Uniquely among the broadcast network evening newscasts, Wednesday's NBC Nightly News highlighted controversial comments about President Obama recently made by conservative rocker Ted Nugent, even bringing up another controversial clip from 2007.
But correspondent Andrea Mitchell failed to mention that Obama has his own history of using violent metaphors, as, during the 2008 campaign, then-Senator Obama gave a speech in which he spoke of bringing a gun [1] to a knife fight. Obama, at a speech in Philadelphia in June 2008:
If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.
Anchor Brian Williams introduced Mitchell's report:
Federal investigators are trying to figure out whether Ted Nugent is just a loud mouth or a dangerous loud mouth. It's what the former rock musician said in support of Mitt Romney that got him an appointment to talk to the feds right at this time when Romney is trying to win over conservative Republicans.
After playing a clip of "gun-loving rocker" Ted Nugent making a reference to the movie Braveheart and calling on audience members to "chop their heads off in November," Mitchell linked Nugent to the Romney campaign. Mitchell:
Nugent endorsed Romney in March, tweeting, "After a long heart and soul conversation with Mitt Romney today, I concluded this good man will properly represent 'we the people,' and I endorsed him."
Romney's son Tagg quickly tweeted his excitement: "Ted Nugent endorsed my dad today. Ted Nugent? How cool is that? He joins Kid Rock as great Detroit musicians on Team Mitt. And Mitt Romney sounded happy to have Nugent's support.
She added:
Asked about Nugent's latest comments, the Romney campaign said divisive language is offensive without mentioning Nugent. But Nugent has been trash talking Barack Obama since 2007.
After a clip of Nugent attacking Obama and Hillary Clinton at a concert in 2007, Mitchell concluded:
For now, the Romney campaign seems to think Nugent's support is more important than the criticism he brings.
-- Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center