Fight Their Smears: ABC News, Bob Beckel, Time, AP, Guardian, and NYT slime the Right
Time lies. The NYTimes slimes. AP distorts. ABC News, the Guardian, and the blithering Bob Beckel have all now piled on, too. They are at it again. Smearing conservative bloggers and talk radio. Because they think they can get away with it.
Like Barack Obama, the MSM has adopted the “Yes, we can!” mantra.
Oh, no, they can’t.
As I reported on Friday, the ogling Obamedia is spreading the lie that conservative bloggers and talk show host Rush Limbaugh are responsible for perpetuating the Michelle Obama videotape rumor, whose dubious provenance is far left Hillary shill and disgraced disinformation operative Larry Johnson. Over the weekend, ABC News attributed Johnson’s rumor to “conservative bloggers” without even the most cursory mention of Johnson’s role in lighting the fire on May 16–and no acknowledgment at all that many leading conservative bloggers have been deflating and debunking Johnson’s hype from the get-go. (Allahpundit counts five major MSM outlets, including ABC News, which have now omitted Johnson from stories about the reckless tape rumor.) Here’s the ABC News smear:
Google “Michelle Obama” and the term “whitey” and you’ll find conservative bloggers claiming a video shows her using the racially tinged term at Trinity Church. No tape has ever surfaced. But the claim helped prompt the Obama campaign to launch its own Web site, FighttheSmears.com.
Are you ready to fight their smears?
At the bottom of the ABC News smear story is an invitation:
I clicked and politely suggested to the editors of ABC News that they Google “Larry Johnson and whitey” and correct their smear story. You can also leave public comments on the smear story here.
In his Friday afternoon apology for smearing conservatives, Jay Carney is still blaming us for “picking up and spreading” the rumor–omitting the fact, and yes, I have to repeat it again, that many leading conservative bloggers have been debunking Johnson’s hype from the get-go.
Fight their smears.
You can leave comments for Carney about his botched apology here.
And just when you think they can’t go any lower, along comes Bob Beckel. First, let’s review what he said in a heavy-breathing interview on Fox and Friends on June 3. I’ve taken the time to transcribe the exact moment when he launches into his hyped-up Michelle Obama rumor-mongering–which was not solicited or prompted by the hosts. Pay close attention:
Transcript:
BECKEL: Now, there is one other thing that I’ve gotta tell ya about which worries me a little bit. And that is because I always hear rumors, I hear thousands of them in the course of a presidential campaign, but this one I’ve heard from enough sources that it worries me.
I won’t get into details on what it is except to say that there is some thought that there might be a very big shoe dropping on Michelle Obama tomorrow.
CAMEROTA: Wait a minute…
BECKEL: …And that, yeah, I can’t tell you what it is because I don’t want to perpetuate the rumor. But I will tell you this. Whoever is promoting this thing is doing it in enough ways, in a very smart way, that it gets to me in ways that make me get worried about it…
CAMEROTA: Ok, but are you suggesting in that case that Hillary Clinton is sticking around to see what that shoe drop’ll be?
BECKEL: N-n-no, because I think, it’s, from my understanding it’s coming from the Republicans and they wanted to wait until he wrapped up the nomination. ‘Course, the stupidity of that is, if there’s anything to it, if there’s anything big like that, they can always turn to her to take the nomination…
CAMEROTA: …back to Michelle Obama, is it your understanding that this is bigger than, say, a college thesis paper.
BECKEL: Significantly.
DOOCY: Alright. Let’s just call you Bombshell Bob Beckel.
Twelve days later, no bombshell dropped. But Beckel was back on Fox News yesterday, mounting his high horse to blame conservative bloggers and Rush Limbaugh for spreading the rumor he shamelessly hyped. (Hat tip - reader Away2Play.) Beckel has the gall to claim that he was trying to “cut it off” rather than breathlessly flog it. Then he turns and sanctimoniously wags his finger at FNC host Bret Baier, admonishing him not to ask questions about rumors because it legitimizes rumors.
The poison icing on Beckel’s demagogic devil’s food cake?
Calling conservative bloggers and commentators “crackers and right-wingers.”
I’ve clipped and transcribed this astounding performance. Without further comment, because none is necessary when a petard is being hoist so grandly, here are the clip and transcript:
Transcript:
BAIER: FightTheSmears.com. Set up by the Barack Obama campaign. What about that, Bob? Do they need to do this kind of thing?
BECKEL: Well, I suppose they need to do it. But frankly, it requires voters to be civic-minded and go and check these things out. And I don’t think that many of them will. But look: The Internet has changed two things in politics substantially this year. One is money. And the other is how you deliver smears. And what has happened here, particularly against Barack Obama, whether it’s his middle name, whether it’s the fact that he’s black, purely racist and bigoted stuff that I get through my Internet mail, what’s happened is, it comes from these right-wing bloggers and then, the question is—and it gets picked up by right-wing radio talk show hosts—and then, the question is, does the mainstream media then begin to ask questions about it, which then legitimizes it, and that’s really the problem.
It’s people in your business, Bret, that have got to—you gotta not ask these questions—because what it does, when you do ask the question, it then lets the radio talk show hosts come back and say something. I got into a problem with Rush—
BAIER: I’ll say that’s a fine thing to say, however, let’s say that in this bushel of things that you get one that really is true?
BECKEL: If you’ve got some evidence, that’s fine. But these guys don’t have any evidence. This story that they ran about Michelle Obama, which by the way, I got in some trouble on by trying to cut it off and, and Rush Limbaugh got on the radio and said, ‘Well, Bob Beckel mentioned it’—I did not mention it. I said that there were smears coming around, one of them had to do with Barack Obama, and that gave Limbaugh the chance to say it all over again. Look, that is a not true story. You wouldn’t go with that story without some evidence…
BAIER: No, of course not. But my point is, is that they’ll paint a big brush here, and perhaps in the mix, there may be something a reporter may be afraid to go after, uh, that there would be some truth—
BECKEL: Well, I’ll tell ya what. Let these crackers and right-wingers prove it before they put it, before they come out…
Before they come out and what, Bombshell Bob? Before they come out and, oh, start braying on tee-vee about “very big shoes” dropping on “tomorrows” that never came?
Project much?
***
Good on the Chicago Sun-Times.
Update: Allah’s put the Beckel bloviations back-to-back in one handy video clip. Pass it on.
Update: Much more from LGF.
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Trackbacks
- Ed Driscoll.com
- Sister Toldjah
- Fox News Bob Beckel Hints At Michelle Obama Bombshell Video : BigMouthFrog
- Bob Beckel: “Crackers And Right Wingers” Behind “Whitey” Smear! « Nice Deb
- NYTimes, AP, ABC News, The Guardian And Bob Beckel = Slime Artists : BigMouthFrog
- Wizbang
- Genesis Of A Smear
- Chickenhawk Express
- Political Party Poop
- Hot Air » Blog Archive » Disgrace: Beckel blames right-wing “crackers” for his own Michelle Obama smearmongering
- Obama Supporter, Beckel, Denounces “Crackers” for Spreading His “Whitey” Rumor « Gaffe Nation
- BOB BECKEL CALLS ME A CRACKER « Chicagoans Against Obama
- Horribly irresponsible journalism. « PaulSwansen’s Weblog
- Michelle Malkin » Tuesday morning open thread
- UNCoRRELATED
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Oh re-he-heally? This is like a mule calling itself an “ass.” The Democrat Party only has ONE approach to politics! It is the same every day, every week, every month, every year, ad nausium! Throw in the environment every cycle, too. They had pushed the idea of “global cooling,” atomic testing weakening the Earth’s crust, and causing tectonic plate instability, and now it’s global warming/climate change. What’s next, disharmony of thought causing horticultural malaise?
When will the LEFT WING MEDIA start examining Obummer’s record? His years in the Illinois State Legislature? In the Senate? What the heck is a “community organizer?” Is such a job a direct invite into Chicago machine politics? These are the questions I want answered.
You know, it’s interesting. Liberals are so understanding of “opposite views.” They would never sever a relationship with someone who said as many hateful things as Wright. They would never ever criticize the hateful things that anti-America, anti-military people say about our country and our military. They’re much too understanding for that.
Yet, if conservatives have the “audacity” to question the legitimacy, let alone the value of someone like Obummer, then it’s a game of “we (liberals) will smear you (Conservatives) before anything of merit can touch Mr. HopenGlow.”
Yeah, yeah, we get it… that freedom of speech thing applies to you but when slinging the muck but when it’s done to you, hell hath no fury like a liberal scorned!
Oh, and can someone please ask the boy wonder genius Bob Beckel, why the hell the Dems decided to go with the superdelegate system? Nothing says fairness in a primary cycle like the political movers and shakers (not the voters)having the last say.
Not quite as Democratic as you want to appear, huh, Beckel?
Bob Beckel trashing conservatives? Beckel should know about trash. Old Bob seems to forget how his own little “hookergate” was kept relatively quiet.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/beckel1.html
Maybe the object of his affection was a little conservative “cracker”.
Totally unjustified comment on your part, Trop. You expect this campaign season to really be about issues? Or about smears and blame? What fairytale world are you living in? Or are you just that naive?
Dems will do anything to win power, both for themselves and their dimwitted, dependent supporters. We all have a stake in this election by outing people like Beckel who was the original source of the televised rumor… when Conservatives attempt to rebut it then it’s people like you who say, “they need to stick to the issues?”
That’s quite a piece of circular logic on your part. Do you want honesty in politics or would you rather just let rumors spread and left unrebutted? The problem is the general population isn’t interested in the issues. Many want to scapegoat Pres. Bush and Conservatives/Republicans for all their problems while all along WE have all been complicit.
If the American people really had cared half as much as they do about this Republic, then why all the demands for gimme gimme programs like Socialized Healthcare? Why? Why the less than exemplary treatment by both the public and the media of the military?
Where are YOUR priorities? Or are you just kicking the can down the road, too?
If you feel–and “feel” being the operative word–your human rights were violated, or if after hearing Beckel had called you a “cracker” your life just wasn’t the same, or if you’re just lazy and don’t want to work, soak off the teat of the Uncle Sam, than yes, you qualify. That is unless of course you work for “BIG OIL.”
It’s interesting that Beckel keeps talking about “crackers” on Fox and nothing ever happens to him. I wonder what would have happened, had he dropped the N-bomb.
Bob Beckel…the myth…the man…behind Walter Mondale, one of the most embarassing losses - ever - in a presidential campaign.
I do find it interesting that the happy hooker’s john was able to create havoc for Gary Hart with the politicizing of the “Where’s the beef?” slogan in the 80’s. Judging from the looks of Beckel, he must have been knocking back Dave Thomas’ burgers, while he was playing hide the salami with the hookers.
Was that over-the-top? It’s so hard to tell. Maybe not. At least I wasn’t the first one that wondered about it.
This election is turning into the elections of the 1800s…Jackson, Adams, Van Buren, Fillmore, etc.. With all the denunciations and mud-slinging going on, one wonders how to wade through all the crap. All we need now is Obama accusing McCain of importing Vietnamese prostitutes, and McCain accusing Michelle Obama of bigamy. (For those who don’t know American political history, check it out.) If Obama wins the Presidency, is he going to open the WH to “all of this friends”, during the celebration?
Sure, if she’s real pretty…which I hear you’re qualified.
Welcome to the
clubbox.Careful,
Cracker Rice IS my name…I’m Jerry’s brother.
(you’re welcome)
I just don’t see how that’s possible, we must ask Mishallow Obama how it’s done. Maybe Fecal Beckel could find out for us?
(use ur imagination on the pronunciation)
#103 Jim M.
I do not believe I am going to be able to forgive you for providing that Beckel link. The images conjured up by reading the first two pages of the police affidavit may have done irreparable damage to my brain. The human psyche can not process the terms “Bob Beckel, naked, and oral sex” at the same time and not suffer permanent mental scaring. It would take a democrat to pay a hooker with a personal check. I wonder if he asked for a receipt?
Crackers!?! And, voters aren’t civic minded?
Bob Beckel is a total blowhard. What a success his Mondale campaign was!