In the past couple of days a bunch of conservatives and anti-Obama bloggers have started breathing life into the bizarre fib from Fran “Obama is scary” Eaton questioning (ahem) smearing Rahm Emanuel.
The brand-spanking new 2009 version of this lie seems to be along the lines of “Can someone verify how much Rahm Emanuel’s Cook County property taxes are?”
James 4 America innocently asks it on his blog about ethics in America. So does Peter Highlander while he sips imaginary pina coladas in his Taxes Resort blog (or at least I imagine he’d be sipping virtual pina coladas since his blog is called that). Even politically-inclined dentists are bringing this urban legend back to life. And someone who really dislikes NBC’s Andrea Mitchell doesn’t politely ask a question but instead matter-of-factly states Emanuel has been “accused of shenanigans regarding his property taxes” despite the fact the “accusations” were actually fallacies and fibs. Why, even some commenters at random political blogs are infopimping Ms. Eaton’s tall tales.
Yes, anyone with the Google can verify it … easily and quickly no less since it already was verified literally within hours after the lies about him started appearing. Emanuel paid more than $13,000 which is about double what his neighbors pay.
And, yes, it’s abundantly clear that Ms. Eaton’s ulterior motive in posting her original ignorant fibs last November wasn’t to “investigate” or “shine a light of truth” on anything… Rather, it was to infopimp some sort of over-the-top gotcha tripe in the hopes of giving Obama and Emanuel a black eye. The ease with which other anti-Obamaites can then copy-and-paste her ethically questionable fallacies only helps her prop herself up on the Fran Eaton Genuine Flimsy-Cardboard Soapbox™.
Such is life for the former Alan Keyes campaign maven and self-made martyr.
To be fair, some of those re-iterating these “questions” for the New Year are now updating and correcting their posts, as did most of those bloggers who got ensnared in Ms. Eaton’s web of silliness before them (here, here, here, here… you get the idea).
But still, if only Ms. Eaton had done 5 minutes of her own verifying before infopimping her erroneous bunk … and then lashing out by blaming everyone but herself for her mistake … and then, in a desperate last ditch act of self-fulfilling faux martyrdom, laughably whining about “government intimidation” after public officials warned her to stop lying … well, then none of these other fine American souls would have to waste their time infopimping for her only to later correct her fallacies …. again and again and again.
PS: Ms. Eaton’s ally John Powers says he asked her to clarify her claims nearly two months ago. Fran apparently never bothered to answer him.
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January 7, 2009 at 1:59 am
Timmy
There is something seriously wrong with that Fran Eaton. Does anyone beyond a few losers even go to that site anymore?
January 7, 2009 at 4:12 am
robnesvacil
Where else are ya gonna go when you need a good laugh?
It is the crossroads of the conservative comedians after all.
January 7, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Timmy
Yep. Actually the dirty little secret is that even most real conservatives have had it with Eaton. Her blog is now mostly an apologist site for the GOP’s moderate wing. But it’s done in that sorta self-deluded dishonest way where she still tries to sound like a conservative.
January 13, 2009 at 3:56 pm
TJIC
Thanks for the link (I am one of the “here”, “here”, “here” links above).
For the record, I’ve gotten taken in once or twice, but I always try to issue a retraction when I’ve been proven wrong. I’m idealogical, but not an indealogue.
January 13, 2009 at 4:43 pm
robnesvacil
TJIC writes, “but I always try to issue a retraction when I’ve been proven wrong”
Which is why I noted that you and others had issued updates and corrections.
Ms. Eaton was just taken to task again for posting a borderline racist screed against her State Representative over the weekend. She had called him on Friday about the impeachment vote here in Illinois. He voted to impeach our guv, but she had wanted him to go further and add his name as a co-sponsor. She posted her rant on Sunday after not getting a call back…
He called her back on Monday morning.
Now, most people would think, ‘Gee, maybe he’s taking the weekend off after a long first week back in session.’ A historic impeachment vote was on the docket after all. Instead, Ms. Eaton immediately assumed there was some conspiracy theory against her because she’s white and her State Rep is black.