heart of the rural midwest, it sure looks that way.