Karen Tumulty misleads for Barack Obama (Jeffrey Frederick)

Karen Tumulty of Time Magazine offers this bit of mainstream media wisdom designed explicitly to support Barack Obama. It starts with something that could have been written by the BHO campaign:

If John McCain is as serious as he says about running a "respectful" campaign against an opponent he considers "a decent person," word hasn't yet trickled down to his newly opened storefront field office in Gainesville, Virginia.

Then, she shows her lack of respect for anything approaching real reporting:

With so much at stake, and time running short, [Jeffrey Frederick, Chairman of the Virginia Republican Party] did not feel he had the luxury of subtlety. He climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points — for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary." It is also not exactly true — though that distorted reference to Obama's controversial association with William Ayers, a former 60s radical, was enough to get the volunteers stoked. "And he won't salute the flag," one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, "We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born." Actually, we do; it's Hawaii.

1. The Weathermen did indeed bomb the Pentagon. The only thing Tumulty can hang her hat on is whether Ayers himself was directly involved; as he was a Weathermen leader, that's a very fine point.

2. We can probably assume that OBL was behind the plane crashing into the Pentagon.

3. Therefore, the only thing "not exactly true" about that Frederick contention is a) the extent to which Ayers was personally involved in the Pentagon bombing, and b) the extent to which flying a jet into a building qualifies as a "bombing".

4. Tumulty then makes a magical leap, referring to "another myth" as if what she'd just discussed was a myth.

5. Frederick was not the person who said the bit about the flag, nor was he the person who said the bit about where BHO was born. Tumulty doesn't tell us whether Frederick heard what they said and what he said in response.

6. Where exactly BHO was born - and whether he's even a U.S. citizen - is still an open question. Unless Tumulty has definitive proof, she's just misleading Time's millions of readers in order to support Barack Obama.

UPDATE: Here's a more in-depth discussion about where Barack Obama was born.

UPDATE 2: See this summary page for the truth about what we know and what we don't know about where Obama was born.

Comments

OReilly said on his radio show that Obama had a legit birth certificate and was born in Hawaii....I don't think that is true. Whats happening with that lawsuit about that?

obama was not born here his grandmother said so and that is funning because obama has been set-up to take us down! and most will not say so. He, OBAMA is a african not American and yes I think OBL has a great deal to do with this evil down fall of this nation and right now we are in a total collapse most will not feel this mass political and economic collapse right now but down this coming evil road to hell. people see it for what it is not what you want it to be. and may God help you all.

Has anyone watched MSNBC recently? It's the Obama Channel.

EVERY channel is the Obama channel..The entire media is in the tank for the Messiah,...truly sickening!

What I find more interesting are the hateful comments here. You keep talking about Obama's lack of class, and then you spew pure hate and lies in every post. It speaks to your character. I hope you find peace.

So...truth is hateful?? The media might as well put up a banner OBAMA Headquarters above the heads of all their reporters. THAT is disgusting! I never said Obama lacked class...he has plenty. He's packaged better than a Madison Avenue product...All flash ,no substance. Just right for the shallow voters. Most voters don't think researching who they choose to lead their country is worth the time they spend watching Dancing with the Stars!!!Unfortunately I have said it before...there are far more stupid people than smart people. And with the help of our politicians there will be even more as they allow more and more illegals to flood this country. When Obama takes office he will perpetuate his own standing in the government by bringing in more illiterate potential "citizens" to turn this country into a third world cesspool......And John McCain ain't much better.

No, the truth isn't hateful actually. (And simply to clarify, my original comment is directly to the owner of this blog and not yourself Mary.) But I think the rage in your comment is what I'm getting at. The republican party has become the rage party. The reason Obama is liked in the media is that he simply doesn't combat them so ferociously. If McCain wasn't busy battling himself (Lettermen as an example) he might make inroads with the media. While both men aren't saints they aren't also the devil. Many of the things you're claiming about Obama are simply untrue. They are old Republican talking points and they don't stick on him. Whatever media you listen to - I'd ask you break free of it until election time. It has clearly worked you up in a bad way. You know who you wish to vote for so no need to fan the flames, right? :)

"Many of the things you're claiming about Obama are simply untrue." So by decree of some punk lefty blogger, the truth is magically waived, because "Josh" said so. Go back to you own blog and comment there, dude.

So we shouldn't be angry? We should just allow our country to be destroyed by socialism if not worse? Take a good hard look at Britain and tell me what appeasement has meant to them. I'm just glad I have some anger left and haven't totally succumbed to the ruination (from both parties) of my beloved country.

I'm a punk lefty blogger? Thank you for proving my rage point. :) I run four businesses I created from the ground up and I'm a constitutional Republican. You don't have the balls to share your real information. Which is more punk? (But Obama won 22 paper's support yesterday because they are untrue. These facts have been reviewed many times and found to be hilariously tacked on lies. ACORN is the prime example, as John McCain was their key speaker 2 years ago!) To Mary - we should be angry. But there needs to be an outlet for it. You're choosing yourself. Both sides are running towards Socialism and fast. In the past month we are more Socialist than ever. The point being, your anger isn't solving this crisis. And it won't change that a Republican president is watching over as our banks become government funded. But I'm just trying to help. If I'm not then feel free to ignore me. :)

You have not proved anything except willful ignorance of the truth. Every American has every right to be angry. That is how things change. Sorry if we are not touchy feely enough for you. Maybe you would be better off signing Kumbaya in a drum circle somewhere to express your political positions. We prefer pitchforks and public humiliation, but keep drumming and singing "We Shall Overcome," comrade. Now please tell us what is untrue, since The Messiah was ACORN's lawyer, Ayers was his mentor, and Wright was his pastor. You are not who you say you are with your pacifistic talking points straight from BHO's playbook. We may be angry, but we are not stupid.

josh of cubicle ninjas Acorn is 90 percent under hispanic control and so is McCain the reason why McCain and La Raza ( the race ) are not helping each other is McCain must show whites he will be a good boy and not murder millions of Americans for now! but the end game for both obama and the boy McCAIN IS TO TAKE US DOWN A ROAD TO THE THIRD WORLD.

I am a journalism major...my brother and nephew both are reporters and they will be the first to tell you their papers are full of liberals. So, don't believe everything you read in the papers......they are going out of their way to push Obama into office. My feeling is both parties are selling us down the river. I believe both candidates were channeled into being our candidates and BOTH represent corporate America or the elite. As both allow illegal immigration to flourish there is no reason to expect anything but a third world outcome from that folly. Last night I saw a scroll on the news that the head of the European Union is meeting with Bush. Call me crazy if you like, but I believe this banking crisis was engineered. Notice how it came right on the cusp of the election? Notice how it has caused worldwide collapse? Notice how the bankers in the the thick of it still come out of it sitting pretty? The goal of these people is not the North American Union...that is too paltry for them. One World Goverment and new World Order is the goal and they are in arms reach of getting what they want through subterfuge and corruption. There is a T -shirt out there that about sums up the election and the future...We ARE SCREWED 08!!!

By the way..they don't have to kill the whites to eliminate them.....they are already on the way out..........If it were another race it would be called genocide. But since whites are told to shut the F up , just sit back and take it!

By the way Obamas Senatorial area of responsibility has had more deaths by violence than Iraq.(Chicago) How's that for a record.