So here's what I believe just happened with this 'Super Congress' story...

[kayakjohnny]

This post came up and ruffled a lot of feathers, as well it should have....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1561482

Next I go to google news search and get this page....

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&xhr=t&q=%27Super+Congress%27%3A+Debt+Ceiling+Negotiators+Aim+To+Create+New+Legislative+Body&cp=77&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=nws&source=og&sa=N&tab=wn&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=c6faf1f164bac4e5&biw=1264&bih=815

As you can see, it's really just the Huffington Post story, written by Ryan Grim.

Then I keep looking around and all I'm able to find is reposts of excerpts of this one story by Ryan Grim....

http://my.firedoglake.com/teddysanfran/2011/07/23/shock-doctrine-next-phase-the-super-congress/

http://www.economonitor.com/blog/2011/07/more-shades-of-tarp-latest-deficit-ceiling-plan-to-establish-extra-constitutional-legislative-process/

Then, I just typed in 'Super Congress', rather than the actual Huffington Post headline, and I got two news stories. One from the Daily Mail and one from Newsmax. But all they did was to reference the original piece from Huffington Post.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=esqb,ratio&pq=%27super%20congress%27%3A%20debt%20ceiling%20negotiators%20aim%20to%20create%20new%20legislative%20body&xhr=t&q=%27Super%20Congress%27&cp=16&pf=p&sclient=psy&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=%27Super+Congress%27&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=44eb8ccc40613db6&biw=1264&bih=815&bs=1

And I checked the rest of google on the non-news search for 'Super Congress' and got this page....

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=esqb,ratio&pq=%27super%20congress%27%3A%20debt%20ceiling%20negotiators%20aim%20to%20create%20new%20legislative%20body&xhr=t&q=%27Super%20Congress%27&cp=16&pf=p&sclient=psy&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=%27Super+Congress%27&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=44eb8ccc40613db6&biw=1264&bih=815&bs=1

And all of these stories reference the same exact original story from Ryan Grim at Huffington Post

To me, it seems like one guy came up with this idea and has now thrown the whole net into a reactionary freakout.

If I'm wrong then I'm wrong, but something seems suspect about this story to me at this point.

[girl gone mad]

1. So you believe its fake because the media isn't covering it?

Interesting.

[kayakjohnny]

4. I believe that one guy is saying it.

And that many people are repeating what that one guy said.

[girl gone mad]

7. The Washington Post reported it first.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/no-hints-of-breakthrough-in-white-house-debt-talks/2011/07/23/gIQAdDxKVI_story.html?hpid=z1

"Then Congress would go to work to produce as much as $3 trillion in additional savings through an overhaul of the tax code and major changes to Social Security and Medicare, the biggest drivers of federal spending. To identify those savings, Congress would create a new bipartisan debt-reduction committee comprising 12 lawmakers from both the House and Senate, an idea offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.)."

[Tennessee Gal]

8. A committee is not a Super Congress. nt

[girl gone mad]

10. “Super Congress” was the nickname given by insiders..

because of the extraordinary new powers the committee would be given.

[kayakjohnny]

11. Sorry, I just don't see the leap between what's in your link vs. the HP story.

The mention in your story seems related to this debt case, specifically.

Whereas the Huffington Post piece makes it seem like a permanent body, that will embed itself into non-related issues from here on out.

[girl gone mad]

17. I'll have to remember from now on that when the media doesn't cover a story..

in depth and across organizations, that means it isn't really happening.

[kayakjohnny]

20. Hey, I would love to be proven wrong.

If there is legitimate cause to be.

Right now, there just isn't.

Something this big would surely be verified by more than one source.

When someone else appears to back up this one guy's claim, I will admit that there is a story here.

For now, it just falls flat with me.

[girl gone mad]

21. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

You have not proven that Grim's reporting is baseless or inaccurate. You have only demonstrated that there is a lack of reporting on the subject. We can't conclude from this argument that the proposal never existed.

[kayakjohnny]

25. You are totally right.

It would have been good if he'd included a single quote or a single person's name, or even an un-named source for me to hang my hat on.

Other than: "multiple news reports and people familiar with his plan say."

[defendandprotect]

15. No - probably because Huffington wrote the article -- !!

You know, Jane Hamsher and all that -- !!


:evilgrin:

[Blecht]

2. Thanks for starting this thread

I'll be interested in seeing if there is really nothing to this after all.

[kayakjohnny]

12. You're welcome.

Me too.

Obviously.

Thanks for the thanks.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. That's usually a right-wing phenomenon...

One article is reposted thousands of times and shared via viral email. It's shared so much that that the original post is often very hard to find, even though the post/article is repeated verbatim.

When it's "all over the Internet," it doesn't mean much if it's the exact same article, especially if it's an opinion piece.

Edit to add that I don't have an opinion as to the veracity of the claims of a "Super Congress" being created, I'm just commenting on what the OP found in his/her search.

:)

[emulatorloo]

22. Excellent description of how the right-wing noise machine works.

I too have no comment on the HuffPo story. But it is interesting that NewsMax picked it up.

[Lint Head]

5. If any of this is true it's time to march on Washington with damn pitchforks in hand.

[defendandprotect]

18. :"If any of it is true" ... ? What do you think they've been doing all along except

move the responsibilities of Congress OUT of Congress -- !!!

That's why the FED is setting our economic policy, employment goals, interestd

rates, money supply -- economic outlook!!

Stimulus -- bail out funds/interest charged corporations!!


What do you think the "Cat Food Commission" is ... ?

Congress voted it down and Obama appointed it anyway -


What about Obama's back room deals with Big Pharma and the private H/C industry

which trampled MEDICARE FOR ALL -- and betrayed the American public - ???



This has been going on for decades -- !!!

[spanone]

6. our ministries of mis-information

[NightWatcher]

9. maybe it was just a trial balloon being floated to see how people would react

DU shoots down lots of trial balloons

[snappyturtle]

13. I did the same research. I did come up with another 'story' reported by the Boston Herald.

In it, Pawlenty says the President needs to be removed from office! Here you go:

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view.bg?articleid=1353830&srvc=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bostonherald%2Fnews+(News+%26+Opinion+-+BostonHerald.com)

[kayakjohnny]

14. I guess Timmy wasn't around for that big old 31 minute press conference on Friday.

Timmy: "If you’re the leader of the free world, would you please come to microphone and quit hiding in the basement about your proposals, and come on up and address the American people? Is he chicken?" the former Minnesota governor told CNN’s "State of the Union."


"Oooops", Timmy later thought to himself.

[snappyturtle]

19. I wouldn't give Timmy credit for thinking he committed an 'oooops!" lol. nt

[emulatorloo]

23. Yeah, he'll pretty much say anything. He gives a rats ass whether his words are true.

[AsahinaKimi]

16. Is waiting for the Supreme Court to start calling itself the

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA!

[emulatorloo]

24. Lol beautiful!

Thanks

[Blecht]

26. another kick

Was this a bullshit story or not?

It really is hard to dig through all the garbage to find the truth. But I guess that's by design.