Mediaite Writer Tries to Score Political Points on Back of Former Senator’s Death

27 Mar, 2010 by Lori Ziganto

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Or, why I will no longer link to Mediaite.

I saw the link to their story on Twitter and made the mistake of clicking on it. No, actually, it wasn’t a mistake. It was an eye opener.:  This is the tweet and my response (in front of the RT part)

Shameful.Couldn’t wait to politicize DEATHS? RT @mediaite Former Sen Nancy Schaefer Shot To Death With Husband http://www.mediaite.com/gcovk

Dan Riehl highlights the shameful article:

This from Mediate has to be the single most shameful attempt at scoring political points I’ve ever seen out here.

As if the verbal abuse against politicians wasn’t enough this week, the horrible news that former Georgia Senator Nancy Schaefer and her husband were found shot to death in their home this morning was another shocking reminder. Schaefer, a prominent Republican at 73, was watching her husband suffer from cancer, and the duo apparently frequently talked about a suicide-pact.

We don’t want to be the ones to point out the grim irony that it has been the GOP who has labeled parts of the health care bill “death panels” because they involve discussing options of end-of-life arrangements. If it does turn out that the Schaefers were involved in a murder/suicide, then there is nothing to feel but anguish and pity that the duo couldn’t fathom another way to deal with Mr. Schaefer’s disease than ending both their lives.

Oh? You don’t want to “point it out”?:  Well, do you know what you did point out?

The fact that you are a creep.

Yet, we are the “haters”? They couldn’t even let the family mourn for mere HOURS before grossly twisting DEATHS into an attempt at politicizing them.

UPDATE: Mediaite swiftly amended the post to remove the first part of the second paragraph. Admitting they were wrong is good. However, the fact that it was there in the first place shows the bias, at an alleged media outlet, and the lack of integrity of the author quite clearly.

I am a dame, so I do know about flying off the handle and crossing lines. I actually have no problem with line-crossing; sometimes it is necessary.

But, it is vile to attempt to use deaths to score alleged political points. It wasn’t even a valid point; it was a straw man argument, to boot.

Secondly, this is the comment the author added upon revision:

Drew Grant says:
March 27, 2010 at 12:36 pm

To the commenters: I hear you, in the context of a news piece, bringing up the issue of death panels was inappropriate. The piece has been revised.

Oh. In a “news piece.” Otherwise, it’s perfectly acceptable, huh?

I can’t say that I’m surprised. It’s the same attitude that causes the Democrats to use mourning children to further a political agenda.

Vile.

(cross-posted at iowntheworld and Snark and boobs)