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Really? Fox News concocted a nasty anti-Obama story?

November 05, 2009 8:49 am ET by Eric Boehlert

Who'da thunk?

It was the gem that on Tuesday night our (read: narcissistic) president watched an HBO documentary about himself, rather than following the results coming in from N.J., VA. and N.Y. The boys at Newsbusters got a thrill up their leg when they heard that one.

From (cough, cough) FNC news anchor Martha MacCallum:

"Robert Gibbs said, well, he was actually watching, you know, the HBO special about his year-long campaign and how it all went...we know that Michelle and the girls went to the Miley Cyrus concert last night... So he's all alone in that big house, right? Nothing to do but sit back and watch - reminisce about the long campaign and watch HBO and the special." 

Yeah, that's false. Even Newsbusters later conceded that Fox News had "misreported" the incident, which I guess is a nice way of saying Fox News made it up.

UPDATED: Here is video of Martha MacCallum's retelling of the phony story - which Rush Limbaugh also ran with -- followed by Major Garrett's explanation later in the day that he "misheard" Gibbs:

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    • Author by Midnight Kevin (November 05, 2009 9:11 am ET)
      4  
      Maybe we should all start "misreporting" things... it'll make news far more interesting.

      --------------------------------------
      The Midnight Review
      Mum Is The Word
      Report Abuse
      • Author by wzwriter (November 05, 2009 11:20 am ET)
        4  
        If I "misreported" things at MY job, I'd be fired.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by ProgLib (November 08, 2009 1:29 am ET)
           
        thats the sentiment fox news follows all the time, and looking at their super duper high ratings, they obviously attract all the teabaggers, deathers and birthers very easily.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by The_Cat (November 05, 2009 9:11 am ET)
      6  
      So, when will all of those trolls who were just saying how awful it was that our President was actually not watching an HBO special about himself on election night, and instead now be angry that a 'news' source made up a story out of whole cloth to cast him in a bad light?

      Anyone?
      Report Abuse
      • Author by mk3872 (November 05, 2009 9:40 am ET)
        3  
        It makes no difference since our MSM refuse to call-out FNC for their phony reporting and instead defend FNC's right to make stuff up. It's ridiculous.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by NiceguyEddie (November 05, 2009 9:52 am ET)
        6  
        It doesn't matter becsause these people go way beyond "the ends justifies the means." To them, their own warped ideology defines right and wrong, idenpendently of the outcome or the norms or consequences. So merely BEING conservative justifies both the ends AND the means.

        -----------------------------------------------------------------------
        They have no principles among them. NONE.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by DellDolly (November 05, 2009 2:44 pm ET)
             
          Yeah, I just clicked on the Newsbusters link and read the comments - sheeple, all of them. It's like Rush saying that the thesis story was a fraud, but that Obama still stands for what the fake thesis says he believes in.
          Report Abuse
      • Author by guttermouth (November 05, 2009 6:36 pm ET)
        1  
        This is when the Newsbusters core delete the comments on the relevant thread. You know, so they can pretend that they didn't fall for it either.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by newzhound (November 05, 2009 9:24 am ET)
      4  
      Wait until Faux Noise mis-reports how many people show up today for Michele Bachmann's tea party.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by newzhound (November 05, 2009 9:27 am ET)
      3  
      If you can stand it, follow the link to NewsBusters and read the comments.

      The fact this story proved to be a lie apparently didn't stop the gulls and rubes from swallowing it hook, line and sinker...
      Report Abuse
      • Author by goesto11 (November 05, 2009 9:42 am ET)
        3  
        Like when Limbaugh got burned on the phony Obama thesis paper story, his response was:

        "It doesn't matter if the story's not true. I stand by what I said, because even though Obama didn't write any of that stuff, we all know he believes it anyway."

        It's not just the consumers of this stuff that are idiots. They're no dumber than the people who are putting it out there.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by Don Hussein Fabuloso (November 05, 2009 12:06 pm ET)
        2  
        Newzhound, that is interesting that even after the correction, most of them focused on how believable it was (to those fed a constant stream of misinformation). I especially liked this comment, from the "misreported" link, with all of the usual wingnut specifics and supporting evidence (meaning "nuthin")

        What I appreciate about NewsBusters
        November 4, 2009 - 19:46 ET by Vivaldi5

        It's very refreshing that when conservatives get something wrong in a report, they immediately correct it. Not like the last several Olbermann gaffes or Media Matters distortions where the parties involved and their allies said to themselves, "Um, yeah, I know that was wrong--but I can't admit it or it would make our side look bad so I'll just pretend it didn't happen."
        Report Abuse
    • Author by cugagcmu805031 (November 05, 2009 10:21 am ET)
      2  
      I think they should take Palin's advice to the media, "Stop making things up!"
      (I won't hold my breath waiting on it).
      LOL
      Report Abuse
    • Author by cugagcmu805031 (November 05, 2009 10:22 am ET)
         
      I think they should take Palin's advice to the media, "Stop making things up!"
      (I won't hold my breath waiting on it).
      LOL
      Report Abuse
    • Author by rwmacdonald2091 (November 05, 2009 11:08 am ET)
      3  
      Now come on, Fox making things up. What on earth is happening?
      Report Abuse
    • Author by ProgLib (November 05, 2009 8:59 pm ET)
      1  
      newsbusters corrected a mistake??? WOW. that must be a new achievement for bozo the clown and his clown henchmen.
      Report Abuse

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