Nov 05, 2010 11:54 PM GMT
On Thursday's "AC360," Anderson Cooper debunked the false story about the supposedly enormous price tag for President Obama's ten-day tour of Asia, and slammed conservative politicians and pundits for spreading the myth.
The notion that Obama's trip to India and other Asian countries will cost $200 million a day and will involve the deployment of 34 Navy ships sprang from a story published by the "Press Trust of India" on Tuesday. In that article, "a top official of the Maharashtra government privy to the arrangements for the high-profile visit" used the $200 million figure. There was no idea who this "top official"was, no name was given - it was an anonymous quote -- some reporter in India wrote this article with this figure in it, no proof was given, no follow-up reporting done.
The story spread throughout conservative circles, and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was even asked about it at Thursday's press briefing. Cooper played clips of pundits such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage harshly criticizing Obama for supposedly wasting taxpayer funds on his trip during a time of austerity.
He also replayed portions of an interview he held with Michele Bachmann on his Wednesday show, where she used the $200 million figure. "Now, you'd think if a member of Congress was going to use this figure as a fact, she would want to be pretty darn sure it was accurate, right?" Cooper said.
He pointed out that the entire war in Afghanistan costs $190 million a day, and so the notion that Obama's trip would cost more than that makes no sense. He also calculated that a similar trip that President Clinton had made to Africa in 1998 had only cost $5.2 million a day in 2010 dollars -- and that Obama's trip would be shorter than Clinton's.
Cooper then brought on Andrew Card, President Bush's former Chief of Staff, and Democratic strategist James Carville. While speaking to them, he further criticized Bachmann.
"Michele Bachmann used up our air time last night, rather than answering questions about Medicare...and she chose to spread a story which is blatantly false," he said. "And you're flogging the heck out of it and I think that's not very responsible, either," Card replied. "There are bigger issues to talk about."
By: Jack Mirkinson
** ** **
"This played out exactly as the Republican echo chamber wanted. They wanted to change the story and undermine Obama at one of his weaker moments and ahead of a trip that would have shown how popular he is around the world. So they created this nonsensical lie and had the Fox News & Talk Radio minions spread these absurd talking points. And of course by Anderson Cooper and others questioning it, they are at the same time keeping it going. And no one - as intended - is actually ever going to talk about what Obama may accomplish on the trip. Very good strategy by the GOP and evidence of why they are so masterful at illusion and deception of the American people.
And by the end Anderson says "you don't have to make stuff up" They don't do it because they have to. They do it because there is no risk in it. The people they talk to don't hold Republican's to any moral or ethical standard. They have undeserved unconditional loyalty from their people. That is why Bachmann and the others go so far over the exploitative top.
We're seeing the Republican plan to make Barack Obama a one term president: lies, lies, lies, lies, lies.....and more lies. They've no intent whatsoever to help the American people: never did. After all, they have all the money they need, and entire tv network, most of talk radio and internet minions like Matt Drudge to spread it online. "Shouldn't you check the facts first? asks Anderson naively. I can hear them laughing. What do facts have to do with what that great GOP thinker: George W., said about "catapulting the propaganda"?
Prepare yourselves to be deeply nauseated, for this is how its going to be all the way to 2012. God not bless, but help America!"
The notion that Obama's trip to India and other Asian countries will cost $200 million a day and will involve the deployment of 34 Navy ships sprang from a story published by the "Press Trust of India" on Tuesday. In that article, "a top official of the Maharashtra government privy to the arrangements for the high-profile visit" used the $200 million figure. There was no idea who this "top official"was, no name was given - it was an anonymous quote -- some reporter in India wrote this article with this figure in it, no proof was given, no follow-up reporting done.
The story spread throughout conservative circles, and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was even asked about it at Thursday's press briefing. Cooper played clips of pundits such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage harshly criticizing Obama for supposedly wasting taxpayer funds on his trip during a time of austerity.
He also replayed portions of an interview he held with Michele Bachmann on his Wednesday show, where she used the $200 million figure. "Now, you'd think if a member of Congress was going to use this figure as a fact, she would want to be pretty darn sure it was accurate, right?" Cooper said.
He pointed out that the entire war in Afghanistan costs $190 million a day, and so the notion that Obama's trip would cost more than that makes no sense. He also calculated that a similar trip that President Clinton had made to Africa in 1998 had only cost $5.2 million a day in 2010 dollars -- and that Obama's trip would be shorter than Clinton's.
Cooper then brought on Andrew Card, President Bush's former Chief of Staff, and Democratic strategist James Carville. While speaking to them, he further criticized Bachmann.
"Michele Bachmann used up our air time last night, rather than answering questions about Medicare...and she chose to spread a story which is blatantly false," he said. "And you're flogging the heck out of it and I think that's not very responsible, either," Card replied. "There are bigger issues to talk about."
By: Jack Mirkinson
** ** **
"This played out exactly as the Republican echo chamber wanted. They wanted to change the story and undermine Obama at one of his weaker moments and ahead of a trip that would have shown how popular he is around the world. So they created this nonsensical lie and had the Fox News & Talk Radio minions spread these absurd talking points. And of course by Anderson Cooper and others questioning it, they are at the same time keeping it going. And no one - as intended - is actually ever going to talk about what Obama may accomplish on the trip. Very good strategy by the GOP and evidence of why they are so masterful at illusion and deception of the American people.
And by the end Anderson says "you don't have to make stuff up" They don't do it because they have to. They do it because there is no risk in it. The people they talk to don't hold Republican's to any moral or ethical standard. They have undeserved unconditional loyalty from their people. That is why Bachmann and the others go so far over the exploitative top.
We're seeing the Republican plan to make Barack Obama a one term president: lies, lies, lies, lies, lies.....and more lies. They've no intent whatsoever to help the American people: never did. After all, they have all the money they need, and entire tv network, most of talk radio and internet minions like Matt Drudge to spread it online. "Shouldn't you check the facts first? asks Anderson naively. I can hear them laughing. What do facts have to do with what that great GOP thinker: George W., said about "catapulting the propaganda"?
Prepare yourselves to be deeply nauseated, for this is how its going to be all the way to 2012. God not bless, but help America!"
