Here they go again.
The New York Times has a lead story today about John McCain's past battle with the most deadly form of skin cancer. The headline blares, "On the Campaign Trail, Few Mentions of McCain's Bout With Melanoma."
So let's remind everyone that he once had melanoma!
This comes on the heels of their story last Friday that he got "testy" with one of their reporters, who needled him incessantly to try to provoke his temper. He remained incredibly calm and patient when dealing with her; finally exasperated that she had failed to get him to blow his top, she blew her cover: "Why are you so angry?" she squeaked. Of course, he wasn't angry at all. Annoyed at her idiocy and agenda, yes. But blowing a gasket? No. Much to her disappointment. Of course, she wrote the headline and story she wanted: "McCain Grows Testy."
Both of these stories follow the biggest smear of them all (so far): the front pager from three weeks ago, alleging McCain had an inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist. Without sourcing, evidence, or backup material, the Times ran the story anyway. Rather than go on the defensive, which was the Times wanted him to do, McCain went on offense, calling a press conference and answering every question the press could throw his way. The Times then got bombarded with thousands of emails, condemning its scurrilous and unfounded attacks on McCain. Embarrassed, the Times' Public Editor opined that the paper never should have printed a story without credible evidence to support it. (They need a Public Editor to tell them that?! I guess they do.)
Embarrassed, but apparently not dissuaded. Over the past three days, the paper has deliberately tried to provoke his anger so they could argue he's temperamentally unsuited for the presidency. And it has questioned his physical fitness for the office because he had melanoma in 2000. Although the piece says his prognosis is "favorable" and that "his doctors consider him in very good health," the Times got the word "melanoma" in the headline.
Just as with their other hit job stories on McCain, their work here (at least for the day) is done.
According to The Wall Street Journal, last year the shareholders of The Times withheld 42% of their votes for directors, a sign of dissatisfaction with the management and stock price. Advertising revenues are down 11%. For two years, a Morgan Stanley fund was seeking a change in the two-class stock that gives the Sulzberger family control, which regrettably failed. And currently there is a movement afoot to seat four new directors by Harbinger Capital. Change, like Spring, is in the air.
Posted by: Account Deleted | March 10, 2008 at 08:13 AM
Definitely, the wrong tactic for the NY Times to undertake. I can understand they're liberal biases, but fair journalism is what we all should expect from a newspaper like the NY Times. The current issues are more important, and that is what we should be focusing on at all times. But I suspect that this type of attack won't last very long, mainly because it's not what people want.
Posted by: Ref.BB | March 10, 2008 at 08:40 AM
The "Paper of Record" is no more. The combination of reporters like Jayson Blair fabricating stories, and competition from net sites has turned the tide. They still have a good Arts&Leisure section though!
Posted by: Tom TB | March 10, 2008 at 09:06 AM
"The eye that alters, alters all."
- William Blake
Posted by: J. Pierpont Finch | March 10, 2008 at 09:47 AM
I'm not reading the NYT article, but I see an alarming trend. Are they going to be damned as biased every time they raise anything about McCain? You can be sure that they will raise issues about both candidates. Just watch if Obama is nominated how often they address the experience issue and his African background.
Posted by: FK | March 10, 2008 at 09:59 AM
They have gone way beyond mere bias to being a propaganda tool for the Democratic Party. Between now and the election all we will hear from the liberal press is how we have entered a great depression. They will search high and low to find someone who just got layed off work, or lost their home because they couldn't afford the mortgage and let them define the economy. Instead of asking a great economist like Alan Greenspan to define the state of the economy they will let someone who just lost their job be the expert on the economy because that fits their agenda.
Posted by: SteveOk | March 10, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Don't give the NYT too much credit when it comes to influencing how Americans evaluate the state of the economy.
It will be easy to find people suffering in this economy. Bush's most creative response is a lame economic stimulus.
Greenspan will get his say, too.
But no matter what anyone says, the American people will be able to evaluate whether they are suffering or not, and anyone who has to buy gas and oil is feeling the impact.
Posted by: FK | March 10, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Yes, well, melanoma is something you have to fight, one battle at a time, until you beat it. What's fair in politics and love?
Posted by: Dgscol | March 10, 2008 at 02:14 PM
I don't get the melanoma analogy.
Posted by: FK | March 10, 2008 at 02:30 PM
The New York Times is equivalent to the Havana Times. You can't believe a word they print and I wouldn't even use that paper on the bottom of a bird cage. During the past few years they have printed thousands of negative stories obout our troops fighting in Iraq, all in an attempt to force a change in our foreign policy, even if it gives aid and comfort to the enemy. They will publish any military and state secret that is leaked to them as long as it will embarrass the Bush Administration, and they don't care anything about our national security. They are a vile and perverted institution that hates America and will do anything to undermine our national security and give aid and comfort to the enemy.
Posted by: SteveOk | March 10, 2008 at 03:37 PM
Come on. You'd at least use it to line a birdcage.
Posted by: FK | March 10, 2008 at 04:16 PM
SteveOK,
You must really be rolling in it. Wouldn't it be cheaper to use the Daily News?
Posted by: Jack Flynn | March 10, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Steve O,
Oh I mis-read. You said that you wouldn't even use it to line a bird cage.
Then, what DO you use it for?
Oh, I know. You use it to exploit your irrational bias against liberals, don't you.
You should thank the NY Times for giving you so much ammunition. You owe them.
Posted by: Jack Flynn | March 10, 2008 at 06:06 PM
Everyone I talked to this weekend was concerned about rising gas prices and how they were getting "sticker shock" grocery shopping or eating out. It does add up.
When Alan Greenspan was promoting his book in December, I seem to remember him predicting a period ahead of high inflation and double digit interest rates, similar to the 70s. Here is a good article from Patrick Buchanan about the current economy.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59693
Fiscal conservatism...right....
Posted by: M/M | March 10, 2008 at 07:51 PM
Why pay a small fortune for the Times when you can get REAL leftwing radicalism for free - complete with prostitute ads in the rear.. er.. back - on every street corner in New York.
Methinks the guvnor's favorite lecture was indeed the Village Voice.
Let's be honest here - the Voice doesn't even bother to *pretend* that they're unbiased.
The way the leftists see it is.. if the NYT is slightly to the right of the Voice they've gotta be mainstream.
That's how liberals keep moving the Center to the left..
Posted by: Allah Schmallah | March 11, 2008 at 12:36 AM
I just read the following:
"Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Spitzer had been recorded through wire taps as he communicated with a high-end call-girl service, the Emperors Club VIP."
Now I understand why liberals are against FISA.
Posted by: Allah Schmallah | March 11, 2008 at 12:38 AM
Sorry, wrong thread.
Posted by: Allah Schmallah | March 11, 2008 at 12:44 AM
"Let's be honest here - the Voice doesn't even bother to *pretend* that they're unbiased."
Is this supposed to be some kind of breaking news? No one has ever suggested that the Voice is not leftwing, and they would not suggest otherwise.
Now can we also declare officially that Fox News is rightwing, and stop calling it "fair and balanced"?
Posted by: FK | March 11, 2008 at 09:08 AM
No tu quoque please, K. FoxNews is in the center whilst CNN is on the Left.
See how you leftards are always trying to move the center to the left.
The NYT is perilously close to the Voice. It's just that they "pretend" to be the "paper of record".
Posted by: Allah Schmallah | March 11, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Now you are being ridiculous. Fox News is to the right. Let's just be honest on that, ok?
Posted by: FK | March 11, 2008 at 12:55 PM