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ABC News writer does not care about the truth, just invented perception (My title)
Self | January 11, 2002 | Self

Posted on 01/11/2002 7:31:05 AM PST by ICE-FLYER

I sent the following e-mail to Josh Gerstein of ABC news, Josh.Gerstein@abc.com, and you will see by his reply he does not address my assertions but just continues to hold the line. There is no reality to this story of Bush or any involvement that would reflect negatively on the current administration. Instead, Gerstein simply says its in the press and so he jumps on it, that the press was lazy and now all of a sudden there is great interest.

MY E-MAIL:

Mr. Gerstein, I read your piece "Friends in High Places Bankrupt Enron Held Sway With Current Bush Administration" with some interest. My perception from this report is that you wish to link cause of ENRONS problems with the current administration. Where is any credible evidence of this?

What of the fact that ENRON supported the Democrats quite a bit as well? What of the fact that ENRON's Ken Lay supported Ann Richards before Bush?? There seems to be nothing to the link. Also, when asked by ENRON's people for government assistance there was a "No bail-out" reply from Bushs' administration. Where is your report of this?

You seem to want to link Cheney to this as well, calling his meeting with them anything other than what it was. Do you not recall the energy crisis we are actually still in? How about the rolling black-outs and brown-outs in California? Do you not recall that Cheney was asked by Bush to head up an energy council and that Enron was part of this?? Could it not be that this is what the meetings were about? Look at the time line for it. While I am hopeful you are only attempting to get some answers on ENRON you appear to be linking causal with Bush and that is not reporting, that is creating perception.

Coffees at the White House with mega rich and superstars lead to nothing with Clinton, but energy policy meetings with Cheney and calls to Bush staffers automatically rate scandal?

HIS REPLY:

My piece is actually a month old and they are recycling it.

It does mention that Enron folks gave to Dems as well, but the donations to GOP causes were far greater. Some reports today say Lay gave 9-to-1 to the GOP.

We are attempting to get answers, but Cheney and his staff have steadfastly refused to disclose what was discussed at the meetings.

The Clinton coffees may have "lead to nothing," but they got a lot of coverage on ABC and elsewhere. This just ignited yesterday, largely due to sloth and distraction on the part of the press corps.

Thanks for writing.

Josh Gerstein
ABC News


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: michaeldobbs
The press wonders why we call them biased.
1 posted on 01/11/2002 7:31:05 AM PST by ICE-FLYER (DP2010)
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To: ICE-FLYER
To be honest, if your email was in reply to a month old article that is being recycled I have to back him up a little in his reply.
2 posted on 01/11/2002 7:35:05 AM PST by Phantom Lord
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To: ICE-FLYER
Enron’s Campaign Contributions, 1989-2001- Senate & House
3 posted on 01/11/2002 7:37:25 AM PST by angkor
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To: Phantom Lord
Phantom, I could see this if it were, but month old or not, it is still pointing all fingers at Bush for somehow being involved or at least benefiting from ENRON when it is not tha case.

WHy then is ABC reposting it??? There is a reason and its not accuracy in media.

4 posted on 01/11/2002 7:43:34 AM PST by ICE-FLYER
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To: ICE-FLYER
They should not be posting an article from a month ago as a fresh report. Infact, it should appear only on an "archive" page at best.
5 posted on 01/11/2002 7:53:06 AM PST by Phantom Lord
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To: ICE-FLYER
Thanks, for writing a very well written response. Sorry, you had to deal with a close-minded soul!
6 posted on 01/11/2002 8:09:23 AM PST by TwoStep
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To: ICE-FLYER
there has been tremendous persecution of republicans over the last 40 years in the news media and many people have been prosecuted, even sent to jail, primarilly because they were republicans. That is, if they were democrats the same offense would've meant nothing.

We will break the news media completely and totally in time. Most of the big media outlets that have done this will be driven bankrupt.

But there are many horror stories. The most important political events in American public life over the last 40 years have been lied about massively to the American people.

The best single example I can think of is the way our media actually lied massively about Reagan's tax cuts. Even Alice Rivlin, the Democrats' top budget expert, testified under oath that because of Reagan's tax cut the federal government's revenue increased substantially whereas it otherwise would not have increased so much. Yet the journalists reported directly to the Americans that all of the economists were saying that Reagan's tax cuts caused the budget deficit. Lies are completely normal in our nation. The politicians have even learned to pretend that the lies are true so that they can be elected.

7 posted on 01/11/2002 8:26:04 AM PST by Red Jones
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: ICE-FLYER
Just ask people like him why the SEC hasn't done anything. After all, the SEC has CREATED to deal with issues like this.

DOes the WH worry about the daily business of Wall St.?

Nope.

9 posted on 01/11/2002 9:10:26 AM PST by Benrand
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To: Red Jones
The best single example I can think of is the way our media actually lied massively about Reagan's tax cuts. Even Alice Rivlin, the Democrats' top budget expert, testified under oath that because of Reagan's tax cut the federal government's revenue increased substantially whereas it otherwise would not have increased so much. Yet the journalists reported directly to the Americans that all of the economists were saying that Reagan's tax cuts caused the budget deficit. Lies are completely normal in our nation. The politicians have even learned to pretend that the lies are true so that they can be elected.

I do not doubt you one bit, but it would be great if you could point me to a source that I could use for future reference on this, if you have one.

10 posted on 01/11/2002 9:58:02 AM PST by ICE-FLYER
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To: ICE-FLYER
If you're doing research, then here's my tip to you. On election night, 1988, on CBS. Dan Rather said the following or something very similar 'all the economists have weighed in on the Reagan tax cuts and said that it was a disaster and caused huge budget deficits'. Then within 60 seconds they had about 4 talking heads who were CBS employees say the exact same thing. It was as if they were all compelled to say it to be team players. The statements by these people were all very consistent with one another. I had previously read in National Review that under testimony to Congress (Senate I believe) Alice Rivlin stated that due to the Reagan tax cuts the federal government's revenue increased over and above what it otehrwise would've been. Alice Rivlin of course was the head of CBO for years when democrats controlled congress and head of OMB when clinton was pres, then she went on to the Federal Reserve before retiring. There is no greater expert on the Democrat side regarding the budget or economy than Alice Rivlin.

Those lies spoken on CBS directly contradicted Rivlin and it was concerning the biggest political issue of the 1980's. For decades now the elite have been lying to ordinary Americans about a whole range of big issues. It is completely normal. The situation is so bad that even a lot of Republican politicians pretend the lies to be true even when they know otherwise.

11 posted on 01/11/2002 11:40:21 AM PST by Red Jones
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