Sexpidemic! (Congressional Division) Topic: WorldNetDaily
It took the word "orgies" -- well, actually, a Republican congressman's accusation of orgies -- but WorldNetDaily has finally sprung into action and showed a little interest in Duke Cunningham scandal-related activities.
A mere month or so after the allegation first surfaced (despite WND's prurientinterest in sexual matters), a June 2 WND article reports on the hookers-and-poker segment of the Cunningham scandal -- but only because Rep. Peter King issued a threat to "launch an investigation into rumors of orgies involving CIA agents at the Watergate Hotel" if New York doesn't get more Homeland Security money.
This is only the fourth mention of Cunningham scandals in an original WND news article since last December, when Cunningham resigned after pleading guilty to taking bribes, despite WND's claim to be "a watchdog exposing government waste, fraud, corruption and abuse of power."
Two, Two, Two Distortions In One Topic: NewsBusters
A June 2 NewsBusters post by John Armor not only offers a false comparison, but it serves up a little guilt by association on the side.
Armor claims that "the press are trying to protect both Democrats and blacks from the consequences of their own misdeeds," serving up as an example the disparate coverage given to the corruption of former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and that of former Rep. Frank Ballance. Armor wrote:
What explains the difference in coverage? Well, Cunningham is a white Republican, therefore a target of opportunity for much of the press. Ballance, on the other hand, is a black Democrat. And we cannot have strongly negative coverage of blacks and Democrats in the press, now can we?
[...]
There are three possible reasons why this crooked Republican got big ink, but this crooked Democrat gets little ink. One is that Republicans are held to a higher standard. Corruption is considered par for the course, especially among big city Democrats. The other two are that the press are trying to protect both Democrats and blacks from the consequences of their own misdeeds.
In fact, there are significant differences in the types and severity of the offenses committed, which Armor fails to note. Cunningham, who was first elected to Congress in 1990, resigned after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for using in order to help a defense contractor get government contracts, a scandal that is likely to touch other members of Congress.
Meanwhile, Ballance -- who was in his first term as a congressman -- was not charged with crimes committed while a congressman, or of a bribery charge. He was accused of channeling $2.3 million in state money over 10 years, while serving as a state legislator, to a nonprofit foundation he operated to help poor people fight drug and alcohol abuse, then giving some of that money to family and friends. He was sentenced to four years in prison and agreed to repay $61,917.25 and to forfeit $203,000 in a bank escrow account.
Then, for no apparent reason but to smear House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Armor -- without accusing her specifically of any legal or ethical violations -- noted that Pelosi is "the daughter of one Baltimore Mayor, Tommy D'Alesandro Sr, and the sister of another, Tommy III. Both Tommys were crooked as a dog's hind leg, but only one ever was charged with anything. Tommy III was charged with rape as a young man, and charged with bribery as Mayor." But Armor fails to note that all of this took place more than 30 years ago -- Tommy D'Alesandro III left office in 1971 -- nor does he explain its relevance to today's political situation. (Armor likes this bit of trivia so much he has posted it at leasttwice at Free Republic, where he's known as Congressman Billybob.)
I know what the agenda of the Charity, Freedom and Diversity Party is. I know what the agenda of the Democratic Party is. I know what the agenda of the American Civil Liberties Union is. I know what the agenda of Hillary Clinton is.
The Charity, Freedom and Diversity Party is a new political party in the Netherlands formed by "self-avowed pedophiles" who favor the lowering the age of consent from 16 to 12, broadcasting pornographic material on daytime television, and allowing children as young as 12 to feature in porn films. Farah has no evidence -- nor will he find any -- that the Democratic Party, the ACLU and Hillary Clinton endorse this party or its platform. It is a lie for Farah to insinuate that they do, and it is a smear to suggest that they share an agenda.
Remember, Farah is on record as a liar and plagiarizer, so such dishonest rhetoric is, sadly, not surprising.
The Abuse Continues Topic: NewsBusters
Even in a harmless, non-judgmental NewsBusters post by Brent Baker about a soldier who gave his Purple Heart to CBS' Kimberly Dozier, some NewsBusters commenters just can't stop denigrating journalists. From the thread:
Too bad that reporters don't act the same way as this soldier has....
This is why American Servicemen are truly an asset to this country. Selfless in their duty, honorable in their character, true to each other and their country and yet this soldier extended his heart-felt compassion towards someone who works for an organization that is looking for America to lose. In the face of that, he is a better man than I am.
I really hate this kind of sentimentalism. First, the woman getting injured in no way makes her suffering on a par with 'any soldier', especially when her very reporting is responsible for increasing the suffering of soldiers, due to the US Media constantly being willing pawns and enablers to the terrorist agenda.
I think this post was to in no way elevate this woman (who deserves none) but to show what kind of men our soldiers are.
I realize that, I just think the soldier made a mistake. It was kind and gracious, but in my opinion, totally wrong. The liberal media is the enemy of every soldier risking their life in Iraq. Anything that brings comfort to them, or helps to bring credit to the way that these people have failed to report on any positive news in Iraq, yet rush like the wind to report the negative things, to me is wrong.
Fortunately, this abuse was followed by something unusual: a NewsBusters contributing writer, Tom Blumer, defending the soldier's act -- and Dozier:
I think you're overreacting. I'm not going to sit here and question a thoughtful gesture made by a soldier. He met her previously, so why not provide comfort to her and her family?
I can't prove it, but I think Dozier has played it relatively straight with her reports. Also don't forget that higher-ups decide what actually appears on your TV screen, and to an extent what they want the reporter to emphasize when she appears on camera.
But, of course, no good deed goes unpunished, as a commenter responded to Blumer:
When Ms Dozier was injured, the media could barely squeeze into their reports that a soldier had also been killed in the blast that took her co-workers. I dont think I can react strongly enough to this madness. I dont blame the soldier who honored her, as I said though, the whole thing just makes me sick.
Also, to play it straight as you said, would mean that Ms Dozier and others reported ALL the news, unless you are actually trying to suggest that her producers are responsible for editing out her 'positive' stories.
You should have stopped after "I cant prove it"........
Sigh. Sad, isn't it?
UPDATE: The latest wet dream from this thread:
My dreamlike fantasy that will never happen is to see them all exposed from their emails to their private conversations down to their treasonous editing of all their war coverage, while they are all strapped into a CIA watersurfboard begging for 6 months to correct all the partisan record.
"La Raza," or "the Race," is a designation by many Mexicans who see themselves as part of a transnational ethnic group they hope will one day reclaim Aztlan, the mythical birthplace of the Aztecs. In Chicano folklore, Aztlan includes California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and parts of Colorado and Texas.
In fact, as David Neiwert details, "la Raza' actually translates more closely as 'the people,' that is, the Latino people -- who are constituted of multiple races. That is, it is an ethnic identity -- one that specifically repudiates racial distinctions."
WND then writes the following about the Latino group MEChA:
MEChA, founded at U.C. Santa Barbara in 1969, has the stated goal of returning the American Southwest to Mexico.
In fact, according to Neiwert, "the MEChA version of 'Aztlan,' conceptually speaking, is of an explicitly spiritual homeland based on their heritage as native American peoples."
Well, we can take some comfort in the fact that, unlike Michelle Malkin, WND didn't claim that MEChA is in favor of "killing all non-Latinos" in the Aztlan territory. But give 'em time -- WND will certainly get around to doing it.
NewsBusters Commenters Revel in Violent Anti-Media Fantasies Topic: NewsBusters
The wounding of CBS correspondent Kimberly Dozier in Iraq and the the deaths of her cameraman and sound man has once again brought out the violent anti-media fantasies of commenters at NewsBusters.
From comments in a May 30 post by Warner Todd Huston complaining that too much attention was being given to Dozier:
I'm curious, is there a breakdown of these "journalists?" I wonder how many worked for the terrorists.......er.......al Jazeera? Or who worked for the insurgency.........er........al Reuters?
I guess it just shows you the average journalist is pretty good target practice and has an IQ around room temperature
Shameful that they dont have any sense to duck or get out of the way or that they report lies and falsehoods. Or shameful in the way the dead are exploited by the MSM for political purposes and even more so their colleagues. [...] I doubt from any reporting in the MSM that any of the MSM reporters know the score. They rolled the dice and it came up snake eyes.
Q: What do you call 100 journalists at the bottom of the ocean? A: A good start.
So whats so special about journalists that were killed? What makes them so special? More so than the troops that are killed and injured? I dont get it Scotty. What makes them worthy of special treatment? More special than the troops?
...aren't there a lot more journalists in Iraq than there were in Viet Nam...? Just like the terrorists - it's much better to have them all gather in Iraq - much easier to kill them all in one place!! I'm kidding, of course...but go ahead libbies - feel free to trash me with your trademark "tolerance" anyway...
From the comments in a June 1 post by Clay Waters complaining that the New York Times quoted the president of NBC News criticizing conservative radio host Laura Ingraham for claiming that reporters are covering the Iraq war from hotel balconies, a claim that Dozier's injuries and her co-workers' deaths put the lie to:
Either way, I will not lose any sleep over this journalist or any other journalist being struck by an IED. Maybe next time, they will consider who the real bad guy is.
Compassionate conservatism doesn't apply to journalists, apparently.
WND keeps up the self-promotional lies in a May 30 article listing the most popular items for sale at its bookstore:
David Kupelian's "The Marketing of Evil" – banned by faculty of Ohio State University as "hate literature" and "homophobic tripe" – maintains the top spot on the ShopNetDaily list.
In fact, as we've pointed out, Kupelian's book was never banned at the school; even the WND-penned article linked as support for the claim, despite being headlined "University faculty bans WND book," never states that the book was banned. Criticized for repeating the factually dubious Kinsey-bashing of Judith Reisman, sure, but not banned.
Such easily disprovable claims hardly inspire trust in the journalistic integrity of WND.
Quote of the Day (And More) Topic: Media Research Center
"Unger's 'Swift-Boating' characterization presumes, of course, that there was some unfairness with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth's ads against John Kerry."
-- Brent Baker, in a May 31 MRC CyberAlert item (and NewsBusters post) claiming that MSNBC "Countdown" guest host Brian Unger "ludicrously" documented the "Swift-Boating of Al Gore" by conservatives over his anti-global-warming movie "An Inconvenient Truth."
But the fun doesn't stop there. Baker downplayed the Nazi references used against Gore because 1) they were either originally documented by "left-wing" sources or were plucked from the "78th paragraph" of a Washington Post article, and 2) Gore himself once drew "a parallel between fighting global warming and fighting the Nazis."
Baker then goes on to claim that "In fact, during the 2004 campaign, Gore 'Swift-Boated' the Bush administration" because Gore used the term "digital brownshirts" to describe conservatives who attack the media for purportedly "undermining support for our troops."
NewsMax Peddles Distorted Stats on Iraq Topic: Newsmax
We'll let Sadly, No! handle the false claim made by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who, according to a May 29 NewsMax article, claimed that "Iraq actually has a lower civilian violent death rate than Washington, D.C."
Needless to say, it's highly distorted to the point of being false. And also needless to say, don't look for NewsMax to correct the record anytime soon.
Inaccuracy in Media: Kincaid Ignores Facts Topic: Accuracy in Media
Accuracy in Media's Cliff Kincaid, in his May 31 AIM column, is still having trouble with the facts.
First, Kincaid claimed that MSNBC's Chris Matthews has a "determination to exploit anything remotely considered bad news for Bush or Cheney." Would this be the same Matthews who, just the other day, likened President Bush to Abraham Lincoln? Who has called Bush "charming," that he "glimmers" with "sunny nobility," who has also likened Bush to Atticus Finch, and whose program is lopsided with conservative-leaning guests?
Kincaid then continued his factually dubious attacks on Washington Post reporter Dana Priest over her Pulitzer-winning stories on secret CIA prisons in Europe. He called the stories "unsubstantiated," adding: "One of her sources was the fired CIA officer Mary O. McCarthy, a John Kerry campaign contributor." But as we've preveiously noted, neither the CIA nor Priest have claimed that McCarthy was a source for Priest's stories.
New Article: Stories Gone Bad: The MRC's Double Standard Topic: Media Research Center
The Media Research Center bashes ABC News for a story it claims is wrong -- but a story the MRC promoted is quietly buried when it turned out to be false. Read more.
Ford Supports What? Topic: WorldNetDaily
"Ford backs homosexual polygamy" reads the headline of a May 31 WorldNetDaily article. Well, not exactly; Ford merely has an ad in an issue of the Advocate magazine, which has an article that, according to WND, is "pressing for homosexual polygamy."
Does this mean that we can claim that Swiss America Trading Corp., Voice of the Martyrs and other WND advertisers support, among other things, plagiarism and the execution of adulterers?
CNS Labeling Bias Alert Topic: CNSNews.com
A May 30 CNSNews.com article by Susan Jones on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage keeps up CNS' tradition of labeling bias. She describes the American Family Association as "a staunch defender of traditional marriage," but the Human Rights Campaign is described as "a homosexual advocacy group." Apparently, Jones doesn't think the AFA engages in "advocacy."
LeBoutillier Still Pimps Discredited Hillary Book Topic: Newsmax
In his May 30 NewsMax column, John LeBoutillier is still promoting Ed Klein's "The Truth About Hillary," which comes out in paperback soon, hyperbolically claiming: "It will - in the end - have done more to keep her out of the Oval Office than any other book." He also recounts NewsMax's "yeoman's work to publicize the book. Newsmax repeatedly covered all of the twists and turns as the MSM showed its true colors as an adjunct of team Clinton."
But as we reported when the book first came out (here and here), NewsMax's coverage of "the twists and turns" of Klein's book failed to note the fact that book contains numerous factual errors and misrepresentations. And, needless to say, LeBoutillier makes no mention of the book's errors in his column.
CNS Ignores Whole Story on Jesus Cartoons Topic: CNSNews.com
A May 26 CNSNews.com article by Dawn Rizzoni about a student newspaper at the University of Oregon that ran controversial cartoons featuring Jesus omits some pertinent information. While Rizzoni noted a statement from the publication, the Student Insurgent, that it published the cartoons in response to a Danish newspaper's publication of cartoons featuring the Islamic prophet Mohammed, she fails to note, as Media Matters does, that another University of Oregon student publication -- which, like the Insurgent, also receives student activity fund money -- also ran the Mohammed cartoons, and that the Insurgent's Jesus cartoons were also a response to that.
