A DeLayed Response (How Big Media is treating Hillary Clinton's campaign finance trial)

Media: The criminal trial of David Rosen, a former staffer of Sen. Hillary Clinton, began Tuesday, but who'd know? Not a public that's been swamped with news of Rep. Tom DeLay's troubles.

But what laws has DeLay broken? And what laws has he been accused of breaking? While it's not possible to answer the former with any degree of certainty, the answer to the latter is: none.

Rosen, on the other hand, is on trial for filing false campaign-finance statements. The FBI says he deliberately understated by two-thirds the cost of a glitzy Hollywood fundraiser "to increase the amount of funds available" for Clinton's Senate run in 2000.

It's not that the media are ignoring the trial altogether. They're simply not putting as much effort into it as they are in their attempt to smear Republican DeLay.

The New York Times, for instance, put its Rosen trial preview story on the front of Monday's B section. But the paper couldn't be bothered sending its own reporter to California to cover the proceedings, though Clinton represents New York. Instead, the Times relied on an AP report for Tuesday's second-day story.

In Washington, where Clinton labors for the people, the Post used the same wire-service story Tuesday, but only on its Web site, not within the pages of the newspaper.

With the trial in its front yard, it's harder for the Los Angeles Times, the nation's other big liberal newspaper, to shrug. So it put a staff-written trial story on the front of Tuesday's B section. We'll see how long it takes for the Times to pull its own reporters from the courtroom and start burying (or ignoring) the AP dispatches.

The media elite would no doubt pay more attention if Clinton herself were on trial. She's not, and neither has she been accused of breaking the law.

But wouldn't the public like to know if she has? Aren't there some journalists out there who want to find out if the senator was aware of the misreporting and therefore complicit in a crime?

That doesn't seem to be the case. But imagine the journalistic enterprise on display if the proceedings involved the former staffer of a GOP senator.

In contrast to the meager coverage accorded Rosen, consider the attention given to DeLay. Between May 5 and Sunday, The New York Times had three stories on DeLay's troubles and a national brief that mentioned "the ethics questions Mr. DeLay is facing." These followed a consistent run of stories on DeLay's problem that goes back weeks.

The L.A. Times had two stories on DeLay late last week, one of them on A1. Meanwhile, the Post has kept the waters around DeLay churning on a regular basis for weeks, often using front-page articles to make the point that he's "embattled."

Maybe the explanation is simple: The media will have plenty of time to see what Clinton's been up to once they've run DeLay out of town. We wouldn't bet on it, though.

"Hey, hoochie mama. I hear Bill is dating - again..."

With the trial in its front yard, it's harder for the Los Angeles Times, the nation's other big liberal newspaper, to shrug. So it put a staff-written trial story on the front of Tuesday's B section.

Looks like you were right...

2 posted on 05/10/2005 5:20:44 PM PDT by Libloather (Start Hillary's recount now - just to get it out of the way...)

Staff written?

Guess the reporters are afraid they'd make the database or hit list?
If Hillary is elected, there will BE no press. There almost isn't now.

3 posted on 05/10/2005 5:30:49 PM PDT by combat_boots (Dug in and not budging an inch. NOT to be schiavoed, greered, or felosed as a patient)

Everything I come across on this is basically a rehash of the Times Picayune article.

A total lack of interest in digging any further is glaringly obvious, at least by MSM.

4 posted on 05/10/2005 5:37:59 PM PDT by smoothsailing (Qui Nhon Turtle Co.)

The mission of the MSM is to cover the @$$e$ of liberal damnocrats.

5 posted on 05/10/2005 5:46:50 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell ( Rather drawing $75,000 per speech? Thank God the country isn't powered by bull sh*t!)

Let's savour the wonderful aroma of this nuetron bomb:
"Hillary on the take of illegal Communist China campaign contributions".
It almost sounds unbelievable.
"If she's elected'?

BooHooHooHaHaHaHaHaAAAAAAAA!

Is Hitlery pretending to be motherly? What a laugh...

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