Sarah Palin To Corrupt Media: Really? Still Making Things Up?

If there is anything we have all learned over the last few years it’s the media in this nation is corrupt. They are liars and cannot be trusted. It’s one of the reasons that newspapers and magazines are going broke. It’s also why all of the other cables news stations are losing viewers en masse, to Fox News. CNN, the pioneer of cable news, and one of the most partisan networks, now has no shows that even track in the top 30 on cable. Fox, of course, owns the entire top 10 all day every day.

And don’t get me started with MSNBC! They are so in the tank for Obama, that getting real news from that outlet is impossible. MSNBC is owned by General Electric, and GE’s Chairman, Jeffrey Immelt sits on several boards of advisors to Barack Obama. GE has been a recipient of billions of taxpayer dollars to their financial divisions through TARP, and stands to make hundreds of billions through Obama’s mischief like the government take over of your health care and the cap and tax scheme surrounding the fictional "global warming" nonsense.

So trying to get anything but pure propaganda out of MSNBC is an exercise in total futility.

With that in mind, the highly suspect Associated Press, which has a level of bias only matched by MSNBC, has put no less than eleven "fact checkers" to work at "fact checking" Sarah Palin’s book that they somehow got a hold of.




Nothing wrong with giving an honest review of anyone’s book, or for that matter, "fact checking." But eleven people, really?

We have the most corrupt President in the history of this nation. There are all sorts of questions surrounding this guy. All sorts of shady dealings.

Then there is the "health care" bill. This thing could employ and entire platoon’s worth of fact checkers to separate the lies Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the democrat/communist controlled Congress are spouting vs the truth.

And what about the al Qaeda connected Ft Hood terrorist Hasan, who we now know was part of Barack Obama’s Homeland Security Transition Team! You think there might be a few questions that one should ask about all of this? Something like, oh...I don’t know, maybe like: "Mr Obama, why are you asking Congress to hold off investigating all of this? Or What are you hiding?

Nope, we gotta figure out if we can smear Sarah Palin by lying about what is in her book that isn’t even available to the general public yet! By the way, her new book is setting sales records, and buried in a Politico hit piece is the fact that HarperCollins, the publisher, has already had to order a second printing of Sarah Palin’s book, Going Rogue, An American Life.

The original printing was 1.5 million books. As we predicted early on, that wasn’t going to be nearly enough. Reportedly, pre-orders of the book at Amazon alone top 80.000. I’m sure the other sellers have similar numbers.

Anyhow, here’s my problem with the Associated Press. Not only are they neglecting real stories, that need real answers, not only are they dedicating a huge staff to one book, they are making stuff up and calling them facts!

This isn’t new for the AP. Unfortunately, the AP is the news service many, if not most newspapers use world wide. So do the cable news networks. So when AP lies, those lies go viral. And as we know, once something is on the internet, and in the search engines, lie or truth, it’s there forever.

With that said, Sarah released a little something of her own:

Really? Still Making Things Up?

Today at 4:43am

The book tour starts this week, and I look forward to it! I'm most looking forward to meeting many of you, shaking your hands, and telling you,"Thanks for loving America." I'll give you a scoop here and tell you what's on the book's Dedication Page – it's dedicated to you – Patriots – who love the U.S.A. as much as I do.

Amazingly, but not surprisingly, the AP somehow nabbed a copy of the book before it was released. They're now erroneously reporting on the book's contents and are repeating many of the same things they spewed during the campaign and afterwards. We've heard 11 writers are engaged in this opposition research, er, "fact checking" research! Imagine that – 11 AP reporters dedicating time and resources to tearing up the book, instead of using the time and resources to "fact check" what's going on with Sheik Mohammed's trial, Pelosi's health care takeover costs, Hasan's associations, etc. Amazing.

We'll keep setting the record straight, and we'll keep reminding some in the media that Americans are very tired of their non-objective reporting. A great, recent post that accomplishes this is a Conservatives4Palin post. It's got some nice fact checking included. As always, they did a great job holding some of the media accountable for spreading more misinformation and for making things up. You can read it here. Enjoy!

And I can't wait to see you! God bless the fight for freedom! Keep up the great work, Patriots who love this country.

- Sarah Palin

Sarah references a great piece by our friends over at Conservatives 4 Palin. You should read the entire thing because it goes into a lot of details, But here are just a few tasty bits:

On the Exxon Valdez Decision

AP "FACT": "That response is at odds with her reaction at the time to the ruling, which resolved the long-running case by reducing punitive damages for victims to $500 million from $2.5 billion. Environmentalists and plaintiffs’ lawyers decried the ruling as a slap at the victims and Palin herself said she was ‘extremely disappointed.’ She said the justices had gutted a jury decision favoring higher damage awards, the Anchorage Daily News reported. ‘It’s tragic that so many Alaska fishermen and their families have had their lives put on hold waiting for this decision,’ she said, noting many had died ‘while waiting for justice.’"

THE TRUTH: Governor Palin writes in her book: "As governor I directed our attorney general to file an amicus brief on behalf of plaintiffs in the case, and, thanks to Alaska’s able attorneys arguing in front of the highest court in our land, in 2008 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the people. Finally, Alaskans could recover some of their losses."

That is correct. Alaskans were able to recover some of their losses. However, it was also a tragedy of delayed justice. Alaskans had waited for nearly 20 years, and the Court reduced the amount of punitive damages for the victims.

Governor Palin voiced her support for the $2.5 billion in punitive damages in a press conference with the victims of the Exxon Valdez spill the day before oral arguments were heard. Naturally, she was disappointed that the Court reduced the amount to $500 million – which was especially painful coming as it did after many years of litigation in which some of the victims passed away without ever receiving justice. Even after the Court gutted the punitive damages award, Exxon argued that they shouldn’t have to pay interest on it.

However, it is a matter of record that the Supreme Court did, in fact, rule "in favor of the people." The "disappointment" was in the reduction of the award and in the delay in justice.

Governor Palin’s immediate reaction to the decision expressed this frustration and disappointment. She said: "I am extremely disappointed with today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. While the decision brings some degree of closure to Alaskans suffering from 19 years of litigation and delay, the Court gutted the jury’s decision on punitive damages. It is tragic that so many Alaska fishermen and their families have had their lives put on hold waiting for this decision. My heart goes out to those affected, especially the families of the thousands of Alaskans who passed away while waiting for justice."

On Alaska’s Earmarks

AP "FACT": "Alaska is also one of the states most dependent on federal subsidies, receiving much more assistance from Washington than it pays in federal taxes. A study for the nonpartisan Tax Foundation found that in 2005, the state received $1.84 for every dollar it sent to Washington."

THE TRUTH: There is no question that as a very young state Alaska requires more help with infrastructure funding to catch up with the rest of the Lower 48. However, Governor Palin was not governor in 2005. As governor, she reduced Alaska’s earmark requests by nearly 85%.



On Governor Palin’s Frugality in Her Personal Expenses While in Office

AP "FACTS": "Although travel records indicate [Governor Palin] usually opted for less-pricey hotels while governor, Palin and daughter Bristol stayed five days and four nights at the $707.29-per-night Essex House luxury hotel (robes and slippers come standard) overlooking New York City’s Central Park for a five-hour women’s leadership conference in October 2007. With air fare, the cost to Alaska was well over $3,000. Event organizers said Palin asked if she could bring her daughter. The governor billed her state more than $20,000 for her children’s travel, including to events where they had not been invited, and in some cases later amended expense reports to specify that they had been on official business."

THE TRUTH: The AP proves Governor Palin’s point by noting that she "usually opted for less-pricey hotels."

The First Family’s travel was processed by the Administrative Services Department, whose director served under the previous governor. Governor Palin followed the same protocol that past governors had followed. The one obvious difference, however, is that Governor Palin and her family spent less than her two predecessors. In fact, she spent over $913,000 less on personal expenses in her first two years than former Governor Frank Murkowski did his last two years.

"Amending" the reports was not done to hide anything. It was standard practice for Governor Palin’s security personnel to submit the initial trip requests with the basic details of the trip to the Administrative Services Department. Later, the rest of the trip details would be added by the Governor’s personal staff.

And, by the way, perhaps someone could tell us how to find a cheap and safe hotel in New York City. And does anyone think she took a 9 hour flight to the east coast and didn't do any other business. Riiight. Maybe we can ask Andree McLeod for the Governor's calendar for that day, seeing as how Andree wasted hundreds of hours of work time of state personnel for her FOIA requests of the Governor's emails, calendars, and, ah... we don't know... Piper's finger paintings.

The simple fact is that Governor Palin and her family spent significantly less than the prior two administrations despite having a much larger family. That is a fact. Clearly frugality was important to her.



On Governor Palin’s Interview with Vogue

AP "FACT": "Says she tried to talk about national security and energy independence in her interview with Vogue magazine but the interviewer wanted her to pivot from hydropower to high fashion.

THE FACTS are somewhat in dispute. Vogue contributing editor Rebecca Johnson said Palin did not go on about hydropower. ‘She just kept talking about drilling for oil.’"

THE TRUTH: Governor Palin wanted to talk about resource development. The Vogue contributing editor confirms this. Hydropower is one of many alternative sources of energy used in Alaska. "…hydropower to high fashion" is used as a turn of phrase. Are they really this obtuse?



On Governor Palin’s "Ambitions"

AP "FACT": "Few politicians own up to wanting high office for the power and prestige of it, and in this respect, Palin fits the conventional mold. But ‘Going Rogue’ has all the characteristics of a pre-campaign manifesto, the requisite autobiography of the future candidate."

THE TRUTH: We didn’t realize writing a book was a declaration of anything other than the desire to tell one’s story.



Oh yeah, and one more thing...

We got a tip from our very own reliable anonymous source. Apparently the McCain campaign racked up legal costs in Alaska and said repeatedly it would pay for them. When the bill was discussed and submitted, according to the campaign's wishes, it was turned down after the election and officials said the campaign would have paid if the campaign had won. Among the dollars - nearly $50,000 for vetting. Charming. Again, we ask you folks to consider this: When has the McCain staffers ever behaved honorably or honestly to this woman? Never.

Mark Steyn, with his sharp wit, weighed in on this stupidity by the AP as only he can:

Rogue's Eleven

If you wonder why American newspapering is dying, consider this sign-off:

AP writers Matt Apuzzo, Sharon Theimer, Tom Raum, Rita Beamish, Beth Fouhy, H. Josef Hebert, Justin D. Pritchard, Garance Burke, Dan Joling and Lewis Shaine contributed to this report.

Wow. That's ten "AP writers" plus Calvin Woodward, the AP writer whose twinkling pen honed the above contributions into the turgid sludge of the actual report. That's 11 writers for a 695-word report. What on? Obamacare? The Iranian nuke program? The upcoming trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed?

No, the Associated Press assigned 11 writers to "fact-check" Sarah Palin's new book, and in return the 11 fact-checkers triumphantly unearthed six errors. That's 1.8333333 writers for each error. What earth-shattering misstatements did they uncover for this impressive investment? Stand well back:

PALIN: Says she made frugality a point when traveling on state business as Alaska governor, asking "only" for reasonably priced rooms and not "often" going for the "high-end, robe-and-slippers" hotels.

THE FACTS: Although she usually opted for less-pricey hotels while governor, Palin and daughter Bristol stayed five days and four nights at the $707.29-per-night Essex House luxury hotel (robes and slippers come standard)...

That looks like AP paid 1.8333333 fact-checkers to agree with Mrs Palin: She says she didn't "often" go for "high-end" hotels; they say she "usually opted for less-pricey hotels". That's gonna make one must-see edition of "Point/Counterpoint".

Or is AP arguing "four nights" counts as "often"? Is that the point? AP assigned 11 reporters to demonstrate that four is a large number?

Over at Powerline, John Hinderaker and his vast team of researchers (17 Minneapolis-area Somali jihadists, 29 Acorn-accredited child-sex slaves, and 43 unemployed Columbia School of Journalism graduates) fact-check AP's fact-checkers.

Coming next:

PALIN: How many AP fact-checkers does it take to change a lightbulb?

FACT: Palin has gone seriously "rogue" in her facts here. AP fact-checkers are prevented per union regulations from changing lightbulbs.

AP writers Matt Apuzzo, Sharon Theimer, Tom Raum, Rita Beamish, Beth Fouhy, H. Josef Hebert, Justin D. Pritchard, Garance Burke, Dan Joling and Lewis Shaine contributed to this joke. We'll be here all week.

You know, the AP and the rest of the dishonest media, in the long run, are doing more to help Sarah Palin than they will ever understand. Recent polls show that Americans trust the media about the same as they trust lawyers and used car salesmen. People know they are being lied to. And now that more folks have access to the internet, and can do the own fact checking, the jig is up!

The more the media spreads lies about Sarah Palin, the more people world wide start looking into her actual record, her actual accomplishments, and her actual views. As this happens, her base of supports grow exponentially, just as the consumer’s trust of the old media collapses.

The left wing forgets that people can actually think for themselves and are not mind numbed robots.

By the way, our cover photo is an "improvement" of a cover that Newsweek Magazine is running this week, along with an accompanying hit piece, using a photo that was part of an issue of Runners World Magazine that contained an excellent interview with Sarah, more on Newsweak to come!

H/T Serr8D for the artwork.