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Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Limbaugh controversy: What does the MSM do when caught in a lie? Punt.

NO SURPRISE HERE: MSNBC Admits ‘Unable to Verify’ False Limbaugh Quote, No Retraction or Apology. Reader C.J. Burch writes: “The problems at CNBC and CNN are deepening. I wonder why they’ve decided to ride this one into the ground? There were better hills to fight for. Are they going to throw themselves on their sword when an athlete in the NFL misbehaves and the rest of the country calls for him to be banned from the game? I just watched CNN try to tie a posthumous pardon of an African American in South Carolina to Limbaugh. Why? The trial happened in 1913. Did Limbaugh travel back in time or something. Or is CNN just that desperate, vicious and dishonest?” I think he means MSNBC, not CNBC, but yeah.

During the 3:00PM ET hour of live coverage on MSNBC Friday, co-host David Shuster admitted that racially charged quotes he and other hosts attributed to Rush Limbaugh had not been verified: “MSNBC attributed that quote to a football player who was opposed to Limbaugh’s NFL bid. However, we have been unable to verify that quote independently. So, just to clarify.” Shuster did not formally retract the quote or apologize.





The Atlantic's Coates shows how it's done. Many of the comments that follow show the typical Liberal reaction: "fake but accurate."

On Apologizing To Rush
15 Oct 2009 03:12 pm

No, it didn't make me throw up in my mouth. I'm a little sick that I got it wrong, as I should be. But not sick that I have to apologize to Rush. The thing is this: I don't think that you guys expect me to get it write right 100 percent of the time. I think you expect me to try very hard to be accurate, and immediately acknowledge when I've failed to do so. I don't fear losing readers because I was wrong. I very much fear losing readers because they think I'm not being honest.



One comment (by loopyleft) did get it right re Donovan McNabb:

And about McNabb (as I glimpsed this thread): living near philly, I got an up-close and personal seat to the conflagration Rush caused with his statements regarding race in the NFL, as well as McNabb's ability to crumple under pressure.

The observation that Rush made - and got him fired from his MNF gig - was the NFL has a vested interest, and is indeed desirous in seeing a black quarterback succeed as well as a black coach. Although it was an Eagles game being played when he said it (Andy Reid, white coach), his POINT (which many glossed over) was the NFL DOES have a vested interest in raising the prominence of a black QB and coaches in the league because most of the on-field talent is black.

But, even more glaring to the NFL, the most celebrated and known QBs have been WHITE. Joe Montanna, Broadway Joe nameth, even John Madden. Additionally, the Heisman Trophy, and many football awards, are named for white guys. Despite many successful black QBs, a lot of press goes to the white guys.

The NFL, as many noted, has a very public face that affects the bottom line. To be seen as racist in the QB and coaching) epartment, as had been discussed at length that year (and still, in many circles), is a sensitive subject to a multibillion dollar entertainment industry that depends on viewers of all races to be attracted to the game.

The 2007 super bowl, if you haven't noticed, was celebrated far and wide for the fact not one, but both of the coaches were black. There was endless advertisement for this success, not only from the NFL, but from Nike, Coke, Budweiser, etc, ad-nauseum.

In the end, what Rush was talking about - had you bothered to listen and parse - was the fact that as a nation wanting to get past race, we sure spend a lot of time dwelling on that. If I call a white guy an a**h***, i'm a jerk; if I say it to a black person I'm racist. This metaphor has played out against ANYONE that doesn't like the current agenda and is, indeed, the epithet attached to anyone that doesn't agree with the current white house agenda and, by extension, any democrat idea. ...

The media in general, left or right (but more so, the left, ironically), are so quick to vilify those they hate, they'll repeat any lie spoken to them if it casts their opponent in a bad light, without fact checking, or retraction.

The saddest fact of all, though, is how easily the American people let this garbage pass because they really do want to tell others the "proper" way to think and speak.

No, wait, let me take that back. The saddest fact is McNabb does really suck, and chokes quite often. As an eagles fan, I've hated him ever since he threw up during a superbowl we should have won. Rush pointed this out, dragged in his political bit (agains ABC wishes) and has been vilified ever since.



The Media Research Center accuses the MSM of character assassination:

Media Research Center President Brent Bozell issued the following statement:


“CNN and MSNBC must immediately and publicly source when Limbaugh uttered this phrase. He has unequivocally denied it. Now it is up to the same news media that reported it as fact to prove that it was, indeed, stated.

“The MRC has overnighted letters to senior executives at both cable networks demanding that they take this sourcing seriously and report back to the public. We await their word.

“Either Rush Limbaugh is lying or these networks – willfully or not – are participants in the worst form of character assassination imaginable. They can prove their innocence by documenting this accusation. If they can’t, then they are 100% guilty of character assassination.

“Tomorrow we will go public with their response.”


Brent, it's what they do!

Rush Limbaugh's response in the Wall Street Journal end thus:

As I explained on my radio show, this spectacle is bigger than I am on several levels. There is a contempt in the news business, including the sportswriter community, for conservatives that reflects the blind hatred espoused by Messrs. Sharpton and Jackson. "Racism" is too often their sledgehammer. And it is being used to try to keep citizens who don't share the left's agenda from participating in the full array of opportunities this nation otherwise affords each of us. It was on display many years ago in an effort to smear Clarence Thomas with racist stereotypes and keep him off the Supreme Court. More recently, it was employed against patriotic citizens who attended town-hall meetings and tea-party protests.

These intimidation tactics are working and spreading, and they are a cancer on our society.

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