"The Indictment That Wasn't"

[Laura PourMeADrink]

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/content/2006/05/the_indictment_that_wasnt.html

The indictment that wasn't
May 30, 2006 05:36 AM / FUBAR .
It has been 18 days since a liberal web site reported Karl Rove had been indicted and given 24 hours to get his affairs in order.
On May 13, controversial journalist Jason Leopold reported on Truthout:

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald spent more than half a day Friday at the offices of Patton Boggs, the law firm representing Karl Rove.

During the course of that meeting, Fitzgerald served attorneys for former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove with an indictment charging the embattled White House official with perjury and lying to investigators related to his role in the CIA leak case, and instructed one of the attorneys to tell Rove that he has 24 business hours to get his affairs in order, high level sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said Saturday morning.

The news spread through the liberal blogosphere like locusts. Journalists from major news organizations called sources but not one could confirm Leopold's story, which originally said Rove had just "24 hours" but was later amended to "24 business hours." Several of the people that Leopold claimed were present for the 12-hour-plus meeting denied any such meeting took place.


Truthout stood behind the story for a few days, then executive director Marc Ash, issued what he called a "partial apology" to readers for "getting ahead of the news cycle." That, so some, sounded like anothre way of saying "we speculated, gambled, and lost."

snip

[acmavm]

1. The confusion / anger / recriminations / accusations over the

story that appeared in Truthout hasn't been half the pain in the ass ridiculous as a the way so many have tried to beat this already dead horse past anything that can be justified. And now these people who don't have the best reputation for credibility are jumping on the pile.

Stupid and beyond stupid. Let it go people.

[symbolman]

5. There was no confusion at all

it was stated as a FACT, "ROVE INDICTED." Period.

Armegeddon has been "reported" as well, and many people are adopting a "wait and see" attitude for that one.

I believe I coined the term, "Faith Based Reporting" for this story, and I'll stick with that.

I'm sure there are no indictments at this time, but I guess I can't PROVE that, of course someone can CLAIM the earth is flat too, and if someone believes that as well, then there is really no way to DISPROVE it to them. :)

CapHillBlue has no credibility, no more than Leopold does. So now we have bullshitting progressive media snarking, wonderful.

Some of us saw all this coming down the pike, no one believed us then either.

I wish more people understood the concept of "ethnoeccentricity".. and didn't mistake it for "synchronocity"..

And for those expressing this latest garbage inference, please cut out the 'small group of vocal unamerican site killers, commies, lazy, jealous wannabee freeper types refuse to accept our delusions or paranoid suppositions" crap.. it's pathetic spin, and not worthy of anyone who wants to change the media, or have a rational exchange on the DU about all this..

It isn't going to GO AWAY, at least not until a retraction or apology is submitted to readers, too many people were disappointed at minimum. It's too big a story, number one.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[seemslikeadream]

2. "No one died at Abu Ghraib"

"No one died at Abu Ghraib" - Michael Smerconish on NBC Today






TPM totally annihilates the AP's Solomon story about Reid.

[Ganja Ninja]

23. It' amazing how the Bush administration & MSM can ...

put out lie after lie and people just shrug it off. Nobody ever gets fired and there few if any repercussions. But if a left wing website says something that turns out later to be wishful thinking the story never dies and we need to burn them at the stake.

[seemslikeadream]

26. Crucify Him!

:sarcasm:




You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone?"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To just give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations

You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read
It's well known

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?"
And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

[papau]

3. CHB reports on someone else's suspicion as it discusses bad reporting?

"a reporter who admits a long history of mental and drug problems, confesses to stealing from former bosses and fired for suspicion of fabricating source material and stealing copy from antoher publication"
========================================================================================
Funny how CHB forgets the crap AP does a bit more often than T.O. TPM exposed the RW AP's lie in the AP's Abramoff lobbyist/Harry Reid "Abramoff lobbyist confirms the meetings with Harry Reid" story that tried to imply Abramoff was working with Reid when the fact was Reid opposed Abramoff before and after meeting with the Abramoff lobbyist. TPM suggested the lie was caused by the desire to get the story being more important than getting it right.ther words, they portray a blackeye for their original story as a further confirmation of their story. Wonder why CHB forgot -indeed, as I recall (and I may be wrong) never wrote about - the various AP lies over the years?


http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2006_02_05.php

As you remember, on Thursday John Solomon of the AP wrote a lengthy piece detailing alleged contacts between Jack Abramoff's team at Greenberg Traurig and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV).

I followed up with a post explaining what seemed like a key problem with the article. The better part of the article is taken up with detailing Team Abramoff lobbying Reid on behalf of the sweatshop owners of the Marianas Islands, key and notorious. The whole thrust of the narrative suggests an illicit or suspect quid pro quo. But if you look closely what's never mentioned in the article is what Reid did on the Marianas sweatshop owners behalf -- which is of course a rather key detail.

I got on the phone with Reid's office and the lobbyist in question, Ron Platt, and they both said that Reid was and remained on the side of the debate -- he supported the minimum wage bill the Marianas folks opposed. That claim was confirmed by other supporters of the legislation.

In other words, whatever Abramoff and his crew might have tried to persuade Reid to do, he didn't do it.

[symbolman]

7. I'd like the Democrats to release this meme regarding Abramoff

"We took donations from the TRIBE, not the BRIBE.. THAT was the Republicans.." :)

Nice simple sound bite..

[papau]

14. I like that - Has a great sound - excellent for Sunday pundit responses

:-)

[symbolman]

19. It's just retarded enough to work, eh?

We've been invaded by used car salesmen, and crappy ones at that -- gee, it Rhymes, Tribe with Bribe!

Reminds me of one of my favorite cartoons of all time, a guy squeezing toilet paper, another person saying,

"Hey, look at that! Mr Whipple told everyone NOT to Squeeze the Charmin, and Now HE'S DOING IT!" :)

[papau]

20. LOL Yep! :-)

:-)

[SidDithers]

4. As a source of reliable reporting, CHB is right up there...

with Wayne Madsen and World Nut Daily.

Sid

[Catherine Vincent]

6. How many times can CHB report on Leopold's article?

They're saying the same thing over and over.

[Sydnie]

8. Perhaps they just need more of this

I'm with you cat_girl25 ... they need to give it a rest. :hi:

[charlie]

10. It's partly personal acrimony

I figured we'd be hearing from CHB loud and often, since Pitt and Thompson got into a public dustup over CHB's credibility a while back.

[dogday]

24. Acrimony about sums it up

There is much of that going around. :shrug:

[texasleo]

9. can't wait for the day

*crosses fingers*

[Peace Patriot]

11. There is a difference between honest mistakes and not-honest mistakes.

And in our war profiteering corporate news monopoly "Matrix" (i.e., our Big Brother, Stalinist Russia, Goebbels-newsreel, Corporate Disinformation state), the honest get hauled before Inquisitors, stripped naked, their skin moles examined for the kiss of the Devil, and drawn (arms and limbs pulled out of their sockets) and quartered (sliced up), and their slightest sins, errors, or misstatements, especially about those in power, are drawn up in a bill of particulars against them and nailed to every tree, as an example to others, while the ENORMOUS CRIMES of the villains in power--including their black ops, psyops, spying on and setting up of, dissidents--are, of course, ignored, exonerated or deemed to be 'necessary evils' against the threat of the unclean. And, in this delusionary state, in which the inquisitors of the Middle Ages were able to frighten ordinary people into accusing their own of witchcraft, and in which the Nazis were able to frighten Germans into massive, genocidal bigotry, and in which McCarthyites were able to frighten Americans into "seeing a communist under every bed," the evil arrow of "scapegoat" can be pointed at anyone, at any time, for any reason, to stoke up mob psychology by heaping abuse on others, for the slightest offense, or no offense. And the vocal dissenters are often the first victims. One false move--one honest mistake--and the mob is on you.

The witchhunters are out in full force in our deeply troubled country. Beware.

[symbolman]

12. My friend

I am not a witch hunter, and you know how much I've fought this admin, I hope you aren't lumping me in with that crowd :)

I don't consider this an Honest Mistake. I consider this an absolute lapse of reporting on all counts. We of all people, on the Left need to be MORE clean than the Spin Monsters that support these criminals in our White House.

There's no witch hunt here in my opinion, but many pissed off people, who feel cheated and lied to, even if there was no LIE meant, they were still cheated.

This is too big a story to play games with, and that's exactly what happened, they in my opinion, took a shot at it and lost. It was Irresponsible Reporting, and someone cannot CLAIM to be a reporter and make sloppy messes like this one without getting slammed for it, especially when they refuse to retract or apologise.

Unfortunately it's also been mixed up with Will Pitt's nasty little episode, of which I'm sure he's embarrassed and chagrined by, I kind of miss the guy myself and I'm sure he don't miss me, and that's too bad - while everyone claims we're on the same side, it's okay to SLAM ME, and call me lazy or freeperlike (and some of the new folks don't know how much work I've done, and if I bring it up, it's called bragging), but NOT THEM, while we are EQUALLY responsible for our statements in this fight (the fight against the Bush Empire).. I've put out a LOT of information and I make DAMN SURE it's correct or else I will no longer be listened to, and rightly so.

That just slays me, and it pisses me off even more, so of course I get mean too.

I just think that if they state this as a fact, that it either IS a fact or it isn't, and that they should take their lumps like men and admit mistakes, people are very forgiving, including me, and I'll be one of the FIRST to apologise should there be proof of a Target Letter (as reported as fact) on or before April 26th, and/or an Indictment dated from 18 or 19 now I think, days ago.

I the forgiveness is EARNED, and I think rightly so.

I appreciate your beliefs and all you've done, but repectfully disagree on this one, too important to be played as some kind of scoop, and I never trusted Leopold from the start, but that's just me, and my opinion, no one HAS to agree, but I sure wish they would :)

[shadowknows69]

13. No slams here

I got your back Symbolman :yourock:

[symbolman]

15. I appreciate that

I'd like to see us ALL have EACH OTHERS BACKS, since we are ALL DU'rs and beautiful hardworking AMERICANS, wanting the best for our fellows :)

[shadowknows69]

16. And the Truth shall set us free

but only when it's absolutely verified ;)

[symbolman]

17. Hell,

at this point I'll even settle for "Truthiness"! :)

[acmavm]

27. You know, I don't know what to think about the KKKarl thing myself. I

do not think there's an indictment out there in legalworld. But I also don't know the circumstances that made TO pring to story. Do you know the circumstances, what happened?

I do have a suggestion for you though, if you'd like to make some extra money. I'll sell tickets while you water, okay?

[bridgit]

18. said it then say it now, "hm..."

[patcox2]

21. Truthout was certainly "truthy." Hey, thats an idea, "Truthy-Out"

nt

[rinsd]

22. Oh the hypocrisy!

CHB crusading against shoddy reporting and rumor mongering, the apocalypse is upon us.

[applegrove]

28. NYTimes apologized for so much of Judith Miller's stories in the lead

up to war. They meant no malice. They thought their sources were truthfull and accurate. Truthout is no different. NY Times expressed regret. They are more careful I bet. Judy Miller lost her job not because of that.. did she. But because of what she was hiding on the Plame thing. So let's hold Truthout - a partisan journal.. to a level at least in keeping with the NYTimes.

Let us remember that there was more than one TV crew around the Justice bldg on that day (Friday) so.. rumours were awash.

[shadowknows69]

29. Well rumors should never make it to print

period.

[applegrove]

30. No they should not.