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New York Times sullies itself with McCain story
The San Fransisco Chronicle ^ | February 21, 2008 | Debra Saunders

Posted on 02/21/2008 5:23:22 PM PST by Clintonfatigued

One of two things will happen in the wake of Thursday's New York Times story that suggested John McCain may have had a "romantic relationship" nine years ago with a lobbyist who did business before the Senate Commerce Committee which he then chaired. (The story purported to be about McCain's ethics and dealings with D.C. lobbyists, in a failed attempt to gloss gossip with a patina of gravitas.)

Either new information will come forward to corroborate this weak story - based solely on the speculation - as opposed to actual knowledge - of two sources (who refused to be named and, for all we know, may have an ax to grind), and despite denials by both McCain and the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman.

Even then, the Gray Lady's reputation will suffer, because the New York Times, not John McCain, has become the story.

Or nothing new will come forward and the public will have every reason to believe that the New York Times and copycat media smeared McCain.

And the next time the Times' announces that it has lost circulation or is eliminating more newsroom positions, people will cheer, when they should be saddened. This story is bad news for the news business.

No doubt Times reporters Jim Rutenberg, Marilyn W. Thompson, David D. Kirkpatrick and Stephen Labaton believed they had a story.

That's why newspapers have editors, to insist that reporters nail down hunches that reporters believe in their guts to be true.

That didn't happen with this story.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bimboeruption; iseman; mccain; nyt; saunders; smear
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1 posted on 02/21/2008 5:23:22 PM PST by Clintonfatigued
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To: Norman Bates

This may very well backfire on the MSM.


2 posted on 02/21/2008 5:23:49 PM PST by Clintonfatigued (You can't be serious about national security unless you're serious about border security)
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To: Clintonfatigued
Debra Saunders must have been born yesterday. Does she really believe the Al Qaeda Times has any sort of reputation left to preserve at this point?

The Al Qaeda Times has published so much BS in the past half century that even TV listings, sports scores and lottery numbers from that rag should be verified with an actual news source.

3 posted on 02/21/2008 5:27:39 PM PST by pnh102
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To: Clintonfatigued

When you throw mud, you lose ground.


4 posted on 02/21/2008 5:27:52 PM PST by Canedawg (In God We Trust)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Sheesh. How bad is it when the SAN FRANSICKO CHRONIC calls you sleazy?


5 posted on 02/21/2008 5:29:01 PM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: Clintonfatigued
Image hosted by Photobucket.com the Slimes just doing what it does best... but this time it slimed itself.
6 posted on 02/21/2008 5:29:04 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: Clintonfatigued
No one is laughing at the Times' story.

Au contraire.

7 posted on 02/21/2008 5:30:02 PM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Quote of the Day:

Schnur noted, “John McCain can win a Republican primary against the New York Times.”


8 posted on 02/21/2008 5:30:18 PM PST by The_Republican (You know why Chelsea Clinton is so Ugly? Because Janet Reno is her Father! LOL! - Mac is Back!)
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To: Clintonfatigued
Now everyone knows why this rag is called the New York Slimes.
9 posted on 02/21/2008 5:30:53 PM PST by vox humana
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To: Clintonfatigued

Sullied? The NY Times? How can anybody tell—there isn’t a clean spot left on this rag...


10 posted on 02/21/2008 5:31:33 PM PST by Czar ( StillFedUptotheTeeth@Washington)
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To: Clintonfatigued
Even if it were true ,this country did elect Bill Clinton and we know his sordid past and it was of no consequence, so why McCain????
11 posted on 02/21/2008 5:32:51 PM PST by Captain Peter Blood
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To: Clintonfatigued

they’ve got soooooooooooo much momentum in barkabamo. why did they need to reduce themselves to....oh, wait, nevermind. pigs, mud, etc.


12 posted on 02/21/2008 5:32:57 PM PST by the invisib1e hand (I can't remember, is this satire or not?)
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To: the invisib1e hand

Did they hire Dan Rather?


13 posted on 02/21/2008 5:34:30 PM PST by MtnClimber ("Bullfighting, Mountain Climbing and Auto-Racing are the only real sports. Everything else are merel)
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To: Clintonfatigued
Photobucket

Photobucket

14 posted on 02/21/2008 5:35:14 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: Clintonfatigued

They sat on this story for years. I’m just surprised that they didn’t sit on it until October. Guess the nominated Republican offered too much temptation.

Most newsmen are supporting the Times, probably out of fear.


15 posted on 02/21/2008 5:37:03 PM PST by tennteacher (Hunter Conservative)
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To: Clintonfatigued
And the next time the Times' announces that it has lost circulation or is eliminating more newsroom positions, people will cheer, when they should be saddened.

Why should they be saddened? The NY Times abandoned its journalistic standards 70 years ago in favor of a left-wing agenda. It took a long time for the public to figure it out.

16 posted on 02/21/2008 5:37:18 PM PST by TruthShallSetYouFree (Abortion is to family planning what bankruptcy is to financial planning.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

The “Kill the Times” backlash continues across the MSM spectrum. This may be the biggest “Dinosaur DeathWatch” event of the new century.


17 posted on 02/21/2008 5:40:12 PM PST by montag813
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To: Izzy Dunne

“Sheesh. How bad is it when the SAN FRANSICKO CHRONIC calls you sleazy?”

I thought the same thing, Lol!


18 posted on 02/21/2008 5:40:36 PM PST by Beowulf9
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To: pissant
First off....Fug Alert! What woman in their right mind (unless she was being blackmailed...and even then...probably would consider a bullet to the head) would have an affair with John McCain? :o

Secondly, if the NYT is willing to print this....then why haven't they done a story on the Odrama/Larry Sinclair Sex, Drugs and Limo story? LOL!

I'm just sayin.......

19 posted on 02/21/2008 5:41:51 PM PST by BossLady ("People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul" - Carl Jung)
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To: Clintonfatigued

McCain needs to bury this one.

 

I’m no fan of McCain – but it seems obvious that this is either purely sloppy journalism on the part of the NYT (not likely since it stewed for several months), or perhaps this is the most visible example of Hillary’s campaign doing some early battlefield preparation.

 

I assume the underlying suggestion of an extramarital relationship is not true – but I can’t say that I have a lot of reason to believe that. It seemed awkward when McCain started out with the remarks about how “Disappointed” they were with this story. Were I in that position I would be screaming from the rooftops, the veins would be bulging in my forehead and I would be ripping mad at the NYT. Somehow, given how forceful he has been in some of his past speeches – he didn’t seem to express the proper level if indignation, especially standing there with his wife.

 

Assuming the suggestion of an inappropriate relationship is untrue, by suggestion to McCain is this:

 

Offer to undergo a polygraph examination along with the lobbyist, conducted by a polygrapher of certain credentials (years of experience with FBI, professional credentials, etc.), selected by one of the NYT journalists (sic) responsible for Wednesday’s story, on 5 or 10 questions which establish the truth or falsity of his (and her) denial. Then take the exams, publish the results (which would vindicate both of them) and start beating the NYT like a rented car for the rest of the campaign.


20 posted on 02/21/2008 5:43:53 PM PST by Wally_Kalbacken (Seldom right but never in doubt)
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