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AP Bias strikes again (Free Republic is cited for finding bias)
Swimming through the Spin ^ | September 3, 2004 | bkm

Posted on 09/03/2004 2:16:17 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16

Friday, September 03, 2004

AP Bias strikes again

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  

Comments:

The Yahoo message thread is now going on and on about the generous media censoring itself by no longer running that initial account! I can't believe this, but I can't manage to post to the Yahoo message board at the moment, either.
-Meridian

# posted by Anonymous : 3:13 PM
 

I would love to hear/see this part of the speech. Any ideas as to where it could be found??
# posted by Zee : 3:29 PM

 

I don't know, Zee. The folks at FR all were listening to it and then the AP filed their story. I'm sure it will be aired tonight on C-SPAN like they usually do.
# posted by bkm : 3:33 PM

 

The Republican hate machine rolls on...

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2004_08_29_atrios_archive.html#109423715322217770

http://available_light.3harpiesltd.com/archives/001108.html
# posted by Anonymous : 3:35 PM

 

Who wrote the original, and when are they going to get fired for making things up that never happened?
# posted by Corrie : 3:35 PM

 

I really hope this gets exposed nationally, if it is indeed a fraud. I noticed Reuters didn't even mention any "booing" in their report and they'd be on the front lines of reporting it if it really happened, IMO. Something's really fishy here.
# posted by Zee : 3:37 PM

 

You know what? SCREW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY:

http://www.oliverwillis.com/node/view/499
# posted by Anonymous : 3:37 PM
 

I put up a sound clip from this speech so you can hear for yourself:

http://tinyurl.com/6yfug
# posted by Anonymous : 3:41 PM
 

I emailed this post to Drudge a few mintues ago...

He just updated his site (4:47 pm or so):

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

THEN RETRACTS... DEVELOPING..

http://www.drudgereport.com/

Good work!
# posted by Anonymous : 3:47 PM
 

LMAO! expose this as a fraud??? I hope BUSH get exposed for the REAL fraud he is and has been over the last 4 years !
# posted by Anonymous : 3:49 PM
 

Zee, check this post again...there is now a sound clip linked
# posted by bkm : 3:51 PM
 

Update: The politics of hate:

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/007772.html#007772
# posted by Anonymous : 3:53 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/

# posted by Anonymous : 4:00 PM
 


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: boogate; frrocks; lamestreammedia; medialies; msm
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To: NavySEAL F-16

The left is moving to create revisionist history.


21 posted on 09/03/2004 2:27:52 PM PDT by Tempest (Don't blame me, I'm voting for Bush.)
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To: MetalHeadConservative35

The AP needs to respond to this story. We the citizens need to know what was going on with our "Free Press".


22 posted on 09/03/2004 2:27:52 PM PDT by MaineRepublic
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To: bmwcyle
Why boo? It is something to cheer about. Tacky.
23 posted on 09/03/2004 2:28:26 PM PDT by mnehring (YP4W)
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To: MaineRepublic
Kudos !!! I hereby nominate MaineRepublic for "Freeper of the Month" ! Exposes the blatant bias of A.P. as posted to Drudge and previously posted to alert other Freepers AND the world press.

Nam Vet

24 posted on 09/03/2004 2:28:42 PM PDT by Nam Vet (Arab nutball bumper sticker ..... "My other wife is a goat")
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To: NavySEAL F-16

Kudos to FreeRepublic, and it's members who are on the front lines in exposing media fraud. (Applause)


25 posted on 09/03/2004 2:28:51 PM PDT by sockmonkey
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To: DebWisconsin

Ditto. There was polite applause the President's well wishes for Clinton's recovery. Expect media lies daily--and far worse than this one.


26 posted on 09/03/2004 2:29:03 PM PDT by Faraday
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To: MaineRepublic

w00t - you rule!


27 posted on 09/03/2004 2:29:11 PM PDT by dandelion (http://johnkerryquestionfairy.blogspot.com/)
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To: Dog
Here's most likely your friggin' reporter(s):

A search or today's Bush / Political trail stories was covered by: (and most likely the perp:)

DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer
JOHN WHITESIDES, Political Correspondent

Googling Ms. R, seems Ms. Riechmann was caught prior, spinning an AP story re: David Kay and WMDs. Right here on FR.

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1074006/posts

28 posted on 09/03/2004 2:29:26 PM PDT by Swanks
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To: NavySEAL F-16

discussing it now at milwaukee radio station.....

www.newstalk1130.com


29 posted on 09/03/2004 2:29:45 PM PDT by Gunder
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To: mnehrling
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."

30 posted on 09/03/2004 2:30:05 PM PDT by fidelio
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To: NavySEAL F-16
Thanks for this post and...

THANKS TO ALL FREEPERS FOR BEING FREEPERS.

31 posted on 09/03/2004 2:30:18 PM PDT by San Jacinto
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To: Swanks

DEB RIECHMANN wrote the story today.


32 posted on 09/03/2004 2:31:13 PM PDT by mnehring (YP4W)
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To: NavySEAL F-16

The AP should fire the reporter. This incident reflects very badly on that organization, and this is their Jayson Blair.


33 posted on 09/03/2004 2:31:13 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: Nam Vet

Thanks for the kudos.

I'm just glad I found a place where exposing the lies of the Left results in action and exposure.

I used to find lies like this all the time, and all I could do was fume.


34 posted on 09/03/2004 2:31:17 PM PDT by MaineRepublic
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Comment #35 Removed by Moderator

To: nuconvert
Any clues who this reporter might be?

There apparently wasn't a byline with the AP story. Mark Belling (talk radio host) is attempting to trace this back to the source now. If he reports anything, I'll post it.

36 posted on 09/03/2004 2:31:35 PM PDT by Faraday
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Comment #37 Removed by Moderator

To: mnehrling

I wonder which candidate Deb supports. Duh.


38 posted on 09/03/2004 2:32:19 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: Faraday

There is no AP reporter byline on anything from the Wisconsin stop.


39 posted on 09/03/2004 2:32:37 PM PDT by fidelio
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To: Faraday

The AP has told Mark Belling that they will provide him with the name of the reporter.


40 posted on 09/03/2004 2:32:56 PM PDT by Faraday
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