Despite evidence to the contrary, Blitzer continues to assert McCain "suspend[ed]" campaign

Summary: Days after CNN's Jeffrey Toobin asserted that the media are "being kind of gullible in falling for" Sen. John McCain's announcement that he was going to suspend his campaign, and noting that McCain "didn't suspend his campaign," Wolf Blitzer asserted as fact, not for the first time, that McCain "temporarily suspend[ed] his campaign."

On the September 28 edition of CNN's Late Edition, host Wolf Blitzer asserted as fact that Sen. John McCain "temporarily suspend[ed] his campaign in order to address the Wall Street financial crisis." In fact, as Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented, numerous campaign activities continued following McCain's announcement that he was going to suspend his campaign.

Blitzer made the assertion twice on the September 25 edition of CNN's The Situation Room before it was contradicted by CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who said of McCain's actions: "He didn't suspend his campaign. He's been campaigning all day. He gave a speech in New York. He's giving interviews all night. He's raising money. His surrogates are attacking [Sen.] Barack Obama." Toobin added: "I think this is posturing of being apolitical and, frankly, I think we're being kind of gullible in falling for it. He didn't stop his campaign. He's campaigning."

From the September 28 broadcast of CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer:

BLITZER: Now, in case you missed it, let's check some of the highlights from the other Sunday morning talk shows here in the United States. On ABC, Republican presidential candidate John McCain defended his decision to temporarily suspend his campaign in order to address the Wall Street financial crisis.

McCAIN [video clip]: I saw that the House of Representatives was not engaged -- that the Republicans in the House of Representatives were not engaged in the negotiations. I understand that. They're the most fiscally conservative people. And so, I came back. ... I did the best that I could. I came back because I wasn't going to phone it in.

—M.G. & G.L.