The most disgraceful episode in media-military relations since Vietnam

http://dailycaller.com/ ^ | December 09 2011 | By Ken Allard

[Para-Ord.45]

Unless the bastards come after me again, this is my last column on a national disgrace.

So let me be absolutely clear about who the bastards are: The New York Times, Senator Carl Levin and their 40 Democratic allies in the House of Representatives. The disgrace in question: The Times’s April 2008 “exposé” alleging conflicts of interest and wrongdoing by the retired military analysts often featured on television newscasts before and during the Iraq War.

I was one of those analysts. In fact, I wrote a first-person history of the Pentagon briefing program in a 2006 book, Warheads. After the Times article was published, I repeatedly argued that the story was perversely unfair, misleading and badly slanted. Among other defects, it omitted the “small detail” that Warheads had even been published, immediately raising fundamental questions of inaccuracy, even plagiarism.

What was far worse: Solely on the basis of The Times’s article, Senator Levin and 40 House Democrats promptly demanded investigations: by the Pentagon inspector general, the Federal Communications Commission and the General Accounting Office. None found any of the wrongdoing alleged by The Times in the article for which it was subsequently awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

In September 2011, Scarborough reported that, its two-year re-investigation complete, the DOD IG was about to report that Pentagon officials and retired military analysts had complied with all laws and regulations. Having provided lengthy sworn statements to each of those investigations, I kept asking DOD IG public affairs officers when the final report would be released, receiving increasingly evasive replies.

Scarborough eventually uncovered and reported the shocking truth: Senator Levin directly intervened in the investigation in order to influence the wording of the final IG report. This was the political equivalent of jury-tampering but, for a while, it seemed like Senator Levin’s misconduct would go un-noticed. But then, Congressman Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced his intention to examine Senator Levin’s meddling. The DOD IG’s final report was issued last week, reported appropriately enough by Rowan Scarborough.

A careful reading of Scarborough’s story raises several troubling issues:

1.) Media Corruption: Until its principal findings were reputed by four separate federal investigations, no major reporter other than Rowan Scarborough ever investigated the deeply flawed exposé by The New York Times. The members of the Columbia School of Journalism’s Pulitzer Prize Committee effectively gave that story a pass, overlooking obvious defects to award their highest honor. The Times story clearly does not merit this distinction, although Rowan Scarborough’s gutsy reporting just might — either that or the Kennedy Library’s “Profiles in Courage” award.

2.) Political Corruption: Ballot-box retribution is always the best way to redress the abuse of power. But why not call Carl Levin’s cabal to account? Why were he and his congressional allies allowed to waste taxpayer dollars on four needless and time-consuming investigations? Did Carl Levin try to cover their tracks by influencing the IG? Exactly how much money was wasted, and which politicians were culpable? These are the real issues that Chairman Issa needs to look into. But only the Senate can answer why its ethical standards are so low that a man like Carl Levin is allowed to chair its Armed Services Committee.

3.) Redress of Grievances: Because it is an institution beyond all shame, don’t expect an apology from The New York Times, much less an admission that its story was incorrect. But Congress owes the retired military analysts, my Warhead colleagues, a special apology of its own. Under congressional authority and volition, three agencies of government investigated those officers on four separate venues, finding no trace of wrongdoing. Congressmen, their staffs and even agency officials made disparaging assertions that later proved false. So exactly where, as I have asked repeatedly, do we go to get our reputations restored?

(excerpt)

[marktwain]

The left has been based on lies since at least 1917. Deception is their primary weapon, and in the U.S. the MSM has become part and parcel of that deception.

When the truth is exposed, they lose.

[LeonardFMason]

“Unless the bastards come after me again, this is my last column on a national disgrace.

So let me be absolutely clear about who the bastards are: The New York Times, Senator Carl Levin...”

Carl Levin....a bastard?

Who knew!?

I always thought he was a NO good, rotten, bastard.

[FryingPan101]

Wow. A serious, deep-spoken wow.

“Senator Levin directly intervened in the investigation in order to influence the wording of the final IG report.”

This hurts me.

[KantianBurke]

“None found any of the wrongdoing alleged by The Times in the article for which it was subsequently awarded the Pulitzer Prize.”

Not quite. What little miss whiner “forgets” to mention is the follow up GAO Report:

http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/07/military_retiredgenerals_newsanalysts_072109w/

He’s probably just upset that since the DoD spiked the program he can’t get his precious mug on the TV as much as before nor be privy to classified info. Boo hoo.

[lowbridge]

bump