Media Fail at Fact Checking on 12 Year Old Voice of SCHIP; Blogs(Free Republic) Pick Up Slack

NewsBusters ^ | October 7, 2007

[Eric Blair 2084]

The media piled on when President Bush used his veto pen on this children's health insurance bill. They tried to drop the absolute moral authority bomb on it big time and paint him as not caring about children. Now it looks like a little backfire is on the horizon.

On September 29th, 12 year old Graeme Frost of Maryland got to do the Democrats’ radio address, in which he told his story of how he and his sister were seriously injured in a car accident, and if it hadn’t been for SCHIP, they wouldn’t be here today. The Baltimore Sun did a story on the family, in which it stated the family couldn’t get health insurance through their work.

"Bonnie Frost works for a medical publishing firm; her husband, Halsey, is a woodworker. They are raising their four children on combined income of about $45,000 a year. Neither gets health insurance through work."

There were many others in the media that swallowed the story whole with its hook. All of them were missing greatly in one major thing, facts.

Freerepublic's icwhatudo, managed to find plenty of missing facts using google:

"First, Mr. Halsey Frost, Graeme’s father, owns his own woodworking design studio, Frostworks, so his claim that he can’t get health insurance through work is shockingly deceptive. He chooses not to get health care for his family. Second, Graeme and his sister Gemma attend the very exclusive Park School, which has a tuition of $20,000 a year, per child. Third, they live in a 3,000+ square foot home in a neighborhood with smaller homes that are selling for at least $400,000. "

Dan Collins concludes:

"I’m glad little Graham and his family were able to get help, and I hope he reaches full rehabilitation. But perhaps the Democrats ought to take more care in the spokespeople they choose, if they wish to tug at our heartstrings."

Then again, as Mark Steyn says:

"But who needs facts when you've got the human-interest angle sewn up?"

Roundup of blogosphere reactions at Stop The ACLU

[incredulous joe]

My motto for years now:

“Liberals Lie!”

[Rightfootforward]

Standing O for icwhatudo!

[cgbg]

The IRS will never go after them

I agree they won't be singled out, but I would be worried if I were a blue collar tradesperson that owned their own business in that community.

IRS has audited entire communities before (using building permits--as I discussed in another post) so this fiasco may have many others caught in the crossfire down the line.

[cgbg]

There have been several media sources reporting that the house was refinanced in the past couple of years. That does beg the question of what numbers the lender was shown. This has "Alt-A" loan written all over it.

:-)

[silverleaf]

Until real evidence of fraud is presented, one must presume to give the benefit of the doubt.

My kids need new shoes and teeth cleanings. I can't afford it. Send me money. Thanks for givng me the benefits of any doubts and send me money as soon as soon possible.