Did President Obama Call The Media Liars Last Night?

by Glynnis MacNicol | 9:02 am, September 10th, 2009

» 6 comments

obamacare_175841gm-a Overlooked in much of the post-speech, “You Lie!” chatter last night was the fact that President Obama also used the word “lie” in his address and not just to describe (smackdown!) Sarah Palin and her death-panel assertions. He also, rather boldly, called out the “bogus claims” of “radio and cable talk show hosts.”

Some of people’s concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. The best example is the claim made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but by prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Now, such a charge would be laughable if it weren’t so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple.

Had Rep. Joe Wilson not grabbed the “lie” meme so forcefully (he’s now the top trending topic on Twitter) one imagines we’d be hearing a lot more this morning about whether the President of the United States was accusing the media of being liars in front of a joint session of Congress. Or whether his promise (threat?) that “I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than to improve it” was a shot across the bows to a certain Glenn Beck, among others.

After the speech George Stephanopolous noted that, in addition to Wilson’s hecking, “I also can’t ever remember a President using the word ‘lie’ in a Joint Session or State of the Union speech.” It is strong language indeed — it is one thing for the President to complain about the press, it is another indeed for him to accuse them of reporting lies, in such a formal setting, no less. Considering the beating the Obama administration took this summer courtesy of much of the Town Hall coverage, and again this past week with the resignation of Van Jones at the hands of Beck, one wonders whether President Obama was also signaling to the cable newsers that he will no longer take this lying down.

barack obama, Cable News, fox news, George Stephano, Glenn Beck, Health Care Bill, Joe Wilson, Sarah Palin, twitter

ChrisNH

Does Obama somehow think (A) that just saying, ‘Stop it! Now!’ will cause his media critics to do just that? What a laughable premise. This will just invite more of it. And (B), is this so annoying to Obama that throwing presidential civility and decorum is a worthy casualty? In the end, Obama brought this on himself by campaigning as a centrist and leading as a radical Leftist. There’s no way to try that sort of slight-of-hand and not anger the 45% who didn’t want him in the first place.
TfT

Smackdown? Hardly. Here is part of Palin’s response — perhaps if you are going to address Palin in your story, you should at least link to her full response:

In fact, after promising to “make sure that no government bureaucrat …. gets between you and the health care you need,” the President repeated his call for an Independent Medicare Advisory Council — an unelected, largely unaccountable group of bureaucrats charged with containing Medicare costs. He did not disavow his own statement that such a group, working outside of “normal political channels,” should guide decisions regarding that “huge driver of cost … the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives….” He did not disavow the statements of his health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, and continuing to pay his salary with taxpayer dollars proves a commitment to his beliefs. The President can keep making unsupported assertions, but until he directly responds to the arguments I’ve made, I’m going to call him out too.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Anthony-De-Rosa/503357744 Anthony De Rosa

He has directly responded to the arguments you’ve made, you just don’t like the answers because they don’t support the fantasy premise you’ve developed, Mrs. Palin.
TfT

Oh yeah, and:

“with the resignation of Van Jones at the hands of Beck” is laughable. Of course, you attack the messenger rather that Van Jones. Truth be known, Van Jones resigned because of his own words, not those of Beck.
Common Sense

If obama doesn’t want to take it lying down anymore, then he should just bend over. Its coming obama and soon. Try this Saturday, 9-12. Beck, and thousands that you have pissed off, will be at your front door “calling you out”. Will you answer…….
SuperSmart

Common Sense, nice to see you’ve taken a username that is in direct contrast to something you apparently don’t posses.

Only Beck and Fox News (and the idiots who watch and support them) would dare to use the tragedy of September 11th to promote a political agenda.