DEMAND THAT JENNIFER LOVEN OF AP BE TAKEN OFF THE PREZ CAMPAIGN (CLEAR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)

Associated Press (link is to another FR Thread) ^ | September 25, 2004 | AP (link to to another FR thread)

[litany_of_lies]

Jennifer Loven is the AP reporter responsible for the over-the-top biased article "Bush, Kerry Twisting Each Other's Words" filed today.

As noted in that thread, she is also author of a hit piece back in June pretending that the Bush Administration was being damaged by Richard (Yellowcake Fraud) Clarke:

"Bush not able to dispel questions"
HERE

What is not known is that she has NO BUSINESS covering the Presidential campaign or the Presidency in general for the following reasons (hat tip to PowerLine Blog):

1. Her husband, Roger Ballentine, has donated over $7000 to various Democrat candidates and the DNC in the past 10-plus years, including $1250 to the Kerry campaign:

HERE

(If someone could post a pic of this page, it would be much appreciated).

2. Her husband is not only a Democrat contributor, but also a former Clinton Administration official(!):

Washington Life Magazine-May 2003: Real Estate News (scroll down):

Extract:
Roger Ballentine is president of Green Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in energy and environmental issues, and was previously deputy assistant to President Clinton for environmental initiatives and chairman of the White House Climate Change Task Force. He also sits on the board of directors of Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF)along with actors Ed Begley, Jr. and Larry Hagman.

[litany_of_lies]

In light of the blatant conflicts of interest, Ms. Loven's assignment to the Presidential campaign by AP is inexcusable. She should be reassigned immediately.

By way of comparison:
- A CPA who audits a public company can't own stock in that company, and NEITHER can his spouse or immediate family. Certainly Ms. Loven can't be allowed to report on the presidential campaign when her husband is a "part-owner" of the Kerry campaign.
- Imagine if the wife of a Halliburton executive who contributed to the Bush campaign were covering the presidential race for the AP or any other national news organization. The howls would be unending.

++++++

Complain to:
info@ap.org

OR

Call 212-621-1500 and ask for Extension 6060 to leave a recorded message at AP Headquarters in New York (goes to National Desk during nonbusiness hours, but they can still transfer you).

I would suggest complaining ONLY about the CONFLICT OF INTEREST and NOT about the content--even if she were the most fair person in the world, she is not independent in appearance or in fact, and shouldn't be on the presidential beat.

If someone wants me to draft language for them, I'll do it in a later post to this thread.

As long as her byline is on a story about the Presidential campaign, you simply cannot and should no believe a word of it.

[BCrago66]

I read Powerline.com just like you, so I know what you're talking about. If you harrass AP based upon the activities of the husband of a reporter, you're just going to make AP dig in more, because it just isn't rational to hold one spouse responsible for the political activities of another.

Better to be more straitforward and just point out that her articles are biased on their face.

[AFPhys]

More "news" from this reporter... http://www.showmenews.com/2003/Jul/20030721News011.asp

Bush not able to dispel questions
Intelligence critics just won’t go away.

By JENNIFER LOVEN Associated Press Writer
Published Monday, July 21, 2003

WASHINGTON The White House defense of President George W. Bush’s now-disavowed claim that Iraq was seeking uranium in Africa has evolved over the last two weeks: blame others, stonewall, bury questions in irrelevant information and, above all, hope it will go away.

So far, none has worked.

In question: Sixteen words in Bush’s Jan. 28 State of the Union speech: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

At issue: The credibility of the president’s allegation that Saddam was rebuilding a nuclear weapons program. The assertion that Iraq was trying to buy uranium was a key component of that claim — and a key piece of Bush’s justification for war.

The flap started on July 6, when an envoy sent by the CIA to Africa last year to investigate the uranium claim contended that the Bush administration ignored — and possibly manipulated — his findings.

In a New York Times op-ed article, Joseph Wilson, former U.S. ambassador to Gabon, said it was highly doubtful that any transaction took place.

The next day, the White House acknowledged that Bush should not have made the claim because of concerns about the intelligence behind it. The documents allegedly showing an Iraq-Niger uranium connection turned out to be forgeries. ...

END OF QUOTE---
Of course, as the 9/11 Commission UNANIMOUSLY reported (as did the Senate Intelligence Committee report and Lord Butler's report) the LIAR WAS JOE WILSON, and the yellowcake intel was not dependent on the forgeries at all.

Good ol' Jennifer based her FRAUDCAST report on FALSE information from a single source LIAR.

Sound familiar?

Puts this little hit piece in perspective, eh?

[petitfour]

My first thoughts after reading the subject of this thread were of The Plame-Wilsons. Lots of conflicting interests in the Beltway.

[HAL9000]

Some of the web sites carrying the article have labeled it as an "analysis" (i.e. an opinion), so the AP will not remove her.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Ever notice how these AP types never byline their stories on terrorism, and they don't even say terrorism most of the time.

[USA_Soccer]

Sent 2 emails

[SkyPilot]

If you harrass AP based upon the activities of the husband of a reporter, you're just going to make AP dig in more, because it just isn't rational to hold one spouse responsible for the political activities of another.

I agree that we are not in the business of "harassment." That is not what we do, but what the other side engages in.

However, AP must and will feel the sting of rebuke for their unprofessional actions. The AP was forced to retract the "Crowd Booed Clinton's Illness and Bush Did Nothing!" fabrication.

To point out the conflict of interest is not harassing the AP. In today's atmosphere (given the fallout of CBS's abominable behavior) this is an especially valid concern.

[oolatec]

The Debates represent Custar's Last Stand for the DNC/Kerry campaign and their buddies in the media. They are going to do all they can to tell you what to think.

[litany_of_lies]

If you harrass AP based upon the activities of the husband of a reporter, you're just going to make AP dig in more, because it just isn't rational to hold one spouse responsible for the political activities of another.

If the conflict was limited to political contributions, I'd agree (crossing fingers).

But she is not only not independent in appearance, she is not independent IN FACT, because of her husband's active ties to the previous administration. Her family's well-being improves, probably directly, if a Democrat wins the White House. Such a person is by definition not objective.

So even if she is the most fair person in the world (which she isn't), the lack of independence disqualifies her from the prez beat.

And I would ask again, "What are the chances that AP would assign the wife of a Halliburton exec to the prez beat, even if he didn't contribute a dime to any party?

[litany_of_lies]

She's entitled to her opinion as long as she discloses her conflicts of interest.

She hasn't.

By any reasonable standard of disclosure, she's not entitled to opine for AP until she does.

[Leroy S. Mort]

AP should certainly assign one of their conservative reporters to the President. Whom do you recommend?

[silverleaf]

It must really suck to be Jennifer Loven.

I mean, imagine waking up every day thinking you are a "journalist"- when you really aren't. Imagine thinking you are a crusader for truth and justice when you really aren't. Just imagine thinking you are going to oh-so-cleverly and intellectually nuance your analyis (ie, hit piece) and discredit the President and advance the election of John Kerry- when you really aren't.

I think in the aftermath of "Rathergate", FreeRepublic needs to start our very own forum "Clymer Award for Distorted Reporting (They Report, We Deride!!!!".

Jennifer Loven could be a CONTENDER.

[litany_of_lies]

I don't CARE if the reporter covering Bush or Kerry is conservative or liberal.

I care that they have no conflict of interest in covering EITHER campaign, and that they make every attempt to be fair and balanced.

Ms. Loven passes neither test, but the one that REALLY matters from a professional standpoint is the clear personal conflicts she has. I hearken back to the rules CPAs have to follow. Lawyers are similarly constrained, as are judges and many others.

I would be curious to know if AP is even aware of how conflicted Ms. Loven is, especially given her hubby's different last name.

[rodguy911]

Just imagine what the polls would look like now if we got even "close" to a fair shake from the MMSM'ers.

[DCPatriot]

To 50% of the population she is a soldier for liberalism...er, Socialism.

[litany_of_lies]

Great points. Ya think Jen gave Richard Clarke's embarrassing repudiation equal coverage?

[rodguy911]

Since when are AP stories based on opinion instead of straight news of "current" stories. I must be really old fashioned.

[Dont Mention the War]

Lara Jakes Jordan is the AP reporter who made sure that Rick Santorum was raked through the mud a year or so ago. Guess who she's married to? Jim Jordan, Kerry's former campaign director and current "employee" of the Bush-hate 527 known as the "Media Fun."

[Casaubon]

file this under the "no duh"

a press member working for the dems....say it aint so!