The Washington Post is doggedly determined that Jason Horowitz not morph into Jayson Blair. So on Saturday, after failing to respond directly to three emails I sent ombudsman Patrick Pexton on the Mitt Romney hit piece that the paper published Thursday, the ombudsman published a defense of the story.
Pexton says the story holds up to scrutiny, despite the fact that the story directly quoted a dead man; it claimed things about him that, being dead, he is in no position to affirm or refute; it mischaracterized the opinion of one of its core witnesses; and the family of the dead man says the story is factually inaccurate.
Other than that, it holds right up.
Pexton also admits that the Post timed the story to help the president.
The other criticisms are that this story was published knowing that President Obama was going to announce his shift in favor of gay marriage. The allegation is that somehow The Post is working with the White House to time the story.
Do I think The Post took advantage of the timing? Yes. Vice President Biden had telegraphed the president’s position on gay marriage just days earlier. This story on Romney was in preparation for three weeks. It is part of a series of biographical stories on Romney being written by Horowitz and others and edited by The Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and associate editor, David Maraniss, who is known for his best- selling biographies of major U.S. political figures.
That’s a fallacious appeal to authority. Just because David Maraniss had a hand in it and a committee of liberals handed him a trophy does not make this story factual or fair. Walter Duranty won a Pulitzer too.
If I were an editor I might have sped it up a little, too, to take advantage of the national discussion on gay marriage. Does that mean Post editors are timing stories with the White House? I hope not, and I doubt that is the case.
But he didn’t pick up the phone and ask them, so deep is his curiosity on the subject. Pitiful. The accusation that the Post times a big story to assist a president in the midst of a re-election battle is kind of a big deal. It’s an accusation that the Post is engaged in partisan propaganda, not journalism. It’s worth looking into.
Merida said they held the printed version for a day because they didn’t want it clashing with the Thursday front page coverage of Obama changing his mind on gay marriage.“It just happened to coincide with the time when President Obama made his statement. We factored it in and that was the decision not to run it in print on Thursday,” Merida told me.
It just happened to coincide…. Sure.
The Post’s ombudsman thinks we’re stupid.
Well that’s what happens when “breaking news” is 45 years old.
Great point. The left is stuck in the 60s. They regressive not progressive.
It goes back even further. It is stuck in Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism. What they
seem to forget is that one of the initial acts of Lenin and Stalin was to kill
or exile intellectuals and kill off the middle class. The left is very good at ignoring the atrocities of Communism because it does not fit the narrative.
Are you for real? Maybe we should just focus on the really important things? Like Obama’s birth ceritficate. Or his boyhood in Hawaii and Indonesia. Or insinuating his whole family are frauds. Or what he wrote about his Punahou School days. Oh, let’s see his college transcripts.
Now asking Romney what he was doing at at 18 in front of numerous witnesses is just way out of line, right? This GOP double standard doesn’t wash anymore. Now that they have raised these kinds of stupid questions it all comes back at Mitt. He can’t even remember pinning some other guy to the ground and cutting his hair to humiliate him? Most people would remember doing that. Maybe Trump shouldl hire some investigators to check that out. In the end, this boils down to character, and Mittens doesn’t have any.
Cynical Wonder – Maybe none of it’s true and Jason Horowitz and was aping Jason Blair, as Bryan suggests. In any event, the birth certificate issue was important beause of the pesky little thing called the Constitution.
There is no birth certificate issue …
Read my comment carefully. I did not say there is, I said there was.
FIFY: There is no birth certificate …
Josh FIFY There is, it just doesn’t support what you already want to believe.
Please produce this “birth certificate” for us. A believable copy would be a start.
Well, at least we know there was a birth.
According to most liberals, there was a birth and also an immaculate conception. They treat the President as though he was ‘the promised one’. He was, according to the published certificate of live birth, born in Hawaii in a hospital that was not even in existence as the one named on the CoLB. His father was, again according to the CoLB, from Kenya when at the time, Kenya was not Kenya yet but a British Protectorate; and btw, that also makes the President not eligible to be President since as far as I can determine by the Constitution, it takes two citizen parents to father a legally eligible candidate for the Presidency. So yes, there are still some questions re: the ‘birth certificate.
Courmaeghan in 29 Palms, CA
The difference is that the left pushes their conspiracy theories in coordination with the main stream media.
Neither Obama or Romney should be held accountable now for their actions in high school.Especially, if the only evidence are rumors and innuendo.
Or maybe we should focus on Obama taking drugs, shoving a girl, eating a dog. Or maybe we should focus on Obama’s record in office including $5 trillion in new debt with nothing to show for it. What a loser you are cynical wonder.
Cynical,
First, this article is about the appearance that the Washington Post appears to be carrying water for Obama.
Second, Romney said that he did not remember such an incident. Probably because it did not happen. How can I say that?
Third, the family of the supposed victim said it never happened.
Lastly, if you look into the story, there are no first hand accounts. It is all things that people have heard. No one was apparently there. If no one was there, then did it actually happen? As I previously mentioned, not according to the supposed victims family.
So, you call the Republicans hypocrites because we see a major newspaper report something as a fact that apparently is a lie? Please, get real.
You have it bass-ackwards. The problem with Obama’s history is that it is so carefully and thoroughly concealed. On the other hand, his minions scour for every little bit of dirt on opponents and trumpet even the most insignificant things to the skies. And as in this case, lie in the bargain. So really, the shoe is on the other foot: if everybody else’s full life story is fair game, let’s get to Obama’s. Rick Perry’s college transcripts were fodder for the evening news, so let’s see if WaPo will move heaven and earth to get Obama’s. Um, nope.
And finally there is the core dishonesty in this piece. Ostensibly, a mean act in 1965 tells us who Romney is today. How about at least balancing this tripe with a reminder of how he shut the executive offices of Bain Capital down for a week to send everyone to New York to look for a member’s missing daughter? How about a reminder of how he went out on Jet Skis to rescue a woman in a lake? That would at least give a semblance of “fair and balanced.” But no, it’s enough for WaPo to act as Obama’s hit man. Disgusting. And I am no Romney fan.
It’s just the WP seeking a Pulitzer(maybe a Nobel) for fiction. We know
how objective these groups are.
The WaPo owns The Root. Seeing as how hate artist and Obama buddy Henry Gates, Jr. runs it, you don’t really have to be Sherlock Holmes. What is obvious to normal people is like the secret of the Sphinx to a Dem. If McCain had spent 20 years in a church where white people gave standing ovations to every comment that discomfited blacks, he’d be living in a sub-level 6 cellar under Area 51.
The one major issue with the hair clipping incident that has not even been vetted in any way is the crux of the entire expose and that is, was the kid who’s hair got cut gay. In 1965 it was rare for that issue to even come up. If it did it was called being a “Queer” and it was almost never used unless the object was out of the closet. The word “Sissy” was used to insult an effeminate male but never the word “Gay”. If this story had been written to show how Romney was a prankster in high school it would have been fair although not relevant. But to interject an intent and a bias that did not exist nor even imagined by Romney and the other boys is contemptible by the WaPo. The only reason this crappy non-story got printed is that Obama came out of the closet and had to be defended.
I agree with #3. This whole story sounds as if it were made up by someone not alive in 1965. They’re just projecting today’s reality onto the past. The White House came up with another oddly out-of-sync with time story a couple years ago but for the life of me I can’t remember what it was.
There was a long discussion on belmont club here recently on the calculator that Barry was supposed to have in grade school in Hawaii – a couple of years before they were available.
Slogan for the upcoming election: “The 60s were a long time ago.”
Barack Obama: back to the dustbin again.
Barack Obama: government like it was — In the USSR, circa 1968.
“This story on Romney was in preparation for three weeks.” Really? Three weeks of preparation, it’s printed, and it took all of 1 hour for the story to unravel.
Ombudsman is French for lying, sniveling toady.
Swedish, not French
Seems as if the Left wing moonbats the Lame stream EneMedia and the Democrats have declared open season on ANYTHING in a presidential Candidates past. So it follows then that it is time for the Right and republicans to DEMAND access to all Obambi’s HIDDEN Documents, College and School records and transcripts and no photocopies of FAKED certificates will not be acceptable ORIGINALS only. Lets also have a list of all his mentors and associates including the Bisexual, paedophile, Communist Frank Marshall Davis who was introduced to Obambi by his grandfather and of course all the all the Communist, terrorist (both Domestic and Foreign), criminals Homosexuals, Muslims and Black Supremacists that Obambi actively SOUGHT OUT to befriend. Lets also have a full disclosure of when and HOW he changed his name from Barry Soetero to Barack HUSSEIN Obama.
The left wing moonbats and Democrats and their lapdogs in the Lame stream EneMedia have declared by THEIR actions that families , associates and school and College records and behaviour are fair game. So what are the Repubs waiting for “Unleash hell!!!!” on Obambi and his lies and his associates and HIDDEN documents and History.
This is not the time for ‘Holier than thou’ sentimentality the very existence of the USA as we know it is in the balance. God only know there is so much out there about his homosexual, communist, Socialist, terrorist, Islamist, criminal, Union and Black supremacist buddies.
Not to mention all the FAKE photocopied documents and carefully HIDDEN history. Expose him for what he really is you have been given “carte blanche” by the moonbats and Democrats OWN actions. And dont worry about the truth too much , they dont, just get the story out there smears and all – its what THEY do.
In 2008 the WaPo ombudsman wrote an article acknowledging the paper’s coverage of the campaign was slanted towards Obama – three days AFTER the election!!!!! It is just laughable how pathetically biased the MSM is. People are starting to catch on but unfortunately it is still a thumb on the scale of the nation’s elections.
“Pragmatist”, I thought you were ABR? So the moby changes his schtick.
What?!!
???????????????? WTF
The Party of Breitbartius and Atwater and Goldwater and Hoover and Grant is always *especially* cute when feelin’ sorry for themselves like this.
Though considering it is only Governor Romney that is allegedly gettin’ swiftboated, I wonder that the kiddiecons should trouble themselves. Let’s see, ¿how did that bartlettism go? “With most disputes about Religion, ’tis as if two gentlemen were to quarrel (_sc._ fight a duel) over a lady neither of them cares for.”
Happy days.
Let’s see you run your keyboard when Romney stomps Obama and the Republicans have both the House and the Senate. I’ll be looking forward to your comments.
Just keep hammering away: “It’s the ECONOMY, stupid.”
“swiftboated”
Nice going. You libs even invented a new word to disparage the recollections of 200 servicemen that disputed the “memories” of a slimeball that “threw away” his fake medals in front of news media to protest the Vietnam War. Later it was discovered that Kerry never threw them away. The guy was a liar from day one.
My idea is to boycott the NYT. First have a website that just lists all of their lies, then ridicule, then a total right-media silence on anything having to do with them- no links. The right-media loves to use them for outrageous-outrage but if they do we tell them they need to get on board (there are many other outlets for this). No arguments like, ‘I just can’t live without their reviews section’ or something. I think this is a perfect show of muscle, treat a bully how they should be treated, a great object lesson in giving them our own ‘shiny object’ to howl about while we go on to win the elections. I don’t usually participate in consumer goods boycotts because you can so easily end up being hypocritical- no problem with a propaganda outlet. I do not have the pulpit, or time, to try to start this and am throwing it out there for some enterprising somebody. When they shout Unfair, just laugh and give the Lies website. Breitbart Up. #boycottNYT
Oh, pullease!
Who, in his or her right mind pays the slightest bit of attention to the NYT and WaPo any more?
People, we need to appeal to voters we can get. We need every single white male, particularly the knuckle dragging mouth breathers who think the WWF is real. That’s where the Republican numbers need to come from. The rest are all idiots, who are completely immune to logic, anyhow. They pull levers in voting booths because the sun shone that day.
Pandering to the left is pointless and makes those white males wonder whose side you’re really on.
“We need every single white male”
“The rest are all idiots”
Ah, John J neatly captures the PJ worldview.
(From a white male who, unlike those who believe what they read on this site, is part of the reality based community.)
And now back to your regular programming…
Please don’t use the word “Journalist” when describing anyone who works at WAPO. Those people have been trained by liberal professors to be Democrat lap dogs. And, the various universities have done a good job with their brainwashing.
Pexton is out of his mind.
Maybe some incident such as the “haircut” tale could have happened at a prep school in 1975, but not ten years earlier. It’s a prep school, a boarding prep school, we’re discussing. It might be possible for some kids to set up a still somewhere on campus – I’ve read of such things. But no boy would have had long, bleached blond hair at a boarding prep school. Nope. Not. We’re told – in the article – that there was a strict dress code, and getting caught smoking a cigarette was cause for expulsion. So, somehow, a boy with long hair hanging in his face (how a teacher or administrator would see it) gets away with it until some other kids jump him? Really?
I’d buy a lot of hazing stories. I don’t buy this one, and I can’t figure out how the ombudsman does, either.
This story is nonsense and a lie. If I were the Post, I’d spike the rest of the series.
In most prep schools in the 1960′s and 70′s the rules about how to dress were enforced and rules on hair were mostly just as simple as it couldn’t be longer than a boy’s collar. One way to get around this was to let the top grow longer and comb it over the forehead. That style is what appears to have enraged Romney.
“That style is what appears to have enraged Romney.”
And the evidence or proof of that is where? Or is the WaPo article source?
Looking at this from a broader perspective, it’s impossible to not ask, yet again:
How can WAPO et al dig up minutia from 50 years ago (and apparently channel information from those who’ve died), yet they are unable to find or report independent facts regarding Obama’s youth, education, performance, behavior and travels?
Incredible.
“It may be fake, but it is accurate”
signed,
Lucy Ramirez
Of course they think we’re stupid. They’re stupid, and they just know we can’t be smarter than they are…
“The Post’s ombudsman thinks we’re stupid.”
They don’t just think we’re stupid, they know we’re stupid. Obama got elected president, didn’t he?
Look, they got conned. Since they think they are smarter than anyone in the room(even when they are alone), they can’t admit it. It makes them as stupid as the rest of the voters who got conned.
Well so what? The story is still basically right.
Basically right. Let’s not bother with the fact that the family and friends denied it. Facts. Who needs facts.
I don’t expect the WaPo, NYT or any of the alphabet network echo chambers to devote nearly as much time on it, but I would like to read or see something about Elizabeth Warren’s recollections of being carried in a papose and, later, weaving baskets and making acorn mush.
Can you imagine if Warren walked by a Jeep Wrangler instead of a Jeep Cherokee?
The idea of an ombudsman can only work if he is isolated somewhere far from the paper and from Georgetown. Otherwise, he will be trapped in a social incentive structure that will reward toadying and punish criticism. I’m sure this guy is sincere, I just don’t believe him.
The ombudsman’s first duty is to remember who sign his check.
LOOOL the family members that “said” it was factually inaccurate, NEVER spoke to him about the incident!
The facts are wrong, but the narrative is true. Is this another Dan Rather “fake but accurate”?
I have heard of the Post referred to as the compost. I think that is right.
…apparently, if one tells a lie often enough, those on the Left will believe it – even when they know it not to be true. By-the-by, they think hypocrisy means they are ‘Hip’. There are so many things wrong with the mind of a Socialist, however, I’m already 69, don’t have the time to regurgitate the truth – I am very sure, any logical thinking individual will know: Socialism, THE GREAT LIE, actually harms the needy – in the long run (making them dependent, then cutting them off).
Well , At least Romney has a past.
So a newspaper delays a rather large story so it will not conflict with a bigger story. So what? Romney, a big kid and leader of a posse of additional elite rich kids, knocks down and then humiliates a smaller boy, thought to be gay, by cutting off his hair. Romney and his fellow bullies suffer no discipline but the victim is later kicked out of school for smoking a cigarette. You think maybe that’s because Mitt’s daddy was the then sitting Governor?
Romney now claims he can not recall the bullying but does remember the victim adding he never thought he was gay. Such selective memory makes him likely a liar. Or do you like the theory Mitt bullied so many smaller kids that this one just doesn’t stand out?
Then Romney goes into business at Bain where he used money to savage small companies in trouble. What a great guy!
Obama definitely has an advantage over Romney in the business context, since he has never had anything to do with any private business other than a few months at a law firm, where both he and his wife realized it was gonna be tooooo much work and left. But he never RAN so much as a lemonade stand, so he never closed one, either. On the other hand, Mitt has never ruined a whole country’s economy, either, so each can stand on his record.
But as to the “bullying the gay guy” thing, wouldn’t you think the family might have noticed if the kid came home with chopped-up hair, maybe even asked him about it? Of course, if it never happened, Mitt can be excused for not remembering it. But that would make the Democrats who reported the story liars and the WaPo either gullible or aiders and abettors.
I look forward to all the other stories the MSM can find on Mitt. What a shame they didn’t vet The 0 like they are Mitt and like they did Sarah Palin, but with The 0′s weird, complicated past, that would have been just toooo difficult, huh?
That’s only because the majority of its readers ARE.
so other than that, how did Mrs. Lincoln like the play?
I am not a subscriber, but I live in the WaPo fart wake. They scored big with 50 stories on Macaca, so they attempt to reproduce the magic. Thesis-gate didn’t work on Gov. McDonnell. Ni**er Rock created a stir for a time, but Perry self destructed without the Wapo’s help. WaPo can’t help itself; 5000 words of heavily researched clap trap on trivial issues from the distant past. I think they might give up soon. Their self parody is starting to rival The Onion.