Friday, June 20, 2003

TBOGG spotted this one last night:

The right-wing Media Research Center is trying to create a phony scandal by pointing out that a woman in her seventies who appeared on CBS News in 2001 complaining about the high cost of osteoporosis drugs recently made a second TV appearance, on ABC News, and complained that her drugs for "hypertension and other health problems" were too expensive.

What's the scandal here? That someone who's not a politician, pundit, or paid PR flack has appeared on TV (gasp!) more than once?

Or maybe it's the fact that she specifically cited one ailment two years ago and another more recently. Imagine! A woman in her seventies who has more than one chronic medical condition! Have you ever in your life heard of such a thing?

It didn't take long for this phony scandal to make its way to cable TV -- here's right-wing pundit Joe Scarborough on MSNBC last night:

And how about those evening news broadcasts by Dan Rather and Peter Jennings? They’re so desperate to bash the Republican Medicare plan that they actually both interviewed the same woman as the poster victim for high drug costs. Some would say the last thing this country needs is more liberal media outlets.

That's how conservatives dominate every debate: When one comes up with a good cheap-shot soundbite, they all grab hold of it -- immediately -- and repeat it.

The frothers at Free Republic mince no words -- they call this woman a "liar," snicker at her health problems, and, for good measure, insult her appearance: "My, oh my, she's a lovely one too, isn't she? I'm sorry. I know she's possibly someone's mother (butchwaxed hair taken into account) and definitely someone's daughter, but she looks like a Hoo from The (original animated) Grinch Who Stole Christmas."

Charming people.

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