Has ABC News learned a lesson about Matt Drudge?
July 10, 2009 2:13 pm ET by Eric Boehlert
I see GMA this morning debunked the photo that Drudge posted yesterday, suggesting Obama had been caught leering at a young woman. And ABC's Jake Tapper also pointed out that after watching the video of the pointless encounter, it's clear that the photo did not capture Obama doing anything tawdry.
It's nice to see folks at ABC News stepping forward and doing Drudge clean-up duty. And I can't help wondering if the ABC news team recently learned a valuable lesson after Drudge completely concocted a ridiculous claim that an ABC News special about health care, broadcast from the White House, would exclude any criticism of Obama's agenda.
Drudge's 'scoop' was transparently false and everyone at ABC News knew it was false. Still, the predictable hysteria the manufactured controversy caused for ABC execs I'm sure was substantial and distracting and unpleasant. Which got me wondering if Beltway journalists within ABC News, many of whom have slavishly followed Drudge's pointless 'news' leads on a daily basis, might rethink their routine and look at Drudge's work with a new perspective.
Perhaps now they are.












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Contrary to media hype, Sarah Palin is very unpopular




He gained his reputation by "breaking" the Lewinsky story, probably leaked to him by one of the GOP operatives he was sleeping with... does anybody really believe he did any real reporting on that story?
He's been riding that one "success" now for 13 years... it's about time they realized what a phony he is.
OT, but looks like the latest "Big News Story" on the tv is one journalist admitting that the media was biased against Palin during the campaign. This is being reported as evidence of liberal bias.
At least we have one honest "journalist" out there...
I'll let NPR, known for their conservative stance, explain it for you.
Biden's loose lips
Biden should have been cannon fodder for the late-night bobble heads, yet he largely escaped them unscathed and of course the MSM never laid a glove on him.
I would include Osarah bin Palin is willfully ignorant.
Palin should be nightly cannon fodder for the late-night bobble heads, yet she largely escapes unscathed and of course the MSM never lays a glove on her because she's always playing the victim like a typical terrorist teabagging hick.
Your critique is taken but how you can say she escapes unscathed and the MSM never lays a glove on her is laughable!
I can't ever remember the hate shown towards a politician on the right like this. The left hated Reagan but it never got nasty like it has now. The funny thing, as your post proves, you revel in it.
Apparently you missed the last 16 years of hate towards Clinton from you and your reich-wing GOPigs and the last 12 months against Obama from you and your fellow teabag terrorist. What is NOT funny, you and your teabaggers revel in it.
What is FUNNY is that you are so obtuse to believe that bin Palin somehow doesn't deserve to be critiqued and if the MSM was going to blister Stupid Sarah as much as they do as Obama, it would take decades to catch up.
But, thanks again for proving that you and your fellow anti-American terrorists are professional victims. You are a permanent minority status for a reason. America thinks you are a joke.
As you even posted, but obviously did not understand, I said "hate shown towards a politician on the RIGHT. Der Slickmeister is on the LEFT.
I don't know why I even try with some of the morons on the site...
Lie. The joke was about Sarah, not about the daughter.
Said "comic"
David Letterman IS a comedian. He is not a pretend comic, or a comic in name only. I personally don't appreciate his humor much, but he is a comic, and is not a "comic".
...was at it again last week and the MSM ran that AND the other two idiots that pass for late night got their digs shown on the morning gab fests also.
Comedians make fun of everyone, for all kinds of reasons. They shouldn't have to refrain from making fun of Sarah Palin just because she's too wimpy to take it.
Your critique is taken but how you can say she escapes unscathed and the MSM never lays a glove on her is laughable!
When the MSM doesn't point out that she's not been attacked an unfair amount, when the MSM doesn't point out that her strawman arguments that her children were being attacked are fraudulent because they attacks were on her, not them, the MSM is giving her a pass they shouldn't. When a comedian tells a joke at her expense, that's not an attack by the MSM. That's a joke. She should have been called to account for her lack of skills, her deceptive answers and her whining, and for the most part the MSM did NOT 'lay a glove on her' for those reasonable factoids.
I can't ever remember the hate shown towards a politician on the right like this. The left hated Reagan but it never got nasty like it has now. The funny thing, as your post proves, you revel in it.
She has not been personally hated. We don't even know her. We hate the behavior she has exhibited. Everyone should hate lies. Everyone should hate whining victimology. It's those on the right who attack people personally and fraudulently. Stop looking in the mirror when you are posting.
How can the joke be about Palin if ARod was knocking up...oh good grief, if you can't even understand your poor excuse of a washed up "comic", then I can't help you.
Never got called on for supporting a secessionist group. Never got called on for lying repeatedly about waste, earmarks, and the bridge to nowhere. Never got asked about the mess in Wasilla. Poor, poor Sarah. At least she was tough enough to....oh, yeah - never mind. The weak-willed quitter that can't handle governor of ALASKA and you guys wanted her for VP behind an elderly president. You owe the country an apology and so does McCain. Shameless.
Never got called on for supporting a secessionist group. Never got called on for lying repeatedly about waste, earmarks, and the bridge to nowhere. Never got asked about the mess in Wasilla. Poor, poor Sarah. At least she was tough enough to....oh, yeah - never mind. The weak-willed quitter that can't handle governor of ALASKA and you guys wanted her for VP behind an elderly president. You owe the country an apology and so does McCain. Shameless.
I'll let NPR, known for their conservative stance, explain it for you.
Biden's loose lips
Biden should have been cannon fodder for the late-night bobble heads, yet he largely escaped them unscathed and of course the MSM never laid a glove on him.
I'll let NPR, known for their conservative stance, explain it for you.
Biden's loose lips
Biden should have been cannon fodder for the late-night bobble heads, yet he largely escaped them unscathed and of course the MSM never laid a glove on him.
Of course not. Biden makes his share of gaffes, but is generally a bright guy with a long history of working his way uo through the ranks of American politics.
Palin is a moron who was shoved into the spotlight by a desperate GOP that didnt care if their VP candidate was an embarrassment to everybody but the 20(?) ers who they wanted to sucker into voting for the GOP ticket.
Why would the press treat them the same??
I can't argue with your assessment of Palin. She's good for throwing red meat and rallying the troops, but should not run for POTUS. She would make a fine congresswoman I'm sure. Can't be any worse than Maxine Waters.
How many of the brainless fellow Americans of mine are going to fall for this crap without bothering to see the context on their own.
I also believe that at the next gathering of tea-baggers there will be a few neanderthals that will have banners with this photo as 'proof' that Obama is unworthy... again, ignoring the context.
Something like 25% is my guess. The Base.
Meanwhile, yet another Republican politician will get caught with his pants down....
Nope... can't happen... that would just confuse the sheeple with context to be able to see for themselves the pathetic nature of this non-story.
I imagine Drudge never addressed this real controversy.
It may just be an outlier.
I'd wait and see if it trends this way more than once.