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ABC News Edited Out Key Parts of Sarah Palin Interview
Newsbusters ^ | 09/13/08 | P.J. Gladnick

Posted on 09/13/2008 5:08:24 AM PDT by coffee260

A transcript of the unedited interview of Sarah Palin by Charles Gibson clearly shows that ABC News edited out crucial portions of the interview that showed Palin as knowledgeable or presented her answers out of context. This unedited transcript of the first of the Gibson interviews with Palin is available on radio host Mark Levin's website. The sections edited out by ABC News are in bold. The first edit shows Palin responding about meeting with foreign leaders but this was actually in response to a question Gibson asked several questions earlier:

GIBSON: Have you ever met a foreign head of state?

PALIN: There in the state of Alaska, our international trade activities bring in many leaders of other countries.

GIBSON: And all governors deal with trade delegations.

PALIN: Right.

GIBSON: Who act at the behest of their governments.

PALIN: Right, right.

GIBSON: I’m talking about somebody who’s a head of state, who can negotiate for that country. Ever met one?

PALIN: I have not and I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer that I just gave you. But, Charlie, again, we’ve got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time. It is for no more politics as usual and somebody’s big, fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yes, they’ve had opportunities to meet heads of state … these last couple of weeks … it has been overwhelming to me that confirmation of the message that Americans are getting sick and tired of that self-dealing and kind of that closed door, good old boy network that has been the Washington elite.
 

Next we see that Palin was not nearly as hostile towards Russia as was presented in the edited interview:

GIBSON: Let me ask you about some specific national security situations.

PALIN: Sure.

GIBSON: Let’s start, because we are near Russia, let’s start with Russia and Georgia.

The administration has said we’ve got to maintain the territorial integrity of Georgia. Do you believe the United States should try to restore Georgian sovereignty over South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

PALIN: First off, we’re going to continue good relations with Saakashvili there. I was able to speak with him the other day and giving him my commitment, as John McCain’s running mate, that we will be committed to Georgia. And we’ve got to keep an eye on Russia. For Russia to have exerted such pressure in terms of invading a smaller democratic country, unprovoked, is unacceptable and we have to keep…

GIBSON: You believe unprovoked.

PALIN: I do believe unprovoked and we have got to keep our eyes on Russia, under the leadership there. I think it was unfortunate. That manifestation that we saw with that invasion of Georgia shows us some steps backwards that Russia has recently taken away from the race toward a more democratic nation with democratic ideals. That’s why we have to keep an eye on Russia.

And, Charlie, you’re in Alaska. We have that very narrow maritime border between the United States, and the 49th state, Alaska, and Russia. They are our next door neighbors.We need to have a good relationship with them. They’re very, very important to us and they are our next door neighbor.

GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?

PALIN: They’re our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.

GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they’re doing in Georgia?

PALIN: Well, I’m giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relation with all of these countries, especially Russia. We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

We also see from Palin's following remark, which was also edited out, that she is far from some sort of latter day Cold Warrior which the edited interview made her seem to be:

We cannot repeat the Cold War. We are thankful that, under Reagan, we won the Cold War, without a shot fired, also. We’ve learned lessons from that in our relationship with Russia, previously the Soviet Union.

We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

Palin's extended remarks about defending our NATO allies were edited out to make it seem that she was ready to go to war with Russia. 

GIBSON: And under the NATO treaty, wouldn’t we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

PALIN: Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you’re going to be expected to be called upon and help.

But NATO, I think, should include Ukraine, definitely, at this point and I think that we need to — especially with new leadership coming in on January 20, being sworn on, on either ticket, we have got to make sure that we strengthen our allies, our ties with each one of those NATO members.

We have got to make sure that that is the group that can be counted upon to defend one another in a very dangerous world today.

GIBSON: And you think it would be worth it to the United States, Georgia is worth it to the United States to go to war if Russia were to invade.

PALIN: What I think is that smaller democratic countries that are invaded by a larger power is something for us to be vigilant against. We have got to be cognizant of what the consequences are if a larger power is able to take over smaller democratic countries.

And we have got to be vigilant. We have got to show the support, in this case, for Georgia. The support that we can show is economic sanctions perhaps against Russia, if this is what it leads to.

It doesn’t have to lead to war and it doesn’t have to lead, as I said, to a Cold War, but economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure, again, counting on our allies to help us do that in this mission of keeping our eye on Russia and Putin and some of his desire to control and to control much more than smaller democratic countries.

His mission, if it is to control energy supplies, also, coming from and through Russia, that’s a dangerous position for our world to be in, if we were to allow that to happen.

That answer presented Palin as a bit too knowledgeable for the purposes of ABC News and was, of course, edited out. Palin's answers about a nuclear Iran were carefully edited to the point where she was even edited out in mid-sentence to make it seem that Palin favored unilateral action against that country:

GIBSON: Let me turn to Iran. Do you consider a nuclear Iran to be an existential threat to Israel?

PALIN: I believe that under the leadership of Ahmadinejad, nuclear weapons in the hands of his government are extremely dangerous to everyone on this globe, yes.

GIBSON: So what should we do about a nuclear Iran? John McCain said the only thing worse than a war with Iran would be a nuclear Iran. John Abizaid said we may have to live with a nuclear Iran. Who’s right?

PALIN: No, no. I agree with John McCain that nuclear weapons in the hands of those who would seek to destroy our allies, in this case, we’re talking about Israel, we’re talking about Ahmadinejad’s comment about Israel being the “stinking corpse, should be wiped off the face of the earth,” that’s atrocious. That’s unacceptable.

GIBSON: So what do you do about a nuclear Iran?

PALIN: We have got to make sure that these weapons of mass destruction, that nuclear weapons are not given to those hands of Ahmadinejad, not that he would use them, but that he would allow terrorists to be able to use them. So we have got to put the pressure on Iran and we have got to count on our allies to help us, diplomatic pressure.

GIBSON: But, Governor, we’ve threatened greater sanctions against Iran for a long time. It hasn’t done any good. It hasn’t stemmed their nuclear program.

PALIN: We need to pursue those and we need to implement those. We cannot back off. We cannot just concede that, oh, gee, maybe they’re going to have nuclear weapons, what can we do about it. No way, not Americans. We do not have to stand for that.

Laughably, a remark by Gibson that indicated he agreed with Palin was edited out:

PALIN: But the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln’s words when he said — first, he suggested never presume to know what God’s will is, and I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak God’s words.

But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was 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.

That’s what that comment was all about, Charlie. And I do believe, though, that this war against extreme Islamic terrorists is the right thing. It’s an unfortunate thing, because war is hell and I hate war, and, Charlie, today is the day that I send my first born, my son, my teenage son overseas with his Stryker brigade, 4,000 other wonderful American men and women, to fight for our country, for democracy, for our freedoms.

Charlie, those are freedoms that too many of us just take for granted. I hate war and I want to see war ended. We end war when we see victory, and we do see victory in sight in Iraq.

GIBSON: I take your point about Lincoln’s words, but you went on and said, “There is a plan and it is God’s plan.”

Gibson took her point about Lincoln's words but we wouldn't know that by watching the interview since it was left on the cutting room floor. I urge everybody to see just how the unedited version of the first interview compared to what we saw on television  by checking out the full transcript. It is a fascinating look into media manipulation via skillful editing.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: 2008; abc; abcnews; bias; charliegibson; chucklestheclown; democrats; dncmediamachine; dnctv; elections; enemedia; gibson; gibsonpalin; inquisition; interrogation; interview; marklevin; mccainpalin; mediabias; mediagestapo; msm; obamedia; palin; propagandawingofdnc; sarahpalin
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To: coffee260

Note to self: Print this out. Leave copies laying around in strategic locations.


161 posted on 09/13/2008 7:21:40 AM PDT by BykrBayb (May God have mercy on our souls. ~)
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To: coffee260

I knew they had done some edits, but that’s over the top. They lopped out entire sections that show she had better command of the subject than they wanted to present.

ABC is no better that CBS & NBC in their bias and this proves it. Did they not think this would come back to bite them in the rear?


162 posted on 09/13/2008 7:21:47 AM PDT by PogySailor (Time to take down the MSM/DNC cartel)
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To: rbmillerjr
Everybody should copy this text showing the exits and email it to your complete distribution lists.

Done.

163 posted on 09/13/2008 7:23:03 AM PDT by Fudd Fan (There's a new political superstar and she's a REAL LADY!)
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To: Evil Slayer

I would suggest that Palin start quoting her stuff that was edited out of the “interview.”
Palin: “As I said in the interview, ‘Yadda, yadda, yadda.”
Reporter/Questioner: “But you didn’t say that in the interview.”
Palin: “Why I certainly did! You mean they edited that out too?”


164 posted on 09/13/2008 7:23:33 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: samtheman

I disagree. Republicans should force the story line on the media...not the other way around. I suggest the Republicans NOT give interviews and have the media continue with their nonsense. Even with 24/7 Obamessiah worship and McCain/Palin bashing the polls are turning in McCain’s favor...BIGTIME!

Putting Palin in front of the press will do nothing to change this and only give them ammunition to use against her and McCain.


165 posted on 09/13/2008 7:25:18 AM PDT by I got the rope
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To: rvoitier

This isn’t grounds for pulling ABC’s license. Let’s get real.


166 posted on 09/13/2008 7:25:41 AM PDT by Fudd Fan (There's a new political superstar and she's a REAL LADY!)
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To: coffee260

I have phony outrage over this.


167 posted on 09/13/2008 7:26:15 AM PDT by sweetiepiezer (I have a friend and pal in SARAH!!!!!!!)
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To: coffee260

Thanks to other internet outlets, I was able to read the entire Palin - Gibson interview.

It’s interesting that the answers that made Governor Palin look good were left out.

How on earth can I trust ABC News to tell the whole story, much less the truth?

I don’t think Gibson’s / ABC’s best efforts will manage to secure a victory for Barak Obama.

Nice try.

No cigar.

Sincerely,

Peter Kessler


168 posted on 09/13/2008 7:27:26 AM PDT by Peter W. Kessler (Dirt is for racing... asphalt is for getting there.)
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To: drligme

You signed up today just to defend this?
Are you kidding me?


169 posted on 09/13/2008 7:28:14 AM PDT by mabelkitty (Obama thanks McCain for not questioning his Muslim faith)
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To: coffee260

My message to ABC:

You have lost a viewer. The blatant editing and manipulation of the Sarah Palin interview was the last straw. I used to be a faithful viewer but I am flabbergasted by this. Since when has the network news outlets become a propaganda outlet for the DNC? It appears that your primary objective was to damage Sarah Palin. You failed miserably. I am a Democrat voter but now I am beginning to question everything as it seems the media is dishonest.


170 posted on 09/13/2008 7:28:17 AM PDT by KansasGirl (READ MY LIPSTICK!!!)
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To: raybbr
" ...was as fake as the Zapruder film. "

" Huh? "

The Zapruder film was a raw, grainy, copped up footage of JKF's assassination.
171 posted on 09/13/2008 7:29:53 AM PDT by Prophet in the wilderness (PSALM .53 : 1 The FOOL hath said in his heart, there is no GOD.)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Can the FCC make ABC reshow the ENTIRE interview (word for word without cuts) again on prime TV? As well as put it on their website (word for word without cuts)? Wouldn’t what they did fall under FRAUD or some kind of broadcasting crime? Where’s the ACLU on this? Oh, it has to be an interview by a conservative reporter/station for them to get involved. Forgot.


172 posted on 09/13/2008 7:31:23 AM PDT by Evil Slayer (Sarah Palin reminds me of the story about David and Goliath)
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To: coffee260

Not surprising. Obama’s interview with CBS was edited to make him appear more knowledgeable, eloquent and lucid than he really is, while Palin’s interview with ABC was edited to make her appear to be exactly the opposite...and also to shore up the left’s attempt to paint her as a radical “Christianist”, which must be meant as a progressive counter to the radical Islamists that same people want wiped off the earth. Unfair and unbalanced coverage as usual.


173 posted on 09/13/2008 7:31:48 AM PDT by cake_crumb (Terrorist organizations worldwide endorse Obama.)
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To: All

In addition to sending this to

- your email distribution lists

**send it to all Women’s rights organizations, Hillary/Puma forums etc.

The Pumas will love this stuff.

Has anybody noticed tht Mika with Morning Joe is starting to flip to Palin because of the unfair bias?


174 posted on 09/13/2008 7:37:22 AM PDT by rbmillerjr (Message to radical jihadis. "...step in my hood, it's understood ------ it's open season" Stuck Mojo)
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To: drligme
Were the questions really that leading to assign nefarious intent to Mr. Gibson?

Yes, Charlie, they were.

175 posted on 09/13/2008 7:42:02 AM PDT by Sal (Pyrrhic Pooty just took Russia down to a 3rd class, 3rd world POS country that is dying.)
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To: Fudd Fan
Harry Reid threatened to pull ABC's license for airing the docudrama, "Path to 9/11."

By all means, yes, let's do get serious.

176 posted on 09/13/2008 7:42:14 AM PDT by rvoitier ("I'll see you at the debate, bitches!" ~~ Paris Hilton, '08 Campaign)
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To: coffee260

This explains why the “Palin Favors War Against Iran” and “Palin Favors War with Russia” headlines that popped up right after the interview was aired disappeared so suddenly.


177 posted on 09/13/2008 7:42:17 AM PDT by cake_crumb (Terrorist organizations worldwide endorse Obama.)
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To: coffee260

This is all you have to say to Charlie:
http://www.31337.pl/


178 posted on 09/13/2008 7:42:22 AM PDT by sweetiepiezer (I have a friend and pal in SARAH!!!!!!!)
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To: coffee260

bookmarked


179 posted on 09/13/2008 7:46:51 AM PDT by VRWCer (Barack Hussein Obama - The scrofulous Pied Piper of stupid people.)
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To: rlmorel
"What a bunch of arrogant a-holes."

As arrogant as Obama.

180 posted on 09/13/2008 7:48:23 AM PDT by cake_crumb (Terrorist organizations worldwide endorse Obama.)
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