The White House stonewalls on Sestak…
…because it knows it can.
I don’t know if there might be any fire behind the mild amount of smoke generated so far by Sestak’s allegations that he was offered a job by the Obama administration in exchange for not running for the Senate. But even Congressman Weiner, Democrat from New York, is begging the White House to say something—anything—to silence the talk and damp down the accusations. The administration could certainly do that; the information they give wouldn’t even have to be correct, because there’s zero chance that Attorney General Holder will appoint a special prosecutor to investigate.
But the White House continues a disturbing pattern of arrogantly (I’m so tired of typing those words “disturbing” and “arrogantly” in relation to Obama and his aides) refusing to answer and explain. Press Secretary Gibbs has responded by saying ““I’m not going to get into it, but people who have looked into it assure me the conversations were not inappropriate in any way.” This sort of laughable answer is possible because this group learned early on—during the 2008 campaign, and perhaps even earlier—that they simply do not have to answer because no one of any consequence will hold their feet to the fire.
Members of the press are their toadies. Reporters will take the abuse and like it, or pretend to. Obama and company took their measure long ago, and found them to be toothless and spineless. Those who accuse Obama of wrongdoing will be labeled cranks or targeted or marginalized or ignored. The story will fade as more come to take its place. Most of the American public will neither know nor care.
And Chicago-on-the-Potomac will continue on its merry way, covered with a thin veneer of sanctimonious claptrap about morality and transparency and/or whatever the rhetoric du jour might be.
I put the blame for the creation of this monster squarely on the shoulders of the press. Obama and his group are merely doing what amoral politicians will do if they are given the chance. It’s the press’s duty to make sure they are not given the chance.
But the press abdicated this role re Obama long, long ago. Whatever the reason—his race, his smoothness, his leftism, their own culpability and inability to admit they were wrong about him—the results have been pernicious. And it’s not over yet.
Why, yes – he is the mainstream press’ creation and creature, and they dragged him over the finish line like worshipers dragging the juggernaut through the streets. They did not question, investigate, or explore the bland mystery that was Obama, and happily skimmed over any potential bit of unpleasantness, such as … his orgins in the Chicago Political Machine, his attachment to the Reverent Jeremiah Wright, or his utter lack of experience as an executive of any sort. No, they abdicated any shred of their duty to tell us honestly what a slim majority wound up voting for. And yes, it would be nice if the major media could grow a pair and confess up to it … but they probably won’t. And for that, there are certain reporters and magazines that I will never find credible again.
But it goes beyond the lapdog press. Like we’re witnessing a cultural disinformation campaign that even average Joe’s seem to relish as some sort of needed phenomenon with a virtuous outcome.
Lets all ignore reality and it won’t exist!
But the press abdicated this role re Obama long, long ago.
I know what you are saying but I think the problemn is that we have not accepted the actual role of the Press. We think it is something that it is not – a free thing that reports fairly, questions the powerful, is the eyse and ears of the non-political class so that we can get about our business knowing that someone is watching the people who we hire and pay to run the country.
That is not the role of the Press that we have. Their role is to institutionalize marxism, socialism, democratism, liberalism, whatever.
They aree NOT on our side. At their most benign, they are the propaganda wing of the Democrat Party. At their worst they are something much worse.
We are in a new situation. Fox and the Internet are the only things left doing the role the press used to have.
It’s a war. They are winning. We are playing catch up.
We may win in the end, since liberty seems to beat tyranny quite often. But not always. We may lose. In the meantime, let’s not giove these people even the dignity of claiming they are not living up to some ideal standard. They hate the ideal standard.
“the press abdicated this role re Obama long, long ago. Whatever the reason–his race, his smoothness, his leftism, their own culpability and inability to admit they were wrong about him”
Perhaps it’s not an “inability to admit they were wrong about him” but an inability to admit they are wrong about nearly everything.
If so, then when things are grim enough, perhaps after the mid-terms or by 2012, the press will have no trouble making Obama’s ‘incompetence’ the fall guy.
Just as many on the left insist that socialism and communism, etc. are viable systems, rather it’s the people implementing those systems, who have been inadequate to the task…
All in service of denial, so as to not have to face just how wrong they are, about everything.
Better the world should go down in flames, than that they should face their own incompetence.
Many many checks and balances but the one that is most indespensible is the one that DeToqueville identified when he said, “America is great because America is good.”
The press from the beginning was partisan and viewed with much contempt. Hopefully, the fact that it should be free would allow enough partisan views to provide some truth.
And indeed, this had been the modern case. Even with the lapdog media, there is still another media that has survived and thrives.
What is no longer thriving is the good. The good may no longer be a majority.
When a majority of the people expect and demand life’s requirements, that’s a people ready for a rude awakening.
It may actually be a shorter road should calamity prevail. It is a much sterner and convincing teacher.
“this group learned early on–during the 2008 campaign, and perhaps even earlier–that they simply do not have to answer because no one of any consequence will hold their feet to the fire.”
Wrong only to the extent that this group does not think there IS anyone of consequence other than themselves.
I think the media would like to keep this in their back pocket for now. But if they need to get Obama off the 2012 ticket this might be the play.
Why might they need to get Obama off the ticket? To me it’s all about his approval ratings in California. If the Democratic establishment sees him go under 50% in California Obama is gone. The media will take him out. This could be as soon as November if Boxer loses and the Republicans win the Governership. A dispirited Democrat Party in California will be pointing fingers and not at each other. The media will ‘surge’ to do what they should have done in 2008 and scandal takes out Obama. They will still love Obama but the greater good – avoiding a Republican Congress/President in 2013 – will drive their behavior.
I hate to assume, but Robert Gibbs (ugh!)saying that he wouldn’t go there makes me think that there was indeed such an offer to Sestak – Sestak spoke out immediately at the time. Said deal may not have come directly from White House. i.e. perhaps thru Democratic Party. but it seems credible to me. The MSM pretty much blanketed the story (surprise!)
We have a President who tells bald-faced lies nearly, everyday. The arrogance (I’m tired of using the word to describe the President, too, but a rose is a rose is a rose………) is just jaw-dropping. And it is not limited to President. We just witnessed the AG and Head of Homeland Security attack a state’s new law, threaten to act against it — then calmly admit they never even read it. And then there’s always all the legislation rammed through with the intention of not allowing legislators to read it…let alone the public.
The only bright spot is that clearly a very large part of the public now see the MSM for what it is — not all, but a huge segment, which has allowed for exponential growth of Fox News. The Prez can make fun of this outlet all he wants, but he sure can’t stop people from watching it. And let’s not forget this White House’s war against Fox – which flopped bigtime and they’ve since been tripping over themselves to get their messages out to the huge Fox viewship. Even Michele Obama launched her kiddy obesity campaign on Fox in a 2- night interview. Axelrod, Napolitano, Gibbs, Crowley,
et al. now all regularly make themselves available…….
I’ve said it before here and will say it again: Thank God for Rupert Murdock and Roger Ailes!
Go, Toomey!!! 😀
I say good. Let Obama and company pile it on with their symbiotic relationship with the press, confident they they could murder a busload of nuns and the press would spin it as self-defense and another Obama foreign policy accomplishment. Obeisance of this sort reduces their caution.
BTW we have to start making a list of Obama’s screw-ups, a database if you will. His screw-ups are coming so hard and fast one hardly has time to express outrage before some new indignity is piled on. Quite frankly I can’t keep track, last week it was heaping applause onto Calderon of Mexico for denouncing the a US state trying to enforce US laws. Now Sestak, does anyone recall how Obama screwed up in April and March? Wasn’t Obamacare in February? Poland, the Czech Republic, Honduras, moving the KSM trial, pretending that we are not fighting radical Islam, a member of J-street for antisemitism czar, a medal of freedom for Mary Robinson, offending Netanyahu, Gordon Brown, groveling before everyone, cockamamie attempts to disrupt the Iran-Syria atlas and anti-Iran sanctions, the Cairo speech idiocy, the Al-Arabiya interview, reappointing Stephanie Powers, yes I know I am leaving a lot out which is my point…. we need some sort of bookkeeping program to keep track.
BTW MSM hypocrisy and bias is nothing new. Theodore White in his book, The Making of the President 1968 notes that the media tried to elect Hubert Humphrey. Since then they have been lopsidedly trying to elect lefty candidates, fortunately with very little success.
Interestingly I remember a NYT infomercial outlining Carter’s miserable performance during the 1980 election. But that was before they underwent a change in leadership from American to Soviet.
Nothing I experienced previously is comparable to 2008 and the MSM genuinely going completely berserk for Mr. Zero, but as noted, the throat they slit was their own. The product they sold is malignant and their going to answer for it.
Obama: “Nothing Improper” in Alleged Sestak Job Offer
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20006172-503544.html