NPR: Conservative Bloggers Accuse Times of Double Standard

Conservative Bloggers Accuse Times of Double Standard

Conservative bloggers have been red-in-the-face about the report in The New York Times (and the Washington Post as well) about the relationship between Sen. John McCain and a female lobbyist, Vicki Iseman. As NPR's Don Gonyea reports, McCain denied the story was true, saying that he was "very disappointed" in it.

Many conservative bloggers believe the story - built on anonymous sources - suggests that McCain and Iseman had an affair, although the story never directly says that and does carry denials from both McCain and Iseman.

But they are also claiming a double-standard. They point to this piece from October of 2007, a story in the National Enquirer that alleged former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards had an affair with a staffer. (Edwards issued a strong denial of the story, telling reporters, "The story is false. It's completely untrue, ridiculous." The Enquirer never ran a follow-up, which one blogger describes as the tabloid equivalent of "giving up.")

As Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters writes, when allegations of impropriety about a Democratic candidate arose, the Times ignored it. Morrissey writes that "Anonymous sourcing, a complete lack of evidence, and denials all around didn't stop the National Enquirer from carrying the story. Did the New York Times pick it up? Nope."

Update: David Folkenflik was on Day to Day talking about the backlash about the Times story and why it said it printed it in the first place.

More: Open Left says that conservative bloggers complaints are crocodile tears, considering theat "Every single right-wing media outlet that is now blasting the NYT for this story has pushed dozens of far worse and less substantiated stories on Democrats than this."

3:11 PM ET | 02-21-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

While there very well may be a double standard occurring here, I find it amusing that Morrissey says that anonymous sourcing with the Edwards case "didn't stop the National Enquirer from carrying the story." Um, what exactly WOULD stop the Enquirer from carrying something? Citing an article from a questionable tabloid isn't a congruent comparison to an article in the Times or the Post, although I'm sure some on the far right consider both newspapers no better than tabloids. Still, if they are going to persuade people who aren't on the hard right, they need to use a better example, if you ask me.

Sent by JP | 4:06 PM ET | 02-21-2008

From what I can tell from this whole fiasco is that for too long the so called watchdog of the US has been the lapdog of the left. Which is also true with other papers and their masters on the other side of the political spectrum. Politics has become as sensationalistic as our entertainment gossip, sniffing out possible headlines in the dregs of loose ended, lack of sources, and unfit to print garbage heaps that mire the political and journalistic environment.

Does it suprise me? Not in the least.
Does it dissapoint me? Exceedingly.
But in the end, media is about impulse, headlines, numbers, soundbites more than it will ever be about what truly is.

Cheers.

Sent by platonicform | 4:23 PM ET | 02-21-2008

The right wing propaganda machine spits out so much b.s. that IS picked up by previously respected media outlets, they shouldn't be complaining that one unsubstantiated story wasn't picked up. I'm thinking of the "big news" about Ms. Clinton's laugh.

Besides, it was from the Enquirer. It makes about as much sense to complain that the New York Times hasn't done a full-scale investigation into Batboy.

As usual, if they don't like the story, the right wing fringe blames the messenger.

Sent by SO | 4:51 PM ET | 02-21-2008

In this time of corporate news media and their respective oligarch ownership, the Washington Post can be applauded for uncovering something truly worthwhile every thirty years or so....as for instance the Watergate scandal. As an investigative record, you be the judge.

Sent by Dave Rosen | 5:30 PM ET | 02-21-2008

Where was all the right wing blogger umbrage when Matt Drudge reported the story?

Sent by Mike Fleissner | 10:10 AM ET | 02-22-2008

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