Like Radioactive Dye
This article by Gabriel Sherman at TNR serves as a diagnostic tool by which we can divine everything that is wrong with our current media establishment. As one follows the McCain/Iseman story through the myriad capillaries and bywaters of the editorial maze between New York and Washington it makes all the stops, from the desk of Bill Keller to the sewery depths of the Drudge Report and back again.
The McCain investigation began in November, after Rutenberg, who covers the political media and advertising beat, got a tip. Within a few days, Washington bureau chief Dean Baquet assigned Thompson and Labaton to join the project and, later, conservative beat reporter David Kirkpatrick to chip in as well. Labaton brought his expertise with regulatory issues to the team, and Thompson had done investigative work: At The Washington Post in the 1990s she had edited Michael Isikoff’s reporting on the Paula Jones scandal, and in 2003 she broke the story that Strom Thurmond had secretly fathered a child with his family’s black maid. Having four reporters thrown on the story showed just what a potential blockbuster the paper believed it might have.
From the outset, the Times reporters encountered stiff resistance from the McCain camp. After working on the story for several weeks, Thompson learned that McCain had personally retained Bill Clinton’s former attorney Bob Bennett to defend himself against the Times’ questioning. At the same time, two McCain campaign advisers, Mark Salter and Charlie Black, vigorously pressed the Times reporters to drop the matter. And in early December, McCain himself called Keller to deny the allegations on the record.
The tale that follows includes firings, resignations, leaks, and scenes of high dudgeon as Sherman pulls back the curtain to show us that the 3000 word piece that finally appeared in the Times last night has resulted in a stage strewn with more bodies than Act 3 of Hamlet.
Meanwhile, surely this statement by Bay Buchanan deserves some kind of award:
Bay: This is not the Democratic Party, this is a party of values. We assume our candidates have been loyal to their family.
Uh, Bay? Sweetheart? What planet are you beaming your transmission from? Can you name more than one high-profile instance of marital infidelity in a Democratic elected official in the last ten years? (Obviously, the Clenis doesn’t count, having happened nearly 15 years ago.) There was that governor in New Jersey and who else?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
In the meantime, I’d like to run some names by you and see if they ring any bells. David Vitter, Larry Craig, Mark Freaking Foley, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Bob Allen, “Jeff Gannon”, Duke Cunningham, do I need to go on?
Nothing like those Family Values.
55 Responses to “Like Radioactive Dye”
By petedownunder on Feb 21, 2008 4:10 pm |
G’day TRex. I spent last night trying to explain our system to a bunch of Aussies - I think they think I was making it up. I am most pleased to see St John in this fix and can’t wait for Sen Liarman to express his moral disapproval.
By e on Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm |
omg, that Bay Buchanan quote is tooooo funny.
Yo Pat, time to lock Sis back in the attic.
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 4:20 pm |
There may be an issue with the link. It’s not the same as the link that is embedded in the email that I got from TNR (I’m a subscriber to the dead-tree edition). Your link appears to be missing a “www.”
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 4:26 pm |
Maybe I’m missing a point somewhere, but isn’t TNR doing exactly what the McCain campaign most wants to do, i.e., shifting the focus from McCain and Iseman to the internal processes of the NYT? The story’s not about the story — the story’s about sleazy behavior from a Presidential candidate who claims, as an essential part of the case for voting for him, that his ethics are beyond reproach. Which is nonsense of a high order, given his involvement in the Keating Five scandal — but the Iseman thing helps to refocus attention on the fact that Saint John ain’t no saint.
By TRex on Feb 21, 2008 4:34 pm |
burnspbesq said
It seems to be connecting to the story.
Well, the Times isn’t exactly blameless here for sitting on the story for as long as they did. There’s lots of culpability to go around.
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 4:57 pm |
OT: Senators in Emergency Landing
The Associated Press - 26 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - Helicopters carrying three senior US senators made emergency landings Thursday in the mountains of Afghanistan because of a snowstorm.
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 5:05 pm |
Betsy said
The Terrists control the weather!!!
Be afraid!!!
By hwmnbn on Feb 21, 2008 5:08 pm |
As in a Shakespeare tragedy, someone is sticking a knife directly in Crazy Train’s back. The question is who could it be???
So many suspects, so little time.
By e on Feb 21, 2008 5:33 pm |
The sad thing is that amidst all this sordid speculation about McMaverdick’s sexual exploits and belated questioning of his ethical bona fides……everyone seems to have lost sight of the REAL victim here.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/02/romney-camp-lam.html
By darkblack on Feb 21, 2008 5:44 pm |
Sounds like Bay Buchanan was a guest at Paris Hilton’s little absinthe soiree…Perhaps we should allow the cobwebs to clear before we string up the pinata, poor dear.
But you know somewhere today someone is getting an offer they can’t refuse…
;>)
By Persiflage on Feb 21, 2008 6:00 pm |
If this blows up into a real scandal, with a daily drip feed of information, are you likely to end up with Huckabee as the Repub candidate? Cause that would be Big Fun.
I do feel sorry for McCain’s willie (the Big Mac). First people imply that it’s out of control and he has to use Depends; now people are saying that he’s been putting it in unacceptable places.
By isit2009yet on Feb 21, 2008 6:15 pm |
TRex said
Hi all…
That’s the point of this all that’s really pissing me off; wasn’t it the NYT that sat on the wiretapping story at the behest of the Bush administration, too? They also nattered around for months before the story about tracking terrorist bank accounts(sorry, forgot the name of it all), and don’t even start on Judy Miller…
Meanwhile, the Repugs still hold their noses whenever anyone as much as mentions the Times.
Bill Keller has taken the Old Gray Lady and turned her into Barbara Bush.
By Persiflage on Feb 21, 2008 6:19 pm |
Burns, I watched a US breakfast program (The Early Show??) this morning. I was somewhat distracted as I was in the middle of composing a blistering complaint to my bank at the time. The earnest looking bald dude was talking to a financial expert about what I remember as Default Credit Swaps, likely to be the next big financial disaster. I wish I’d paid more attention but I was busy choosing between “astounding incompetence” and “amazing ineptitude”. Do you know what they were talking about and can you explain it to a econosimpleton such as myself?
By Persiflage on Feb 21, 2008 6:28 pm |
Isit2009yet : Bill Keller has taken the Old Gray Lady and turned her into Barbara Bush.
—————————-
Brilliant!
By isit2009yet on Feb 21, 2008 6:31 pm |
Persiflage said
Why, thank you!!
It just pisses me off, because I’ve always revered the Times…not so much lately.
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 6:39 pm |
Persiflage said
Try this for starters.
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 7:32 pm |
OT:
have you seen this?
http://www.star-telegram.com/dallas_news/story/486413.html DALLAS — Security details at Barack Obama’s rally Wednesday stopped screening people for weapons at the front gates more than an hour before the Democratic presidential candidate took the stage at Reunion Arena.
By isit2009yet on Feb 21, 2008 7:33 pm |
Betsy said
Are they insane??
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 7:43 pm |
isit2009yet said
A fair question. An even better question might be (he said, venturing deep into tinfoil-hat and conspiracy-theory territory), “who paid them off to stop screening for weapons?”
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 7:46 pm |
burnspbesq said
Silly me. Reading is fundamental. OF COURSE it was the Secret Service that told them to stop. Every piece of evil in this country can always be tied back to the Office of the Vice President. If Six Degrees of Dick Cheney were a drinking game, we’d all be in rehab.
By isit2009yet on Feb 21, 2008 7:52 pm |
burnspbesq said
This is awfully bold, though, don’t you think? Everyone knows it’s being done.
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 7:53 pm |
Way OT, in case Cassie checks in later:
LAT: Stanford to be free for moderate-income students.
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 7:57 pm |
thanks burns
By madmommy on Feb 21, 2008 7:59 pm |
burnspbesq said
Wow! A student could go far and do worse than Stanford, and the price is certainly right!
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 8:01 pm |
Even farther OT:
Guess I’d better budget for LA Sparks season tickets for this year. Candace is coming to town.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=3256583
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 8:05 pm |
madmommy said
This on the same day that the Legislative Analyst released a study showing that our state budget deficit for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is probably going to be closer to $16 billion than the $14 billion previously announced by the Governator. Education is going to take it in the shorts in California this year, at every level from K through the UC system.
By madmommy on Feb 21, 2008 8:07 pm |
burns-so how can Stanford do this? A huge endowment?
Debate time, isn’t it cool to see our candidates actually be able to speak intelligently and maintain a fact-based reality? So refreshing!
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 8:09 pm |
madmom i am watching countdown. will catch the debate during commercials.
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 8:10 pm |
madmommy said
here’s the endowment details
http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/graphic/2008-02/35867214-20124430.gif
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 8:15 pm |
madmommy said
Exactly. Stanford’s endowment is somewhere in the $20 billion range.
So far, AFAIK, seven schools have gone down this road: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Amherst, Williams, Rice, and Pomona. Only a handful of other schools have endowments large enough to follow suit. Pure speculation on my part, but I expect to see Princeton, Columbia, Middlebury, Caltech, and maybe Duke and Wesleyan to follow suit. Don’t think Penn, Cornell, or Georgetown can afford it. Not sure about Brown or Dartmouth.
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 8:17 pm |
burns, if her brother/guardian is now married but sis-in-law is not guardian, how do they count household income?
By burnspbesq on Feb 21, 2008 8:20 pm |
Betsy said
Don’t know, but would imagine that there might be information on financial aid on the university website.
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 8:45 pm |
y’all still here?
watching debate or countdown or doing something else?
By Petrocelli on Feb 21, 2008 8:47 pm |
Hiya Betsy … watching the debate between two very good candidates …
By madmommy on Feb 21, 2008 8:54 pm |
Watching the debate, and trying to finish a report, and popping in to the treehouse. Multi-tasking, let me show you it!
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 8:56 pm |
madmommy said
i am switching to debate now. but countdown ROCKED!
i am sentenced to my bed for the night. have some troubling symptoms and my school nurse sent me home. i feel like i am 8!
anyway, i see my doc in the morning.
By madmommy on Feb 21, 2008 10:16 pm |
Hey, where did everybody go?!
By peanutbutter on Feb 21, 2008 10:16 pm |
petedownunder said
Oh several of my co-workers are from other countries and they are absolutely certain I’m making things up when I explain this or that about our political system…
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 10:36 pm |
i am back. hooked up to my machine early since i am already in bed
By madmommy on Feb 21, 2008 10:44 pm |
Betsy said
Is it helping any? Your comment about troubling symptoms was…troubling. Everything OK?
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 10:46 pm |
madmommy said
i’ll know at 10 tomorrow morning. have 3 friends on standby if i need the ER tonight, but don’t think i will.
By madmommy on Feb 21, 2008 10:50 pm |
(((Betsy)))
Just take it easy and call your standbys if you need them. That’s my contribution to you feeling like an 8 year old
By Lea (no uh) on Feb 21, 2008 10:53 pm |
Betsy, is TexTeen at home or are we going to have to worry about you being all alone all night?
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 10:53 pm |
my parents want me to have an adult woman friend sleep over tonight. that was too much. so instead they all have cell phones at their sides.
By TRex on Feb 21, 2008 10:53 pm |
Tell me about Countdown. What was so awesome about it tonight? Was there a special comment?
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 10:54 pm |
texteen is at home and actually just took a shower. but he’s still being a pain in the ass. i am choosing to not worry. if he has no lunch at school tomorrow or no sandwich is his lunchbox it’s his own damn fault.
By peanutbutter on Feb 21, 2008 10:54 pm |
Thats what I get for skimming stuff. Hope you’re feeling better, Betsy…
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 10:56 pm |
TRex said
no special comment, but he looked at 11 or 12 times when terror threats happened 2 days exactly after political news negative to bush.
By peanutbutter on Feb 21, 2008 10:57 pm |
Sounds like the debate’s finished. Thoughts, anyone? (I did not see it, just got home.)
By madmommy on Feb 21, 2008 10:58 pm |
Betsy said
That’s been an off-and-on theme he’s touched on. I’ve noticed the co-incidence, but it is really striking when he lays out each time, over and over and over.
By peanutbutter on Feb 21, 2008 10:58 pm |
Betsy said
Good heavens! What sort of negative political news? The bar must be pretty high now, since most news is negative these days /snark…
By Lea (no uh) on Feb 21, 2008 11:06 pm |
Betsy said
Well, just as long as he’s home and within shouting distance. Otherwise I would be siding with your parents.
By TRex on Feb 21, 2008 11:07 pm |
Fresh thread!
http://www.iamtrex.com/?p=389
By LoudounLib on Feb 21, 2008 11:09 pm |
((( Betsy ))) You take care, now, and reach out if you need it. Have been lurking on and off all day, not much to say, but I wanted to let you know I’m thinking about you.
And hi to everyone else
Off to bed, the squad is back to work tomorrow and we’re probably going to get some icy/snowy weather to deal with.
By Betsy on Feb 21, 2008 11:11 pm |
thanks LL