The Arc of a Bogus Right Wing Outrage

The right wing blogs and media have devolved into pathetic shills, unconcerned about integrity
Wingnuts • Views: 29,943

It’s amazing how quickly these bogus outrages propagate in the right wing media and blogosphere these days: Timeline Of A Right-Wing Media Smear: Hoffa’s Call To Vote Became ‘A Call For Violence’.

Starting with Fox News’s doctored videos, the story quickly spread throughout the online wingnut community. And not a single one of these bloggers or pundits or “news sites” took any notice of the blatant, in-yer-face editing, or bothered to Google up an unedited video (which wasn’t hard), before enthusiastically parroting a completely false Fox News-induced right wing talking point.

Bad craziness, my friends.

Does anyone still remember when blogs were supposed to be about *cough* … fact-checking? Or are all of these bloggers now just devoted to blind, bovine shilling for bankrupt political ideologies?

Dana Loesch: Hoffa Issued A “Call Of Violence Against Americans.” Minutes after the doctored video of Hoffa’s speech aired on Fox News, CNN contributor and editor of Andrew Breitbart’s Big Journalism site Dana Loesch characterized Hoffa’s comments as “the call of violence against Americans by union thugs.” [Media Matters, 9/5/11]

Real Clear Politics Used Doctored Fox Video To Claim: “Hoffa Threatens GOP At Obama Event.” The website Real Clear Politics posted Fox’s doctored video of Hoffa’s comments with the headline: “Hoffa Threatens GOP At Obama Event: ‘Take These Son Of Bitches Out’.” [RealClearPolitics, 9/5/11]

Drudge Report Linked To Doctored Fox Video. The Drudge Report later added a link to its initial headline, which directed readers to the Real Clear Politics post that included Fox’s doctored video. [Drudge Report, 9/5/11]

Big Government Posted Altered Video, Criticized Obama. At 11:08 a.m. (presumably Pacific Time as Breitbart sites are based in Los Angeles), Big Government posted the edited Fox News video under the headline: “Obama Declares He’s ‘Proud’ of Hoffa — After Hoffa Declares ‘War’ on Tea Party ‘Sons-Of-Bitches’.” [Big Government, 9/5/11]

Big Journalism Posted Doctored Video, Claimed Hoffa “Threatens Tea Party.” At 11:09 a.m. PT, Big Journalism also posted the doctored Fox News video with the headline: “Union Boss Intros Obama in Detroit, Threatens Tea Party ‘Let’s Take These Sons of Bitches Out’.” [Big Journalism, 9/5/11]

Fox News then Showed Video Of Hoffa Urging People To Vote. At approximately 3 p.m. ET — after the edited Fox News video had been promoted by right-wing blogs — Fox News finally aired Hoffa’s comments urging people to vote. The full context verified what Henry had reported via Twitter hours earlier — that Hoffa was simply emphasizing the need to vote:

HOFFA: Everybody here’s got to vote. If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize, let’s take these son of a bitches out and give America back to America where we belong! Thank you very much! [Fox News, Fox Report, 9/5/11]

Hot Air Also Used Doctored Video Of Hoffa. Hot Air blogger Allahpundit posted the doctored Fox video of Hoffa’s speech and wrote that Hoffa was “threatening his political enemies while a union-stooge Democratic leader sits by and smiles.” [Hot Air, 9/5/11]

Gateway Pundit Used Doctored Hoffa Speech. Right-wing blogger Jim Hoft posted Fox News’ edited video and wrote: “Jimmy Hoffa took his attacks on the tea party to a whole new level today during his Labor Day speech.” [Gateway Pundit, 9/5/11]

The Five Doctored Speech And Said Hoffa “Essentially Declared War On The Tea Party.” At 5 p.m. ET — two hours after Fox News aired Hoffa’s full statement urging people to vote — Fox News’ The Five again broadcast a clearly edited video of Hoffa’s speech that did not include his comment that “everybody here’s got to vote.” Co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle said that Hoffa “essentially declared war on the Tea Party.” [Fox News, The Five, 9/5/11]

Fox’s Palin Called Hoffa’s Speech “Thuggery.” In a Facebook message posted at 2:50 a.m. on September 6, Fox News contributor Sarah Palin urged union members to not be “taken in by union bosses’ thuggery like Jim Hoffa represented yesterday.” [Facebook, 9/6/11]

Glenn Beck Claimed Hoffa Was “Inciting Violence” During Speech. Glenn Beck aired a doctored audio version of Hoffa’s speech but left out his call to vote out Republicans and forwarded the fabrication that Hoffa was “inciting violence” against conservatives. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 9/6/11]

RedState: Hoffa “All But Called For” Tea Party Leaders To Be Killed. Citing the doctored Fox News video posted by Real Clear Politics, a RedState blogger wrote that “on Labor Day, James Hoffa all but called for the leadership of The Tea Party Movement to take a nice, refreshing dirt nap in The Meadowlands End Zone.” [RedState, 9/6/11]

And at the bottom, as always, Rush Limbaugh.

Rush Limbaugh On Hoffa’s Speech: “That’s A Call For Violence, Folks.” After playing a doctored clip of Hoffa’s speech, Rush Limbaugh said: “That’s a declaration of war. I mean, that is a come on to violence. That’s a call for violence, folks. From Don Hoffa to Barack Obama.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 9/6/11]

Read the whole thing…

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Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT
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