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Swift Boats and Double Standards /Why aren't the media scrutinizing lawyers and advisers to Kerry?
WP ^ | September 1, 2004; Page A19 | Benjamin L. Ginsberg

Posted on 09/04/2004 8:23:57 PM PDT by Former Military Chick

Think you're getting unbiased, balanced coverage of politics? Or is there a double standard in the way the media treat Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives? My recent visit to the center of a media storm suggests there is. Consider this:

A $500,000 ad buy made by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth brings searing media scrutiny and "proof" of illegal coordination based on a lawyer (me) representing both the Bush-Cheney campaign and the Swift Boat Veterans; on an accountant working for Tom DeLay's political action committee; and on a $200,000 contributor to the group who is not a major donor to Bush-Cheney 2004 but who does know Karl Rove.

Meanwhile, the media give practically no scrutiny to a $63 million, five-month, negative-ad buy done by Democratic "527" groups (the Media Fund, MoveOn.org and others) with a revolving door of connections to the Kerry campaign. Consider:

• Kerry campaign lawyer Bob Bauer and Democratic National Committee counsel Joe Sandler also represent 527s -- not illegal, but doesn't it deserve a little scrutiny?

• Jim Jordan, John Kerry's campaign manager until last November, works for three of the 527s.

• Harold Ickes, an executive committee member of the Democratic National Committee, heads the Media Fund.

• Bill Richardson simultaneously chaired the Democrats' national convention and a 527.

• Michael Meehan became Kerry's spokesman after running NARAL Pro-Choice America's "soft money" programs.

• Zack Exley went from being a MoveOn.org executive to the Kerry campaign.

The coordination law prohibits individuals from "using or conveying" information on the private "plans, needs or projects" of a campaign to a 527 or vice versa. If the media can scrutinize my legal work, which doesn't even fall under the anti-coordination rules, why can't they scrutinize these Democrats with equal diligence?

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 527; billrichardson; democraticparty; doublestandard; haroldickes; ickes; kerry; lamestreammedia; mainstreammedia; mediabias; mediots; msm; richardson; sbvft; swiftboatsveterans; webofconnections
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An excellent op-ed article. I only wish it were not in the WP you have to excerpt the article and really this is one that should be read in its entirety.
1 posted on 09/04/2004 8:23:58 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
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To: Former Military Chick
Why aren't the media scrutinizing lawyers and advisers to Kerry?

Answered own question with the first line.

2 posted on 09/04/2004 8:29:01 PM PDT by dts32041 (bortaS bIr jablu'DI' reH QaQqu' nay)
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To: Former Military Chick
Tired of the lamestream media and the DemocRATS 'smear the messenger and disrespect the veterans' campaign?

Do SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Get your own "EXPOSE KERRY'S FRAUD SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH" STICKER!

You can bet the DemocRAT 'smear the Swiftees' campaign will be kicked up to a whole new level now.

These Swiftee window stickers get the word out to the driving public, display public support for the SBVFT, as well as displaying the website address!

Swiftee window sticker thread - get yours! Freep mail for details.

3 posted on 09/04/2004 8:29:12 PM PDT by Chieftain (Support the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and expose Hanoi John's FRAUD!)
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To: dts32041; Chieftain; Ragtime Cowgirl; gatorbait; writer33; GreyFriar; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; ...

I have no idea. I would have thought this would be equal opportunity. Where is the Times or FOX news with their investigative reporters. It is disturbing.

It would have been nice to post the entire article but I do hope folks will click on the link and read it there.


4 posted on 09/04/2004 8:32:25 PM PDT by Former Military Chick (Ticked OFF in the heartland.)
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To: Former Military Chick

Exactly! If I remember my reading correctly (I hope so ...) :)

George Soros can contribute mega millions to moveon.org etc and a construction worker (believe this is what he did) from texas gives swift vets $100,000.00 to run a few commericfals and democrats go nuts.

Imagine! There ads work. So, naturally ... dems can't handle it.


5 posted on 09/04/2004 8:44:25 PM PDT by JJB10 (http://readjjb.com)
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To: Former Military Chick
...why can't they scrutinize these Democrats with equal diligence? Do you really need an answer to that question?
6 posted on 09/04/2004 8:48:31 PM PDT by no dems (I'm mad as Zell.)
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Former Military Chick; ActiveDutyUSMC; dakine; bkwells; chookter; Hacksaw434; thumperusn; Hostel; ..

"I will not have my commitment to defending this country questioned
by those who refused to serve when they had had a chance"

Kerry at a campaign stop in Ohio on 09/03/04

John Kerry's role model
Phony Vietnam vet Al Hubbard
head of the
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
The New Soldier BY John Kerry
FREE, read it on line right now!

http://ejsmithweb.com/fr/newsoldier/

John Edwards COULD have served during Vietnam BUT didn't.

Instead he went to college from '70-'74

"...A proud product of public schools, John became the first person in his family to attend college.
He worked his way through North Carolina State University where he graduated with high honors in 1974,
and then earned a law degree with honors in 1977 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. .."

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/john_edwards.asp

Questions for Senator Kerry!

1) Are you going to dump Edwards as your VP
because he didn't serve when he could have?

2) How's Al Hubbard now-a-days?
Is he getting ready to hit your campaign trail?

3) Is it true Jane Fonda is coming out to?


8 posted on 09/04/2004 8:53:33 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (MAKE SURE YOUR YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND VOTE Nov 2nd!)
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To: no dems; Atigun

I agree with you. There is a bias in the media. Oddly enough the only reason I heard about this oped article was by a democrat on FOX yesterday.

I think Ginsburg did the honorably thing, but, in all honesty I might have stayed and said if you all clean house we will clean house. Betting Kerry's office will be empty. Shhh don't tell anyone! :)


9 posted on 09/04/2004 8:53:44 PM PDT by Former Military Chick (Ticked OFF in the heartland.)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

bump


10 posted on 09/04/2004 8:55:13 PM PDT by Soaring Feather
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Thanks for the ping!


11 posted on 09/04/2004 8:58:40 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Former Military Chick
If the media can scrutinize my legal work, which doesn't even fall under the anti-coordination rules, why can't they scrutinize these Democrats with equal diligence?

Ben, the less stories they have to spike the less stories out there to leak out. They learned their lesson with Lewinsky/Drudge.

12 posted on 09/04/2004 8:58:48 PM PDT by Morgan's Raider
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To: Former Military Chick

law?..since when is it important to follow the law when your a democrat?
let's see...sandy berger was just sloopy, and lost things
800 fbi files in the white house for over a year and turn up suddenly...
(recounting a nixon guy went to prison for having ONE file)
and it wasn't in the white house when discovered
reminds me...what the lastest on berger?

Doogle


13 posted on 09/04/2004 9:00:42 PM PDT by Doogle (8th AF..Ubon Thailand..408thMMS...."69"...Night Line Delivery,,Ammo Dump)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Jane Fonda had the decency to apologize about 17 years ago for what she said about the Vietnam Vets.


14 posted on 09/04/2004 9:02:47 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn't be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

What and GORE their own LumOx?


15 posted on 09/04/2004 9:03:49 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; PhilDragoo; Ragtime Cowgirl; Cindy; SusanTK; AdmSmith; Valin; ...





Want to join in the fun? Click the logo to donate to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth!

16 posted on 09/04/2004 9:15:20 PM PDT by Smartass (BUSH & CHENEY 2004 Si vis pacem, para bellum - Por el dedo de Dios se escribió)
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To: Former Military Chick
The double standard in reporting on 527s suggests that some of the withering scrutiny visited on the Swift boat veterans should be directed inward.

There is plenty of withering scrutiny being directed at the press these days. The behavior of reporters and editors toward the Swift Boat Vets is so blatantly partisan that even long-time doubters of "media bias" have to admit that we are watching the Media Wing of the Democratic Party go nuts.

This scrutiny is not reported in the paper; most reporters don't even know about it. It will pop out months from now, in Pew surveys that show the public ranking newspaper reporters beneath Nigerian fraud spammers in terms of truthfulness.

Circulation will continue to decline; for the broadcasters, viewership will decline. And the whole time they will think it has something to do with technology, or sizzling graphics, or a populace that just doesn't care.

They don't seem to get it that 50% of their audience is on the right side of the political spectrum. This constant liberal tilt to everything in the newspaper is insulting and angry-making.

This latest Amazing Thing, where a cable news channel out-drew all three broadcast networks when covering a prime-time news event, ought to be all the evidence any corporate bean-counter needs to conclude that the conservative half of the country is not being served by having all three broastcast networks tilting to the left. Locked in a tight ratings race? Dump the liberals! If Fox can out-draw you with a cable channel, then the segment they are reaching is bigger than you are.

The first broadcast network that dumps its role as a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party, and becomes something that Republicans can watch without wanting to throw things at the television, will suddenly discover there is money to be made with a news division. Why can no one see this when it has been demonstrated by Murdoch?


17 posted on 09/04/2004 9:17:03 PM PDT by Nick Danger (www.swiftvets.com www.wintersoldier.com www.kerrylied.com)
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To: Former Military Chick
27% of registered voters believe that Bush is behind the "Swift Boat" ads, since this is about the percentage of people that would sacrifice their first born to see Bush lose, I'm not worried on that account.
18 posted on 09/04/2004 9:20:33 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.)
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To: Former Military Chick
Why aren't the media scrutinizing lawyers and advisers to Kerry?

Because then they would have to report the truth

19 posted on 09/04/2004 9:36:21 PM PDT by Mo1 (FR NEWS ALERT .... John Kerry over dosed on Botox and thinks he's Bob KerrEy)
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To: Chieftain

Hey pal, keep posting away on all these threads! You and your disabled Vietnam Veteran buddy who makes these stickers - ARE getting the word out there. I know it. And your buddy is DONATING ALL THE PROCEEDS of these stickers to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. AWESOME!

Keep up the great work!


20 posted on 09/04/2004 9:44:47 PM PDT by JLO
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