MSM Ignores Higher Placed Clinton Officials' Conviction to Tout Libby's (Henry Cisneros)

http://newsbusters.org/ ^ | July 2, 2007 | Warner Todd Huston

[lowbridge]

MSM Ignores Higher Placed Clinton Officials' Conviction to Tout Libby's

Posted by Warner Todd Huston on July 2, 2007 - 23:30.

I keep seeing this talking point phrase in multiple MSM stories about the Libby conviction; "Libby was convicted in March, the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair roiled the Reagan administration in the 1980s."(emphasis, mine) This is a misleading statement that makes the reader imagine that no high-ranking Presidential appointee or advisor has been convicted of anything since Reagan's era. But, at least one past official's name should be placed above that of Libby's. Henry Cisneros was the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, appointed to that position by president Bill Clinton. Cisneros, it should be remembered, was convicted in 1995 on 18 counts of conspiracy, false statements and obstruction of justice. And, I'd dare say that Libby, who only worked in the office of the Vice President, was a minnow in the pond in which Cisneros swam. He was the Secretary of HUD, after all, a presidential cabinet member!

Naturally, on his way out of the White House in 2001, Clinton pardoned Cisneros.

Yet, here we have the MSM constantly calling Libby the "highest White House official" convicted, completely ignoring the conviction of a much, much higher official with Cisneros. Of course, that this man was a member of Clinton's cabinet pretty much explains why the MSM is conveniently forgetting the fact that Libby is a small fish in this conviction game compared to Cisneros. And, Cisneros was certainly a member of the White House having been a Clinton appointee.

Still, this claim of Libby being "highest official" is everywhere. An MSM talking point, for sure. And a misleading one, at that.

Here are just a few quick examples:

The AP

"Libby was convicted in March, the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair roiled the Reagan administration in the 1980s."

Bloomberg News

"Libby, who had faced as many as 10 years in prison, was the highest-ranking former White House official sentenced to prison since 1990, when ex-National Security Adviser John Poindexter was ordered to serve six months for lying to Congress about the Iran- Contra affair. "

The Times On'Line

"He was the highest-ranking US official to be sentenced since the Iran Contra affair 20 years ago."

Even MTV got in the talking points game with their report today:

"Libby is the only person charged in the Plame investigation and is the highest ranking government official to be convicted in a government scandal in 20 years."

These several stories are just today's, but the use of this talking point goes back months. In any case, the talking point of besmirching both Reagan and Bush is pervasive and it all conveniently forgets Clinton's much higher placed White House Official's conviction.

And, let us not forget to mention that Clinton himself was a pretty high level White House Official to get in a tad of trouble. There WAS all that impeachment stuff a little while ago, you know?

But, who really could be surprised that Clinton gets a pass by the MSM... AGAIN?

[doug from upland]

MEMORIALIZED IN SONG - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1860004/posts

[xkaydet65]

Sad to say that Cisneros was not a White House official. As a cabinet member he has a separate status. Strictly speaking Libby isn’t a WH official either. He served the Veep and was not in the POTUS decision making process.

[lowbridge]

White House officials are them there anoymous people that the press keeps quoting:

"A White House official said that..."

[Hoodat]

I guess Associate Attorney General Hubbell doesn't count.

[bikerMD]

the highest-ranking White House official ordered to prison since the Iran-Contra affair

Does Webb Chubbel count? Deputy Attorney General in the administration of Co-President Hillarious Clinton?

[lowbridge]

Sandy Berger? Well, he wasnt ordered to prison.

[weegee]

Clinton himself was convicted.

[new yorker 77]

The MSM is full of hate-filled anti-Americans who are probably just as angry that they can not use the word “PARDON” because that is the word that they have used relentlessly.

“COMMUTE” has less edge and will not be absorbed by the public. Rather, it will be ignored.

They hate free Rove. They hate free Cheney. They hate free Libby. More than anything, they hate that no one cares what they think about it.

[Frwy]

Thank God for FR. It’s where we all can get the real news. I don’t bother with the MSM anymore. Why would I want to fill my wee brain with their lies. What a waste they are.

[Bullish]

Did they happen to mention the only president that was impeached twice in the 20th century?

[C210N]

The MSM is in competition with Muslims everywhere to see which can protect their brothers in the battle better: Muslims and CAIR enabling Islamics with their minimal condemnation, and thus condoning of their terrorist actions; and the MSM/DBM enabling ‘Rats with minimal condemnation, and thus condoning of their terrorist actions.

[Still Thinking]

What was Klintoon convicted of? The impeachment vote failed. He was thrown out of the SCOTUS bar, but I don’t remember him being convicted of anything, except being a statist putz.

[Vigilanteman]

Yet, here we have the MSM constantly calling Libby the "highest White House official" convicted, completely ignoring the conviction of a much, much higher official with Cisneros.

Do you mean the MSM lies to us? I'm shocked! Tell me it ain't so!

[Salvation]

**the highest-ranking White House official **

I guess he forgot about Clinton almost being in jail, and for lying, no less.

[Bon mots]

They ignore tons of Klintoon scandals.

[jimtorr]

The impeachment vote failed. He was thrown out of the SCOTUS bar....

Actually, Clinton was impeached. The House voted for impeachment, but the Senate declined to remove him from office. Bill was also debarred by his home state of Arkansas.

[Polybius]

Sandy Berger? Well, he wasnt ordered to prison.

Neither was this perjurer who obstructed justice. (Remember that Libby was convicted of lying under oath, not for releasing Plame's identity.)

[Still Thinking]

Well, yes, that’s true. The ‘impeachment’ is the indictment, so to speak, which did happen. But I can’t remember him getting convicted of anything. And Begala talks about a “double standard” as if Libby is getting off easier than Slick.

[jimtorr]

No, Clinton was never convicted of anything. The disbarrments and fines were a result of lying in depositions for a lawsuit brought against him by one of his many girlfriends.

The judge handled it as contempt-of-court, as I recall, because he was actually present, via CCTV. The judge could very easily have prescribed jail time in the case.