Monday, February 07, 2005

Protecting one of their own?

David Gergen, former advisor to both Pres. George H. W. Bush and (argh!) Clinton, was the moderator of the panel in Davos that included Barney Frank and Eason Jordan. Thus, he had a birdseye (and -ear) view of Jordan sticking his foot deep in his mouth by alleging US troops targeted journalists. Gergen told Michelle Malkin that "Eason Jordan did in fact initially assert that journalists in Iraq had been targeted by military 'on both sides.'" Jordan then tried to "walk himself back" but never fully refuted his own statement.

But the MSM has known about this for quite some time, and has spiked the story to save Jordan's skin. Malkin's report notes:

Gergen says he has been contacted by four mainstream media outlets, including the Washington Post, about the controversy. He noted that the Post was going to run a story last week but did not.

More evidence of spiking the story? Check out the Howard Kurtz (from the Washington Post, also the moderator of CNN's Reliable Sources program) online chat session today, and this report from Will Collier:

Washington Post reporter and CNN host Howard Kurtz just finished an hour-long online chat. Over the course of that hour, Kurtz poo-pooed suggestions that the press has softpedaled UNSCAM, opined on the propriety of Martha Stewart appearing on NBC, and took no less than ten (out of 19) questions about "Deep Throat," a possibly-fictional figure from a 31-year-old scandal.

The name "Eason Jordan" was never mentioned. Nor the words "Davos" or "Barney Frank" or "deliberately targeting journalists." This despite the fact that high-traffic bloggers like Jim Geraghty and Hugh Hewitt prominently linked to Kurtz's chat from the time it started at noon Eastern.

Anybody here believe that Kurtz didn't receive a single question about Easongate today? I sure don't--I sent half a dozen of them myself.


Sounds like the MSM is covering for one of its own.

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