Whoa?!? You mean Breitbart was dumb enough to believe that an obvious joke was somehow true? Imagine my surprise!?!?! You mean the FauxNews echo-chamber picked up the joke and ran with it? Imagine my surprise!?!?!
You mean there WAS no "Friends of Hamas" that Hagel had spoken to? Imagine my surprise!?!?!
Friedman also put the question into email form, presumably thinking his joke would not be taken seriously. He was in for a surprise.
The following day, an article appeared on the conservative website Breitbart.com
with the headline, "SECRET HAGEL DONOR?: WHITE HOUSE SPOX DUCKS QUESTION ON 'FRIENDS OF HAMAS.'" Conservative pundits, including Mike Huckabee, and other websites
also addressed the rumor. It even came up during a Fox Business segment
with host Lou Dobbs. Other outlets published
articles questioning
if the group "Friends of Hamas" even existed
. Friedman wrote:
I am, it seems, the creator of the Friends of Hamas myth. Doing my job, I erred in counting on confidentiality and the understanding that my example was farcical — and by assuming no one would print an unchecked rumor. If anyone didn’t know already: Partisan agendas, Internet reporting and old-fashioned carelessness can move complete crocks fast. If you see a story on Hagel addressing the Junior League of Hezbollah, that’s fake too.
You mean to tell me that the whole Rightie-machine genned-up over a joke that they were too dumb to 'get'?!?!
On November 14, 2012, Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wrote to Elizabeth King, the Pentagon’s congressional liaison, with a an unusually credulous query. “I am writing on behalf of a constituent who has contacted me regarding Guantanamo Bay prisoners receiving Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits,” McConnell wrote in a letter acquired by Danger Room. “I would appreciate your review and response to my constituent’s concerns.”
Um, Guantanamo detainees getting GI Bill benefits? Yes, that’s from the Duffel Blog, as McConnell’s constituent clearly states, complete with the reference URL. Said constituent even notes that he or she can’t find any information about the alleged government payouts to suspected insurgents and terrorists.
Whoa?!?! You mean McConnell was dumb enough to believe that an obvious joke in "The Duffel Blog" was somehow true?!?! Imagine my surprise?!?!
[Hint: This is not the first time McConnell was dumb enough to fall for an "Onion" spoof...]
Counterpoint: Iran does support the Hagel nomination. He will do just what Iran wants, strip down the military, decrease new technology purchares, reduce US presence in the Persian Gulf.
(I actually support a drawdown of US forces in the Middle East, but Hagel really does.)
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Perhaps Iran supports Hagel because they know that he is not a sock puppet of AIPAC. There is nothing wrong with hoping for fair negotiations, which is what Hagel will supply.
chickaree wrote: Perhaps Iran supports Hagel because they know that he is not a sock puppet of AIPAC. There is nothing wrong with hoping for fair negotiations, which is what Hagel will supply.
chickaree wrote: Perhaps Iran supports Hagel because they know that he is not a sock puppet of AIPAC. There is nothing wrong with hoping for fair negotiations, which is what Hagel will supply.
Or Hagel is just naive enough to believe what the Iranians tell us. What truths have we heard from the Iranians in the last decade or two? We can strive for world peace forever, but we eventuallly have to admit that some countries are not on board with that goal.
The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
Wow... As expected, and in spite of the GOTP's ability to prove how stupid they are, (by pouncing on yet another joke and trying to use it as hit-material), the Hagel nomination is finally past the unnecessary, irrelevant, and waste-of-time, and will be confirmed.
Another great show of partisan stupidity, guys! Yay! :thumbsup:
(Although it IS a shame that we didn't get more info on the "Junior League of Hezbollah"...)
