Never happen, but: Wouldn't it be great to see Obama, in the middle of an interview with Wolf Blitzer, interrupt and say he had a question "some" in the public wanted answered? Then ask Wolf if there was any truth to rumors he was a pedophile? Does he deny it? Can he offer proof he isn't? Because after all, "some" people would like an answer to this question. I'll wait Wolf, we'll move on to other issues after you've answered.

It should be remembered that most folks didn't fall for this garbage when they did it on Clinton either, and he remained popular even after being impeached. Invented scandals only hurt if you let them hurt and allow them to distract you from doing your job. And they often end up hurting the people leading the attack.

The media has never been particularly influential in terms of getting people to believe things they weren't already inclined to believe.

Cut the nonsense? The mainstream media news outlets? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! Good one, Steve.

"Maybe political reporters can cut the nonsense?"

But that would give them nothing to do.

My group of friends used to include a guy who turned out to be a rapist. None of us had any idea, and were horrified when we found out.

Connecting Obama to the Blagscandal is like saying that I am a rapist, or that I support rape, because I unknowingly spent some time with a rapist.

The fact is, most USians know someone who committed a crime, or who is generally immoral or unethical. We wouldn't want to be judged by that association, and we are willing to give Obama the same courtesy.

maybe political reporters can cut the nonsense?

Horrors, Steve! What do you suggest reporters focus on instead? A bi-partisan Senate report all but charging Bush with war crimes?

Nothing to see here, move along, people!

so they are making the connection? Double negative!

Reads the same as "Americans Are making the Existent connection." Grammar and spelling apply to the internet as well.

Throwing the editorial "non existent" modifier skews it.

eschew obfuscation!

The title of the lead, unsigned editorial in today's Savannah Morning News is, "Obama must come clean." They really want this to be about Obama no matter how much it isn't.

Someone needs to remind Wolf-Boy that the Blagojevich scandal broke on Bush43's watch---therefore, the scandal belongs part-and-parcel to the George W. Bush administration. It was HIS DoJ that spent huge amounts of time and expense on "surveillance." It was HIS AG who has known for months-on-end that Blago was dirty.

Hell's bells---Obama's no more responsible for the Blagojevich debacle than---well, Wolf Blitzer....

I wonder if what Patrick Fitzgerald said helped keep Blagojevich's mess from sticking to Obama. He did point out that Obama's apparent favorite to succeed him as senator wasn't playing ball with Blagojevich.

Then ask Wolf if there was any truth to rumors he was a pedophile? steve duncan

That would be truly distasteful. However, it is precisely the construct of Wolf's questions. And Katie Couric's, as well. And Charlie Gibson, Matt Lauer and too many others who call themselves journalists.

But Obama DID have a role in the scandal. His role was to be the mother**** who wasn't a party to Blago's corruption.

What's interesting is that the media has taken on the role of convincing the American people that Obama is guilty until proven innocent--AND the governor cursing him out for being a moral guy somehow isn't proof that he wasn't involved in the governor's crooked schemes. Seriously, you'd think the bad guy saying "Curses! Foiled again by that boy scout!" would be enough, but for a bored media determined to invent a scandal for false "balance," it is not.

We're through the looking glass. I'm again impressed by intelligent the average American is, and appalled by how stupid the media seems to believe they are. It's Iraq all over again, where people know damn well what's going on, but the media is falling all over itself to pretend something else is happening. Because, you know, reality is "unbalanced."

Aren't Making the Connection - Yet

Maybe not yet, but it's something like 5 weeks until inauguration, and the Republican-owned media has plenty of time. A good four years, maybe more.

And to say that the Republican scandal mongering didn't hurt Bill Clinton because public support for him remained high ignores the impact on Clinton's legislative agenda and everything else he tried to do while in the White House.

Did the groundless lawsuits by Paula Jones and Judicial Watch, wherein he had to take much time out to testify, and to explain at every press conference, and generally deal with have no impact on what he could accomplish as President? Did the impeachment soap opera have no effect on Clinton's schedule or what he could achieve? Was its effect on Vice President Al Gore negligible - or unimportant?

The right wing mainstream media can do incredible damage to Obama's presidency by continuing to parrot lie after lie, concatenating lies into conventional wisdom, and constantly sapping confidence in the new president.

The question is - how can we, as citizens, get it to stop?

Proximity doesn't mean connection. Palin didn't have foreign policy experience just because Alaska is geographically near Russia, Obama is not like Blago just because he is a Democratic pol from Illinois.

I would love to see the approval ratings of political columnists right now.

maybe political reporters can cut the nonsense?

And maybe leopards can change their spots.

"Maybe political reporters can cut the nonsense?"

Oh Steve. I believe that you are under the mistaken belief that there are "political reporters" nowadays. Mr Colbert correctly idenified them several years ago. The correct term is "stenographers."

We haven't had any political reporters since the media consolidation of the 80's. These people just reprint RNC talking points and take home rediculous salaries for stenographers.

No kidding, Ralph. That is some juicy stuff right there--enough to make anyone sick to their stomach. That's a visceral reaction.
Even NPR only had a one-liner in the headlines section the day the report was published. It makes me nauseous that we are going to sail past this debate as well.
We spend more time on O.J. sentencing bull. My god.

"Maybe political reporters can cut the nonsense?"

Not to beat a dead horse, but political reporters and commentators get *paid* for commentating on stuff. They're not called "bobbleheads" for nothing.

They collect handsome salaries for sitting around nodding their heads sagely and spouting nonsense about subjects they often have a very limited grasp of but excell in generating breathless outrage and uncertainty even when there are no real facts involved.

It's doubtful they will ever really go away for good, but the American people are finally responding appropriately, but believing their own lying eyes and ignoring the pundit wallahs as they so richly deserve.

If Obama has nothing to do with the Blagojevich controversy, and last week's innuendo hasn't changed public perceptions, maybe political reporters can cut the nonsense?

No.

SASQ.

Steve Benen wrote: "CNN's Wolf Blitzer announced late last week that 'some are calling this Obama's first presidential scandal.'"

On NPR's Morning Edition this morning, Renee Montagne began their routine "political analysis" chat with Republican shill Cokie Roberts with "some people are saying" that this scandal "casts a shadow" on Obama.

Of course "some people" are saying that: Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and their clones are "saying that".

And that's enough for the bought-and-paid-for corporate shills of CNN and NPR to "report" that "some people" are saying that.

This is how the openly partisan right-wing extremist media and the so-called "mainstream" media work in close coordination to attack and undermine Democratic presidents.

The giant corporations that own and control America's mass media (including the corporate funded "public" media like NPR) are waging a pre-emptive attack to weaken public support for Obama with fake, phony, trumped-up "scandal".

Why would anyone be surprised by this? It's what they do. It's what they've always done. It's what they always will do, as long as the mass media in America is the wholly-owned propaganda arm of America's Ultra-Rich Ruling Class, Inc.

Obama needs to sit down with Wolf and say "You know Wolf, anyone attributing baseless rumors to 'some people' as news is serving this country poorly, at a time when real people need real solutions to real problems! There are 'some people' saying that Elvis is alive, that NASA faked the moon landings, and that there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll. We all know how much credibility 'some people' have!"

Love is blind, and love is what PC libs feel for Obmessiah.