Wash Post corresponent:"In any case, nobody would be too shocked if Kerry lied about an affair.

BBC ^ | 02/16/04 | BBC

[Pikamax]

US campaign begins to get dirty

By Paul Reynolds BBC News Online world affairs correspondent

The 2004 American presidential election is shaping up to be a rough one by recent standards with questions already rife about President Bush's National Guard service and Senator John Kerry's private life.

Kerry dominates the Democrats

But in historical terms, this is quite mild stuff and there is a moderating influence these days in that the heavyweight US media are reluctant to get involved in what they see as private issues.

Both the New York Times and the Washington Post, for example, have written about whether President Bush actually carried out his duties as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard in 1973.

That has public importance given that trust and national security issues are major campaign themes. John Kerry's record as Senator and the support he has or has not received from lobby groups are also obviously fair game.

But neither paper has covered the John Kerry story which has engaged the attention of websites, radio and TV talk shows, some of the tabloid papers and elements of the foreign press.

The Kerry story

The story is about whether Senator Kerry had a recent affair with a young woman intern. (Interns are young people, often students, who take short-term, unpaid jobs in political and other offices in order to get experience. Monica Lewinsky, of course, was one.)

The question, it appears, was first raised by aides in the campaign of retired General Wesley Clark, who himself was quoted as saying that Kerry's campaign might "implode". It has not so far and Clark has even endorsed Kerry himself.

Senator Kerry himself said initially: "There is nothing to report" and then when that was challenged as a Clinton style non-denial, he stated clearly enough: "I just deny it categorically. It's untrue."

His supporters hope that this is an end to it. His opponents perhaps hope that he will be caught out. Lying in these cases is usually far worse than the original offence.

Mainstream media defence

The Washington Post London correspondent Glenn Frankel, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former editor of the Post's Sunday magazine, defended his newspaper's editorial judgment.

"We've been down this road many, many times before. We are extremely reluctant to follow this kind of thing up unless there is a really, really compelling public interest. We don't feel there is any reason to until it reaches a threshold.

"All we have at the moment is that the woman's parents, who are republicans, don't like Senator Kerry.

"In any case, nobody would be too shocked if Kerry lied about an affair. Even if someone came to us with photographs we still wouldn't run it. Lying to Don Imus [the radio host to whom Kerry gave his initial denial] is not a federal offence."

The early jousting holds the promise of a campaign with few holds barred. It is a delicate game because it can backfire and allegations are often floated through the undergrowth of the internet to see how far they get. Both campaigns muster big teams to counter whatever might emerge.

[Pikamax]

err.. someone fix the title please.


"We've been down this road many, many times before. We are extremely reluctant to follow this kind of thing up unless there is a really, really compelling public interest. We don't feel there is any reason to until it reaches a threshold. "All we have at the moment is that the woman's parents, who are republicans, don't like Senator Kerry.

[pushforbush]

What an odd thing for the Washington Post rep to say! What else are they keeping from us for our own good?

[Gringo1]

" Even if someone came to us with photographs we still wouldn't run it."

This sentence says it all.

The only rumors that the "mainstream press" are willing to run without facts or backup are those about George Bush.

[Semper Paratus]

I'd love to see them get set up in a sting on a "W" affair story and see how much ink is spilled.

[Cold Heat]

Senator John Kerry's private life.

LOL! And Bush's guard service 35 yrs ago is public life?

I hate the media!

[The_Victor]

The Washington Post London correspondent Glenn Frankel, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former editor of the Post's Sunday magazine, defended his newspaper's editorial judgment.

"We've been down this road many, many times before. We are extremely reluctant to follow this kind of thing up unless there is a really, really compelling public interest. We don't feel there is any reason to until it reaches a threshold.

"All we have at the moment is that the woman's parents, who are republicans, don't like Senator Kerry.

OK given that the statement from the woman's parents being reported by AP that they support and intend to vote for KF'nK, something here doesn't smell right.

[Solson]

Someone should let the parents know this. They came out today and totally contradicted their earlier statements. They said they would be voting for John F'ing Kerry...

[keysguy]

Sounds like the mainstream press we know and laugh at on a regular basis. There is no telling how many babes fing has had, it must be a prerequistie for the job when running as a lib dem.

[weegee]

People wouldn't be surprised if John Kerry lied to Congress in 1971 about committing warcrimes in Vietnam either.

[TADSLOS]

"In any case, nobody would be too shocked if Kerry lied about an affair. Even if someone came to us with photographs we still wouldn't run it. Lying to Don Imus [the radio host to whom Kerry gave his initial denial] is not a federal offence."

In other words, "We know he did it and lied about it, but we don't care, unless, of course (President) Bush can somehow be linked to the story."

[mountaineer]

So much doubletalk from the parents, it seems! Have they received a "Kopechne," that is, the little payoff that shuts a person's mouth?