Another Daschle Link to Beleaguered Newspaper Revealed

Talon News ^ | 06/17/03 | Jeff Gannon

[bedolido]

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- South Dakota's largest newspaper has been rocked by recent accusations of bias in favor of Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) and other Democrats. The Argus Leader has steadfastly refused to comment on the 35-year relationship of its star political reporter to the Senate Minority Leader.

The Talon News investigation of the claims made by Sioux Falls businessman Neal Tapio has uncovered a second link between the newspaper and Daschle.

Steve Erpenbach, currently State Director for Daschle, was Assistant City Editor for the Argus Leader from 1986 until 1989. David Kranz, the reporter at the center of the controversy, was City Editor at the time. Erpenbach became Press Secretary for Ted Muenster in his 1990 bid to unseat Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD). It was during this campaign that the New York Times and Roll Call criticized the Argus Leader for its biased coverage.

Neither the Argus Leader nor Daschle's office has commented on the current controversy. In Sunday's edition, Executive Director Randell Beck defended his newspaper's reporting of Linda Daschle's lobbying in a folksy editorial in which he uses his own wife as a foil. Beck wrote, "Some folks just refuse to let the facts get in the way of a good story."

Beck also wrote, "The fanatics intent on demonizing anyone who doesn't agree with them were already on the case," undoubtedly referring to the Talon News spotlight on the South Dakota newspaper's decision not to report a story involving a controversial $20 billion government contract for one of Mrs. Daschle's clients. In fact, the Argus Leader has rarely printed anything about the lobbying activities of the woman whose husband is one of the most powerful men in Washington.

Copyright © 2003 Talon News -- All rights reserved.

[mewzilla]

The Argus Leader has steadfastly refused to comment on the 35-year relationship of its star political reporter to the Senate Minority Leader.

Who the Heck do these people think they are? The New York Times?

Gee, looks like it.

[b4its2late]

Their silence is telling.

[xsmommy]

tiny Tom ping.

[hoosiermama]

Thought you might want to see this one and/or pass it along!

[TommyDale]

How many people here think the newspaper will do the honorable thing and disclose everything?

I don't think so, either.

[mewzilla]

And here's a link to an Alamo-Girl mention of a Steve Erpenbach. Same guy? From the link:

"AUSA O'BRIEN read a letter, typed on TOM DASCHLE letterhead, dated April 13, 1995, from STEVE ERPENBACH and SENATOR TOM DASCHLE to DR. TIMOTHY YU which stated that HUANG had attended an event for DASCHLE and that HUANG encouraged DASCHLE to meet with YU."

And one other mention from the link:

"HUANG may have given YU's name to YOST as a person interested in becoming involved in the DSCC again." "The name STEVE ERPENBACH sounded familiar to HUANG." "HUANG may have suggested names of possible contributors to ERPENBAC'H and TRICIA RIFFENBERG.

[conservativecorner]

Thanks mucho for the link. It's a keeper!

[Farnham]

..activities of the woman....one of the most powerful men in Washington.

Take that, Maureen !!

[Tacis]

If you want to expose the link between an ultra-left wing, democraps politician or his crooked organization and the local liberal extremist newspaper, there is always one surefire method. Follow the union connection. Most newspapers are very unionized. The dems own the unions so the newspaper management does what it's unions tell them to do. Check any newspaper. You'll probably find that an "eleceted" union officer is a dem office holder or is on an adivisory board for the local dem familia. The connections are usually pretty easy to chart. The difficulty is in publicizing the evil linkage. When the paper was the only media in an area, it didn't get attention. Now that Fox and radio have given us a free press, things should change.

[pointsal]

Do people (voters) in South Dakota read?
I'll bet lunch that when old Tommy packs it in and retires that he stays in the beltway and does not come HOME to the Dakotas.

[Stultis]

Previous articles:

Daschle Mute on Argus Leader Link; South Dakota Probe Widens

NY Times Probes Daschle Spouse Lobbying; Argus Leader Skips Story

[Sunshine Sister]

You got that right. They never come home. He'll be working for the same lobbying company his wife works for now.

[Cicero]

What's the argument about. Most of the media has been shamelessly shilling for the Democrats for decades. They consider it their Higher Duty.

[Grampa Dave]

The owner/publisher/editors of the Argus Leading Fishwrap have learned how to destroy Republicans with the press and to further the Da$$hole very well.

Does the NY Slimes holds conferences for the smaller fish wraps on how to $crew Republican candidates and to glorfy the rats while ignoring the reality of the rats?

[steveegg]

Does the NY Slimes holds conferences for the smaller fish wraps on how to $crew Republican candidates and to glorfy the rats while ignoring the reality of the rats?

Yes.

[Grampa Dave]

There has to be some type of coordination of their lie and spike the news strategies for their rat buddies in politics.

You can see the same methods/techniques used from Coast to Coast from large newspapers to the smaller newspapers.

The spiking of real news may be even more effective than their lies and distortions.

[TommyDale]

"Now that Fox and radio have given us a free press, things should change."

Not to mention FreeRepublic. This forum has uncovered a massive amount of otherwise unreported news.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for the heads up and the link to the DSL!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We need a keyword for articles like this: How about Fishwrapstories?