WMAL reports Michelle Obama’s killing us and not in the theatrical sense of the word:
WASHINGTON — The Governors Highway Safety Association says pedestrian deaths increased in the first half of 2010 and the First Lady’s program to get Americans to be more active could be partly responsible. Governors Highway Safety Administration spokesman Jonathan Adkins told 630 WMAL that Michelle Obama is “trying to get us to walk to work and exercise a little bit more. While that’s good, it also increases our exposure to risk.” After four straight years of steady declines, pedestrian deaths were up during the first six months of 2010.
h/t:Lucianne.com
UPDATE: Media Matters, followed by Oliver Willis take issue with my mention of this because the spokesman quoted by Fox had no proof of any connection.This is ironic because for over a week the left has been blaming Palin and the Tea Party for the Tucson shootings which neither Pima County Sheriff Dupnik nor anyone else promoting this can support by a shred of evidence.Indeed, all the evidence indicates this claim is utterly baseless. On the other hand, commonsense indicates that there is some merit to the charge that the “Let’s Get Moving” campaign led to an increase in pedestrian deaths:The more people walking on the streets, the more pedestrians will be killed by automobiles.
Mother Jones gets in on the Act and Tom Maguire responds:
WHEN IS A QUOTE NOT A QUOTE? A quote is not a quote when it is read by a partisan hack at Mother Jones. Kate Sheppardtells us this, with my emphasis:A new report from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association is getting lots of press today because some reporters, rather bizarrely, have tried to blame the increase in pedestrian deaths in 2010 on First Lady Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign.
Yes, you read that right. See the original piece in The Examiner and the followup in the Daily Caller.
Sorry, Ms. Sheppard – the reporters weren’t positing anything; they were quoting two different spokespersons for the GHSA. Or misquoting one of them, if we believe her backpedaling (maybe the press flack is a former porfesional athlete – they are always misquoted, no matter what they said.).The reporters in question posit that perhaps the increase in the number of pedestrians struck by cars last year, after four years of decline, is because people are out exercising more, choosing to walk when possible instead of hopping in the car.
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