Tom Foreman’s idea of “the facts:” If it weren’t for Digby’s post, we would have missed a remarkable document. We wouldn’t have seen Tom Foreman’s open letter to Obama.
Tom Foreman is a major, prime-time CNN correspondent—has been for years. As he penned his open letter, he showed us how simple-minded a person can be while holding such a high post:
FOREMAN (5/21/12): Dear Mr. President,Ignore the peculiar rudeness of Foreman’s address, in which he dismisses Obama as one of “you political types.” Put aside your own opinion of Booker’s remarks. (We thought his remarks were astounding.)
I think there is nothing that terrifies you political types so much as someone just blurting out the truth. Seriously, in this town that prizes “staying on message,” and “talking points,” it is hilarious to watch how upset everyone gets when someone unexpectedly lays out the facts.
Such is the case with Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who created a gasoline fire on the D.C. barbeque this weekend just because he told the truth. To recap: He took issue with your attacks on Mitt Romney over his actions while he was at Bain Capital, and he suggested Republicans are just as wrong to go after your distant past.
“This kind of stuff is nauseating to me on both sides...enough is enough,” the mayor said. He followed it up with some other comments along the lines of saying our elections ought to be about who can lead, who has the best ideas, etc....not about cheap character assassination.
So what precisely is wrong with that?
Put aside your own opinion of Booker’s remarks. Instead, focus on this astonishing fact: Foreman, a major TV newsman, seems to think that Booker’s remarks can be described as “the facts!” When Booker said that the Obama campaign’s remarks about Bain are “nauseating to me,” he was simply “blurting out the truth!” He was “laying out the facts!”
Truly, that is astounding. Whatever you think of Booker’s remarks, he was stating his opinion. To anyone over six years of age, he wasn’t stating a “fact.”
Many major pundits fell into line; they said they agreed with Booker's remarks. But who could possibly take the line that Booker was stating “the facts?”
Ahab gaped at the whiteness of the whale; we’re often amazed by the dumbness of cable. But you have to be really dumb to write what Foreman did.
Did we mention the fact that Foreman is one of CNN’s leading correspondents? On CNN, the dumbness of the whale is frequently blinding and vast.
Our view of Booker's nauseation: We think there is a great deal to critique concerning Romney's conduct at Bain Capital. We also think it's OK to discuss Reverend Wright, depending on what you might say.
Technically Bob Somerby is right; Booker was dealing with opinions rather than facts. Still, that's a bit of quibble IMHO.
ReplyDeleteThe Obama ads said that Romney's behavior at Bain was atrocious. Booker, in effect, disputed that allegation. And, Tom Foreman supported Booker's POV.
Romney says that he's going to run the country like a business. So his business record is fair game.
ReplyDelete