This particular case of right-wing misinformation is actually rather routine, and in the larger scheme of endless falsehoods lodged against Obama, it's a slight one. But it's telling, nonetheless, for just how casual right-wing bloggers lie about Obama. How nonchalantly they make stuff up. And worse, how they don't even care who knows it. It's really quite remarkable to watch.
This hiccup came last week and went mostly undetected. It's worth a look though, just to see how the online version of GOP telephone tag works, and how all the Obama Derangement Syndrome participants end up looking so irrational.
The supposed jewel was uncovered by the site JammieWearingFool as its chief blogger crowed about an overseas news nugget he'd found in which (surprise!) Obama acted the fool:
Blogger headline:
Obama Claims One of his Personality Traits is Humility
JammieWearingFool lit right into Obama:
The famously humble Barack Obama gave an interview to Australian television and must think we won't find out about it here.
You've got to be kidding me.
Here was the relevant passage, via Australia's ABC1 [emphasis added]
The US president made the comments to the 7.30 Report's Kerry O'Brien during an interview which will be aired on ABC1 tonight. O'Brien says during his 20-minute interview with Mr Obama, the US president shed some light on his relationship with Australia's Prime Minister.
“It was interesting. Diplomats and politicians say nice things about each other when they're having international chats,” O'Brien said. But O'Brien says Mr Obama spoke candidly about their relationship - which has in the past been described as a “meeting of minds”.
“He was quite expansive and quite genuine on what he saw as the commonality and connections between [he and Mr Rudd]. One of which was humility,” O'Brien said.
The snarky blogger added this kicker:
Apparently he forgot to mention megalomania.
Ha! Ha! Get it? Obama goes around talking about his humility. He brags about being humble. (What's up with this guy?)
But did Obama ever “claim” that one of his personality traits was “humility”? That's what the blogger alleged. But based on the Australian report he linked to, Obama did no such thing. In fact, Obama himself never used the word “humility” in the article. That word came from the mouth of his Australian interviewer.
But Obama Derangement Syndrome bloggers didn't care. And in the hands of deep thinkers like JammieWearingFool, it all magically turned into an attack on Obama. And then everyone in the ODS galaxy of bright lights joined in the fun.
Fact-free blogger Patterico, last seen chasing his tail over the ACORN hoax, pushed the fictitious “humility” nonsense:
Among all his many great traits is a great humility
Hot Air's Ed Morrissey also pushed it. In fact, Morrissey even went to the the trouble of misquoting Obama to make the pointless “humility” story stick. Morrissey wrote:
Barack Obama told Australia's ABC1 that he sees “commonalities” between himself and Australia's PM Kevin Rudd, including apparently their totally awesome humility
As noted above, in the Austraila ABC1 article, it wasn't Obama who mentioned “commonalities” between himself and Rudd, it was ABC1's interviewer. But Morrissey pretended Obama said that in the news article. (Morrissey put quotation marks around commonalities.) And of course, Obama never bragged about his “totally awesome humility,” although Morrissey pretended he did that, too.
And then The Weekly Standard's Mary Katherine Ham also pushed the phony story, complete with erroneous headline:
Obama: You Know What I Have in Common With Australian PM? Humility.
And in case TWS reader didn't get the point, the tags to the blog post read:
And then Jim Treacher at Tucker Carlson's Daily called pushed the phony item, claiming Obama “bragged” about his “humility.” (Nice touch Jim.)
But guess what? None of this was true. Because when the video of Obama's interview with the Australian interviewer hit the airwaves everyone could see that Obama never mentioned the word “humility.” (Read that part again and ponder the rampant dishonesty.) What Obama did do was note how “humble” the Australian Prime Minster was.
That was it.
So of course, the entire “humility” gotcha was a fake and Obama never said what bloggers dreamt he'd said. Obama didn't give an interview and “brag” about his “humility.”
So how did the bloggers deal with their usual egg-on-the-face ending? You won't believe what JammieWearingFool wrote:
OK, so as it turns out it wasn't necessarily a direct quote in the interview, rather Obama saying heshares the same traits as Rudd, one of which is humility. Rudd is smart and humble, just like me!
To review, JammieWearingFool originally lied about what Obama said. Then when conceding he lied about what Obama said (i.e. it wasn't necessarily a direct quote!!!), JammieWearingFool lied again by claiming that Obama suggested he was “smart and humble” just like PM Rudd. Slight problem, Obama never said that, either.
Meanwhile at Hot Air, Morrissey amended his shoddy work by noting “humility” was the interviewer's characterization, not a direct quote from Obama. But then after admitting the whole gotcha was concocted, Morrissey set aside nearly 200 more words attacking Obama for being an ego-maniac. This, after Morrissey was caught peddling a fake story about Obama acting like an egomaniac.
Bottom line: ODS sure makes people do funny things. And yes RW bloggers, we're laughing at you.