I’m seriously tiring of surfing through my morning read and finding countless articles about these ignorant birthers dominating the news on so many political and media sites. You would think with three wars, a still jacked-up economy and serious problems all over the middle-east, “the media” would have plenty of substantive stories to write about.
But no, that’s no happening because at certain sites, “the birthers” are sucking all of the oxygen out of the place. I don’t know if you’re paying real close attention to the fact that Mediaite appears to be leading the pack on this issue. I mean seriously, they must have an entire CSI-type birther department that taps into every single thing these nuts have to say.
Naturally, they throw in their perfunctory disclaimers to shield themselves from their shameless promotion of these stupid birther theories but I am not buying it!! I believe they run these incredible volumes of stories, videos, interviews and blog threads to throw more red-meat to their increasingly tea-party audience. That’s foul, lazy and unfortunate.
So, this morning, I decided to do my own little investigation into their shameful “birther promotion” and people, I was absolutely shocked! Look at how frequent and comprehensively they have given voice to this fringe group!! I'm not talking about some minor blurbs on the bottom left corner, but prominently featured stories on their front pages. Check out their list of "birther" stories over just the past few months:
1. CNN’s John King Manages To Out-Crazy Birther Queen Orly Taitz In Wild Interview
by Tommy Christopher | April 15th, 2011
2. Obama To Stephanopoulos: I Was Born In Hawaii And I Don’t ‘Have Horns’
by Colby Hall | April 14th, 2011
3. Glenn Beck Gets Serious: Birthers ‘Stop With The Damn Birth Certificate!’
by Jon Bershad | April 14th, 2011
4. Jon Stewart: Bill O’Reilly Throws Us A Rope Out Of The [Birther] Crazy Hole
by Alex Alvarez | April 13th, 2011
5. Birthers, Rejoice! Arizona Senate Passes Bill That May Keep Obama Off Its Ballot
by Alex Alvarez | April 13th, 2011
6. Mitt Romney On Obama: ‘I Think The Citizenship Test Has Been Passed’
by Matt Schneider | April 13th, 2011
7. This Exists: Birther Porn
by Tommy Christopher | April 13th, 2011
8. Maya Soetoro, Obama’s Half Sister: Time For People To Put Birther Debate To Bed
by Colby Hall | April 12th, 2011
9. Rep. Bachmann: All 2012 Candidates ‘Should Put Their Birth Certificate On The Table’
by Frances Martel | April 11th, 2011
10. Ann Coulter: Donald Trump’s Birther Talk Seems Sane Compared To Charlie Sheen
by Colby Hall | April 11th, 2011
11. Autism Charity Spokesman Takes Random Shot at Birthers on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports
by Tommy Christopher | April 11th, 2011
12. Shep Smith: Focusing On ‘Stupid Stuff’ Of Birthers Plays Into ‘Simpleton Hands’
by Mark Joyella | April 11th, 2011
13. For Those That Find Birtherism Passe: Blogs Report On Obama’s ‘Brain Surgery Scars’
by Jon Bershad | April 11th, 2011
14. How To Interview Donald Trump: The Birther-Debunker’s Guide To The Universe
by Tommy Christopher | April 11th, 2011
15. Trump Tells Candy Crowley ‘I Don’t Like to Talk About This (Birther) Issue Too Much’
by Tommy Christopher | April 10th, 2011
16. Sarah Palin On Trump’s Birth Certificate Investigation: ‘More Power To Him!’
by Sarah Devlin | April 9th, 2011
17. Sen. Rubio On Donald Trump’s Birtherism: ‘Why Are We Talking About This?’
by Frances Martel | April 9th, 2011
18. Lawrence O’Donnell: Donald Trump’s Birther Talk Is All About Apprentice Ratings
by Colby Hall | April 8th, 2011
19. Alan Colmes Doggedly Pursues Donald Trump Over Birther Schtick
by Tommy Christopher | April 7th, 2011
20. Bill Clinton Flatly Rejects Birther Claims: ‘Everyone Knows It’s Ludicrous’
by Mark Joyella | April 4th, 2011
21. Bill Maher Finds Sarah Palin’s “Birth Certificate,” Says She Was Born Pregnant
by Glenn Davis | April 2nd, 2011
22. Mika Brzezinski On Trump’s ‘Mean’ Birther Crusade: ‘This Promotes Hate’
by Matt Schneider | March 31st, 2011
23. Bill O’Reilly To Trump: ‘I Don’t Think You Believe’ This Birther Stuff
by Alex Alvarez | March 30th, 2011
24. Explaining The Unexplainable: Why’s Donald Trump Joining The Birthers?
by Danny Groner | March 30th, 2011
25. Donald Trump To Laura Ingraham: I’m ‘Proud To Be’ Labeled A Birther
by Matt Schneider | March 30th, 2011
26. CNN’s Carol Costello Calls Trump ‘A Joke’ In Discussion Defending Obama On Birther Claims
by Mark Joyella | March 30th, 2011
27. Trump Gives Showing His Birth Certificate Another Try, Gets It Right This Time
by Jon Bershad | March 29th, 2011
28. Donald Trump Releases His Birth Certificate, Or Certificate Of Birth, Or Something To Newsmax
by Tommy Christopher | March 29th, 2011
29. Tim Pawlenty On Morning Joe: The President Was Born In The U.S.A.
by Mark Joyella | March 29th, 2011
30. Donald Trump On Fox’s On the Record: Birthers ‘Are Great Americans’
by Frances Martel | March 29th, 2011
31. Trump A Birther? I’m Betting It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Business
by Matt Schneider | March 28th, 2011
32. Trump On Birth Certificate: Obama Spent Millions ‘To Get Away From This Issue’
by Matt Schneider | March 28th, 2011
33. Trump Takes Birther Crown From Orly Taitz With Saturday Night Geraldo Appearance
by Frances Martel | March 26th, 2011
34. Hannity Goes All-In On Obama Birth Certificate: ‘What’s Wrong With Asking?’
by Frances Martel | March 26th, 2011
35. Bill Maher: Only Race Could Explain 51% Of Republican Voters Being Birthers
by Glenn Davis | March 25th, 2011
36. Hannity: If Chester A. Arthur Had To Produce A Birth Certificate, Why Not Obama?
by Frances Martel | March 24th, 2011
37. Chris Matthews: Why Is Donald Trump “Going Primate” And Joining The Birthers
by Matt Schneider | March 17th, 2011
38. Michele Bachmann’s First Action As Pres. Candidate? Offer Her Birth Certificate
by Matt Schneider | March 14th, 2011
39. Stephen Colbert Corrects Huckabee: ‘Obama Was Born In Kenya. He Grew Up Islamistan!’
by Colby Hall | March 8th, 2011
40. The Event’s Blair Underwood Brings Up Birthers During Shameless MSNBC Show Plug
by Tommy Christopher | March 7th, 2011
41. Mike Huckabee’s ‘Mau-Mau’ Comment Isn’t Just Race-Baiting, It’s Race-Chumming
by Tommy Christopher | March 3rd, 2011
42. O’Donnell Dismisses Huckabee’s ‘Boy Scout’ Talk As Culturally Detached ‘Lying’
by Frances Martel | March 3rd, 2011
43. O’Reilly Ruminates On Obama’s ‘Crazy Mom’ And Refuses To Give Huckabee ‘Jazz’ For Kenya Comments
by Frances Martel | March 2nd, 2011
44. Chris Matthews Passionately Defends Obama From “Lie That Won’t Die”
by Matt Schneider | March 2nd, 2011
45. Lawrence O’Donnell Tears Huckabee Apart For His ‘Obama Grew Up In Kenya’ Remark
by Matt Schneider | March 1st, 2011
46. Mike Huckabee A Birther? Presidential Hopeful Believes Obama Grew Up In Kenya – Update
by Colby Hall | March 1st, 2011
47. Karl Rove To GOP: Focus On Real Issues, Not Birthers
by Alex Alvarez | February 18th, 2011
48. Bernie Goldberg: ‘Clinical Insanity’ For Bill Maher To Call O’Reilly’s Obama Interview Racist
by Frances Martel | February 15th, 2011
49. O’Reilly Panel Gets Fiery Over GOP Treatment Of Obama Muslim Conspiracists
by Frances Martel | February 14th, 2011
50. CPAC Speaker Draws Cheers With First “Birther” Joke
by Alex Alvarez | February 10th, 2011
51. Robert Gibbs Doesn’t Take Birther Bait In Sarah Palin’s Egypt Remarks
by Tommy Christopher | February 9th, 2011
52. Mike Evans Now Says He Never Spoke To Hawaii’s Gov. About Obama’s Birth Certificate
by Alex Alvarez | January 26th, 2011
53. Governor Of Hawaii Reportedly Tells Friend That “There Is No Birth Certificate” Update: Not True
by Alex Alvarez | January 25th, 2011
54. Robert Gibbs Responds to Eric Cantor’s Refusal to Reject Birther ‘Crazy Talk’
by Tommy Christopher | January 24th, 2011
55. It Begins: Rep. Eric Cantor Refuses to Reject Birther ‘Crazy Talk’ on Meet the Press
by Tommy Christopher | January 23rd, 2011
56. Birthers Unite! Hawaii Governor’s Quest to End Birth Certificate ‘Controversy’ Hits a Dead End
by Tommy Christopher | January 22nd, 2011
57. Limbaugh: Hawaii Governor Is Still Alive Because WH Is Also Involved In Birther Case
by Jon Bershad | January 21st, 2011
58. Outrage of the Day: Chris Matthews Calls Birthers ‘Crackers’
by Tommy Christopher | January 15th, 2011
59. Exclusive Video: Our Lost Interview of Birther Who Interrupted Congress’ Reading Of Constitution
by Tommy Christopher | January 7th, 2011
60. Speaker Boehner: “The State Of Hawaii Has Said President Obama Was Born There. That’s Good Enough For Me”
by Mark Joyella | January 6th, 2011
61. Screaming Birther Interrupts Reading of the Constitution on House Floor
by Tommy Christopher | January 6th, 2011
62. Fox’s Megyn Kelly And Panel Ponder Hawaiian Governor’s Vow To “Take On” Birthers
by Mark Joyella | December 30th, 2010
63. Hawaii’s New Birther Campaign Awakens Ghost Of Orly Taitz On MSNBC
by Frances Martel | December 27th, 2010
64. Chris Matthews: Why Doesn’t Obama Say ‘Send Me A Copy’ Of My Birth Certificate Right Now
by Matt Schneider | December 27th, 2010
65. Hawaii Governor Will End Birther Debate (Whether Obama Wants Him To Or Not)
by Jon Bershad | December 27th, 2010
66. Terrence Lakin, The Army Birther, Is Sentenced To Six Months
by Jon Bershad | December 16th, 2010
67. SNL’s Obama Literally Held Hostage By Republicans, Now A Conservative Birther
by Ray Rahman | December 12th, 2010
68. Keith Olbermann Names Birther Baseball Player Worst Person In The World (Video)
by Glenn Davis | December 10th, 2010
69. Baseball Player Reveals He’s A Birther, Laments America’s Moral Decay (Audio)
by Glenn Davis | December 8th, 2010
70. Anderson Cooper Takes On Birther In Brilliant, Heated Exchange
by Mark Joyella | November 30th, 2010
Folks, as you see, Mediaite's list is from only the past 4.5 months and excludes hundreds of other stories in which they "court" the birthers like this one:
They openly admit in this story: "here's one for the birthers." Well guess what, it's not just "one" for "the birthers" there are hundreds since Obama was elected--that's graceful.
Sites like Mediaite are more interested in pimping hits to the tea party than informing the public about what's truly going on.
So from now on, whenever someone asks me why this totally debunked myth refuses to die, I will tell them that Mediaite is one of the main sites keeping this story alive.