Calling out Bush on Lying

[ElliotR]

"A Special Commentary About Lying", By Keith Olbermann on his Oct. 5 show:

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Editorial deleted for being reproduced in its entirety
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Original link and video available here.

Does the fact that a major broadcasting company has permitted one of it anchors to call out the president in this way sy something about the media, this president, or both?

I look forward to commentary on Olbermann's remarks rather than attacks on Olbermann himself.

[BluffTHIS!]

Elliot,

1) Did you get permission to excerpt that apparently in its entirety and without copyright notice?

2) Couldn't you have taken the time to cut it down to the allegations of lying and ditched the democratic rhetoric that accompanied it?

3) Do you always think a politician is making a factual assertion when he is making an inference about the other party from some fact?

4) Is the poster account, VinceYisgood, and aged one you had sitting around to use on this earlier?

5) Does the fact that MSNBC aired this say something about them as well, as to their editorial bias?

[pvn]

Wait, are you saying that Bush lied?

[Utah]

The comedy shtick of Keith Olbermann is so amazingly funny. This is pure gold.

[ElliotR]

Let's note at the outset that you are tryin to derail any discussion of the substance of Olbermann's commentary. Nonetheless, I shall answer your questions.

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1) Did you get permission to excerpt that apparently in its entirety and without copyright notice?

2) Couldn't you have taken the time to cut it down to the allegations of lying and ditched the democratic rhetoric that accompanied it?


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First, let me assure you that I am more conscious of IP law than 99% of posters on here and did, in fact consider the qualitative significance of the amount of copied material in my post as well as the factors relevant to a fair use analysis. An analysis, I might add, with which I am intimately familiar. If you wish to have a debate on copyright law I invite you to start another thread and I will be happy to engage you.

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3) Do you always think a politician is making a factual assertion when he is making an inference about the other party from some fact?

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I am quite comfortable with my ability to understand argumentative assertions, whether written or spoken, and with the distinction between factual assertions and assertions of opinion. And I note that whether the basis of an assertion is an "inference" is not determinative of whether the assertion is "factual". If I am in a room with no windows and someone comes in looking wet and folding a wet umbrella, I may infer that it is raining outside. If I say so I am making an assertion of fact. That having been said, mischaracterizing statements in the way cited by Olbermann is simply lying.


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4) Is the poster account, VinceYisgood, and aged one you had sitting around to use on this earlier?

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You need to think harder. Why would I use another account to post this? And why would I call an account "VinceYisgood"? Vince Young is ok and all, and he was great in college, but he has a long way to go in the NFL. So the answer to your question is "no". And I would like a ruling from iron and VR as to whether these kinds of false sockpuppetry accusations count as "personal attacks" as per the sticky.

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5) Does the fact that MSNBC aired this say something about them as well, as to their editorial bias?

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This is, of course, subsumed in my media question. Why don't you tell us what you think about it rather than making procedural objections about my post and making false accusations?

[26-Card Stud]

Are you trying to say there's something wrong with lying?