Once again, however, the media proves it is incompetent in checking simple facts...
Posted on 10/06/2004 7:55:45 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg
A letter that appeared in Tuesday's News Tribune suggested that the Bush administration was behind an attempt to reinstate the draft. As evidence, the writer cited by number two bills in the Senate and House and urged readers to write their representatives opposing them.
In fact, there are no Republican-sponsored bills concerning the draft, and the two measures requiring conscription of all young adults, rich and poor, were sponsored by Democrats in early 2003 as a tactic against the then-impending war. Specifically, co-sponsor Rep. Jim McDermott of Washington wrote: "If we need to reinstate the draft in order to make the administration consider the chilling consequences of war, so be it."
That political explanation notwithstanding, the rumor of a GOP draft has gathered steam over the past two years, manifesting itself in a letter bouncing around the Internet on sites such as the St. Louis Rams message board, socialistworkers. org, aljazeerah.com and most appropriately, urbanlegends. com and the news group alt. usa.kooks. Portions of that letter were lifted without attribution in the letter by Roger Parsons of Duluth that appeared in the News Tribune.
Though prior to publication Parsons assured the newspaper's letters verifier that he indeed had written the letter, and that it had been submitted only to the News Tribune, that was not true and we regret our part in disseminating false information. An apology is due to the Bush administration and to our readers -- including several who alerted us of the fraud -- and we hereby humbly extend one.
Reached by the newspaper Tuesday, Parsons also apologized and immediately sent the letter that appears on this page. While we accept his apology, it is the last writing of his that will be published by the paper for the foreseeable future.
And if CBS had taken the same position a few weeks ago they might not be in the meltdown they're in.
Once again, however, the media proves it is incompetent in checking simple facts...
"While we accept his apology, it is the last writing of his that will be published by the paper for the foreseeable future."
No more "letters to the editor" from Roger!
More Democratic dirty tricks.
Typical democrat. (Just my opinion, of course.)
Too little, too late. The damage is already done, because The Sheep believe the draft's coming back - The Media said so.
I often write letters to the editor. Sometimes they are even published! Once though I get an email from the editor of the editorial/letters page telling me that they would not publish my letter because it was based on false information. The letter was about taxes, taxation, and how we are still paying a tax on our telephones instituted to help pay for the Spanish/American war.
They editor wrote that Clinton had signed a bill repealing that tax. I wrote him back that he was wrong and that Clinton vetoed the bill. He wrote back contending I was wrong. I then, through the power of FR, found multiple articles on Clinton vetoing the bill and forwarded him links to the original sources.
Upon seeing these he admitted he was wrong and that my letter would run.
Mornin', Sarge .. you know I think the world of you, but I hope you're wrong :)
Colonel, I'd like nothing better than to be shown a better picture of the American Sheep.
But I've seen. read, and beheld too much to hold out hope.
I do not have any confidence that The Sheep will make an intelligent decision for the future of our nation.
Come on, guys, this is great. A major local newspaper has been burned and won't let it happen again. Editors rarely fact-check letters to the editor. This also shows that our efforts have been effective in getting the newspapers to do better. This paper would never have issued this statement if it had not been for conservaives pounding them. We have to keep it up!
Who instituted the draft in 1940? DEMOCRATS.
Who ended it in 1970? REPUBLICANS.
Today the House will vote on a Democratic bill to reinstate the draft. President Bush and Republicans oppose a draft and seek defeat of this bill. Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards wrongly claim it is Republicans who support this, yet it is John Kerry who said he may be open to a draft. Below is more information about this bill, who sponsored it, what Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards are saying as well as the truth about President Bush's position regarding it. We need you to call talk radio shows and write letters to the editor. Let people know that it is not Republicans who support this bill, it is the Democrats.
Democrats Push Draft in Congress
President Bush Opposes Draft And Republicans Seek Certain Defeat Of Bill
Just Who is Proposing a Draft?
Democrat Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) Introduced The "Universal National Service Act Of 2003" To Reinstate Military Draft. "A BILL To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." (H.R. 163, Introduced 1/7/03 By Rep. Charles Rangel)
Today, House Of Representatives Will Vote On Rangel's Proposal, Which House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) Vows Will Receive "Very Little Congressional Support." "Later today, the House of Representatives will debate and vote on H.R. 163, the Universal National Service Act - commonly known as the Reinstate the Draft Bill. There is very little Congressional support for reinstating the draft." (House Armed Services Committee, "House To Vote On And Reject Military Draft Bill," Press Release, 10/5/04)
Democrat Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC) Has Introduced Identical Military Draft Legislation. "A BILL To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." (S. 89, Introduced 1/7/03 By Sen. Ernest Hollings)
Kerry and Edwards Claim It's Republicans Who Want Draft, But Kerry Is Open to Draft
Kerry Raised Possibility Draft Is Returning Under Bush. "Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, citing the war in Iraq and other trouble spots in the world, raised the possibility Wednesday that a military draft could be reinstated if voters re-elect President Bush. ... Answering a question about the draft that had been posed at a forum with voters, Kerry said: 'If George Bush were to be re-elected, given the way he has gone about this war and given his avoidance of responsibility in North Korea and Iran and other places, is it possible? I can't tell you.'" (Mary Dalrymple, "Kerry Raises Possibility That Military Draft Could Return If Bush Is Re-Elected," The Associated Press, 9/22/04)
Edwards Hinted Draft Would Return Under President Bush. "Edwards drew his biggest applause from the audience, which was heavy on union members and laid-off workers, when he responded to a question from a woman who said that her 23-year-old son recently graduated from college, and that she is worried about a draft being instituted for the war in Iraq. 'There will be no draft when John Kerry is president,' Edwards said, to applause and a standing ovation." (Jim VandeHei, "Kerry Accuses Bush Of Dishonesty On Iraq," The Washington Post, 9/16/04)
Yet Kerry Told Reporter That If Large Mobilization Is Needed, Draft Is "Only Fair Way To Do It." REPORTER: "Senator, some in your party have called for reinstating the draft. Do you think that is a good idea?" KERRY: "Not at this moment. I don't. If we had a need for a general mobilization at some time in the future, then I think that's the only fair way to do it." (WLVI's "Keller At Large," Interview Taped 12/2/03, Aired 9/26/04)
Administration Has Been Clear: President Bush Opposes Draft
Secretary Rumsfeld Called Allegations "Absolute Nonsense." "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld heatedly denied yesterday that the military plans to bring back the draft and boost reserves and National Guard callups after the November election. 'That is absolute nonsense,' Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'It's absolutely false that anyone in this administration is considering reinstituting the draft.'" (Richard Sisk, "No Draft, No Extra Troops - Rummy," [New York] Daily News, 9/24/04)
Vice President Cheney Said Rumors Were "Hogwash." "And the notion that somebody's peddling out there that there is a secret plan to reinstitute the draft, hogwash, not true." (NBC's "Nightly News," 9/29/04)
President Bush: "We Don't Need The Draft." "No, we're not going - we don't need the draft. Look, the all-volunteer Army is working. ... I know Senator McCain and I agree on this issue for certain, the all-volunteer Army works." (President George W. Bush, Remarks At Okaloosa-Walton College, Niceville, FL, 8/10/04)
Blog about it here.
I am the Mainstream Press, I see no reason to appologize for pushing fake documents.
/sarcasm off
A willing media now makes it possible for one party to take overt, deliberate action and blame it on the other party. Not only is the media willing to stand idly by while this happens, but it will affirmatively conceal the truth. Repudiations such as the one above are, unfortunately, the exception rather than the rule.
This is incompetent and could be stopped if they just checked facts and did not let their liberal ideology influence them to the point where they hope certain news is true. Still, however a forthright retraction and apology, one that is as big as this one and not tucked away on page A-23, in one line, like the Ny Slimes does, is responsible journalism.
Yea, they push the DEMOCRAT SPONSORED draft bill issue, and try to imply that Bush will impose the draft.
I wrote a story on this a couple weeks ago in relation to dnCBS' fraudulent reporting.
http://www.nodnc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14&mode=nested&order=1&thold=0
For MANY other stories and proof of DNC vote fraud and corruption, please see,
http://www.noDNC.com
Would every Freeper please make sure that a copy of this article makes it into the hands of their local editors and talk radio hosts?
At the bottom of the Duluth News Tribune article there is an option to "email this". Please use that link to get the retraction to your local media outlets (also posted here).
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/news/opinion/9847845.htm?template=contentModules/emailstory.jsp
Truth doesn't matter to Dems. The purpose has been served already by the lie. They most likely have succeeded in convincing a large percentage of the idiots out there that it's the evil Republicans.......... so, more likely college aged, shallow thinking kids will vote for Kerry.
Big/liberal/commie/Dem media will never tell the truth, and because of it there is great trouble ahead.
Look how the huge majority of the media avoids telling the story of growing signs of Dem. voter fraud in registering voters. There is great trouble ahead! Bush will have to have about an actual 10 point lead to win this election.
Man the polls!
The 2003 Dem Draft bill was sponsored by none other than Gentleman Jim McDermott. This is the same Jim McDermott who illegally had Republican John Boehner's cellphone call intercepted by a Dem activist. He is the same one who lists himself on a Socialist website. The same one who went to Iraq to kiss Saddam's ass on the very eve of the War. What do you expect from a pig but an oink. Leftist America hater at all times.
See how easy it is, Dan? It won't make your tongue burn with fire, or make your head explode, or anything like that. In fact, you'll probably feel a whole lot better knowing that you've put it all behind you....
The apology letter:
Letters to the Editor
Bush isn't trying to reinstate draft
Sometimes in these impassioned times, it is easy to grab hold of some piece of news and believe it to be true without checking the facts first. Such is what I did when I wrote a letter to the editor about the Bush administration quietly trying to reinstate the draft.
I should have checked the information I wrote first.
The Bush Administration is NOT pushing the bills I cited. In fact, Democrats introduced the legislation in January of 2003 in an effort to discourage people from supporting the pending war with Iraq. Their actions were politically motivated, but the Bush administration had no direct involvement in the legislation.
Furthermore, what I wrote and what the News Tribune published was mostly information that is available elsewhere on the Internet. I borrowed quite liberally from this (though it was my belief that I was paraphrasing the words of a political science professor at my daughter's college). So the words were not really my own and I should have quoted what I had read rather than misrepresenting it.
For both of these actions I am truly sorry and sincerely apologize, and I apologize as well to the newspaper for any embarrassment I may have caused them.
ROGER PARSONS
DULUTH
He was on C-SPAN just before the debate, speaking to the House, saying that he's getting hundreds of letters on the topic, and that "the kids are smart, and they know" that Bush is planning to bring back the draft.
Who would ever want to serve in Congress and be forced to listen full-time to such bloviating jackasses?
Between the apology letter and the editorial, this is one of those rare cases where the subsequent correction was more prominent and received more attention than the error.
BTTT
This is why I have a good feeling about this article. I do believe this is good-faith effort to correct a significant wrong that was done. It wasn't a non-apology apology by either entity and that's how it's supposed to work.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. Both the paper and the original writer did well in this case. If only the major FRAUDcasters and other Old Media "news" outlets did the same instead of being mere transcript publishers for the lies of the Demodogs, America would be able to hear the Truth.
.
Ping
This retraction in the Duluth News Tribune speaks volumes and it provides us with the perfect opportunity to stop the "draft rumor" in its tracks.
It would be great if copies of this article could make it into the hands of your local newspaper editors and talk radio hosts... It's better than factcheck.com, I mean, .org, or whatever. The smaller the paper or radio station, the more effective this article can be.
At the bottom of the Duluth News Tribune article there is an option to "email this". It is an effective way to get this retraction by the MSM out to your local media outlets (also posted here).
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/news/opinion/9847845.htm?template=contentModules/emailstory.jsp
Associate Director for Program Operations
Roger Parsons, Associate Director
Duluth, MN
EPA, eh? Surprise, surprise!
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