ABC's "The Note" Embarrasses Itself on Behalf of Beltway Journalism

Doing its best to prop up the beyond soggy and now practically underwater Blago/Obama "scandal," The Note works feverishly to convince fellow journalists (news consumers are not the target audience here) that they didn't make fools of themselves hyping the non-story for weeks. That the released report showing Obama's team did nothing wrong simply vindicates the media's hyperventilating coverage.

The key takeaways from The Note's perspective seem to be that the press should feel good about its misleading work, and that the Obama team could have avoided the whole mess if it had simply confessed its sins. And oh yeah, this manufactured story's not over! It's going to "linger." (Sorta like Whitewater?)

In other words, The Note's Rick Klein knowingly concocts fiction and refuses to come clean about The Village's utterly shameful Blago coverage.

And we don't use the word "concocts" lightly. Read this passage [emphasis added]:

To the extent that there's news in the report, it exists in part because Obama and company worked so hard before to convince the public that this president-elect would never be involved in something as parochial and tawdry as playing a role in choosing the next junior senator from Illinois.

Anyone see the irony? Klein claims Obama's message to voters was that he'd never be involved in something like Blago's dirty scheme and that's why this story remains "news." But guess what? Obama isn't involved in Blago's dirty scheme, yet the press claims this is news.

As we've noted before, when it wants to, the press can tell any story it wants.

Crossposted at County Fair, a Media Matters for America blog.

Comments

[wendynyc]

We all know Charlie Gibson and George Stephanapolous and all their incongruous activities.

No wonder they lag behind in ratings.

[roshni]

I have been boycotting ABC for a long time now and am sick and tired of its yellow journalism.

[lisakaz2]

What "sins" does it need confess? And what about the "sins" of the outgoing criminals? Why is there no whiff of scandal there; that SHOULD be a scandal.

[murphysgirl]

The Note is one of the worst blogs ever. ABC should be ashamed of themselves.

[mjc]

Is there any question that what a lot of "investigative reporters" were looking for was some sort of onus on Barack Obama and his connection with the slimy politics of Chicago? The Note, of course, could not be considered an investigative journalistic endeavor but then that sort of hung out there....waiting for validation.

[rich misty]

Part of the long standing plan to demonize, criminalize, and then blame Democrats for the GOP ideology that has blanketed America and brought on it's demise.

[flash LI]

Part of the long standing plan to demonize, criminalize, and then blame Republicans for the Dem's ideology that has blanketed America and brought on so much debt.

[lisakaz2]

So Booo$hiee isn't responsible for the mountains of debt during the past 8 yrs? Is this another but-but-but Clinton pt. Or now is it Clinton and Obama's fault that we have a ruined economy and have spent billions in a meaningless "war" for oil?

[roshni]

Nice try - the voters didn't buy it and no one buys it now.

[Gdebs]

David Schuster is doing the same thing on MSNBC.

[vjoseph]

Yeah, he is relentless in making b s out of nothing

[jade7243]

Not just Shuster, but EVERYONE dayside on MSNBC is doing the same thing. I wrote to Mark Whitaker -- DC Bureau chief and head of overall political coverage (Chuck Todd reports to him) to complain.

I' doubt it will do much good, as once the media drafts a storyline, they stick with it until they look like fools for doing so, then claim they were not doing that in the first place.

[TheGreatPumpkin]

Yeah- most of the talking heads on MSNBC are doing the same thing. The really amusing thing is that they are laying it all at the feet of the Obama transition team. They say things like, Well, if PE Obama's team had just come out weeks ago and said - of course we had contact with Blago, it's normal- then this would have been a non-story. To which I say: BALONEY! They (MSM) then would have spent weeks trying to prove that the contact the transition team did have was "dirty" and they would have wondered why they weren't giving them verbatim quotes from those conversations- must be something devious and underhanded here.

I finally got sick of it all and quit watching. These guys seriously need to start reporting news and stop yelling FIRE FIRE all the time, then attempting to light green, wet wood in order to get one started.

[lisakaz2]

Apparently the PE was supposed to defy Fitgerald for the msm's convenience, except that the msm would whine if he did so that Fitzgerald was unhappy.

Strange that they don't complain that Blago's impeachment has been delayed by Fitgerald's request, tho, huh?

Call it the Obama rules: whatever he does, they will whine about him because they really wanted more Mcsamey lapdog coverage.

[alumcreek]

Stop demanding truth from the media. It is so boring to tell the truth. A nice lie or fantasy is ever so much more exciting and controversial. Just let the media acknowledge in advance of each story that truth may on occasion be found in one of their reports but it is not a necessary ingredient and is only included when absolutely unavoidable.

[gageeandbaba]

they make me sick.

[soylentgreenleftovers]

"The Note" is an intelligence-free, canard-laden cesspool. The departure of the fact-challenged Mark Halperin has done nothing to diminish its foul mission.

[LizM]

And, as many of us here have noted before...there will be plenty of people who buy into their false stories - hook, line and sinker. The media count on these people to survive...and survive they will...if you know what I mean and I'm sure that you do.

Have a wonderful holiday and stay away from the 'news'!