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Repeating rumors is not the newspaper's job [O'Malley, MD4Bush, Democrat sleaze]
Baltimore Sun ^ | Originally published Feb 20, 2005 | Public Editor: Paul Moore

Posted on 02/22/2005 10:58:52 PM PST by Jim Robinson

Edited on 02/22/2005 11:03:31 PM PST by Jim Robinson. [history]

ON THE DAY Mayor Martin O'Malley denounced rumors he had had an extramarital affair - rumors that became public when a state employee and longtime aide to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich was discovered spreading them on the Internet [B/S, the rumors broke on the Sun's own website as admitted in this very column]...

~snip~

Reporters and editors have been doing their jobs. They had been pursuing rumors and tips about O'Malley but could not confirm them. Because The Sun does not report unsubstantiated rumors [ROFLMAO] in the news pages, no matter who or what the subject is, no article about the O'Malley rumors was ever published.

~snip~

Because anonymous figures [aka sleazy Democrat moles] can use Web sites to make accusations that can destroy reputations and careers, a newspaper cannot allow competitive pressures or any other reason to lower its standards [ROFLMAO again]. Although some might question this, The Sun takes these standards very seriously [I've got a bridge I can sell you].

~snip~

Steffen's most damaging comments came in e-mail exchanges with MD4BUSH, the username of a Web site member who, Nitkin reports, could be a Democratic operative or even an O'Malley ally. Nitkin points out that minutes after The Washington Post broke the Steffen story on its Web site, "MD4BUSH gathered all exchanges from NCPAC [Steffen's username] and posted them in a convenient place on the Web site." This indicates prior knowledge of the content and timing of the Post story [NoSS].

Reporters call it "rumor patrol," and chasing leads in pursuit of what is fact and what is not can consume a significant amount of their time. The search is worth it, however, if their efforts bring facts to light or lay rumors to rest.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS: democratsleaze; md4bush; omalley
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The "facts" are one subpoena away.

Thanks Todd ;)

1 posted on 02/22/2005 10:58:53 PM PST by Jim Robinson
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To: Jim Robinson
"Pay no attention to that column behind the curtain!!!!"
2 posted on 02/22/2005 11:01:18 PM PST by Swordmaker (Tagline now open, please ring bell.)
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To: Jim Robinson

Spill the beans Jim.... Who is MD4Bush?


3 posted on 02/22/2005 11:01:18 PM PST by MJY1288 (In The War On Terror; Belgium = GWB Piss Mats,... U.S.A = The Liberation of 50 Million so far)
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To: Jim Robinson
a newspaper cannot allow competitive pressures or any other reason to lower its standards

competitive?? The networks don't compete, they have the same stories with the same spin. I fail to see how a one-newspaper town report could feel, 'competitive pressure'.

4 posted on 02/22/2005 11:03:48 PM PST by GeronL (Bush on the PRESS "They just float sewer out there.")
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To: MJY1288
Who is MD4Bush?

Teddy Kennedy under the influence

5 posted on 02/22/2005 11:04:39 PM PST by woofie
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To: Jim Robinson

Bump for the road and check back in the morn'.

Paul Moore's column appears Sundays...

in the comics section, no doubt. This is hysterical.


6 posted on 02/22/2005 11:07:41 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... The War on Terrorism is the ultimate 'faith-based' initiative.)
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To: MJY1288
Who is MD4Bush?

Dan Rather and Mary Mapes' love child.

7 posted on 02/22/2005 11:07:46 PM PST by LibertarianInExile (The South will rise again? Hell, we ever get states' rights firmly back in place, the CSA has risen!)
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To: Jim Robinson

bump


8 posted on 02/22/2005 11:09:19 PM PST by lowbridge
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To: woofie

Ted Kennedy under the influence is a threat, juat a minor threat, but not to anybody in Maryland, he no longer drives here in MD :-)


9 posted on 02/22/2005 11:11:28 PM PST by MJY1288 (In The War On Terror; Belgium = GWB Piss Mats,... U.S.A = The Liberation of 50 Million so far)
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To: Jim Robinson
Because The Sun does not report unsubstantiated rumors in the news pages, no matter who or what the subject is, no article about the O'Malley rumors was ever published.

Jim, you shouldn't have snipped the next part:

Substantiated rumors, however, we're all about. And all it takes to substantiate a rumor is one Democrat's word. Unless it would attack a Democrat. In that case, we'll need sworn testimony, even though that's not enough, really, because everyone knows that people can lie under oath about sex and it's okay, everyone does it.

Okay, they didn't REALLY say that...but it was so easy to put into their mouths.

10 posted on 02/22/2005 11:12:58 PM PST by LibertarianInExile (The South will rise again? Hell, we ever get states' rights firmly back in place, the CSA has risen!)
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To: LibertarianInExile

LOL, Dan and Mary do have a bone to pick with FR :-)


11 posted on 02/22/2005 11:14:33 PM PST by MJY1288 (In The War On Terror; Belgium = GWB Piss Mats,... U.S.A = The Liberation of 50 Million so far)
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To: Swordmaker

LOL


12 posted on 02/22/2005 11:19:55 PM PST by Mo1 (Question to Liberals .. When did supporting and defending Freedom become a bad thing??)
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To: MJY1288
Who is MD4Bush?

Maybe it's Maureen Dowd coming out of the closet.

13 posted on 02/22/2005 11:20:27 PM PST by L.N. Smithee (Thanks for nothing, you dumb pucks. The NHL is now the NHWC [No Hockey? Who Cares?])
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To: Jim Robinson

Without the facts they can spin things to include the GOP in the blame.


14 posted on 02/22/2005 11:20:58 PM PST by Mark was here (My tag line was about to be censored.)
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To: Jim Robinson

Why hasn't MD4Bush been banned?? I can still look up the name and get all of their posts to come up.


15 posted on 02/22/2005 11:22:09 PM PST by sam_whiskey (Peace through Strength)
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To: L.N. Smithee

Jim is holding all the cards :-)


16 posted on 02/22/2005 11:22:22 PM PST by MJY1288 (In The War On Terror; Belgium = GWB Piss Mats,... U.S.A = The Liberation of 50 Million so far)
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To: Jim Robinson

But they don't want the facts and they haven't sent you a subpoena,have they?


17 posted on 02/22/2005 11:24:24 PM PST by nopardons
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To: sam_whiskey
Why hasn't MD4Bush been banned?? I can still look up the name and get all of their posts to come up.

So everyone can read his posts for themselves.

18 posted on 02/22/2005 11:26:29 PM PST by connectthedots
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To: MJY1288
Jim is holding all the cards :-)

I sure do wish they'd force Jim to show his cards!

Who's Todd?

19 posted on 02/22/2005 11:27:39 PM PST by CAluvdubya (From the RED part of California)
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To: Jim Robinson
Reporters and editors have been doing their jobs. They had been pursuing rumors and tips about O'Malley but could not confirm them. Because The Sun does not report unsubstantiated rumors [ROFLMAO]

Geez, keep it down; I can hear you laughing from over here.

BTW, did you want to borrow this?


20 posted on 02/22/2005 11:27:57 PM PST by Howlin (Free the Eason Jordan Tape!!!)
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