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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: Faraday

Yes, and they need to fire the reporter immediately.


41 posted on 09/03/2004 2:34:14 PM PDT by TXBubba (aka TXBubbette)
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To: NavySEAL F-16

I note that all the Libs who weighed in on the yahoo thread were well reasoned, insightfull and loving people interested in the truth. /sarcasm


42 posted on 09/03/2004 2:34:14 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: Swanks; Brian Mosely

See post 28..


43 posted on 09/03/2004 2:34:26 PM PDT by Dog
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To: Dog
I found the name of an AP reporter who filed a story on the president yesterday. But who knows if she was with him or not. Or if it's the person who lied his/her head off today.

What the heck are news orgs doing buying a story without a byline, anyway?!

44 posted on 09/03/2004 2:35:01 PM PDT by mewzilla
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.


45 posted on 09/03/2004 2:36:11 PM PDT by Mo1 (FR NEWS ALERT .... John Kerry over dosed on Botox and thinks he's Bob KerrEy)
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To: Swanks

Wow, good find.


46 posted on 09/03/2004 2:36:18 PM PDT by mewzilla
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To: Faraday
There apparently wasn't a byline with the AP story

Yes, but one has to figure exactly how many AP reporters does it take to cover a Wisconsin rally. And, if "Deb Riechmann" is admittedly at the scene of the crime...its a good place to start.

47 posted on 09/03/2004 2:36:41 PM PDT by Swanks
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To: Swanks

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 4:29:26 PM CDT by Swanks
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DING DING DING!! Do we have a winner??


48 posted on 09/03/2004 2:37:14 PM PDT by Indie (Ignorance of the truth is no excuse for stupidity.)
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To: mewzilla
I found out who it was...

HERE!!!!

49 posted on 09/03/2004 2:38:25 PM PDT by Dog
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To: Faraday

Thanks


50 posted on 09/03/2004 2:38:28 PM PDT by nuconvert (Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film.)
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To: TXBubba
Yes, and they need to fire the reporter immediately.

The news organizations that use AP articles need to fire AP. Biased reporting is nothing new for them. In this case it's an outright lie, but no more harmful than misleading spin.

51 posted on 09/03/2004 2:39:42 PM PDT by Wissa
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To: NavySEAL F-16

The audience gasped, not booed. Mark Belling (Milwaukee talk radio host WISN) is going after the author of the story. National AP reporter who travels with Bush is the author.


52 posted on 09/03/2004 2:39:43 PM PDT by GoLightly
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To: All

Mark Belling, WISN www.newstalk1130.com, Milwaukee, fielding calls from eyewitnesses.

Just had a guy from security standing near the print reporters call in saying there was NO booing.


53 posted on 09/03/2004 2:39:56 PM PDT by NewsJunqui
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To: Dog

You rock. Er...or bark.


54 posted on 09/03/2004 2:40:23 PM PDT by TankerKC (R.I.P. Spc Trevor A. Win'E American Hero)
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To: Dog

That was the story I found, too. But would the AP pool have more than one reporter? We should make sure we finger the right grad of the Josef Goebbels School of Journalism.


55 posted on 09/03/2004 2:40:29 PM PDT by mewzilla
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To: NavySEAL F-16

Thank God for the Internet. Twenty years ago you wouldn't know about this for months, if ever.


56 posted on 09/03/2004 2:40:51 PM PDT by chapin2500
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To: NewsJunqui

DId you get the AP phone number he just announced?


57 posted on 09/03/2004 2:41:13 PM PDT by GoLightly
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To: Dog

WTG everyone!!

Disgraceful!!

To hate President Bush to such a level they would use President Clinton's heart attack to harm G.W through their position as a "journalist".

The overwhelming majority feel nothing but sympathy for the former President, wishing him well.


58 posted on 09/03/2004 2:41:33 PM PDT by Soul Seeker
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To: Dog
Count how many times in that article that the reporter referred to President Bush as 'Bush'....I counted 16. Disgusting...
59 posted on 09/03/2004 2:42:11 PM PDT by tsmith130 (Making one's enemies suffer is currently an under-valued activity.)
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To: MaineRepublic

Good job!


60 posted on 09/03/2004 2:42:23 PM PDT by Not A Snowbird (Official RKBA Landscaper and Arborist, Duchess of Green Leafy Things)
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