There has been a lot of talk about Alicia Machado lately, for which you can blame Trump almost entirely. And not merely because he was the idiot who acted like a fool and a pig all those years ago. But because he wouldn’t let it go this week.

Of course his opponent dredged something up. Of course she ambushed him with it. Of course it was bait. Politics ain’t beanbag, of course.

And of course, Trump took the bait, hook, line, and sinker.

The media can’t wait to get Republicans on a social justice issue, and Trump is ready to give them what they want. But that doesn’t mean the press isn’t equally as guilty. And worse, they neglect to compare gaffe to gaffe, outrage to outrage, or serious harm to serious harm.

Legal Insurrection has provided us with a very pointed reminder of that fact over the weekend, in the story of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. If you think he’s not famous, think again. He’s both famous and infamous. Thanks mainly to Secretary Hillary Clinton.

From Legal Insurrection’s William Jacobson:

…so far there has been near silence this campaign season about how Hillary destroyed the life of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the guy who made the Mohammad film, Innocence of Muslims, that Hillary falsely blamed for the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

Yes, now you remember him. Here’s a video refresher.

Note: “Has led to these protests.” More:

Rage over an “awful internet video” she says.

It’s so very useful to see it and hear it again, because you won’t see or hear those clips on the cable news shows. They’re too busy with their one-sided coverage.

What happened to the man who made the film?

Nakoula was immediately arrested  after publicity about the film revealed that he used the internet in violation of probation terms. While Nakoula’s life is murky, there is no doubt that his life has spiraled downward since the false claim that his movie led to the deaths. He spent a year in prison.

Kerry Pickett at The Daily Caller wrote in November of last year about how his life had changed:

Nakoula, an Egyptian born Coptic Christian, is presently on supervised probation in Los Angeles. He lives a quiet life at a homeless shelter provided by the First Southern Baptist Church. He earns $300.00 a month working part time at a pizza parlor, a job he has had for one year.

“I’m a very poor person. I’m a homeless person. I like to keep my mouth shut. I don’t like to go to jail again. I like to stay with people and be quiet and keep a low profile.”

“I’m working part time in the church and helping the homeless, because I live with them.” According to Nakoula some in the shelter are aware of who he is, but he mainly keeps to himself helping out in the kitchen.

“The shelter gives me everything — food, housing, the whole thing.”

Nakoula is not in touch with his family and is apparently estranged from them. Additionally, he no longer talks to friends or business associates from his past.

“I’m disappeared from them.”

Nakoula said the church continues to help him look for more work, but the Benghazi video controversy has made it difficult.

Living in a homeless shelter. She ruined him. But she didn’t call him fat so … it’s not news?

There’s a lot more at Legal Insurrection. Just last month Fox News followed up on his story. He’s still living in a shelter.

Hillary blamed him, and blamed him again, and then blamed him again. Others in the administration backed her lie. A lie that she didn’t just tell the public.

From Bill Jacobson again:

Hillary’s treachery and lies are now well-known because of documents uncovered against the State Department and Hillary’s wishes. Those documents show that as she was blaming Nakoula’s film for a supposedly spontaneous mob attack, she privately told her daughter and others that it was a planned terrorist attack (which it was).

Remember that? As we heard at the Republican Convention, Clinton likewise lied directly to the faces of the family members of those who were killed.

I noted last week that it is the job of blogs and online publications to hold politicians accountable, whatever their party. How much more so, then, does that responsibility rest on the television news, both broadcast and cable?

If you want to talk about harm done to someone through a candidate’s public words, then sure, you can bring up the former Miss Universe. That co-interview she had to endure with Trump was excruciating. His remarks about her were grotesque. All true. Fair.

But if that harm done through public words is a story, surely homeless and branded Nakoula Basseley Nakoula merits a mention, as well. Hillary harmed him through deceit. That’s worth remembering.