Charlie Gibson and McClatchy reporter distort Palin's quote on the Iraq war

Writing about Charlie Gibson's interview with Sarah Palin, McClatchy reporter Steven Thomma misled readers about a remark Sarah Palin made at her previous church in Alaska, supposedly claiming the Iraq war is a mission from God. Here is Tomma's quote:

"Speaking at length with ABC's Charles Gibson, Palin also backed off an earlier comment that the Iraq war is a mission from God..."

Unfortunately for McClatchy readers, Palin didn't say the war in Iraq is God's mission. Here is Palin's exact quote, in full:

“Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God... That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan, so bless them with your prayers..."

Charlie Gibson got Palin's quote wrong, too -- even though he had days to prepare for the interview, and he was reading from notecards. From the transcript, here is Gibson pressing Palin with a distortion of her quote:

GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?

PALIN: You know, I don’t know if that was my exact quote.

GIBSON: Exact words.

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.

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.”

Good grief. Charlie "Exact words" Gibson got it wrong, and McClatchy's Steven Thomma can't be bothered to get it right, either.

So you can judge for yourself, here is video of Palin making the statement:



As Ace says, when you remove the part about praying that we are on God's side, you make it sound like she was simply saying "We're on God's side." Gibson and Thomma are twisting Palin's words to make it sound like she was claiming the Iraq war is God's mission.

UPDATE: If Scott Johnson's post today at Powerline is any indication, I think we'll be hearing alot more about "exact words."
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Previous related:

• McClatchy's propaganda piece of the day
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• McClatchy takes the low road -- publishes anti-Palin email from partisan Democrat in Alaska who doesn't like Palin
• McClatchy reporter who covers Sarah Palin says "most of us don't like her"
  

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