Not Surprising: Media Reports Based on Assumptions, Not Facts

Meredith Jessup | August 05, 2009 4:55 PM

It seems the media has at least temporarily given up on its relentless (and futile) efforts to crown Rush Limbaugh the head of the Republican Party. Despite the media/Democrats' attempts, the public haven't been biting on that bait. But in recent days, they've zeroed in on a new target: Bob MacGuffie.

Wait, who?

Yeah, that was my reaction too. MacGuffie is apparently the co-founder of Right Principles. Who? Again, never heard of 'em. Right Principles is the organization on whose letterhead MacGuffie authored an "action memo" that described how Fairfield County Connecticut residents "pack the hall" for local town hall meetings with vocal opposition to make elected representatives uncomfortable.

What? Apparently there is a little memo floating around out there from Mr. MacGuffie which the White House and congressional Democrats are using to explain the "manufactured anger" taking place in town hall meetings across the country. Democrats now charge that conservatives and other fed-up citizens attending town halls across the country MUST be following MacGuffie's strategy. The media can't imagine so many people would actually disagree with President Obama--there must be a conspiracy!

With MacGuffie's memo (originally uncovered by leftist ogranization

Think Progress) as their hard evidence, the media are relentlessly reporting widespread conservative corruption without any acknowledgment that MacGuffie's group is likely nothing more than his own close friends and relatives.

Networks and newspapers covering MacGuffie's memo and linking it to organized protests include: ABC News, the Washington Post, CNN, the New York Times and CBS. Media Matters even spruces up the coverage by referencing "Robert" MacGuffie's role and goes on to scold Fox News' Bret Bair for NOT declaring town hall "mobs" as staged rage based on MacGuffie's memo.