AFP: “One reporter giggled at the back” during McCain press conference

posted at 2:48 pm on April 3, 2007 by Allahpundit

Anyone know any reporters who were seated in the back during McCain’s press conference?

Big score here for Bob Owens and a bigger score for Drudge if it pans out. FYI, the line quoted by AFP that allegedly elicited the giggling was “I studied warfare. I’m a student of history. If you control the capital city of a nation you have a significant advantage.” You can see McCain deliver that line in the second video hosted at Raw Story starting at around 3:30. There’s no audible giggling and he doesn’t appear distracted — but at 4:07, right after he says “But the American people are not getting the full picture,” there is some noise off camera. Sounds like a cough, maybe it’s something else. No one’s going to be able to prove this without further corroboration from the reporters who were there, though.

If Drudge isn’t already working on that, he should be.

Blowback

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So heckling and asking a tough question from Michael Ware has turned into possible giggling and a cough from some person in the back of the room?

Nonfactor on April 3, 2007 at 3:02 PM

How does this guy get his face to grow to the left?

Theworldisnotenough on April 3, 2007 at 3:02 PM

Like I said, suspicious. If CNN had video that backed up Ware, they would have run it. And, they must have known there was something there or they never would have asked him if he LAUGHED. Like I said, somebody who was there and who Drudge trusted, gave him the story. He didn’t just make it up.

Gee, I wonder who this was. Any guesses?

Yet journalists openly scoffed afterwards at what they considered a public awareness exercise secured on the streets by massive US security.

http://fe75.news.sp1.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070401/pl_afp/iraquspoliticsmccain_070401165906

TheBigOldDog on April 3, 2007 at 3:03 PM

So heckling and asking a tough question from Michael Ware has turned into possible giggling and a cough from some person in the back of the room?

Don’t be such a goddamned hack. You were only too happy to celebrate when the story fell apart yesterday, which I honestly and forthrightly reported. Now we’ve got a new fact that cuts the other way and I’m honestly and forthrightly reporting that, and you’re in full spin mode. Typical leftist. You’re an embarrassment.

Allahpundit on April 3, 2007 at 3:06 PM

Don’t be such a goddamned hack. You were only too happy to celebrate when the story fell apart yesterday, which I honestly and forthrightly reported. Now we’ve got a new fact that cuts the other way and I’m honestly and forthrightly reporting that, and you’re in full spin mode. Typical leftist. You’re an embarrassment.

Allahpundit on April 3, 2007 at 3:06 PM

Calm down. This “new fact” doesn’t prove anything. It states that one reporter in the back of the room laughed. Is this even close to the story originally reported?

Nonfactor on April 3, 2007 at 3:09 PM

Maybe we need someone with a camera reporting on the reporters.

- The Cat

MirCat on April 3, 2007 at 3:11 PM

Is this even close to the story originally reported?

Is it even close? Drudge reported that Michael Ware “heckled” McCain. AFP’s reporting that a reporter in the back, which is where Ware was sitting, “giggled” noticeably enough during McCain’s remarks as to warrant mention in a news article.

Yeah, I’d call that “close.”

Allahpundit on April 3, 2007 at 3:15 PM

Allahpundit on April 3, 2007 at 3:15 PM

Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? “One reporter” giggled. That’s not heckling, and we’re not even sure if it was Ware. If the original story reported that one reporter giggled when McCain said something outlandish all this other story would do would corroborate it; but the original story stated that Michael Ware (not the anonymous “one reporter”) “heckled” McCain during the press conference; there is no evidence of this aside from a passing mention in one article.

Nonfactor on April 3, 2007 at 3:20 PM

Hey Nonfactor, that’s not all they said: Yet journalists openly scoffed Now, if AFP reported this, imagine what the truth of it really is?

How did CNN know to ask him about laughing? Why didn’t they show the video? How come the only known source of video is a Ware fan site? It’s suspicious…

TheBigOldDog on April 3, 2007 at 3:20 PM

Take that last sentence back. There isn’t even any evidence of this in the AFP’s article.

Nonfactor on April 3, 2007 at 3:21 PM

TheBigOldDog on April 3, 2007 at 3:20 PM

And a missile really hit the Pentagon.

Nonfactor on April 3, 2007 at 3:22 PM

A missile did hit the Pentagon. It was a guided missile flown by Jihadists and filled with innocent Americans. What the price of tea in China today? Any idea?

TheBigOldDog on April 3, 2007 at 3:24 PM

Take that last sentence back. There isn’t even any evidence of this in the AFP’s article.

Nonfactor on April 3, 2007 at 3:21 PM

Why are you carrying water for AFP? Shill.

Andy in Agoura Hills on April 3, 2007 at 3:27 PM

How does this guy get his face to grow to the left?

I laughed out loud.

unamused on April 3, 2007 at 3:28 PM

Beware the crazy eyes… Seriously, I can’t watch that guy.

lan astaslem on April 3, 2007 at 3:31 PM

Be careful Nonfactor. Keep doing what you’re doing and your face may grow to the left too.

unamused on April 3, 2007 at 3:32 PM

It’ll be like those NYT corrections…buried.

benrand on April 3, 2007 at 3:35 PM

Someone giggled at a press conference? This is the lamest story ever.

Maybe someone drew a funny little picture on their notepad and showed the person next to them at an inopportune time. I pull this move a meetings all the time, it works like a charm.

JaHerer22 on April 3, 2007 at 3:48 PM

..or perhaps someone had a Pez dispenser jauntily posed…you have to laugh at that!!

honora on April 3, 2007 at 3:57 PM

I would write out a tally sheet that had specific phrases or words the meeting attendees were fond of using. Some meetings went very long and this was a way to pass the time as well as train officers in discipline, since they couldn’t laugh or giggle at the risk of getting into much hot water.
I’d imagine reporters see the press conferences like this in terms of some of the personalities they constantly cover.

But then again it could be some nefarious left wing plot…

Bradky on April 3, 2007 at 4:03 PM

Maybe someone drew a funny little picture on their notepad and showed the person next to them at an inopportune time. I pull this move a meetings all the time, it works like a charm.

JaHerer22 on April 3, 2007 at 3:48 PM

AA meetings are not a laughing matter.

fogw on April 3, 2007 at 4:32 PM

AA meetings are not a laughing matter.

LOL!

aengus on April 3, 2007 at 4:46 PM

I hate to say it but this story is rapidly becoming a “he said she said” case. If Drudge is now getting info out of jounalists who were there then one is going to say they heard laughing. One is going to say they heard coughing. One is going to say that Helen Thomas farted. I predict that this story dies right here. The election season is young though. The opportunities for repeat disrespectful behavior by journalists will not be few and far between.

Zetterson on April 3, 2007 at 5:04 PM

. I predict that this story dies right here
Zetterson on April 3, 2007 at 5:04 PM

This story was dead the second *doubt* was raised, which was the sole purpose for raising it. Regardless of whether he did it or not, the official MSM story will be that he didn’t.

forged rite on April 3, 2007 at 6:48 PM

The Communist News Network should put up the video or shut up.

Ware is a terrorist sympathizer, that is a fact which he cannot dispute.

ScottyDog on April 3, 2007 at 6:51 PM

Heckling, to me, is what the old guys on the muppets do. A giggle and a cough is not heckling, heck it aint even interrupting.

Again a story with NO evidence and yet for some reason people need to believe it.

Believe me, McCain is not worth it.

harry on April 3, 2007 at 7:25 PM

It has nothing to do with McCain, and everything to with a terrorist sympathizer being passed off as a reporter.

forged rite on April 3, 2007 at 7:34 PM

No it has everything to do with EVIDENCE that backs up a claim. This story has gone from “Ware” heckling McCain to a unnamed reporter giggling and coughing. I fully expect it to degenerate to a silent but deadly fart by tommorow.

harry on April 3, 2007 at 7:44 PM

Here’s the Hot Air article that’s on the front page now in case you’ve forgotten about it-

Sort of. He denies having said anything at the press conference — but strictly speaking, he wasn’t accused of having said anything. Here’s what Drudge reported:
During a live press conference in Baghdad, Senators McCain and Graham were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware. An official at the press conference called Ware’s conduct “outrageous,” saying, “here you have two United States Senators in Bagdad giving first-hand reports while Ware is laughing and mocking their comments. I’ve never witnessed such disrespect. This guy is an activist not a reporter.”
It sounds like he may have been laughing theatrically when they were talking about walking around Baghdad.

And this is from the AFP story-

I studied warfare. I’m a student of history. If you control the capital city of a nation you have a significant advantage,” countered McCain as one reporter giggled at the back.

Are you seriously saying you don’t think they may be related?

forged rite on April 3, 2007 at 8:10 PM

laughing and mocking their comments. is not giggled at the back.

Again Drudge indentifies Ware the AFP article does not. Until such time as real, reliable evidence is produced this is a non-story.

We all know what assume really means.

harry on April 3, 2007 at 8:25 PM

That’s all i wanted to know. It’s clear that-

1. You’re insane

2. Michael Ware is your life partner

Either way, i won’t waste any more time on you.

forged rite on April 3, 2007 at 8:34 PM

Absolutely no problem keep chasing those windmills.