How the media play along with RW lunacy: Chrismas tree tax

[ProSense]

ABC: Senator Aims to Repeal Christmas Tree ‘Tax’

Politico: Administration OKs Christmas tree tax

The Hill: DeMint blasts Obama administration for 'Christmas tree tax'

ABC: Obama Administration to Delay New 15-Cent Christmas Tree ‘Fee’

MSNBC: A tax on Christmas trees?


Facts, via TPMMuckraker: Tree Farmers Blast ‘Sinister’ ‘Smear’ Of ‘Obama’s Christmas Tree Tax’

No, America, President Obama didn’t impose a 15-cent tax on Christmas trees because he “Hates Christians,” or because he’s keen to launch another front in the War on Christmas. Christmas tree growers had the plan all along.

Remember those “Got Milk?” and “Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner” ads? Well, Christmas tree farmers and retailers thought those are pretty nifty. Plus, with more and more people buying artificial trees instead of the natural ones, they wanted to protect their brand. So three years ago — before Obama took office — a group of them started studying the pluses and minuses of starting a so-called “checkoff promotion and research program” of their very own.

“It has absolutely nothing to do with Obama, it’s not a tax,” National Christmas Tree Association spokesman Rick Dungey told TPM. “I’m slowly but surely narrowing down who the culprits are who put out that sinister little statement for whatever reasons there were.”

<...>

“This program was requested by the industry in 2009 and has gone through two industrywide comment periods during which 565 comments were submitted from interested parties,” the National Christmas Tree Association said in a statement, adding that nearly 90 percent of the state and multi-state associations who commented on the program supported it.

more

Obviously, the news organizations couldn't ignore the RW framing and they were prevented from actually debunking the claim because...why?

[fugop]

1. One day ...

Give 'em one day and this will transfigure into the "WAR ON CHRISTMAS RETURNS!!!!" headlines.

Because we all know how Christ was all about wishing people "Merry Christmas" on his birthday. And decorating his tree with the apostles and wisemen.

Christmas is on the way, so I'm sure they'll be breaking out whatever "Obama hates Christmas" crap they can think up.

[tridim]

2. I think it's time to impliment the "Jim DeMint Memorial, Too Stupid to Draw Oxygen Tax"

[yellowcanine]

3. Checkoffs are not taxes. They are also proposed and run by producers.

In addition there are usually ways for producers who do not wish to participate to either not pay the check off assessment or to get their money back.

This is a common promotional practice for agricultural producers. Among others, the following commodities have check offs:

Milk (Got Milk?)
Pork (The Other White Meat)
Beef (It's What's for Dinner)
Corn
Wheat
Soybeans
Cotton
Peanuts
Cranberries
Potatoes
Poultry

Just about every major commodities and a number of minor ones have checkoff programs. It is the producers way of joining together to promote their products and gain market share.

[dragonlady]

4. So it's like a union? n/t

[yellowcanine]

6. Not really. More like a marketing cooperative.

[Ikonoklast]

5. Ohferfuckssakes.

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) also protested in a Facebook post that Christmas trees don't need an image make-over.

"The Christmas tree is a religious symbol that doesn't need a special tax and shouldn't receive special promotion from the government," he posted.

“The administration is once again challenging American liberty and now defaming the real meaning and spirit of Christmas,” Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) said in a statement. “The size and role of government has already grown to epic proportions over recent years, and the administration’s use of the holidays to promote their goals of increased government intervention and a tax-and-spend agenda is simply unacceptable."

From: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/192659-demint-blasts-obama-administration-for-christmas-tree-tax

Totally ignorant of the Pagan symbolism of the Yule Tree.

Trying like all hell to gin up a 'War On Christmas' bullshit meme the stupids eat up, since PBO is a Mooslim and hates Xmas.

[Yavin4]

7. "The Christmas tree is a religious symbol..." ????

Since when? Did Jesus die on a tree?

[truebrit71]

9. Perhaps the wood they nailed him to was Norse Pine???

:crazy:

[MilesColtrane]

16. Don't you read the Bible?

The Roman soldiers made him wear a crown of mistletoe and plunged a candy cane into his side.

[K Gardner]

8. I first heard about this when my Facebook page exploded with cries of

"OBAMA IS STEALING CHRISTMAS"! zOMG ! One person suggested this would only promote "stealing of wild christmas trees".

I freakin give up.

[truebrit71]

10. And there you have the absolute proof that the whores in the M$M are fully paid-for...

...presstitutes...

They are NOT there to inform you, they are there to SHAPE THE MESSAGE...

ProSense, you and I have locked horns on many things matey, but this is absolutley spot on...


The Media are NOT our friends..

[nxylas]

11. Surely you mean "catapult the propaganda"? n/t

[GOTV]

12. Is the U.S. Department of Agriculture not part of the Obama administration?

If so, the ABC article is accurate.

[ProSense]

13. Well,

"Is the U.S. Department of Agriculture not part of the Obama administration? "

...there is nothing in the OP disputing that, and the information clearly shows the focus is on the RW characterization of the fee.

[GOTV]

15. Then we agree, the ABC story is accurate.

And, if I read closely, others would be accurate as well.

[ProSense]

19. No

"Then we agree, the ABC story is accurate. And, if I read closely, others would be accurate as well."

...we don't agree.

“It has absolutely nothing to do with Obama, it’s not a tax,” National Christmas Tree Association spokesman Rick Dungey told TPM.

Read that "closely."

[BamaFanLee]

14. Rick and Bubba has gotten sick about this

I carpool with a few guys and this morning they had Rick and Bubba on. When they were talking about this, they called President Obama "the grinch" and played that song. R&B really got a laugh when the song got to the part where it says "You're a bad banana,with a greasy black peel!"

Sickening.

[progressoid]

17. That's what we get for electing a muslin athiest sochalist commie nazi.

It's like this stupid email I've received three times:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/stamps/eidstamp.asp

:banghead:

[AtomicKitten]

18. It will be portrayed as the first salvo in the War on Christmas.