RichardBlumenthal

NYT Early to Party ID When GOP's in Trouble - Democrat Labels Often Never Arrive

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:19:00 +0000

The Times let its readers know in the headline and first sentence that politician Mark Kirk, caught exaggerating about his military service, was a Republican. Yet profiles on prominent Democrats in trouble have often lacked party identification entirely.

Clay Waters

Monica Davey in Chicago reported on a controversy over Illinois politician Mark Kirk, the Republican candidate to fill Obama's seat in the U.S. Senate.

Mark S. Kirk, the Republican candidate seeking the United States Senate seat once held by President Obama, has acknowledged that his official biography incorrectly listed a prestigious military award that he never received.
Mr. Kirk, a five-term congressman from the northern suburbs of this city who is also an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserve, conceded the discrepancy on his campaign blog.

NYT's John Harwood Scorched by Scarborough for Blumenthal Defense

admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:01:00 +0000

Times political writer John Harwood may have gotten more than he bargained for in an appearance on Joe Scarborough's MSNBC show Morning Joe when he tried to defend Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal over his fibs over having served in Vietnam, saying only that Blumenthal "got carried away on a story that he usually told in the right away."

Clay Waters

Times political writer and CNBC Washington Editor John Harwood may have gotten more than he bargained for in an appearance on Joe Scarborough's MSNBC show "Morning Joe" when he tried to defend Connecticut Attorney General (and U.S. Senate candidate) Richard Blumenthal over his fibs over having served in Vietnam.

(Hat tip Mark Finkelstein at NewsBusters.)

Public Editor Checks Out Complaints on Blumenthal 'Vietnam' Expose, Concludes: 'The Times Was Right'

admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Clark Hoyt defends the paper's front-page expose on CT Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's fibbing about serving in Vietnam: "In the end, through all the swirling sand the article has kicked up, a clear set of facts remains uncontested: On more than one occasion, Blumenthal said he had served in Vietnam when he had not."

Clay Waters

In his Sunday column, "The Candidate and the War," Times Public Editor Clark Hoyt defended his paper's front-page scoop that has so angered the left last week: Connecticut Attorney General and Democratic candidate for Senate Richard Blumenthal's lies about having fought in Vietnam. His conclusion? The paper's story was flawed but solid and "the Times was right" to give its readers the information.

MSNBC's Ratigan Attacks NYT Over Blumenthal Story, Conn. Dem 'Simply Misspoke'

Fri, 21 May 2010 22:43:00 +0000

Kyle Drennen

In the "Busted" segment at the end of Friday's The Dylan Ratigan Show on MSNBC, host Dylan Ratigan went after the New York Times for "accusing" Connecticut Attorney General and Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal of distorting his military record: "We think the Times should investigate some of its investigative reporting."

NYT Still Late to the 'Party' When It Comes to Identifying Scandal-Plagued Dems

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:49:00 +0000

The Times' didn't mention the Democratic affiliation of controversy-plagued Connecticut Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal until paragraph three of its expose. By contrast, the Times devoted a headline and lead sentence to the news that womanizing Rep. Mark Souder was a Republican.

Clay Waters

With a little help from his Republican rival, the Times broke the story of Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal falsely suggesting over the years to have served in Vietnam. He'd actually racked up several deferments and had only finagled a stateside slot in the Marine Reserve when his last deferment came into jeopardy.

CBS Skips Any Mention of Dem Senate Candidate's Military Scandal, NBC Avoids Party ID

Tue, 18 May 2010 17:13:00 +0000

Scott Whitlock

CBS's Early Show on Tuesday completely ignored the front page New York Times story on Democratic senatorial candidate Richard Blumenthal and his claims to have "served in Vietnam," despite having never done so.