CNN, John McCain's camp at odds following confrontational Campbell Brown interview

In one of those moments a network executive would excitingly term "great TV," CNN's Campbell Brown and John McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds clashed on air Monday over vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's foreign policy credentials.

Tensions -- and voices -- rose after the anchorwoman told Bounds that she was just "trying to get someone from the campaign to explain what foreign policy experience [Palin] has." Bounds repeatedly skirted the question, choosing instead to criticize Barack Obama's lack of executive experience.

"All right, Tucker," Brown said as she ended the segment with a broad, sarcastic smile. "I'm just going to give it to ya, baby."

The clip was much in demand today -- and, CNN revealed, the McCain camp made clear it was not pleased.

This afternoon, anchorman Wolf Blitzer announced on air that McCain's planned interview with Larry King tonight had been canceled by the campaign. Blitzer said McCain aides complained that Brown had gone "over the line" in her grilling of Bounds.

McCain campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella later explained the cancellation with this sharply worded statement:

"After a relentless refusal by certain on-air reporters to come to terms with John McCain’s selection of Alaska’s sitting governor as our party’s nominee for vice president, we decided John McCain’s time would be better served elsewhere."

Meanwhile, ABC News announced that it would be broadcasting "the only interview" with McCain during the week's Republican National Convention. Charles Gibson will handle the questioning, and the network will dole it out -- parts will air Wednesday on "World News Tonight" and "Nightline" and Thursday on "Good Morning America."

UPDATE: Jon Klein, president of CNN, has issued a statement in support of Brown's interview. "Campbell Brown did what journalists do," Klein said Tuesday evening. "She asked fair and important questions in a respectful way and was simply trying to get a straight answer to a straightforward question."

-- Kate Linthicum

Comments

[jjj]

i guess I will have no reason to watch CNN anymore The media will get all they will need from the Candidates, they just do not need to bully people around just to break a story. To bad for CNN. now ABC gets the interview.

[cj]

dear 'common sense'--
lois waldron says "PALIN IS TRAILER TRASH...."

THESE ARE THE KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT OBAMA. I AM WITH YOU 'COMMON SENSE', I CAN'T WAIT TO VOTE AGAINST OBAMA AND HIS CREW, AND VOTE REPUBLICAN FOR FIRST TIME IN MY VOTING LIFE!

[Jojo]

I don't have any problem with this line of questioning as long as reporters are consistent, when they are not.

Obama has ABSOLUTELY NO foreign policy experience, as evidenced by his stating:
1 Send troops to Pakistan (then backtracking)
2 Surge would increase violence (then backtracking)
3 Talk with Iran's leaders w/o precondition (then backtracking)
4 Taking no side in the Georgia/Russia dispute then parroting McCain

Obama is a true lightweight.

[kpc]

While Campbell asked the tough questions of Tucker she came across as very partisan. One got the impression she would not or has not asked the tough questions of the Obama Campaign in this manner. I don't agree with McCain for pulling out of the Larry King interview, however, I don't think Campbell should be praised either - CNN should expect better.

[catcatcat]

Campbell, baby, that was not a particularly professional interview. What are trying to do? Increase the protest vote tally? Well, it just increased by one.

[Chris]

Tucker was skating on thin ice. Great job by Campbell. As voters, we need to find out the truth. Tucker insulted the intelligence of Americans by not answering the questions.

Everyone knows Palin does not have foreign policy experience. Just admit it and say that she brings something different, fresh to the campaign. We would have liked that better.

[LuckyLou]

The issue is not that a reporter became confrontational with McCains spokesman. The issue is that if not all reporters are confrontational with all politicians than it is clearly bias and propaganda.

How many "way to go Brown!" folks on this board would like her drilling Obama on Rev. Wright, his mentor and friend he just dumped and his church of 20 years he just quit from for political expediency? And how many moveon.org folks want Obama drilled on why he voted with Bush on the Iraq war bills when ge got to the Senate? How many want Obama drilled on why he paid hacks to eliminate all of his opponents in the Illinois senate election on technicalities? How many want Obama drilled on his long string of broken promiese, from Fisa , to campaign financing? He has not answered any of these instead using the same obfuscating techniques as McCains spokesman did in this interview.

To sum up, some folks and the MSM will cackle and drool like hyenas over a 17 year old getting pregnant but only if she is a daughter of the other party.

[Joe from PA]

Campbell, to say it simply -- you were unprofessiional and demonstrated an appearance for a lack of independent reporting.

You blemished the CNN image for independent reporting.

[KennyT]

Let me tell it like it is. Rove is the primary McCain campaign strategist. He has mandated that all PR Republibots speak only certain points and that they repeat over and over so as to thwart any tough questions. I sit comfortably knowing the next President is a Democrat - and the Republicans on this message board are running scared.

[Drummond1]

As an outsider and unfortunately not an American I find it threatening to say the least that the Democrat and Republican playing field in regards to the media is a little one sided . I payed very close attention to the Democratic Convention and the event was entertaining to say the least and focused primarily on who Americans might be under a new leadership. The Republican convention said a lot about the American backbone and who Americans are in this point and time.. I caught Larry King and watched his interviews breaking down the post Republican opening night.. Cmon Larry.. you can do better than that. What a circus.

[Heidi]

In yet another newscast or newspaper... NEWS isn't the real topic, but the bias these so called newsmen show to ingraciate themselves with their own pick in this political race... You are a discrace to real journalism and use your so called power to distroy what this country stands for with your twisted reports and unethical bahavior.... shame on the lot of you
Go back and read the constitution and try to comprehend the basic tennets that this country was built on... try living with HONOR , if you can comprenend that term.... open your hearts to the possibility of change for the better with McCain/Palin and not the retoric coming from the OBAMA campaign. He isn't who you he think he is. A great speaker doesn't make a great man.

[Lou Antosh]

I remember the days when "journalists" like Campbell Brown would actually report on such questions as how many National Guard decisions Sarah Palin has made. You know, like go through records and interview Guard officials. And THEN she would have asked the Palin spokesperson to comment on the fact. But Campbell actually described what she and Tucker were doing as a "debate," yes between Republican Tucker and Obama girl Brown. Wolf et al defended her hysterical questioning. Because the new "news" template is to just chat rather than report.

[bb]

Charles Gibson is a nice guy. Sometimes, too nice. You can bet he'll have no tough questions for McCain. And if McCain dodges one of those *easy* questions, you can also bet Charlie won't pursue him for a direct answer.

[Katrina]

Ms. Brown did a fantastic job proving that even John McCain's own camp cannot justify Sarah Palin as a good choice for VP. Now McCain shows his true colors as a petulant child, taking his toys and going home. The truth is coming out, all around.

[Barbyrah]

People are leaving comments that would leave one to assume it was Mrs. Palin who was the one being "grilled" "agressively" in this interview...Last time I checked, she has yet to speak with anyone in the media (with the exception of People magazine). Hmm. What does that say?

[Jerry Winn]

With all due respect I disagree with Jon Klein the President of CNN. Campbell Brown's demeanor was uncivil and unprofessional. ( I now know why she was passed over at NBC. ) The minute she started ranting the question over and over my wife changed the channel and I was glad she did.

I saw a replay later and I agree the question is fair game but when Mr Bounds answered she argued with him, only to show her ignorance about the national guard and a governor's role. Clearly baised...

In the future I'll not watch any show that includes Campbell Brown and today I'll find CNN advertisers and advise them of the same.

Sorry Mr. Klein, you are all wrong in defending your amateur and uninformed reporter.

Jerry L. Winn

[Addison Parks]

I've been critical of CNN for some of the blowhard rhetoric of the likes of Lou Dobbs and Jack Cafferty, but three cheers for the tough and incisive Cambell Brown and CNN. Nice to see someone stand up to the boatload of BS spewing out of the back of the "straight talk" mac truck!

[JJ]

Campbell Brown asked a hard but fair question, and Tucker Bounds looked like a complete idiot. And I am someone who is strongly inclined to vote for McCain. To all those posting about the hypocrisy of Obama's lack of similar experience, did you listen to Brown's interview carefully? She at least tacitly concedes Obama's lack of foreign policy experience. Her point is that McCain's camp attacks Obama on these grounds and then selects a VP with similar issues, undermining one of their strongest arguments against Obama. Tucker probably didn't do his homework. There is a good chance that there is a nugget or two of "real" experience in Palin's role with the military in Alaska, but Tucker did not know enough about it to say anything concrete. At least that is the positive spin for Republicans. The negative would be that Tucker does know, and there is really nothing of note in Palin's foreign policy dossier.

[Drew]

The way I see it is the Republicans are sweating.....it's nice to see that they are getting what they dish out all the time and it looks like they can't handle it. How does it feel hypocrits?!?!?

[kate]

Thank you, Campbell Brown, for asking probing questions. It is very difficult to watch campaign aides who spew out irrelevant talking points instead of answering questions, and only too rarely does anyway call them on it. This is what journalism should be. If people like Tucker Bounds (or his democratic counterparts) don't want to answer questions, don't give them free air time or media exposure.

[Kevin]

Tucker Bounds is a loser hack who couldn't even answer a question with a straight answer. Just another example of GOP weakness, yes this is the party that claims it can best protect us? McCain's cowardice in appearing before the softest interviewer in media today - Larry King - proves he lacks the spine, intelligence, and temperament to be president. The man can't even stand up to some stiff questioning. Vladimir Putin would eat McCain for breakfast and have Palin for dessert.

What a joke the repukes are. I am SO glad Obama is going to win the presidency!

And look at their pathetic, depressing, convention with all the empty seats. They know they're going to lose and trying so hard to look positive. When Obama is inaugurated I am going to rub it in the face of every conservative I know. I can't wait!! :)

[Tom]

Campbell Brown has turned into CNN's version of Bill O'Reilly. IF you watched the whole interview and not just the clips, her badgering approach, talk overs, and facial sneers were unprofessional and clearly intended to simply make Tucker Bounds look bad. Contrast that to her treatment of Obama spokespersons and the bias seems pretty clear to me.

That said, Bounds himself was obviously not prepped to answer the question about Palin's decision making and should have either not done the interview or responded with I don't know. It was a somewhat loaded question and one that CNN later answered itself in noting that Palin had ordered the AK national guard into firefighting service.

The softballs that Larry King later threw at the Democratic spokespersons were even more disturbing.

[AMB]

I find it fascinating the number of people defending how "professional" Campbell Brown came across. With regard to the line of questioning regarding Sarah Palin's control of the Alaska National Guard. Ms. Brown adamantly and repeatedly insisted that any decision regarding troop movements, mission, etc. fall directly under the control of the Pentagon, General Petraeus, & the White House. Really? In order for any National Guard troops to fall under the jurisdiction of the Pentagon and General Blum (not Petraeus, commander in Iraq...) they must first be released by order of the sitting governor (Governor Palin, in this case) under Title X orders to the control of the federal government. Therefore, she is in direct control of Alaska National Guard troop movement. The sitting governor of any state is Commander in Chief of that state's national guard, not the Pentagon, not the President, until they are federalized. Really, I would have thought CNN and Campbell Brown would have done their research and had facts straight before attacking based on erroneous facts. Facts that are public knowledge.

[Natasha of New York]

Quote: "Jon Klein, president of CNN, has issued a statement in support of Brown's interview. "Campbell Brown did what journalists do," Klein said Tuesday evening. "She asked fair and important questions in a respectful way and was simply trying to get a straight answer to a straightforward question." Jon Klein, President CNN.

To Jon Klein:

I am not surprised with your idioitic statement. You have the audacity to call Cambell Brown's utterly rude behavior, "respectfull"???!!! Either you think that we are stupid or you must be smiking something funny, or for that matter you yourseld do not know the difference between "polite" and "rude" nor the difference between "calm and collected" and "neurotic-phychotic" behavior. Yes, Cambell Brown is a neurotic and rude anchor lady - this is not the first time she has been rude to her guests. Perhaps Mr Klein you were better off having done your own homework in "VETTING" Ms. Cambell Brown. She is a disgrace to serious journalism together with Mr. Hafferty!

With the exception of a few anchors and correspondents, whom I have always respected (and who keep you still in business) such as Wolf Blitzer, John King, Christian Amanpour, Candy Crawly, etc. the rest of your "pretty faces" are "knucle heads" who - I repeat - are a disgrace to serious journalism.

I prefer to remember the good old CNN that you have destroyed, Sir.

No wonder why - for example - BBC World News and BBC America are increasingly more and more in demand by American households. The fact that most satellite services and cable operators offer BBC World News instead of CNN International - offered only to 6 million households in the US a country the population of which is 300 million should tell you something Sir - that more viewers prefer BBC over CNN!!

I am very glad that the McCain campagn pulled the McCain interview from CNN. In the mean-time, I suggest that you put Ms. Cambell Brown on some tranquilizers or bette yet - FIRE HER!!

Shame on Cambel Brown and Jon Klein's CNN! Leadership starts at the top! And, your top advertisers are taking notice CNN - trust me!

I am Natasha from NY and aprove this message

[Leslie Kratz]

I commend Campbell Brown for asking the relevant questions that we all should be asking ourselves. And I commend her for pushing for more of an answer than the political gobbledygook she was offered by Tucker. She was not disrespectful or even strident... she was just pursuing the answer to a question that every American... Republican, Democrat or Independent should want the answer to... And now we learn that John McCain cancelled an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN because he was pissed off because a journalist asked a pertinent question and respectfully... and she was respectful... demanded a direct answer. Is this the behavior that Mr. McCain will exhibit... if he is elected President... and then is asked a relevant question by a government official from another country like France, Italy or Turkey for example? He will fold up his cards, shut down and go home? Kudos to Ms. Brown for holding up the torch... and keeping the McCain team on task. One more thing...if Tucker didn't know the answer to her question... he should have said so... he should have said he would get back to her. People are asking themselves if Ms. Palin is qualified to hold an executive position within our national government. I am asking a more important question... is John McCain qualified to hold an executive position within our national government?