PolitiFact.com's fail on the kids-sing-for-Obama story
October 01, 2009 10:54 am ET by Eric Boehlert
It's a couple days old, but this is pretty weak stuff from Politifact and deserves a quick look.
Following the right-wing's freakout regarding second graders who sang Obama's praise during Black History Month, Politifact decided to determine whether the allegations in RNC chief Michael Steele's fundraising letter, in which he denounced the school children's performance, were true.
In his plea for cash, Steele denounced the song as "indoctrination" and an example of "fanaticism" that was sweeping the country. He also claimed the performance represented, "the type of propaganda you would see in Stalin's Russia or Kim Jong Il's North Korea."
Incredibly, Politifact concluded Steele's claims were true. Actually, Politifact punted on most of Steele's outrageous allegations:
You can argue whether or not Steele laid the political rhetoric on a little too thick.
The fact we wanted to check was the question that immediately popped into our head when we saw the video, "Did this really happen at a public school?"
Oh brother. Steele claimed the kids were part of a propaganda exercises straight out of communist Russia, and were the victims of insidious "indoctrination." But Politifact didn't want to bother itself with those fiery allegations. (It's merely "rhetoric.") Instead, it simply wanted to determine if the video took place in a public school.
Gee, that must have been tricky since, y'know, the public school in question confirmed the video was filmed there.
Next time Politifact is confronted with egregious, fact-free allegations by the RNC chief, researchers there ought to not look away in order to confirm a mundane fact that's not even in dispute.
First, get permission from the parents.
Second, interview the kids as to whether or not they care about WHO the President of the United States is at this point in time.
Which will lead to, 3:
Chances are good, these kids are more concerned about recess and playing with their friends than they are about any President.
Suddenly it get's discovered by a wingnut bent on raising hell and it is a big issue? Fox along with various other wingnuts blast this video all over the news WITHOUT permission. They BROADCAST the images of these little children around to their unstable base.
There is the crime. There is the violation.
At least, I can't imagine anyone being _that_ interested in checking the truth or falsity of politician's statements without having a strong political opinion.
Right now, they describe the song as "odd".
Later they describe the school district saying that there was no indoctrination of children, because it was done as part of a program to recognize famous Black Americans during Black History month a couple of weeks after Obama was inaugurated (man, I have typed those last 15 words a bunch recently!).
Despite those comments, they don't even address the fact that Steele said that the kids "have been instructed to sing the praises of 'Barack Hussein Obama." They weren't.
Oh, and Politifact again had a video up that doesn't blur the kids faces! What part of violating kids don't some people get? YouTube has removed the video, but Politifact was willing to continue to violate the privacy of the children!