I guess when you are paid to play “gotcha”…

…you have to reach sometimes.

You know considering how easy this was to debunk by Stacy you would think they would be embarrassed:

Well, to start with, how did this audio become “newly uncovered”? Waaaayy down in his story at Media Matters, Hananoki explains:

Media Matters obtained audio of Sammon’s remarks by purchasing it through Hillsdale College.

Yeah: They sold audio of the speeches made by Sammon and others during this cruise. And so it wasn’t exactly hush-hush. And of course, in context, you see that what Sammon is saying about this “Barack the Socialist” meme is that it was what everybody on Fox was discussing at the time, and he took part in those discussions despite whatever private doubts he might have had about the term.

I can almost hear Joe Pesci saying: “I’m finished with this guy” after reading McCain, but hey Media Matters is paid to to find there there so there going to find there there even if there isn’t much of any. Of course if you aren’t paid to find it, then you’re Charles Johnson.

Update: Actually Bill they don’t want people to listen to the tape, they only want them to repeat the headline.