Washington Post ombudsman REPEATS LIE

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Americablog
Washington Post ombudsman repeats lie that Abramoff "made substantial campaign contributions to both major parties" - he didn't



Deborah Howell can be reached by phone at 202-334-7582 or by e-mail at [e-mail]
Abramoff was getting 10 to 20 times as much from Indian tribes as they had paid other lobbyists. And he had made substantial campaign contributions to both major parties. - Washington Post ombudsman, 1/15/06
This is flat out wrong, and the Post knows it. Abramoff gave ZERO to Democrats, all his donations were to Republicans.

Maybe it's time the Washington Post hired an ombudsman to keep an eye on their increasingly sloppy and weak-kneed ombudsman. This is the woman who thinks the answer to Bob Woodward refusing to tell his editor about his involvement in the Valerie Plame affair is - what? - that Woodward get an editor. Pretty hard-hitting steel-trap-of-a-mind you got there, lady.

And for the record, I'm going to list Jack Abramoff's donations - find me a single Democrat, oh Washington Post ombudsman - just one. And by the way, let's not forget the Washington Post's crack editorial team that let this whopper of a mistake slip through. But hey, the Washington Post has become the party newspaper for Bush ever since it helped propel the nation into a war based on a lie, so why quit now.

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[marylanddem]

1. Nice to hire an ombudsman that toes the line...

After her Woodward non-critique, who can take her seriously?

[JeffR]

2. Thanks

Just emailed the cretin.

[Cocoa]

3. my email

Dear Deborah,

Regarding "he (Abramoff) had made substantial campaign contributions to both major parties."

Please provide links to those Schimdt stories. I believe Abramoff donated no money, substantial or insubstantial, to any democrats, and I'm curious to see those stories and see which democrats those are.

And no, Indian tribes don't count. What you wrote is that "he" gave the money.

If there are no such stories, please issue a retraction.

[grasswire]

4. relying on Schmidt stories???

Please.

Susan Schmidt was the stenographer for Kenneth Starr in the coup attempt against Bill Clinton.

Susan Schmidt is a known operative.

It's time to take some action against media outlets that shill for despots. If I lived in Washington, I'd be outside the offices of The Washington Post every stinking day.

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5. Howell twice falsely claimed Democrats received contributions

Post ombudsman Howell twice falsely claimed Democrats received contributions from Abramoff
The second complaint is from Republicans, who say The Post purposely hasn't nailed any Democrats. Several stories, including one on June 3 by Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, a Post business reporter, have mentioned that a number of Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (N.D.), have gotten Abramoff campaign money.


Howell mischaracterized the articles she referred to. Birnbaum reported in his June 3, 2005, article that Abramoff "directed" campaign contributions from the Indian tribes he worked for "to Democratic as well as Republican legislators." Schmidt, in a December 5 article, cited Birnbaum's article from June in reporting that "some prominent Democrats, including former senator Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.), Sens. Harry M. Reid (Nev.) and Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.), were among beneficiaries of the largest campaign contributions from Abramoff's associates and clients." Contrary to Howell's assertions, neither Schmidt nor Birnbaum reported that any Democrat received direct contributions from Abramoff. A Media Matters for America search of the Center for Responsive Politics database of campaign contributions did not find any contributions from Abramoff to Reid or Dorgan or to any Democratic leadership political action committees.


http://mediamatters.org/items/200601150001

[oasis]

6. Lazy journalists: The worst of all dishonest craftspersons. (eom)