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Jonathan Alter: Obama has miraculously remained free of scandal
Hotair ^ | 10/29/2011 | Tina Korbe

Posted on 10/30/2011 7:23:55 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

In a fawning opinion piece for Bloomberg, author and columnist Jonathan Alter writes glowingly of “The Obama Miracle” — the supposed lack of scandal in the White House under Obama’s purportedly upstanding leadership. Alter’s analysis approaches the absurd, but at least mercifully stops short of the worshipful psalms that could pass for parody of some Esquire opinion writers.

Alter writes, apparently without irony:

For starters, the tone is always set at the top. Obama puts a premium on personal integrity, and with a few exceptions (Tim Geithner’s tax problems in 2009) his administration tends to fire first and ask questions later. The best known example is Shirley Sherrod, the Agriculture Department official who was mistakenly fired by her boss over a miscommunication that led higher-ups to believe — wrongly — that she had made inappropriate racially tinged remarks. In several other cases, the decision to give staffers accused of wrongdoing the boot was made within hours, taking the air out of any possible uproar. …

Yes, that describes Obama’s strategy as it relates to Fast and Furious exactly: Fire first, ask questions later. That’s why he continues to stand by Eric Holder, despite demands for his resignation from prominent members of Congress: He wants to “take the air out of any possible uproar” with a quick handling of the situation.

So, how does Alter explain Holder, caught with his pants around his ankles yet still retaining a privileged position within the Obama administration? He doesn’t. In fact, the words “Fast and Furious” don’t appear in the entire article. Alter pays lip service to Solyndra, but also fails to mention LightSquared, CLASS or an early Obama DOJ disgrace — the failure to prosecute several New Black Panther Party members for voter intimidation because of what whistleblower J. Christian Adams has characterized as a racial discrimination agenda within the Justice Department.

Alter does introduce an important and valid point, however. He suggests the appearance of a problem-free administration might be partially a product of a media that rarely scrounges for scandals these days. Plenty among “the chattering classes” would rather chatter than report, Alter writes. He doesn’t offer kudos to the journalists who dug up the scandals that have surfaced because, again, Alter doesn’t mention those scandals.

Instead of marveling at the Obama miracle, maybe Alter ought to do a little reporting himself.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: jonathanalter; mediabias; mediamalpractice; obama; scandal
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1 posted on 10/30/2011 7:23:57 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Right - anybody coming up with pictures of him smoking pot and stuff will soon be fired, that is at any media center.


2 posted on 10/30/2011 7:26:25 PM PDT by SkyDancer ("If You Don't Like What I Say Or Do, Tough, Deal With It")
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To: SeekAndFind

obama has remained free of media scrutiny and that’s no miracle.


3 posted on 10/30/2011 7:26:29 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (...then they came for the guitars, and we kicked their sorry faggot asses into the dust)
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To: SeekAndFind

Maybe Mr. Alter has had his head in a dark cavern the last 36 months?


4 posted on 10/30/2011 7:27:55 PM PDT by PA-RIVER
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To: SeekAndFind

I guess that Alter is the only one that has really seen the true, unaltered birth certificate; the real school records; the actual Social Security Card.

Otherwise, Alter STFU!


5 posted on 10/30/2011 7:28:12 PM PDT by Noob1999 (Loose Lips, Sink Ships)
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To: SeekAndFind

It does make you wonder what kinds of pharmaceuticals Johnathan Alder is taking. Really, really bad hallucinations, J.A.


6 posted on 10/30/2011 7:28:44 PM PDT by MasterGunner01 (To err is human; to forgive is not our policy. -- SEAL Team SIX)
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To: SeekAndFind
Jonathan Alter: Obama has miraculously remained free of scandal

Who were those guys from his church found shot in the head?
7 posted on 10/30/2011 7:28:50 PM PDT by aruanan
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To: SeekAndFind
It's all quite understandable when you inhabit an Alternative universe.
8 posted on 10/30/2011 7:30:22 PM PDT by JPG (The loons at OWS will soon be at each others throats.)
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To: SeekAndFind

* van jones, flaming communist
* eric holder and the just-us dept. refusing to prosecute the black panther thugs
* gunwalker
* $100,000,000 vacations by the First Wookie
* Carter’s Iran mistake being repeated all over North Africa and the Middle East

What am I missing?

And all this without the press even trying to look for anomalies.


9 posted on 10/30/2011 7:30:38 PM PDT by Westbrook
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To: SeekAndFind

Don’t see anyone mentioning one of Obama’s very first administration scandals: Walpingate


10 posted on 10/30/2011 7:32:50 PM PDT by CriticalJ (Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.. But then I repeat myself. MT)
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To: SeekAndFind

Wow. Gunrunner isn’t a scandal? Solyndra isn’t?

wow. The MSM is really really in the tank, they have become nothing but propaganda organs for Obama.


11 posted on 10/30/2011 7:32:54 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
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To: SeekAndFind

What about “fast and furious?”

Hmmmm... Never heard of it.


12 posted on 10/30/2011 7:32:54 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: SeekAndFind

Hey JohnnyCakes,

It’s hard to find an Obama scandal when you eyeballs (and the rest of your head) are up his rectum.


13 posted on 10/30/2011 7:35:49 PM PDT by WeatherGuy
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To: SeekAndFind

Jonathan Alter proves himself a fool. 0bama is in the midst of many scandals, but the MSM still refuses to report anything of substance against him.


14 posted on 10/30/2011 7:36:07 PM PDT by Post Toasties (Leftists give insanity a bad name.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Obama puts a premium on personal integrity,

Obama put a premium on lying to the American People and Joe Wilson called him out on it like every Republican should as well.


15 posted on 10/30/2011 7:36:47 PM PDT by vicar7 ("Polls are for strippers and cross-country skiers" Sarah Palin)
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To: SeekAndFind
Don't worry Mr. Alter, I have a feeling the Arizona Sheriff is about to drop a Bomb that you can report on.
16 posted on 10/30/2011 7:38:34 PM PDT by PA-RIVER
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To: Post Toasties
Jonathan Alter proves himself a fool. 0bama is in the midst of many scandals, but the MSM still refuses to report anything of substance against him.

He's not a fool, and he's not a "reporter" in any meaningful sense. He's a leftist activist.

17 posted on 10/30/2011 7:42:31 PM PDT by Interesting Times (WinterSoldier.com. SwiftVets.com. ToSetTheRecordStraight.com.)
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To: WeatherGuy
JohnnyCakes ... LOL

JohnnyCakes and Chrissy are still in love with Hussein.

18 posted on 10/30/2011 7:47:15 PM PDT by PA-RIVER
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To: SeekAndFind; All

When fake journalists—national and local-are fighting over who gets to fellate him next, you won’t find much scandal.


19 posted on 10/30/2011 7:47:57 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat (H)
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To: Post Toasties

The media marvels at why Obama’s scandals are not being covered by the media. Were it not so tragic it would be funny.


20 posted on 10/30/2011 7:52:07 PM PDT by The Duke
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