Yes, they have. Remember how the media tried to link Ken Lay to President Bush? Remember how this was supposed to paint Bush with whatever wrongs Lay may have committed? That relationship was never the close one they falsely tried to portray, but the idea that associating with a person involved in any skullduggery was accepted.
Now, here we have the Clintons who really and truly did associate most closely with very questionable types, both foreign and domestic. Associates like Hubbel and the McDougals going to prison, (and lists too long to go into now of many weird characters and shady deals--including brothers on both sides), and still the media refused to investigate that the Clintons had full knowledge and participation in whatever was going on.
Now, here's an example of eyebrow raising (at the very least) events and the media outright ignoring it. Note: James Riady was wanted for questioning when Clinton met with him briefly outside this country. How long would a message take to be passed between them?
After the release Wednesday of some incriminating statements John Huang made to the FBI which implicated a former top Clinton aide now working for Hillary Clinton, on Thursday the House Government Reform Committee granted Huang immunity to testify in December. The Thursday, October 28 Washington Post ran a story on page two, which was plugged on the front page, outlining Huang's disclosures, but the ABC, CNN, MSNBC and NBC evening shows all skipped the latest in the Clinton fundraising scandal. The three morning shows also ignored the story Thursday morning.
To refresh your memory, John Huang is the man who worked at the Commerce Department where he had access to secret trade documents, and then went to the DNC as a fundraiser for the 1996 campaign. James Riady runs the Lippo Group and with Huang donated hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegal foreign contributions, some of which may have come from communist China.
Thursday's CBS Evening News found two minutes to look at Marilyn Monroe property being auctioned off, but just 26 seconds for Rather to announce:
"House Republicans today revived their investigation into former Democratic fundraiser John Huang. They voted to compel testimony from him about alleged illegal donations to the 1992 Clinton campaign by an Indonesian businessman. They also want to ask Huang about allegations that Harold Ickes, a longtime Clinton family friend and effective aide, asked Huang to carry out what the Republicans say were questionable fundraising efforts."
Actually, it isn't just what "Republicans say were questionable fundraising tactics." So does the U.S. code. Washington Post reporters Lorraine Adams and David A. Vise wrote in their October 28 story:
"Former White House aide Harold Ickes pressed former Commerce Department official John Huang to gather donations for the congressional campaign of Jesse Jackson Jr. in 1995, sources close to a congressional campaign finance inquiry said yesterday.
"During more than 23 days of interrogation earlier this year, Huang told FBI agents that after being solicited by Ickes, he contributed $1,000 to Jackson's campaign and raised several thousand dollars more, according to sources close to the investigation. Last week, the Justice Department provided reports of Huang's debriefing to the House Government Reform Committee, which is expected to vote today on granting Huang immunity for testimony he might give to the panel.
"Federal law bars government officials from requesting campaign donations from subordinates. Ickes, now a key strategist for first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate race, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did his attorneys."
On FNC's Fox Report and Special Report with Brit Hume reporter David Shuster outlined Huang's testimony and the House committee's action. Shuster detailed what Rather only alluded to, explaining that Huang told the FBI that he began his illegal fundraising after Indonesian business operative James Riady told him that during a 1992 limo ride he, Riady that is, had told Clinton he'd raise $1 million for the Clinton-Gore effort.
Shuster then showed an under-reported event. Over video of the two men shaking hands back on September 12, Shuster explained the video: "Riady and Clinton were photographed last month in New Zealand."
Turning to the House committee hearing to grant immunity, Shuster observed: "Even Democrats seemed startled by Huang's allegations, but they denied his testimony would generate headlines." Shuster pointed out the possible illegality without resorting to a partisan dismissal as did Rather: "There is no evidence, said lawmakers, that the Jacksons knew about Ickes' request. Still, John Huang was working at the Commerce Department at the time and any attempt to enlist him to do fundraising would have been illegal."
After running a soundbite of Attorney General Janet Reno maintaining there was not enough evidence to justify an outside investigation of Huang and 1996 fundraising, Shuster concluded: "Republicans are convinced though that friends of the President get a free pass."
Instead of covering these developments Thursday night, ABC's World News Tonight ran three stories about Internet marketing and online buying, NBC Nightly News devoted a whole story to an underutilized parking garage in Rutland, Vermont, and MSNBC's The News with Brian Williams ran a full story on how Coca Cola plans to deploy vending machines which raise the price in hot weather as well as a panel discussion, featuring the discredited Mike Barnicle, reviewing the baseball season.
+++ See Riady and Clinton together in New Zealand just last month. Friday morning MRC Webmaster Sean Henry will place by this item, in the posted edition of this CyberAlert, a still shot of the video shown by FNC.