Has CNN turned into Fox News Lite? A prominently displayed headline this morning indicates that comments about special needs kids made by Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden have sunk campaign rhetoric “to a new low.”

How patently misleading is this headline? Biden’s remarks were specifically critical of Republican VP pick Sarah Palin’s refusal to support stem cell research that scientists believe could bring about significant progress in treatment of neurological ailments, NOT critical of special needs kids or anything about them. While this is made clear in the article, the headline that leaps out seems to say just the opposite.

As a parent of a special needs son, even I was alarmed at the implication. I quickly clicked on the link and read the accompanying article, which is much more fairly written than the headline. Nevertheless, what about those who see such a headline and jump to the conclusion that Biden is trashing special needs kids or the programs that support them?

This appears to be another example of the media’s willingness to distort facts and imbue misleading implications. Clearly the mainstream media has hopped aboard John McCain’s hero-worshipping train to DC, embracing his arch-conservative running mate in their rush to support what they perceive as the eventual winning ticket.

The real danger is that the huge number of Americans who do not make time to read anything more in depth than a bold fonted headline will glean from this deceptive headline that Joe Biden is against special needs children. Once again far too many people are willing to have someone in a position of visibility, i.e., mainstream media, predigest the news for them.

The end result is that they believe what the right-wing dominated media is saying about Obama and his running mate, rather than to seek out and judge the truth for themselves about what the men stand for.

Omigod. Four more years. Not sure we can take it.