Conservatives Attacked Obama Over 23 Dead Americans on Malaysia Airlines—Who Didn't Exist

[n2doc]

By Brian Beutler @brianbeutler

Contrary to widely disseminated, unconfirmed reports that 23 Americans were killed in the missile attack on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, we now know, thanks to BuzzFeed's Rosie Gray, that nobody boarded the plane using an American passport. That doesn't preclude the possibility that one or more American dual nationals were aboard, so we'd all benefit from further circumspection. (Indeed, as this article was in production, President Obama announced that one American was aboard the flight.)

But it wasn't too early for those who propagated the incorrect information to pick existing political bones to start issuing their mea culpas.

Townhall's Guy Benson: "An NBC analyst ripped the State Department for lagging far behind news reports of 23 American casualties. Minutes later, president said the government was still attempting to determine if any US citizens were aboard. At which point, he quickly pivoted and launched into his regularly-scheduled speech on the pressing need for more domestic spending on infrastructure."

National Review's Jim Geraghty wrote a post called "What's the Consequence for Killing American Citizens?" then followed it up with another post criticizing Obama for not being more willing to jump the gun.

more

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118762/false-report-23-americans-mh17-used-right-attack-obama

[TwilightGardener]

1. They don't have to be right. The Geraghty's of RW media and blogs just have

put their message OUT THERE, jump on Obama before the facts are in, and then see if numbnutz like Piers Morgan take the bait and run. You won't see Geraghty issuing a retraction of his statements--today it'll be a new manufactured hysteria about the way Obama said THIS or ate THAT or wore THIS or didn't attend THAT meeting. The goal is to damage Obama and Democrats, not to be accurate or credible. The media automatically adopts Republican framing, so they'll go with it, over and over and over.

[Frustratedlady]

2. Pretty darned sad, isn't it? Our political system is totally broken and I don't see it improving

in my lifetime.

Granted, there have always been battles between the two parties, but I've never seen anything like we're going through, today.

Where did they pick up the number 23? They are so off-the-wall anymore, they are hard to figure out. Must have sat around a table discussing how they could blame Obama and decided it would spread faster if they used an odd number, not even. I suppose this will go on Obama's record as a fail for keeping us safe from terrorism.

They are a pathetic group, for sure.