'Kerry intern' tells of rumour mill trauma

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040602/ts_alt_afp/us_politics_kerry_intern&cid=1506&ncid=2043

NEW YORK (AFP) - The former journalist wrongly accused of having an affair with presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) has described how the media frenzy whipped up by the rumour left her feeling like a victim in a zombie movie.

In the latest issue of New York magazine, Alexandra Polier recounts how she was at a dinner party in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi with her fiance when she first received a phone call warning her that the affair allegation had surfaced on the Internet-based news service, the Drudge Report. snip

The Drudge Report posting was picked up by the Sun newspaper in Britain and, within days, Polier's residence in Nairobi was under siege from other members of the British press as well as the American TV networks.


"It was like a horror movie where the zombies are on the other side of the door and then an arm comes through the window," she said.


Polier went on to describe how her hotmail account was hacked, her parents harassed, a faked naked picture with her face appeared on the Internet, and she was introduced at a lunch party as "Nairobi's most notorious resident."

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[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Here's the link to the NY mag article..long but a MUST READ

http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/politics/national/features/9221/index.html

[comsymp]

10. It's an amazing story- compelling

Couple things, tho:

No big surprise to see the Bugman's name come up in that sordid mess,

and

I particularly like her taste in email passwords...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. That and the part where she was tempted to take the 60K for a recent pic

but she does a very good job of revealing all the scums at various points in this story.

(But I really only responded to this post to say "HEY" to you :hi: )

[comsymp]

12. And that's why I posted, too!

Although it IS a fascinating story.

I'd love to attend a reunion of all the women who've been treated as collateral damage in political attacks by the Right, wouldn't you? Talk about profiles in courage!

[jobycom]

2. No one individual?

"Polier concluded that no one individual had engineered the story, but rather it had started as gossip which was picked up by a web blogger and then taken on by other journalists."

I think she has concluded wrongly.

[UpInArms]

3. the MO of the rightwing smear machine?

Polier concluded that no one individual had engineered the story, but rather it had started as gossip which was picked up by a web blogger and then taken on by other journalists.

no one person's "fingerprints", but the work of many hands :shrug:

[struggle4progress]

4. Sue Drudge, Alex!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. The RNC(Rove) started this smear.

[Bandit]

8. There is the story of Carl Rove getting caught with a dog

It was stated as fact by more people than reported on this rumor. :shrug: Drudge won't report that story though now will he?

[0007]

13. Was the "dog" Linda Tripp?

[Bandit]

21. She helped get the dog ready for him

:evilgrin:

[banana republican]

22. Woof

[LynzM]

6. Wow.

Long but definitely worth the read, is right. Geez. A whisper becomes a rumor becomes a story... scary, that.

[truthspeaker]

7. yep, scary!

by the way, Ann Coulter is a man.

[Dhalgren]

15. Wow! I've read on several blogs now

that Ann Coulter is a man - so it must be true. Her birth name is Andrew Coulter and she/he was a starting guard on her/his high school basketball team. Before it was removed, her penis was larger than Rush's.

[glitch]

9. zombie attack is the right metaphor nt

[CBHagman]

14. I remember the gloating when the Drudge piece came out...

...people ASSURING me that Kerry was dropping out of the race and all that. Nasty tone.

The article fleshes things out a bit and really makes me wish that there's a hell for people who start these kinds of rumor mills.

[Tellurian]

16. The education of Alex Polier is right!

She should have just hired an attorney and sued the lot of them!
Especially where she was innocent of the smear.

Celebs have the 'smear' thingamajig down pat..
Sue the reckless tabloids and reporters,
making them pay for the luxury of smearing.

[Chomskyite]

25. Can't sue Drudge . . .

. . . unless you're a multi-millionaire. Remember Sidney Blumenthal? Drudge said he was a wifebeater and so Sidney sued him. Richard Mellon Scaife promptly bankrolled Drudge's defense. So it was Blumenthal, a journalist, against Scaife, a tycoon. So in the end there was a settlement that left Drudge crowing.

[Tellurian]

27. Good point... nt

[NNN0LHI]

29. Perhaps so

But it sure would be nice if people would stop posting his insane ramblings here at DU.

Don

[jeff5]

17. I Was Impressed

with the lady, and disappointed that Wesley Clark's people had as much involvement as they did. Lowers my opinion of him a notch or two...

[Claire Beth]

18. There is no evidence that Clark or his people

were involved in this ridiculous story. Just because someone said Clark said...Someone may have taken something Clark said out of context, too! GEEZ... I don't believe for a minute that Clark would have any part of such crap. This story has Karl Rove and the neo-cons written all over it.

[jeff5]

20. According to the New Yorker story

Chris Lehane was "shopping the rumor" early on, and it may have been started originally by Cameron Barrett, also with the Clark campaign.

I too thought better of the General :(

[Justice]

26. This Was Rehashed and Rehashed as recently as yesterday

I recall all the threads were locked due to people being ridiculous.

Bottom line - Clark had nothing to do with starting or spreading a rumor about this. There are several witnesses who were present at Clark's supposed statements who say - he never said anything.

There is no evidence that Lehane said anything. There is no evidence Cameron said anything.

Stop this nonsense.

[NNN0LHI]

28. Some people just can't help them selves

It really is pathetic when you think about it.

Don

[NNN0LHI]

19. Remember some DUers running around here damn near orgasmic over this?

Pathetic.

Don

[JayS]

23. I thought the orgasmic part was over...

...that picture of her; she is a bit on the purty side. :)

I do wish they would leave the young lady alone. She is just working there, not running for office.

[VolcanoJen]

24. Alex is my new heroine.

That NY Mag story was compelling, upsetting, fascinating... and I thank her for opening up an uncomfortable personal passage in her life to alert the world to the danger of Drudge, and his kind.

I read the article the other night, eyes glued to screen, mouth agape. It was fascinating, and I admire her openness. What an amazing woman.

She's fantastic.