Rachel Maddow Calls Out “Chatty Cathy” Cheney And The Parroting Press
If you haven’t watched the video below, please do so. Rachel Maddow, calmly and professionally, dismantles every bit of garbage spewing out of our former Vice President’s mouth. And, isn’t it ironic that a man who spent the majority of the last eight years in an undisclosed location is now seeking the spotlight with a fervor that makes Lindsay Lohan appear shy and reticent.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfXajmZiG8Y[/youtube]
Dick Cheney’s lies are simply breathtaking, but as Rachel points out (at the end of the video) he gets away with this crap because the Press allows him. That may be changing, however. In a column today, Eugene Robinson uses the “L” word.
Dick Cheney’s lies about President Obama
That’s quite a headline, and hopefully it will catch on. Look, Cheney’s not stupid. He knows he’s lying. The question is why would he blatantly say things that can be so easily disproved? Well… why wouldn’t he when he knows the press will simply repeat his claims verbatim. It’s the equivalent of a boss instructing his secretary to “Take a letter.” Cheney speaks, the press copies down what he says, and then… that’s it.
I understand that Republicans/Conservatives view fear and terror as their path to victory, but there’s something undeniably creepy about their reaction to the underwear bomber; a sort of glee that I find disconcerting.
And while they may revel, and fundraise, over an averted tragedy to score political points, the press shouldn’t be their cheerleaders. Now, don’t get me wrong, the press isn’t really picking sides. Their role has been that of the crowd sceaming “Fight! Fight!” from the sidelines. They are the equivalent of a high school note-passer who enflames an argument by leaving out vital information. Cheney and Republicans count on this behavior. They are quite confident that they can keep ramping up the rhetoric with no fear of being called out and facing embarrassment. The stenographers press have no real incentive to set the record straight (other than professional integrity – I crack myself up!) because, if they did, they’d kill the story they are creating, and might actually have to do some real reporting. But I guess it’s just easier to say, “Psst… did you hear what he called you?” And when the other party responds… well, that’s tomorrow’s story.
Tags: Dick Cheney, Republcians, Terrorism
What used to set the NYT, and to some extent the WaPo, apart from most other newspapers is that they would provide ‘background’ to their news reporting, putting into context statements by a person like Cheney. That’s past history, so as you say, Cheney and those like him get away with their lies.
The current health reform initiative, with the lies about it promulgated by the Repubs/Conservatives, is another example. I wonder how many reporters/stenographers have even bothered to read the House Bill and the Senate Bill. From the reporting, I doubt many have. The newspaper editors are part of the problem, for not demanding more background in their news articles. I guess it doesn’t sell more papers, thus pandering to the lowest common denominator.
Fortunately we have the likes of Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson, both intelligent observers who value the facts and are willing to do the yeoman’s job of seeking to understand the context and perspective of the news. I watched Rachel’s critique of Cheney last night, and was very impressed, again, with her due diligence and intensity. Interesting that Rachel has issued a standing invitation to Liz Cheney to come on her program, going back a number of months. Liz, a clone of her Dad, knows better than to accept, unfortunately for us who care!
Thanks for posting this, Pandora!
Rachel is absolutely on fire here and she is right that Dick Cheney and the rest of the lying liars basically get a pass. Because the press is waiting for Democrats to respond the the lies as if this crap wasn’t false — and known to be false — the minute Cheney said it. What is really unfortunate is that there is apparently some sense that fact checking is somehow taking a political side rather than just making sure your readers or viewers have some basic information.
Couldn’t agree more, folks. As Rachel so clearly pointed out, the hypocrisy here is unbelievable. This was one of the best mythbusting she has done to date, and her calm and “just the facts” demeanor adds credit to her credibility. Thank God for her presence on the scene, because, as you said, Perry (great name, by the way!), mainstream media like the WaPo and NYT used to do “due diligence” – the day of the Fourth Estate as an independent Check and balance is gone in this corporate media age.
Hooray for Ms. Maddow!