In order to point out that Joe Conason (an articulate opponent to the Far Right) is a hypocrite for criticizing Matt Drudge for his sex-scandal rumor about John Kerry, Slate Magazine's columnist Mickey Kaus offers us this piece of "gotcha" bullshit in his blog this weekend:
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"The always provocative Spy takes the plunge - some might say right into the sewer of sleaze and unnamed sources. The cover story of its July/August issue discusses George Bush's supposed infidelities and publishes the name of longtime aide Jennifer A. Fitzgerald, around whom rumors have long circulated. The piece by Joe Conason also details other supposed liaisons, including a 1980 relationship with ''Ms. X,'' then a 30-ish news agency employee."
----"Slinging Sex on Bush's Campaign," U.S.A. Today, June 17, 1992
Is American politics suddenly returning to the bad old days, when Washington journalism became frenzied with sheet sniffing and keyhole peeping?"
"Once again, Drudge has raised questions — but they may not be the ones he seeks to raise. The first is about journalistic standards. The second is the identity of his anonymous sources. Journalists must ask themselves why the rumor of a private peccadillo deserves their attention and resources in the 2004 campaign."
----Joe Conason, Salon, Feb. 13, 2004
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Wow, Mick. You really nailed that guy, didn't you? Case closed!
Of course, Kaus conveniently leaves out any context to the piece, so we here at the Museum of Stupidity will gladly provide it:
In the summer of 1992, George Bush was running against Bill Clinton. Bush was running on a "family values" platform (Whatever the fuck that means), and his campaign had already spent several months mercilessly pounding Clinton for what they perceived to be moral lapses - the adultery stories were already flying at that point (Long, long, long before Monica Lewinsky, a story, remember, they claimed wasn't about sex but about lying under oath.)
Article comments
1 - Hal Pawluk
And here I thought he was a raving Democrat all these years.
2 - Shark
Yah, kinda like Chris Matthews.
3 - Hal Pawluk
Could be worse - he could be part of the DLC.
4 - David Flanagan
In 1992, Joe Conasan wrote an article entitled, "1000 Reasons Not To Vote For George Bush." What was the number one reason not to vote for the current President? "He Cheats on his wife."
In 2004, Conasan writes a cover story for Salon entitled, "There he goes again! Matt Drudge and the GOP smear machine are back in the Democrats' pants," in which he writes:
"But the kind of proof usually required by national news organizations isn't what Drudge needs in order to put innuendo into circulation."
Yet the Bush rumor from 1992 was one footnote from a book that had not even been published. Other members of the media, I should mention, were merciless in their attack of the President regarding this footnote, confronting him whenever possible. Yet, some of the same folks, Conasan included, who defended their right to confront Bush on this issue now critisize Drudge for airing the rumor of Kerry's possible affair. Whats the word for that again?
Long story short; Conasan may not be the bastion of media excellence that you make him out to be.
David