What "Framing" An Issue Looks Like

Having finally heard the will of the people regarding the senseless war in Iraqnam, Senate Democrats yesterday initiated the most intense fight of this session of Congress over an up or down vote on the Reed-Levin Amendment to begin troop withdrawals.

This story from AOL.com news tells you a bit about the issue but it also provides a glaring example of framing an issue.

Notice how the piece title is "Democrats Stage All-Night Debate on Iraq." Then notice the use of the word "dramatic" in the first sentence of the story. Simple enough, right?

But in that first sentence / paragraph of the story did you receive enough information to effectively and honestly answer a poll on the story's contents? I didn't.

Yet AOL news saw fit to ask its readers after one SENTENCE if the efforts of the Democrats were 1) political theater, 2) serious, or 3) both.

Isn't it ironic that the word "stage" is in the piece title, and "dramatic" is in the first sentence of the story, and then the poll asks if the effort was political "theater"?

AOL has done a fantastic job here of diverting you and other readers from the facts. Instead AOL news wants you to think from the outset, that what the Democrats did was all theatrics and they planted two theater words in your mind to get the answer they desired.

Did you notice also that "political theater" was the first choice in the poll that AOL provided? Not surprisingly, an overwhelming 61 percent of respondents called the move "political theater."

It wasn't until half way through the story that AOL saw fit to tell its readers what the debate was all about.

The Senate was to vote Wednesday on legislation by Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., that would require President Bush to begin pulling troops out of Iraq in 120 days. After April 30, an unspecified number of troops would be allowed to remain in Iraq to fight terrorists, protect U.S. assets and train Iraqi security forces.

The legislation was expected to attract the support of a narrow majority of senators - around 52 votes - but fall short of the 60 votes needed to cut off debate and end a filibuster.

"Will the all-night session change any votes? I hope so," said Reid, D-Nev. "Because it will focus attention on the obstructionism of the Republicans."

Its funny how when the Democrats wanted to do this very same move when they were in the minority, they were shilled by the Republic Party and called obstructionists. Now, however, with the Republic Party in the minority, it wants exactly what the Democrats wanted before.

The framing done by AOL does nothing to hasten the return of American kids from Iraqnam. If nothing else, it reinforces the conservative-biased media's love affair with all things Bush.

Thanks to my closest friend and confidant JoAnne Stone for pointing out this story and its irony to me.