Let's just get one thing perfectly clear: Of course, the Biden Administration was (and probably still is) planning on distributing $30 million dollars worth of free crack pipes to criminal addicts.
By now, you've seen tweets or quick segments on cable news describing the policy known around town as "Hunter's Master Plan," but in case you haven't, here's the original reporting from the Washington Free Beacon:
The $30 million grant program, which closed applications Monday and will begin in May, will provide funds to nonprofits and local governments to help make drug use safer for addicts. Included in the grant, which is overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, are funds for "smoking kits/supplies." A spokesman for the agency told the Washington Free Beacon that these kits will provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and "any illicit substance."
HHS said the kits aim to reduce the risk of infection when smoking substances with glass pipes, which can lead to infections through cuts and sores. Applicants for the grants are prioritized if they treat a majority of "underserved communities," including African Americans and "LGBTQ+ persons," as established under President Joe Biden's executive order on "advancing racial equity."
Patrick Hauf's excellent post ends with these two noteworthy nuggets:
It is against federal law to distribute or sell drug paraphernalia unless authorized by the government.
President Biden's son Hunter is a longtime user of crack cocaine.
I mean... where's the lie?
The story spread like rumors of free meth distribution in the South Bronx, and the gaslighting began.
Here now, we present the anatomy of the gaslight...
First, let's "circle back" on an important part of Free Beacon's article. "A spokesman for the agency told the Washington Free Beacon that these kits will provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and 'any illicit substance.'"
Unless you're a member of the corrupt, corporate media, you know that this means Mr. Hauf contacted HHS, and a spokesperson explained the details of the so-called "safe smoking kit." This means that even if there are no crack pipes in the kits, this report stands up to the basics of DC journalism. The report is accurate in so far as the information provided by a spokesperson from a government agency is accurate.
OK... gaslighting step one: Snopes.
Snopes steps up and clarifies the story for everyone by "fact-checking" it. The fact-check consisted of Snopes confirming every detail of the Free Beacon report and then asserting that the crack pipe distribution was merely one part of a larger funding initiative (something the original Beacon report never contested or made any specific claim about).
Based on this extensive analysis, Snopes labeled the story an astonishing "Mostly False." (Snopes has since modified their categorization.)
It’s Mostly False because it’s completely true. pic.twitter.com/FRvqTUMfCJ
— Josiah Neeley ?? (@jneeley78) February 9, 2022
Bottom line: Snopes sucks.
The next step in the gaslighting of the crack pipe saga comes from HHS, naturally.
Imagine the screaming in the halls of the comms department when it was discovered that someone proudly revealed their plan to distribute crack pipes.
"You told them WHAT!??!??"
"Uh... I told them the truth....?"
"YOU TOLD THEM WHHHHAAAAAAATTTT!!!!??!???!????!???"
HHS called the Beacon report "blatant misinformation" without ever actually denying the facts in the report.
HHS seems to confirm @PatrickHauf and @FreeBeacon's reporting while also calling it "blatant misinformation" https://t.co/7C9fOuujBS pic.twitter.com/NiRKxTPawm
— Sam Dorman (@DormanInDc) February 8, 2022
For those of you who may be new at this, calling something "misinformation" is a way to sound like you're calling it a lie when you actually aren't calling it a lie. If you were calling it a lie, you'd say something like, "This is a lie." Or maybe something like, "This report is false." You know, words like that.
Instead, they used the word "misinformation," which, as far as I can tell, means, "This is true, but it makes me look bad, so I want everyone to stop reading it and talking about it."
Bottom line: Bureaucrats try to cover their asses by obfuscating. Also... Snopes sucks.
Grand finale of the gaslighting: Jen Psaki, White House Spin Master
At Wednesday's briefing, Psaki claimed that crack pipes were "never part" of the "safe smoking kits" they plan to distribute.
Jen Psaki claims that crack pipes "were never a part" of the Safe Smoking kits funded by the Biden admin. pic.twitter.com/DkHIjUkW5C
— MRCTV (@mrctv) February 9, 2022
No, to be clear, Psaki isn't really saying the Free Beacon report is inaccurate because they were merely reporting what the HHS comms department told them. So, in reality, Psaki is calling one of her colleagues in the Biden communications team an incompetent fool or a liar.
I report, you decide.
In fact, you can report, too. Just use your favorite search engine and search the term "safe smoking kit." These things have been around for a while. They've been distributing them in Marxist hell holes like San Francisco, Seattle and Canada.
That Canadian report is very thorough... even with instructions. Note that long, clear tube that comes in the kit. It's called a "stem." They refer to it in that CBC link. How to use the stem. How to let the stem cool down, etc.
Do you know what a "stem" is in the context of smoking crack? The kids call it a crack pipe.
Now we are asked to believe Jen Psaki that this "safe smoking kit," unlike all the other safe smoking kits that have been distributed by left-wing governments in North America, won't contain crack pipes because... well.... just because.
Bottom line: Puh-leez