(Note: The news story discussed below is unavailable to me at The Raleigh News & Observer's archives but can be accessed at another archive here.)
Liberal bias? There’s none of that in the news columns of Raleigh’s News & Observer, a McClatchy paper. At least that’s what its executive editor for news, Melanie Sill, says.
But then you find a front page N&O story, “On links, politicians get caught in a trap” (Aug. 22), that reads more like a Democratic National Committee talking points memo than a genuine news story.
The story begins:
What is it about golf that attracts political scandal?You’re then told Ohio’s Republican Gov. Bob Taft was found guilty of violating state ethics laws for failing to report golf outings
<….>
"Golf is one of two activities that bring out the worst in politicians," Hollywood writer Peter Mehlman said. "The other is politics."
And you’re told in great detail about golf trips Republican Rep. Tom DeLay took which were paid for by lobbyists; and which the House Ethics Committee is investigating. The N&O included a picture of DeLay, the only one accompanying the story.
The N&O even tells you about a golf trip former Republican Vice President Dan Quayle took back in 1980. It was with a group of congressmen and lobbyists. The trip proved embarrassing to Quayle when it turned out one of the congressman was accompanied by an attractive lobbyist who had posed for Playboy.
Quayle was never accused of any impropriety on the trip but The N&O was able to tell readers that as Vice President, he got “into hot water for mangling the English language” and that his wife said he would “rather play golf than have sex.”
At this point, reader, you may be saying, “Wait! Three big name Republicans, and for one of them The N&O had to go back to a trip 25 years ago on which nobody claims Quayle did anything wrong. Geez.
What about Democrats? Former President Clinton? Didn’t he play a lot of golf with Washington power-broker Vernon Jordan; and didn’t Jordan try to get Monica Lewinsky a job after she left the White House; and didn’t he meet with Lewinsky and get her a lawyer? Jordan admitted all of that to a grand jury, didn’t he? And at the end of the Lewinsky scandal didn’t Clinton have to pay fines? And wasn’t he disbarred by the Supreme Court?
Did The N&O report any of that? Isn't what I'm saying true?”
Those are all good questions, reader. Here are the answers.
No, The N&O didn't report any of that. All it said about Clinton was that he's a "golf nut" who as President played often and took uncounted re-shots.
Yes, what you're saying is true.
From a transcript of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (March 3, 1998)
The two men also spend a great deal of time together outside the White House in golf games at courses around Washington and during summertime visits to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Jordan's name was associated with the Monica Lewinsky saga almost from the beginning. On January 22nd, just days after the story broke, Jordan publicly acknowledged that he had tried to help the former White House intern after she left government.A federal judge later cited President Clinton for civil contempt for giving "intentionally false" testimony under oath regarding his relationship with Lewinsky and fined him $90,000.
VERNON JORDAN: I did two things for Ms. Monica Lewinsky: I assisted her in trying to find employment in the private sector in New York City. Secondly, when she was served with the subpoena and, at her request, I recommended a very competent Washington lawyer, Mr. Frank Carter. I actually took her to Mr. Carter's office.
The bar association in Clinton’s home state, Arkansas, investigated further; and then recommended to its state Supreme Court his disbarment?
The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed its bar association’s recommendation, and so informed the United States Supreme Court.
On October 1, 2001, without dissent and for the first time in the nation’s history, the U. S. Supreme Court acted to disbar a former President.
In his autobiography, My Life, Clinton expressed the hope that his golfing buddy would "be able to forgive me for the mess I had gotten him into"(p.779).
Do you find it interesting that at The N&O Taft and DeLay's problems and a golf trip Dan Quayle took a quarter century ago are front page news while all that happened to Clinton and Jordan is ignored?
You may be asking whether The N&O mentions anything remotely scandalous involving a Democrat and golf.
Yes, it does. One person.
He's David Watkins, a minor functionary in the Clinton White House, who took an unauthorized trip to a golf match on the President's Marine helicopter and later resigned.
Can you see why I think the story reads more like a Democratic National Committee talking points memo than a genuine news story?
No liberal bias in The News & Observer's news columns.
Can you believe that?
If you'd like to take another look at The N&O's front page story, here again is a link .
2 comments:
Golf, clinton, little balls, Monica, putting - there is a joke in there somewhere!
-AC
Hi, I was out blogging and found your site. It certainly got my attention and interest. I was looking for Clubs information and even though this isn't a perfect match I enjoyed your site. Thanks for the read!
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