Digging for the Truth

I'm sure by now you have all heard about those rumors that Gov. Palin didn't know that Africa is a continent and the like.

Here's a clip of Carl Cameron telling it to Shepard Smith:



Come one Shep, did you REALLY think that she didn't know that Africa is a continent? Did you seriously believe that? Because I find it hard to believe that you would actually believed a rumor as absurd as that.

And considering that it was such an absurd rumor and the the "source" was unnamed I didn't give it any credence at all. Nothing but hearsay. But it spread like wild fire through the MSM and soon every "news" show had something to say about Gov. Palin not knowing that Africa was a continent or what countries were in NAFTA.

Apparently this "leaker" was a hoax. It was supposedly leaked by M. Thomas Eisenstadt

HOAX WARNING RE "M. THOMAS EISENSTADT" AND THE "HARDING INSTITUTE FOR FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY"

"M. Thomas Eisenstadt" is a pseudonym used to describe someone who claims to be a "Senior Fellow at the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy in Washington, D.C.[1] A "bio" note claims that "Eisenstadt" is the "founder and president of the campaign consulting firm The Eisenstadt Group and was an advisor to the Rudolph Giuliani presidential campaign in 2007-2008."[2]

According to the "bio" note, "Eisenstadt" was described by the Wall Street Journal as "one of the foremost commentators on issues of U.S. policy towards the Middle East and is one of the bright lights of the neoconservative movement."[2] He cites National Journal’s The Hotline as referring to himself as “a rising GOP pundit” and “a clear-spoken advocate for Rudy Giuliani.”[2]

In June 2008 blogger William K. Wolfum concluded that "M. Thomas Eisenstadt (who originally started a blog named www.michaeleisenstadt.com and was referred to as "Michael") was a hoax. As was his "think tank" called "The Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy" (which seems to be a joke, being that Warren G. Harding is widely considered to be one of the worst Presidents in U.S. history)."[3] After being outed, the "biographical" note was changed to "Martin Eisenstadt."[2]

I also looked up a list of Senator McCain's campaign staff and I pulled up several and M. Thomas Eisenstadt's name was not on any of them.

So what did Smith have to say about this new little nugget of information? Nothing. They were quick to put out the bad information about her but nothing about it all being a lie. I would expect Smith to research this kind of garbage before he puts it out there and act like it's just amazingly true on TV but that would have been my expectation earlier this year or last year. Not anymore. It doesn't surprise me that he would allow that kind of garbage to be put out unquestioned and I'm also not surprised that he didn't say anything about it being a lie. Very disappointing. As I said before he used to be my favorite but I just can't take him seriously or trust him like I used to.

Even worse, Carl Cameron has been traveling with this campaign for how long now? You would think he knows pretty much everyone in that staff by the end. So explain to me then how Greta Van Susteren (by the way catch her interview with Gov. Palin, it was good) could talk to someone and find out that it was all false, that the Gov. never said that Africa was a country. Greta could get that information so easily and yet Carl couldn't do that? I don't buy that for a minute. That was nothing but laziness and sensationalism. Shame on both Cameron and Smith and right on to Greta.