CNN vs. The Facts

As everyone already knows, Boston suffered a cowardly attack during its annual marathon held on Patriot's Day in that fair city.  Three people lost their lives, two young women with bright futures, and an eight year old boy with his whole life ahead of him.  Grievous injuries, such as amputated limbs and shrapnel wounds, affected scores of other spectators.

In the immediate aftermath, we saw heroes.  People right there on the scene immediately running to help, tearing down the barriers as fast as possible, to start getting immediate medical attention to those affected.  There is Carlos Arredondo, known as the guy in the cowboy hat immortalized helping a man who had just lost both legs.  It takes a ninth grade level of cleverness and some time on the internet to plant the bombs that devastated the Boston Marathon.  I'm not sure that ninth grade level of cleverness lets you fully realize what it means to have the full weight of a nation brought to bear against you, inspired by the victims and heroes created by those blasts.

In the days following, many people turned to CNN to keep tabs on the investigation, and here's what they got for their efforts:

I think the word that best describes this is "Shitstorm."  "Clusterfuck" also comes to mind, as does "completely unprofessional and embarrassing, insulting journalists everywhere."  I can't put it any better than Jon Stewart already did is this clip so I'll just leave CNN to wallow in its own waste.  I wasn't watching the television coverage, but I did follow it through their website.  Here's what I saw... first up:

Not really a headline, but they ran with it.  It was later followed up by this gem:

I'm starting to wonder if CNN actually understands the words in their headlines because the bulletpoint completely refutes what's above it.  It seems like people in the know are all on the same page about the details, the only reporting that differs is CNN's own.  And here's me watching all of this happen (I've used it before, but it perfectly captures so much):

I even wanted to give CNN that poke at the end just to see if it was aware on any level how crazy it seemed.

In other news, the Senate voted down a bill to expand background checks, 54-46.  Now if you look at that vote and ask how come the higher number lost... then you'll understand that the Senate is as fucked up as this bill not getting past.  To go along with the issue, perpetually tone deaf Sen. Rand Paul dropped some of this wisdom:

Rand Paul: Obama Using Newtown Victims As 'Props'

It's always nice to see Sen. Paul thinking he has his finger on the pulse.  I'm sure a parent who lost a child to gun violence suddenly making it his or her mission in life to fight back against the forces that had a part in that child's death seems less likely than a President using grieving dupes, but that's Rand Paul for you.

Obama called this defeat "round one."  I hope that's true... I hope this fight pushes on somehow without turning into a castrated embarrassment of legislation, but Congress has trained us to expect castrated embarrassments so thoroughly that I'm not sure I can see the alternative.

Bravo, Senate.