This is Townhall's daily VIP feature, where we will focus coverage on the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation. We'll look to bring accountability to the mishaps, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in the mainstream media.
05.30.21
Pre-Written Field Reports – CNN
It is very easy to see the media preference in Washington in the overall approach to the concept of eliminating the filibuster. Instead of sitting back and reporting on the arguments, they have taken an active role. At what point do we declare it is becoming obsessive, the insistence that Senator Joe Manchin be constantly badgered over his stance regarding the filibuster? After pushing the issue on him two days earlier, CNN's Manu Raju reports that Manchin has been asked to clarify his position for about the 75th-dozenth time.
Manchin has been clear all week he won’t touch the filibuster even when the Jan. 6 bill goes down. From Tuesday: https://t.co/3Rn3nodbab
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 27, 2021
What gets revealing, though, is this pull quote from a Washington Post article, approaching with sympathy the plight of Democrats who see their overreaching agenda actually challenged in the Senate; "Democrats grapple with the enemy within: What to do about the filibuster rule that could kill their agenda."
"A Democratic Senate aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, said there is a misconception that Manchin and Sinema are mainly responsible for holding on to the filibuster. In reality, the aide said, there are at least 10 Democratic senators who disagree with key parts of the bills that Republicans are filibustering, but “they just don’t need to say anything crazy because Joe Manchin is out there taking all the arrows for them."
DNC PR Firm – THE INTERCEPT
It is rather easy to see here the imbalanced approach to the proposal to end the filibuster when Ryan Grim declares that the GOP invoking the filibuster can be called "authoritarian minority rule."
That stunted paradox aside, what is always exposed by these contemporary outrages is the selective history applied to the issue. Continued –
DNC PR Firm – POLITICO
Stein looked over some bills that had been stalled or derailed by the use of the filibuster.
- Jan. 6 commission: 54 votes
- DREAM Act: 55 votes
- Manchin-Toomey: 54 votes
- DISCLOSE Act: 59 votes
- Paycheck Fairness Act: 58 votes
Now, of course, he only notes those bills blocked by those dastardly Republicans. The cute part here was his use of "recently" to describe these instances. In order, here is when they encountered interference.
- Jan. 6 commission: 2021
- DREAM Act: 2010
- Manchin-Toomey: 2013
- DISCLOSE Act: 2010
- Paycheck Fairness Act: 2012
And, as always left out of ANY of these filibuster outrages, there is the small issue that just a few months ago, the filibuster was a completely acceptable tactic in the eyes of the press. Try to think of hearing about the abuse of power when the Democrats spent 2020 invoking the filibuster over 320 times to block any and all legislation in Congress.
Artisanal-Crafted Narratives – CNN
To say the press has been overly focused on Marjorie Taylor Greene and her supposed influence over the party is an understatement. Too bad that half of those polled on her do not even hold an opinion, and those who do see her mostly in the negative. But we are sold that she is the voice of the party.
It's no secret the press are uniquely obsessed with MTG.
— Brad Slager - Social Toper and Media Antagonist (@MartiniShark) May 30, 2021
In a poll from Five Thirty Eight about half of those polled had no opinion about the woman, and those who did see her as unfavorable. She is not the focus of voters journalists want her to be, in order to smear the GOP. https://t.co/dQS1T0HYUc pic.twitter.com/gSCIafMQfE
Body Checking The Fact Checkers – THE WASHINGTON POST
Extending the MTG derangement was WaPo's resident truth detector, Glenn Kessler, who resorted to revisionist history in order to score what he thought was a hit on the Georgia representative.
Kessler rushed to "disprove" that the Nazis were socialists, and this resulted in various people doing the hard work for Kessler and providing the fact-checker with facts. He was hit with both, quotes from Hitler himself, as well as a checklist of the Nazi program – you know, facts.
“ahistorical”
— Abby ?? (@abbywakef) May 29, 2021
Nazi is short for the National Socialist German Workers’ Party
Hitler’s 25 Point Program for the Nazi party is filled with socialist ideas. Being a fascist or a racist is not exclusive from being a socialist.https://t.co/3lF5yKvY9k… pic.twitter.com/ptGtQn6paN
