Isn’t it delightful to see the press at odds with the White House again?
There’s no sarcasm or snark in that sentiment. All who love liberty should cherish a Fourth Estate looking for inconsistencies, half-truths, and any self-dealing. Muckrakers are a necessary part of good governance and while it’s a shame most of the media only does so when Republicans are in office, better to have them some of the time rather than never. Or is it?
If the establishment media decided to do the job of honest government accountability -- even if only part-time --that would be welcome sunlight. But if they continue being as Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds coined, "Democrat operatives with bylines", well then that changes the entire picture. A part-time press is of diminished value – but at least it’s something. On the other hand, full-time operatives that use news “reporting” to advance narrative are a blight on a free society.
One doesn’t have to go very far to see a classic example of this blight. Let’s take, for instance, the venerable Washington Post. Just how has the home of Woodward and Bernstein proceeded since the Trumps came to town?
So far they’ve done an excellent job of lying in support of their own narrative. Plain as day. And they use true facts to tell a lie.
Most readers are well aware that Betsy DeVos is the nominee for Secretary of Education. She is vehemently opposed by the Democrats because she wants to take power away from the teachers’ unions and put parents in charge of their kids’ education. Of all things, that, the left cannot abide. Neither the Democrats nor their proxies in the media can handle such an outrage. What to do? The press isn’t going to make up something with zero foundation such as “She supports Kim Jong-un” or the like. No, they will use the whiff of truth to whip up a lie in service of their narrative.
Case in point, I received this email from the Washington Post the day after Ms. DeVos testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
That one example cited -- that one takeaway for most of the recipients -- is a total fabrication.
It’s Fake News aka a lie.
This headline is designed to make you think, one -- that Betsy DeVos is so far past stupid, that she actually thinks guns should be in most schools because of potential grizzly bear attacks or, two -- she is such an unhinged gun nut that she will manufacture any argument, no matter how ridiculous, to keep from saying we should keep guns out of schools. Either one works in service to their narrative. The Washington Post makes DeVos look silly or unhinged or choose your unflattering adjective.
When these nominees are to testify on the Hill, typically they are brought/sent around to the various offices of the Congressmen for questions. There, they pretend to be nice to each other, and the nominee pretends to be impressed with the legislators’ bowling trophy or grandchildren. The Congressman get to make their pitch for how the nominee should do their job, what direction they should take the agency/department, and put in their two cents.
As Ms. DeVos was so presented, she met with Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi. Mr. Enzi you might imagine is less concerned about the problems of inner city schools as he represents the most rural state in the country. He and Mrs. DeVos spoke about the particular challenges of rural schools. Senator Enzi called them "frontier schools". We know of the meeting because, during the public hearing prefacing his questions, he talked about his meeting with DeVos and the issues he expressed to her.
You can see their interaction here:
Later when Connecticut’s Senator Chris Murphy decided to grandstand, he asked DeVos if she thinks guns have a place in schools. She responded that she considers it a state and local issue. In his follow up he pretended to be perplexed asking "You can’t say definitively today that guns shouldn’t be in schools?" Only then did she refer to the bear example. See for yourself; it’s only a minute:
Ms. Strauss at the Washington Post wouldn’t get many clicks or advance the narrative if she only said "Nominee says nothing particularly interesting, continues lifelong support for local school control." But take the truth and wrap it up in a lie, and mission accomplished.
Shame on you Ms. Strauss and your colleagues.
