Comments on: What’s The Verdict In The John McCain Versus The New York Times Controversy? http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:54:43 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Macan http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-148618 Macan Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:50:47 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-148618 GeorgeSorwell said: "And as I said, sometime the real scandal is what's legal."<br><br>Alas, you are absolutely right! GeorgeSorwell said: “And as I said, sometime the real scandal is what's legal.”

Alas, you are absolutely right!

]]> By: GeorgeSorwell http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-148617 GeorgeSorwell Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:23:47 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-148617 Macan--<br><br>While you're right that all politicians have connections to lobbyists, the particular lobbyist in this story certainly had unusually good access to McCain. Giving her that kind of access was a big favor to her.<br><br>And as I said, sometime the real scandal is what's legal. Macan–

While you're right that all politicians have connections to lobbyists, the particular lobbyist in this story certainly had unusually good access to McCain. Giving her that kind of access was a big favor to her.

And as I said, sometime the real scandal is what's legal.

]]> By: Macan http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-148616 Macan Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:22:52 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-148616 GeorgeSorwell, everyone in Washington has some connection with lobbyists. Look at Reid's children, for example, lobbying him in the Senate for special interests back home. Talk about "unusually good access", no?<br><br>The "scandal" with the original NYT story was their leading a sleeper about a lobbyist with a teaser alleging extramarital hanky-panky with no substantiation other than an anonymous disgruntled staffer. Worse, the NYT immediately backed away from what they and everyone knew made it a hot story, and piously declared the lobbyist part the core of the story. <br><br>It is like the legal gambit of withdrawing leading questions:<br>"So, Mr. McTavish, are you still having sex with goats?<br>"I object...<br>"I withdraw the question your Honor. Now, members of the jury, you should consider...."<br><br>This would be unacceptable in a court of law. And the NYT's hit piece was clearly unacceptable in the court of public opinion. GeorgeSorwell, everyone in Washington has some connection with lobbyists. Look at Reid's children, for example, lobbying him in the Senate for special interests back home. Talk about “unusually good access”, no?

The “scandal” with the original NYT story was their leading a sleeper about a lobbyist with a teaser alleging extramarital hanky-panky with no substantiation other than an anonymous disgruntled staffer. Worse, the NYT immediately backed away from what they and everyone knew made it a hot story, and piously declared the lobbyist part the core of the story.

It is like the legal gambit of withdrawing leading questions:
“So, Mr. McTavish, are you still having sex with goats?
“I object…
“I withdraw the question your Honor. Now, members of the jury, you should consider….”

This would be unacceptable in a court of law. And the NYT's hit piece was clearly unacceptable in the court of public opinion.

]]> By: Dave_Schuler http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-148615 Dave_Schuler Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:26:02 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-148615 I don't think it's just “getting the scoop”, Joe. Sometimes I think it's “filling the space”. So far there hasn't been a lot of real news in the primary season, at least not on the Republican side and the Times has a lot of space to fill. I don't think it's just “getting the scoop”, Joe. Sometimes I think it's “filling the space”. So far there hasn't been a lot of real news in the primary season, at least not on the Republican side and the Times has a lot of space to fill.

]]> By: newyork http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-110824 newyork Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:01:55 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-110824 [...] and does not ...ADR Report-ADRs flat as miners overshadow pharmaceuticals Reuterswww.reuters.comWhat??s The Verdict In The John McCain Versus The New York Times Controversy? It had all the elements of high drama: a major newspaper the New York Times running an expose [...] [...] and does not …ADR Report-ADRs flat as miners overshadow pharmaceuticals Reuterswww.reuters.comWhat??s The Verdict In The John McCain Versus The New York Times Controversy? It had all the elements of high drama: a major newspaper the New York Times running an expose [...]

]]> By: University Update - Northwestern University - What’s The Verdict In The John McCain Versus The New York Times Controversy? http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-110823 University Update - Northwestern University - What’s The Verdict In The John McCain Versus The New York Times Controversy? Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:46:33 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-110823 [...] of Wisconsin What’s The Verdict In The John McCain Versus The New York Times Controversy? » This Summary is from an article posted at The Moderate Voice - Domestic and international news [...] [...] of Wisconsin What’s The Verdict In The John McCain Versus The New York Times Controversy? » This Summary is from an article posted at The Moderate Voice – Domestic and international news [...]

]]> By: GeorgeSorwell http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-148614 GeorgeSorwell Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:34:54 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-148614 Is it really a good idea for John McCain to let lobbyists ride on his bus? <br><br>Doesn't that lobbyist have unusually good access to McCain? <br><br>Wouldn't you hire that lobbyist if you wanted to have influence on McCain?<br><br>The favor McCain did for that lobbyist was to let her ride his bus--to let her have such good access. <br><br>Sometimes the real scandal is what's <b>legal</b>. Is it really a good idea for John McCain to let lobbyists ride on his bus?

Doesn't that lobbyist have unusually good access to McCain?

Wouldn't you hire that lobbyist if you wanted to have influence on McCain?

The favor McCain did for that lobbyist was to let her ride his bus–to let her have such good access.

Sometimes the real scandal is what's legal.

]]> By: Macan http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-148613 Macan Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:01:28 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-148613 Does Joe have a crystal ball? Another, very bizarre, hit on McCain from today's NYT:<br><br>"McCain’s Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries About Whether That Rules Him Out"<br><br>Read the whole thing...the slippery journalistic prose: "given mounting interest"<br>"Mounting interest" on whose part? Who even knew? Like that old tried and true journalist's line - "People are asking..." with "people" being the reporter and his/her editor.<br><br>Is the NYT trying to rally conservatives to McCain? How much lower can its stock sink? Does Joe have a crystal ball? Another, very bizarre, hit on McCain from today's NYT:

“McCain’s Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries About Whether That Rules Him Out”

Read the whole thing…the slippery journalistic prose: “given mounting interest”
“Mounting interest” on whose part? Who even knew? Like that old tried and true journalist's line – “People are asking…” with “people” being the reporter and his/her editor.

Is the NYT trying to rally conservatives to McCain? How much lower can its stock sink?

]]> By: Macan http://themoderatevoice.com/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/comment-page-1/#comment-148612 Macan Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:09:33 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/media/newspapers/18077/whats-the-verdict-in-the-john-mccain-versus-the-new-york-times-controversy/#comment-148612 This was a fascinating moment...almost unique...for the bipartisan nature of the condemnation levelled at the NYT.<br><br>Keller seemed particularly stunned by this; expecting the usual suspects on the Right to hammer him, but not fellow travellers on the Left.<br><br>I noted many bloggers on the left, to their great credit ("Big Tent Democrat" comes to mind) declaring this must be condemned as a matter of principle, regardless of the nastiness of GOP behaviour in the Clinton affair.<br><br>Incredible to see partisans putting partisanship aside. This was a fascinating moment…almost unique…for the bipartisan nature of the condemnation levelled at the NYT.

Keller seemed particularly stunned by this; expecting the usual suspects on the Right to hammer him, but not fellow travellers on the Left.

I noted many bloggers on the left, to their great credit (”Big Tent Democrat” comes to mind) declaring this must be condemned as a matter of principle, regardless of the nastiness of GOP behaviour in the Clinton affair.

Incredible to see partisans putting partisanship aside.

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