That Story You Knew Was Bullshit? Yeah, It Was Bullshit.

[babylonsister]

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/05/story-you-knew-was-bullshit-yeah-it-was-bullshit


That Story You Knew Was Bullshit? Yeah, It Was Bullshit.

—By Kevin Drum
| Fri May. 31, 2013 9:25 AM PDT


If you have a life, you may have missed Wednesday's blockbuster Daily Caller story about IRS commissioner Doug Shulman's 157 visits to the Obama White House. The number of White House visits over the past four years, the Caller reported breathlessly, "strongly suggests coordination by White House officials in the campaign against the president’s political opponents."

You may have noticed that I didn't bother blogging about this in real time. I was too busy trying to decide whether to slit my wrists or jump off a tall building, so I didn't have time. The story was obvious bullshit, of the kind the Caller specializes in, but who's got the time to figure out exactly how and why it's bullshit? And who was going to volunteer to spend a day of their lives they'd never get back debunking it?

Well, the answer turns out to be Garance Franke-Ruta. And the explanation for all those entries in the White House log, roughly speaking, is (a) the fact that Shulman was cleared for a meeting doesn't mean he actually attended a meeting, (b) nearly all of Shulman's meetings were related to a biweekly group working on healthcare reform, and (c) virtually all of the meetings took place in buildings other than the White House.

Is it worth clicking the link and reading the details? On the one hand, no, of course not. Are you serious? On the other hand, Franke-Ruta deserves to have her heroic efforts get some love. It's your call.

I am, needless to say, using this word in its technically correct sense. But you knew that already, didn't you?

[Tx4obama]

1. K&R :) n/t

[Cha]

2. Another day another load of Bullshit. Here's to those

who call them on it.

thanks babylonsistah

[mimi85]

23. Agreed

The next round is on me!

[VanillaRhapsody]

29. apparently there is an unlimited supply of Bullshit on the Right

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

45. So very true!

[ProSense]

3. It's all bullshit. n/t

[babylonsister]

11. Dammit, I want links!

And yes it is, but I so enjoy when that's pointed out.

[ProSense]

13. .

[PotatoChip]

47. There seems to be a lot of that flying around as of late.

And as the article points out, it's becoming more and more difficult to keep up w/all the BS debunking that needs to be done.

Sigh.

[sheshe2]

4. K&R

They just love flinging the shit!

[arely staircase]

5. I never even saw the story

just the meme popping up in comment sections of stories on things like the ricin-sending gun nut who were claiming the story (the ricin one) was some sort of false flag meant to distract us from the IRS story.

[hootinholler]

6. There have been so many

But I missed this one.

[Major Hogwash]

7. "And I would have gotten away with it, too, . . if it weren't for them darn kids."

Rut-roh!

Who the he-double-hockey-sticks is the Daily Caller, Peggy Noonan??

[babylonsister]

12. bowtie boy aka Tucker Carlson; it's a doozie

in the worst sense.

[Major Hogwash]

14. Well, if Tucker the Fucker were adhering to the "truth in advertising" laws, he should rename . .

. . his site.

He should call it "The Daily Scoop of Poop."

Because he has always been full of shiiitte!

[babylonsister]

17. Hahaha! Tweet him; I'm sure he'll be amenable!

[GeoWilliam750]

18. More like "The Wank Tank"

[Grassy Knoll]

21. I've always called it "The Daily Crapper" n/t

[Initech]

22. The Shit Hole

[spanone]

8. the right has decided that lying is their greatest strength

[Whisp]

9. I missed this. How many here on DU were screaming and believing that bullshit

again?

[freshwest]

28. Yes, it was a breathless week, wasn't it? Pant, pant! Twisted knickers forever.

[Botany]

41. So not impressed

But don't worry "they" are working on fresh scandals to try to pin on Obama and not
the work that American people need done.

[Major Nikon]

10. Republicans spent $100 million investigating the Clintons and produced no indictments for either

The best they could come up with was a blowjob. Getting mileage out of bullshit is what they do.

[Major Hogwash]

16. And tied up 600 FBI agents for over 2 years spending those American tax dollars of ours.

Dan Burton hasn't shot any cantaloupes lately either.

[Botany]

42. Please only 7 years and 77 million $s on the great B.J. hunt

n/t

[Major Nikon]

43. Clinton himself said it was $100 million

CLINTON: Because we had $100 million spent against us and all these inspections.

http://mediamatters.org/research/2004/11/23/exchange-between-clinton-jennings-on-scandals-a/132335

[DCKit]

50. I worked on the case.. over $500 million.

None of us has any idea of the resources they threw into that.

[kimbutgar]

15. I saw this headline on yahoo news yesterday

I was waiting for it to get big and it disappeared. Usually yahoo keeps these stories on the front page. Tucker couldn't get the traction on his bogus story. But owrongily covered it briefly last night.

[GeoWilliam750]

19. One must remember

For the right wing, there is NO downside to spreading lies.

[JDPriestly]

20. For the patient:

26 USC § 501 - Exemption from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.

. . .
(a) Exemption from taxation
An organization described in subsection (c) or (d) orsection 401 (a) shall be exempt from taxation under this subtitle unless such exemption is denied under section 502 or 503.
(b) Tax on unrelated business income and certain other activities
An organization exempt from taxation under subsection (a) shall be subject to tax to the extent provided in parts II, III, and VI of this subchapter, but (notwithstanding parts II, III, and VI of this subchapter) shall be considered an organization exempt from income taxes for the purpose of any law which refers to organizations exempt from income taxes.
(c) List of exempt organizations
The following organizations are referred to in subsection (a):
. . .
(4)
(A) Civic leagues or organizations not organized for profit but operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare, or local associations of employees, the membership of which is limited to the employees of a designated person or persons in a particular municipality, and the net earnings of which are devoted exclusively to charitable, educational, or recreational purposes.
(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an entity unless no part of the net earnings of such entity inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/501

Do you think that the Taxed Enough Already Party organizations should be exempt under this provision?

Are the Tea Party groups "Civic leagues or organizations not organized for profit but operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare"?

Maybe. It would depend, wouldn't it?

[Jim Lane]

24. Thanks! I've added this to Shulman's bio on Wikipedia.

Somebody had already put in the Daily Caller story, although sourcing it to the CNN story that picked it up and incorrectly stating as fact that Shulman had attended 157 meetings (even though CNN didn't go that far). I corrected the statements and added information from the debunking report cited by Mother Jones.

It's the last paragraph of this section.

[babylonsister]

25. You, I love! Keeping it real!

[Mnemosyne]

26. And they never even blinked when that prostitute Gannon visited dumya every other freaking night. nt

[DCKit]

32. W had a leak he needed plugged. nt

[Lochloosa]

33. TMI!!!!!!!!

[Mnemosyne]

39. Score!

[drm604]

27. Unfortunately the lie will continue to spread

and the truth will have trouble keeping up. I wish it weren't so.

[TxDemChem]

30. I can't remember if I was on media matters or TPM

But an article said he was invited for 40 meetings for the ACA and another 80 for some other Purpose that had nothing to do with the Tea Bag "scandal" AND was only conformed for 11 visits. Interesting read.

[DCKit]

31. Babs, you always find the bestest shit. nt

[The Wizard]

34. Upper class twit,Tucker Carlson,

emptying his Depend diaper on his blog happens every day. I'm surprised James Carville never slapped him when they were on Crossfire.

[YeahSureRight]

35. Of course it is BS just like the IRS and Bengazi BS

Those paying attention know it is all BS but we are the minority the MAJORITY will think the BS is 100% true no matter what proof is provided to debunk the BS.

The damage is done.

The ONLY reason the RW can even get away with this BS is because our party leaders buy into how the RW frames every single issue, almost as if they even believe it as the truth.

The party needs to learn how to fight back and that is something the Democratic Party does not know how to do.

[TNNurse]

36. Ignorance

They count on their listeners and readers not taking time to think....it works for them.

[babylonsister]

37. Ironically, anything

spewing from the Daily Caller I'm highly skeptical of b/c of the source and their 'motives'. Welcome to DU, TNNurse!

[mountain grammy]

38. I've always thought of the Daily Caller as the right wing's Onion without the humor.

[hue]

40. K&R!! Nice one Sis!!

[oxymoron]

44. K&R (nt)

[Scurrilous]

46. K & R

[Archae]

48. Don't forget this is the same publication...

That *STILL* will not admit they ran with a bogus story about a congressman and hookers in the Dominican Republic.