Even though the “Lizard People” ballot is pretty darn funny, I think Media Matters catching Fox News’ Andrew Napolitano lying takes the cake for me this week in recount news:
During the November 19 edition of Fox News’ Studio B, Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano, a former New Jersey Superior Court judge, baselessly claimed that Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (D) is a “former member of the Communist Party.” Discussing the members appointed to the Minnesota State Canvassing Board, which oversees the recount in the Minnesota Senate race, Napolitano stated: “The fifth member of the committee by statute, is the secretary of state, who is a Democrat and a former communist — former member of the Communist Party.” Napolitano provided no evidence to support his claim that Ritchie is “a former communist” or a “former member of the Communist Party.”
Hilarious. Communist? Really? Where did you get that information? Oh yeah, a rumor that dedicated MNpublius reader Michael Brodkorb himself started. Note, Michael Brodkorb may not have directly claimed that Mark Ritchie was a communist, but he did start the rumor. From a post that he quickly retracted this evening for some reason:
As the blogger who broke the story about Ritchie’s connection to Communist Party, please see the links to my original posts.
He then links to all four examples of his own “research” that shows these amazing ties between Mark Ritchie and Communism. First, he links to a piece at the Community Party website that actually has nothing to do with Mark Ritchie or his political views except for the fact he got mentioned as someone that is known to protect voter’s rights and being part of the voter protection movement. Brodkorb picks his quote wisely and doesn’t include what’s written after it. Brilliant. Secondly, he links to an piece that Mark Ritchie wrote that appeared on the People’s Weekly World. Brodkorb writes:
Ritchie’s writings have been published by newspaper with “a special relationship with the Communist Party USA.”
Even if that connection is incredibly weak in the first place, Brodkorb doesn’t tell you that the piece was originally at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (.doc) dated a couple weeks earlier and simply reprinted by the People’s Weekly World. Heh.
Brodkorb’s third example is how the Star Tribune mentioned Brodkorb’s spun version of his first example. Congratulations, Mr. Michael B. Brodkorb! I wonder how that happened?!
The fourth and final example is a $250 contribution to Mark Ritchie from a donor that is also part of an organization that “is dedicated to providing information and activities relating to contemporary Cuba and contributing to a normalization of relations between Cuba and the U.S.”
Wow. $250 from someone interested in normalizing relations between Cuba and the U.S.? That must mean Ritchie is a secret communist!
By the time the telephone tag is done, we have Fox News lying by saying that Mark Ritchie was part of the Communist Party.
The level of wing-nuttery exceeds my normal threshold and perhaps this occurred to Michael Brodkorb when he decided to pull the post down within minutes after posting it. It’s that or he realized that when he linked to Media Matters showing that the whole Communist connection is a load of bunk, he may no longer have wanted to take credit for spreading the rumor.
Loading ...
Love how the link to Brodkorb’s post says “Whoops! That Page Isn’t Here” but the Google ads down the side still read:
Communist Party
Looking for Communist Party? Find exactly what you want today.
Yahoo.com
The Art Institutes
Offering Programs In Media Arts, Culinary, Fashion, & Design.
http://www.artinstitutes.edu
Minnesota State News
The Latest Minnesota News by City or State. Get Breaking MN News Now.
Examiner.com
chinese communist party
The Observers analyse and Comment the world they live in
observers.france24.com
Artery Clearing Secret
Hugh Downs Reports on Breakthrough from Nobel Prize Winning Doctor
http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com
I always suspected that art classes and good cardiovascular health were part of some pinko conspiracy.
Broadcorpse’s filth rivaled only by that of jbenson2. Right wing porn, at best.
Joe McCarthy’s toejam.
Aaron: I’m not sure why someone deleted my comment, but as I previously wrote in my comment tonight on MN Publius, I decided to move all of my Ritchie material to one post so people can find it easier. Here’s the link to the post with the updated material from tonight: http://tinyurl.com/5st9wc
Brodkorb et al should be very, very careful. There’s very straightforward case law in re to libel and accusations of communist party affiliations.
So being in favor of normalizing trade relations with Cuba is evidence of communist sympathies, huh? Tim Pawlenty and Norm Coleman are communists too, by that standard. They’ve both stated, on the record, (Norm Coleman in his debate with Walter Mondale and Tim Pawlenty at the 2006 Farmfest) that they’d open up trade relations with Cuba if it were up to them.
Meanwhile, imports from China continue apace, as does borrowing from the U.S. Treasury. Nope, no problems there. But Cuba!!!!???? Whooooooo, scary!!!!
You really have to laugh over Broadknob’s being negative about a $250 donation from someone who wants to normalize relations with Cuba… actual real live moderate Republican farmers are the people who would benefit the most from that. It is a cheap and direct barge trip down the Big Muddy to Cuba for corn, grains and other Minnesota farm products. So if Broadknob is more interested in kissing terrorist Miami Cuban exile ass than he is in helping sell Minnesota farm products… well that is the Minnesota Republican Party for you.
You would think these neocon clowns would remember back to when Republicans actually cared about the american domestic economy. Then again look what Bush and 8 years of listening to trickle down economics has done for the stock market.
Next thing you know Brodkorb will be calling his so called research an urban legend.
Michael Brodkorb, of all people, should know that if you sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
As soon as Michael and his ilk realize that Cuban immigrants voted for Obama in large numbers, they’ll no longer care about the Cuban embargo.
The Communist Party website piece does contain this bit: “In Minnesota the DFL candidate for Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, of the League of Rural Voters could play a valuable national role.”
Cough.
Ritchie’s brother Niel is the executive director of the League of Rural Voters, and has been for a while now. And the LRV is more in tune with other American rural/ farm groups than it is the Communist Party. Looks like the commies’ confusion of the two guys was convenient for the NRSC.
Hint to Communists and Republican: one sports a beard, the other brother is clean-shaven.
The first rule of Fight Club is never talk about Fight Club. The first rule of MDE is Never let the truth get in the way of a story.
By Mr. B’s logic, Abraham Lincoln was a communist since Karl Marx was a great admirer of his. Also, Marx and Engels were European correspondents for the Republican-leaning New York Tribune.
Ever wonder why they call Republican areas the “Red” states?
I thought they called ‘em “red” states for the color of their necks.
Mikey B. is a Right wingnut.
Righ wingnuts are Reds
Reds are Commies
Therefore:
Mikey B. is a Commie.
Brodkorb is nuts if he thinks he can libel a state official on no evidence.
“I am almost sure Brodkorb could be a member of the klan & a closet fascist
who does not believe in democracy in any shape nor form.”
See - anybody can start a rumor.