Jake Tapper: Obama has been forced to deal with more downright falsehoods than any president

[impik]

http://bareleft.blogspot.com/

[BeyondGeography]

1. A thoughtful piece

The Baker quote from Auletta's article ("Like 8-year-olds chasing a soccer ball.") is perfect.

[benchwarmer]

4. Exposing the truth

So I guess the question is: "What are we going to do about it"?

I'm new here, correct me if I'm wrong and everyone in here is a no-action armchair politician.

[BeyondGeography]

5. So you're new here and one of your first acts is to brand us as a bunch of do-nothings

Bad manners. You should fit right in.

[liberal N proud]

7. ..

:popcorn:

[grantcart]

8. August 2003 and your a newcomer?

[Kdillard]

2. Yep crap from all sides.

[greenbird]

3. K&R

[high density]

6. D vs R reporting

I don't see any attempt in doing anything differently. The "budget freeze" hysteria from Monday night is a great example of the problem.

[alc]

9. how true. In the very first week of his presidency

someone said all of these apparent falsehoods

* no lobbyists in the administration
* agencies responding to FOIA requests should "adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure"
* transparency would be important in the administration
* gitmo would be closed in a year


Ok, that's not fair. And neither are the things you will hear after the SOTU or have been hearing, like the article says. But these statements and others have been made with a lot of fanfare then not followed up on very well with action or details about problems implementing them. Yes, they give details, but after a lot of speculation and rumors (falsehoods).

Gibbs tends to avoid questions on things like these, so the press goes to other sources. Gibbs (or someone else) needs to talk more about the positives (without overselling them) and face the negatives with facts before they are blown out of proportion. I've seen multiple times when Gibbs avoids questions the press wants answered for 5-10 minutes then move on. (Even Helen Thomas has let him have it.) The press will fill their space or time and that can include official statements or just be speculation.

But, no matter what Gibbs or the administration does, they will continue to face unprecedented falsehoods. 24 hour news, blogs, idiots with cameras & phone bugs, etc. are everywhere, and in greater numbers than ever. Every politician from now on will need a thick skin and to be good at delivering their message.

[Clio the Leo]

10. BEFORE that even....

.... I understand there are some who suspect he wasn't even born here. ;)

I was thinking while reading this piece...
http://thepage.time.com/2010/01/27/modo-glad-sexy-is-back/

... about how Maurene was excited to see her White knight in his beat up old truck steed.

Well, newsflash, the notion of white guys in pick up trucks isn't mental comfort food to a lot of us.

For SOME of us, the notion that our President does THIS....



... brings us joy. Makes US feel good about our leaders because it's something WE can relate to (the way Scott and his barn coat or Sarah and her shotgun is something another segment of the population relates to.)

Well, THAT segment of the population had their turn. We're not done with ours.

[Phx_Dem]

11. Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Jake Tapper?

Good read. Thanks for sharing.

[Jennicut]

12. Was thinking the same thing...Tapper has been taken over by an alien!

Or maybe he just has moments of clarity now and then.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

13. "And I helped!"

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RX96J37WL._SL500_AA280_PIbundle-12,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20_.jpg

[otohara]

14. I Bet If We Look - Jake Tapper Himself

has spread some of those falsehoods.

I'll look around The Google just for fun

[GoCubsGo]

16. You don't even need to go to Google.

Just put is name in the "search" here at DU. You'll come up with dozens of examples.

[Cha]

15. Wow~ What the hell happened to jake tapper?!

[depakid]

17. That would seem to some a clear indication that media divestment and re-regulation ought to be

a top priority- as it underlies everything else.

[scheming daemons]

18. And half of the untruths have been propagated by DUers.....

....