This is truly an indictment of what passes for political reporting in this country. Rudy Giuliani has made a habit of wild exaggerations, from claiming that he spent as much time at Ground Zero than any rescue worker, to saying that he’s “studied Islamic terrorism for 30 years,” to claiming that Hillary Clinton said “Capitalism is the most destructive force in modern America” when she actually quoted someone else calling capitalism a “disruptive” force. There are more exaggerations here, yet Giuliani continues to espouse the same bombast (others would call it “lies”) because he is able to get away with them. But look how Washington Post reporter Lois Romano reacts to this persistent issue when confronted with the evidence at an online chat last week:
New York: Hi, Lois. In the GOP debate earlier this week, Rudy Giuliani said: “The leading Democratic candidate once said that the unfettered free market is the most destructive force in modern America. I mean, just get an idea of where that philosophy comes from.” Rudy uses this line on Hillary frequently. But as has been conclusively proven, it’s an almost comically dishonest distortion of what Hillary actually said in a 1996 interview with Brian Lamb. In that interview, Hillary quoted another author saying that the unfettered free market had been radically disruptive, not destructive, and actually went on to praise free markets.
My question, though, is this. If Al Gore can be painted as a serial liar and exaggerator by the media for things he didn’t actually say, why has Giuliani so far gotten a pass on the lies he’s actually spouting publicly?
Lois Romano: He hasn’t been really challenged on every word yet. That will come. Right now, there are so many people in the race trying to get footing, and the media is trying to illuminate facts about all of them. As the field starts to winnow, you will see more and more scrutiny of what candidates say and do, and what they have done or said in the past….
“We’ll get around to it,” is the answer (it certainly wasn’t the answer with Al Gore, who they pounced on mercilessly from day one). You know, for the betterment of Republican voters, even, I think it’s time to get around to it.
You can sit there and watch passively as the campaign runs its course, which would be fine if you were merely an observer of the political scene. But a JOURNALIST is charged with distilling information and providing the fullest possible context, in the interest of allowing for a more well-informed citizenry. This shirking of responsibility doesn’t cut it, and it bodes ill for the general election as well.
5 Responses to “Media Taking A Break From Campaign Season To Actually Go To A Racetrack and Cover Horse Races”
oy, these clinton haters are trying to dredge up whitewater?!? that’s quite the reach…
umm sam, this site has tried to suggest rudy makes bad perosonel decisions because kerik is in legal troubles. the truth is, if that is the bar that we measure candidates, hillary is by far the worst. she has had numerous personal friends and business associates under investigation and convivted of felonies. and its not ancient history, one of her biggest fundraisers just a few short weeks ago was exposed as a felon on the run, and who knows how many more like him she is involved with.
but the MSM will not ask questions about hsu, whitewater, foster, lewinsky, china, none of it. her closet remains untouched while they try desperately to stop giuliani.
@matt: surely you’d agree that taking money from the corrupt Norman Hsu and nominating the corrupt Bernard Kerik to be HEAD OF HOMELAND SECURITY aren’t in the same league?
giuliani was basing kerik’s nomination on his time as commisioner and his anti-terror security experience in saudi arabia. kerik’s alledged crimes took place after giuliani had left office. giuliani admitted he sould have vetted him further for his recomendation because they hadn’t been in office together for some years. but remember, kerik was bush’s nominee not rudy’s. but really, is kerik in any way shape or form worse then janet reno, who caused the massacre of innocent people in wako texas and the horrific kidnapping of a cuban child and gun-point. liberal hypocrisy cant be this thick.
kerik:
Kerik enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1975 and became a Military police officer (MP) assigned to Korea and to the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 1978, he received an honorable discharge from the Army and returned to New Jersey.
Kerik worked from 1982 to 1984 as chief of investigations for the security office at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Kerik served as Warden of the Passaic County jail, the largest county adult correctional facility in New Jersey, from January 1986 to July 1986. There, he also served as the Department’s Training Officer and Commander of the Special Weapons and Operations units, and received the Medal of Honor from the City of Paterson and a Presidential Commendation from President Ronald Reagan, both for Heroism.
Kerik served with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) from July 1986 to May 1994, in both uniformed and plain clothes duty. While assigned to the US Justice Department’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, he was one of two case agents responsible for overseeing one of the most substantial narcotic investigations in the history of the department, resulting in the conviction of more than 60 members of the Cali Cartel. He earned thirty (30) medals for meritorious and heroic service, including the department’s Medal for Valor for his involvement in a gun battle in which his partner was shot and wounded.
Kerik served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction, a position to which he was appointed on January 1, 1998. He previously served for three years as the Department of Correction’s First Deputy Commissioner and, prior to that, as the agency’s Executive Assistant to the Commissioner and Director of the Investigations Division. He is credited with dramatically improving the safety of the city’s jail system, reducing inmate-on-inmate violence by 93% over a 5 year period, and staff use of force by 76%. His tenure was also marked by greatly improved agency efficiency, including a 44% reduction in agency overtime expenditures and a 31% reduction in staff sick leave.
Kerik was appointed the 40th New York City Police Commissioner.
its funny that liberals want to attack a decorated police officer and commissoner based on unproven allegations, yet they have zero problem with the hundreds of clinton family business associates convicted of felonies, the perjury and obstruction of justice of president clinton, the long standing ties between the kennedy family and the chicago outfit of la cosa nostra, ted kennedy’s murder of an innocent woman due to his drunken neglegence, etc…
even funnier, is none of kerik’s critics could walk a mile in his shoes in the nypd.
Something to say?
are you really going to sit there and say rudy has gotten more of a free ride then hillary?!?!?!?!?!?! she is running on her husbands record yet has been asked zero questions about the incredible number of scandals, answered zero questions about the incredible number of friends and business associates of hers and bill’s who have been indicted or convincted of crimes. she got a complete free pass on yet another fundraising scandal. my god are you kidding me?!!?!?!?! the press has followed rudy’s CHILDREN they are so desperate to derail him.
take off your clinton blinders buddy, you are just mad because this site predicted along time ago that giuliani would be out by now, when infact he is stronger then ever.
Left by matt
October 15, 2007 at 3:09pm