Right-wing media have responded to President Obama's decision to install solar panels at the White House by comparing him to President Jimmy Carter, who had a solar system installed at the White House. But these media outlets have mainly ignored that President George W. Bush also had solar panels installed at the White House.
In rush to compare Obama to Carter, right-wing media disappear Bush's solar panels
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Obama -- like Carter and Bush -- will have solar energy system installed at White House
Obama White House to install solar energy system. As ABC News reported on October 5, the “White House announced today it plans to install solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House residence in Spring of 2011.”
Carter and Bush also installed solar energy systems at White House. The Associated Press reported on October 5 that Carter and Bush “both tapped the sun during their days in the White House,” noting that “Bush's solar systems powered a maintenance building and some of the mansion, and heated water for the pool.” Indeed, as The New York Times reported on February 27, 2003:
Since September, a grid of 167 solar panels on the roof of a maintenance shed has been delivering electricity to the White House grounds. Another solar installation has been helping to provide hot water. Yet another has been keeping the water warm in the presidential pool.
Right-wing media disappear Bush's solar panels in rush to link Obama and Carter
Drudge illustrates “White House to go solar!” headline with image of Carter. On October 5, the Drudge Report linked to an AP article about Obama's plans to install solar panels at the White House with the headline, “White House to go solar!” and featured a photo of Carter:
Parroting Drudge, Limbaugh compares Obama to Carter. On the October 5 edition of his radio show, Rush Limbaugh compared Obama to Carter for installing solar panels at the White House and stated of Obama: “Second term of Jimmy Carter, only worse.”
Hot Air on solar panels: “Seriously? On the very day that Obama/Carter comparisons have started to penetrate the international press?” In an October 5 Hot Air post titled, “Good news: Obama to install solar panels on White House,” blogger Allahpundit wrote: "Seriously? On the very day that Obama/Carter comparisons have started to penetrate the international press?" Allahpundit did not note that Bush installed solar panels.
Fox & Friends: “Welcome back Carter.” On the October 6 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy stated: “So, what the president of the United States, Barack Obama, is doing is he's going back to the Carter days, when Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the roof of the White House.” Doocy then stated: “Now, Barack Obama is doing the same thing, which is causing some -- there's a historical comparison now between Carter and Obama, and the scenario goes like this, that Carter and Obama, both liberal one-termers who left office with a 34 percent approval rating.” Doocy then asked: “That was Carter then. Will it be Obama, at election time?” While Fox & Friends briefly noted that Bush installed solar panels, onscreen text during the segment stated, “Welcome back Carter,” “Comparing Obama to Carter?” and “Taking a page from Carter?”:
