Shameless AP Editorializing, Republicans Against ‘The Poor’

August 1, 2008 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Family, Media Bias, News, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston |

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press injected an editorial comment into the news… again. A few days ago, the AP issued a piece headlined Senate Republicans block heating aid bill, in which the AP made it seem as if Republicans don’t care about “the poor” and are only interested in mere political partisanship. This report featured quotes showing how wonderful and caring the Democrats are but not a single quote from any Republican to explain their stance. It also clearly discounted the GOP position while positively spinning the Democratic position.

The story concerns the GOP’s blocking of a Senate Democrat bill to double the Federal aid to “the poor” to subsidize their heating and air-conditioning bills. First of all, I wasn’t aware that it was Constitutionally mandated that “the poor” get free air-conditioning, but that is another story. The editorializing comes in with the second paragraph.

Although a dozen Senate Republicans support the measure, most voted with GOP leaders who would rather spend the time trumpeting their call to expand offshore oil drilling before Congress takes six weeks off for vacation and the presidential nominating conventions.

What’s with this offhanded “GOP leaders who would rather spend the time trumpeting their call to expand offshore oil drilling” business? If that isn’t editorializing, what is?

This report also reported the hand wringing of “Indenependent” Bernie Sanders of Vermont — who nearly always supports the Democrat Party line — to the effect that the GOP is filled with meanies.

“Do we vote to keep the old, the sick and kids alive when the weather gets cold or very, very hot, or do we spend money on people who make huge campaign contributions? That is part of what this debate is about.”

Nice populist blather.

And where is the GOP response to all this populist moralizing? How did the AP explain the GOP position in a fair and balanced way?

Well… they didn’t.

The story is entirely flavored to paint Republicans as mean to the poor, uncaring about the people, and interested only in cheap political partisanship.

And that, folks, is the AP way.

(H/T NRO Media Blog)

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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, New Media Journal, Men’s News Daily and the New Media Alliance among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston