From the column: And some of the excuses in the story by the editors are baffling. 1) It would unduly influence the election? Yeah, I agree, but why should a newspaper care if the story is solid? 2) That “the woman was kind of a flake.” Which is a bigger issue? That’s she’s a so-called flake or telling the truth?
Reason #2 makes no sense at all at the time. Why? Because Garn wasn't disputing the story. Oh, sure, if there's a "flaky" story, much more investigation would need to be invested. But the Deseret News newspaper itself was saying Garn was "confessing" and "crying" when he came into their offices:
In the link imbedded in the story above (to the March 12 Deseret News article), reporter Jerry Spangler (no longer with the News) "and [political editor Bob] Bernick said Garn came into the Deseret News offices and met with them and several editors. "I remember him crying," and confessing what happened, Spangler said.
The managing editor, Rick Hall, still with Deseret News said: "It was last-minute — was it coming from the other camp? There wasn't time to verify it," he said.
Wow! Spangler and Hall can't even get their "cover" straight between them.
Hall now says "There wasn't time to verify it." Spangler says Garn came in "confessing" and was therefore verifying it!
Hall now says "was it coming from the other camp?" and Spangler says Garn was "crying" --not necessarily contending that the other side was engaging in low politicking.
The Deseret News managing editor needs to resign immediately! His excuses:
(1) that he doesn't remember it ("While he can't remember it..." says the Deseret News)
(2) that he does remember it -- at least enough to know it was last minute and therefore unverifiable -- all as Garn was sitting in their offices verifying it...
(3) and that despite Garn's confession, he still didn't know the source of the story...
...leaves a sad but despicable tracing of a newspaper cover-up that doesn't even make sense after giving them a hearing to explain themselves!
Right. We wouldn’t want to publish the story and thereby influence the outcome of the election. We’ll just wait until he gets to Congress and continues with his bad behavior, getting him an investigation by the Ethics Committee, resulting in him resigning his position and requiring another election to replace him. Now that really makes sense! [/sarc]
Someone said on an earlier thread that Garn was her mentor at a much earlier age. If so, then this story is even worse than what’s being reported. I don’t know if that’s true or not. But if she was “flaky,” then possibly Garn was partly responsible.
GOOOOOORRRRRNNN. Oh look, there’s an elk in the garden.
Speshall group ???
Gets a pass ???
Pot meet kettle.
I want to know if the story would have been spiked if Garn was...say...Methodist instead of LDS.