Patterico's Pontifications

3/20/2011

Lefty Lee Stranahan Explains “How Political Lies Spread On The Left”

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 10:27 am



My new favorite lefty Lee Stranahan dissects a story that spread like wildfire on the left — without any of them lifting a finger to check the facts.

Someone on Twitter asked me last night if I’d heard about what was happening in Minnesota with the poor. I didn’t, so they sent me a link to Crooks & Liars that talked about a law proposed there that would make it illegal for poor people to carry more than $20 cash!

(Note : It’s a total lie, but play along with my fake outrage for now.)

Look!!! Here’s some headlines. Wow!!!

Minnesota GOP wants it to be illegal to carry cash if you’re poor

Minn. to Make it a Crime for Poor to Have More Than $20

Incredible!!!

Stranahan, who recently explained that his dealings with the notorious Andrew Breitbart and other right-wing bloggers has caused him to start to question certain leftist sources he had previously assumed were honest, continues:

So that’s the claim. I sort of skimmed it and thought to myself “Sounds like a serious charge. “ Up until quite recently, I would have left it at that because Crooks and Liars was one of my go-to sites for information.

Now I think they might want to shorten their name to the more concise and appropriate Liars.

After providing some excellent screenshots of how liberals cut and pasted this story, Stranahan explains that the law actually does not do what all the liberals claim it did. Far from prohibiting poor people from carrying more than $20, which would be crazy, the law actually does something more sensible. Namely, it says people using a taxpayer-funded debit card for people on government assistance may not use that card as an ATM machine, and limits their cash withdrawals to $20:

Subdivision 1. Electronic benefit transfer or EBT debit card. (a) Electronic benefit transfer (EBT) debit cardholders in the general assistance program and the Minnesota supplemental aid program under chapter 256D and programs under chapter 256J are prohibited from withdrawing cash from an automatic teller machine or receiving cash from vendors with the EBT debit card. The EBT debit card may only be used as a debit card.
(b) Beginning July 1, 2011, cash benefits for programs listed under paragraph (a) must be issued on a separate EBT card with the head of household’s name printed on the card. The card must also state that “It is unlawful to use this card to purchase tobacco products or alcoholic beverages.” This card must be issued within 30 calendar days of an eligibility determination. During the initial 30 calendar days of eligibility, a recipient may have cash benefits issued on an EBT card without the recipient’s name printed on the card. This card may be the same card on which food support is issued and does not need to meet the requirements of this section.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), EBT cardholders may opt to have up to $20 per month accessible via automatic teller machine or receive up to $20 cash back from a vendor.

Stranahan conducted a Google search for commentary on this false story, and asks:

Did anyone question the story at all or even read the law? Four pages, at the bottom – I found someone. A right winger who quotes the Bible and has a Hillary Clinton ‘Joker’ picture on his blog. The sort of fellow that liberals would call a right wing nutjob, if they were being kind.

Guess what? That’s the guy who had the story right. Hundreds of liberals get crazy about this story, with smugly violent comments about how stupid and evil the Republicans are…and a lone right winger absolutely nails the story.

It would be appropriate at this time, I think, to throw a link to that right-winger, since he does do a great job of actually lifting a finger to do some research. But you also need to read all of Stranahan’s post, in particular to read the amazing story of how a lefty, confronted with his evidence, discounts it and mounts a defense of her previous position while surgically removing language from a quote that might undercut it. It’s quite incredible.

More Stranahan later on. He’s got a nice post on the Blaze criticism of O’Keefe that I will feature here later today. And he promises more to come.

57 Responses to “Lefty Lee Stranahan Explains “How Political Lies Spread On The Left””

  1. Pollo Loco takes EBT cards and they have free refills on horchata!

    That my friends is VALUE.

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  2. The idea that a political party would want to do something like this is bizarre — so bizarre that I’m amazed that so many people bought into it uncritically. Sure, it reinforces their stereotypes, but you have to have utter contempt for a group of people to hear something like this and just blindly accept it. They must not have paid their BS-detector bills this month.

    Jim S. (dc00bd)

  3. I reminded myself of a blogpost I wrote on another bizarre claim that otherwise intelligent people uncritically accepted. If anyone’s interested, here it is: http://agentintellect.blogspot.com/2008/10/tale-of-comet.html

    Jim S. (dc00bd)

  4. Stranahan will get lots of grief from the left about this. He mentions that he is banned from Daily Kos because he mentioned rumors that Edwards was cheating on his dying wife.

    I’m no lefty but I have been banned a couple of times from Washington Monthly for making true statements there. The left has no tolerance for independent thinking. There are a few exceptions, like Kevin Drum and Stranahan, but they are rare.

    Mike K (8f3f19)

  5. The left has no tolerance for independent thinking.

    …or apparently for the truth, either.

    Dana (9f3823)

  6. Actually, that’s a Joker picture of U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) but I can see how it could be mistaken for Hillary.

    SaintGeorgeGentile (8c5894)

  7. I like it.

    DohBiden (984d23)

  8. Puh-leez. No liberal actually believes the stuff on these leftist sites. They post the stuff to make stupid Republicans go on the defensive because you can’t destroy the left while you are wrestling the greased pig of trying to straighten out all their lies.

    Now you know.

    j curtis (f1ccbf)

  9. I mentioned something similar on the other thread, but it is absolutely entertaining as all get out to read the comments at the LA Times responding to articles and op-eds about the attack on Libya. The radical trash who provided the organizational muscle for the anti-Iraq-War and anti-Afghanistan-War movements are starting to turn their guns (pardon the metaphor) fully on the Obama Administration. I am starting to read references to “George W. Obama” and recycled claims that Haliburton and the Texas oil companies are directing foreign policy. It’s like it is 2003 all over again. As for Dear Leader, this couldn’t have happened to a bigger self-regarding fraud.

    Anyone heard from Code Pink recently? Will Michael Moore weigh in (there I go again with bad metaphors) on kite-flying conditions for the children of Tripoli? Have the Dixie Chicks announced their embarrassment at being the same gender as Hillary Clinton? It’s popcorn time again!

    JVW (615582)

  10. A lefty lies.

    Dog bites man.

    Dave Surls (0afb3b)

  11. bad dog!

    happyfeet (ab5779)

  12. Lee is a bit charitable as I’ve seen rather obvious cases where the misrepresentation is not accidental. We’ve several trolls who visit here with such brazen lies regularly.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  13. 5.”The left has no tolerance for independent thinking.”

    The left doesn’t have a monopoly on narrow-mindednessness. There are conservative talk radio shows and conservative blogs on the internet, where cliques of clueless blowhards and shallow bullsh*t artists control the dialog, shutting out anyone who refutes their nonsensical gibberish. I’ve been called a liar in those forums for stating, unequivocally, well documented and irrefutable facts which didn’t conform with their bizarre agendas.

    Summit, N.J. (75c9eb)

  14. Comment by Summit, N.J. — 3/20/2011 @ 1:11 pm – Specific examples please, Mr. Summit Blowhard.

    daleyrocks (9b57b3)

  15. This sounds much like series of virtually fact free posts written by serial fabulist and boy journalist Lee Fang over at Think Progress which have been picked up without question by the rest of the sinestrosphere. John Hinderaker over at Powerlineblog has absolutely demolished them.

    daleyrocks (9b57b3)

  16. Is the correction alpaca still roaming the blogosphere?

    elissa (47dd8e)

  17. On the Koch Brothers

    daleyrocks (9b57b3)

  18. #14 – LOL – Thanks for making my point.

    Summit, N.J. (75c9eb)

  19. Summit, you had a point?

    SPQR (26be8b)

  20. Summit thinks he has a point.

    Typical leftist delusions. If you have an example, post it. Otherwise, spring begins today. Go out and plant a flower.

    Mike K (8f3f19)

  21. #18,
    I am also very interested in hearing a “well documented and irrefutable fact” that got you called a liar, please. It’s a fair question.

    Machinist (b6f7da)

  22. What is real? [(fresh) self link (who tha fook ya gunna call?)].

    [And (by coinky dink) speakin of the L.A. Times … Comment by JVW — 3/20/2011 @ 12:17 pm … absolutely entertaining as all get out to read the comments at the LA Times responding to articles and op-eds about the attack on Libya

    Me, tried to read summa the comments [after scanning … looking. And unable to find my (posted) comment from yesterday. But, tis ALL libturd brain drippings (they ain’ proud). And of course, them brain dripping’s are (mighty) stinky. More power to ya JVM].

    Elmo (3b56d1)

  23. Mike @ #20

    I’m a “leftist”, huh?

    Already, you’re making screwy assumptions and even screwier conjectures – NONE of which are supported by ANY facts.

    Too funny.

    Summit, N.J. (75c9eb)

  24. I anticipate the “you are too literal” arguments now…They will say you miss the obvious EFFECT of insisting welfare recipients be barred from full control over the forms of money they can have access to, when they receive benefits they are (according to the progressives) entitled to.

    That’s then real fight, right there; whether it is their own money to spend exactly as they see fit, in any way they choose, as if it were an earned salary for being alive, or whether it is a gift with strings, not their own.

    Sarahw (af7312)

  25. Summit, you are another in a long list of trolls.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  26. Yesterday in a comment I linked to a post by David Corn at American Prospect where he lamely tried to argue that making war on Libya is somehow different than making war on Iraq, since the Arab League and France (!) are on board for the former where they were against the latter. Today, over at the Nation, Robert Dreyfuss — without mentioning names — pooh-poohs Corn’s argument:

    Support for war against Libya has risen to a fever pitch even among liberals. I would point out that Russia, China, India, Brazil and Germany abstained from the UN Security Council vote yesterday, belying the Obama administration’s contention that bombing Libya has worldwide support. There is very little difference between George Bush’s 2003 “coalition of the willing” and Barack Obama’s “alliance” in 2010, since it is comprised of the US, UK, France and a handful of reactionary Arab states in the Persian Gulf who are meanwhile using brutal force against their own dissidents and rebels.

    Gosh, just when the left thought that they had split the conservative coalition on spending and labor issues they suddenly find themselves revisiting the War on Terror arguments that led to their drubbing in the 2004 election. Thank you Barack Obama.

    JVW (615582)

  27. #21 – I’m not going to bother to cut ‘n paste it, but the gist of the most recent bizarre situation was this:

    One night recently on another so called “conservative” blog, either a half dozen people (or perhaps just two people and their sock puppets) were having a heated discussion about certain events which occurred during World War II. For quite a while, perhaps an kour, I just read their arguments without participating or intervening.

    But when I read that their arguments were specious, and that they didn’t have ANY of their facts straight, and with good reason, which was that those bullsh*t artists were winging it and making it up as they went along, I corrected two of them, whereupon, to my amusement and to my mild exasperation, BOTH of them ganged up on me and their sock puppets came to their aid.

    It was very funny there for a while, until the website’s moderator intervened with even more absurd bullsh*t of his (or her) own to stick up for the other two blowhards, at which point I withdrew, figuring that there was no point in arguing with crackpots about their revisionist history, which was loony at best.

    Summit, N.J. (75c9eb)

  28. Yeah, SPQR, and you stole the name, SPQR, from a troll. (Oh, the irony.) LOL

    I know, because the real SPQR is much smarter than you are.

    I know you. You have never had an original or clever thought of your own. You steal lines from the Super Trolls.

    Summit, N.J. (75c9eb)

  29. @27: No need bothering to cut & paste, just toss us a link.

    Old Coot (3590f7)

  30. “Already, you’re making screwy assumptions and even screwier conjectures – NONE of which are supported by ANY facts.

    Too funny.

    Comment by Summit, N.J. ”

    Notice how it keeps evading ? Maybe this is troll bot. I suggest ignoring it.

    Mike K (8f3f19)

  31. According to SEK, this bill was the precursor to the Christian Caliphate. Did SEK actually ever read the bill, refer to its text, or explain how it would have the effects he claimed? No, he relied on something called Right Wing Watch to tell him what it meant.

    You see what you want to see.

    Fritz (ac48cc)

  32. Christian caliphate?

    Sounds like something Chuckles the manprostitute would say.

    DohBiden (984d23)

  33. “But when I read that their arguments were specious, and that they didn’t have ANY of their facts straight, and with good reason, which was that those bullsh*t artists were winging it and making it up as they went along, I corrected two of them,”

    Mr. Summit Blowhard – Thank you for the demonstration of unequivocal, well documented and irrefutable facts. It’s no wonder you feel so ill treated! Heh.

    daleyrocks (9b57b3)

  34. Yeah, Mike, when you lose the argument and make a fool out of yourself, call the poster a “troll”, lie that he is “evading” and ignore that poster. That’s easier than manning up and admitting that you were wrong.

    LOL – What Mike really just said is that he is ducking and running for cover, looking too goofy to save face.

    Summit, N.J. (75c9eb)

  35. Fantasy stories puffing up your great feats impress no one here, Summit.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  36. Mr Garden State–please provide a legit link to prove how brilliant, yet maligned you are. So we can be the judge. Or else go away. Actually, that is the preferable course of action. You are boring.

    elissa (47dd8e)

  37. SPQR imposter @ 2:41

    I’m sure that your senseless and lame comments make perfect sense to you. But they won’t make sense to any rational person. Go mumble to yourself …., and, oh yeah, get a life while you’re at it.

    (Yeah, right, like that will ever happen. LOL)

    Summit, N.J. (75c9eb)

  38. Summit, falsely accusing me of sockpuppeting is a violation of Patterico’s rules on his blog.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  39. Summit NJ is an egotistical child.

    DohBiden (984d23)

  40. We’re all SPQR, Summit.

    The real twist is that YOU are SPQR’s sockpuppet too.

    (queue LOST bass drum and roll credits).

    Paranoia is not just a river in Egypt.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  41. Of course, the right has its own out-of-control memes, such as birth certificates.

    Then again government is actually trying to frack the things we care about….

    Kevin M (298030)

  42. “Already, you’re making screwy assumptions and even screwier conjectures – NONE of which are supported by ANY facts.”

    Mr. Summit Blowhard – Please point to any assumptions or conjectures which you have proved screwy with unequivocal, well documented, irrefutable facts. We’ll wait.

    daleyrocks (9b57b3)

  43. Aw Geezez, here we go again. More 6th grade level retards.

    Hey, maybe I make you feel insecure, inferior, inadequate and stupid, because you ARE insecure, inferior, inadequate and stupid, ya think?

    Mmmmm, could be. LOL

    Obviously this is just another chat room for losers.

    Adios, retards.

    Summit, N.J. (75c9eb)

  44. Let’s start a new one:

    “Shortly, all credit and debit card transactions will be reported to the IRS.” Not quite, but every merchant’s totals will be.

    Kevin M (298030)

  45. How Political Lies Spread On The Left

    I thought they just used the Faberge Organics method.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcskckuosxQ

    malclave (c07f9f)

  46. Comment by Summit, N.J. — 3/20/2011 @ 2:18 pm,

    I asked for one example of a “well documented and irrefutable fact” that got you called a liar. Your credibility would be enhanced if you provided one. I know of few irrefutable facts so I am interested. I think it is unreasonable of you to expect us to take your word for the fact your argument was irrefutable, particularly as you start out with such sweeping statements of opinion.

    One fact please.

    Machinist (b6f7da)

  47. Nothing like proving we are 6th grade retards by using insults from 5th grade, Summmit. Good job.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  48. Mr. Summit Blowhard – Can you even point to one solid, unequivocal, well documented, irrefutable fact you have posted on this thread? I don’t think so. Thanks for playing, loser.

    daleyrocks (9b57b3)

  49. Summit, N.J. made absolutely NO SUBSTANTIVE COMMENT WHATSOEVER. He/she/its comments consisted entirely of ad homs, non sequiturs & personal attacks. Pathetic.

    Hint, doofus — address the subject of the thread, and feel free to actually voice your own opinion rather than simply mocking the opinions of others.

    Icy Texan (986bd1)

  50. So, flipping the premise, the nutrooters/
    journalisters have no problem with welfare recipients spending their money on alcohol or tobacco, or apparently gambling in far away states, good to know.

    narciso (a3a9aa)

  51. Note that Summit, N.J. doesn’t claim he/she was banned, which was Mike K’s point (putting aside whether his account is accurate).

    Gerald A (389a16)

  52. leftist sources he had previously assumed were honest

    It’s not so much that they are dishonest. No, it’s that they use selective honesty. I’ve got some news for Stranahan: they never claimed that truth is absolute. They manipulate the truth values of others to achieve the real objective, which is greater power.

    Their ambition is completely honest.

    Amphipolis (e01538)

  53. If they couldn’t lie about something, they wouldn’t have anything at all to say.

    AD-RtR/OS! (329892)

  54. Summit NJ does not make us feel inadequate and insecure but his inflatable girlfriend makes him feel inadequate and insecure

    DohBiden (984d23)

  55. Actually Summit NJ was here the night before in the thread that someone jacked talking about how France had practically destroyed the Luftwaffe during the German invasion of France. He made several comments on that thread, none of which recieved any reply at all, let alone a negative one, much less everyone ganging up on him.

    So to that extent, if that is what he is talking about, he is lying.

    Have Blue (854a6e)

  56. I’m still waiting for Summit NJ to post a link to that irrefutable fact we’ve been hearing about.

    RB (4e18ad)


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