Posted on 09/13/2004 6:15:56 AM PDT by ConservativeMajority
WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- An Associated Press reporter who filed a story that former President Clinton was 'booed' at a Wisconsin rally when President George W. Bush announced that his predecessor had been hospitalized for heart surgery is standing by his claim. Scott Lindlaw, a White House correspondent who was among the reporters traveling with President Bush during the campaign swing to several battleground states, provided the information for the story that appeared under the byline of Tom Hays.
No other news agency reported any booing and none is audible on network television clips, but the AP sent out the article with the statement, "Bush's audience of thousands in West Allis, Wis., booed. Bush did nothing to stop them."
Shortly after the article appeared on the wire, Karen Hughes, an advisor to President Bush, demanded it be corrected. The AP deleted the two sentences from the story and released it with no byline.
Tom Curley, AP president and CEO, was asked by Talon News to explain the circumstances surrounding the correction.
Curley said, "The reporter and a couple others standing with him thought they heard booing. After checking of tapes, they decided it was oohs, not boos."
Curley also confirmed that Hays was not present at the Wisconsin rally, but was in New York at the time of the event. The reference to "booing" came from material provided by Lindlaw. Talon News confronted Lindlaw on Friday about the discrepancy in his reporting of the event.
When asked if he heard booing as he reported, he replied, "I did."
Lindlaw declined to be interviewed but insisted that his reporting was accurate.
Lindlaw said, "What I had to say I put in the wire."
Lindlaw refused to answer any other questions about the report. Lindlaw provided no explanation for making a charge that would create a negative impression of President Bush and his supporters.
Some have criticized Lindlaw's previous work for having an anti-Bush slant. In July, he wrote an article that used detailed quotes from a meeting of Washington, DC conservatives that was "off the record." The original source of the quotes was not Lindlaw, since he was not present at the meeting.
His story, titled "Some Key Conservatives Uneasy About Bush," suggested that because one of the 150 participants in the meeting had expressed misgivings about the Iraq war, conservatives are perhaps turning away from the president. Lindlaw quotes two men from Missouri to support his thesis, one of whom is undecided about which candidate he may vote for.
Copyright © 2004 Talon News -- All rights reserved.
This guy should hang out with Dan Rather.
He's just trying to get on the cocktail circuit in D.C.
Some things never change -- Lindlaw was a jerk in 2000 and has been ever since. AP is getting to have about the same credibility as CBS -- zero, zip, nada! So now we have Lindlaw appearing under a different by-line as we all know he is biased?
If that's true, why didn't Laidlaw's name go on the byline instead of a guy (Hayes) who wasn't there?
And, then when AP corrected the story, there was no reporter bylined?
Translation: "McAuliffe's check cleared. I did what I was paid to do. Leave me alone."
another media liar...go ahead stand by your story. Anthing you say from now on is suspect...not going to believe word one. We know who you are. That is a good thing...by the way, did you know there is a videotape?
What a Clymer.
Okay ... well, then go over there and stand next to Gunga Dan.
This "That's my story and I'm sticking with it" line is going to be the downfall of the MSM.
What is wrong with these people??
Is he the guy that authenticated the CBS memos?
Okay, I'm reasonably certain that there just might have been one or two low-lifes at the rally and that they might have boo'ed the President when he spoke of Clinton. Just remeber the reactions some here at FR had.
BUT - to report "the crowd booed" and the President did nothing to stop it is beyond belief.
I guess the New Ethics in Journalism states - report whatever fits your agenda and, when confronted with overwhelming evidence that your report is false, stick by your report and refuse to answer any further questions.
Then it was an error to change the story.
Here's a jab to all those who accused Tom Hays of being the original author.
I'll tell you what's wrong with these people...they hate republicans and especially conservative republicans but they hate this country more! The MSM is going to get people killed. When this happens, all hell is going to break loose and the MSM is going to have to pay a price for their lying and distorting the news. I hope I live long enough to see them pay a price for their arrogant views. Watch the little rats scurry then!
Scott Lindlaw -- remember that name, it's the name of another liar from the MSM.
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