Posted on 12/26/2007 6:25:03 AM PST by jellybean
AP Gives Thompson the ‘04 Treatment by Jed Babbin
The Associated Press -- once the gold standard of fast and accurate reporting -- changed during the Bush presidency. What was liberal bias has reshaped the wire service into one of the most politically activist media outlets. This is a cautionary tale for every Republican candidate. What AP tried to do to Fred Thompson is going to be repeated against any conservative candidate who exudes a whiff of conservatism in the primaries and whichever Republican gains the presidential nomination.
Those of us who cast a leery eye on the media, watching for bias and worse, became used to the AP’s antics by the time the 2004 presidential race was under way. Typical was AP’s coverage of President Bush’s criticism of one of John Kerry’s more outlandish statements. Kerry said the Iraq Coalition was, “…the alliance of the coerced and the bribed.” In a piece titled, “Bush Twists Kerry’s Words on Iraq,” AP’s Jennifer Loven wrote:
Kerry did use the phrase to describe the U.S.-led coalition of nations in Iraq, in a March 2003 speech in California. He was referring to the administration's willingness to offer aid to other nations to gain support for its Iraq policies.AP’s defense of Kerry -- his words could be nothing other than a direct insult to our allies -- was an unpaid campaign contribution to the liberal Dem. And AP has only gotten worse since Bush defeated Kerry. Its coverage of Iraq got so bad that editors from newspapers all over the nation were critical of what AP was writing. Even the New York Times -- the Frankenstein laboratory for Bush Derangement Syndrome -- was forced to cover the AP’s coverage.But Bush mischaracterized Kerry's criticism, which has not been aimed at the countries that have contributed a relatively small number of troops and resources, but at the administration for not gaining more participation from other nations.
In an August 15, 2005 story, the Times quoted the editorial page editor of the Tampa Tribune, Rosemary Goudreau:
“The bottom-line question was, people wanted to know if we're making progress in Iraq,’ Ms. Goudreau said, “and the A.P. articles were not helping to answer that question. It was uncomfortable questioning The A.P., knowing that Iraq is such a dangerous place," she said. "But there's a perception that we're not telling the whole story.”A year later, AP wasn’t only failing to report the whole story, it was making stories up. Two of its Washington reporters -- Lolita Baldor and Devlin Barrett -- contrived a series of stories about then-Defense Secretary Rumsfeld “refusing” to testify at a Senate hearing on Iraq. The fascinating part of this series was that they appeared to have been written as campaign commercials for Hillary Clinton. Rumsfeld testified at the hearing, the second one he spoke at on the same day and on the same subject.
At that second hearing, Hillary’s strident verbal assault on Rumsfeld was a big yawn. But not to AP. “Reporting” on the hearing, AP’s Clintonistas wrote, "The showdown between Clinton, a potential candidate in 2008, and Rumsfeld, the public face of the Bush administration's war effort, included the strongest criticism of the Iraq war she has made to date...The defense secretary seemed briefly stunned by the intensity of her attack..."
As I wrote at the time, AP’s characterization of Hillary’s histrionics and Rumsfeld’s calm rebuttal was fable, not fact. I called AP Washington Bureau chief Sandra Johnson and night editor Robert Glass for interviews for both print and radio. Johnson never returned my calls and Glass shuffled me off on another editor, Alan Fram, who also didn’t return my calls. Caught Hillary-handed, AP hid in the tall grass.
Now, the same AP crew is contriving stories about Republican presidential candidates. Case in point, this AP story about Fred Thompson.
AP’s Libby Quaid wrote on December 21, “Thompson suffered a stinging setback Thursday, when conservative Rep. Tom Tancredo dropped out of the presidential running and endorsed another rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Tancredo, a Colorado congressman, is a hero to many voters who are furious at illegal immigration in this country, and a lot of them are Iowa caucus goers. The endorsement was a disappointment to Thompson, especially since his week had begun on a high note with the unexpected backing of another anti-immigration hero, Rep. Steve King.”
There is a small problem with the AP story: the facts. Tancredo did endorse Romney, but Thompson actually benefited from Tancredo’s withdrawal, possibly more than Romney did. Thompson’s campaign staff was stunned: not by Tancredo’s speech, but AP’s coverage. And here’s why.
As reported by The Politico, Bill Salier -- Tancredo’s Iowa state chairman -- is joining Thompson’s team: “He's a true-believing social conservative who ran an uphill race in the '02 GOP Senate primary that raised some eyebrows. In short: He's the sort of worker bee a campaign likes to have on its side. If Salier puts his shoulder to the wheel for Fred, he could be a major asset.”
The basic story was not contrived: Tancredo did withdraw and endorse Romney. But the misreporting of it was the functional equivalent of an attack ad directed at Thompson. And it cannot have been accidental. No young reporter would be able to do that without an editor’s approval. Or, more likely, an editor’s orders.
If Tancredo’s withdrawal caused his chief Iowa asset to shift allegiance to Thompson, how is Tancredo’s endorsement of Romney a “stinging setback” for Thompson? It isn’t. Which raises the same issue about AP that I raised in August 2006: which of its editors is responsible for the contrived stories? Is it Johnson herself?
And who is Hillary’s Kim Philby inside AP? Or is that person working with Rahm Emanuel or some other clever Dem? Who can say which AP editor is spending the most time with Hillary’s (or Rahm’s) operatives? Someone can. And if they do, we’ll be listening.
Meanwhile, Republican candidates ignore this event at their peril. The lesson is that the speed and accuracy for which AP was once known now must be employed in response to the political activism of most of the media. Get used to it, gents. You’ll have a steady diet of it all next year.
Fred Thompson's upbeat in Iowa BY HELEN KENNEDY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERMISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa - Fred Thompson's big gold bus pulled into this little town last week and the Republican candidate with the famous craggy face lumbered out and looked up and down at the empty main street.
It was freezing. There was no one outside on Erie St., where a red-headed kid straight out of Norman Rockwell sat in a chair at the beauty parlor and the marquee at the crumbling old Rialto movie palace was dark.
Thompson had driven nearly an hour to get to what local wags call Misery Valley, a town of 3,000 in conservative western Iowa, hoping to revive his comatose campaign.
"Let's do this," he said jauntily, undeterred by the bleak scene.
He spent a few minutes in the storefront offices of the Missouri Valley Times-News and examined a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun at Jody Windschitl's Double Barrel gun shop.
Already a big Thompson fan, Windschitl, 48, said, "Hillary really scares me. We need someone like Fred."
There were no customers to greet, so Thompson posed with a life-size cardboard John Wayne. "You'll notice I'm taller," he drawled.
He ducked into a hardware store, greeted the single customer and eyed a display of fishing poles with some longing before getting back on the bus.
Barring a dramatic rebound, Thompson will soon have all the time in the world to go fishing.
Three months ago, he was the great hope of the Republican Party, a charismatic, cigar-chomping conservative who was going to stride dramatically into the race and easily overtake the other candidates.
But Thompson's much-hyped campaign fell apart faster than a perp being interrogated on "Law & Order."
He made early gaffes, and his speeches were panned as lifeless. As he began to bleed staff, former aides griped that he was lazy and complained about the role his wife, Jeri, was taking.
The worst moment came when Thompson had to ask an Iowa crowd to clap when he finished speaking.
His poll numbers tanked. Reporters peeled off his campaign.
Now Thompson is reduced to meandering around rural Iowa back roads on his bus with his wife and a few aides. He can't afford TV ads, so he drops by the area's tiny newspapers and holds radio town hall meetings.
His campaign says that as Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee pound each other, voters will tire of them and turn to Thompson.
"If Mitt loses Iowa and New Hampshire, he's fried. Then Huckabee and Fred head into the Southern playoff. And Huckabee is already fading," said Thompson pollster John McLaughlin.
The candidate remains upbeat. He said his focus on Iowa - and the endorsement of Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a popular crusader against illegal immigration - will win him a solid showing that should propel him into a strong position in South Carolina on Jan. 19.
"This is where it starts," he said.
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-—There were no customers to greet, so Thompson posed with a life-size cardboard John Wayne. “You’ll notice I’m taller,” he drawled.-—
A big day for Fred!
(Get it? Fred and John Wayne, big?)
Fred's "Clear Conservative Choice: Hands Down!" Bus Tour of Iowa
- 12/26/2007 - 6:30 pm
Meet Fred in Creston, IA
Creston, Iowa - The Windrow
- 12/27/2007 - 10:05 am
Fred Participates in Live in studio radio interview with Jan Mickelson of WHO 1040
Iowa - WHO 1040 Studio
- 12/27/2007 - 11:30 am
Meet Fred in Urbandale
Urbandale, Iowa - Fred08 Iowa HQ
- 12/27/2007 - 3:50 pm
Fred Thompson Tours Downtown Chariton and Drops by Chariton Leader
Chariton, Iowa - Chariton Leader
- 12/27/2007 - 6:00 pm
Meet Fred in Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville, Iowa - National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum
AP Gets a Whackin' Over Thompson Attackin' By Warner Todd Huston | December 26, 2007 - 09:29 ET
Conservative radio host and political pundit, Jed Babbin, did a great job of smacking the Associated Press around in an editorial in Human Events, today. Calling the AP "one of the most politically activist media outlets" out there and pointing out that the wire service is often "caught Hillary-handed," Babbin does a great job of handing the AP its hat. And Babbin warns that every candidate "who exudes a whiff of conservatism" will see the APs guns leveled upon them.
To prove his case, Babbin uses the example of how the AP is doing it's level best to destroy the candidacy of Fred Thompson because, in Babbin's view, he is one of the most conservative candidates in the field as well as how often the AP rides to Hillary Clinton's rescue quite despite the facts.
The Associated Press -- once the gold standard of fast and accurate reporting -- changed during the Bush presidency. What was liberal bias has reshaped the wire service into one of the most politically activist media outlets. This is a cautionary tale for every Republican candidate. What AP tried to do to Fred Thompson is going to be repeated against any conservative candidate who exudes a whiff of conservatism in the primaries and whichever Republican gains the presidential nomination.Babbin doesn't just make claims, either. He gives some very specific examples of AP's left leaning political activism. From their help given the John Kerry campaign to their tip ins for Hillary, Babbin gives us example after example of the APs bias against Republican and conservatives.But his main example for the 2008 contest is how the AP misreported Tom Tancredo's endorsement of Mitt Romney as a "stinging setback" for Fred Thompson.
There is a small problem with the AP story: the facts. Tancredo did endorse Romney, but Thompson actually benefited from Tancredo’s withdrawal, possibly more than Romney did. Thompson’s campaign staff was stunned: not by Tancredo’s speech, but AP’s coverage. And here’s why.As Babin points out and as we similarly do on a daily basis, the Associated Press is an unpaid arm of the Democrat Party. It long ago threw away the credibility it took decades to earn in favor of advocacy for left leaning politicians and causes.As reported by The Politico, Bill Salier -- Tancredo’s Iowa state chairman -- is joining Thompson’s team: “He's a true-believing social conservative who ran an uphill race in the '02 GOP Senate primary that raised some eyebrows. In short: He's the sort of worker bee a campaign likes to have on its side. If Salier puts his shoulder to the wheel for Fred, he could be a major asset.”
The basic story was not contrived: Tancredo did withdraw and endorse Romney. But the misreporting of it was the functional equivalent of an attack ad directed at Thompson. And it cannot have been accidental. No young reporter would be able to do that without an editor’s approval. Or, more likely, an editor’s orders.
If Tancredo’s withdrawal caused his chief Iowa asset to shift allegiance to Thompson, how is Tancredo’s endorsement of Romney a “stinging setback” for Thompson? It isn’t. Which raises the same issue about AP that I raised in August 2006: which of its editors is responsible for the contrived stories? Is it Johnson herself?
This is a great piece by Babbin and you all should go read it.
Hi FredHeads! Just wanted to let you know I heard that Mark Bellings will be sitting in for Rush today and tomorrow.
Mark just happens to be a big supporter of Fred! Will be interesting to listen in.....and maybe some Freepers will get to call in to the show. GO FRED! :)
If you can ping this post for the cube “prisoners” among us. Thanks!
Christmas Is Over, So Campaigning Resumes Rush Hour as 6 Candidates Zoom Back to Iowa
BY JAKE TAPPERDES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 26, 2007 —
With Christmas over, rushing back to Iowa today are six of the eight candidates who have a plausible path to the White House Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, former Sen. John Edwards, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. John McCain and former Sen. Fred Thompson.
In the modern era, a race this wide open is unprecedented. And with just eight days to go before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, now it's crunch time.
For the Democrats, it's largely a three-way fight among Clinton, Obama and Edwards.
Her "inevitability" on the line, Clinton launched a "Bring a Buddy to Caucus" campaign in an effort to get first-time women caucus-goers through the wintery weather on caucus night.
"We have hundreds and hundreds of women in the 90s who want to caucus for me," Clinton said this month in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Obama needs to turn those cheers at his rally to votes at the caucuses and is looking to a different generation to put him over the top: college students.
He appealed to college students who live out of state but attend school here to vote, telling Iowa State University students at a Dec. 2 rally in Ames. "If you're an Iowa student, you can be an Iowa caucus-goer, and I want you to prove them wrong when they say you're not going to show up."
It's do-or-die for Edwards in Iowa. Four years ago he came in second here. He needs to hold onto his old voters and add to that total, especially in farm country.
Edwards isn't taking his old supporters for granted.
"You know I learned a valuable lesson a few years ago. A lady comes up to me after an election and she said, 'You know Edwards, I would have voted for you, but you never asked me.' I'll never make that mistake again," he told town hall attendees Dec. 14 in Elkader, Iowa.
Among Republicans, former Gov. Mitt Romney and Huckabee have the most at stake here. Romney's early lead has slipped as Huckabee's surprise surge among the state's conservatives has launched him into the role of Iowa's front-runner.
Romney has banked on early victories, creating a wave of momentum, has spent millions in the state and brags about his Iowa organization.
"The number of precinct captains and county chairs is second to none," he recently told reporters in Storm Lake.
He has bolstered that organization with more than $16 million in TV ads, many of them attacks on Huckabee.
Huckabee needs to hold onto that lead under assault from such attacks. His evangelical supporters need to rally because a loss here for the man once thought a long shot could return him to second-tier status.
One possible beneficiary of the Romney-Huckabee brawl could be Thompson who could then re-emerge as the strongest Southern candidate.
A third-place finish in Iowa could be like plasma for his struggling campaign.
"The future looks bright and a lot of people are watching now," Thompson told supporters just before the Christmas break. "A great number of people are undecided if those polls are to be believed."
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and McCain have banked it all on later states; McCain in New Hampshire on Jan. 8, and Giuliani in Florida at the end of the month and again on Feb. 5's Super Duper Tuesday when more than 20 states vote.
Giuliani's strategy of de-emphasizing early states would be unprecedented if it succeeds. But then, if there's any election where such a scheme might work, it could be this one.
Sorry, I don’t have a ping list nor do I know how to create one! I have limitted computer knowledge. GO FRED! :)
just post anything key in the radio program if you can hear it there, ... nutin fancy!
You are at home here with FRED. JellyBean will add you to her ping list and keep you informed of the latest news about FRED. FRED is our WE THE PEOPLE candidate and the DB MSM will stop at nothing to get the race they want...RINO vs Liberal!
FRED THOMPSON - NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT (I’ll protect the American people and American values, whatever it takes to stop the Islamic-Fascists including water-boarding) - 2ND AMENDMENT ADVOCATE (arming the People to disarm criminals) – INCREASE THE MILITARY’S STRENGTH AND SIZE (giving those brave men and women a Commander in Chief to be proud of) - SECURE AND SEAL THE BORDERS (don’t give sanctuary anywhere to illegal’s, don’t employ illegal’s, don’t rent to illegal’s, don’t extend credit to illegal’s, don’t give illegal’s rights they don’t deserve, report all crimes committed by illegal’s and deport those illegal’s who have already committed crimes against America) - LAW AND ORDER (enforcement first and foremost with laws currently on the books) – DENY FEDERAL DOLLARS TO SANCTUARY CITIES (enough is enough) – CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES FOR SUPREMES (those who will interpret the law, not create rights that do not exist) – PRO-LIFE ADVOCATE (nominate superior Constitutional Justices to overturn Roe vs Wade) - SOCIAL SECURITY REFORMER (reform a broken program that can’t sustain itself and will bankrupt future generations, with the added benefit of private savings accounts) - DEFEAT ANY DEMOCRAT AND RINO (any fool DemocRATS put up) – TAX SIMPLIFICATION (variety of choice for the tax payer) - WON’T PUT UP WITH CRAP FROM THE MSM (including stupid questions by moderators and pundits) - “WE THE PEOPLE” CANDIDATE (We the People asked him to run and he stepped up) - PING!
Fred is our man! I am on jellybean’s ping list already and want to be on any list giving me info about Fred! Happy New Year to you and all here on FR! My new year will be most happy when Fred becomes the Republican nominee for President! GO FRED!
Fred Thompson Presidential Campaign Videos can Be Uploaded on Finditt Finditt, an online portal providing news and press release distribution and video uploading opportunities among its many services, has invited the Fred Thompson campaign and its supporters to upload presidential campaign videos to the site.
As a means of gaining added exposure and spreading the Fred Thompson campaign message supporters can utilize the services of Finditt as an effective platform to reach voters prior to the upcoming Republican primaries.
One of the benefits of uploading videos through Finditt is that the video can be included inside a press release distributed through Finditt and TransWorldNews sites. This provides the Fred Thompson campaign with the opportunity to distribute a press release and include a video that will appear alongside the text of the release. That video could be of a speech, rally or any event that allows a reader to gather more information about the former senator from Tennessee.
To create a free account and upload videos to Finditt please go to:
In addition to Fred Thompson supporters, Finditt provides the same opportunities and services to each of the Republican, Democratic and Independent candidates in the 2008 Presidential Elections. Along with campaign managers and staff, individual voters can upload videos of their favorite candidate or talk about an issue they would like to see addressed by the candidates.
Campaign managers that would like more information on how they can distribute their releases through TransWorldNews and Finditt, and include a video inside their release please contact a member of the Finditt staff.
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The red pickup truck is back By Austin Walne in Video, Announcements
Just minutes ago, Fred sent out an email to our supporter list sharing news of a new ad we are planning to run in Iowa. It also came with a challenge. We need to raise $248,846 by 6 PM on Friday to run the ad statewide through the caucus. As you may have noticed on the homepage, we’ve brought the red pickup truck back. Contributions will be tracked on the homepage as we “fill up the pickup truck” and provide the money needed to keep the ad on the air through the caucus.
Here’s the email from Fred:
In just a few minutes I will be heading to the airport to fly out to Iowa for the final sprint before the January 3rd Caucuses.I am writing today because now, more than ever, I need your help.
The first leg of our Iowa bus tour last week was phenomenal. We visited with voters in 21 cities and towns and did 21 events all across the state. Everywhere we went we were greeted by enthusiastic crowds of Iowans who are looking for a consistent conservative leader who will tell it like it is.
It’s working: Just last Friday a new Strategic Vision poll showed me moving into a strong third at 16%.
We are poised for the great showing we want!
Just last week I picked up the endorsement of Congressman Steve King. He has been a champion in the fight to end illegal immigration, and I am pleased that he has joined our team. He’s been with me on the bus and the great reception we’ve received on the tour has really put a jolt into this race.
This is where you come in.
I have a terrific new TV spot. You can see it now at Fred08.com. Take a look, and forward this message on to 10 of your friends.
I need your help to put it on the air. We need to put $248,846 in the bank before 6 PM EST on Friday, December 28th to do it.
Can you help me by making a contribution today? I know I’ve asked a lot, and you’ve done a lot, but this is critical to our success. Help me make history.
The Clear Conservative Choice: Hands Down bus tour will run from today to caucus day. We have a terrific ground game in place.
All we need is air cover–which the spot on our website will provide.
This ad will help me let the people of Iowa know that my plans for this country are the best that have been presented. It will help me make the case that not only am I the only reliable, consistent conservative in this race, but that I have the experience and the vision to lead our Party and our nation through difficult times.
I’ve always shot straight with you, now’s no different. I need your help. Can I count on you?
Sincerely,
Fred Thompson
The ad is called Substance
Did I guess it, or did I guess it.
I will be out of action today. New Fredhead could not wait 2 more weeks so Wife is headed in for a C section today. My son will have his Fred 08 shirt by next week;-)
Keep up the good fight til I return...
Already 1/20th of the way to their goal after only a couple hours. Not bad...
LOL See post #16! As I was scrolling down, I saw your post and thought, “What happened to my formatting??” There’s nothing wrong with your formatting, btw...it just didn’t look the same as what I thought my post would look like.
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