Every week or so, a British newspaper publishes an inflammatory

[hedgehog]

article about Obama. Here's today's story:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x368518

Supposedly Obama is considering retaining Robert Gates as Sec'y of Defense.

Sometimes these stories are from tabloids, sometimes from the more respectable English newspapers. Here's my question:

How many, if any , of these speculative stories panned out?

[Ian David]

1. Well, now that Weekly World News is gone, we don't know who The Alien is endorsing. n/t

[rox63]

5. And how about Bat Boy?

Has he endorsed anyone yet? :rofl:

[Captain Hilts]

8. Well, P'Lod - that's the alien's name - had a wild and wooly fling with Hillary.

According to the Weekly World News, she met him at a Democratic party fundraiser. He's got a 21 inch tongue and understands her as Bill never did.

There was a photograph of P'Lod and her clutchin' on the observation deck of the Empire State Building.

[Ian David]

10. Hillary Clinton Adopts Alien Baby

[Captain Hilts]

11. I have her and P'Lod on the front page framed on my living room wall.

She 'adopted' that baby just like Loretta Young 'adopted' that baby that looked just like Clark Gable.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Gates has done a good job, does not support the Iraq War and...

has fired a lot of deserving people.

He should be considered for maintaining his post.

He's definitely NOT a Bush toadie.

[HannibalBarca]

4. Yep Gates is a solid man

he could very well be retained.

[hedgehog]

3. Here's another one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6429407

[nomaco-10]

6. msnbc and fox comb this site all day....

for these kind of posts and report them as "news". There's another one about "sexism" against the obama campaign, claiming male workers are paid more than females. Most of these posters clearly have an agenda.

It's a real ethical dilemma for me, since I'd like to think I'm all about free speech, but there are some lines being crossed and some agendas being met on the part of many of these posts.

[hedgehog]

7. I'm not certain which posts you're directing your comment at,

the OP or the ones linking to the British news stories. My point is that I suspect that the bulk of the stories reported in the English press turn out to be bogus, regardless of whether the link is to a tabloid or more respectable paper. The stories I saw during the primary season were either stunningly clueless and/or clearly pushing an agenda.

[Zynx]

9. Gates is not exactly a demon even if this is true.

Rumsfeld was a different creature altogether.

[cbayer]

12. A friend from England was visiting yesterday, and I asked him about this.

He said that most of the British press are rags with no credibility. He also said that the majority of people in Britain are very enthusiastic about an Obama presidency and see it as the most important step the US could make in repairing our image and our relationships around the world.

[LeftishBrit]

14. You are right.

We are mercifully spared the RW talk-shows that seem to be so dominant in America; and our TV news reporting is relatively unbiased - but our newspapers are, alas, something else again!

'The Times' is not the worst on actual news, but its opinion-pieces and more speculative stuff are pretty well crap. Don't forget that it's owned by Murdoch!

[hedgehog]

13. To be fair, it goes both ways:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3542283