The Rome, NY Daily Sentinel published an editorial on President Obama’s comment that ninety percent of the firearms recovered in Mexico are traced back to The United States.

A link to the editorial can be found HERE.

Obama’s 15 words

“More than 90 percent of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States”

Those 15 words from President Obama are not true. But it doesn’t matter. Fake but accurate is good enough. Although debunked, the meme was repeatedly repeated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sen Diane Feinstein (D-CA), the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, NBC, the Chicago Tribune and others.

Factcheck.org says, “What Obama should have said is that 90 percent of the guns submitted by Mexican authorities and traced by the U.S. come from the U.S.” The number of guns used in drug-related crimes is unknown and probably countable. Where the guns are manufactured is not significant; it’s a serial number that would assist traceability. Most AK-47 assault rifles, for instance, don’t have serial numbers and would not be submitted to American authorities to trace. As the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms clarified for Factcheck.org, the 90 percent figure represents only guns that were submitted and could be traced.

But, gosh, don’t let accuracy get in the way of a good story. NPR certainly didn’t. They followed up concerns about the accuracy of the 90 percent figure with Polifact.org. Polifact concluded that the 90 percent number was wrong, but “We think the ATF number, presented in its proper context, provides legitimate and useful information to weigh when considering U.S. policy.” Huh? Give Polifact a Dan Rather Bobblehead Doll since they believe that for a good cause, fake but accurate is good enough. NPR, having checked its brains at the door, was greatly relieved to have its prejudices assuaged with verbal legerdemain.

It is useful to know that guns are being transported illegally into Mexico. It is not useful to lie about it. It cheapens the discussion and leads us to discount anything the speaker says.

Obama’s 15 words remind us that George Bush’s famous 16 words regarding Saddam’s pursuit of WMD toasted the brain cells the mainstream media, too. Whether Obama’s 15 words or Bush’s 16 words, mainstream media apparently consists of hounds that can’t hunt.