White House Takes On Conservative Misinformation Coming From Fox News, Glenn Beck

The White House’s blog is taking on misinformation being put out on Fox News by the likes of Glenn Beck. As many of you know the far right has been going nuts about President Obama and others working hard to bring the 2016 Olympics to the United States of America. Anyone else remember some of these same Republicans criticizing the president for going overseas on so-called “apology” tours? President Obama is fighting for the U.S. to have the Olympics and many conservatives are fighting against bringing the Olympics to their own country. Where is the patriotism in these right wingers that makes them not want to work hard to bring the Olympics to the U.S. and showcase the greatness of our country? Are these conservatives now, all of a sudden, haters of America (so bitter they would rather see the Olympic games go to pretty much any other country)?

When President George W. Bush was in office this would have been deemed anti-American by conservatives.

From The White House blog:

Last night Fox News continued its disregard for the facts in an attempt to smear the Administration’s efforts to win the Olympics for the United States. In the past, hosting the Olympics has been a source of pride and unity for the country, but once again Fox News’ Glenn Beck program has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings.

RHETORIC: BECK SAID VANCOUVER LOST $1 BILLION WHEN IT “HAD THE OLYMPICS.” Glenn Beck said, “Vancouver lost, how much was it? they lost a billion dollars when they had the Olympics.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY: VANCOUVER’S OLYMPICS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 2010. Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games from February 12 – 28, 2010 and March 12-21, 2010, respectively. [Vancouver2010.com, accessed 9/29/09]

RHETORIC: CHICAGO IS CLOSING THE GOVERNMENT SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO BE OPEN. Beck’s guest Caddell said, “Chicago is closing the government several days a week because they cannot afford to be open. They are going to go and reward — this is the biggest scandal.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY: CHICAGO HAS HAD ONE REDUCED-SERVICE DAY IN 2009, AND WILL HAVE TWO MORE ON THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AND ON CHRISTMAS EVE. On August 17, 2009, CBS Chicago reported, “If you planned to check out a library book, visit a city clinic or have your garbage picked up on Monday, you’re out of luck. The City of Chicago is basically closed for business on Aug. 17, a reduced-service day in which most city employees are off without pay. City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed. Emergency service providers including police, firefighters and paramedics are working at full strength, but most services not directly related to public safety, including street sweeping, will not be provided. That also includes garbage pickup. Residents who receive regular collection on Mondays should expect trash to be picked up on Tuesday. Some other customers may experience a one-day delay as collectors catch up. As part of the 2009 budget, three reduced-service days were planned for 2009, days which are unpaid for all affected employees — the Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; and New Year’s Eve. The City Council recently approved moving the reduced-service day planned for New Year’s Eve to Monday. The 2009 budget anticipates saving $8.3 million due to the reduced-service days. In addition to reduced service days, all non-union employees were asked to take a series of furlough days and unpaid holidays, and most non-sworn union employees agreed to similar unpaid time off.” [CBS Chicago, 8/17/09]

RHETORIC: VALERIE JARRETT WILL BENEFIT FINANCIALLY. Beck asked, “Is it possible that she is going to benefit if the Olympics come to Chicago?” Caddell responded, “Well, that’s the word. She has certainly had a lot of dealings going on in real estate.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY: UPON ENTERING GOVERNMENT, VALERIE JARRETT DIVESTED ALL HER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS EXCEPT FOR A SINGLE INVESTMENT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OLYMPIC BID. Valerie Jarrett divested all her investment real estate holdings upon entering government except for a single real estate holding that she was unable to sell. This single real estate investment has been determined by White House Counsel and the independent Office of Government Ethics to present no conflict of interest in performing her duties as a White House advisor. It has nothing to do with the Olympic bid.

It’s nice to see more and more people stepping up to combat this blatant misinformation being spread all over the place (not to mention the ridiculous and unfair attacks on the good people of Chicago).

The White House Blog:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Reality-Check-Turning-a-Point-of-Pride-into-a-Moment-of-Shame/

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Tags: Barack Obama, blog, Chicago, George W. Bush, Glenn Beck, Michelle Obama, Olympics, Valerie Jarrett, White House

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Bill O’Reilly And His Biased Use Of Polls

October 1, 2009

The O’Reilly Sucks Blog has a nice post about something I’ve frequently discussed in blogs: Bill O’Reilly’s consistent and flat-out dishonest use of polls to serve his own selfish and right-wing agenda.

The Daily Gallup tracking poll out today has Obama at 53% job approval, with 38% disapproval. Yet O’Reilly never says a word about it. And in fact, he is claiming the Obama job approval numbers are crashing, when they have held steady at 51 to 52 percent over the last two months, and in the last few days they actually went up.

Monday night O’Reilly used the biased Rasmussen poll (that has Obama at 49% approval btw) to say the Obama job approval numbers are crashing, like they have fallen by 10 points over the last month or so. When it’s all right-wing nonsense, because the Obama job approval numbers have not dropped at all in the last two months.

This is hard evidence that O’Reilly is a partisan Republican, who uses lies about the Obama job approval numbers to make him look bad. Because nobody but a partisan Republican would do such a dishonest attack on the president. This is the kind of thing you expect from Hannity, Coulter, Beck, and Limbaugh, not a man that claims to be a nonpartisan independent with a no spin zone.

O’Reilly has frequently cited this bogus Rasmussen poll which is almost always to the right of true mainstream American opinion. O’Reilly picks and chooses is poll and data from polls based on how he can spin it to complement his right-wing perspective.

The O’Reilly Sucks Blog:
http://www.oreilly-sucks.com/

Catholic Priest Shows Ignorance And Bigotry In Anti-President Obama Comments

This far-right notion that people go out essentially cheerleading for abortions is nothing short of asinine. Yet, as Fox News continues to inject steroids into this anti-President Obama story at Notre Dame, that is precisely what we’re left with: asinine, anti-President Obama garbage.

This is from Fox News:

Rev. Frank Pavone, director of Priests for Life, told “FOX News Sunday” that the reason students and Catholic leaders are protesting Notre Dame’s decision to award an honorary degree to Obama is because they believe it’s the latest indication that the country is “trivializing abortion.”

Pavone was reacting to a new Gallup poll that shows more Americans calling themselves “pro-life” than “pro-choice,” by 51-to-42 percent, for the first time since Gallup began asking the question in 1995. A recent FOX News poll also showed more people describing themselves as pro-life for the first time since 2004.

“The nation is becoming more and more pro-life and they’re realizing that … abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy is just not where the American people are today, it’s not where they’ve ever been,” Pavone said. “The president’s position on this is in the minority.”

First, I think most people want to see as few abortions as possible. However, not all people are willing to take away a woman’s right to choose (her reproductive freedom). I would want to see more data from that poll before I would make any kind of a sweeping judgment. What’s in the minority is people who stand at clinics and harass women making a deeply personal and painful decision.

First off, Obama’s stance on abortion:

“I don’t know anybody who is pro-abortion. I think it’s very important to start with that premise. I think people recognize what a wrenching, difficult issue it is. I do think that those who diminish the moral elements of the decision aren’t expressing the full reality of it. But what I believe is that women do not make these decisions casually, and that they struggle with it fervently with their pastors, with their spouses, with their doctors.

“Our goal should be to make abortion less common, that we should be discouraging unwanted pregnancies, that we should encourage adoption wherever possible. There is a range of ways that we can educate our young people about the sacredness of sex and we should not be promoting the sort of casual activities that end up resulting in so many unwanted pregnancies.

“Ultimately, women are in the best position to make a decision at the end of the day about these issues. With significant constraints. For example, I think we can legitimately say — the state can legitimately say — that we are prohibiting late-term abortions as long as there’s an exception for the mother’s health. Those provisions that I voted against typically didn’t have those exceptions, which raises profound questions where you might have a mother at great risk. Those are issues that I don’t think the government can unilaterally make a decision about. I think they need to be made in consultation with doctors, they have to be prayed upon, or people have to be consulting their conscience on it. I think we have to keep that decision-making with the person themselves.”

I think President Obama’s stance is easily within the mainstream. Like a lot of people, he wants abortions safe, legal, rare and in the hands of people who know what’s best for them and their body. This is not to start a debate about abortion, but to debunk this notion that the president wants to run around encouraging people to have abortions or that people who are pro choice are pro abortion (a term designed to scare that is oftentimes used by pro-life people). My point is to point out that the president is not trying to cheer on women to have abortions. He understands how painful and personal a decision that is for women and for families. My point is to make sure that the president’s stance is a little better understood because his position is the position of a lot of people in this nation.

Leave it to Fox News to push this story because of its right-wing stance on the issues. Obviously, Fox is playing up the Gallup poll because it suits their conservative interests. And, the ability to tie it to this commencement address has to almost feel like Christmas in May for the conservatives at Fox News (they can trash Barack Obama, stand up as pro life, cite this poll that they like and create news).

Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/17/catholic-leader-obama-abortion-position-