UPDATED: Because Politico is just a GOP bulletin board
December 28, 2009 12:27 pm ET by Eric Boehlert
Politico doesn't even pretend to act as any kind of journalism filter with this item, which is nothing more than an amplification of a GOP attack. Period. According to Politico that is the news:
Max Baucus's speech comes under conservative fire
What is under "fire" (in this case Baucus's speech) is almost besides the point. The Politico news team has shown that it is dedicated to (some say the team was literally created to) embrace and echo whatever the GOP Noise Machine is screaming about.
Here's the Politico item in full [emphasis added]:
A speech by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on health care has been generating buzz on the Internet, as the Drudge Report and others are suggesting that Baucus was slurring his speech and possibly "intoxicated" during his remarks. "DRUNK WITH POWER? TOP DEM SLURS ON SENATE FLOOR..." reads the Drudge Report headline. Newsbusters.org writes: "How can one explain this incredibly bizarre performance by Max Baucus on the Senate floor? Was Baucus so intoxicated by the sound of his own voice that he went off the deep end? Or perhaps he was so drunk with power over shaping the Senate health care bill that it explains his strange rant." On his Facebook page, former congressman Mark Foley commented on the video: "This is the senator that hired his staffer and then took her on trips...and divorced his wife....and they had me run out of town." An email seeking comment has been sent to Sen. Baucus's office and we will update this post when we hear back. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only did Politico quote guiding lights such as Newsbusters and The Drudge Report, but Politico actually quoted a Facebook page comment posted by disgraced, page-chasing GOP Congressman Mark Foley, in which he attacked the ethics of another. What more do you need to know about Politico these days? UPDATED: Of course Politico makes zero effort to relay to readers if the right-wing attack on Baucus carries any weight. If it's, y'know, true. That's not Politico's job. Politico's job is simply to alert the rest of the world to whatever, or whoever, is "under fire" from conservatives. Why? Because Politico is just a GOP bulletin board. UPDATED: BTW, didn't you love the when-did-you-stop-beating-your-wife quality to Politico's item about the blatant, and baseless, smear campaign that conservatives launched against Baucus? Politico dutifully chronicled how some right-wingers in the media were questioning whether a U.S. senator was drunk on the floor of the senate; how he showed up to discuss health care hammered out of his mind. Politico didn't bother to judge the wildly irresponsible claim. It simply amplified it and then told readers that when Baucus responded to the smear (i.e. when Baucus denied he was drunk in the U.S. senate), Politico would be sure to include the response. Which it later did.
news. Like Morning Joe has on Politico every morning and it is quoted all day long by all channels.
Therefore, their rag and it's dubious 'news' is quoted and floated to the mainstream as fact.
What other start-ups with low circulation do you know who have their reporters on the mainstream media endlessly?
Glenn Greenwald is the best source for who funds and controls Politico. It is not pretty (the connections to Riggs Bank and right-wing dictatorships are the most concerning, as are Riggs ties to the Bush family and their past money-laundering involving Middle Eastern terrorists).
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/05/04/politico_funding/index.html
http://athensblur.com/?p=1214
Sorry if that's too far off point but it's an unhappy reminder of what Alan Abel proved to us many times about shoddy journalistic practices by the MSM.
They bring a new meaning to the phrase "Can't see the Forest for the Trees"
A Black President has 20% of America in Complete Panic Mode.
"I Want My Country Back" for Whites Only? Is this a New Racist Code?
Speak truth to power.
Mr. News
Then they can print something like,
Politico is absolutely pathetic. Who's in charge over there?
But the point here by MMFA is that Politico simply transcribed the rightwing talking point and then quoted Mark Foley? A Facebook post by Mark Foley? Really? Quoting Drudge? Quoting Newsbusters? Really?
No legit news organization should or would do such a thing.
Continually losing his train of thought...repeating himself over and over...and slurring his words.
This looks like a job for the Miller Lite Man to confiscate his beer...too much of the high life.
I mean, there were times that GW Bush's speech patterns and inability to speak could have been from drinking, but no mainstream media outlet would have actually reported that allegation, let alone reported it and also included ridiculous partisan sources like a disgraced former Democrat's Facebook post.
Even when Bush was injured from collapsing after supposedly choking on a pretzel, none of the mainstream media dared to say it could have been from Bush being drunk.
But that performance at a road side safety check would have certainly led to a field sobriety test.
Or it could be a combination of any of the above. Or it could be alcohol-related.
They don't know. Yet Politico simply transcribed the rightwing spin on this. And it's not as bad as you portray it to be. Most people, if as angry as he appears to be, would sputter and stutter and repeat the same points as he does.
And they quoted a Facebook posting by Mark Foley!!! And they quoted Drudge and Newsbusters!!!
That's the point here. The reason for his slurred speech is unknown, but you wouldn't know that by reading Politico.
This one's called "Shoot The Messenger".
Watch the video. If he'd been driving, he would have been detained on suspicion of DUI.
This man runs 50-mile marathons at age 68. I seriously doubt he's on "deleterious" combinations of medications.
Finally, I like the guy. I hope it works out, but he's in trouble politically in Montana.
I suppose it could be that he missed a tanning bed session and was upset about that!!! In any event how much did Politico or any "news organization say about it even tho bloggers noticed and commented!!
as chair of the Reagan Library. Politico really is a Republican outfit.
ed hardy Dell - Don't waste your time with Wesley. Just let him be. He's a troglodyte filled with Rush Limbaugh Kool Aid.
as chair of the Reagan Library. gucci shoes Politico really is a Republican outfit.
He looked like a he was mabe a drink away from giving a republican a big man hug and saying "I love ya, man"!
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Duh, they ran you outta town 'cause YOU'RE A PERVERT who chased the Senate kids, fool . .