The talking points go out, and the MSM stenographers faithfully write them down and spew them out over the airwaves.

There is a reason why they call this sort of thing “spin:” you get dizzy when they keep twisting the facts to force a Narrative on you.

Joe Biden knew–assuming he was paying attention between shots of Ensure–that Americans were pretty upset about his response to a Chinese military platform floating over the US for days, lazily scooping up intelligence while it mosied across the country.

So his administration came up with a story for why he was so weak in the face of this provocation: he was defending Americans. There is no place between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic where shooting down the balloon wouldn’t have massacred women, children, and transexuals who are suffering from constant stochastic terrorism.

Yeah, that is what they are going with. And of course, the commentariat picked up that ball and ran with it. Newsbusters compiled the video, which makes for amusing viewing if you have a minute.

Read more from @Banned_Bill https://t.co/3rh0eogKwC

— Media Research Center (@theMRC) February 7, 2023

Former Obama CIA and Pentagon Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash — perhaps best known for his role in promoting the idea that Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the hallmarks” of a Russian disinformation operation — appeared on three separate morning shows on Monday to defend the administration’s sluggish response. In all three cases, he pontificated that shooting the balloon down over land risked accidentally destroying a kindergarten or a hospital:

“… a debris field that could hit a kindergarten, a hospital.” (NBC’s Today, 7:12 a.m. Eastern)

“It could, heaven forbid, fall on a kindergarten or a hospital.” (MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 8:09 a.m. Eastern)

“Three buses worth of metal would be falling down, potentially on hospitals, potentially on kindergartens.” (MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, 12:15 p.m. Eastern)

On its face, Bash’s assertion is both absurd and emotionally manipulative.

This is what reporting “without fear or favor” looks like these days. I am sure there are people in the MSM who have a bit of self-respect, but I can’t think of one right now. Can you?

The MSM also picked up and ran with the “Trump let China fly balloons in the US all the time” mantra, which turned out to be bogus. Pentagon officials floated that trial balloon, got the headlines, and allowed a quiet backtrack after they got the idea firmly planted into people’s minds.

If the media cared about the truth they would reveal the names of leakers who lie to them. After all, the deal with “whistleblowers” should be predicated on an exchange of true information for anonymity. If the leaker lied, he should be exposed. Not doing so gives people an incentive to lie.

But of course, the media is 100% on board with promoting lies, if they buttress the Narrative™. The lies make great stories, and the media wants to promote the Narrative as much as the so-called leakers.

It’s corrupt to the core. And it’s why almost nobody trusts the media anymore.

It still confirms people’s priors though. Even people who know the media lies still wind up absorbing the information. I have friends who know the media lied about the Steele Dossier but think Trump colluded with Russia. If there is smoke…

The fact that the smoke is all lies too doesn’t sink in. That is why they keep doing it.