Cynthia Tucker Versus Byron York: Who Is Telling The Truth?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Cynthia Tucker's Op-Ed column ^ | January 13, 2003 | aas

[an amused spectator]

E-mail Cynthia Tucker

On Sunday, January 12, 2003, Cynthia Tucker published an editorial piece entitled Bush snubs black voters with Pickering.

In this column, Tucker takes on the issue of Bush's renomination of Charles Pickering for the federal bench. She claims that "Pickering's recent record suggests a glaring racial insensitivity. An example is Pickering's handling of a 1994 cross-burning case."

Tucker asserts that after burning a cross in the yard of an interracial couple, "...[Daniel] Swan and his friends, not content with mere symbolic violence, fired shots into the occupied house that just missed the couple's baby. I can't imagine Pickering demanding a lesser sentence for a black man convicted of a similar crime against whites."

E-mail Byron York

On January 9, 2003, Byron York, National Review's White House correspondent, published an article entitled The Cross Burning Case: What Really Happened.

In this article, he also addresses the issue of what exactly Daniel Swan did at the scene of the cross-burning incident. However, York is apparently working with a completely different set of facts:

"While it is not clear who originally suggested the plan, it is known that the 17-year-old appeared to harbor some sort of hostility toward the couple; on an earlier occasion, he had fired a gun into the house (no one was hit). Neither Swan nor Thomas was involved in the shooting incident [my emphasis]."

[an amused spectator]

Does Byron York have the facts wrong in this case? Or is Cynthia Tucker lying about the incident* in order to smear a political enemy?

Inquiring minds want to know. ;-)

*It's always dangerous to re-publish talking points from Sid "Vicious" Blumenthal. ;-)

[copycat]

Cyn says "Swan and his friends" fired shots. For that to be true, ALL THREE would have had to fire shots. Otherwise she would have to say "One of Swan's friends fired shots."

Either York's info is bad, or Cyn just told a fib.

[jackbill]

Does Byron York have the facts wrong in this case? Or is Cynthia Tucker lying about the incident* in order to smear a political enemy?

I e-mailed her the other day, and I challenged her to read Byron York's piece. Haven't heard back from her - and I doubt that I will.

She, and her ilk, can't handle the truth.

[Howlin]

Good post!

[Howlin]

My money would be on York.

[Mo1]

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[an amused spectator]

Mine, too.

Maybe we can get a Tucker/York smackdown going. :-)

[hchutch]

I'd have to go with York - he's been on target before.

Cynthia hyperventilates too much on some issues to be credible.

[Redbob]

Swan and his buddies did the cross-burning; no question.

But his "buddies", including the ring-leader whose idea this was in the first place, did a plea-bargain and got ZERO time for the crime.
Swan pled "not guilty," was convicted, and got 6 - 7 years.

Pickering stepped in and said there was something unfair about this. Most rational people would agree, and Cynthia Tucker, unsurprisingly, doesn't.

[PJ-Comix]

In a related STORY, the New York Times BURIED an article in its TRAVEL SECTION by one of its own reporters about how Blacks in Judge Pickering's home town ALL support him.

[an amused spectator]

thanx, PJ - you're on top of things! Nice catch!

[an amused spectator]

Pickering stepped in and said there was something unfair about this. Most rational people would agree, and Cynthia Tucker, unsurprisingly, doesn't.

Apparently, she needed to embellish the facts in order to make a better case for her disagreement. ;-)

[Ditto]

Sonds to me like the Clinton Justice Dept. allowed the ring leader to walk free.

[Catspaw]

But his "buddies", including the ring-leader whose idea this was in the first place, did a plea-bargain and got ZERO time for the crime. Swan pled "not guilty," was convicted, and got 6 - 7 years.

His buddies did a plea bargain (no doubt having the original charges lowered), but Swan went to trial, was convicted & was sentenced to 6 to 7? No surprise about the disparity in sentencing.

[scooby321]

York's is the True story backed up by Al Gore's Bother-in-law , who work at the Clinton Justice dept

[LiteKeeper]

Liberal heads full of mush...I'll go with York.

[chiller]

Correct. Clinton Justice leniency got the issue rolling.

Pickering actually tried to bring actual 'justice' to the situation. What a concept!

John Edwards is culpable, too, in his dishonest grilling of Pickering last year in judiciary committee.

They're all guilty!

[an amused spectator]

I think Pickering was able to get it down to 2 and a half years:

Byron York:

...Finally, Pickering got word from Civil Rights Division prosecutors, who said they had decided to drop the demand that Swan be given the five-year minimum portion of the recommended sentence. Pickering then sentenced Swan to 27 months in jail. At the sentencing hearing, Pickering told Swan, "You're going to the penitentiary because of what you did. And it's an area that we've got to stamp out; that we've got to learn to live, races among each other. And the type of conduct that you exhibited cannot and will not be tolerated....You did that which does hinder good race relations and was a despicable act....I would suggest to you that during the time you're in the prison that you do some reading on race relations and maintaining good race relations and how that can be done."

So Swan went to jail, for a bit more than two years rather than seven."

[LiteKeeper]

Looks to me like the only shining star in this whole case was Judge Pickering. He showed an understanding of teh spirit of the Law while operating within the letter of the Law.

[LiteKeeper]

Just reread both stories. Tucker is all wet, and doesn't seemed bothered with the facts, just the superficial appearance of the case. She sounds like she is spouting "somebody's" talking points.

[an amused spectator]

Liberal heads full of mush...I'll go with York.

As for me, I just want to know what the rules of engagement are.

If this is OK for Cynthia, can we all just start making stuff up about our political enemies and transmitting it as fact?

Perhaps we could demand equal space from the AJC to publish things that we make up about our enemies? ;-)

[Republican Red]

Although I know this will fall on deaf ears I emailed Cynthia as well as the correction editor.

Email Cynthia Tucker at: cynthia@ajc.com

AJC corrections clarifications:
Our credibility (lol) depends on complete accuracy (ROTFLOL). If the AJC has published a factual error, please contact our Public Editor.
Mike King, Public Editor: 404-526-5819, fax 404-526-5311, insideajc@ajc.com

[an amused spectator]

She sounds like she is spouting "somebody's" talking points.

You know, you're right. She becomes all outraged and bristly about the "shooting". If I were her, I'd be careful of incorporating stuff from Sid, Joe or Gene in my columns.

It would be fascinating to inspect her inbox, before the date that she wrote this piece.

[an amused spectator]

Our credibility (lol) depends on complete accuracy (ROTFLOL)

Unless the piece is about Republicans, who eat babies in between stealing food and medicine from old people while they are looking for rain forests to burn and small dogs to kick.

Evil conservative bastards!!!

[mil-vet]

Evil conservative bastards!!!

ROTFLOL!! Yes, we ARE - LOL, again! Always ruining the dummycrap's days by shining the light of truth on their BS! We are SO unfeeling and insensitive - ROTFLOLUTRDOF (Until Tears Run Down Our Face).....

[Catspaw]

"You're going to the penitentiary because of what you did. And it's an area that we've got to stamp out; that we've got to learn to live, races among each other. And the type of conduct that you exhibited cannot and will not be tolerated....You did that which does hinder good race relations and was a despicable act....I would suggest to you that during the time you're in the prison that you do some reading on race relations and maintaining good race relations and how that can be done."

I'd like to see THIS printed widely about Pickering in this case.

However, I do note that there can be a disparity between those who take a plea bargain (usually to lesser charges) and those who take a case to trial--they expose themselves to high sentences.

[an amused spectator]

Sounds like we need some skilled masons to work on the Supreme Court building:

EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW

...except if you demand a trial by a jury of your peers

[Catspaw]

I don't know what percentage of criminal cases are settled by plea bargains--at least 75-85% (and that's a conservative estimate). If every case was taken to trial, it'd bring the justice system to a screeching halt--there just aren't enough judges, prosecutors, court personnel & courtrooms to handle that load.

[an amused spectator]

I don't know that I'd go so far as to call it a "justice system". Maybe it was a few decades ago...

[Congressman Billybob]

I attack both the he said-she said journalism on the Pickering nomination, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in my next column for UPI, "Ping-Pong Reporting." It will go out today and be up on my website. I won't post it on FR until it is final and on the UPI wire, on Thursday.

In the meantime, Joe Lieberman officially began his hopeless quest for the Presidency, today. I deal with him in my present UPI column, first link below.

Congressman Billybob

Click for latest column on UPI, "Three Anti-Endorsements" (Now up on UPI wire, and FR.)

As the politician formerly known as Al Gore has said, Buy my book, "to Restore Trust in America"