James O’Keefe absolutely edited the NPR tapes in deliberately misleading ways. Yet it was one of Glenn Beck’s website that provided a detailed analysis of O’Keefe’s sleazy doings. Yes, Glenn Beck.
NPR should have been out with a full rebuttal within hours after the tapes were released. Politicians have Rapid Response teams. It’s beyond baffling why NPR didn’t rebut fast and furious using the unedited tapes as proof.
The same thing happened with Climategate. The response from the scientists came months later. It should have been hours later.
Maybe it’s just that liberal arrogance and condescension thing. ‘We have no need to respond to the rabble.’ Um, yes, you do. Because they’re eating your lunch. And you’re letting them.
So NPR’s first move probably should have been a longer, tougher conversation about the entrapment, but the Republicans in Congress are already shooting at the network’s feet. NPR and its board are not exactly a bunch of Clint Eastwood clones. They rolled over and showed their bellies right away.
As the legendary Wobblie organizer Big Bill Haywood said, “A liberal is the guy who leaves the room when a fight starts. “
I just listened to the NPR analysis of the latest O’Keefe operation, concluding, in so many words, the amazing revelation that the ‘editing of the recording clearly was trying to make NPR look bad’.
Welcome to the real world. I can’t believe the people at NPR don’t understand that they’re playing in a political realm, where anything goes, and expect it, rather than be so affected by what their detractors publish about them.
They ask the CEO to resign, and then they work up a piece about how O’Keefe has it out for them, like he did for Acorn, etc.
It is difficult to distinguish between honest criticism and obvious biased political attacks–so progressives lead with their desire to seek understanding and consensus –but when it comes from an outfit like O’Keefe’s, they should not be so overwhelmed with all the “outrage” on the other side.
Having said that, NPR firing Juan Williams was bungled, and O’Keefe went for the jugular in a classic reductio ad absurdem way–if Juan could get fired by saying something insensitive, yet personally, very honest–well, how many executives anywhere could stand up to that level of scrutiny; perfection?
I really think much of the reason for NPR not reacting fast with a concerted counterattack is liberal smugness that they are right and mustn’t lower themselves by deigning to respond to the rabble.
That, and what Big Bill said.