Novak wrote that Harlow's "allegation against me is
so patently incorrect and so abuses my integrity as a journalist that I
feel constrained to reply."
Right-wing
columnist Robert Novak's new attack on former Ambassador Joseph Wilson --
that he was "discarded a year ago by the Kerry presidential campaign" --
recycled a disputed report from Talon News correspondent Jeff Gannon,
who was unmasked earlier this year as a pro-Republican operative working
under an assumed name.
In an Aug. 1 column, Novak cited the Kerry
campaign's supposed rejection of Wilson to further denigrate the former
ambassador, who has become a bete noire to Republicans since he
charged in an opinion article on July 6, 2003, that the Bush
administration "twisted" intelligence on Iraq’s nuclear weapons program.
Eight days later, on July 14, 2003, Novak exposed
the fact that Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, worked at the Central
Intelligence Agency, an outing of a covert officer that has sparked a
two-year investigation into whether Bush administration officials
violated legal prohibitions against disclosing the identity of a CIA
officer.
Novak has refused publicly to answer questions
about his role in the case -- including what he may have told a federal
grand jury about his administration sources -- but he penned the Aug. 1
column to challenge former CIA spokesman Bill Harlow for claiming that
he warned Novak about the potential danger in naming Plame.
Assault on Wilson
Novak's column also resumed the Right's
long-running assault on Wilson's credibility. Near the end of the
column, Novak wrote that "Joseph Wilson was discarded a year ago by the
Kerry presidential campaign after the Senate [intelligence] committee
reported that much of what he [Wilson] said 'had no basis in fact.'"
However, Novak’s sentence appears to be wrong on
both its points. The Senate Intelligence Committee did not conclude that
Wilson’s statements about the Iraqi intelligence "had no basis in fact."
That was a phrase that Novak culled from "additional views" of three
Republican senators.
The full committee refused to accept that opinion
written by Sen. Pat Roberts and backed by two other conservative
Republicans -- Christopher Bond and Orrin Hatch -- yet Novak left the
impression that the phrase was part of what he called "a unanimous
Senate intelligence committee report" released in July 2004.
The other part of Novak’s attack on Wilson -- about
his supposed repudiation by Sen. John Kerry's Democratic campaign -- can
be traced back to a story by Talon News' former White House
correspondent Jeff Gannon, whose real name is James Guckert.
On July 27, 2004, just over a year ago, a Talon News story under
Gannon's byline reported that Wilson "has apparently been jettisoned
from the Kerry campaign." The article based its assumption on the fact
that "all traces" of Wilson "had disappeared from the Kerry Web site."
The Talon News article reported that "Wilson had appeared on a Web
site www.restorehonesty.com where he restated his criticism of the Bush
administration. The link now goes directly to the main page of
www.johnkerry.com and no reference to Wilson can be found on the entire
site."
A Web Redesign
But Peter Daou, who headed the Kerry campaign's online rapid
response, said the disappearance of Wilson's link -- along with many
other Web pages -- resulted from a redesign of Kerry's Web site at the
start of the general election campaign, not a repudiation of Wilson.
"I wasn't aware of any directive from senior Kerry staff to 'discard'
Joe Wilson or do anything to Joe Wilson for that matter," said Daou, who
now publishes the "Daou Report" at Salon.com. "It just got lost in the
redesign of the Web site, as did dozens and dozens of other pages."
Gannon/Guckert, who wrote frequently
about the Wilson-Plame case in 2003-2004, came under suspicion as a
covert Republican operative in January 2005 when he put a question to
George W. Bush at a presidential news conference that contained a false
assertion about Democrats and prompted concerns that Gannon/Guckert was
a plant.
Later, liberal Web sites discovered that
Gannon was a pseudonym for Guckert, who had posted nude photos of
himself on gay-male escort sites. It also turned out that Talon News was
owned by GOPUSA, whose president Robert Eberle is a prominent Texas
Republican activist.
Though Gannon/Guckert had been refused a
congressional press pass, he secured daily passes to the White House
press briefing under his real name, Guckert. As a controversy built over
the Bush administration paying for favorable news stories, Gannon/Guckert
resigned from Talon News on Feb. 8 and its Web site effectively shut
down.
However, a copy of the Talon News article
about Wilson and his supposed rejection by the Kerry campaign remains on
the Internet at
FreeRepublic.com.
Besides taking swipes at Wilson, Novak's Aug. 1
column lambasted supposed "misinformation" from former CIA spokesman
Harlow.
Novak wrote that Harlow's "allegation against me is
so patently incorrect and so abuses my integrity as a journalist that I
feel constrained to reply." But Novak's complaint against Harlow looks
like a classic case of splitting hairs.
Novak notes that Harlow told the Washington Post
that Plame, who worked as a CIA officer on weapons of mass destruction,
"had not authorized" sending her husband on a mission to Niger to
investigate suspicions that Iraq was trying to buy processed uranium,
called yellowcake. Novak said he never wrote that Plame "authorized" the
trip, but only that she "suggested" it.
The next time Robert Novak decides to use "Fake News" for the sake of his integrity, he should stick to the "Daily Show", because Jon Stewart is more accurate than Jeff Gannon and the stories are funnier.
08/04/05 UPDATE: Novak Freaks on the CNN Set! As has been reported, Robert Novak stormed off the set
of " Inside Politics" today during a session with James Carville while
they were talking about Katherine Harris. (Was it the make-up!) He yelled " This is bullshit" and walked off the set
after Carville did his usual ribbing of Novakula. Do you think the
Valerie Plame affair is stressing out Bob? James didn't even give it to
him like he usually does.
08/05/05 UPDATE: When will Accuracy in Media et al., or whatever other group Brent Bozell uses these days, start piping in the calls to the FCC demanding a fine for Novak for saying "bullshit on-air". (ed.note:
Yes, obviously, the FCC has no authority to levy a fine since CNN is
cable TV. But can't Brent Bozell still stomp up and down and say
something terrible has to happen to him?) Novak agrees to "take some time off" from CNN.
Does this mean that MSNBC will give Novak his own show?
I am writing you with much concern after having read
of your hearing
to decide whether the alternative theory of
Intelligent Design should
be taught along with the theory of
Evolution. I think we can all agree
that it is important for students
to hear multiple viewpoints so they
can choose for themselves the
theory that makes the most sense to them.
I am concerned,
however, that students will only hear one theory of
Intelligent
Design.
Let us
remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent
Design.
I and many others around the world are of the
strong belief that the universe
was created by a Flying Spaghetti
Monster.
It was He who created all that we see and all
that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific
evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a
coincidence, put in place by Him.
It is for
this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this
alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other
two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree
to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the
Intelligent Design theory
is not based on faith, but instead another
scientific theory, as is claimed,
then you must also allow our theory
to be taught, as it is also based
on science, not on
faith.
Some find that hard to
believe, so it may be helpful to tell you a little more about our
beliefs. We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the
universe. None of us, of course, were around to see it, but we have
written accounts of it. We have several lengthy volumes explaining all
details of His power. Also, you may be surprised to hear that there are
over 10 million of us, and growing. We tend to be very secretive,
as many people claim our beliefs are not substantiated by observable
evidence. What these people don’t understand is that He built the
world to make us think the earth is older than it really is. For
example, a scientist may perform a carbon-dating process on an
artifact. He finds that approximately 75% of the Carbon-14 has
decayed by electron emission to Nitrogen-14, and infers that this
artifact is approximately 10,000 years old, as the half-life of
Carbon-14 appears to be 5,730 years. But what our scientist does
not realize is that every time he makes a measurement, the Flying
Spaghetti Monster is there changing the results with His Noodly
Appendage.
We have numerous texts that describe in
detail how this can be possible
and the reasons why He does this. He
is of course invisible and can pass
through normal matter with ease.
I’m sure you now realize how important it is
that your students
are taught this alternate theory. It is absolutely
imperative that they
realize that observable evidence is at the
discretion of a Flying Spaghetti
Monster. Furthermore, it is
disrespectful to teach our beliefs without
wearing His chosen outfit,
which of course is full pirate regalia. I cannot
stress the
importance of this, and unfortunately cannot describe in detail
why
this must be done as I fear this letter is already becoming too long.
The concise explanation is that He becomes angry if we don’t.
You may be interested to know that
global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes,
and other natural disasters
are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers
of Pirates since the
1800s.
For your interest, I have included a graph of the
approximate number of pirates versus the average global temperature
over the last 200 years. As you can see, there is a statistically
significant inverse relationship between pirates and global
temperature.
In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to hear our views
and beliefs.
I hope I was able to convey the importance of teaching
this theory to
your students. We will of course be able to train the
teachers in this
alternate theory. I am eagerly awaiting your
response, and hope dearly
that no legal action will need to be taken.
I think we can all look forward
to the time when these three theories
are given equal time in our science
classrooms across the country,
and eventually the world; One
third time for
Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and
one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming
observable evidence.
Sincerely
Yours,
Bobby Henderson, concerned
citizen.
08/05/05 UPDATE: Responses from two members of the Kansas School Board
Thanks for your comments about the Flying Spaghetti Monster and all the
supporters who have sent their support to members of the Kansas Board
of Education. I am supporting the recommendations of the science
committee and am currently in the minority. I think your theory is
wonderful and possibly some of the majority members will be willing to
support it.
Thanks again,
Dear Mr. Henderson, Thanks for your message. Thanks for the laugh. Your
web site is fascinating. I will add your theory to a long list of
alternative theories I intend to introduce when it is appropriate. I am
practicing how to do this with a straight face which is difficult since
it's such a ridiculous subject; it is also very sad that we are even
having the discussion. I will be one of the four member minority who will be voting against
the flawed science standards currently being proposed by the six member
majority.
Sincerely,
Sue Gamble
And what rough beast, it's hour come round at last
slouches toward Bethlehem to be born? W. B. Yeats
In the song of the musical duo of Sonny & Cher - "The Beat Goes On"
Bobby,
Today I was blessed to receive a divine revelation from our Almighty
Flying Spaghetti Monster. I have the privilege of informing you that it
is His will that I become His Bride, in order that the Savior of
mankind (who is to be called Macaroni) may be born on this earth. The
FSM has revealed to me that your body is to be the vehicle by which his holy seed shall be transmitted in earthly form.
To that end, I have reserved a room for us at the Best Western
Airport Inn, Boise, Idaho, for the evening of [removed]. I will be the
woman wearing the WWFSMD t-shirt and eye patch.
I look forward to meeting you and fulfilling the will of our noodly
master.
Voter disenfranchisement expert Katherine Harris complained today that
newspapers have artificially “colorized” photographs of her, thus
damaging her public image: the mean liberal media “colorized” her photos to accentuate her blue
eye shadow in order to make fun of her during the 2000 presidential
recounts.
The fact that no pictures with the aforementioned eye shadow can be
found is just part of the plot. Really. And the idea that most people
actually saw Harris on TV rather than in print is just a distraction,
or maybe CNN employed legions of kids with crayons to mark up the live
video feeds as they went out. Or something.
On Monday, on a conservative radio talk show, Harris,
now a congresswoman from Longboat Key running for the U.S. Senate, hit
back, blaming newspapers for the criticism and charging that some -
without saying which - altered her photographs.
“I’m actually
very sensitive about those things, and it’s personally painful,'’
Harris said when host Sean Hannity asked about her image problems from
2000.
“But they’re outrageously false, No. 1, and No. 2, you
know, whenever they made fun of my makeup, it was because the
newspapers colorized my photograph,'’ Harris said.
She didn’t explain what she meant by “colorized.'’
Asked Tuesday to point to an altered photograph, Harris and her staff could not.
Her
response to the question, said spokesman Adam Goodman, was, “I haven’t
worn blue eye shadow since the seventh grade when I was in the Girl
Scouts.'’ She didn’t name a newspaper that showed blue eye shadow.
……
Most newspapers, including the Tribune, forbid changing photographic images.
“Manipulating
an image in any form is not allowed'’ by The Associated Press, which
distributes photos to newspapers nationwide, said David Ake, AP
national deputy photography director. “We’re pretty adamant about that.
We have terminated people for it.'’
Ake was AP photo editor in Florida during the 2000 recount, “and I can tell you we did no manipulation whatever,'’ he said.
Some
political experts say Harris’ charge makes little sense because most
Americans got their visual image of Harris from television.
At
least two Harris news conferences in November 2000, detailing her
decision to enforce a deadline and forbid recount results, got national
TV coverage.
“Of course it wasn’t newspapers, it was
television,'’ said Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the
University of Virginia. “I can remember watching her and thinking she
learned all the wrong makeup lessons from Al Gore in the debates.'’
Beauty is skin deep, but rabid wingnuttery goes all the way to the bone.
Right-wing
columnist Robert Novak's new attack on former Ambassador Joseph Wilson --
that he was "discarded a year ago by the Kerry presidential campaign" --
recycled a disputed report from Talon News correspondent Jeff Gannon,
who was unmasked earlier this year as a pro-Republican operative working
under an assumed name.
I am writing you with much concern after having read
of your hearing
to decide whether the alternative theory of
Intelligent Design should
be taught along with the theory of
Evolution. I think we can all agree
that it is important for students
to hear multiple viewpoints so they
can choose for themselves the
theory that makes the most sense to them.
I am concerned,
however,
