Kudos to Bill O'Reilly and some others in the right wing press...
Yes, you actually read the headline correctly. Kudos to Bill O'Reilly and some others in the right wing press. I never thought I'd see "kudos" and "right wing press" in the same sentence on my blog, but that's sometimes how life works out. You may have read (or not) that Ed Klein has recently released his "tell-all" biography on the life of one, Hillary Clinton. It's filled with playground gossip, third hand sourcing, and the kind of innuendo that will make Kitty Kelley blush. I refuse on this blog to repeat such garbage that he prints in the book. He has no first hand sources, and he himself has started to back off the more salacious details he prints. Much credit is due to Bill O'Reilly (won't have Klein on his show), Clinton hater Dick Morris (says the book doesn't belong in public dialogue), and others on "that side" of the political aisle have weighed in with their distaste and disgust for the book. The main reason for much of their reluctance in this case is the absolute lack of credible sources. From Yahoo news in response to the claim that Sen. Patrick Moynihan "despised" Hillary:
"The (Sen. Patrick) Moynihan example alone is a case study in journalistic fraud. Klein claims he spent "several hours interviewing Mrs. Moynihan" for the book. Yet Moynihan's daughter Maura reveals in the New York Observer that "my mother hasn't seen Mr. Klein in over 20 years." Klein, Maura Moynihan writes, "puts quotes around statements that were never uttered." Absent invented conversations, Klein's reliance on anonymous sources has raised more than a few eyebrows. USA Today and other mainstream newspapers have refused to print the numerous accounts that can't be independently verified. A Washington Post review notes that Klein "repeats rumors and then footnotes them to a prior author who references the rumors."
This type of thing not only proves he's a shoddy journalist but a liar as well. Unfortunately, there are others on the right who have called it "required reading" (Tony Blankley), and who will have no problem promoting the "book" on their show. I remember a few months back how "up in arms" theses same folks were about Dan Rather and the forged documents. Why are we not seeing the same outrage over these baseless charges? In this instance, they have proved themselves to be complete shills for the right wing. We always knew that though didn't we? These people, in my opinion, are blatant sexists who just can't stand a powerful woman and will go to disgusting lengths to try and discredit her. To close on a positive note though, this increases my respect for someone such as O'Reilly who refuses to give air time to this "yellow" journalist.
We also can't let the publisher off the hook for this libel. Here's their quotes on the the book:
Sentinel, the two-year-old conservative imprint of the Penguin Putnam publishing house that published Klein's book, has stated as its goal: "Just as the Swift Boat Veterans convinced millions of voters that John Kerry lacked the character to be president, Klein's book will influence everyone who is sizing up the character of Hillary Clinton." Similarly, the New York Post reported on April 12 that Sentinel spokesperson Will Weisser "said he hoped that The Truth About Hillary would do to Clinton what the Swift Boat Veterans bestseller did to Kerry. 'That would be our fondest wish,'
'Nuff said.
"The (Sen. Patrick) Moynihan example alone is a case study in journalistic fraud. Klein claims he spent "several hours interviewing Mrs. Moynihan" for the book. Yet Moynihan's daughter Maura reveals in the New York Observer that "my mother hasn't seen Mr. Klein in over 20 years." Klein, Maura Moynihan writes, "puts quotes around statements that were never uttered." Absent invented conversations, Klein's reliance on anonymous sources has raised more than a few eyebrows. USA Today and other mainstream newspapers have refused to print the numerous accounts that can't be independently verified. A Washington Post review notes that Klein "repeats rumors and then footnotes them to a prior author who references the rumors."
This type of thing not only proves he's a shoddy journalist but a liar as well. Unfortunately, there are others on the right who have called it "required reading" (Tony Blankley), and who will have no problem promoting the "book" on their show. I remember a few months back how "up in arms" theses same folks were about Dan Rather and the forged documents. Why are we not seeing the same outrage over these baseless charges? In this instance, they have proved themselves to be complete shills for the right wing. We always knew that though didn't we? These people, in my opinion, are blatant sexists who just can't stand a powerful woman and will go to disgusting lengths to try and discredit her. To close on a positive note though, this increases my respect for someone such as O'Reilly who refuses to give air time to this "yellow" journalist.
We also can't let the publisher off the hook for this libel. Here's their quotes on the the book:
Sentinel, the two-year-old conservative imprint of the Penguin Putnam publishing house that published Klein's book, has stated as its goal: "Just as the Swift Boat Veterans convinced millions of voters that John Kerry lacked the character to be president, Klein's book will influence everyone who is sizing up the character of Hillary Clinton." Similarly, the New York Post reported on April 12 that Sentinel spokesperson Will Weisser "said he hoped that The Truth About Hillary would do to Clinton what the Swift Boat Veterans bestseller did to Kerry. 'That would be our fondest wish,'
'Nuff said.
posted by Big Scott | 11:52 AM
1 Comments:
YES! Anonymous sources and, worse yet, blind sources, are scary and shameful. I agree with you and O'Reilly. I don't like Hilary all that much but personally attacking someone without any evidence to back it up is the work of a coward and an ass-munch. And just like with Kitty Kelly's book, O'Reilly refused to break it down until there was some credulity to it. If, as you say, even Dick Morris bashed the book, then you know it is slanderous filth. Read his book, "Rewriting History" if you want first hand accounts of who Hilary is.
O'Reilly is more fair and balanced than those on the left (and even many on the right) think he is. He says what he believes and he gives people the benfit of the doubt and gives most a fair chance to defend themselves (although most - Kerry, Raines, ACLU chairman, et al) are too cowardly to appear.
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