Another Local Angle
Drudge has posted new information from Lt. Colonel Jerry Killian's secretary, who claims the CBS News memos were fakes.
Here's the best part, though:
Knox has been following the story since last week when the 60 MINUTES II broadcast aired, and on Friday she contacted the HOUSTON CHRONICLE wanting to tell her side of the story. Since then the DALLAS MORNING NEWS has also contacted her.
Ha! The newspaper that missed the Enron scandal couldn't be counted on to do a little legwork on another local issue. Oh no, she had to contact them. And so far as I can tell from a search on the Comical site, they've apparently not gotten around to doing anything with the information yet.
They were probably too busy spinning poll results that are clearly trending in favor of President Bush (and that can be tracked easily here, without the "analysis" of hyperpartisans like Clay Robison). Indeed, it's a little stunning that six reporters got credit for contributions to pedestrian Page-One analysis that anyone with a reliable net connection could have done herself in no time at all. But that's our Comical -- ignoring the local to (mis)report the "big" stories. :)
(Update) Here's Pete Slover's article in the Dallas Morning News with Ms. Knox's observations. Can we say SCOOPED Comical? Yes, I thought we could.
(09-15-2004 Update) The Comical has finally posted this story. Better late than never, I guess. But they should have owned this one instead of getting beaten by the Dallas Morning News and Drudge.
(09-15-2004 Update 2) Jim Geraghty of NRO raises questions about the inconsistencies in this secretary's story as reported by the Comical. The following line from the Comical story is particularly troubling to me:
Knox said she decided to report her recollection of the time period to the media after hearing White House press officials say the information in the memos was false.
But later, Julie Mason and Robert Crowe write:
Knox said last week she had not seen the disputed documents obtained by CBS, butwas reacting to news reports challenging their authenticity, primarily by countering claims that Killian did not keep copies.
NRO's Geraghty can't recall anyone in the White House saying the information in the memos was false. Rather, they passed them on to the media with hardly any comment at all, and the media began to raise questions as bloggers demonstrated the memos seemed like fakes. So Knox can't have been reacting to White House officials, a point that is buttressed by the later assertion that she was reacting to "news reports challenging their authenticity."
Did Comical reporters insert their own views into this story, rather than reporting what the lady said?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/14/04 18:30 | Other | Technorati
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Comments
Didn't Lucas Wall write that he rides the Danger Train? If that's widespread among Chronicle reporters it would explain why the Chronicle does so little local reporting. Relying on seven miles of Metro to get around would sure put a damper on local news gathering!
Posted by Anne @ 07:12 on 09/15/04
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