In its desperation to smear Pres. Obama  and Attorney General Eric Holder (scary black men), Fox News has created a new propaganda meme; i.e. that the aforementioned officials, by their casual attitudes towards pot, are plotting to turn everyone into pot addled Democratic zombies! True story. This morning, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, one of the great brains of our time, reported that a new study shows that marijuana can cause problems in the brain. And, according to Hasselbeck, because Obama and Holder aren't campaigning against this evil drug, they're "sending the wrong message." Her smearfest included George W Bush's drug czar and right wing ideologue John Walters who once referred to California marijuana growers as "violent criminal terrorists" and said that "medical marijuana made no more sense that medical crack." Ya wanna talk "wrong messages?"

Hasselbeck reported that a new study on pot shows that casual use can lead to brain abnormalities and "this comes as the Attorney General [OMG] admits to smoking pot. She posted a quote, from Holder, about his past pot use. She used a semi-animated (Gretchen Carlson was so much better) "oh, no you didn't" dramatic effect when she followed this up with "and President Obama doesn't think pot is any more dangerous than alcohol." She then set the propaganda message with a talking point framed as a question: "Is the White House sending the wrong message about pot?"

She tossed to Walters who bloviated about how this is a "campaign by drug legalizers, funded by George Soros and now the President and the Attorney General, our national leaders on what we should think about as a people for the future and law enforcement are telling you marijuana is safe..." He claimed that "all the science is increasingly showing us that it's dangerous."  After he cited the study, he continued the Fox attack: "The President and the Attorney General are unleashing a large expansion of use, maybe, in addition to Obamacare, the domestic consequences of the Obama administration is going to be marijuana addiction and the harms of wide marijuana use."

As the chyron reinforced the propaganda message, "Downplaying Drugs, Pres. Says Pot Effects on Par w/Drinking," Hasselbeck brought home the propaganda bacon: "Is there... an effort to suck the life out of Americans telling them it's OK to smoke pot?" Walters cited "lies" about marijuana being harmless and the Holder "lie" that prisons are full of non-violent drug offenders. (Walters is lying - "Overall, nearly three-fourths (72.1%) of federal prisoners are serving time for a non-violent offense and have no history of violence.") Walters predicted "serious consequences" for legalization because their leaders are giving them wrong information.

Hasselbeck asked (talking point alert) if legalization is a mechanism to provide funding for government. (Well, gee, Elisabeth, we can't tax rich people...) Walters responded by attacking Obama and Holder as "misguided" and "not following facts" but using "past experiences." He accused them of not looking at the science. (Oh, the irony! This said on a network that denies global warming?!) He accused Obama of not paying attention to the dangers, enumerated on the White House website, of pot. More irony as he whined about how legalization campaigns are well financed. (As the Koch brothers know, money talks!) He blithered about scary Mexicans cartels and how the President is engaging in deceptive "mismanagement." Hasselbeck, her voice choked with emotion, said that she "appreciated" Walters "insight and wisdom" and "a voice that needs to be heard on the issue."

If anything causes brain rot it's Fox & Friends. And presuming that Ms. Hasselbeck has always been drug free, what caused her serious brain drain?

Addendum - For a good take down of Walter's "insight and wisdom" check out Former Drug Czar John Walters: Dumber Than You May Think.