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Possible Kerry Affair With 23-year-old Intern (pg. 4)
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| DaveSZ |
| quote: | Originally posted by arctic
The man got his pen0r sucked. Quite frankly I think that's a point in his favour rather a reason not to vote for him. :p |
Exactly. :)
You glossed over this part:
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AMERICA'S "trash trawling" presidential election campaign shows no sign of abating after a conservative internet website made unsubstantiated claims that a personal scandal had "rocked" the campaign of Democrat frontrunner Senator John Kerry.
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But who needs journalistic integrity anyways? :D |
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| DaveSZ |
http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/02/13/drudge/
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There he goes again!
Matt Drudge and the GOP smear machine are back in the Democrats' pants.
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By Joe Conason
Feb. 13, 2004 | 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.
Vague and unsourced but hyped to the maximum by Drudge, the brief item sounded disturbingly familiar. The Internet gossip accused John Kerry of "recent alleged infidelity" with "a woman who recently fled the country," adding that a "close friend of the woman recently approached a reporter with fantastic stories." The same item ran an "off the record" comment attributed to retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who was quoted as saying, "Kerry will implode over an intern issue." Major news organizations from ABC News to the Associated Press, warned Drudge, were all over the story.
By evening, however, no major news organization had run with it, though many were chasing it. Perhaps frustrated, Drudge put up an additional item eight hours later, with a few more details about the alleged relationship. "Unlike the Monica Lewinsky drama, which first played out publicly in this space, with audio tapes, cigar and a dress, the Kerry situation has posed a challenge to reporters investigating the claims," his later item explained. Drudge also quoted a "top source" as saying: "There is no lawsuit testimony this time [like Clinton with Paula Jones]. It is hard to prove."
But the kind of proof usually required by national news organizations isn't what Drudge needs in order to put innuendo into circulation.
Somewhat conveniently, Drudge had earlier posted an item that blamed the sudden smudging on a disgruntled Democratic consultant named Chris Lehane, who had been fired by Kerry before going to work as a communications aide to Clark. That second item was later taken down without explanation. By then, of course, this Drudge-drama was already "rocking" Democrats -- and delighting Republicans -- across the nation, at least according to Drudge.
The template was pure Monica: Intern has affair with married politician, is betrayed by a "close friend," and finally exposed by the pliant Drudge.
So far, however, the mainstream media has yet to touch the Drudge item, despite heavy promotion by Rush Limbaugh and the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal Web site. Whoever lit this match must have been disappointed when the story that smoldered in newsrooms during the afternoon failed to blaze into a firestorm by early evening. The only exception, so far, is a daily newspaper in Scotland.
(Kerry refuted Drudge on "Imus in the Morning" today, as Don Imus pointed out people were talking about the allegations Drudge was spreading, but no news organizations were actually reporting on them. "Well, there is nothing to report. So there is nothing to talk about. I'm not worried about it. The answer is no," Kerry said.)
Over the years, Kerry's private life has generated its share of gossip. He was a divorced, socially active single man for several years before he remarried. No woman has so far stepped forward to embarrass him in any way -- and the only published report even remotely hinting at marital infidelity is a 6-year-old unfounded clipping from the Boston Herald. Sources in the Kerry camp insist that the Drudge story has no foundation, although they have been predicting since Bush's numbers began to drop that the White House would soon dump its opposition research on their candidate. It may also be worth noting that the Massachusetts senator underwent surgery and radiation treatment last year for prostate cancer.
Was the Drudge item a late hit by an angry Democrat seeking revenge, or a plant by desperate Republicans hoping to distract attention from the president's problems? Lacking proof, the most pertinent questions are the standards of forensic inquiry: Cui bono (who benefits)? And who had the motive, method and opportunity?
Drudge's allegations set off a chain of speculation. Certainly some Democrats wondered if the evidence-free item came from Lehane, who declined public comment this afternoon. Lehane has a reputation as an often rough operator, and that may provide a pretext for Drudge to smear him, too. Following Lehane's dismissal from the Kerry campaign some months ago, the tone of his remarks about his former employer occasionally sounded vengeful. If Clark actually uttered the nasty remark as quoted by Drudge, the general might have heard such rumors from his sharp-edged consultant. But then if Clark believed Kerry was about to "implode," he might not have dropped out of the primary race -- or decided to endorse the Massachusetts senator, as he is expected to do on Friday.
A source close to Lehane vehemently denied to me that Lehane had peddled any rumors about Kerry -- and turned attention back toward the White House as Drudge's likely source. "My assessment is that this is not merely a serendipitous event," he said.
The Drudge item blaming Lehane quoted Craig Crawford, a former Democratic operative who now works as a consultant and columnist for MSNBC. Within 10 minutes after Drudge posted the Kerry intern item, Crawford sent a memo to his superiors that said the story was "something Chris Lehane (clark press secy) has shopped around for a long time." According to Crawford, someone at MSNBC promptly leaked his memo to Drudge. But when Lehane called Crawford with a loudly indignant denial, the MSNBC columnist quickly issued a public retraction. He said:
"The comments attributed to me are from a private email to television news associates based on conversations with Democratic campaign operatives. I did not consider any of it confirmed enough to report or publish. I can only verify that Chris Lehane's rivals in other Democratic campaigns made these claims and I have found no independent source to confirm it. Which is why we did not go with the story. But then someone sent my email to others, which is the only reason it got into the public domain." In other words, there is no proof that Lehane circulated the rumor, let alone that the rumor has any basis in reality.
Once again, Drudge has raised questions -- but they may not be the ones he seeks to raise. The first is about journalistic standards. The second is the identity of his anonymous sources.
Journalists must ask themselves why the rumor of a private peccadillo deserves their attention and resources in the 2004 campaign. The press faces a more important issue: learning from its own failure to report the false rationale and abused intelligence that drove the nation to war.
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The media was to a large extent a complacent partner in beating the war drums, so I'd imagine they would want to be more careful now. |
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| rizen |
| quote: | Originally posted by priveye03
Of course Dean said that Edwards is a better canidate then Kerry. He knows Kerry is his biggest rival, of course he will try to swing the undecided votes away from Kerry. If he would have done anything else, I would have been very suprised. |
True, but I've never liked Kerry in the first place :) |
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| Yoepus |
| quote: | Originally posted by DaveSZ
... journalistic integrity ... |
Isn't that an oxymoron? |
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| imokruok |
CNN just covered the story in the context of Bill Clinton. Noting that Kerry's denial this morning was complete, if this story is true, he may have a minor problem on his hands.
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Pic of 'JFK' sex storm girl
By BRIAN FLYNN
in New York
THIS is the girl at the centre of a sex scandal that threatens Democratic front-runner John Kerry’s run for the White House.
Presidential hopeful Kerry, dubbed the new JFK, has denied claims he had a two-year fling with brunette Alex Polier. Alex, 27, was a cross-country runner and in the world affairs club at her Philadelphia school.
One source said: “She was attractive, intelligent and one of the leaders in her year.”
She went on to graduate from Columbia University, New York, and met Kerry, 60, as she began a career as a freelance journalist.
But a probe was under way yesterday into allegations that twice-wed Kerry seduced her after inviting her to join his campaign team in spring 2001.
There is no evidence to support the claims. Dad-of-two Kerry was set to seal the nomination to take on George Bush in the November election when the allegations surfaced.
Alex, who is in Africa with her fiancé Yaron Schwartzman, refused to comment.
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| DaveSZ |
I have not seen anything on CNN about this matter at all.
This is just an attempt to distract people from the real issues. |
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| DaveSZ |
| quote: | Originally posted by imokruok
CNN just covered the story in the context of Bill Clinton. Noting that Kerry's denial this morning was complete, if this story is true, he may have a minor problem on his hands. |
Since you didn't post the source I had to find it myself. :rolleyes:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,...071781,,00.html
The Sun = UK equivalent of the National Enquirer.
:haha:
:)
There's no mention about this on cnn.com. |
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| imokruok |
| Sorry...my bad. You could find the source from the properties of the pic. The CNN story was on Aaron Brown tonight, so if the transcript's out, it will be there. |
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| Shakka |
| *Schwing!*:stongue: |
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| DaveSZ |
Ok I saw the Aaron Brown coverage now.
Basically they are reporting about whether or not they should be reporting about these kinds of rumors in the mainstream media, and what kind of relevance they have in a campaign.
Well it was about time the right fired back I'd say, and if Kerry is going to win, he has prove himself and beat the smear machine.
Clinton had a woman actually come out and call him a liar about sexual relations before the election of 1992, and he still won because the real issues like jobs were still more important.
I think exaggerating intelligence claims that has resulted in the deaths of 530 American soldiers and chaos in Iraq is more significant that whom someone has slept with no? Even Right-Wingers like David Brooks and O'Reiley have come out to say they think the Administration exaggerated pre-war intelligence.
Just for the record, I'm not fond of negative personal attacks in election campaigns, and I didn't like it when the chairman of the DNC made those personal attacks against Bush. The "AWOL" story, and whom someone got a blowjob from don't even register on the radar for me in terms of importance.
I wish we could have a campaign on the real issues, but that will never happen. :) |
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| DaveSZ |
as reported on foxnews.com:
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Woman Denies Affair With Kerry
Monday, February 16, 2004
NAIROBI, Kenya — A woman who has been the subject of rumors linking her to Sen. John Kerry (search) denied Monday that she ever had an affair with the Democratic presidential candidate.
Breaking her silence four days after the allegations surfaced on the Internet, Alexandra Polier issued a statement to The Associated Press, saying, "I have never had a relationship with Senator Kerry, and the rumors in the press are completely false."
Click here to read the statements from Alexandra Polier and her family.
Kerry already has denied reports that he had an extramarital affair. On Monday, his campaign said he would have no further comment.
Polier's statement was released to the AP in Nairobi, where the 27-year-old freelance journalist is visiting the parents of her fiance, Yaron Schwartzman, an Israeli who was raised in Kenya. She previously worked as an editorial assistant for the AP in New York.
"Whoever is spreading these rumors and allegations does not know me," Polier said, appealing to the media to respect her privacy and the privacy of her fiance and his family.
Polier also took issue with reports that referred to her as a former Kerry intern.
"I never interned or worked for John Kerry," she told AP over the phone.
In a separate statement, Polier's parents, Terry and Donna Polier of Malvern, Pa., dismissed the "completely false and unsubstantiated" allegations about their daughter.
"We love and support her 100 percent and these unfounded rumors are hurtful to our entire family," the statement said. "We appreciate the way Senator Kerry has handled the situation, and intend on voting for him for president of the United States."
The statement did not address purported quotes by Polier's parents in the British tabloid The Sun that were harshly critical of Kerry.
Kerry has won 14 of 16 Democratic primaries and caucuses, and is expected to be the Democratic challenger to President Bush in November.
Rumors of a relationship between Kerry and Polier first appeared Thursday on the Internet and were picked up by newspapers in several countries outside the United States. Few U.S. publications printed her name, however.
Asked Friday about the reports, Kerry told reporters: "I just deny it categorically. It's rumor. It's untrue. And that's the last time I intend" to respond to questions about it.
Regarding her silence until now, Polier said, "Because these stories were false, I assumed the media would ignore them. It seems that efforts to peddle these lies continue, so I feel compelled to address them."
By Monday, reporters and photographers were camped outside the Schwartzmans' Nairobi home, and at one point pursued the car of Yaron's mother, Hannah Schwartzman, as she left the walled compound.
Polier and Yaron Schwartzman met at Columbia University. They arrived in Kenya last October.
Polier graduated from Clark University in Worcester, Mass., in 1999. She received her master's in journalism from Columbia in 2003.
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The parents who supposedly called him a "sleezeball" are voting for him.:toothless :stongue: :stongue: |
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