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John Kerry Challenged To Come Clean
Accuracy In Media ^ | March 10, 2004 [posted in advance] | Cliff Kincaid

Posted on 03/02/2004 6:24:32 PM PST by walford

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John Kerry Challenged To Come Clean

By Cliff Kincaid


March 10, 2004


Washington Post ombudsman Michael Getler has tried to explain why the paper for several days ignored the controversy over the rumor about Senator John Kerry having a bimbo. The Post ignored the story even when Kerry issued a denial. Getler’s column was published in response to a reader who wondered about the handling of the Kerry story in contrast to the relentless pounding of Bush over questions about his service in the National Guard. Ironically, on the same day Getler’s column appeared, the Post published yet another story about Bush and the National Guard. The story dealt with rumors and speculation. So the Post policy is clear: there is one standard for Bush, another for Kerry.

In the Kerry matter, the Post waited a week before publishing anything about the rumor. By contrast, stories about Bush’s National Guard service 30 years ago, some of them on page one, have been running for weeks, carrying such headlines as, “Many Gaps in Bush’s Guard Record.”

Meanwhile, on February 21 the Post finally published a story—back on page 5—about how Kerry came back from Vietnam and accused his fellow soldiers of war crimes. The Post noted that many atrocity stories told by Kerry before a Senate committee “have never been verified—and some have been disproven.” The story noted that Kerry biographer Douglas Brinkley calls the atrocity stories “greatly exaggerated” but a Kerry spokesman refused to admit they were false. Why did Kerry make such charges against his fellow soldiers? The Boston Globe reported that Kerry came back from Vietnam and turned against the war when he thought it could benefit him politically. It said that Kerry “found that being a veteran could be a drawback…” when he was looking for a congressional district in Massachusetts to run for Congress.

Vietnam veteran Larry J. O’Daniel has challenged Kerry to “come clean” about those phony atrocity stories. O’Daniel, a decorated combat veteran and Director of the National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition, says that, “On the surface, he seems to be the exact type of rival needed to run against a popular President…On the surface, Kerry would seem to be able to cut into the military vote that has become increasingly one-party over the past 30 years…However, thirty-three years ago, Kerry charged decorated war veterans with unspeakable crimes. Those charges were false and the Senator knew them to be false.”

Concerning President Bush’s service in the National Guard, O’Daniel says that, “National Guard service is a necessary service and someone has to fill the slot. Reserve time is necessary and someone has to fill the slot. All is honorable…”

That honorable service continues to be scrutinized by the Post on a regular and ongoing basis. By contrast, the paper stonewalled the Kerry bimbo rumor and glosses over the matter of Kerry making false allegations against his fellow soldiers while they were fighting and dying on the battlefield. The pattern has been established: the Post will seize on anything to use against Bush but will tread lightly when it comes to Kerry’s lack of credibility.

Cliff Kincaid is the Editor of the AIM Report and can be reached at aimeditor@yahoo.com



(Excerpt) Read more at aim.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; aim; bias; bimbo; bimboeruption; cliffkincaid; coverup; doublestandard; hanoijane; hypocrite; kerry; liar; media; mediabias; michaelgetler; scandal; spike; traitor; twoface; warcrime; wp
If the news coverage of a presidential candidate’s past was proportionally relevant to his/her potential performance in office, we wouldn’t be seeing so much about stale scandals from long ago. Unfortunately, as Cliff Kincaid points out, the media pounced upon G. W. Bush while he was a candidate for every real or imagined transgression from decades back.

Clinton wasn’t held accountable for manipulating his way out of combat service in Viet Nam. Most didn’t hear how he vilified our troops while an ocean separated him from the United States.

We did hear, however, how ‘W’ got to sit out the war while in the Guard. We got to hear again and again about some an omitted mention of a DWI from a quarter century ago.

Today we are not being treated to any coverage or exploration of Kerry’s possible infidelity. The press are not providing direct quotes of him in 1971 parroting Hanoi Jane’s characterization of the typical American soldier serving in Southeast Asia as a child-burning war criminal.

It would be good to have the media instead present us with information on the respective candidates’ stand upon the issues – what we could expect from them if elected president. If we must endure non-stop autopsies of rotting corpses in Republicans’ closets, why not the same for the Democrats?

1 posted on 03/02/2004 6:24:33 PM PST by walford
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To: walford
A double standard? Gasp!

One big reason why 2004 will see the end of the Big Media monopoly on news.

2 posted on 03/02/2004 6:29:53 PM PST by pabianice
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To: walford
Look, it's real simple.

To ask questions about John Kerry might uncover answers. These answers might be less than flattering to John Kerry. This in turn could help George Bush.

Any media outlet that did this would, therefore, be not objective. Simple!

(/media thinking)

(steely)

3 posted on 03/02/2004 6:34:05 PM PST by Steely Tom
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To: walford
That's OK. There are quite a few FReepers (backhoe, jmstein, Hon...and the wintersoldier.com website creators, to name a few) who are doing an OUTSTANDING job of cataloging Mr. Kerry's BS files....and they are ready when needed, to be dispersed...worldwide!!
4 posted on 03/02/2004 6:47:26 PM PST by soozla (JOHN F.KERRY-"In country" 4 mos. + fought harder for COMMUNISM than he EVER did for U.S.!!!!)
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To: walford
"Mr. Kerry, we must examine the prenuptual marriage agreement you signed before you married the Widow Heinz. If she won't trust you managing/spending her money, why should we?"

"As an alternative, Mr. Kerry, will you agree with those Americans who so choose that if you are elected, they can prevent you from having access to their resources to the same extent as has your African-American wife?"

5 posted on 03/02/2004 7:01:57 PM PST by Tacis
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To: walford
The ither day I decided to get a Washington Pots. I remembered years ago when I had it they had many classified ads in it. I bought the paper took it home and it had 4 Yes count em 4 pages of ads . Not 4 pages of motorcycle ads 4 pages of ads altogether. The Post is hurtin. if it werent for the Car ads they wouldnt have anything.
6 posted on 03/02/2004 7:07:15 PM PST by sgtbono2002 (I aint wrong, I aint sorry , and I am probably going to do it again.)
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To: walford
The liberal media lemmings don't want anyone to know about Kerry.

Above all else, liberals love censorship.

7 posted on 03/02/2004 7:14:41 PM PST by Reactionary
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To: walford
"March 10, 2004"

WOWWWWW!!! THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN IN THE FUTURE!


8 posted on 03/02/2004 8:00:14 PM PST by Betaille ("I think I believe in God, but I don't believe the way President Bush does" -John Kerry)
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To: Tacis
"As an alternative, Mr. Kerry, will you agree with those Americans who so choose that if you are elected, they can prevent you from having access to their resources to the same extent as has your African-American wife?"

Heh, heh,heh. :)

9 posted on 03/02/2004 8:21:43 PM PST by StriperSniper (Manuel Miranda - Whistleblower)
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To: Betaille
"WOWWWWW!!! THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN IN THE FUTURE!"

Yes, this is a new policy at AIM for Media Monitors. I don't agree with it and wrote to Chairman Don Irvine about it. He explained that the datelines are written in the future, because that is the target date of when they will be read on-air for the radio.

Maybe if AIM got some feedback they would go back to the way it was. As it is, if a story has new developments that are not taken into account in a post-dated article, it would seem foolish.
10 posted on 03/03/2004 12:05:54 PM PST by walford (The more dogmatic the position, the more evil the outcome)
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