Over the last few days there has been an explosion of stories regarding a Fox News report that claimed Fox was, initially, deliberately snubbed by the Treasury Department. Only after other networks in the press pool objected to the exclusion was Fox added to the list of participants, with Major Garrett eventually conducting the interview in question. From Fox:

The Obama administration on Thursday failed in its attempt to exclude Fox News from participating in an interview of an administration official, as Republicans on Capitol Hill stepped up their criticism of the hardball tactics employed by the White House.

Pushback on the story was immediate. The contrary narrative was that in no way was Fox ever deliberately excluded from anything, and by no means did the “real” networks ever defend Fox. From Talking Points Memo:

The network pool crew noticed Fox wasn’t on the list, was told that they hadn’t asked and the crew said they needed to be included. Treasury called the White House and asked top Obama adviser Anita Dunn. Dunn said yes and Fox’s Major Garrett was among the correspondents to interview Feinberg last night.

The story included a statement from the Treasury department that said there was “no plot to exclude Fox News, and they had the same interview that their competitors did. Much ado about absolutely nothing.”

After Talking Points Memo and other outlets began to question the details of Fox News’ initial report, the online left in blogs and on Twitter seized on this as an example of dishonesty on the part of Fox. Salon.com editor Joan Walsh went so far as to refer to it as a “hoax” on her twitter feed, a sentiment in common with some at DailyKos. Washington Monthly’s Political Animal blog declared “Fox News surely knows that this ‘controversy’ is not what it appears to be, but the network pushed it anyway, hoping to score some cheap points and desperate to position itself as a victim.”

The most popular quote, though, was from White House spokesman Josh Earnest, who told TPM that “this White House has demonstrated our willingness to exclude Fox News from newsmaking interviews, but yesterday we did not.”

“Simple as that,” said Talking Points Memo. Only it turns out, not quite.

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Just watch this clip from Mornin’ Joe.

These are pictures of Mao Zedong’s “Great Leap Forward” and “Cultural Revolution.”

Over 75 million people were killed, committed suicide to escape, or died of starvation. That’s what Anita Dunn’s favorite political philosopher enacted.

Students were encouraged to assault and kill their teachers.

Peasants were exhorted to kill capitalists.

The Red Army destroyed temples and killed the religious — exiling the Dalai Lama and starting a wave of religious persecution and execution that goes on even now.

This is the man Anita Dunn treasures for his sage wisdom — a man even the New York Times remembers as a monster, writing “Mao’s crimes against humanity … are so heinous and so gargantuan that they hardly need to be hyped.”

And we pay this woman’s salary.

Following up on Moe’s post you just cannot parody these Obama appointees.

Anita Dunn is Barack Obama’s Communications Director.

She tried starting a war with Fox News that left even leftwing commentators scratching their heads calling Obama a wimp. Claiming that Fox News is part of the right wing echo chamber, Dunn ran to CNN to complain about Fox News not offering sexual favors to Obama like . . . well . . . CNN and the other networks.

How dare it maintain its integrity!?!

Well, thanks to our friend Glenn Beck, we have Anita Dunn on tape declaring her favorite philosopher is Mao — the Chinese Hitler. Mao led the communist revolution in China and became China’s dictatorial and insanely paranoid leader.

Hitler sought to exterminate a whole race of citizen. Mao decided to exterminate all of his citizens, or at least significant classes of citizenry, driving many to suicide to avoid ritualistic violence at the hands of Mao’s red brigade. Mao’s response? “China is such a populous nation, it is not as if we cannot do without a few people.”

Mao’s political and philosophical writings read like Hitler’s Mein Kampf. He drove the educated classes to starvation. Kids were put in charge of adults. Educated workers were forced to work in fields. He fostered a cult of personality that affects China even today.

She describes Mao as not just her favorite political philosopher, but one of the “two people I turn to most.” The other, tragically or humorously depending on your frame of mind, being Mother Teresa. I can bet you that between the two it is not Mother Teresa who Anita Dunn looks to for guidance on abortion policy.

How in God’s name is it acceptable for the woman in charge of the White House’s communications shop to declare Hitler her favorite philosopher? The answer is that it is not. Why then is Mao acceptable?

Supposedly enough of one to steal his schtick, according to Jake Tapper (who is merely passing along what he has been told, mind you).  So why is the interim White House Communications Director suggesting that she’s ripping off a man who is one of the most legendary devil figures in liberal mythology?  The man who the Left has built its two favorite stories - the ‘Southern Strategy’ and Willie Horton - around?  The man who was so hated that Larry Beinhart wrote a best-selling novel that had him reach beyond the grave to start the first Gulf War?

Because it’s still better than Anita Dunn admitting that Mao Tse Tung really is one of her two favorite political philosophers.

Via Ace of Spades. 

I’d like to make it clear: Dunn really was using Mao as an example of how you have to do what you’re going to do, and make sure that you don’t let other people run your life for you. Or, as my (much more apolitical) wife just put it: “Anita Dunn made Mao sound like a cheap inspirational figure, when the guy was a menace.” Seventy. MILLION. Murdered.

I guess that I’m just missing the joke.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to Moe Lane.