Wed, Aug 27, 2008 2:08pm ET

Send to a friend Print Version

Join the Discussion

Minutes after Begala debunked the falsehood, CNN caption claimed Casey "was denied a speaking role ... because he opposed abortion rights"

Summary: During CNN's Democratic National Convention coverage, Paul Begala debunked the claim that Bob Casey Sr. was not allowed to speak at the 1992 Democratic convention because of his opposition to abortion rights. Less than 15 minutes later, CNN displayed the false on-screen caption: "FACT: Casey's father was denied a speaking role at the 1992 Democratic convention because he opposed abortion rights." MSNBC's Chris Matthews also repeated the false claim.
Read more

Please upgrade your flash player! The video for this item requires a newer version of Flash Player. If you are unable to install flash you can download a QuickTime version of the video.

Embed this video:

Trouble viewing clip? Download: QuickTime

Threaded Comments: on / off

Post a new comment

You must be a registered user to post and flag comments on this site.
Please log in or sign up to post in this forum.

Posted by NiceguyEddie

Newsflash to Chicken Noodle News: Something doesn't become a FACT just because you put the word FACT in front of it!

(And to all Republicans... Niether do beliefs and/or opinions become FACTS just because they are deeply held or widely shared!)

Posted by wesley

 -- He refused to endorse Bill Clinton and he wanted to give an entire speech about abortion, and nobody wants a 30-minute speech about abortion at a Democratic convention. -- Begala

Begala did not debunk any myth. He clearly stated that there were 2 reasons for denying Casey the speaking slot...one of which was his position on abortion....making it correct to say so...after all nobody wants a 30 min. speech on abortion at the dem. convention.

Posted by tommy in reply to wesley

You're right Wes, and I really doubt that Casey wanted to talk for 30 minutes on abortion, in spite of his pro-life stance.  That is a myth put forth by Begala if you ask me.

Posted by shoes89 in reply to pete592

As I've stated in other threads before, those other people never even addressed the issue of abortion, nor did they have any desire to.

The key difference is that Gov. Casey wished to deliver a pro-life SPEECH in which he would oppose his party's position on abortion. That would have been a disaster for Democrats, so they banished him. It's that simple.

LINK

Posted by pete592 in reply to shoes89

But that's not the reason being given today by the media.

As the CNN chyron clearly and falsely says, it was his position, not his desire to give a speech about abortion.

Posted by wzwriter in reply to shoes89

It's that simple.

The only thing around here that's simple is your mind, Shoes.

Posted by see it real in reply to wzwriter

What mind?!  Shoes' shoe size is bigger than his IQ, he sold his integrity and honesty to the lying Republicans a long time ago.

Posted by Easy to refute wingnuts in reply to shoes89

You've been wrong every time you have tried to spring this lie on us, and you're wrong now.

They say mental illness is doing the same thing multiple times, looking for different results.

Every time you lie, you'll get the same result.

Posted by neon desert in reply to pete592

Begala did not debunk any myth. He clearly stated that there were 2 reasons for denying Casey the speaking slot...one of which was his position on abortion....making it correct to say so...after all nobody wants a 30 min. speech on abortion at the dem. convention.

Posted by rtwmd1230 in reply to neon desert

Begala DID NOT say it Casey's position on abortion; he said it was his demand to give a 30 minute speech discussing that position. NOT THE SAME.

Posted by wesley in reply to pete592

No good, pete...I read your circular link (mmfa defenders relying on mmfa articles)...and no where does it say that any of those pro-choice democrats allowed to speak...actually delivered a speech on abortion.

Begala says it loud and clear...no one wanted a 30 minute speech against abortion at the democrat convention...sayonarah Casey.

Posted by tommy in reply to wesley

Maybe this will end these endless threads on this topic, ya think?

Posted by pete592 in reply to wesley

But the media is saying it was his position, not his desire to give a speech on abortion that cost him the chance to speak.

Posted by tommy in reply to pete592

Pete, It's like this.  If Speaker A is pro-life and wants to give a speech with no mention of his stance on abortion, fine. If Speaker B is pro-life and wants to give a speech with mention of his pro-life stance, but denied.......then logically Speaker B is not allowed to speak because of his pro-life stance.

Posted by wesley in reply to tommy

Clear as a bell...

Well king, this case is closed.

Posted by wzwriter in reply to wesley

Well king, this case is closed.

The only thing around here that's closed, Wesley, is your mind.

Posted by pete592 in reply to tommy

Nope, sorry. You're still wrong, because the media still has it wrong.

Posted by Appleboy in reply to tommy

Actually, no. In your example, he is denied because he wants to mention his pro-life stance, not because he is pro-life. Also, Casey wanted to more than "mention" his pro-life stance, he reportedly wanted to devote the entire speech to.

Posted by carlileb5935 in reply to Appleboy

Right. He wanted to condemn the party plank. They knew this, and didn't let him speak on that. It wasn't just his position, it was his advocacy. Perfectly appropriate.

 

Posted by Col. Harlan Sanders in reply to tommy

Jumpin' Jeebus, you guys have got to be pulling our legs now. Tommy, read your own post above;

Two people have something in common.

They're treated differently.

Logically (according to Tommy) they're treated differently because of the

thing they had in common. Don't know what happened there.

Posted by carlileb5935 in reply to tommy

You're right Wes, and I really doubt that Casey wanted to talk for 30 minutes on abortion, in spite of his pro-life stance.  That is a myth put forth by Begala if you ask me.

- tommy

Not so-- they had a copy of the speech. They knew.

Ah, facts..... 

Posted by worrierking in reply to wesley

Just like they would never allow Chuck Hagel to give an anti-war speech at the Republican Convention.

Aren't the parties allowed to set the agenda for their own conventions?

When was the last time either party gave time to someone who wanted to speak against the platform? 

Posted by wesley in reply to worrierking

 -- Aren't the parties allowed to set the agenda for their own conventions? -- king

Of course they are, king...That's one of the reasons why Casey was not allowed to speak...abortion.

Posted by wzwriter in reply to wesley

WRONG!!!!

Casey was not allowed to speak because he refused to endorse Bill Clinton.  Other speakers at that convention were also anti-abortion, so your srgument is shown for the pack of lies that it is, Wesley.

Posted by wesley in reply to wzwriter

Take it up with mmfa and Begala if you want to call someone a liar.

Begala is explicit that there were two reasons for not allowing Casey to speak...His non-endorsement of Clinton and his request to speak against abortion.

No matter how often mmfa drags out this dodge...it doesn't gain any traction except with radicals being spoon fed liberal pablum.

Posted by pete592 in reply to wesley

And what of the other eight speakers at that same convention who share Casey's position on abortion?

Posted by wesley in reply to pete592

Simple...they were muffled and not allowed to speak on abortion...and they didn't.

Posted by pete592 in reply to wesley

But speech content is not the reason we're being given today, as exemplified by the CNN chyron. 

Posted by wesley in reply to pete592

Be pro-life and request a speaking slot on abortion...you're 86'd from the dais.

Be pro-life and request a speaking slot...but promise to remain silent on abortion...voila...hello dais.

Posted by pete592 in reply to wesley

Were the other speakers completely silent on abortion?

Do you have the transcripts? 

Posted by wesley in reply to pete592

You brought up the other 8 speakers...kinda got yourself out on a limb, huh.

Here's a little homework for you...find the transcripts to back up your own rhetoric...or join the other deniers for a card party at Davy Jones address.

Posted by pete592 in reply to wesley

As usual, you're taking the burden of proof away from the accuser.

Your accusing the DNC of muffling and censoring any and all pro-life rhetoric.  You have no proof of this. 

Posted by mescal in reply to pete592

Hey, who needs proof when you've got Rovian talking points?

Posted by rtwmd1230 in reply to pete592

This is the key point. Every party, at every convention, has controlled the content of the speeches given. Nothing unusual about that.

But the wingnuts are trying to present this as an issue of thought control and purging the Democratic Party of revisionists and other impurities. They falsely claim that, just because of his position on abortion, Casey was prevented from speaking at all.

Posted by wesley in reply to rtwmd1230

The only "thought control" was practiced by the democrats...want to speak against abortion?...no way no how.

"nobody wants a 30-minute speech about abortion at a Democratic convention." -- Begala, big democrat honcho

 

Posted by neon desert in reply to wesley

And on top of that, I hear they wouldn't let Newt Gingrich speak, just because of his views.

Can you beat that?  I mean, what kind of Democratic pep rally were they running back then, anyway?

Posted by carlileb5935 in reply to neon desert

Boy, those dems.

Posted by tommy in reply to wesley

Begala; "He refused to endorse Bill Clinton and he wanted to give an entire speech about abortion......"

Yepper Wes, and I was a little unclear about all of this due to the hand-wringing of late by MMFA, glad to see Begala finally set the record straight, now if he could only do the same to some here. 

Posted by wesley in reply to tommy

I doubt it. Begala torpedoes mmfas argument...sending it to Davy Jones locker...but that won't dissuade mmfa and some of their followers from their deluded position.

Glub, glub, glub.

 

Posted by Brabantio in reply to wesley

"I doubt it. Begala torpedoes mmfas argument...sending it to Davy Jones locker...but that won't dissuade mmfa and some of their followers from their deluded position."

That's true only if you believe that:

1)Two reasons are exactly the same as one

2)There's no difference between beliefs and behavior

That would be deluded.

Posted by pete592 in reply to tommy

But Begala doesn't say it had anything to do with Casey's position on  abortion, but had everything to do with his speech content.  Meanwhile, 8 other speakers who share Casey's view were allowed to speak.

Posted by wzwriter in reply to wesley

Take it up with mmfa and Begala if you want to call someone a liar.

You lie with every useless post you make here, Wesley.  Your positions are nothing BUT lies.

Posted by Easy to refute wingnuts in reply to wesley

Take it up with mmfa and Begala if you want to call someone a liar.

Their permission is not required to call a liar a liar.

Wesley, you're lying. What does that make you?

Posted by Col. Harlan Sanders in reply to wesley

Abortion didn't allow Casey to speak? Mean old abortion.

Come on Wesley, this isn't one of your better attempts at twisting.

Posted by Col. Harlan Sanders in reply to wesley

Wesley, maybe I'm missing it, but where does Begala state that the reason was Casey's position on abortion?

Posted by neon desert in reply to Col. Harlan Sanders

Saw Wesley in a restaurant the other evening.  I ordered a Big Mac, fries, and a Coke.  He asked me if I wanted to supersize it, and I declined, to which he accused me of disliking french fries.

Go figure...

Posted by Col. Harlan Sanders in reply to neon desert

OK, Argon, Wesley never answered my simple question. I accept his surrender, and he can go back to saying "glub glub" in place of any logic.

But let's see how far we can dumb it down (I think Tommy actually understood this at one point, but he seems to be feedng off Wesley's confusion) I'll continue with your Golden Arches theme;

Hey Argon, I thnk I was behind you in line that night, and Wesley was manning the register. It was free dessert night, and he gave me a choice of two; a hot fudge sundae (Mickey D's ice-cream style white glutinous agent topped with hot fudge) or a cup of pig excrement, topped with hot fudge.

I chose the ice-cream like product.

Wesley (and trainee Tommy, working the hot fudge machinery) put on their logic hats, and deduced that I rejected the hot fudge pig poo based on one factor-- the hot fudge!

Keep up the great work, Boys!

Posted by rtwmd1230 in reply to wesley

CNN states as "fact" that Casey wasn't allow to speak because of "his position on abortion." No one has ever presented any evidence to confirm this.

Begala, who was personally involved in this, says Casey wasn't allowed to speak because 1. he wouldn't support Clinton, and 2. he demanded to give a 30 minute speech on the one subject of abortion. Having a position is NOT the same as demanding a thirty minutes speaking spot to discuss that position.

CNN presented a lie as a fact.

Posted by shoes89 in reply to wesley

Wesley: "He clearly stated that there were 2 reasons for denying Casey the speaking slot...one of which was his position on abortion."

Correct, Wesley.

Again ... MM is not being forthcoming on this issue.

Posted by Appleboy in reply to shoes89

There are perhaps 2 reasons for him being denied:

1) He didn't endorse Clinton AND/OR
2) He wanted to devote his speech to his pro-life stance

The media is giving a 3rd possiblity:
3) He is pro-life.

Reasons 2 and 3 are NOT the same reason. If you believe they are then we can no longer go on with a reasonable discussion of this.

Posted by rtwmd1230 in reply to Appleboy

Exactly. Thank you.

Posted by mescal in reply to Appleboy

Right on the mark, Appleboy.

Posted by Easy to refute wingnuts in reply to shoes89

Correct, Wesley.

Wesley's statement isn't anywhere near correct. And the liar Shoes knows it.

Posted by neon desert in reply to wesley

He clearly stated that there were 2 reasons for denying Casey the speaking slot...one of which was his position on abortion....making it correct to say so...after all nobody wants a 30 min. speech on abortion at the dem. convention. - Wesley

Wesley did not dispute any facts.  He clearly stated that there was a way for someone to misinterpret the 2 reasons that Begala gave for denying Casey the speaking slot...making complete nonsense...after all nobody wants to admit that they can't understand plain speech.

Posted by Easy to refute wingnuts in reply to neon desert

Wesley did not dispute any facts.  He clearly stated that there was a way for someone to misinterpret the 2 reasons that Begala gave for denying Casey the speaking slot

The only way to misinterpret what Begala clearly said would be if that misinterpreter is post-lobotomy.

Get well soon, Wesley.

Posted by wookie in reply to wesley

Even if that had been the reason why is the media endlessly regurgitating what happened in1992? Because they are in the tank for McSame.

Posted by loonz in reply to wesley

Begala did not debunk any myth. He clearly stated that there were 2 reasons for denying Casey the speaking slot

So if his speech wasn't about abortion, the Clinton campaign would have allowed him to speak even though Casey didn't endorse him?

Posted by JLyons

It is a myth, and thankfully we have people like Paul Begala out there to put a dent in the lies. Sadly CNN still believes it is "FACT".

As for Matthews and MSNBC? They are hopeless.

Posted by brian.kresge931

Even if it's a little more sophisticated, the fact remains that he didn't support Clinton because of abortion, and he was going to deliver a long-winded speech on abortion.  Ergo, he was denied a speaking opportunity because of abortion.  There were other pro-life speakers and other folks who spoke that didn't support the ticket, but the confluence of Casey's lack of support and speech all trace back to his positions on abortion.  And again, many within the party were frustrated by the 1992 court battle over <i>Roe v. Wade</i>, <i>Planned Parenthood v. Casey</i>.

At any rate, it's a myth merely because Begala says so?  If this isn't sophistry I don't know what is!  <b>ROOT CAUSE OF BOTH REASONS:  ABORTION</b>  Though I'm sure it will earn me much scorn here, I may discontinue reading this site if this conjecture that there were other reasons Casey was barred from speaking continues.  There's plenty of real misinformation in the media to track down.  I've always thought this site was objective, but now I have to wonder if there's a platform-specific agenda.

Posted by anotheramerican in reply to brian.kresge931

Brian,

You must be new around these here parts?  MMFA objective?

Thanks for the chuckle. 

AA says MMfA isn't objective?

Thanks for the yawn.

Posted by foghornleghorn in reply to Easy to refute wingnuts

I though for sure there would be a smiley face at the end of that post.  Oh well, maybe next time.

Posted by military_husband in reply to brian.kresge931

Oh how wrong you are. You see, if CNN and others in the media would say it was about abortion, that would be fine, but that is not at all what they are saying. They are saying it is his "pro-life position" that kept him from speaking. Total BS, without a doubt. Again, weather the otehr 8 speakers mentioned even one word about abortion, there positions were known at the time to be pro-life. So his objection to abortion could not possibly be ther reason. To be totally clear here are the 2 reasons he was not allowed to speak:

1. He did not endorse the party's candidate.

2. His speach content was not in line with what the party wanted.

Done. If that issue was abortion, or gun rights, or drilling in Anwar it makes no difference. The party did not want content that was out of line with the convention. Both parties do this so to pretend this shows the party is so "abortion friendly" that they would not let someone speak becuase of his beliefs is a flat out lie. STOP PRETENDING OTHERWISE.

Posted by Brabantio in reply to brian.kresge931

"ROOT CAUSE OF BOTH REASONS:  ABORTION"

It doesn't matter that the root cause is the same.  Saying that he was denied a spot because of his views is not the same as saying he was denied because of his behavior.

The way this keeps being framed in the media is that it was unfair discrimination against him because of his opinion.  That is misinformation, no matter how you cut it. 

Posted by Brabantio in reply to brian.kresge931

"Even if it's a little more sophisticated, the fact remains that he didn't support Clinton because of abortion, and he was going to deliver a long-winded speech on abortion.  Ergo, he was denied a speaking opportunity because of abortion.  There were other pro-life speakers and other folks who spoke that didn't support the ticket, but the confluence of Casey's lack of support and speech all trace back to his positions on abortion."

Let's expand on this a bit.  Imagine that you have an employee who misses a day of work without calling in.  The next day he comes in and apologizes, saying that his fiancee broke up with him.  How do you interpret that?  There's no way to think he meant anything other than personal despair, no way to read anything else into his words.  The implication is clear.

The same day you get a call from the police, asking about your employee.  It turns out he assaulted his ex-fiancee, putting her in the hospital, and set her car on fire.  He was in jail awaiting bail money the rest of the day.  So you call him into your office and tell him what you've found out.

He says:"Even if it's a little more sophisticated, the fact remains that I did what I did because she broke up with me.  Ergo, I didn't show up for work because of my fiancee breaking up with me.  There were other reasons that I couldn't make it into work, but the confluence of my beating her up and burning her car all trace back to her dumping me."

But you wouldn't feel like you were misled, because the root cause is the same, right?  I bet. 

Posted by Col. Harlan Sanders in reply to brian.kresge931

Though I'm sure it will earn me much scorn here, I may discontinue reading this site if this conjecture that there were other reasons Casey was barred from speaking continues. - brian.kresge931

I don't think you'll get any "scorn", Brian.If the truth causes you to stop visiting a site, you'd probably be more comfortable at FreeRepublic or any number of right wing sites that will tell you just what you want to hear.

And don't worry about leaving a void here if you have to go. There's no shortage of conservative posters here  who will fight reality and logic to their last breath. They'll fight it here so it doesn't come to your house. 

Posted by eweston8542983

Yah if that were to happen it might slightly dilute the talking point. We can't have that! Even if it might help with the democrats are fighting amongist themselves meme.

I've lost track of Yawnies current position on this. Has he moved from, its a human being right after the egg is fertilized position?

Posted by Col. Harlan Sanders in reply to eweston8542983

Fascinating. I thought even the slow kids had figured this one out by now.Apparently not.

 

Posted by rtwmd1230 in reply to eweston8542983

Yes, now he, POW for five years without a table, says it's a human being when the egg and sperm are both within the same cheap motel room.

Posted by Mr Blifil

Facts are funny things.

Posted by see it real

GOP-CNN wants Liar McCain to be elected.  That's why they're continuing to put out this LIE about the late Gov. Casey being denied a speaking platform at the '92 convention.  Casey's refusal to endorse Clinton wasn't solely about a disagreement on abortion anyway.

Second, if the media's lie were true, which it ISN'T, Bob Casey wouldn't have spoken at the convention last night, AND more to the point, Bob Casey would have already left the Democratic Party by now, don't you think?

Posted by jonathan94002

Note that Mark Shields on the PBS show Lehrer Newshour repeated the same claim. He even exacerbated it by exclaiming that while Obama will have only one anti-choice speaker, Casey, the GOP will have a bunch of pro-choice speakers. Notably, all the pro-choice speakers were high-profile elected republicans; Schwartzennegger, Guiliani, etc.

 

Posted by dbeden4153 in reply to jonathan94002

Ah-nold isn't making it to the convention this year.

And Giuliani's a nutball.  

Posted by DrBB

BLITZER: "That myth has survived all of these years, Paul. Thanks for clarif -- clearing that up."

Ah yes, the passive voice, which if it were to suddenly disappear from the English language, the CorporateMedia would vanish in a puff of ghastly smoke as fast as the Wicked Witch of the West at the end of the Wizard of Oz. Somehow this myth's mysterious survival has Just Happened, without the assistance of Volfie or any of his cohort.

Oh, and also: the zombie myth survives anyway Paul. And Wolf: don't worry, you'll be repeating it yourself in no time as if Paul had never opened his yap, I'd be willing to bet serious money you do it within 24 hours, or at least that your chiron does.

Posted by pawl1

Hasn't this thread been exhausted yet? This happened 16 years ago.  I know, it's important to some folks, but can't we move on with more current issues?  

Posted by Brabantio in reply to pawl1

When they stop repeating this crap in the media, you bet.  As long as they perpetrate the lie, it should be addressed.