<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Washington Post reporters call out George Will for lying in Washington Post]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Al T http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:23:31 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/1 I think you're going a little overboard here.  The article says "The new evidence... contradicts data cited in widely circulated reports by Washington Post columnist George F. Will"

For it to be a lie Will would have to have been telling a falsehood about the original report.

]]> I think you're going a little overboard here.  The article says "The new evidence... contradicts data cited in widely circulated reports by Washington Post columnist George F. Will"

For it to be a lie Will would have to have been telling a falsehood about the original report.

]]> Comment #2 by JMG http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:25:25 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/2 Fred Hiatt is an idiot.  He keeps pushing for more highway spending, complaining that "The number of miles Americans drive has essentially doubled since 1980 (cars up 97 percent; trucks, 106 percent), but the number of highway lane miles has grown only 4.4 percent. Result: twice as much traffic per road."

In other words, Hiatt shares with Will the fantasy that we can just keep on paving and driving and magic ponies will show up, suck up all that nasty CO2 and poop golden nuggets so we can pay for it all.

 

]]> Fred Hiatt is an idiot.  He keeps pushing for more highway spending, complaining that "The number of miles Americans drive has essentially doubled since 1980 (cars up 97 percent; trucks, 106 percent), but the number of highway lane miles has grown only 4.4 percent. Result: twice as much traffic per road."

In other words, Hiatt shares with Will the fantasy that we can just keep on paving and driving and magic ponies will show up, suck up all that nasty CO2 and poop golden nuggets so we can pay for it all.

 

]]> Comment #3 by pjq49 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:33:45 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/3 Just how much dishonesty are you shooting for?  Pointing out that findings "contradict data cited by" Will is not even in the vicinity of accusing him of "lying."

]]> Just how much dishonesty are you shooting for?  Pointing out that findings "contradict data cited by" Will is not even in the vicinity of accusing him of "lying."

]]> Comment #4 by Max8806 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:18:00 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/4 gotta add that I'm really not sure what you're going for here, David. "Contradicts data cited...by George Will" actually is really charitable to him. It makes it sound like he just selectively but faithfully cited some particular source, as opposed to misrepresenting it which I think we both agree he did.

]]> gotta add that I'm really not sure what you're going for here, David. "Contradicts data cited...by George Will" actually is really charitable to him. It makes it sound like he just selectively but faithfully cited some particular source, as opposed to misrepresenting it which I think we both agree he did.

]]> Comment #5 by Charley James http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:32:40 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/5 Max, Al and PJQ overlook something: A newspaper can be sued for calling someone a "liar" in print. To avoid a nasty libel suit, it is much safer to call a liar someone who is "contradicted by data." We all know what is meant.

]]> Max, Al and PJQ overlook something: A newspaper can be sued for calling someone a "liar" in print. To avoid a nasty libel suit, it is much safer to call a liar someone who is "contradicted by data." We all know what is meant.

]]> Comment #6 by Max8806 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:07:11 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/6 Charley, I don't think so. There's plenty of room between "contradicts George Will's questionable/puzzling/unfounded interpretation of WMO [it was WMO right?] sea ice data" and a libel suit. So its really a stretch to call "contradicts data cited by...Washington Post columnist George Will" as Eilperin pushing the envelope calling him out. She probably does think he's a fraud, I'm not saying she doesn't. Just that you're seeing things if you take her phrase as anything remotely sharp.

]]> Charley, I don't think so. There's plenty of room between "contradicts George Will's questionable/puzzling/unfounded interpretation of WMO [it was WMO right?] sea ice data" and a libel suit. So its really a stretch to call "contradicts data cited by...Washington Post columnist George Will" as Eilperin pushing the envelope calling him out. She probably does think he's a fraud, I'm not saying she doesn't. Just that you're seeing things if you take her phrase as anything remotely sharp.

]]> Comment #7 by GreyFlcn http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:27:32 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/7 More to the point, for it to be lying, we would have to assume that George Will isn't an idiot.
I think we can fairly assume, that a guy this successful isn't a moron.

And frankly, "Lying" versus "Intentionally being highly misleading", is merely a distinction without a difference.




]]> More to the point, for it to be lying, we would have to assume that George Will isn't an idiot.
I think we can fairly assume, that a guy this successful isn't a moron.

And frankly, "Lying" versus "Intentionally being highly misleading", is merely a distinction without a difference.




]]> Comment #8 by greenmoon http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:04:47 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/8 George F. Will consistently cherry-picks data and reports to buttress his carefully-crafted agenda. He tries to come off as middle-of-the-road and scholarly, but his motives are clear and he tries to mislead subtly.  I guess since he got away with the global warming lies a couple of times, he went for the hat trick but finally got called out. He got cocky and sloppy, as they all do.

]]> George F. Will consistently cherry-picks data and reports to buttress his carefully-crafted agenda. He tries to come off as middle-of-the-road and scholarly, but his motives are clear and he tries to mislead subtly.  I guess since he got away with the global warming lies a couple of times, he went for the hat trick but finally got called out. He got cocky and sloppy, as they all do.

]]> Comment #9 by David Roberts http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:15:47 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/9 Max, I think you're underestimating just how unusual it is for a reporter to cite an op-ed writer by name like this at all.

]]> Max, I think you're underestimating just how unusual it is for a reporter to cite an op-ed writer by name like this at all.

]]> Comment #10 by pjq49 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/ Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:35:42 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-07-post-reporter-calls-out-will/10 Right, David, and you could have made a fair point about that, without the hyperbole about calling Will a liar.

]]> Right, David, and you could have made a fair point about that, without the hyperbole about calling Will a liar.

]]>