Former CNN and MSNBC political commentator and long time leftist writer, Bill Press, had to admit he was taken in by an old internet hoax today.
As reported by NewsBusters, Press citied the results of a study by the "Lovenstein Institute" that placed president George W. Bush at the bottom of all the modern presidents in IQ scores. Unfortunately for Mr. Press' commentary, however, there is no such organization as the "Lovenstein Institute". It is an internet hoax that lefties so love to cite.
However, Press's apology sure didn't seem like much of an apology. On the "Parting Shot" section of his Blog for his Sirius Radio show, Press, in essence, said he was wrong but is still right about how dumb Bush is.
"This parting shot is dedicated to all those hundreds of people who emailed me about Bush’s IQ.
Okay, I’ll make a deal with you.
I’ll admit I was wrong. I goofed. I cited a study ranking George Bush as having the lowest IQ of any of the last 12 presidents. Bill Clinton, scoring the highest. As I later discovered, that study was bogus. There is no so-called Lovenstein Institute.
Again, I’ll admit I was wrong."
If Mr. Press had left it there, things would have been fine. Unfortunately, he had to turn against civility and decorum to continue into a diatribe that makes one question the sincerity of his "apology".
"But you’ve got to admit: It sure is believable. Does anybody doubt that Bill Clinton’s the smartest - and George Bush is the dumbest? Just look at his record.
Iraq. That dumbbell took us to war to get rid of WMD that didn’t even exist.
The Middle East. He’s so dumb he doesn’t know the first step toward ending a war is for both sides to stop shooting.
Global warming. Miami will be underwater before he realizes there’s a problem.
The budget. He couldn’t balance a budget if his job depended on it. Too bad it doesn’t.
See what I mean? Who needs a study? It’s self-evident.
George Bush is not only the dumbest of all 12 presidents since World War II.
He’ll go down in history - as the dumbest president…ever!"
So, Bill is saying he was wrong but still right after all? Is this the same school of "journalism" that Dan Rather attended with his false-facts-but-true-story defense? Is Bill Press a student of Mary Mapes?
In any case, it is a strange way to apologize for getting his facts wrong. But it is a perfect example of how people on the left often feel compelled to not only disagree with their political opponents, but to assume they are bad, evil, stupid, dangerous people, on top of it.
It reveals the basic incivility of the left ... you know, that civility that name-caller Howard Dean keeps saying he wants to improve!
That’s my parting shot for today.
Indeed it is.
