White House Press Secretary Jay Carney had apparently been confronted with enough inquiries about the still-nonexistent Obama Library parking lot that he took his response to Twitter yesterday: "Stand down."
What was he referring to? As it turns out, a Washington Times website ran a piece by Republican activist arguing that Ronald Reagan's childhood home "could become a parking lot" for President Obama's future library. From there, it went to Newsmax, then Fox Nation, before reaching "Fox & Friends" this morning.
Is there anything to this? Of course not.
The "childhood home" is an apartment Reagan lived in for less than a year as a young child, and its planned demolition is part of an expansion by the University of Chicago that has nothing to do with President Obama's presidential library.
Nearly a decade ago, the University of Chicago purchased an old apartment building so the property could be used as a parking lot for its medical school. The Commission on Chicago Landmarks considered appeals to preserve the building -- Reagan lived in an apartment for less than a year when he was four -- but concluded that the site "is not associated with Mr. Reagan during his active and productive years."
So, the building will be torn down and the University of Chicago Medical Center will have more parking. Why is this politically interesting? It's not. What does it have to do with Obama? Nothing.
But to hear some on the right tell it, Obama taught at the school, and First Lady Michelle Obama was on the university board, so maybe the president's library will be on campus, and maybe the library will use this new parking lot.
Which would be outrageous. Or something.
Ben Dimiero explained this morning, "While easily dismissed, the story serves as an illustrative example of the way the conservative echo chamber can twist facts and turn baseless speculation into their controversy du jour."
Something to keep in mind when your angry uncle who watches Fox News sends you an all-caps email about this later.
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From there, it went to Newsmax, then Fox Nation, before reaching "Fox & Friends" this morning.
The chain of DNA for Viral stupid
You can bet your bottom dollar that this lie about "Reagan's Childhood Home" will be going around for a long time, particularly in emails. The lie about Madalyn Murray O'Hair supposedly petitioning the FCC to ban religious programming continued, in one form or another, even after O'Hair was dead. Even the local MCC got in on the act.
Or how about :Acorn stole the election DONCHAKNOW years after it ceased to exist
Wonder if the CDC considers Airborne Viral Stupidity (AVS) a pathogen...
I think it has been linked with outbreaks of "Romnesia".
I want the DC airport renamed. Anybody got suggestions?
Well, since its code is DCA, how about Damn Crappy Airport?
Oh, no, I forgot - all airports are pretty much "crappy"!
"While easily dismissed, the story serves as an illustrative example of the way the conservative echo chamber can twist facts and turn baseless speculation into their controversy du jour."
They really do live in an alternative universe. One where Homo Sap, the biped lacking frontal lobes and opposable thumbs, is the dominant species.
Margaret.
After the "Iron (headed) Lady"?!?! I don't think so.
And thence to a post on a liberal blog by Shooter.
"While easily dismissed, the story serves as an illustrative example of the way the conservative echo chamber can twist facts and turn baseless speculation into their controversy du jour."
While easily dismissed by those in the real world, the conservative echo chamber needs to target President Obama for every terrible thing in conserve-a-land - except reality & the truth......
But it is Obamacare money that is being used for the expansion!
It is always Obama's fault!
This sounds like a job for Arson Man!
Freaking amazing!
I bet there are enough spent shell caseings lying around chicago to build obummers library......
Such inane sarcasm!
Your time would be better spent taking a course in remedial spelling.
When I was a kid, one of my friends lived over the Reagan's house. We used to hit snails with a pitching wedge or nine iron into their backyard. Alot of people are jealous I took up golf so young...
Fox News's Library will found in an old style phone booth, the yellow pages used for Fox's journalism, annotated with good time phone numbers.
I can't wait for the Republicans appeal to the Pope for Reagan's canonization.
What can one expect from Fox? Their ratings are plummeting. Whats next?
FOX pulls more viewers than MSLSD every will.
Go look at the numbers.
A troll again demonstrates a lack of reading comprehension...
And he still has that spelling problem...
Growing up, my best friend's (and next door neighbor) father was the college roommate of Ronald Reagan until Reagan flunked out of Eureka College. I guess that he believed in the old adage of "If you have nothing nice to say about someone, remain silent" as he never spoke of him.
While I was in early high school, I had the occasion to meet Saint Ronald in person at my neighbor's home. Obviously, the driveway to this home (where I was introduced to the sainted one) should become a national monument. Even though this was prior to Reagan running for an elected political office and he happened to be in Central Illinois for something or other that 'B' movie actors did at the time.
Well, we have another troll here who goes right for the verbal vomit.
Raul probably yells at kittens.
Oh, we did attack the liar, but you already know that.
The Pee Wee Herman defense is always popular among those on the right.
The Reagan acolytes are just jealous that Reagan's library wasn't built there...They consider the entire state of Illinois a shrine to St. Ronnie...the fact that the family picked California, that librul bastion of socialism, for the Presidential library just frosts their collective a$$e$. And for BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA to call Illinois HOME...well OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD!!!
Growing up, my best friend's (and next door neighbor) was the college roommate of Ronald Reagan until Reagan flunked out of Eureka College. I guess that he believed in the old adage of "If you have nothing nice to say about someone, remain silent" as he never spoke of him.
While I was in early high school, I had the occasion to meet Saint Ronald in person at my neighbor's home. Obviously, the driveway to this home (where I was introduced to the sainted one) should become a national monument. Even though this was prior to Reagan running for an elected political office and he happened to be in Central Illinois for something or other that 'B' movie actors did at the time.
I re-routed my crazy uncle's missives to a small hut in the Brazilian rainforest.
Nobody's complained, yet. There's not much going on there.
Is your crazy uncle's given name "Raul"? ;-)
Such an insignificant story made into an urgent call of calamity! Yes, those of us who choose to be stupid have many reinforcing factors to help us along:
Washington Times
Newsmax
Fox Nation
and what has become, since the 2012 elections, the yellow cry baby couch over there at "Fox & Friends"!
Boy all those convenient venues to be as stupid as we want to be! -Kevo
So another bizarre concoction by the fringe right wing propaganda machine that is propped up by Fox News and easily picked up and disseminated as fact by the mainstream press. I can't tell you how many stories in the local paper or other non-GOP affiliated outlets were generated by this lie. So how does the Tea Party crowd get away with labeling the media as "liberal"? The double standard when it comes to partisan sourcing for news is incredible./ Every story on climate change MUST have a dissenting view from a hack on the oil industry payroll, but something like this gets spread around as the gospel? - progressive
We have a populace who thinks what Lindsay Lohan or anything anyone named Kardashian does is "news". Is it any wonder that these same people like a station that peddles fantasy and drama and renames it "news"?
It IS news worthy .... to Honey Boo Boo watchers.
Honey Boo Boo watchers? Oh! you mean the Republican electorate!
If one REALLY cares about this apartment, how about complaining about the University of Chicago Medical Center--which is actually knocking the building down--rather than Obama, who has absolutely nothing to do with the affair? But of course, UCMC is a wealthy corporation that enjoys beating up peaceful protesters, so I guess they're off limits. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/u-of-c-trauma-center-prot_n_2566569.html
Of course, not only will this myth be circulated for decades as proof of the evilness of the 'Liberal Conspiracy,' it will also be trotted out as an example of how righteous indignation and militancy (send money to---) defeated another heinous liberal plot.
One must consider the RW mindset when considering anything that once had RR's fingerprint. It is now, and always will be, sacred! This apartment house is Hallowed, and therefore, the land on which it stands is Hallowed ground.
The conservatives are running low on electoral tricks and the American people are feeling braver then in a long time. This is an attempt to tie the demolition of Hallowed ground to the Obama asministration to curse the administration. They are obviously all-consumed by 2016!
Except, of course, such inconvenient examples as tax increases, a ban on automatic assault weapons, and his support of the Brady Bill after he left the Presidency.
Steve,
For the staunch conservatives the legislation you mention were all coerced compromises with House Speaker "Tip" O'Neal.
My childhood home (where my family lived for 22 years) WAS bulldozed to make a parking lot for the George W. Bush presidential library and whitewash factory.
When the Reagan/Bush worshippers give me that back, I'll listen to their complaint about the building where baby Reagan spent a few minutes.
If the University *REALLY* wanted to drive the Rethuglicans ape@!$%# crazy they'd *renovate* it and use it as the Barack Obama Presidential Library. I'd bequeath real money to see that!