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Gordon Glantz is the managing editor of the Times Herald and an award winning columnist.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Fun, Fun, Fun

In line with this past week's column, how about this for falling for a hoax?:

Limbaugh falls for Obama thesis hoax - but is in no Rush to apologize

And still no apology.

Even when conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh runs with a fabricated story, he doesn't apologize for the error.

Limbaugh, who seizes on every opportunity to blast (Barack) Obama, ended up with egg on his face when he read an Internet satire piece that claimed President Obama dissed the Constitution in his college thesis at Columbia University.

A transcript of his Friday broadcast remains Sunday at the top of Limbaugh's web page under the headline, "Obama's Disdain for Constitution: We Know He Thinks It, Don't We? When we discover a hoax, we correct it immediately."

But apologize? You betcha there's none.

Limbaugh sounded off Friday on a supposed report that Time magazine reporter Joe Klein had unearthed Obama's college thesis, titled "Aristocracy Reborn," in which he sounded off on the nation's Founding Fathers and the Constitution and the distribution of wealth.

The only problem - the report was pure fiction.

The original post with the fabricated details about Obama's college thesis was written as a satire on a humor blog.
An obscure blogger, Michael Leeden, mistakenly picked it BYup, reporting the satirical post as fact, and then Limbaugh ran with it on his national radio show Friday.

Leeden has since apologized.

Limbaugh? Not so much.

In fact, he says, why the President never said what the hoax claimed, "we know he thinks it."

"So here is who we have as our president of the United States: an anti-constitutionalist man who finds it an obstacle and is finding ways around it on purpose, unconstitutionally," Limbaugh said on his show.

"Much of what he's doing is unconstitutional, and I'm waiting for the lawsuits to be filed by some of these people at some point," Limbaugh added. "How is that hope and change working out for ya, folks?"

Later in the same program, when Limbaugh learned the report was a hoax, he corrected the record, alerting listeners that the quotes from the thesis had been fabricated. But he insisted the fabricated thesis was still in line with what the president thinks.

"So I shout from the mountaintops: 'It was satire!'" Limbaugh said on the program. "But we know he (Obama) thinks it. Good comedy, to be comedy, must contain an element of truth, and we know how he feels about distribution of wealth."

Limbaugh said he has license to go with the fabrication because other members of the media have done this to him.
"So, I can say, "I don't care if these quotes are made up," he said. "I know Obama thinks it.

"You know why I know Obama thinks it? Because I've heard him say it."

The fabricated thesis pokes fun at the president's position on economic freedom.

"The so-called Founders did not allow for economic freedom," the satire on Obama's thesis says.

"While political freedom is supposedly a cornerstone of the document, the distribution of wealth is not even mentioned. While many believed that the new Constitution gave them liberty, it instead fitted them with the shackles of hypocrisy."

In a post Friday, Time's Joe Klein says the report is false.

"A report is circulating among the wingnuts that I had a peek at Barack Obama's senior thesis. It is completely false," he wrote. "I've never seen Obama's thesis. I have no idea where this report comes from--but I can assure you that it's complete nonsense."

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is is kinda funny, in a sad, sad way, insn't it, Gordo?

October 26, 2009 at 2:24 PM 
Anonymous Jeff D. said...

Glad you are so amused

October 27, 2009 at 12:59 PM 
Anonymous Mike B. said...

I'll be laughing at this ... until my Daddy takes my T-bird away.
The fact that Rush Limbaugh is even discussed, Mr. G, shows how far we have "devolved" more than our innocent watching of reality shows as a way to unwind from the reality of a life with Rush Limbaugh shaping hearts and minds in the first place.

October 30, 2009 at 8:56 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

rush oxycontin limbaugh is always putting his hoof in his mouth. Stereotyping just like the rest of the bigots.

Well, posted this on Stan's side, but since he's the "take my paper and go home if you don't agree" type, I'm posting it here, too.

Re: not allowing people to run for office if they tell a "story" about the opponent...

Yeah, let's get rid of Risa and Castor who try people in public before the trial. They've had egg on their faces because they've lost some cases.

And, thank God you aren't running with your negative comments and incorrect information printed by your reporters. Biased as usual.

Let's take a look at this, which blows the stereotyping out of the water. Just see who ignores the obvious and who takes action!

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhpE6Fugc4Kz97S5BU

October 30, 2009 at 9:37 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just want to know who wrote this crock of crap? I don't agree that Risa is riding to anyone's rescue but for herself!

From The Times Herald

We the people should be outraged that our elected county commissioners are attempting to govern the private lives of some of our fellow citizens.

How is it that Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman Jim Matthews and Commissioner Joe Hoeffel believe they have the authority to regulate what people can do when they’re not at work?

We the people should be outraged that they passed an ordinance that basically states employees of the county cannot work on political campaigns, at any time of the day or night.

Thankfully, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman and Montgomery County Sheriff John Durante had the good sense to see through this farce and challenge the ordinance.

October 30, 2009 at 11:28 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No Apology Needed! Life is interesting and Mr. Obama should not be so thin-skinned. Next thing you know all News will have to be filtered through the big men surrounding the "O" Office.

October 31, 2009 at 11:38 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fabricated Stories and Trashing the Opposition.
Decisions??
Ethics and Politics in Montgomery County is now up to Judge Nicholas When will we be in the know?
Campaign Funds - contributions made by ALL 7 Judges on the Dem. ticket that are running for positions on the Ct. of Common Pleas to Political Action Committee
- It is Illegal and Dem. Chairman, Groen has done what? When will we be in the know?
LP Supervisor Race is now trashy.
Statements made about various investigations that are still awaiting results as the three above, should never be used in campaign literature prior to an election. I'm sorry these two candidates felt it was the right thing to do - Our Family does Not!

October 31, 2009 at 12:03 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Where is lisa mossie, rush's comrade in arms?

November 2, 2009 at 1:51 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

She's baaaaack! Gordon and Stan killed her column, but she is now haunting us all in her afterlife as a blogger no one readS!

November 6, 2009 at 9:45 AM 

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