AP Bias strikes again (Free Republic is cited for finding bias)

The AP is really showing their bias again, except this time, they have been caught in the act.

Sharp eyed posters over at Free Republic spotted this story about the president's reaction to news of Bill Clinton's upcoming surgery:

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - President Bush (news - web sites) on Friday wished Bill Clinton (news - web sites) "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."
"He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally.
Bush's audience of thousands in West Allis, Wis., booed. Bush did nothing to stop them.
Bush offered his wishes while campaigning one day after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New York. Clinton was hospitalized in New York after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath.
Bush recently praised Clinton when the former president went to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait. He lauded Clinton for his knowledge, compassion and "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."

Needless to say, there was massive outrage. Many on the thread had listened to the speech live and heard no boos at all and were screaming liberal media bias...and rightfully so. Others e-mailed the AP to express their displeasure. So, minutes later, a new version gets posted to the same yahoo link and another thread pops up on Free Republic:

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - President Bush (news - web sites) on Friday offered former President Bill Clinton (news - web sites), who faces heart bypass surgery, "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."
"He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally.
Bush offered his wishes while campaigning one day after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New York. Clinton was hospitalized in New York after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath.
Bush recently praised Clinton when the former president went to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait. He lauded Clinton for his knowledge, compassion and "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."

Of course, someone with access to the raw wire posted this as well to archive this monumental, and perhaps intentional screw up.

BC-Bush-Clinton, 1st Ld-Writethru,150 Bush offers best wishes for Clinton's recovery
Eds: SUBS lead to include reference to surgery. DELETES 3rd graf previous, Bush's audience, because of uncertainty about crowd reaction.
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) - President Bush on Friday offered former President Bill Clinton, who faces heart bypass surgery, "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."
"He's is in our thoughts and prayers," Bush said at a campaign rally.
Bush offered his wishes while campaigning one day after accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New York. Clinton was hospitalized in New York after complaining of mild chest pain and shortness of breath.
Bush recently praised Clinton when the former president went to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait. He lauded Clinton for his knowledge, compassion and "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."

Someone at the Associated Press has some major explaining to do.

UPDATE: Just so there is no doubt, a Freeper posted a screen capture:

UPDATE #2: Boston.com still has the first version up on their site.

UPDATE#3: Another Freeper who attended the rally checks in.

I wouldn't have posted this as a separate topic until I heard on the radio on the way home from the rally that the AP had reported the crowd booed when it was annnounced that the former president had been hospitalized. That is a bold faced lie. I understand it was later retracted, but that's like unringing a bell. I do not think it was in error, either, since the writer further stated that 'Bush did nothing to stop them.' Shameful.
The rally was amazing. I don't know how many were in attendance, but the crowd could not have been more enthusiastic.

UPDATE#4: Some of our comments are featuring posts from liberal bloggers who are taking the first version of the AP story at face value. However, another reader has provided a sound clip of the quote in question: Judge for yourself.

# posted by bkm : 2:23 PM

From Drudge (around 5:02 pm EST):

AP CLAIMS: 'AUDIENCE OF THOUSANDS BOOS' AFTER BUSH WISHES EX-PREZ 'SPEEDY RECOVERY'; 'Bush did nothing to stop them'...

THEN RETRACTS... AUDIO REVEALS LOUD CHEERS FOR EX-PREZ... DEVELOPING...

http://www.drudgereport.com/

AP-Clinton-Bush CORRECTION

(Stations: Please substitute the following for V2693, slugged Clinton-Bush, which moved at 2:10 p-m Eastern time. The new version DELETES reference to boos because of uncertainty about how to characterize crowd reaction.)

Bush sends best wishes to Clinton

WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin (AP) - President Bush is sending former President Clinton "best wishes for a swift and smooth recovery."

At a state fairgrounds rally in Wisconsin, the president told backers Clinton is in America's thoughts and prayers -- as he faces heart bypass surgery in a New York hospital.

In June, Bush invited the former president and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to the White House for the unveiling of their official portraits. Bush praised his predecessor as a man of knowledge and compassion who has "the forward-looking spirit that Americans like in a president."

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Friday, September 03, 2004

AP Bias strikes again