Media Misses the Mark on Obama Again...

[AZGrizFan]

This is a story about the swingset purchased for the President's two girls. The reporter swung and completely missed about the point of the story. Instead of focusing on the ridiculous lengths the Obamas went to obtain a fcuking swingset, they focus on a non-story about a child-safety issue from 5 years ago.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/story? ... 133&page=1

The reporter's slant:

So the Obamas' new swing set is drawing attention to child safety, as parents nationwide consider purchases for their children.

Despite the owner's claim that:

problems with Rainbow's swing seats were fixed long before the Obamas made their purchase.

Buried at the end of the story is the REAL story, the fact that the Obamas wasted thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars to have their "Chief Usher" (whatever the hell THAT is) GO TO THE FACTORY!

The White House's chief usher flew out to the Brookings, S.D., swing set factory, per the first lady's instructions, to test out and help design a set for Malia and Sasha, Foster said.

"He [the chief usher] said he did his research first on the Internet and narrowed it down to three or four companies," Foster said.

It's like it's monopoly money to these people.

[slycat]

I agree they missed the point of the story but everyone does research before they make a purchase. Does it say anywhere they used taxpayer money to take the trip or is that just assumed.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

the white house, especially for kids, can be a really fancy cell to have to live in. they don't get to wander down to the park like normal kids.

the chief usher's job is in essence to be a fixer and personal assistant to the President and his family. to help the first family be more comfortable in the white house... which can be like living in a museum and lacking some of the comforts of your old house.

there is a budget for running the white house... and it's one of those things i'm happy to pay for. the white house is designed to be a gigantic home court advantage when dealing with foreign heads of state... not a gulag where the peoples business is carried out with spartan efficiency (it was for a time under carter, but reagan the fiscal conservative reinstated many of the expenditures to make it more 'presidential' and he was right to).

the white house serves multiple functions in addition to that. it's a museum, and large office building, and oh yeah... a residence. as for the amount of effort that went in to finding a swingset for the Presidents daughters... it makes sense. If I were a swingset manufacturer... I would insist on the chief usher coming to my factory - i would do everything possible to make sure my highest profile of clients was satisfied... and then i'd run off and change all of my marketing materials -

[mass fan]

This is a story about the swingset purchased for the President's two girls. The reporter swung and completely missed about the point of the story. Instead of focusing on the ridiculous lengths the Obamas went to obtain a fcuking swingset, they focus on a non-story about a child-safety issue from 5 years ago.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/story? ... 133&page=1

The reporter's slant:

So the Obamas' new swing set is drawing attention to child safety, as parents nationwide consider purchases for their children.

Despite the owner's claim that:

problems with Rainbow's swing seats were fixed long before the Obamas made their purchase.

Oh she's real proud to be an American now, spending our money like we got it.
Buried at the end of the story is the REAL story, the fact that the Obamas wasted thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars to have their "Chief Usher" (whatever the hell THAT is) GO TO THE FACTORY!

The White House's chief usher flew out to the Brookings, S.D., swing set factory, per the first lady's instructions, to test out and help design a set for Malia and Sasha, Foster said.

"He [the chief usher] said he did his research first on the Internet and narrowed it down to three or four companies," Foster said.

It's like it's monopoly money to these people.

[AZGrizFan]

I guess when you think about the $100 million they spent on the inauguration, what's another couple thousand on a swingset, huh?

[travelinman67]

ABC has become the Dem incompetence cockblock media service. What the Dems can't or won't due for fear of being labeled as vicious, ignorant or unethical, ABC does with zeal. Their unbefore seen witch hunts of Republicans in the last election cycle appalled many journalists. It was routine for ABC to deploy investigative "teams" to gather every bit of dirt they could on Republican operatives, often "mobilizing" in communites where the operatives lived or grew up, interviewing everyone who had ever seen or had contact with their "target" then producing character assasination pieces broadcast throughout the ABC networks as "matter of fact" background info.

ABC is no more a "news" network or "journalistic" enterprise than DU.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

oddly enough... abc did the same thing to dems for about 5 years in the first half of the decade.

it was wrong in both cases. operatives aren't on the ballot and i think it's shit that somehow they become the story (worse still is when the operatives seek it out)

[AZGrizFan]

oddly enough... abc did the same thing to dems for about 5 years in the first half of the decade.

it was wrong in both cases. operatives aren't on the ballot and i think it's shit that somehow they become the story (worse still is when the operatives seek it out)

It's stories like this that make my journalist wife cringe....the story was so obvious...yet they dredge up some non-story. Hacks.

[travelinman67]

Case in point. Reporting on former Bush advisers.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsoci ... onmen.html