Nethercutt Alleges [Seattle] P-I Distorted Speech On Iraq

Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | October 28, 2003 | Neil Modie

[Ex-Dem]

U.S. Senate candidate George Nethercutt has bought newspaper advertisements to lambaste the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for a news story he called "the equivalent of a negative political commercial against me."

In ads appearing today in the P-I and The Seattle Times, the Republican congressman from Spokane accused the P-I of publishing a story that "deliberately distorted" remarks he made about Iraq in a speech at the University of Washington Oct. 13.

The P-I reported Oct. 14 that Nethercutt said Iraq's reconstruction was going better than news media portrayed it and that he added, "The story of what we've done in the postwar period is remarkable. ... It is a better and more important story than losing a couple of soldiers every day."

The story, paraphrasing Nethercutt's next words, said the congressman "added that he did not want any more soldiers to be killed."

Nethercutt criticized the P-I for not quoting his remarks fully. He said his full remarks that the paper partly quoted and partly paraphrased were these: "So the story is better than we might be led to believe in the news. I'm just indicting the news people, but it's, it's a bigger and better and more important story than losing a couple of soldiers every day which, which heaven forbid is awful."

P-I Managing Editor David McCumber said the newspaper stood by its story.

"Congressman Nethercutt was quoted accurately and within context by the P-I, and that's sort of the beginning and the end of it, as far as I'm concerned," McCumber said.

Nethercutt's ad accuses the P-I of "trying to make me seem indifferent to the loss of American soldiers."

He said the P-I "took out the first part of my sentence. They took out the third part of my sentence. They removed the context of what I was saying. They changed the punctuation." He also said the P-I refused to "correct the record" or to run his full quote.

McCumber said: "Obviously, we wouldn't quote his entire speech. We paraphrased part of it and we did so accurately, and we provided the full context for his remarks."

Nethercutt, a five-term congressman, is running against Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., next year. His comments as reported by the P-I were picked up by other news media, among them The New York Times and Congressional Quarterly, at a time when Nethercutt is struggling to raise campaign money and build credibility as a candidate. Murray has raised far more money than her challenger has so far.

Mary Lane, Nethercutt's campaign coordinator, didn't return calls seeking comment last night.

The tempest over Nethercutt's remarks at the UW is similar to a media flap over comments made by Murray, and criticized by Nethercutt, in December. The senator told a Vancouver, Wash., high school class that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden was popular in poor countries because he has helped pay for schools, roads and even day care centers.

"We haven't done that," Murray added. "How would they look at us today if we had been there helping them with some of that rather than just being the people who are going to bomb in Iraq and go to Afghanistan?"

Nethercutt termed Murray's remarks "bizarre" and "uninformed" and said she had "a very strange view of America and the world."

P-I reporter Neil Modie can be reached at 206-448-8321 or neilmodie@seattlepi.com

[Ex-Dem]

Surprise, surprise...

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[Eva]

If the same writer wrote the Nethercutt article that wrote this one, I can see why he doesn't want to correct the error. His writing skills have reached the Peter Principle.

Just take a look at this paragraph, it's not even clear which senator made the Osama remark.

The tempest over Nethercutt's remarks at the UW is similar to a media flap over comments made by Murray, and criticized by Nethercutt, in December. The senator told a Vancouver, Wash., high school class that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden was popular in poor countries because he has helped pay for schools, roads and even day care centers.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Just take a look at this paragraph, it's not even clear which senator made the Osama remark."

Murray is the senator, and the flap about her Osama comments was well-known, so I think the statement is reasonably clear. But I also think the P.I. deliberately pruned Nethercutt's comments to make him look insensitive. That's certainly why the Democrats were able to pounce on it.

[rabidralph]

That's an unfortunate last name to have.

[Steve_Seattle]

To complete my thought: Nethercutt is not a senator, but a representative. Washington's other senator is Maria Cantwell, also a Democrat.

[Eva]

You're right, Nethercutt is running for the Senate, not a Senator yet.

[Eva]

I cancelled my subscription to the P.I., way back during the Bush I/Clinton election campaign because the PI ran a front page article about hurricaine Andrew that included the statement that the only reason that Bush was visiting Florida and offering federal disaster funds was because Bush had family living there. The article went on to say that federal disaster funds should not be made available to areas that are disaster prone, like the Florida coast, California fire and mud slide areas or mid-west flood zones.

[Steve_Seattle]

I cancelled my subscription to the P.I. sometime in the mid-90's when I realized that having the P.I. delivered to my house was like opening my door in the morning and having someone say, "Screw you." Their editorial position made it clear that any Republican or conservative was considered immoral, racist, stupid, and unwashed; so why should I pay them to insult me every day?

[CyberCowboy777]

BTW - Congratulations are due American Sovereignty Defender and family as they have a new baby.

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This is all known Washington State Freepers and interested parties as of 9/23/03
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[Snardius]

P-I Managing Editor David McCumber said the newspaper stood by its story. "Congressman Nethercutt was quoted accurately and within context by the P-I, and that's sort of the beginning and the end of it, as far as I'm concerned," McCumber said.

McCumber is an arrogant p****. Unfortunately, dolts like him have the ability to print anything they want. If you call them on it, they just make more libelous statements about you.

[ppaul]

Poor George.
Talk about shooting yerself in the foot!
He should have left well enough alone.
Instead, he spends thousands of campaign dollars to take out an ad in the paper and shine a spotlight on his ill-worded comments.
Who is Nethercutt's hare-brained campaign manager?
The left will surely not let this thing die.
Now look what they've done for poor ol' George.....

[CyberCowboy777]

This may well be the begining of the end?

You are right I think - he should have left it alone - nobody I know even knew about the comment - in or out of context.

[ppaul]

If you call them on it, they just make more libelous statements about you.

George shoulda known better.
But then, he should have not run for re-election either, after he supported term limits.
In the Senate race, you can bet that is a rabbit the Dems are itching to pull out of their hats and rub Nethercutt's nose in.
At this point, he doesn't have a chance of winning the Senate seat from "Taliban in Tennis Shoes" Murray.

If Washington Republicans have any brains left, they will nominate Reed Davis for Senator instead.

[Snardius]

But then, he should have not run for re-election either, after he supported term limits.

By giving up his seat to run for senator, George is doing exactly what those of us who supported term limits wanted him to do...which is not to entrench himself in a safe seat.

George will beat Patty Murray.

[American Sovereignty Defender]

BTW - Congratulations are due American Sovereignty Defender and family as they have a new baby.

Thank You. Our addition is also an addition to FR family!

On this Nethercutt issue: I just spoke with Neil at the (Liberal) PI-E. We held a respectable debate, which lasted 20 min. Neil was articulate but I did call him on being dishonest about reporting the essence of what Nethercutt said, especially if the PI was to edit it into a soundbite that created this controversy. Neil stood by the story nonetheless. I explained that while attending a BASIC jounalism class during my college days I learned that factual reporting was key. And that exaggerateing facts or taking quotes out of context, or clipping the story into something that diverts from the real essence was not professional.

I told him that people, like myself, are fed up with blatant liberal bias which is evident today. And that America is much more conservative than how they vote or make other decisions if it were not for such liberal influence. And the media knows how to weild their influence enough that folks vote differently on issues and candidates. At least we have Fox News to provide a "fair and balanced" report. And he responded by saying, to paraphrase, that the New York Post or the Wall Street Journal are two examples of media that you would not call "liberal' and there is no liberal monopoly. Neil understood from me that I appreciated his articulate response yet I didn't buy any of his logic (spin). Especially his account that the PI is fair and cited the infamous remarks that Murry had regarded Osama...now, given I heard her speech in full and later heard her try to explain (spin) it on KVI talk radio. She was clearly planting liberal seeds in the minds of the students while she berated our President with subtle words...basically praising Osama for schools and daycare facilities - which in reality he never had anything to do with. And slamming our President for not putting "education" (Murry means liberal indoctrination) a "top priority". Overall putting Osama on a pedestal and stomping on the credibility of President Bush.

No, this controversy is not as plain and simple as the PI would like people to believe. Nethercutt would not utter such a phrase of such insensative nature. He was not about expressing that dying soldiers's are meaningless, rather he is trying to make a point and raise the issue of how the (liberal run) media is being dishonest, and partisan in time to save the "D" in the senate seat. And the media conveniently slams him for even trying to make the point. The Dems smell blood, just like in Limbaugh's case, and go for the kill. They are shriller than ever...but that could and should lead to their demise. At least I hope voters can see through their disengenuous, smoke and mirrors, media spin machine. Their mission can be explained by two words, True Lies.

[Junior_G]

As annoying as the PI's intentional misrepresentations are, I lost all respect for Nethercutt after his much-ballyhooed term-limit pledge was revealed to be a lie. He never should have been re-elected.

[ppaul]

I lost all respect for Nethercutt after his much-ballyhooed term-limit pledge was revealed to be a lie.

And, the Dems and the leftist media will have a field day with that!
Watch and see.
If Washington Republicans are smart, they'll bump Nethercutt and rally behind Reed Davis for Senate.
Otherwise, it will be six more years of the "Taliban in Tenniss Shoes" Patty "Osama-Mama" Murray, guaranteed.

[Snardius]

I lost all respect for Nethercutt after his much-ballyhooed term-limit pledge was revealed to be a lie.

You and ppaul are beating a dead horse here. Term limits will not be an issue in this campaign. Nethercutt can simply say that the voters agreed with him by reelecting him. If that's all Murray has, she's already toast.

[Snardius]

If Washington Republicans are smart, they'll bump Nethercutt and rally behind Reed Davis for Senate.

You're being rather transparent here...no? Your real issue is your support for Davis...yes?

Unfortunately, the Republican Party in Washington can't get beyond the habit of having a circular firing squad before each major election. This is a good example of it.