Joe Biden Collapses Under Tough Question About Being A Marxist From WFTV Florida News Anchor

The Dems are so used to getting a pass from the media that one could have predicted Joe Biden's response when finally asked a tough question. WFTV Channel 9 news anchorwoman Barbara West asked just such a question to Joe Biden. In response, Biden shyed away rather than actually answer the question.

From Sky News:

During a fiery interview, Florida anchor-woman Barbara West also asked if Mr Obama's comments that he wanted to "spread the wealth around," meant he was going to turn the United States into a socialist country. The Democratic nominee made the comments during his now famous campaign chat with an Ohio voter known as 'Joe the Plumber.' West said:"You may recognise this famous quote: 'from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs,' that's from Karl Marx. "How is Senator Obama not being a Marxist if he intends to spread the wealth around?" After a short pause Senator Biden replied: Are you joking...is this a joke...or is that a real question."

The newsworthy item here is not that Joe Biden thought the whole thing was a joke. The newsworthy item is that it is a legitimate question given Barack Obama's stated socialist positions on economic issues and Joe Biden had a meltdown over it.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Barbara West had this to say:

"I have a great deal of respect for him. I have a great deal of respect for Sen. Obama. We are given four minutes of a satellite window for these interviews. Four precious minutes. I got right down to it and, yes, I think I asked him some pointed questions. These are questions that are rolling about right now and questions that need to be asked. I don't think I was rude or inconsiderate to him. I think I was probing and maybe tough. I can't believe that in all of his years in politics, and all of his campaigning and such, that he hasn't run into some tough questions before. He's certainly up to it in giving good answers."

But Joe and the Dems aren't used to getting tough questions from journalists. They are used to softball questions from supporters like Chris Matthews and Charles Gibson. One tough question and they instantly go into whine overdrive and complain that no one likes them.

In response to the interview, the Obama campaign said they would no longer cooperate with WFTV but would rather talk with media outlets that ask easy questions.

You can access the complete article and blog entry on-line here:

Joe Biden In TV 'Marxist' Row
Sky News
October 28, 2008

WFTV's Barbara West On Her Interview With Joe Biden: "I Don't Think I Was Rude Or Inconsiderate To Him"
Orlando Sentinel
October 24, 2008

You can watch the interview on-line here:

WFTV Interviews Joe Biden
HotAir.com
October 25, 2008

Compare Charles Gibson's Questions For Governor Palin With Those He Asked Senator Obama

Just a little something to make you think. Someone remarked that Gibson asked Senator Obama questions as if the Senator were the Vice-Presidential candidate and asked Governor Palin questions as if she were the Presidential candidate. It sure does look that way, doesn't it?

The media bias in this case couldn't be more obvious:

Obama: How does it feel to break a glass ceiling? How does it feel to “win”? How does your family feel about your “winning” breaking a glass ceiling? Who will be your VP? Should you choose Hillary Clinton as VP? Will you accept public finance? What issues is your campaign about? Will you visit Iraq? Will you debate McCain at a town hall? What did you think of your competitor’s [Clinton] speech? Palin: Do you have enough qualifications for the job you’re seeking? Specifically have you visited foreign countries and met foreign leaders? Aren’t you conceited to be seeking this high level job? Questions about foreign policy -territorial integrity of Georgia -allowing Georgia and Ukraine to be members of NATO -NATO treaty -Iranian nuclear threat -what to do if Israel attacks Iran -Al Qaeda motivations -the Bush Doctrine -attacking terrorists harbored by Pakistan Is America fighting a holy war? [misquoted Palin]

Seeing the differences between the questions, it becomes very clear why the Dems do not want to debate the "experience" issue. Governor Palin at least has the courage to speak up in public whereas Senator Obama hides behind his Old Media surrogates.

Charles Gibson Gets It Wrong In His Attempt At A 'Gotcha' Question

Who are the Dems and the left kidding? They are not advocating "change" of any kind. They are simply trying to bring back the same old tired out failings that the left has been peddling for years. And it is not just the Obama camp but it is also the media that supports Obama who are guilty of this.

Take for example Charles Gibson. He clearly meant for his interview with Governor Sarah Palin to be a hit-piece and I am sure that the - ahem - "forum" to be hosted by George Stephanopoulos will uncover every single little detail to "prove" Govenor Palin is unfit, even if it means making a mountain out of a molehill.

Gibson already laid the groundwork for this by making a major mistake in his pre-interview research and then allowing the mistake, Govenor Palin's attempt at a correction and his assertion that he was correct, to be broadcast.

John Podhoretz of Commentary Magazine caught it:

ABC has released excerpts from Charlie Gibson’s interview with Sarah Palin, and in one of them, he attempts to catch her out by asking her to explain something she said: GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war? PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote. GIBSON: Exact words. In fact, it was not the exact quote; and the way Gibson quoted her is a complete misrepresentation of what she said. It may, indeed, be close to the opposite of what she said. This is the actual quote, and it’s from an article in a Palin-unfriendly source, The Huffington Post: “Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God,” she exhorted the congregants. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.” She was asking the congregation to “pray…that our leaders…are sending [soldiers] out on a task that is from God.” She was precisely not declaring that the task was from God. She specifically said the church’s congregants should pray “that that plan is God’s plan.” There would be no need for such a prayer if it were a fact to her and to them.

Gibson gave a misleading quote, Governor Palin let him know that it was misleading, and Gibson stood by his mistake. And now he has been caught.

Governor Palin went on to explain:

“[T]he reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words when he said…let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side.”

Lincoln's quote: “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Charles Gibson Gets It Wrong
John Podhoretz
Commentary Magazine
September 11, 2008