Cry me a river:
U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall is accusing Facebook of censorship after the social media giant removed a post from his account that promoted a conspiracy theory about federal reports of coronavirus deaths.
In the comments that Marshall posted Sunday, he said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had "quietly updated" its numbers to reflect a massive drop in the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S.
The widely shared "Only 6%" theory has been debunked as a misrepresentation of CDC data detailing comorbidities.
Here’s a screengrab of Marshall’s original post:
FYI, it’s not censorship, it’s actually Facebook guidelines to not pass false information about COVID-19:
Facebook COVID-19: Community Standards Updates and Protections
As people around the world confront this unprecedented public health emergency, we want to make sure that our Community Standards protect people from harmful content and new types of abuse related to COVID-19. We’re working to remove content that has the potential to contribute to real-world harm, including through our policies prohibiting coordination of harm, sale of medical masks and related goods, hate speech, bullying and harassment and misinformation that contributes to the risk of imminent violence or physical harm. As the situation evolves, we continue to look at content on the platform, assess speech trends, and engage with experts, and will provide additional policy guidance when appropriate to keep the members of our community safe during this crisis.
Marshall’s opponent, Dr. Barbara Bollier (D. TX), is hammering him on this:
“As a physician, I believe in discussing all data, options, and research with my patients,” Marshall said. “This was data published by the CDC, but unfortunately did not fit the narrative that the left and the liberal media want us to believe. We cannot allow social media companies to determine what we do and not learn about this virus. Americans deserve to be informed.”
Bollier’s campaign criticized Marshall, saying he spread “misleading and dangerous” information.
“He regularly refuses to wear a mask or maintain social distance while campaigning in public. He continues to hawk hydroxychloroquine,” said Alexandra De Luca, Bollier’s spokesperson, in a statement. “And rather than giving Kansans advice based on what he should have learned in medical school, he says whatever his fellow DC politicians want him to. The last thing we need in Washington is a doctor-turned-politician who has been caught repeatedly — now even by Facebook — spreading misinformation about the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, Bollier’s campaign continues to gain momentum:
Barbara Bollier, candidate for U.S. Senate, announced last week that 75 current and former Republican elected officials and community leaders across Kansas have endorsed her campaign.
“It’s exciting to see how many Kansans are ready to put aside hyperpartisanship and political labels to come together and help the people of this great state,” Bollier said in a statement. “I am proud to be running a campaign that is unifying Kansans behind a commonsense vision of working together to expand access to affordable health care, fund our public schools, keep taxes low, and provide good jobs to our people. When we work together and listen to one another, we can achieve great things.”
More than a dozen Republican elected officials and community leaders on the list are from northern Johnson County or Overland Park, including:
- Barbara Allen, KS Rep, Overland Park
- Pat Colloton, KS Rep, Leawood
- Ron Fox, KS Rep, Prairie Village
- Linda Gallagher, KS Rep, Lenexa
- Stuart Hoffman, City Councilmember, Fairway
- Jan Kessinger, KS Rep, Overland Park
- Audrey Langworthy, KS Senator, Prairie Village
- Tony Liu, City Councilmember, Fairway
- Patty Markley, KS Rep, Overland Park
- Donna Owens, City Councilmember, Overland Park
- Tim Owens, KS Senator, Overland Park
- Jill Quigley, KS Rep, Lenexa
- Gary Sherrer, Lieutenant Governor, Overland Park
- John Skubal, KS Senator, Overland Park
- Sheryl Spalding, KS Rep, Overland Park
- John Vratil, KS Senate Vice President, Overland Park
- Ron Worley, KS Rep, Lenexa
- Jim Yonally, KS Rep, Overland Park
And Republicans are so scared of losing this seat that the Koch Network has to get involved:
The activist network backed by libertarian billionaire Charles Koch is dropping big bucks into the Kansas Senate race as polls show the contest beginning to tighten.
Americans for Prosperity Action, a super PAC that’s part of the larger Koch network, is backing Republican physician and congressman Roger Marshall in a state that’s historically been a GOP stronghold.
Marshall emerged victorious from a recent primary, after Republican Sen. Pat Roberts decided to retire. Roberts has served four terms in the Senate. He was reelected in a closely fought race in 2014 with help from the Koch network.
Let’s keep up the momentum to win big in Kansas. Click below to donate and get involved with Bollier, Biden and their fellow Kansas Democrats campaigns:
Joe Biden
Barbara Bollier
Michelle De La Isla
Sharice Davids
