Hyroglyphx writes:
quote:
Well, just ask yourself if the same rationale applies to FOX.
Of course. Fox has been caught time and time again misquoting people, taking statements out of context, and even went to court in order to defend their right to lie on the air and call it "news" (and won!)
This is what Sean Hannity broadcast on his show regarding Obama's speech in Cairo:
HANNITY: He went on to imply to the foreign audience in Cairo that the U.S. is a nation that tortures.
OBAMA [video clip]: I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.
HANNITY: He also decided to give 9-11 sympathizers a voice on the world stage.
OBAMA [video clip]: I am aware that there are still some that would question or even justify the events of 9-11.
HANNITY: And throughout the speech, Mr. Obama spoke out of both sides of his mouth. He said on Iraq that he's glad that Saddam is gone, but then he added this caveat. Listen to this.
OBAMA [video clip]: Iraq was a war of choice.
This, however, was what Obama actually said:
The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of its forms.
In Ankara, I made clear that America is not -- and never will be -- at war with Islam. (Applause.) We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security -- because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people.
The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America's goals, and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al Qaeda and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice; we went because of necessity. I'm aware that there's still some who would question or even justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with.
Is that really "giving 9-11 sympathizers a voice"? He expressly denied their claims. Why do you think Hannity did that?
Wendell Goler use a hacked clip of Obama speaking at a town hall to make it look like Obama was looking to institute a health care system "like the European countries" here in the US. But in reality, Obama was simply repeating the audience-member's question back before answer it.
Here is what Goler said:
GOLER: Recently, the president has recognized the country is suffering from sticker shock.
OBAMA [video clip]: We also have a deficit -- a confidence gap when it comes to the American people, and we've got to earn their trust.
GOLER: And earn it while he tackles some of the country's most expensive problems, like health care reform. Without it, aides say, the cost of Medicare can't be controlled and the budget won't balance. Still, Mr. Obama doesn't want to do it halfway.
OBAMA [video clip]: If you're going to fix it, why not do a universal health care system like the European countries?
GOLER: His critics worry universal health care would mean government health care. Meanwhile, a new Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll indicates Americans are evenly split over whether they think the president has expanded the government, but more would prefer a smaller government that delivers fewer services. At the White House, Wendell Goler, Fox News.
But here is what actually happened:
DR. BERNSTEIN: After the last recession ended in 2001, the unemployment rate went up for another 19 months before it started coming back down.
This next question -- an area close to your heart -- health care reform. From Richard in California: "Why can we not have a universal health care system, like many European countries, where people are treated based on needs rather than financial resources?"
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I was in this room last month in what we called a health care forum. And we brought all the members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats who were interested in this issue; we brought together various constituency groups, insurance companies, drug companies, you name it. And my message to them was: Now is the time to reform the health care system -- not four years from now, not eight years from now, not 20 years from now. Now.
And the reason -- (laughter) -- the reason that I think it is so important is that the high costs of health care are a huge drag on our economy. It's a drag on our families. I can't tell you how many personal stories that I hear about people who are working, maybe have two parents working and yet still don't have health care. And the decisions that they have to make -- excruciating decisions about whether or not somebody goes to a doctor -- it makes them less productive, it makes them less mobile in terms of being able to take new jobs or start a new business because they're worried about hanging on to their health care. So it's a drag on families.
[...]
Now, the question is, if you're going to fix it, why not do a universal health care system like the European countries? I actually want a universal health care system; that is our goal. I think we should be able to provide health insurance to every American that they can afford and that provides them high quality.
So I think we can accomplish it. Now, whether we do it exactly the way European countries do or Canada does is a different question, because there are a variety of ways to get to universal health care coverage.
A lot of people think that in order to get universal health care, it means that you have to have what's called a single-payer system of some sort. And so Canada is the classic example: Basically, everybody pays a lot of taxes into the health care system, but if you're a Canadian, you're automatically covered. And so you go in -- England has a similar -- a variation on this same type of system. You go in and you just say, "I'm sick," and somebody treats you, and that's it.
The problem is, is that we have what's called a legacy, a set of institutions that aren't that easily transformed. Let me just see a show of hands: How many people here have health insurance through your employer? Okay, so the majority of Americans, sort of -- partly for historical accident. I won't go into -- FDR had imposed wage controls during war time in World War II. People were -- companies were trying to figure out how to attract workers. And they said, well, maybe we'll provide health care as a benefit.
And so what evolved in America was an employer-based system. It may not be the best system if we were designing it from scratch. But that's what everybody is accustomed to. That's what everybody is used to. It works for a lot of Americans. And so I don't think the best way to fix our health care system is to suddenly completely scrap what everybody is accustomed to and the vast majority of people already have. Rather, what I think we should do is to build on the system that we have and fill some of these gaps.
Laura Ingraham tried to claim that Gore profits from his work in reversing climate change...conveniently forgetting to include in her hacked-together presentation of his Congressional testimony that he donates any money he makes to a non-profit agency.
Here's what Ingraham said:
INGRAHAM: It seems that being green does pay big time -- just ask Al Gore. Mr. Global Warming was worth about $2 million or so when he left office in 2001, but after eight years of tirelessly working to save the world, the planet, he's now reportedly -- get this -- worth a whopping $100 million. His financial windfall came up at last week's Capitol Hill hearing.
[begin video clip]
BLACKBURN: Is the legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?
[Ingraham's cut]
GORE: If you believe that the reason I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of greed, you don't know me.
[Ingraham's cut]
GORE: I've been willing to put my money where my mouth is. Do you think there's something wrong with being active in business in this country?
BLACKBURN: I am simply asking for clarification --
GORE: I'm proud of it.
BLACKBURN: -- of the relationship.
GORE: I'm proud of it.
[end video clip]
INGRAHAM: Did she get the question actually answered? With us now Marc Morano, who's the executive editor of ClimateDepot.com. Marc, that was kind of a hot hearing with Al Gore and the congresswoman. And tell us what we need to know about Al Gore's relationship to a business that will seek to profit off of any kind of cap-and-trade legislation.
MORANO: Well, as you mentioned, Al Gore went from $2 million to $100 million, according to Bloomberg --
INGRAHAM: He did a lot of things, though, speaking --
MORANO: --speaking, other investments, yeah, absolutely, yes. And I think it's -- I also think Al Gore is motivated beyond money. I mean, he is an ideologue, he is a committed believer, so it's not fair to say he's doing it all for the money.
INGRAHAM: Sure.
MORANO: But this is big business in Washington. There's four lobbyists, four climate lobbyists for every member of Congress. That's how bad it's gotten. But Al Gore -- she mentioned the law firm Kleiner and Perkins -- Al Gore is a partner in that firm, which vested a billion dollars in 40 different firms. Now, when government mandates come down the road, this is going to increase these companies' business and portfolio, and the amount of profit Al Gore, according to [Harvard University atmospheric physicist and global warming skeptic] Dick Lindzen, one of his scientists from MIT who Al Gore has criticized -- Al Gore wants to become the first carbon billionaire, and he's poised to do it. He has the Alliance for Climate Protection, he has his other groups in the UK Generation Investment Management. Both of these groups -- one of them's pledged to spend $300 million to promote climate fears, promote government policy that's going to force carbon markets, carbon trading, where Al Gore has essentially either founded or partnered in a whole wide range of groups, including in Chicago and the UK stock market climate -- carbon trading where he is set poised to benefit incredibly. As much as he's made now is gonna be pikerly --
INGRAHAM: Wow.
MORANO: -- what he's gonna make in five years if all these new carbon trading mandates go
And yet here is what Gore actually said before Congress:
BLACKBURN: So you're a partner in Kleiner Perkins. OK. Now, they have invested about a billion dollars in 40 companies that are going to benefit from cap-and-trade legislation. So is the legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?
GORE: I believe that the transition to a green economy is good for our economy and good for all of us, and I have invested in it. But every penny that I have made, I have put right into a nonprofit, the Alliance for Climate Protection, to spread awareness of why we have to take on this challenge.
And Congresswoman, if you're -- if you believe that the reason I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of greed, you don't know me.
BLACKBURN: Sir, I'm not making accusations, I'm asking questions that have been asked of me and individuals -- constituents that were seeking a point of clarity, so I am asking you for that point of -- point of clarity.
GORE: I understand exactly what you're doing, Congresswoman. Everybody here does.
BLACKBURN: And, well -- you know, are you willing to divest yourself of any profit? Does all of it go to a not-for-profit that is an educational not-for-profit --
GORE: Every penny that I have made --
BLACKBURN: Every penny --
GORE: -- has gone to it. Every penny from the movie, from the book, from any investments in renewable energy. I've been willing to put my money where my mouth is. Do you think there's something wrong with being active in business in this country?
BLACKBURN: I am simply asking for clarification --
GORE: I'm proud of it.
BLACKBURN: -- of the relationship.
GORE: I'm proud of it.
So just ask yourself: Is Fox actually displaying full quotations of liberals in complete context or are they hacking the statements into shreds in order to pretend that there is something to be outraged by?
Clearly, you fall for it. The quote of Sotomayor's was a snippet from a much lengthier speech that indicates that no, she doesn't think that being Hispanic inherently makes her a better judge. But you'd never know that from the media since they can only manage to pay attention to two dozen words.
And Fox, in seeking those two dozen words, will have no problem with pasting together statements that had nothing to do with each other in order to lie about reality.
There's a reason Fox viewers are the most ill-informed people in the country. No, not about ideological questions but about simple matters of fact (for example, were weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq? Fox viewers overwhelmingly think so but that is factually untrue. None were ever found.)
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Right, the reason the Right doesn't like Media Matters is because they publicize their gaffes, and the reason the Left doesn't like FOX is because they publicize their gaffes.
Right, because Fox provides full quotes in complete context.
If you'd like, I can provide more examples of Fox failing to do so.
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Show me how they have.
You mean the flogging of Sotomayor's "wise Latina" statement never actually happened? Did you bother to watch the confirmation hearings?
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If it's only okay for Democrats to make disparaging comments
Who said it was OK? It would seem you've fallen for either/or thinking...either something is completely evil or completely benign, no possibility of gradation. Jaywalking is equivalent to murder, right? No? You mean something can be bad but not nearly as bad as something else?
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why is it only unacceptable if it comes from the right?
Um, you do realize that Biden had to drop out of the presidential race in part for what he said about Obama, right?
Rrhain
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