Dowd’s virtual fib.

Technorati Tags: New York Times,Maureen Dowd,President Obama,Republican Party,language

The New York Times’ columnist Maureen Dowd recently pulled a boner in her column.  Here’s what was printed in the on-line piece:

[Obama’s] own chuckleheaded remark: “If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”

And here’s the context of the quote from the President’s remarks (from the Huffington Post):

"Look, if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. You didn't get there on your own," Obama said then. "I'm always struck by people who think, `Well, it must be because I was just so smart.' There are a lot of smart people out there. `It must be because I worked harder than everybody else.' Let me tell you something: There are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help."

Obama cited teachers and mentors who helped "create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges."

Then, Obama teed up the line that left Republicans giddy. "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet," Obama said, returning to his thesis.

"The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together."

So, Dowd, like the Republican talking points took 14 words out of more than 100 and left her Sunday readers with the impression, the same impression the Republicans want people to have, that the President was disrespecting business entrepreneurs throughout the country.

Shame on you Ms Dowd. You work with words; you know better.

Trust, Dear Reader, but verify. Otherwise you might be telling a virtual lie.

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