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Friday, January 25, 2008
"Psst: He raised taxes"
UPDATE1: Fox News gets in on the action
UPDATE2: Tsos2, from the comments, alerts us to this comment/explanation by MSNBC. They claim an open mic caught the whisper from someone in the audience.
UPDATE3: What the hell is a little green football anyways?
So there's Mitt Romney, being asked a question about whether or not he'll do what Reagan did in '83. Then you hear someone whisper "he raised taxes," followed by Romney's assertion that he won't raise taxes. Did he get some help from off stage right?
Watch the video:
MSNBC caught it too, and blogged about it (just before they decided to take it down). But the Lew Rockwell blog managed to catch the original post. Here it is:
Posted by P.M. Jaworski on January 25, 2008 in International Politics | Permalink
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Comments
Creepy...
Someone in this organization is heading off to Siberia.
Posted by: Paul Thompson | 2008-01-25 12:27:11 AM
Thank you for documenting this. The MSNBC site being down (or removed) is somewhat important to those who like to track this kind of thing. Much appreciated.
Posted by: JJNova | 2008-01-25 2:19:13 AM
LOL, this is NOTHING! How can anyone know if the tape was edited? I watched the debate and heard nothing like this.
It's a hit job folks, nothing more. The media are scared spit less of Romney and are trying to take him down on Billarys behalf.
Posted by: Joseph Venti | 2008-01-25 4:31:49 AM
Well Joseph Venti, I watched it live too, and I did catch it. I backed up my DVR and recorded precisely because of people like you. No one edited a live debate to bash poor mittens. Get real.
Posted by: Richard Harris | 2008-01-25 5:42:52 AM
Geez you guys are reacting like he was a Nazi Guard at a concentration camp. Admittedly, raising taxes isn't nice or popular, but it isn't always wrong.
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2008-01-25 5:44:51 AM
My wife and I both watched the debates live and we both heard the whiser. Why isn't the MSM addressing this?
Posted by: realist | 2008-01-25 7:24:22 AM
I heard it live too...
The whisper was obviously Brian Williams whispering to Tim Russert that he either didn't finish the question right, or how to follow-up, while Tim's mic was still on. Romney heard the whisper (as I suspect everyone else in the hall did - and on TV), and waited until the two of them were finished talking to each other, and then quickly answered the whisper instead of the question as phrased by Tim originally.
This is also evident because Tim so quickly followed up that Regan had raised taxes to save SS, and Romney again reitterated why that was a bad idea.
No one was feeding the candidates... just the MSM moderators that couldn't think to themselves what the best way to spring a 'gotcha' question on a candidate would be. The gotcha king (Russert) flubbed the gotcha question, and Bryan Williams had to coach Tim on it.
Posted by: DD40 | 2008-01-25 7:31:55 AM
The only way we can get the main media to report on this is if we CALL OUR NEWSPAPER and tell them about it and ask them about it!! Did the other candidates hear the whisper? Did the audience? Did the prompters? Why was it in one audio channel and not the other? Let's demand some answers!!!!
Posted by: Jeff D | 2008-01-25 8:46:31 AM
DD40 has already provided the correct answer.
Posted by: deepblue | 2008-01-25 8:51:49 AM
"Admittedly, raising taxes isn't nice or popular, but it isn't always wrong."
It's always wrong when money is coercively taken from people to be redistributed to other people - and, in the US, it may even violate your 5th Amendment (the part that deals with takings). This is legal scholar Richard Epstein's theory about the unconstitutionality of taxation without compensation.
Posted by: Matthew Johnston | 2008-01-25 9:38:01 AM
yep, I heard it live and thought it was actually a part of the question it came out so loud. Didnt even trip on it until the blogs started addressing it.
Posted by: Barry | 2008-01-25 10:22:44 AM
Wow. Maybe you guys should do some research before jumping to conclusions.
Here's what happened: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/MSNBC_blames_Romney_whisper_on_microphone_0125.html
Posted by: Chris Jones | 2008-01-25 10:30:24 AM
"it may even violate your 5th Amendment"
Don't forget you're adressing moslty to neo-cons, Mr. Johnston. It's not like if the 5th amendment is something important for them.
Posted by: Marc | 2008-01-25 10:31:05 AM
Odd...a bit creepy. Almost as creepy as the moment when Carl Cameron appeared to be speaking in some kind of demonic language.
Not as creepy as this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8PECQDBr2w
Posted by: Paul | 2008-01-25 11:17:51 AM
What a bunch of conspiracy nuts. it could have come from another candidate, the moderators or anywhere. if you think Romney has someone backstage whispering the answers to him you are nuts and maybe should move to Roswell NM.
Posted by: The Truth | 2008-01-25 11:33:18 AM
The tape was not faked. I watched the debate and heard it (also, MSNBC wouldn't have commented on it if it was a fake)! I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it then, but the more and more I watch it, the more I think something rather fishy is up. MSNBC's claim that this was just a problem with a mic must be elaborated greatly before I buy it, because right now the evidence I can see points against that theory, and towards the theory that Romney is up to something unethical.
Posted by: Mittens on Fire | 2008-01-25 12:09:44 PM
Right on Truth, these people are laughable.
On another note unfortunately the rooms in Roswell are already pre booked by Ron Paul supporters.
Posted by: deepblue | 2008-01-25 12:13:34 PM
Thank you for documenting this. Maybe this will wake up those people who have been voting as scarecrows!!!! People must do their own research when voting and DO NOT listen to the media!!!!
Posted by: leah | 2008-01-25 12:45:32 PM
If this doesn't sink the McCain campaign, then Americans have lost their way, big time. Of course the mainsteam media will ignore it anyway.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/01/25/dr-juan-hernandez-has-joined-the-mccain-campaign/
Posted by: Markalta | 2008-01-25 1:59:41 PM
Seems like an innocent enough mistake. Russert's mike accidently caught someone correcting his question. I don't think this is some huge media conspiracy. Occam's razor seems to prevail here.
Posted by: Pantera | 2008-01-25 3:32:26 PM
I heard it loud and clear the first time and had to wait for the re-broadcast to prove it right. I def. think russert was cornering him and an aide in the front row had to help him out. The whisper was too quick to be russert's.
But yeah, the media will ignore it.
Posted by: Topher Lloyd | 2008-01-25 3:41:47 PM
Gee Mark, you use "neocons" like an insult. Grow up. I take the 5th amendment seriously. Why do you think "neocons" don't? On topic, It was obvious this came from someone in the debate, the conspiracy nuts are just that.
Posted by: Bill M | 2008-01-25 5:14:48 PM
I think one of the other candidates said it or someone sitting next to Russert.
Posted by: Jen | 2008-01-25 5:25:10 PM
Sounds more like someone who was mic'ed up was explaining the question to someone beside them. What about the guy with the headset sitting next to the newspaper guy who asked some of the questions.
Reminds me of watching the West Wing or the news with my wife. I'm always interjecting with explanations and comments. (much to her annoyance)
Posted by: Ryan | 2008-01-25 5:41:34 PM
If the moderators are asking an open-ended question with the intention of tripping up the candidates, THAT should be the story here. That and the fact that in contrast, the Dem "debates" are slo-pitch softball tournaments.
The MSM is such an ethical cesspool that they try to pin their every mistake on the people they are supposedly asking questions of for us. What jerks.
And who the hell cares what Regan did to SS anyway? If you want to know what Romney would do, then ask him dammit. Don't screw around with some gimmick to get a gotcha. God I wish the media would just go to hell.
Posted by: sherlock | 2008-01-25 5:55:11 PM
Can you imagine if Romney was wearing an earpiece turned up so loud his microphone picked up the sound? It would have melted his brain worse than Van Halen.
Posted by: P.Diddy | 2008-01-25 6:35:16 PM
It's back up at http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/ . You have to go down to the middle of the page. MSNBC said the following:
"That taxes whisperPosted: Friday, January 25, 2008 4:16 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2008, Republican debates
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
EDITOR’S NOTE: There has been a lot of confusion over a whispered moment from last night’s debate -- someone saying what we believe was “not raise taxes” after a question from Tim Russert on Reagan and social security. We put the following post up last night immediately following what we and several First Read commenters heard.
For full disclosure, the way it works for us when we’re liveblogging is our contributors, who are either on site at the location or in D.C. or elsewhere, will usually send me posts via e-mail. While I am watching the debate, I read the dispatches, post if applicable after quickly editing and put up my own thoughts. Regular e-mail questions get mixed in sometimes. I put this one up, but when I did, Lauren Appelbaum wrote me and said it was not necessarily intended to be a post but actually just a question to me if I knew who made the "taxes" comment. Being in South Carolina, following the Democrats for their primary and not on site in Florida, I didn’t know. We thought it might have simply been our control room cueing a question, which then didn’t seem to warrant a post, since that would be very inside baseball. So, I took it down.
After some of the confusion today, we are putting it back up for those that haven’t seen it. As far as figuring out the mystery of who or where it came from, that is being worked on, and we hope to have an answer soon. It puzzled us here too, and we’re looking through tape of other candidates to see if it was one of them. We’ll let you know. Here's the original post:
The taxes whisper
From NBC’s Lauren Appelbaum and NBC/NJ’s Erin McPike
After Russert asked Romney the question on Reagan -- “Will you do for social security what Ronald Reagan did in 1983?” -- there is an audible statement in just one channel of audio saying “not raise taxes.”
Then Romney says “I’m not going to raise taxes…”
First Read commenters also noticed this -- where did this come from?
*** UPDATE *** After reviewing the tapes, NBC determined that an open mic picked up a whisper from the audience. It is unclear who it is that says it, but it was not said by any of the candidates, was not heard in the hall and, more importantly, not heard by the candidates.
" I say yeah...right.
Posted by: Tsos2 | 2008-01-25 7:20:22 PM
ur all conspiracy nuts
Posted by: go rudy | 2008-01-25 7:56:39 PM
Anyone care that McCain is a sell out to the Mexicans/illegals? He will bring amnesty in so quick if elected, you won't have time to say "Tijuana".
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/01/25/dr-juan-hernandez-has-joined-the-mccain-campaign/
Posted by: Markalta | 2008-01-25 9:14:41 PM
That voice heard whispering is none other than Mitt's. Now the MSM needs to admit for a FACT that all of the candidates are provided with the questions IN ADVANCE.
Clearly he was provided the questions in advance, and this was his own prepared reminder - played back to him when he wanted to hear it.
Mitt likely had a wireless ear piece and a transmitting device in his hand that he alone could activate - which contained prerecorded brief prompts to get him heading in the right direction with his answers. His own wireless microphone channel (on the podium) picked up the signal that was transmitted from his recorded answer to his ear piece as a digital audio signal and it played through the house speakers and on television.
That whispered voice IS Mitt Romney.
Posted by: NONY | 2008-01-26 4:59:01 AM
That voice heard whispering is none other than Mitt's. Now the MSM needs to admit for a FACT that all of the candidates are provided with the questions IN ADVANCE.
Clearly he was provided the questions in advance, and this was his own prepared reminder - played back to him when he wanted to hear it.
Mitt likely had a wireless ear piece and a transmitting device in his hand that he alone could activate - which contained prerecorded brief prompts to get him heading in the right direction with his answers. His own wireless microphone channel (on the podium) picked up the signal that was transmitted from his recorded answer to his ear piece as a digital audio signal and it played through the house speakers and on television.
That whispered voice IS Mitt Romney.
Posted by: NONY | 2008-01-26 4:59:25 AM
To: Joseph Venti
I most certainly heard it too.
Posted by: Victor T | 2008-01-26 5:20:32 AM
Are you people serious? The whisper clearly comes from the moderators and you guys jump on the conspiracy bandwagon. Good grief.
Posted by: Wendi | 2008-01-26 5:30:39 PM
Good Grief. You Mitt lovers need to admit when your candidate cheats.
Here is a video of the debate where Mitt gets prompted a second time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK408oqEyOU
Romney is getting fed answers. In this segment Mitt changes his wording to what the person prompting him says. There is no doubt about it!
The media needs to be all over this.
Posted by: Dan | 2008-01-26 7:38:56 PM
Good Grief. You Mitt lovers need to admit when your candidate cheats.
Here is a video of the debate where Mitt gets prompted a second time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK408oqEyOU
Romney is getting fed answers. In this segment Mitt changes his wording to what the person prompting him says. There is no doubt about it!
The media needs to be all over this.
Posted by: Dan | 2008-01-26 7:39:52 PM
All you Romney stooges insisting that it was clearly the moderators talking to one another... how come Brian Williams was surprised to hear it if he was the one who said it? Doesnt make much sense does it?
http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/25/610059.aspx
Nice try.... thanks for playing.
Posted by: Ld | 2008-01-28 8:12:05 PM
Hehehehe.
Seeing the sky...in Alberta.
Posted by: Marc | 2008-01-28 9:25:44 PM
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