Really? As the rest of the world watches not only with great intrigue but with mounting concern over the unraveling of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in Great Britain, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) says it’s a “British issue.”
The battle over Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is splitting American politics along party lines, with senior Democrats calling for investigations into the company while some senior Republicans play down the crisis.
Allegations that News International reporters may illegally have attempted to obtain the phone numbers of 9/11 victims have prompted an FBI probe into the company, which this week launched a preliminary investigation into the allegations. But a backlash has begun, focusing on the source of the claim: a single story in the Daily Mirror.
The former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain has criticised the decision to investigate, saying there is little evidence so far that the problem of phone hacking had spread to the US and the probe was unjustified. “It seems to me that this is a British issue that needs to be resolved first,” he told Sky News. “I’ve heard of no evidence or allegation yet of anything being done in the United States of America.” [....]
I would have expected almost any other Republican to say the US investigation is “unjustified,” because the probe is being conducted under the Obama administration, but not Sen. McCain – especially when it comes to potential phone/email-hacking of 9/11 victims.
On the other hand, Republicans have become so predictable, everyone knows that if the Obama administration had not started a probe, Republicans would have balked, calling US AG Holder and President Obama all sorts of names for not doing so.
I’ll wager Republicans are concerned about losing one of their greatest assets in spreading their twisted message based on fake facts — Fox News. And the timing for Republicans couldn’t be worse. Imagine the upcoming presidential campaign without Fox News’ style of “reporting.” Perhaps its time for Republicans to reconsider their message.
Everyday seems to bring out more evidence and problems involving News Corp’s hacking scandal. Yesterday, “Rebekah Brooks [was] arrested by police investigating allegations of phone hacking by the News of the World and allegations that police officers were bribed to leak sensitive information.” [....] Clearly, Murdoch can ill-afford any of his media groups — including Fox News — to conduct themselves in any way questionable.
Should we be surprised that this is happening to Murdoch’s media empire? I say no because what’s happening to News Corp happens in other areas of the public domain all the time. All too often we’re subjected to prominent, public figures who disgrace themselves with stupid behavior, clearly suffering from a displaced sense of entitlement that says “I can do or say anything and get away with it. I’m powerful.” Negating the truth has its consequences.
As for Republicans exhibiting their usual fare of partisanship, shame on them. They should be focusing on national security with this issue and not conjuring up a back-handed attack against the President just to score a political point. What’s unfolding in Great Britain should give everyone in Congress great cause for concern. If News Corp can so easily pry open the “back door” in a country where there’s at least one security camera on every street, what’s to stop others from doing likewise? Besides, it was reported that News Corp a hired “criminals” to do their hacking. So who are these “criminals?” What’s to stop them from selling the same information they got for the British tabloids to others who may be connected to terrorists groups?
This isn’t a time for partisanship and political campaigning, its time for some serious and deliberate action to ensure that News Corp is not using the same tactics here. Other countries should do likewise. Kudos to the President and his administration for putting the people and our safety first.
Related articles and sources
News Corp scandal divides US along party lines
Rebekah Brooks arrested over phone-hacking allegations
Attorney general considers investigation into News Corp. hacking
Fox news is one of the best media sources known to the US. I think it is reliable and has always been accurate and infomative.