You know it must be getting to them. The polls, the CBS debacle, the general meltdown the democratic party — It must be tough being liberal right now. Now we have another sign it’s getting to them.
The Rooftop Report has a post called “Wizbang Craziness” where he attempts to portray Wizbang as journalistically equivalent to CBS. A charge that should make any pajama clad orator shudder.
He makes this charge based on 3 posts, since 2 of them were mine, I’ll do the honors.
#1) Burkett: Lockhart wanted Documents. In this post they make the point, via a misquote, that Burkett was pressured by Lockhart and the Democrats for the Killian Memos. Unfortunately for Republicans the Mercury News retracted the comment.
He’s apparently right… to a point. After I blogged it, there was a retraction in the Merc News. A fact I was not aware of until I read his post. This is not “craziness” it is simply a retraction to an earlier story not being noted. An email to me or Kevin would have produced an update. Indeed, I made a special update that I highlighted prominently showing that the reporter’s home paper did not carry the damning quote but the Merc News did. I mentioned a potential problem with the story minutes after I posted it and a day before the Rooftop Report dubbed it “craziness.” Again, a simple email would have produced a second update. Instead, the Rooftop Report embarrassed themselves.
#2) Is much like the first. In “But- It’s just one position on Iraq.” I blogged a story that was corrected today while I was attending a picnic at the local zoo. I hereby apologize to the Rooftop Report for not bringing a cellular equipped laptop to the zoo with me so I can check every post I’ve ever blogged to see if there was a correction later. From now on, I’ll keep a routine. Elephants, check for corrections, monkeys, check for corrections, zebras, check for corrections…
#3) His last one was “his favorite” ironically it’s mine too.
(3) Funny, I don’t feel a draft…. This is my favorite. Here is a 706 word rant about Kerry saying Bush is going to reinstate the draft that contains zero quotes. Why no quotes? Well, presumably, because Kerry never said Bush would reinstate the draft. He actually never said anything like that at all.
Apparently they don’t get google news on his side the internet or a simple search for “Kerry draft” would have found the following articles.
Kerry: Draft Likely to Return Under Bush
John Kerry Raises Possibility That Military Draft May Return if President Bush Is Re-Elected
and
Kerry suggest Bush might bring back military draft
and
KERRY SAYS HE FEELS DRAFT FROM W.
and 624 “related items”
I guess if Kerry “actually never said anything like that at all” then a whole bunch of people heard him wrong.
There’s some craziness going around for sure. A desperate kind of craziness. I’ll leave it to the reader to decided where.
I was trying to be semi-sarcastic, as I did note two of the stories were retracted after you wrote them. As for the third point, read those three articles you linked to and find a quote from Kerry that states he thinks Bush would reinstate the draft.
Can you honestly say that those headlines represent the quotes? The one quote, that was in response to a question, was this:
“If George Bush were to be re-elected, given the way he has gone about this war . . . is it possible? I can’t tell you.”
That is it. That is the only quote. He says he can’t tell you Bush’s stance. Yes, he probably could – – because we all know Bush doesn’t want a draft, but he never states that Bush would reinstate the draft – – ever.
Bill, I searched your site and could not find your name. Sorry to refer to you in third person.
And look- 600+ news organizations ran the story. Jay had every right to comment on it. Calling it “crazyness” was off base.
Seriously, if you read the bulk of my post, the craziness wasn’t like you were idiots. It was… nevermind.
Anyway, tell me you really think that the headlines represent the quote.
By the way: “Bush abortion” in Google gets ya 3,430 results.
Also, and sorry to fill up your comments, if you read the post you would have also read this post by The Moderate Voice (http://themoderatevoice.typepad.com/blog/2004/09/kerry_suggests_.html) which I think gives a pretty even take on the subject.
Bill- Ever heard the line about protesting too much?
You wrote a huge post about something that wasn’t said. What would I be protesting?
By the way, though I didn’t email you (which I apologize for), if you look in your comments I make note of all three issues before I made my post.
Bill- I don’t know how much traffic you get- I can get over 100 comments and trackbacks a day — easy.
I missed my mail for a few days and had 497 unread comments. Although I try, I can’t read every comment or at least not in real time.
Okay. Then an email probably wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.
Kerry’s comment certainly left the impression he was implying not only was Bush going to reinstate the draft but also that Bush had big top secret plans to call up more Guards and Reserve and force them into even more extended deployment. Add this to the mass emailing to college students making just that very claim by the DNC operatives and one is certainly left with the solid impession that this is just what Kerry meant. Local Selective Services have been swamped with calls from concerned parents and college kids.
Guess they just all missed the nuance. Yeah–right! See Michelle Malkin’s excellent post on this most devious and underhanded attempt by Kerry and his minions to present just that impression.
Amelia
I HEARD Kerry say that Bush has a secret plan to reinstate the draft. I heard it last Saturday on Fox News when he was speaking to a bunch of Democrat Kool-Aid drinkers. I heard it. I heard it from his lips. I heard it.
Meh…who the fark is Rooftop Report? When President Bush wins again, will it be Look, He Jumped Report?
Keep fiddling, guys….
I will grant the prior comment that Kerry did not actually say the exact words that Bush wants a draft, but that is the extent of the leniency I would give their argument. It is obvious to anyone with a brain larger than a gnat that is the exact impression that Kerry was trying to leave with the audience. When coupled with the bullshit email campaign by the DNC about the “secret” draft, and the “secret” callup after the elections, it is obvious to anyone with an IQ higher than a mushroom that Kerry wanted the audience to hear that. It is probably yet another way for him to tie Vietnam back into the debate.
Don’t forget, on that same day, that puppets Cleland and Dean were parroting the draft rumor. And yes, they did specifially say Bush would reinstate the draft. Here, for example.
Quote:
Campaigning at a Colorado college recently, former Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga., called a draft a virtual certainty unless Kerry wins. Ex-Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said the same this week in a newspaper column. “The only place to go for more troops is a draft,” Dean wrote.
Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye went even further, predicting an immediate re-instatement of the draft if Bush wins. In South Carolina, the state Democratic Party has put out a mailing that combines images of a draft notice with a voter registration form, calling on citizens to make a choice between the two.
Kerry’s non-denial, and his surrogates’ comments, can only be realistically interpreted as a coordinated effort to disinform the public. Anyone who says otherwise is an apologist.
Heya Paul, I wasn’t bashin ya in rooftops comments, but if I’m ever wrong in a post of mine I’d want someone to tell me. Maybe not in an entry or whatever, but just sayin…
Wrong again Bill Okay. Then an email probably wouldn’t have made a difference anyway
Wrong.
Wigbang emails get separated into a different folder. A regular email to me or Kev (or both) would have gotten a prompt response. Either way dubbing the posts “craziness” and comparing us to CBS was just way out of line.
In an ongoing effort to speak on behalf of those who are nonsensical, I would like to suggest an INTERPRETATION of what Cleland, Dean and Kerry DID say in their “non saying” statements that said what they say they did not:
They SAYING that, if Bush is re-elected, that THEY WILL REINSTATE THE DRAFT in some act of revenge, as a retort to the loss of the Election. That is, if Bush wins again, they’re reinstating the draft. Just because.
Could be a threat, like, “buy this for me or I’ll jump on your head from this guy’s rooftop blog.”
Excuse me, should read, “They ARE SAYING THAT…”
Jim, I too heard Kerry saying that if re-elected under Bush the draft would be re-instated. He may not have said “Bush will re-instate the draft” but he said it would happen so same thing. But the emailing to all the college students saying same is further proof that this is exactly what he meant people to hear and is what he was saying.
I even saw an article somewhere that Selective Service boards cannot handle the phone calls concerning this so where did all these people get this idea if not from Kerry and his minions??
It is ridiculous to insist he did not say/imply/convey it when everyone heard him, Cleland, Edwards and the whole crew making just such a claim. Now they are likely trying to backpedal and flip-flop as usual.
Name a subject or issue, any issue, and they have held at least two opposing POV on it. I have absolutely no idea what Kerry’s real position on anything is for it changes by the minute, often in the same day. The ‘craziness’ is not with bloggers covering Kerry but within his campaign.
As Bill K points out, he never said it. The quote speaks for itself, and if you are writing article base solely on headlines, you are just echoing a misleading story. This is exactly what Rather did – instead of verifying the documents, he relied on what many people were saying (that Bush get special treatment, etc.), and so he reported on the memos as real. Are you looking for the truth, or just looking for people to come read your blog?
Hmmm. I seem to recall a lot of noise made over on the left about how GWB said Iraq posed “an imminent threat” — and when that was disproved the lefties insisted that Bush nevertheless made a deliberate effort to make people think it was an imminent threat — and even his direct denial that Iraq posed an imminent threat wouldn’t convince the Kool-Aid® drinkers.
Now, if Kerry were to directly deny believing Bush has a secret plan to reinstate the draft, the denials from his Kool-Aid® drinkers might be credible.
But he didn’t, so they aren’t.