Posted on 10/24/2004 5:08:47 PM PDT by Ex-Dem
Washington D.C.'s Secret Service is investigating Charlie Brooker of the UK Guardian. The entertainment writer's weekend, anti-Bush tantrum, ending with the words, "John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr.--where are you now that we need you," was picked up by the Drudge Report,--using Brooker's provocative last words as the main headline.
Citing federal statute 18 USC 879, Florida attorney John B. Thompson, called in the Secret Service Protective Intelligence Unit. "Please do whatever is necessary to punish the UK Guardian and to educate Matt Drudge on the meaning and scope of statute 18," Thompson wrote in a letter faxed to the SS on Saturday.
Thompson's letter indicates that not only was his complaint being taken seriously by the SS, but that it had already been tipped off about the Guardian story before receipt of his letter.
"I am relieved to find out that you were alerted to this danger last evening and are working on it."
Following a telephone call to the Unit, Thompson registered surprise that the Secret Service seemed unaware of the magnitude of the Drudge Report. "(But) in calling you today, I find that you did not know that one of the most visited sites on the Internet, with more than 10 million hits every 24 hours, is highlighting this call for the assassination of President Bush by placement of it as a headline, as follows: "UK Guardian: "John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr.--where are you now that we need you?"
"This is to be found this morning at www.drudgereport.com. The owner of the Drudge Report is Matt Drudge, who lives on South Beach (Miami Beach), Florida. I would encourage the Secret Services Miami office to pay Mr. Drudge a visit to tell him he needs to comply with the law and take down that screaming red headline."
Thompson's concern is that the combined circulations of the Guardian and Drudge Report manifest a siren call to whackos among the millions of readers reached by the publications.
"As I noted in our call, my friend, who is an Assistant United States Attorney, successfully prosecuted some numbskull who was talking about killing Dan Quayle in a bar. It would seem that an American journalist who puts a threat of the above kind on his website seen by millions is being at least as reckless as the aforementioned drunk," Thompson said in his letter.
In his anti-Bush tirade, Brooker wrote: "On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod's law dictates he'll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us" before ending with his call for a would-be Booth, Oswald and Hinckley Jr.
The television entertainment writer seems to have his knickers in a twist about the "Bush-wears-a-wire-to-televised-debates theory.
"The internet's abuzz with speculation that Bush has been wearing a wire, receiving help from some off-stage lackey. Screen grabs appearing to show a mysterious bulge in the center of his back are being traded like Top Trumps. Prior to seeing this debate footage, I regarded this with healthy skepticism: the whole "wire" scandal was just wishful thinking on behalf of some amateur Michael Moores, I figured.
"Quite frankly, the man's either wired or mad. If it's the former, he should be flung out of office: tarred, feathered and kicked in the nuts. And if it's the latter, his behaviour goes beyond strange, and heads towards terrifying."
Brooker criticizes the American media for purportedly ignoring the wire theory. "...And then I start hunting around the internet, looking to see what the US media made of the whole "wire" debate. And they just let it die. They mentioned it in passing, called it a whacko conspiracy theory and moved on."
The American website, www.rense.com, which leans heavily on UFO and alien abduction stories, made the most of the wire theory.
Answering media inquiries about his "mysterious bulge", President Bush identified it as "my spine."
Meanwhile, at press time, Brooker's calling all assassins story was still being carried by the Guardian and Drudge Report.
Canada Free Press founding editor Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the media. A former Toronto Sun and Kingston Whig Standard columnist, she has also appeared on Newsmax.com, the Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, and World Net Daily. Judi can be reached at: cfp@canadafreepress.com.
Dare we hope that Brooker "trip" and fall down a huge flight of stairs?
Thats all it is.
In defence of irresponsible journalism
Maybe we need less official and quasi-official scrutiny, not more. Maybe the time has come for even more strident and confrontational reporting. Until we free public information from government secrecy, we may be exhibiting too much courtesy, deference and respect for authority.
I'd say Brooker's piece is "Exhibit A" for irresponsible journalism. Mr. Scardino must be so proud.
That is not what I said.
Why is it necessary to take a chance on endangering any president or his family by wording a headline in such a way or giving an advanced itinerary of where a president's daughter will be time and place, when she is in another country? Drudge could have exposed the article in the Guardian without using those words. It just would not have been as attention grabbing.
Have you no respect for President Busch or his family? Do you really think these actions where safety are concerned can be likened to, in your words, "a threat to democracy"?
Because this man is doing his job and fighting to keep us safe, he is in a much more vulnerable position that Clinton was ever in while playing hide the cigar.
Give us all a break.
Sounds like your typical leftist, anti-establishment, anti-conformist way of thinking.
In his heart, this Brooker fellow probably wouldn't be sorry if some psycho were to try to take out Bush, despite his newspaper's apology on his behalf. (Actually, it's interesting that the apology was written by the Guardian, it didn't actually come from Brooker himself...). I don't think he was joking on that point.
Look, we're all on the same side. Some of us don't agree that Drudge was inciting anything other than highlighting the stupidity of the Leftist Guardian. Turn down your gain and lighten up, Francis.
It's called censorship.
The American people have a right to know what the English paper that endorses Kerry wants their kool-aid drinkers to do.
Kerry himself stated he wanted to take a rifle to his first debate with Bush, and made a nastier comment in '88 about shooting Quayle if Bush I died.
That is news. People have a right to know and make a decision based on the facts.
Sure. And papers reporting on fires increase the likelihood of arson. C'mon. Having a ridiculous headline isn't even on par with the Guardian's call for assassins.
Yes, and the Jackpeace in the email sounds familiar as well.
Didn't he used to post something along the lines that he was the only lawyer certified as sane by the Florida Bar?
I was only a lurker back in those days.
LOL NO wonder Dems and talking heads didn't recognize it. Probably quite a few confused RINOs too.
So the Secret Service should arrest Drudge for reporting the news, you ignorant little fascist? I guess they don't teach the Constitution in law school anymore. And Booker is a Brit, the SS has no jurisdiction in Britain. Lousy squealing little rat bastard.
Because his website is so popular, and could have been read by some wacko who would feel the need to carry out that psycho Brit's wishes. It was irresponsible on Drudges part.
Notice how the Toronto Free Press (our Canadian Liberals) immediately listed Matt Drudges home as South Beach FL. I guess that little piece of advice for anyone wanting to send him a thank you note...or was it another form of threat. The retraction this morning from the UK Guardian hits on deaf ears here. I'm still troubled by the *****ADVERTISERS***** American Express and Toyota. When does support for terrorist threats against the President have no responsibility. I've not seen a retraction from the *****ADVERTISERS*****; they're still on the UKG site.
If the SS wants Drudge to take the headline down, he should do it.
A list of all "American" corporations advertising in the Guardian would be most useful. Personally, I won't go to their site or buy their paper.
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