Media Matters: Hot Air “smeared” Van Jones by calling him a Truther

Some free publicity for their new “Smearbusters” page, displaying the sort of honesty and integrity for which the David Brock brand is known and loved. Here’s how they describe the “smear” of asserting that a guy who signed a petition for 911Truth.org might, in fact, be a 9/11 Truther:

In 2004, Van Jones did sign a petition requesting further investigation into the 9/11 attacks. The petition did not suggest that the Bush administration “blew up the World Trade Center,” but rather that the response to the pending attacks was inadequate. Jones has stated that the petition does not reflect his views.

Listed as a source for the “smear” is this post at Hot Air. Question: Anything missing from the Brock bunch’s characterization of the Truther petition? Reading it, it sounds like Jones did nothing more than accuse Bush of not having taken the early intel about an Al Qaeda plot involving planes seriously enough. Let’s revisit the petition language, shall we?

An alliance of 100 prominent Americans and 40 family members of those killed on 9/11 today announced the release of the 911 Truth Statement, a call for immediate inquiry into evidence that suggests high-level government officials may have deliberately allowed the September 11th attacks to occur. The Statement supports an August 31st Zogby poll that found nearly 50% of New Yorkers believe the government had foreknowledge and “consciously failed to act,” with 66% wanting a new 9/11 investigation.

“Deliberately allowed” — i.e. high treason and conspiracy to commit mass murder — goes a hell of a lot further than accusing Bush of an “inadequate response,” but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a lefty propaganda shop sanitize the foulest element of the petition for the benefit of its audience. Remember when David Shuster conveniently neglected to spell out for the MSNBC faithful just what was in the document that Van Jones signed?

While you’re over there, you might want to read their new dossier on Andrew Breitbart, who’s done a very bad thing this month by exposing systemic corruption at a taxpayer-funded left-wing nonprofit and must be punished accordingly.

Update (Ed): We should point out that Media Matters has begun a pattern of screaming “Smear!” when people point out what others have actually said. Van Jones signed the 9/11 Truth petition, a voluntary act; we just pointed it out. Similarly, Media Matters yesterday accused Fox of “smearing” Tresa Kaelke in accusing her of committing murder by … airing the tape where she claims to have committed murder. Media Matters must have looked up “smear” in Orwell’s Dictionary, 1984 edition.

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