Posted on 06/26/2005 11:06:58 PM PDT by kromike
In what may be an unprecedented act of media censorship, several major TV and cable networks – including NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, Fox and CNN - have cancelled planned appearances of the author of the new, red hot book on Hillary Clinton.
Edward Klein's sizzling new biography "The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It and How Far She'll Go to Become President" has caused a storm of controversy after Sen. Clinton lashed out at it.
Her aide called the book "full of blatant and vicious fabrications contrived by someone who writes trash for cash." [Editor's Note: Get our FREE Offer for this book Go Here Now.
Hillary's top aides and supporters have also launched a major effort to stop any discussion of the book over the TV airwaves. So far, their censorship effort has been a huge success in stopping Klein from appearing on television.
Though the celebrated author was scheduled to appear on more than a half dozen major TV network shows, all have cancelled except one, Fox's "Hannity & Colmes."
However, conservative host Sean Hannity did reveal that he was under immense pressure to cancel the program.
"I've had more political pressure than I've ever had in all my years in radio," Hannity said to Klein during a radio interview. "Do you know the number of requests I've had to cancel you and not have you on this program? I've never in the history of this program had more demands to cancel the guest."
Hannity did not identify the source of the "political pressure."
Other hosts had similar experiences. Salem Radio Network's Mike Gallagher, syndicated nationwide, said he was deluged by emails opposing Klein's scheduled appearance and demanding he drop the author. Gallagher described the campaign as "very unnatural, like an orchestrated [effort]" and not from his listeners.
But other networks, particularly television, have succumbed to the pressure.
Klein's original schedule had him appearing on several top-rated TV shows. But all of them have cancelled. Among the cancellations: "Extra;" MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews;" and CNN's Paula Zahn show.
Several shows apparently expressed a keen interest in booking Klein until pressure from the Hillary camp stopped them, among them ABC's "Good Morning America," NBC's "Today" show, and CNN's "Aaron Brown."
Still more shows were expected to sign on after the book began hitting the bestseller lists. It has done just that, but Klein's publicist's phones are still not ringing.
A source close to Klein's publisher, Sentinel, blames the censorship effort solely on the Clintons and their enormous power base.
"A number of people who have booked me on TV and radio have already cancelled," Klein told Sean Hannity last week. "And the reason they've cancelled is because the publicity machine of the Clintons is hard at work."
On the day of his only Fox News appearance, Klein's book hit the #1 spot on Amazon's coveted bestseller list, as well as top positions at online sellers like Barnes & Noble. "Truth" has also been the biggest selling book in the history of NewsMax's online store.
The liberal censorship of Klein's book has aroused the ire of Rush Limbaugh. America's number one talk show host was the first media person to condemn the spineless cravenness of the so-called mainstream media.
"It's very rare that you see the media circle the wagons to defend a politician," he noted. "You just don't see it, other than with the Clintons."
The media blackout on Klein's book can only be chalked up to a political motive. Not only is his book near the top of the bestseller lists, but it's a major discussion subject on talk radio and in the blogosphere.
Last week, Klein kicked off his radio appearances on Sean Hannity's radio show, the second largest syndicated show - with 13 million weekly listeners. Since then Klein has begun a schedule of non stop interviews on major talk radio shows, including Salem Radio Network's Mike Gallagher, Westwood One's Jim Bohannon, and the Laura Ingraham Show.
But the TV cancellations are raising questions about the unusual effort by the Clinton Spin Machine to stop this book.
An MSNBC producer told NewsMax that Chris Matthews' "Hardball" had merely considered booking the Hillary author, saying the idea was dropped when producers found out that the book was "a big piece of crap."
However, another source at the network told NewsMax that MSNBC chief Rick Kaplan has long been close to the Clintons (he was one of the celebrated Friends of Bill and Hillary who spent the night in the Lincoln Bedroom) - a fact that could have played a role in the network snubbing the Klein book.
Media's Double Standard
Critics complain that Klein's book - chock full of sensational allegations about Hillary Clinton's personal life - is too dicey to touch.
Among the criticisms are claims that Klein has accused Hillary of being a lesbian and that Bill Clinton raped his wife.
But a read of Klein's book shows that he never makes either allegation.
"This was Hillary's spin, an exaggeration of items of the book to make it look extreme," former Congressman and NewsMax columnist John LeBoutillier said. "When I read that even conservatives are saying Klein accuses Bill of raping Hillary, I know immediately these people didn't even read the book!"
One reason LeBoutillier suspects the Hillary spin machine is out in full force is that Klein's book is not a conservative attack piece on her.
"This is a book about Hillary's true character written by a journalist with solid mainstream credentials," he said. "This cannot be dismissed as a right wing attack on Hillary."
Klein is a veteran journalist who served as editor of the New York Times Magazine and held top editor jobs with Newsweek and Vanity Fair.
In previous books, Klein's in-depth investigations of his subjects have won him serious praise – and widespread television media coverage.
Klein's recent bestseller, "The Kennedy Curse," exposed the rocky relationship between JFK Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette.
The book was sharply criticized by many in the media, especially those close to the Kennedys. Yet almost every major television outlet featured Klein.
Others are noting the media's hypocrisy in dealing with the Klein book and how the same media treated Kitty Kelley's book "The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty." Kelley's book offered far more salacious allegations about George W. Bush.
The books are hardly comparable, though; Klein is a veteran, award-winning journalist known for serious, and non political biographies, while Kelley has developed a reputation as a purveyor of gossip on her targets.
Last week, Fox News host Neil Cavuto told his audience, "Kitty [Kelley] was booked on shows. Ed is getting no bookings, period ... Could it be the media relished dirt on the president, less so on the woman who wants to be president?"
With a heated presidential campaign underway last year, Kelley was given star billing on show's like NBC's "Today" show (with an unprecedented interview over three days); CNBC's "Capital Report;" CNN "Newsnight" hosted by Aaron Brown; CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight;" CNN's "American Morning" with Paula Zahn; MSNBC's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews, among others.
Though Kelley made unsubstantiated allegations, including charges of illicit sex and drug use against Bush (previously she accused President Reagan of date rape in a book that received page one coverage from the New York Times), her book drew huge media interest.
But today, Klein, once a favored media author for serious bestsellers including "All Too Human: The Love Story of Jack and Jackie Kennedy" and "Just Jackie: Her Private Years," has been banned from major TV shows.
We know why.
During his interview with syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham this past Wednesday night, Klein revealed just how radioactive he's become.
He related how a leading mover and shaker had called him to disinvite him for a dinner party in Manhattan honoring a liberal politician.
The host told Klein it wasn't personal against him. She simply explained: "Hillary will ruin the politician's career if she finds out you were there."
Klein's story underlines his central complaint that Hillary is dangerous and "Nixonian" with power. But that may be an understatement. Even Richard Nixon as President didn't have the power Hillary Clinton seems to wield today over the mainstream media.
I've bought it too! We have no journalists anymore. They are all liberal political hacks for the dems. They will ruin this country if the people aren't smart enough to see through them.
My signature says it all!
IMHO, this book is nothing more than an effort by the author, on behalf of the far left, to sweep away all the trash that has littered the clinton's past.
The object of the book is get everyone talking, ad nauseum, about all the peccadillos rumored about hillary, so that the general public is fully innoculated by the time she races for the presidential nomination.
Will we ever learn?
Et tu, FNC?
ML/NJ
Hohoho!
It really doesn't matter now. I'll bet Hillary's machine had something to do with getting the JFK Jr./Diana story out there as a diversion.
Finally.
That one rare Freeper who sees it.
I don't understand why everyone is getting so stupid about the obvious tactic being played here.
Only problem for Hilliary is that there's more to dish....
C-SPAN was showing a taped interview of Klein (his interview with radio host Jim Bohannon) last night. He has done interviews with local radio stations like the powerful WBZ in Boston (heard in much of US at night)
Yep. Fox reportedly cancelled. And this book is already number one on Amazon. I hope President Hannity [2008] doesn't drop this. Of course, if it gets real bad, I like to think Rush would promote it. =] And then there's Savage, who would most definitely promote it after his vacation. And Laura Ingraham certainly will.
Honestly, we don't need Fox to promote a book. Nor do we need the old media. Nor do we need the NYT [possibly] 'best' seller list.
That only means there was more to innoculate against.
Remember the Clinton tactic: Get It Out Early.
"I don't understand why everyone is getting so stupid about the obvious tactic being played here."
When the cat's out of the bag, you can't pretend it isn't there. If everyone did ignore this book, then she's even more innoculated.
Well, true.
I was thinking of the stuff she doesn't want out. Period :)
Actually, that stuff *isn't* out.
There's no Statute of Limitations on ordering murders.
Like hell, she wants it censored. She told Ed Klein to write the book, hoping conservatives would look slimey for it.
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