MSNBC's Culhane uncritically reported GOP claim that Democrats are Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:53:04 -0400

MSNBC's Culhane uncritically reported GOP claim that Democrats are not funding the troops in Iraq

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704240005

On the April 24 edition of MSNBC Live, during a report on the standoff between President Bush and Congress over emergency spending for the war in Iraq, MSNBC correspondent Patty Culhane uncritically reported that Republicans say "that the Democrats are putting the troops in danger because they're not giving them the funding." In fact, as Media Matters for America has noted, both houses of Congress have passed legislation providing funding for the troops in the field. Moreover, the House and Senate are set to vote on a compromise bill that provides $124 billion in funding and requires that the Pentagon begin withdrawing troops from Iraq by October 2007, with the goal of having most U.S. forces redeployed six months later. However, Bush has promised to veto the bill if it includes a withdrawal timeline. So while Congress has demonstrated a clear intention to fund the troops, Bush has said he will veto the bill -- thereby denying funding to the troops -- if it doesn't meet his conditions.

From the 3 p.m. ET hour of the April 24 edition of MSNBC Live:

CULHANE: They did, you know, and both sides talking about the November election. And the reason they keep doing that is both sides are saying this is what the voters want, this is the best way to win the war in Iraq. The Democrats say that they were voted into power in Congress because the American people decided that they wanted a change in the war in Iraq, and for the Democrats, a change is withdrawal. That's why you've seen this bill that they've passed that starts the withdrawal by October 1st of this coming year. So that is the reason why the Democrats are citing that. The president says, "OK, November, I understand the election was about a change. But I gave you a change; I came up with the surge plan, I put a new commander in place."

And both are arguing over really what's best for the troops. The Republicans say that the Democrats are putting the troops in danger because they're not giving them the funding. The Democrats say that the president and the Republican Party are putting the troops in danger by putting them in the middle of a civil war.

Contact:
MSNBC

viewerservices@msnbc.com
MSNBC TV
One MSNBC Plaza
Secaucus, N.J. 07094
MSNBC contacts

Contact:
MSNBC Live

This mail was sent by Media Matters for America to 'news@energy-net.org'. Please visit us at http://mediamatters.org

You can help support our work; become a volunteer media monitor, or donate to Media Matters for America.

To change your email subscription preferences, visit http://mediamatters.org/users/prefs.html

If you'd like to unsubscribe from all Media Matters for America emails, you can just click on http://mediamatters.org/users/unsub/_TFiSm6WIkiaci7iLu6ZtH8gu6JaPh8t_vLvpt4dfhY.

To contact us directly, reply to this mail or visit http://mediamatters.org/contact_us