It’s bad politics (and etiquette, I suppose) for anyone in the White House to attack the media in any way, but thanks to free speech three Obama aides have expressed their confusion and frustration at certain right-wingnuts for exaggerating and blowing out of proportion points in the President’s health care plan as well as just plain making shit up— It’s definitely no surprise, given that one of Re:Generator’s ‘fake’ conspiracy theories has actually come true already (see bottom of article).
To hear some of the people working inside the White House, logical and rational people, are thoroughly at a loss for words at the blatant lies and misconstrued “facts” that are spreading around the conservative pools and needlessly making people panic, is somewhat calming. It’s a sure sign that these “legitimate news sources” are really not quite right in the head (and if you’re on the fence about Fox News, watch this video that displays how those who watch it regularly are actually less informed about facts than people who listen to NPR or watch other news channels. Results are staggering.)
“I don’t even know where to begin,” said one top-ranking official, when asked about Palin’s remarks that the president was creating a “death panel” that would determine whether to euthanize the sick. “I mean. I re-read the House bill this weekend. I don’t even know what she is talking about.”
It makes me feel good knowing that the White House is trying to tackle these issues and the people who bring them up and exaggerate them, but it’s also disheartening to know that people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh are so set in their thought processes that not even the White House can get them to believe what’s actually true. Sometimes it’s just not rewarding to give people the benefit of the doubt. As Roosevelt himself once said:
“It is time to provide a smashing answer for those cynical men who say that a democracy cannot be honest and efficient. If you will help, this can be done.”
[Source.]
