Anatomy of a Politico Smear campaign against Rand
This is how "news" works. They put out a smear and then edit later when no one is looking and the damage is done. I saw this from the Associated Press, Courier-Journal and other news outlets during the Kentucky Senate campaign but never did get the screenshots to prove it. Unfortunately the same thing happened here. I'm automatically taking screenshots from now on and suggest you do too!
Like many of you I saw this "story" from earlier today claiming that Rand Paul was protesting Netenyahu's speech/Israeli aid. From the headline and the facts presented that was the conclusion that most people would draw given what they "reported". Something seemed really amiss to me and I noticed some details and posted this:
Yet that was just the beginning. You see they just added the entire context to this story after propagating the smear that Rand Paul was protesting Israel.Politico has reached a new low. It's obvious that Rand Paul is taking the opportunity to seize the empty Senate floor to protest Reid's duplicity on the Patriot Act.
Anyone with a modicum of skepticism toward Politico can see that this propaganda by Reid et al to smear Rand Paul for outmaneuvering Harry Reid and taking advantage of the empty Senate floor.
Instead of calling it like it is they do what Beltway outlets exist to do: Push the propaganda of the powerful.
How despicable is this? Politico gets direct response from Paul on the matter:
And what do they propagate for their DC masters? This disgusting smear:“This is about the PATRIOT Act and Reid not yet keeping his agreement on amendments,” Bagley said.
Despicable doesn't begin to describe this."Still, Paul’s decision to engage in a likely futile procedural exercise rather than attend Netanyahu’s speech was telling. Earlier this year, Paul came under fire from both Democrats and Republicans after proposing cutting all U.S. foreign aid, including the $3 billion the country spends on military assistance for Israel each year."
This entire paragraph was missing from the original:
They just added it without any notice that they changed their story. How craven! I slipped up by not taking a screenshot so I guess when you see a Politico (or any story) from now on you need to take a screenshot or else they will initiate a smear campaign on orders from powerful Senators without any consequence."Paul, a tea-party-backed senator who opposes the Patriot Act, has said he wants to “drag out” the process of renewing key provisions of the counter-terrorism law which expire Friday. Reid had hoped to recess the Senate during the speech and count that toward the cloture clock, but Paul stayed on the Senate floor, kept the chamber open, and was able to stop the cloture clock. "
Smear and then "edit" the story once the smear and their chosen narrative gets out. That's how "news" works.
UPDATE: Here's at least one quote where we've got Politico dead to rights. New Yorker Magazine quotes Politico as Paul "staging what appeared to be a silent protest of America's foreign aid to Israel,"
The new version of the Politico story doesn't have this line and it shows beyond any doubt that Politico was pushing a smear without even the usual innuendos. They literally said "staging what appeared to be a silent protest of America's foreign aid to Israel,". New Yorker Magazine still has it there.
That New Yorker Magazine is propagating this shows that Politico/Harry Reid's dishonorable Goebbels inspired tactic is working in certain circles again "“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”
Here is a screenshot of the New Yorker quoting Politico:
Update II: Here is a google search for the phrase: "staging what appeared to be a silent protest of America's foreign aid to Israel". As you can see it's spreading.
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Originally Posted by specsaregood
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