TPM - Josh Zings the MSM - "Your Fault, Folks". Bravo, Josh!

[NRaleighLiberal]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/your-fault-folks

By JOSH MARSHALL Published MARCH 17, 2017, 10:15 AM EDT

As Allegra Kirkland notes here, the remaining defenders of President Trump's preposterous Obama wiretapping claim now find themselves out on a limb. But let's also note the media's responsibility for perpetuating this farce. Even today, I continue to hear that there is "as yet no evidence" for Trump's claims. This is not remotely the normal way anyone discusses things like this.

From day one Trump's claim was preposterous on its face, both for lack of evidence and for misstatement of anything the President has the power to do. When people make preposterous, evidence-less claims, we usually do and should call them nonsense and lies. As I noted a couple weeks ago, President Trump is - via his office - literally the owner of all possible evidence that something like this happened. If something like this is true, he can show us the evidence. He can show Congress the evidence.

Now we've gone to the ridiculous lengths of having actual congressional investigations. And the representatives of the President's party in Congress have said there is no evidence that this happened. They are of course hanging on this 'no evidence' locution to avoid the discomfort of calling their party's leader a liar. The press shouldn't share that loyalty.

In any other context, when we have a claim that it wildly improbable verging on impossible on its face, when no evidence is provided and when outside investigations say there is definitively no evidence whatsoever, we calls those claims lies. Or the rantings of an unhinged person if we want to grant some accommodation for mental incapacity. If someone says aliens landed in their backyard and has a similar lack of any evidence whatsoever, we call that person a liar or a crazy person. We say it's not true. Full stop.

SNIP - read on at the link above.

We need MORE of this type of reporting.

[lame54]

1. and in other news: Generalissimo Francisco Franco Is Still Dead

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. yup!

Look...squirrel!