And Spitzer is a what...?

[Marty McFly]

I was already at home when the Spitzer mess came out late Monday. While watching the national news, I never heard a mention of Spitzer's party affiliation. Now mind you, I don't care one way or the other what party he's connected with... but what I DO care about is how fairly the press treats politicians under scrutiny.

Larry Craig? REPUBLICAN!
Eliot Spitzer? New York's Governor...

When we hear accusations of the press being 'liberal' and 'biased,' the first thing we should do is ask ourselves if the accusations have any merit rather than quickly dismiss and deny them.

In my opinion, of course...

'Straight Arrow' Governor 'Eliot Ness' Spitzer (?-NY)
Incredibly, in lead stories Monday night about New York Governor Eliot Spitzer being linked to a prostitution ring, neither ABC's World News nor the NBC Nightly News verbally identified Spitzer's political party. Must mean he's a liberal Democrat -- and he is. CBS anchor Katie Couric, however, managed to squeeze in a mention of his party. Last August when news of Larry Craig's arrest broke, both ABC and NBC stressed his GOP affiliation.

On ABC, the only hints as to Spitzer's party were a few seconds of video of Spitzer beside Hillary Clinton as they walked down some steps and a (D) on screen by Spitzer's name over part of one soundbite. NBC didn't even do that.

While ABC and NBC failed to cite Spitzer's political affiliation in the four minutes or so each network dedicated to the revelations, both managed to find time to applaud his reputation and effectiveness as the Empire State's Attorney General before becoming Governor. ....

[rootboyslim]

I'm not really surprised.

[LENSCRAFTER]

Didn't surprise me either. I had to do a google search to make sure... And don't forget... when it happens again to a Republican (and it will) it will be "ANOTHER REPUBLICAN..."

[Spike]

That's interesting. I was listening to NPR this morning, which is often alleged to be as liberal as you can get, and they mentioned his party affiliation repeatedly.

[LENSCRAFTER]

I listen to NPR and am a contributor to the local station... but I was listening to All Things Considered yesterday afternoon. If they mentioned it then I missed it.

[Marty McFly]

That's interesting. I was listening to NPR this morning, which is often alleged to be as liberal as you can get, and they mentioned his party affiliation repeatedly.

It is interesting. I said I was WATCHING the national news and didn't hear it. Do you WATCH NPR?

[Rambunctious]

I'm not sure if this is a conscious effort on the news media to be biased or them just always looking for more shock value to add to a story.

A Democrat doing something morally questionable involving sex or drugs is not that shocking. Sad but true.

A Republican getting caught breaking the law in a lifestyle the party pretty much condemns is shocking.

This being the case, however, I feel like the news media should everyday, every decision, work towards being balanced whether it adds "sexy" to the story or not. A simple policy of always identifying a politician by the office they hold and their party affiliation would be a step in the right direction.

[Sigonfile]

If his wife complained...does that make it a "whine spitzer"?

[Spike]

It is interesting. I said I was WATCHING the national news and didn't hear it. Do you WATCH NPR?

I wasn't contradicting you. I was just expanding the discussion. I thought it was interesting that NPR has a reputation for doing what the tv nets are apparently doing, and yet when I listened to them they didn't do that. They repeatedly referred to him as "Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer."

For Lenscrafter, this was during the 7:00 hour this morning. Different show, different producers from All Things Considered, so perhaps a different mindset as well.

[buckpasser]

This is another round of right wing crybaby horsesh*t.


Marty, you pasted an article...AND DIDN'T SOURCE IT!!!

I googled the article, and found it came from the following source:

"NEWSBUSTERS: EXPOSING AND COMBATING LIBERAL BIAS" Article writen by Brent Baker.

He's claiming two out of three mentioned Spitzer's party affliation, while two out of three mentioned Craig's party affliation. It's just that one of the networks CGed his name over a bite, which doesn't count as much as an audio track. Wow. Way to totally, like, expose. The third network mentions it graphically, thus proving bias. M-kay...No wonder you don't source the article.

Marty copies-and-pastes a Newsbusters article, physically removes the source from the cut-and-paste, tells us he doesn't care, "one way or the other" about party affiliation, and I'm supposed to believe him?

This reminds me of Produce Man's Email. The one from his "friend" which concluded liberals are bad. And how Produce never sourced it originally? Remember? It must have been, what...two months ago?

I'm noticing a pattern of right wing source bias on Medialine. Oh whaa. Oh whaa. Oh friggin' whaa.

[Tippster]

Eliot Spitzer is ... a hypocrite.

[Marty McFly]

Thanks for the clarification Spike. :cheers:

Bucky, bucky, bucky...

This is another round of right wing crybaby horsesh*t.

It is?!

Marty, you pasted an article...AND DIDN'T SOURCE IT!!!

While trying to underline and make bold the parts I felt important, I ended up linking the entire text and went back to remove it... and away went the original link. It was an ERROR on my part.

Marty copies-and-pastes a Newsbusters article, physically removes the source from the cut-and-paste, tells us he doesn't care, "one way or the other" about party affiliation, and I'm supposed to believe him?

No, you can believe what you like. Likewise, you can tell me what to believe as well. :rolleyes:

[CKMD]

Sorry, Marty, but I heard it on ABC and saw it on a CG.

[Produce man]

That's interesting. I was listening to NPR this morning, which is often alleged to be as liberal as you can get, and they mentioned his party affiliation repeatedly.So now 2 dozen other people know. It's no surprise, really. It's just another example of liberal bias in the media.

[Diplomat]

Spitzer is a man who has hurt his family and seems to have no shame about it.

[Kace]

I remember not only hearing he was a Democrat, but a superdelegate that supported Hillary Clinton.

[Marty McFly]

Once again... during the nightly news after the story broke, I never heard a mention of Spitzer's party affiliation.

The next day? Sure, it was out there.

But it took it a DAY.

The story I pasted (and failed to link to) was a short article on the failure of the press to show Spitzer's party when in the past that hasn't been the case.

[Kace]

Once again... during the nightly news after the story broke, I never heard a mention of Spitzer's party affiliation.


In fairness, does it really matter? I mean, unless prostitution is a Democrat or Republican priority or something...

[Marty McFly]

It seemed to matter when it was Larry Craig.

[CKMD]

Once again... during the nightly news after the story broke, I never heard a mention of Spitzer's party affiliation.

The next day? Sure, it was out there.

But it took it a DAY.

The story I pasted (and failed to link to) was a short article on the failure of the press to show Spitzer's party when in the past that hasn't been the case.

And I heard Charlie Gibson say it and it was on his CG the day the story broke.

[!]

I remember not only hearing he was a Democrat, but a superdelegate that supported Hillary Clinton.

Agreed.

It seems as if some people wouldn't be satisfied unless the stories said, "In a revelation that proves Democrats can be as bad as Republicans..."

[Kace]

It seemed to matter when it was Larry Craig.

Larry was spending thousands of dollars on female prostitutes? Wow, I guess he isn't gay after all.

[s'news]

Curiously -- and I'm nothing but serious about this -- I was listening to Hannity on the radio yesterday and didn't hear that Spitzer was a Democrat. Somehow, from the tone of the coverage, I gathered that he was.

[CKMD]

Somehow, from the tone of the coverage, I gathered that he was.

LOL!!! Very nice, S'news!

[Clever Login Name]

Another chance to play Name That Party! Those layers and layers of fact-checkers and editors in the MSM apparently couldn't dig up Mr. Kilpatrick's political affiliation:


Detroit mayor charged with perjury By COREY WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer
22 minutes ago



DETROIT - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a one-time rising star and Detroit's youngest elected leader, was charged Monday with perjury and other counts after sexually explicit text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide.

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Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged the popular yet polarizing 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. Kilpatrick, who was to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, could face up to 15 years in prison and be expelled from office if convicted.

"Some have suggested that the issues in this case are personal or private," Worthy said. "Our investigation has clearly shown that public dollars were used, people's lives were ruined, the justice system severely mocked and the public trust trampled on. ... This case is about as far from being a private matter as one can get."

Speaking several hours later, Kilpatrick said he expects to be cleared.

"I look forward to complete exoneration once all the facts have been brought forth," Kilpatrick said. "I will remain focused on moving this city forward."

Former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, 37, who also denied under oath that she and Kilpatrick had a romantic relationship in 2002 and 2003, was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice. A message seeking comment from Beatty's attorney, Jeffrey Morganroth, was not returned.

The charges could signal the end of Kilpatrick's six-year career as mayor of one of America's largest cities. Calls for his resignation have surfaced since late January and the Detroit City Council asked him to step down last week.

Worthy began her investigation the day after the Free Press published excerpts of the embarrassing text messages in late January. The messages called into question testimony Kilpatrick and Beatty gave in a lawsuit filed by two police officers who alleged they were fired for investigating claims that the mayor used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs.

In court, Kilpatrick and Beatty denied having an intimate relationship, but the text messages reveal that they carried on a flirty, sometimes sexually explicit dialogue about where to meet and how to conceal their trysts.

Kilpatrick is married with three children. Beatty was married at the time and has two children.

The city agreed to pay $8.4 million to the two officers and a third former officer who filed a separate lawsuit. Documents released last month showed Kilpatrick agreed to the settlement in an effort to keep the text messages from becoming public.

The text messages published by the Free Press revealed a romantic discourse.

"I'm madly in love with you," Kilpatrick wrote on Oct. 3, 2002.

"I hope you feel that way for a long time," Beatty replied. "In case you haven't noticed, I am madly in love with you, too!"

Worthy filed eight counts against Kilpatrick and seven against Beatty.

Perjury is a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. A felony conviction would mean Kilpatrick's immediate expulsion from office under the Detroit City Charter.

Kilpatrick faces charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, misconduct in office, perjury in a court proceeding and two counts of perjury other than in a court proceeding.

Beatty is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury in a court proceeding and two counts of perjury other than in a court proceeding.

For Beatty, who attended high school with Kilpatrick and managed his campaigns for Michigan's state House and the mayor's office, the scandal forced her to resign.

City lawyers and Kilpatrick's attorneys waged a futile legal battle to keep documents related to the lawsuit settlement and text messages from public eyes.

Calls for his resignation surfaced in late January from some city union leaders and Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox repeated that call.

[NYC Street]

The word moron springs to mind.

Their party affiliation seems far less, though not ir-relevant.

[The Mockingbird]

Spitzer is an orbiter.

[Produce man]

Spitzer played a young fighter pilot on the hit show "Battlestar Galactica" starring Lorne Greene.