OPINION:
SCOTTSDALE — President Joe Biden has fallen on hard impeachment inquiry times and now the White House wants media organizations to “ramp up scrutiny” of Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry process.
Please, pretty please — Biden’s team is about as desperate as can be. They need distraction and they need it quick.
“It’s Time For The Media To Do More To Scrutinize House Republicans’ Demonstrably False Claims That They’re Basing Impeachment Stunt On,” the White House’s spokesperson for oversight and investigations, Ian Sams, wrote as a title to a memo sent ‘round the press circles.
How embarrassing.
How obviously desperate.
Specifically, the office of the executive put out a formal request for the media to cover this, not that; to go after one political party, not the other; to watchdog away — but not on me and rather the GOP.
“For years, Republicans in Congress have tried to muddy the waters by attracting media coverage of their allegations,” the White House wrote, “and as they choose to move forward with impeachment, it is the responsibility of the independent press to treat their claims with the appropriate scrutiny.”
What the bleep does that mean?
“Covering impeachment as a process story — Republicans say X, but the White House says Y — is a disservice to the American public who relies on the independent press to hold those in power accountable,” the White House continued.
Umm.
Isn’t that the job of the media — to cover all sides of a story, in as unbiased a manner as possible — and in a way that allows the pertinent players on all sides to provide comment and explanation and clarification and insight?
Just because the media doesn’t usually go after Democrats and now some in the Biden-fawning outlets are actually asking questions about their dear leader that don’t involve ice cream flavors and favorite nap time blankies doesn’t mean the job of the media has changed.
It just means this White House is feeling the heat — and they don’t like it. Not one little bit. They’re afraid of accountability; they’re fearful of facing the same fires they have lit against Republicans.
When the press was busily attacking Donald Trump and reporting on the calls for his impeachment without bothering to include crucial contexts — such as, hey, he’s not been inaugurated yet; hey. he’s not committed any impeachable offense yet; hey, he’s a private citizen and as yet, generally speaking, America doesn’t impeach private citizens ‘cause that’s just, well, stupid — the Democrats didn’t worry about X and Y and such silly notions as fair and balanced coverage.
But Biden’s in trouble.
Deep doo-doo trouble.
The impeachment inquiry has legs.
So the Hail Mary is to call on the press to attack the Republicans — attack even the citizens of the United States — who dare ask the questions that need to be asked, and who dare to push for accountability and consequences and yes, punishment.
The media’s not really liking the finger-wagging from the White House, though.
“Biden scolds media on how to cover his impeachment inquiry. What a bunch of bull jerky,” one USA Today headline ran.
The Democrats have been on a quest in recent years to cripple the First Amendment and censor speech they deem inappropriate — which is to say that which disagrees with their leftist views. Barack Obama’s administration saw the weaponization of the Justice Department to track Fox News’ James Rosen; to obtain phone records of Associated Press journalists; to keep out certain media organizations from White House functions.
And Biden’s administration’s got the whole Big Tech censorship of conservative, COVID, Trump, MAGA, limited government views down; they’ve been doing it for years and have become experts.
So it makes sense that this White House would expect the press to now, on call, go after Republicans instead of reporting truths of the impeachment process against Biden.
It makes perfect sense.
But it doesn’t make it any less alarming.
Democrats in general have little to zero respect for the Constitution, for freedom. For dissenting opinions and viewpoints and for God-given liberties.
They have become like little tyrants on shutting down conflicting views. To go along with this latest call for censorship, though, is a blatant support of state-sponsored propaganda.
A free society requires a strong, independent press. And that’s why Democrats have a problem with an independent press — they have a problem with freedom.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.
