In the Age of Obama worship, so-called mainstream media has been among His most reliable acolytes. Occasionally, though, they go off narrative. Even reporting facts that the Obama White House finds embarrassing will engender His Mighty Wrath. Look no further to get a real idea of such ankle-licking than Time’s coverage of the White House “push back”.
There was never a single moment when White House staff decided the major media outlets were falling down on the job. There were instead several such moments. [...]All the criticism, both fair and misleading, took a toll, regularly knocking the White House off message. So a new White House strategy has emerged: rather than just giving reporters ammunition to “fact-check” Obama’s many critics, the White House decided it would become a player, issuing biting attacks on those pundits, politicians and outlets that make what the White House believes to be misleading or simply false claims …
Beyond the puff-piece text the article is littered with links to fawning slideshows … as the screenshot graphic shows. “Barack Obama’s nation of hope“??? Excuse me, Obama is president of the US, he is NOT the US.
In addition, Obama’s DOJ has taken a page from the Gleens
The Department of Justice has hired a team of partisan Democrat campaign bloggers to work at the Department. The Muffled Oar has learned this decision was treated with a great deal of skepticism both inside the career ranks at the Department but also among some Obama loyalists who expressed concern that such a decision would lend itself to the growing appearance that the Holder Justice Department is more political than the Bush Justice Department was ever accused of being. Tracy Russo is one such blogger from the campaign of John Edwards. The unit is housed in the Office of Public Affairs. Not only is the Department of Justice Blog Squad going to reach out to nontraditional media like TPM Muckraker or the Muffled Oar, but they are also tasked with fostering anonymous comments at conservative leaning blogs such as the Free Republic. They are also tasked with fostering anonymous comments, or comments under pseudonyms, at newspaper websites with stories critical of the Department of Justice, Holder and President Obama. One conservative editor recently told the Muffled Oar that they have noticed a significant increase in the number and aggressiveness of comments to stories critical of the Holder Justice Department. “There is clearly a designed effort to rebut stories that are exposing the Holder Justice Department as more political than the last. We’ve seen a change in the pattern of anonymous emails we receive and comments posted at our paper’s webpage.”
I really wish for a Wuzzadem update.
Comment by geoffb on 10/9 @ 10:15 am #
I’m not nostalgic for Billy Jeff but at least “Socks”, though sometimes a prop, was only a cat.
Comment by JD on 10/9 @ 10:18 am #
Racists
Comment by LTC John on 10/9 @ 10:50 am #
So my tax dollar is going to pay for left wing blog comments? WTF?
Comment by The Sanity Inspector on 10/9 @ 11:00 am #
But Darleen, what more can they do?
Comment by Andrew the Noisy on 10/9 @ 11:03 am #
I’m just gonna start denouncing people now to avoid the rush.
Comment by Robohobo on 10/9 @ 11:08 am #
Nope, sorry, EPIC FAIL! That link to The Muffled Oar shows no evidence at their website. You knows, links, etc. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Much as it is entirely possible to be believed, the lack of evidential proof relegates this to the fevered swamp category.
I think it is very possibly true, but……
Comment by Abe Froman on 10/9 @ 11:33 am #
Seriously. I don’t know how you can justify a post based on the contents of that muffled oar (whatever that is) link. Is there a better source?
Comment by Mikey NTH on 10/9 @ 11:41 am #
The cult of personality seems to have overtaken all common sense at all levels.
Comment by meya on 10/9 @ 4:45 pm #
“the White House decided it would become a player, issuing biting attacks on those pundits, politicians and outlets that make what the White House believes to be misleading or simply false claims …”
Next thing you know they’ll be criticizing Helen Thomas for promoting the Hamas view.
Comment by serr8d on 10/9 @ 7:57 pm #
Why would the DOJ take such a risk to develop a semi-professional, paid, lefty ‘blog hit squad’ when there’s so many lefty bloggers out there already, unemployed basement rats, who’ll take Obama’s and the DNC’s ’suggestions’ as their marching orders and run with them?
This story stinks just a little bit. But, but, Obama did promise ’shovel-ready’ jobs, and trolls shoveling shit (meya, you still there?) would fill a couple of his needs.
Comment by serr8d on 10/9 @ 8:08 pm #
To Tracy Russo’s online buddies (you know who you are): don’t expect an office and a desk anytime soon…
Still that moldy basement with the mushrooms and the spiders, but you’ll have a nuanced attaboy! from Tracy and the knowing that somewhere, spending money like crazy on everything except you, President On High Obama really appreciates what you’re doing!
Comment by geoffb on 10/9 @ 8:37 pm #
Let’s see. The DOJ denies the existence of a “blog squad”. At the same time the person they have hired to do “blog outreach”, a fairly vague job title, does have all the qualifications and contacts to run a “blog squad” if it did exist. As it is put by another person on the Left writing about Ms. Russo at a Washington Post blog.
Question, what is meant by “engage and manage coverage“? Online wouldn’t that cover trolling?
Comment by geoffb on 10/10 @ 10:42 am #
My bolding. Sure sounds like a typical website designer to me.
Smoke so far, for fire, have to wait and see.
Comment by meya on 10/10 @ 10:59 am #
The CONSPIRACY IS GOVERNMENT WIDE!
http://muffledoar.blogspot.com/2009/10/obama-blog-propaganda-is-government.html
“Today the Washington Post demonstrates that the effort to propagandize to the blogosphere is a government-wide campaign.”
Comment by Abe Froman on 10/11 @ 1:16 pm #
Meya is just jealous because she roams the web shooting ping pong balls out of her yeast infected vagina for free. DOJ gives benefits!