From The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/16/06:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/sylvesterbrownjr/story/F67B5CA7D1E4FA3B862571330052DD21?OpenDocument

Rush and pals like to play the media blame game

By Sylvester Brown Jr.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH


If you're among those who believe that President George W. Bush's
approval ratings are at an all-time low, well . . . you've been led
astray by an evil, liberal, "drive-by" media.

At least, that's the story Rush Limbaugh pushed Tuesday during his
afternoon radio program:

"We had CBS and their rigged poll two or three weeks ago showing the
president at 34 percent. Then some other outfit came out with a poll
that showed 39 percent and yet they said, 'In his lowest performance
numbers ever . . .'"

The "untrustworthy, unbelievable" media picks the lowest numbers just
to beat up on the president, Limbaugh ranted.

To emphasize his point, he played an edited montage of CNN news
anchors who recently referred to Bush's ratings throughout that day's
broadcast.

I listened and, sure enough, each referred to a 36 percent rating as a
"new low," "all-time low," "low ebb" or Bush's "lowest ever."

Legions of Dittoheads out there may think ol' Rush scored a legitimate
point.

And, they'd be right, if all media spoke with a monolithic voice or if
they ignored the disclaimer each CNN host gave prior to discussing
Bush's ratings.

The numbers, they said, were derived from the "new CNN/USA
Today/Gallup poll," not CBS or any other polling organization.

And, according to CNN, Bush was indeed at an "all-time low."

It's amazing that so many conservatives and right-wing pundits still
use the "blame the media" ploy when depressing facts seem to get in
their way.

Bill O'Reilly of Fox News employs the tactic often.

During the Feb. 23 edition of the "O'Reilly Factor," with guest Mike
Farrell, O'Reilly unashamedly claimed he doesn't "do personal
attacks."

Media Matters for America, which describes itself as a nonprofit
research center that monitors conservative media, launched an Internet
montage of O'Reilly "personally attacking" on his TV and radio shows.

O'Reilly is heard describing Howard Dean as "the biggest coward in the
country," labeling John Kerry a "sissy," calling newsman Bill Moyers
the "biggest mouth in town," and New York Times columnist Nicholas
Kristoff "nuts."

The attacks weren't simply targeting individuals either.

O'Reilly insulted cities, countries and even an entire continent.

Madison, Wis., residents "commune with Satan," he said.

Iraqis are a "prehistoric group," poor Hurricane Katrina victims "were
drug-addicted thugs" and, according to O'Reilly, all of Europe is
"soft and afraid."

O'Reilly's most cutting remarks were reserved for Media Matters.

They are "vile, despicable ankle-biters," who, he admits, "listen to
every word" of his program.

Although the organization relies on transcripts from his own programs
to refute his outrageous claims, O'Reilly still insists the group
blatantly uses his words "out of context," then "feeds stuff to the
mainstream media to discredit me."

President Bush and U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld struck
similar chords this week.

Rumsfeld slammed the media Tuesday for presenting "exaggerated
reports" about the violence between religious factions in Iraq.

Bush, during a speech in Washington on Monday, predicted a "hopeful
future" for Iraqis.

"The terrorists are losing on the field of battle, so they are
fighting this war through the pictures we see on television and in the
newspapers every day," Bush said.

Forget that the country is quickly sliding into an all-out civil war.

Ignore the Department of Defense's warning that nuclear weapons-hungry
Iran is now providing "improvised explosive devices (IED)" that take
lives daily in Iraq.

So, GWB and the DOD predict that the new WMDs are Iran's IEDs?

But, hey, no worries - it's probably just the media exaggerating
things again.

After all, if O'Reilly never insults people and the president's poll
numbers are rigged, then things must be just jolly in Iraq.

_____________________________________________________

These right wingers are truly sick sick sick people. What does that
make those sad, sad, sad folks who religiously listen to and watch
'em?