Posted on 08/13/2005 10:24:11 AM PDT by Carl/NewsMax
Senate candidate Jeanine Pirro's spokesman Mike McKeon was right on target Friday when he blamed Hillary Clinton's "attacks dogs and their surrogates" for digging up a four-year-old campaign contribution from a Connecticut company with alleged mob ties.
On Saturday, the New York Daily News, which gave the story major coverage, vigorously denied any Clinton connection, insisting, "The News obtained the information from campaign and court records and had no contact with Clinton or any of her aides in drafting the story."
The truth is, the News - along with the rest of its mainstream brethren - doesn't need to get its marching orders direct from Hillary's attack machine. New York's lockstep liberal media will be only too happy to do Mrs. Clinton's dirty work for her.
The evidence?
Pirro's Senate campaign is less than a week old - and already the press has bombarded its readers with coverage of her husband's tax fraud conviction and out-of-wedlock child, with a Lexis Nexis search turning up 34 reports mentioning both of Mr. Pirro's transgressions in the same story.
Compare that to the coverage of Hillary Clinton. In all of last year - while the press has been rife with speculation that the former first lady intends to seek the White House - a Lexis Nexis search for stories on Mr. Clinton's "impeachment" that also mentioned the "sexual assault" allegations that surfaced at the time came up empty.
Reporters have pronounced Mrs. Clinton "scandal free" since leaving the White House, but that's demonstrably untrue. In fact, while her press coverage has been "scandal free" - the scandals themselves have continued unabated.
Here's a few highlights from Hillary's Senate career that have been ignored by the same reporters currently digging up dirt on Jeanine Pirro:
• Viagra for sex offenders: Just three months ago the media was filled with reports that 200 sex offenders in New York State alone were receiving free Viagra on Medicaid - courtesy of a federal mandate enacted by the Clinton adminsitration. The media expended barrels of ink covering the scandal, but never mentioned where the idea for the Viagra giveaway came from.
When Sen. Clinton condemned the program herself, not a single reporter dared point out that it originated under her co-presidency.
• Meetings with 9/11 Families: According to liberal media mogul and one-time Clinton defender Steve Brill, Hillary Clinton personally lied to him about meeting with dozens of 9/11 victim families.
In a 2003 radio interview, Brill said Mrs. Clinton had her office supply him with documentation to prove the meetings took place.
After checking with the families themselves, however, "None of it turned out to be true," Brill said. "They gave me documents and phone calls and things like that which just plain never happened."
Media coverage of Hillary's outrageous 9/11 lie? A single mention on the New York Post's gossip page.
• Hillary Forced to Apologize to Police: Next May will mark the sixth anniversary of the only instance in U.S. history where a sitting first lady was compelled to issue a written apology to an entire police department. But if you don't remember the story, don't worry. Not a single mainstream outlet covered it.
Mrs. Clinton was on the hotseat after an American-flag carrying honor guard of Albany police was spit upon at her May 2000 Senate nominating convention. Afterwards her then-opponent, New York City Mayor Rudy Giluliani, complained that Clinton's supporters were guilty of assault. He called for an investigation.
After a smattering of reports [Giuliani's comments rated just a single story] news editors quickly deep-sixed the story. But police union officials in Albany continued to complain.
After nine embarrassing days of stonewalling, Hillary decided to apologize to Albany Police Chief John Neilsen:
"I wanted to let you know how personally offended I was to hear the treatment of your officers by a handful of people at the New York State Democratic Convention. These attacks were completely contrary to the sprit of the event and the values we hold. I have condemned them sharply."
Press coverage of Hillary's historic police apology? Zilch [except for NewsMax.] Imagine Mrs. Pirro getting a pass after acknowledging responsibility for supporters who spit on cops.
• Bashing Bush in the Arab Press: The unwritten rule of American politics used to be that foreign policy differences ended at the water's edge. But in May 2004, Hillary Clinton buried that venerable tradition once and for all, when she gave an interview to an Arab press outlet charging that President Bush's incompetent prosecution of the Iraq war was endangering both U.S. soldiers and innocent Iraqis:
Here's how the Iranian newspaper Mehr covered her comments:
"Referring to the Bush Administration policies as arrogant and insolent, the wife of the former U.S. president further added that Bush is not willing to admit his mistakes in Iraq, the grave mistakes that have endangered the lives of both the Iraqi people and the U.S. servicemen alike." [ Bush's mistakes, she added, "have also threatened peace and stability in the region."
Clinton's outburst was ballyhooed by news outlets from Islamabad to Cairo. But the American press decided it wasn't newsworthy that the remarks of a future presidential candidate, criticizing the commander-in-chief at a time of war, were being heralded in enemy capitals. They reported not a word.
• Goon Squads: Longtime Clinton advance man Patrick Halley recently revealed that he had an unorthodox way of handling protesters who turned up at Hillary's events: He hired "goon squads" to intimidate and harass hecklers - and beat them up, if necessary.
"Less genteel souls sometimes referred to them as goon squads," wrote Halley in his 2003 memoir, "On the Road with Hillary." "But I objected to that term. I was proud of the fact that not one of them had ever been arrested."
Halley said he preferred the term "etiquette squad" to describe Hillary's goons. But he admitted the enforcers "could certainly be intimidating if the occasion called for it."
"Sadly, but inevitably, things sometimes got a little frisky, but my recruits knew how to handle themselves," he recalled.
Press interest in the fact that a sitting first lady relied upon "goon squads" to keep a lid on her critics? Absolutely zero - beyond a single mention on the New York Post's gossip page.
There's more. But that's the tip of an iceberg of recent Hillary scandals that the press has underreported or ignored.
The challenge for Jeanine Pirro: Recognize that the mainstream media intends to conduct itself as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Clinton campaign - and call them on it.
And Pirro shouldn't shy away from pointing out that the same reporters currently focusing on her personal life have spent the last six years covering-up Mrs. Clinton's dirty laundry.
Did you see that tool Chris Wallace on FNC the other night sitting in for Hume? He was doing all he could do to build up Hillary and tear down her opponent. It was pathetic.
Fox needs to utilize the talents of John Gibson more. He was sitting in for O'Reilly the past few nights and I could actually watch the program the entire hour! I wonder why he's usually only on during the day, and the excellent Linda Vestor too.
There are quite a few supposed "conservatives" here on FR doing the same thing.
You guys are great, keep up the good work. Just don't pull a World Nut Daily on us.
I agree totally about John Gibson. I have often wondered myself why his 5 PM show is not repeated later on.
He is the author of a great book "Hating America: The New World Sport"
Linda Vester is on extended maternity leave, but I hope when she gets back she will get a better time slot. She is intelligent, clever,witty and charming.
The media will continue to do Hillary's dirty work and give her a free pass on everything from faking statement to pardoning Puerto Rican Nationalist terrorists who killed NYers.
There is a world of difference between Jeanine Pirro and HRC. On law and order issues, on many cultural issues, and especially on accomplishments, character and integrity issues.
I sometimes wonder why there is never any mention of the observation that discourse from Senate Democrats toward Republicans (while often childishly impolite and "over-the-top") immediately soured into the most rancorous, malignant hate speech I can recall, somehow at the same time the freshman senator from New York showed up with carpet bags in hand.
I am only aware of one human who is capable of organizing such coldly calculated hostility. And she likely will be the next Dem candidate for POTUS.
.
It's a typical New York State GOP coronation, but Queen of what?
I understand holding your nose and making a political decision when you choose whom to vote for. But we don't have to do that THIS far ahead. That's for when the election is upon us and we have no other real choice.
My 85 year old mom, an avid Fox New viewer, has been quite ill lately. One of the few smiles I've managed to get out of her recently was when I told her President Bush had appointed John Gibson as Ambassador to France.
We must resist letting the ratmedia pick our candidates. They have tried and will try again to get us to nominate mcpain (media) AZ. Now they ( including Fox and Sean who is shamelessly shilling for NARAL'S GAL ) are trying to push Pirro on us. This is 13 months from a primary. Can't we wait and see what develops? Sean may HAVE to carry Pirro's water but we don't.
I think Jeanine Pirro is a good candidate. If it turns out that Ed Cox could better defeat Hillary, I would support him.
I think Jeanine , as a woman, and as a 30 year prosecutor
can run a stronger campaign.
If you don't understand the difference between Jeanine and Clinton, you need help.
Not nearly as pathetic as the Ill. GOP and the totally unqualified carpetbagger they ran.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.