WHITE HOUSE BLASTS WASHINGTON POST -- AGAIN
Wed Feb 09 2005 17:25:59 ET
For the second time in less than a week, the White House has issued a rare public demand for The WASHINGTON POST to correct high impact stories about the cost of President Bush's domestic initiatives.
The POST caved last Thursday after the White House savaged reporter Jonathan Weisman's article on Social Security (“Benefit Cuts Would Offset Contributions”). Not only did the POST run a correction, but Weisman wrote an entire story correcting his earlier account.
The bad blood boiled over again today when the POST led its editions with a story about Medicare costs by Ceci Connolly and Mike Allen (“Medicare Drug Benefit May Cost $1.2 Trillion”).
The White House issued a scathing attack on the story, coupled with a demand for a fresh correction. A second correction would be a major journalistic embarrassment for the POST, which the White House argues is providing ammunition to Democrats for use in baseless attacks against the president.
The WASHINGTON POST, however, stands by its story this time.
"We're satisfied that our story is quite accurate and don't see any need for a correction," said an editor.
Developing...
http://www.drudgereport.com/flash3wp.htm
(Jan 28, 2005) Court hears requests on ban of 2 Baltimore Sun writers.........The Baltimore Sun Co. has sued Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., alleging that his administration's order banning state employees from speaking with two Sun writers is a violation of their First Amendment rights. The case was heard in court for the first time Friday, with The Sun asking the ban be lifted while the case proceeds. The state asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr. did not rule on either request. Instead, he asked for more information from the state on which employees are subject to the order. The judge's request also gives both sides at least another week to reach a settlement.
Lawyers forThe Sun and the governor have been negotiating for more than a month, and both sides said Friday that they will continue to talk in search of a resolution outside of court. The ban, issued Nov. 18, applies to Sun state house bureau chief David Nitkin and columnist Michael Olesker.
Ehrlich, who did not appear in court Friday, has said he intended the order to have a "chilling effect" on "two writers who have no credibility." The e- mail issuing the ban, sent to 19 state agencies by the governor's press office, said the two writers are "failing to objectively report" on the administration. The Sun argues that the ban was made in retribution for coverage.......
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-ban0128,1,7635287.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
Too bad John Mitchell isn't alive anymore, (nor that old bag Katherine Graham....)
"You guys think you're cute, don't you? Just wait and see, we're going to do a story all over you people at the "Washington Post". You go tell Katie Graham to watch out before she gets her t#t caught in a big fat wringer."
Gotta love that.
