Drudge Report: John Forbes Kerry
Pandagon provides a brief summary of the Drudge Report story on John Forbes Kerry's alleged "infidelity" in the article "Drip Drip Drop, There Goes An Eargasm."
- "Here's the story so far: Matt Drudge accused Kerry of having an affair. He said that other news sources were investigating it (many of those same sources later denied investigating it and/or declared that they'd found nothing that verified the story).
- "Drudge said that Howard Dean and Wesley Kanne Clark were behaving as if the story were true, despite the total absence of Occam's Razor in this case - Dean's attacking Kerry because Kerry's the frontrunner and Dean's entire message is premised on contrasting himself with 'insiders' like Kerry, and Clark just stood up and endorsed Kerry.
- "So far," Pandagon writes, "what we've got is an accusation whose backbone rests on investigative sources that aren't investigating the story, opportunistic rivals whose behavior only makes sense outside of this story being true, and a straight-up Kerry denial on Imus this morning."
Although "Drudge claimed that half a dozen news outlets were investigating the allegations against Mr Kerry, but most of them denied doing so," commented the Times/UK on February 13, 2004. [1]
"It's a story, in the words of Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant, of 'a frenzy about a story that hasn't been written concerning an allegation that hasn't been made.'"[2]
On February 16, 2004, the Associated Press published a statement released by Alexandra Polier, who has been the subject of rumors linking her to Sen. John Kerry, in which she said that the stories were "false" and "lies", therefore she expected the media to ignore them: "Whoever is spreading these rumors and allegations does not know me, but should know the pain they have caused me and my family."
As if it should be any surprise, the neoconservatives have begun to weigh in -- hot on the heels of the likes of Rush Limbaugh and the "Drudge Report" -- against Kerry. Appropriately, on Friday, February 13th (2004), David Frum pens the article (actually, not an article at all but, rather, a "teaser" [pun intended]) named "Bimbo Eruptions." As follows, it is not a story at all ... but definitely filled with lots of "smear" and innuendo. From The Nation.
"The plot thickens! Drudge's little embellishment about who was 'investigating' the story is telling. It's obviously designed to have maximum impact on Kerry, and make it look like the story is about to break in the major papers. ... And, by throwing in all those competing news entities, it puts PRESSURE on any other outlets to start their own reporting, and to break the details FIRST! ... Clever, clever, clever. ... Unfortunately, Drudge has been busted by the British Press! ... This is so Rovian, it's making my hairline recede! (It's not, actually. It's just a clever metaphor)." Blogger "Hesiod", Counterspin, February 13, 2004.
Other References:
- Watchblog: "Rumor: A Kerry Affair and Push Polling," February 6, 2004.
- "Political Ugly Season" by Don Hazen, AlterNet, February 13, 2004.
- Todd Smyth, "Drudge Reports Lame Stink Bomb", BuzzFlash Reader Commentary, February 13, 2004: "With a 200 million dollar stink bomb factory and the dark wizard of misinformation, Karl Rove in charge, we can expect the Republicans to pull a lot worse than this. The smear mongers are regurgitating shades of Clinton in a lame attempt to change the subject from the feeding frenzy over Bush's lying about his Vietnam military service and then covering it up while he was Governor."
- Drudge Report: "Campaign drama rocks democrats: Kerry fights off media probe of recent alleged infidelity, rivals predict ruin," February 12, 2004.
- Joe Conason, "There he goes again! Matt Drudge and the GOP smear machine are back in the Democrats' pants", Salon, February 13, 2004.
- William Bunch, "Kerry sex scandal lurking? Internet report cites suspicions", Philadelphia Daily News, February 13, 2004.
- Michael Sneed, "The Kerry scandal?", Chicago Sun-Times, February 13, 2004.
- Kerry's "Alleged" "Intern" "Affair", Daily Kos, February 13, 2004.
- "Kerry denies allegations of infidelity", Washington Times, February 13, 2004.
- MediaChannel/NewsDissector 13 Feb: "Many major news organizations held back on the 'Kerry had a girlfriend' story but there it was on IMUS on MSNBC this morning discussed as a rumor, which is a way of reporting it by reporting that others are reporting or discussing it. ... The Kerry campaign says GOP dirty tricks against their campaign have begun."
