And truth is black and blue, all over.
I didn’t post about Bush’s ridiculous claim, this past weekend, that his administration has never had a “stay the course” policy in Iraq. It just seemed too . . . too obvious a lie, even for this administration, for it to be taken seriously by anyone. The evidence to the contrary is out there, and we’re living in the YouTube age; some industrious teenager has, no doubt, already compiled a series of clips of Bush saying the words “stay the course” over and over again, with “Would I Lie to You?” playing in the background.
But Bush’s assertion has, apparently, gone unchallenged by CBS and the AP (via Atrios). This silence on the part of the mainstream press goes way beyond attack-poodle punditry (poodluntrity?). We have arrived at a point when even the most basic, the most obvious, the most bold-faced of lies is allowed to propagate itself, like a virus, throughout the media landscape, without even so much as an antibody in sight. The sad thing is that we reached that point five years ago.
Lord, November 7th can’t come soon enough, can it?
There is one constituency I worry about, though, in all of this: the Republican pundits. After months — nay, years — of faithfully regurgitating the Republic “stay the course” mantra, these pundits have been left abruptly by the President with no rhetorical ground upon which to stand. The script has been changed at the last minute; all of those perfectly-timed sneers and knowing smiles will now have to be reworked into an entirely new routine.
That’s got to be a hard life, being a Republican marionette whose handlers have started to tangle all of the strings. But, I’ll say one thing for them: those suckers sure know how to dance.
I just wish they’d tango out of the room, already.
Update: Think Progress has a nice collection of “stay the course” clips (second video on that page). Sadly, The Eurythmics do not make an appearance.
Update 2: Awesome (via Atrios):
8 Comments on "Up is Down, Black is White"
Eli:
I liked when Dubya denied ever saying he wasn’t all that concerned about bin Laden.
What’s *scary* is that apparently people rely on the media to be their memories, so if the media doesn’t *remind* them that Bush said he wasn’t all that concerned about him, then it never happened. Bit like 1984, neh?
Eli:
(We have always been unconcerned about Mideastasia…)
Claire:
That’s got to be a hard life, being a Republican marionette whose handlers have started to tangle all of the strings. But, I’ll say one thing for them: those suckers sure know how to dance.
Ha.
blue girl:
I know Matt. Is *is* so obvious, you just want to scream it, don’t you? My head started spinning like Linda Blair when I heard that yesterday.
It reminded me of the story they put out awhile back that Bush had read 60 books so far this year. Including *Three Shakespeare’s” — !
That was also *so obviously* not true, that my head spun around in circles that time, too.
Pat Buchanan was on Hardball tonight and just laughed at the “Stay the course” revisionism.
So did Howard Fineman on Olbermann.
I think everyone’s onto it. Even the doltiest of dolts who will defend them no matter what the cruddy media says.
You’re right though about the media, though.
It stinks, doesn’t it?
Michael Bains:
Too bad ’bout the lack of Eurhythmics’ soundtracking. ‘Twoulda been the right move.
attack-poodle punditry (poodluntrity?)
I believe the word you’re looking for is pundoodlery Yep. Pretty sure on this one.
Michael Bains:
Eurythmics…
That’s just one of those words for me.
blue girl:
Boy, that video’s great!
What a bunch of … of … of … big jerks!
I could’ve said something nastier, but held back.
Erleichda!:
Ah, the Eurythmics would have been great — but maybe one of the songs they did for the soundtrack of “1984″?? :-D
Comments