[TexasRainmaker]

HERE IS THE THREAD OF EMAILS WITH THE REPORTER HIMSELF.

After receiving the letter I wrote, above, he responded:

"Thanks for writing. I discovered my error today, on my own, and circulated
the correction because that was the right thing to do. The context (ie,
"coverage in other countries") speaks for itself. Patsy Wilson is a
top-flight reporter, and I would hope that you wouldn't presume from my one
error that I or other reporters routinely err. Patrick Healy"

Then I replied with:
"Patrick,
Thanks for the quick response. I'm curious how you see Mr. Kerry's defense
of the comments, acknowledgement of the original version ('I met with
foreign leaders') and comment in response to Colin Powell, given that under
your "revised" recollection, he never actually said "foreign leaders". I
trust you can see why many will be confused by your revision.

Jason"

to which he finally responded:
"Jason, he was clearly referring to foreign leaders at the fundraiser where
he said "more leaders" -- he just didn't say "foreign leaders," though he
has subsequently. In the case of the fundraiser wording, my correction is a
distinction without a difference, I think. Patrick Healy"

Don't know about you, but it doesn't ease my mind much.

[Piranha]

Great work.

Actually, it does ease my mind.

As I wrote on another thread this morning, and Healy confirmed, this correction is a distinction without a difference -- it is irrelevant. Healy went back to check whether Kerry said he had "met" with foreign leaders. He found that Kerry had said that -- despite his denial -- so he is confirming that Kerry is a liar. However, he panicked when he realized that he mistranscribed what Kerry said ("foreign leaders" instead of "more leaders"). He transacribed it as "foreign leaders" because, as the context makes clear, that is what Kerry clearly meant. Kerry never corrected it because he meant foreign leaders and his staff didn't have a tape to listen to.

What we are left with is a Democratic candidate who talks down the President and his policies with foreign leaders and lies about having met with these people. We also have a reporter who is eager to keep the historical record accurate, even at the risk of keeping an anti-Kerry story in the news for another day.

[cyncooper]

In the case of the fundraiser wording, my correction is a distinction without a difference, I think.

He's correct, though I thought his original apology was overkill. He should have explained the "error" (which still makes little sense, the way the sentence is structured), and pointed out the gist of the story stands.

I will retract saying he lied since I haven't heard the tape myself.

MSNBC just reported on the story as if the distinction DOES make a difference.