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Posted on 03/15/2004 6:35:24 PM PST by TexasRainmaker
GLOBE REPORTER CLAIMS TAPE RECORDED KERRY 'MORE' LEADERS NOT 'FOREIGN' LEADERS; TRANSCRIPTION 'SCREW-UP'
A BOSTON GLOBE reporter at the center of a growing controversy over comments made by John Kerry last week in Florida now claims he "screwed-up" -- and John Kerry never bragged how "foreign leaders" privately backed his presidential bid!
"I mistranscribed a key word," explains Patrick Healy, a political reporter for the BOSTON GLOBE who covered the event in a pool capacity.
"Listening to the audio recorder now, in the quiet of my house, I hear 'more leaders' and I am certain that 'more leaders' is what Senator Kerry said."
______________________________________________________
Dear Mr. Healy, You recently distributed a “correction” to your prior article regarding John Kerry’s statements referencing support from foreign leaders. You’re claiming you "screwed-up" -- and John Kerry never bragged how "foreign leaders" privately backed his presidential bid! You said, “I mistranscribed a key word," when you covered the Kerry event in a pool capacity. You continued, “Listening to the audio recorder now, in the quiet of my house, I hear 'more leaders' and I am certain that 'more leaders' is what Senator Kerry said.”
I’m curious whether this “correction” is being distributed out of your support for your personal choice of Presidential candidates, or whether something more sinister is behind your “correction”. I trust you haven’t been coerced to make this “correction”, but it’s quite odd you’d come out with this in light of other reporters’ recollections of the same statements by Kerry.
For instance, Patricia Wilson, writing for Reuters, recounted the statement this way, “Democratic White House candidate John predicted on Monday Republicans would try to "tear down" his character and said some foreign leaders had privately confided they hoped he would beat President Bush.” Perhaps she “mistranscribed” the recording too?
To understand why I’m questioning your new found recollection, one need only look at the whole quote surrounding the “more/foreign” question.
John Kerry said, “I've been hearing it, I'll tell ya. The news, the coverage in other countries, the news in other places. I've met more leaders who can't go out and say it all publicly, but boy they look at you and say, you gotta win this, you gotta beat this guy, we need a new policy, things like that. So there is enormous energy out there. Tell them, whereever they can find an American abroad, they can contribute," a reference to donations, prompting laughter from the crowd.”
If he really said "more" in place of “foreign”, why did he refer to “the coverage in other countries”? Why did he also say, “Tell them, wherever they can find an American abroad, they can contribute”? Do you expect us to truly believe that John Kerry wasn’t referring to “foreign” leaders, despite mentioning “coverage in other countries” and contributions from “Americans abroad”?
In addition, why would Kerry be defensive about something he didn't say? You see, when asked to name the “foreign leaders” by Colin Powell, John Kerry responded by saying he was “within his rights to keep his conversations with foreign leaders confidential.”
When pressed by a citizen at a campaign speech, Kerry said, “I've met with foreign leaders … I have heard from people who are leaders elsewhere in the world who don't appreciate the Bush administration approach and would love to see a change in the leadership of the United States. I'm talking our allies, I'm talking about people who were our friends nine months ago, I'm talking about people who ought to be at our side in Iraq and aren't because this administration has pushed them away in its arrogance, that's what I'm talking about.”
So, in light of your new revelation of faulty transcription, we have other reporters who heard it the way you originally reported it, and we have the man at the center of the issue, himself, admitting to making the statement and doing his best to defend such a statement.
Your “correction” seems to say more about your preference of candidates than your ability to accurately report on a story.
Sincerely, An Average American http://texasrainmaker.blogspot.com
FEEL FREE TO SEND THIS LETTER TO THE REPORTER DIRECTLY AT phealy@globe.com
Oh, Hillary.
This puppy has got some big problems between his ears!
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