
Not that this will come as any great surprise, but the folks at the Hillary Clinton front organization Think Progress are at it again bashing conservatives by employing the disgraceful art of cherry-picking.
For those unfamiliar with the term, this is when you take a sentence or two out of a report or article divining a meaning or intent clearly different than that the author or speaker was quite obviously conveying.
In this case, the target of TP's disaffection was me. More deliciously, research associate Matt Corley chose not only to cite just fifteen words out of a 41-word sentence inside of a 2500-word article of mine, but also totally ignored the relevant subsequent question posed in the piece in order to present to his readers a completely different conclusion than that offered by moi.
Of course, this is what TP and the other Clinton front organization Media Matters for America do all the time. This is just today's example of deceit and chicanery the couple from Arkansas and all associated with them are infamous for:
The right wing blog Newsbusters, which is a project of the Media Research Center, came to [conservative radio host Mike] Savage's defense yesterday, calling [liberal television host Keith] Olbermann's criticism a "hysterical utterance." "He also had the unmitigated audacity to criticize conservative radio host Michael Savage," wrote Newsbusters' Noel Sheppard.
While Newsbusters has every right to disagree with and criticize Olbermann, it is laughable to suggest that someone needs "unmitigated audacity" to criticize Michael Savage.
So, Matt, why didn't you share with your readers the entire sentence in question, as well as the one immediately subsequent? Might that have blown your obviously specious premise out of the water? That would have been inconvenenient, wouldn't it?
Well, let me do what you have been taught by your employers - clearly interested in bashing conservatives regardless of veracity or integrity - not to, and that is share with the reader the entire quote and its context:
Wonderfully, referring to himself as a journalist wasn't the only hysterical utterance from Olbermann during this interview, as he also had the unmitigated audacity to criticize conservative radio host Michael Savage for "basically just spattering invective on people he didn't like."
Hey, Keith, have you ever actually watched your program or read a transcript?
The point this shill either intellectually missed or disingenuously hid was the exquisite irony inherent in Olbermann criticizing someone for "basically just spattering invective on people he [doesn't] like" when this is exactly what this liberal commentator does five nights a week.
You missed this, didn't you Matt? Or, did you just try to keep it from your readers so that you could totally misrepresent what was written in this piece?
Maybe even more entertaining was how Corley chose only to address my Savage reference -- which was actually a minor component of the article -- and totally avoided taking issue with the larger points concerning what a joke it is for Keith Olbermann to consider what he does each night as "really journalism," and that he lied about a statement he made to Chris Matthews on May 1, 2003.
I guess Corley was ceding these points, which though adding to my pleasure certainly won't be happily greeted by Olbermann who is so intricately linked to TP and MMA that his scripts often read like their blog posts.
Regardless, we once again have on display the modus operandi of this Clinton front group, and their Machiavellian approach to new media reportage.
On a positive note, from a purely political, non-journalistic standpoint, the reader should be heartened by this revelation. As I wrote back in November about such shills working for the former president and his wife:
Honestly, folks, if this is representative of the financial acumen and the intellectual honesty of the operatives under the employ of the Clinton campaign, Republicans around the country should sleep much better tonight.
Given the shambles that is the state of Hillary's campaign at the moment, these words appear awfully prescient, wouldn't you agree?
Keep up the bad work, TP. With folks like you shilling for the Clintons, as well as charlatans like Keith Olbermann, conservatives have absolutely nothing to fear.—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
















Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Oh boy, Noel
December 17, 2007 - 14:15 ET by BlondeNow you've done it!
If they're picking on you, and NB's....I think the Hillary campaign is in far more dire straits than we suspected.
To quote a friend...."delicious".
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Congrats!
December 17, 2007 - 14:27 ET by iveseenitallCongrats, Noel---you're getting to them. Please keep it up!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Think Progress Dishonest
December 17, 2007 - 14:27 ET by GraysonIt is amazing to me how dishonest these people can be. How do they sleep at night?
...aren't libs always
December 17, 2007 - 18:20 ET by TruthMonger...aren't libs always accusing others of what they themselves do - hate, intolerance, hypocracy, yadadadada?
It's a primary trait...
it works alot too...
scum bastards anyway...
I heard Doocy say
December 17, 2007 - 14:36 ET by dervishbut didn't stick around to see, that Hillary was doing a spot on "Fox and Friends" this morning. If she deigned to appear on Fox, you know she's sucking wind. "Dire straits" indeed.
Was she wearing the
December 17, 2007 - 16:03 ET by motherbeltWas she wearing the simpering little smile that she has on for the Daily Kos in that photo Noel put up with this post?
It's like Cruella DeVille attempting to look charming.
And to think,
December 17, 2007 - 14:27 ET by FastEdeveryone was surprised that the demolibs would do something like this! Just remember, these "journalists" don't know how to REPORT, they only know how to editorialize, and that they take the lib talking points as FACT. Seems my dad was right.
There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V
Keep up the bad work, TP.
December 17, 2007 - 14:32 ET by bigtimerKeep up the bad work, TP. With folks like you shilling for the Clintons, as well as charlatans like Keith Olbermann, conservatives have absolutely nothing to fear.
Couldn't of said it better Noel.
Excellent work, I myself love this.
I really feel as ore time goes on the leftists aren't going to know what hit them in Nov. the way they are going so far.
Congrats, Noel!
December 17, 2007 - 14:53 ET by Wildcatter1980You have achieved the ultimate compliment of the far left nutroots. That is to be taken out of context by them in a vain effort to smear and diminish those with whom they disagree AND cannot argue with intellectually.
Keep up the good work!
Just my $0.02
Debate
December 17, 2007 - 15:37 ET by Jerry MackI would like Noel to challenge Keith Olbermann to a debate. Too make it seem like it would be "fair" let Keith choose the subject. Economy, war on terror, taxes, ect.
Jerry M... Now that would
December 17, 2007 - 15:42 ET by bigtimerJerry M...
Now that would be absolute delicious fun.
Ubermann would be no more.
SMACKDOWN
December 17, 2007 - 15:37 ET by kg'bout time - a few more slaps please
muahahaha, way to stick it
December 17, 2007 - 15:50 ET by wiwfmuahahaha, way to stick it to 'em, Noel!
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
Congrats- you are obviously
December 17, 2007 - 16:19 ET by docbCongrats- you are obviously doing a good job...Shrill and the Whiner are out for blood because she/they are on the slippery slope and have nothing to break their fall.
Even today the msm is letting her show her scripted /non nimble thinking to the public.
Let's go and show the truth to perceived power..
THEY ARE OVER.
Think progress?
December 17, 2007 - 17:47 ET by HermanoI was just on their site for Noel's shining moment. There is a guy over there called John Kerry - a troll to them. He nails KO with numerous sourced references and their response is "Is that all you can do? Cut and Paste?" Entertaining to say the least. I might have to make their link a "favorite" so I can get a good laugh every once in a while.
Hermano...thanks
December 17, 2007 - 20:01 ET by BlondeFor the heads up on the comments over there....too funny. Looks like we all have trollers.
Those comments were a riot...and I didn't know about our erstwhile CongressCritter Rob Wexler (D) Florida, calling for Dick Cheney's impeachment. What a buffoon.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Excellent!!
December 17, 2007 - 19:02 ET by timotheNoel, that piece on Olbermann and Moyers was excellent journalism!! You know you are getting attacked because you expose the truth about the media and people either resonate with or despise the truth.
Keep fighting the good fight for the rest of us!!
Hee hee...
December 17, 2007 - 20:46 ET by ReformedLib Re-FormedConThe only thing I thought of when I saw the acronym for Think Progress was TOILET PAPER! How fitting... only good for cleaning excrement, always ends up in the 'hopper' and the only time you really think of TP is when you have ____ on your mind.
These people are twisting in the wind so hard that pretty soon, there won't be any movement left. I started out thinking that maybe the Hill bashing was some big agenda, but when I see such pathetic attempts at drawing negative attention to our side, it makes me think that it's no longer an agenda but truly just a desperate attempt to draw attention away from themselves. I'm reveling in the fact that she really does seem to be tanking. No matter what the media thinks, if they keep up the negativity for too long, people aren't going to want to rejoin the fold if it does turn out to be some ploy.
I'm giddy, giddy I tell ya!