And this whole thing could be a big pile of nothing. I think the motto is: When the news day is slow, make it up as you go.
More from Drudge's original story ...
"In an off-the-record conversation with a dozen reporters earlier this week, General Wesley Clark plainly stated: "Kerry will implode over an intern issue." [Three reporters in attendance confirm Clark made the startling comments.]"
Then just a short time ago ...
"Source Says Clark Set to Endorse Kerry"
"Clark spokesman Matt Bennett would not confirm the endorsement, but said, "Gen. Clark is looking forward to going to Wisconsin to be with Sen. Kerry" on Friday."
posted by jr at 03:25 P.M. EST on Thu Feb 12, 2004 #
The Kerry rumor was first mentioned at this blog on Feb 6.
"Rumor has it that John Kerry (D) is going to be outed by Time Magazine next week for having an affair with a 20 year old woman who remains unknown. The affair supposedly took place intermittently right up to Kerry's Fall 2002 announcement of candidacy. At present, this is nothing more than a rumor; and after such sordid tactics as the "push polling" that took place in South Carolina in the 2000 elections, can such rumors be credible during campaign cycles? Could this create a Democratic backlash against Republicans for perceived scandalmongering?"
The blog is called Watchblog, and it was developed by Cam Barrett who last fall became an IT member of the Clark campaign.
"Cameron Barrett, one of the first handful of bloggers to popularize the highly personal, diary-style Web site in 1998, is coordinating the Clark Community Network at clark04.com."
Info from:
Wonkette
Instapundit
National Review Online
Naturally, the Photoshop funsters are involved too ...
posted by jr at 01:35 A.M. EST on Fri Feb 13, 2004 #
Recent stories about this topic from http://news.google.com . Mostly UK and Austrailia rags reporting it.
Salon Drudge-envy.
"There he goes again! Matt Drudge and the GOP smear machine are back in the Democrats' pants." [Eewww. No one would want to be there.]
"Is American politics suddenly returning to the bad old days, when Washington journalism became frenzied with sheet sniffing and keyhole peeping? That seems to be the default program of the right-wing media machine whenever Republican poll numbers sink into the red zone."
"Late Thursday morning -- with George W. Bush's credibility damaged on several fronts as reporters demanded answers to questions about his National Guard service that should have been asked years ago -- the Drudge Report defamed his leading Democratic challenger with a "world exclusive" smudge of personal dirt."
Once again, the Kerry rumor was released on Feb 6 by someone other than Drudge. And Bush's Guard service was discussed by the Boston Globe and the New York Times in 2000. Even John Kerry brought it up in October of 2000. Nothing wrong was found then either. This is recycled information. Get something new.
posted by jr at 01:52 A.M. EST on Fri Feb 13, 2004 #
Clinton got elected. INFIDELITY is no big deal anymore...
ANd please, DO NOT EVER post a picture like that again...Sick
posted by scott1868 at 09:32 A.M. EST on Fri Feb 13, 2004 #
Actually, that wasn't the original picture. The owner of the image didn't like tons of people linking directly to it. So the owner played some web games, fouling up other web pages, and now only wants people to see it by going directly to his web page. It's no big deal now. The moment has passed, so I won't link to his page. It's just a hack photo edit of Kerry and Lewinsky posing for the camera. Instapundit.com has a link to the page, but it's sooo yesterday. That replacement image was a bit nasty. I lost my appetite.
posted by jr at 01:08 P.M. EST on Fri Feb 13, 2004 #
Agreed....LOL
posted by scott1868 at 03:20 P.M. EST on Fri Feb 13, 2004 #
If it's true - maybe Edwards will have a chance now.
It has been interesting to watch the candidates with their wives (including the President). In my opinion (& that's all it is) they all pretty much looked like happily married men who actually noticed their wives, from Dean to Bush - but Kerry - it just didn't look right. You always see her turning to him, trying to get his attention etc., but not very often vice versa. It just looked weird to me. Personally I won't mourn the demise of yet another rich insider Skull & Bones political candidate, particularly for an office as high as president.
P.S. If this does hurt Kerry politically - wouldn't that be because at some level we all understand that the 10 commandments ARE God's law and DO apply to all our lives? I mean, there's really no secular law that forbids adultery. It's a Judeo/Christian concept.
posted by edie at 02:57 P.M. EST on Sat Feb 14, 2004 #
Also - it's not just according to Drudge - it's according to the young woman herself who gave a taped interview on this subject, and wants the truth told.
Apparently Kerry encouraged her to leave the country to avoid reporters. Her taped interview indicates she does not want to end up destroyed ala Monica Lewinsky.
Missing in action??? The mainstream press.
posted by edie at 12:16 P.M. EST on Mon Feb 16, 2004 #
I can understand not pushing the story if there are not enough facts to prove it's true. But here's an interesting and possibly disturbing reason why "mainstream" media has given minimal coverage to this story, offered by a Pulitzer Prize winner.
"The Washington Post London correspondent Glenn Frankel, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former editor of the Post's Sunday magazine, defended his newspaper's editorial judgment, which has proved correct. "We've been down this road many, many times before. We are extremely reluctant to follow this kind of thing up unless there is a really, really compelling public interest. We don't feel there is any reason to until it reaches a threshold," he said."
I thought for sure he was going to say unless there is really, really compelling evidence. So is this journalist saying that the amount of public interest is what dictates whether or not a story is pursued? Apparently, facts, being truthful and honest don't matter. If there's enough public interest, regardless of whether it's true or not, then the story will get aired or published. That's what it sounds like Frankel is saying.
posted by jr at 05:26 P.M. EST on Tue Feb 17, 2004 #
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