Watch the MediaLeft Lie About Rick Santorum

Stipulation: I think Rick Santorum is a good man but a flash in the pan and would make a weak nominee, mainly because this election will turn on economics and Obama’s record. Or, it should turn on economics and Obama’s record. It should be a pass/fail decision on him. The media will do everything it can to make the election turn on something else, though, and there seems to be a concerted effort underway to smear Rick Santorum over a comment he made in Iowa. Here’s how CBS is reporting it:

The head of the National Urban League said Tuesday that Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum tried to leverage a stereotype about black people and public assistance programs to gain an advantage in the Iowa caucuses.

Urban League President Marc Morial called on other GOP candidates to repudiate Santorum’s comments, which were made as he campaigned Sunday in Sioux City, Iowa.

Videos posted on several websites show Santorum discussing programs such as Medicaid and food stamps, then saying: “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money.”

Morial said Santorum made the statements to pander to racist elements in the electorate and should be ashamed. Santorum’s spokesman did not immediately return telephone calls and emails Tuesday seeking comment.

Morial and CBS have had ample time to view the video and correct their mischaracterization of what Santorum said, but have not done so. Here’s the CBS clip of his remarks, which they failed to link in the text version of the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgLMghcPDVs

Unedited, it’s obvious that Santorum didn’t say “black people.” It’s obvious that he changed directions in mid thought and it came out as a non-word — “bligh” or “pligh” probably blurring “people” and “lives.” But go search on YouTube for “santorum black people” and you’ll get an eyefull. The lie is around the world and back again, running rings past the truth.

This whole thing is a smear.