Another Rush (Not a lie. Just a distortion of the facts.) - disclosure.
I looked at Rush's site today and found this story ripe for investigation. Basically his story indicates that a MS-NBC news woman, Andrea Mitchell, was pleading with a black congressman, Elijah Cunningham, to get the health care legislation passed. Especially suspcious was the story headline - Andrea Mitchell Makes On Air Plea: "You've Got To Get This Done for Him!"
Next, read the 1st picture story top of this page: Rush's story taken as a snag-it picture from his website.
The headline caught my attention, and I read the story. It didn't make a lot of sense either. So I did some research starting with a Google search. Most of the hits were right wing blogs decrying how a supposed journalist of the MSM (main stream media) had been caught, concluding with proof like this how could the left (with reporters like Andrea) ever criticize Fox News.
It took awhile before I could find a site with an actual video clip and not just a transcription. I could have heard the audio of Rush's show but I was unwilling to become a "Rush 24/7 Member" at the bargain price of $6.95 a month. Finally I did find a video clip a video clip of the interview that also didn't make much sense . Although within the nineteen second clip, it did appear Andrea was saying what had been reported. However it didn't sound like a plea as much as an argument -- like, "This is what you're trying to do, Isn't it?"
Next, read the 1st picture story top of this page: Rush's story taken as a snag-it picture from his website.
The headline caught my attention, and I read the story. It didn't make a lot of sense either. So I did some research starting with a Google search. Most of the hits were right wing blogs decrying how a supposed journalist of the MSM (main stream media) had been caught, concluding with proof like this how could the left (with reporters like Andrea) ever criticize Fox News.
It took awhile before I could find a site with an actual video clip and not just a transcription. I could have heard the audio of Rush's show but I was unwilling to become a "Rush 24/7 Member" at the bargain price of $6.95 a month. Finally I did find a video clip a video clip of the interview that also didn't make much sense . Although within the nineteen second clip, it did appear Andrea was saying what had been reported. However it didn't sound like a plea as much as an argument -- like, "This is what you're trying to do, Isn't it?"
When I finally found the full length video on Andrea's Face Book wall (picture 2 above), I confirmed my suspicion. Andrea and Elijah had been talking about the black congressional caucus and how they were trying to support the president who had been a member. So her words were more a recap of her understanding of the situation of how YOU, the caucus, feel about Obama and his efforts on health care reform, and are going to work to get this done for HIM.
So except as a stand-alone Rush/Blogger sound bite, what Andrea said was in no way a personal plea or even a personal opinion. The greatest misstatement (besides Rush's) was Elijah's response to her statement, "Andrea, I agree with you a million percent." What he should have said is that he agreed with her understanding of the situation.
Now Rush and the bloggers didn't listen to the interview in its full context. Or more likely they did, but the full interview didn't present the opportunity to distort the "NEWS" to their benefit/satisfaction. The sound bite allowed Rush and the bloggers to rage on about how all Obama does is just about HIM, his legacy, his efforts, his sense of power... Had they only have played the next few seconds of the interview their audiences would have heard the next words, as spoken by Elijah, "But it's not just about HIM, it's about getting ..." and he continued on with something maddening like "... It's about getting affordable health care for millions of Americans." etc., etc.
This is my third shot at taking a Rush story -- almost at random -- and doing a little research of my own. Regretfully, for America with its millions of Rush followers, I have been able to discover misleading, misdirected, and/or missing information in each story that demonstrates Rush's distortion of the facts. "But ah, ah, ah folks, he just wouldn't be interesting if he were truthful -- or fair and balanced."
A good quote from Bertran Russell appeared on my Google page today that seems to fit here:
Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.
Now Rush and the bloggers didn't listen to the interview in its full context. Or more likely they did, but the full interview didn't present the opportunity to distort the "NEWS" to their benefit/satisfaction. The sound bite allowed Rush and the bloggers to rage on about how all Obama does is just about HIM, his legacy, his efforts, his sense of power... Had they only have played the next few seconds of the interview their audiences would have heard the next words, as spoken by Elijah, "But it's not just about HIM, it's about getting ..." and he continued on with something maddening like "... It's about getting affordable health care for millions of Americans." etc., etc.
This is my third shot at taking a Rush story -- almost at random -- and doing a little research of my own. Regretfully, for America with its millions of Rush followers, I have been able to discover misleading, misdirected, and/or missing information in each story that demonstrates Rush's distortion of the facts. "But ah, ah, ah folks, he just wouldn't be interesting if he were truthful -- or fair and balanced."
A good quote from Bertran Russell appeared on my Google page today that seems to fit here:
Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.
