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Kurtz: Don’t trust Washington Post reporting
hotair ^ | September 19, 2008 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 09/19/2008 1:15:40 PM PDT by Red Steel

Howard Kurtz issues a rather amazing analysis of John McCain’s ad connecting Franklin Raines to Barack Obama. The Washington Post media analyst calls the basis of the McCain ad a “disputed premise” — despite his own newspaper’s reporting on the Raines-Obama relationship:

Analysis: This John McCain ad is based on a disputed premise.

There’s no dispute that Obama has no background in economics — but then, neither does McCain, which makes this an odd charge for the Arizona senator to hurl.

Fannie Mae did collapse, requiring a government takeover, and Raines, its former chairman, paid $25 million in April to settle a case brought by federal authorities investigating his role in the agency’s accounting problems. But he has never been a close adviser to Obama.

I’m going to start this post by noting that I avidly read Kurtz’ media blog, and consider it one of the best continuing analyses of both traditional and new media. I believe that Howard usually tries to approach this task without bias, and mostly succeeds, although he has certainly laid more that a few eggs (and who among us has not?). So when I tell you that Howard is talking out of his hat, I say it with respect and affection.

Why do I say that? His own newspaper has twice reported the relationship between Raines and Obama, and on one of those occasions, Raines was their source:

* 7/16/08: “In the four years since he stepped down as Fannie Mae’s chief executive under the shadow of a $6.3 billion accounting scandal, Franklin D. Raines has been quietly constructing a new life for himself. He has shaved eight points off his golf handicap, taken a corner office in Steve Case’s D.C. conglomeration of finance, entertainment and health-care companies and more recently, taken calls from Barack Obama’s presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters.” * 8/28/08: “In the current crisis, their biggest backers have been Democrats such as Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (Mass.). Two members of Mr. Obama’s political circle, James A. Johnson and Franklin D. Raines, are former chief executives of Fannie Mae.“

Howard never mentions these articles. What are we to make of this omission, and of Howard’s declaration of the relationship as a “disputed premise”? It seems that the lesson is that readers shouldn’t trust the reporting at the Washington Post. After all, these articles contain no corrections and have not been retracted, and more to the point, never raised an objection from Barack Obama until now.

Howard needs to rethink his analysis, or the Post needs to start issuing retractions.

Addendum: Even TNR scoffs at the “dishonorable lie” response from Obama. At worst, McCain relied on undisputed reporting in the Post. I guess Obama is also saying that the Post can’t be trusted.


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: ads; electionads; fanniemae; franklinraines; kurtz; mccain; mccainpalin; medialies; obama; stevecase; wp

1 posted on 09/19/2008 1:15:40 PM PDT by Red Steel
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To: Red Steel

Does Kurtz mention the Limbaugh ad?


2 posted on 09/19/2008 1:18:31 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: Red Steel
The MSM is ready to disavow past reporting if it helps Obama!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

3 posted on 09/19/2008 1:24:23 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Red Steel

This is a hoot!


4 posted on 09/19/2008 1:25:03 PM PDT by dr_who
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To: goldstategop
The MSM is ready to disavow past reporting if it helps Obama!

Or pretend it never existed...

5 posted on 09/19/2008 1:28:02 PM PDT by GOPJ ( Bigots are defined by beliefs - not by choice of victim. Leftists are the new bigots.)
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To: Red Steel

I wonder what else McCain can get The Post to retract? If he plays his cards right, maybe the entire Watergate scandal.


6 posted on 09/19/2008 1:35:12 PM PDT by Question Liberal Authority (Pontius Pilate voted "Present")
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To: Red Steel

Is Kurtz trying to make up for his strongly biased CNN show last Sunday? I listened on XM and was ready to drive into a ditch. Kurtz is a strong lib who has faked a lot of people out that he is ‘down the middle’ or whatever. He’s a dirtbag, but I’m sure there are conservatives that will vouch for him.


7 posted on 09/19/2008 1:38:45 PM PDT by Doug TX
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To: Red Steel

Seems like an awful lot of CYA going on...


8 posted on 09/19/2008 1:39:32 PM PDT by xcamel (Conservatives start smart, and get rich, liberals start rich, and get stupid.)
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To: Red Steel

9 posted on 09/19/2008 1:40:32 PM PDT by cp124 (A Different America - Obama Bin Biden)
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To: Red Steel
I guess Obama is also saying that the Post can’t be trusted.

The Post cannot be trusted. Every section of the paper drips with liberalism. Oliver North calls it the Washington Compost.

10 posted on 09/19/2008 1:44:03 PM PDT by Starboard
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To: GOPJ
This is quantum reporting. A thing isn't true or false until the Post can determine it's position in relation to their candidate at any moment. When the Raines story first came out it was true because it helped Obama. Then it was in an undetermined state until it was measured again and found to be hurting Obama, at which time it was false, and had always been false, even when it was true. The link to Raines will now be false unless it again helps Obama, at which time it will be true and will have always been true.
See how easy that is?
11 posted on 09/19/2008 1:55:12 PM PDT by Old North State
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To: Old North State

Is the cat dead?


12 posted on 09/19/2008 2:14:34 PM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

Ernst says he can’t be sure, but he’ll have a look see.


13 posted on 09/19/2008 2:21:28 PM PDT by Old North State
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To: Red Steel

Obama reminds me of a certain statue in the Bible.

Something about a head of gold, a belly of brassy gall, and feet of clay...and crumbling?


14 posted on 09/19/2008 2:41:33 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (The Great Obamanation of Desolation, attempting to sit in the Oval Office, where he ought not..)
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To: xcamel

More serious than CYA. It seems like folks at WaPo are auditioning for the role of Winston Smith in the next remake of 1984. Only it’s not a movie, it’s real.


15 posted on 09/19/2008 2:50:03 PM PDT by xkaydet65 (Freedom is purchased not with gold, but with steel.)
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To: xkaydet65

Good Analog...


16 posted on 09/19/2008 3:20:37 PM PDT by xcamel (Conservatives start smart, and get rich, liberals start rich, and get stupid.)
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To: Red Steel

Old article from Slate 1998 about Johnson and one from 1994 about Johnson/Raines. Apparently Johnson was chair of The Kennedy Center and Brookings Institute at the same time he was chair of Fannie Mae. According to Slate, he would buy off his potential critics with “well publicized good works” including co-sponsoring a concert series with The Washington Post.

http://slate.msn.com/id/1000095

http://www.slate.com/id/2111278/

I wonder what other “good works” that Johnson did for his “critics”.


17 posted on 09/19/2008 3:32:15 PM PDT by toomanygrasshoppers ("In technical terminology, he's a loon")
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To: Old North State
See how easy that is?

Normal kid says to teacher, "the dog ate my homework". Teacher gives child a detention.

Teacher's pet says to teacher, "the dog ate my homework". Teacher inquires if the dog is OK and comforts lying child.

Yeah, I see how easy it is. And how unfair it is. And how creepy ...

18 posted on 09/19/2008 7:21:36 PM PDT by GOPJ ( Bigots are defined by beliefs - not by choice of victim. Dems are the new bigots - ask Sarah.)
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