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ABC News concocts RFK Jr.-Obama controversy

April 22, 2009 10:24 am ET by Eric Boehlert

The ABC headline for the Brian Ross piece posted last night declares:

RFK Jr. Blasts Obama as 'Indentured Servant' to Coal Industry

Wow, talk about a smack down. Famous Dem and famous environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr. really called out Obama as an "indentured servant"?

Nope. As Josh Nelson at HuffPost points out:

The reader is left with the distinct impression that Robert Kennedy Jr. called President Obama an indentured servant to the coal industry today. RFK has been calling politicians "indentured servants" for years. One problem: he didn't actually say it about President Obama. Essentially, ABC pulled together a collection of old quotes and mashed them together out of context to create tension in their story.

That's just awful journalism by Ross and ABC News.

UPDATE: Right-wing Red State never fails to advertise its ignorance. It  jumps on the bogus ABC story and wonders if Kennedy's racist for calling Obama a 'slave' to the coal industry.

UPDATE: Ed Morrissey at Hot Air also gets gleefully suckered in by the ABC News report and pretends that Kennedy just called Obama an "indentured servant." (i.e. It's Kennedy's "latest attack.") Morrissey huffs and puffs that if a Republican had called Obama a "slave" there'd be hell to pay.

It's like the blind leading the blind.

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    • Author by mk3872 (April 22, 2009 10:30 am ET)
         
      That is incredibly despicable and an embarrassing excuse for "journalism". Doesn't anybody check or edit these things? Or is that intentional to drum-up interest and clicks?
      Report Abuse
    • Author by dimes (April 22, 2009 11:31 am ET)
         
      Is Brian Ross auditioning for a job at Fox?
      Report Abuse
    • Author by wooster2342507 (April 22, 2009 11:41 am ET)
         

      Also, the wingers' attempt to make "indentured servitude" into slavery is ignorant.

       I'm a white guy, with ancestry from the UK.  My first ancester to set foot on North America was an indentured servant.  He served out the term of his indenture and was a free man. 

       These people don't even know their history.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indentured_servitude

      Report Abuse
      • Author by historygeek001 (April 22, 2009 12:17 pm ET)
           

        I'm afraid you're making much too much sense for the wingnuts.  They can't be bothered with actual facts; facts have a liberal bias.

        Report Abuse
      • Author by shaggles (April 22, 2009 3:21 pm ET)
           

        "These people don't even know their history."

         

        And that surprises you because?

        Report Abuse
    • Author by Limit Corp. Ownership (April 22, 2009 1:30 pm ET)
         

      This is pretty amazing.

      Media Matters should splash this on their front page.  For a so-called "legitimate" news organizationto put out this filth is really pretty astounding.

      Corporate media strikes again. 

       

      Report Abuse
    • Author by jaytingle (April 22, 2009 2:11 pm ET)
         
      It IS the blind leading the blind. Ross tees them up for the very purpose of having it echo interminably. By promoting the vaporous notion of Iraqui anthrax, Ross did his best to outdo Judith Miller in promoting the invasion of that country.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by WaltFrench2081 (April 22, 2009 4:12 pm ET)
         
      It's like the blind leading the blind.

      Naw, the "leaders" here have no concern about journalistic integrity or even "truthiness," while most of their audience are happy to be dazzled by the brilliance of the dark brown gems being dropped on them.

      Maybe ABC News will issue an actual retraction, which would indicate they sorta/maybe care about their reputation, but I'll wager MM doesn't expect anything like that from RedState or HotAir.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by WaltFrench2081 (April 22, 2009 4:15 pm ET)
         
      Or perhaps the web sites are practicing Colbert-style journalism and MM just doesn't believe these secret left-wingers can do satire. Libs are believed to be humor-challenged, after all.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Whispers (April 22, 2009 4:16 pm ET)
         

      Why is this not a firing offense? 

      Ross is lying.  Let's not mince words or say he simply was "deceptive".  That word puts the onus on the reader.  Ross is simply lying.  He knows he is.  

      Report Abuse