Not Tax - Political Bias of the media

[BulldogTom]

I was just on MSN.com and I see that the Governor of NY is being charged in a prostitution sting. Because I like seeing the mighty fall, I click on the article. I assume it will tell me what party he is from, but theer is no mention, not even a (D) behind his name. They never mention the Democratic party in the whole article. I had to look it up on a search engine to find out he is a Dem.

Could you imagine if that was a conservative republican what the headline would be?

Just getting political on a slow day.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[Mel in Hawaii]

Personally, they were showing their 'non-bias' in not mentioning it, were they not?

What I find worse is when these guys were the ones who were slamming the prostitutes and johns and then turn around are caught for what they were despising (substitute gambling, drugs, whatever).

[BulldogTom]

This guy was a former attorney general. Cool huh?

As to showing restraint or lack of bias, it only happens when it is a democrat. Look at how the media did not go after Pres Clinton when he was caught with his pants down in the oval office, but when Newt and Livingston were caught in affairs, they persecuted them.

I also find it interesting that they have not pushed on Obama's past so hard. Personally, I think everything you did from the time before you turned 30 should not count in politics (you know, we do grow up at some point), but I am cynical about the media, and I don't think they are laying off their favorite candidate just because they don't think it is right to go back to his youth. The media want him elected. It is fun to see Hillary on the outside looking in this time when the mainstream media is showing bias against her. She has been squealing like a stuck pig. I find it laughable. When her husband had the teflon coating, the media was fair and unbiased. Now, she is seeing life from the other side. Cracks me up.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[joanmcq]

The difference is that Newt & Livingston (and most of the Reps) screamed so much about what a moral lowlife Clinton was for having an affair. So they are getting beaned for being hypocrites, not so much for having an affair. I really dont care what consenting adults do behind closed doors, but if you try to persecute me or mine for being immoral, dont get caught doing it yourself.

[jainen]

>>what consenting adults do behind closed doors<<

Y'all being duped again, my friends. What went on behind closed doors was not consensual sex. And Tom, this certainly isn't about political affiliation.

The investigation was started by some banks who noticed suspicious financial activity at the highest level of state government. Was it bribery, illegal campaign finance, money laundering? Then the White House steps in, and all of a sudden it's gone -- just hookers, nothing to see here, move along everyone. The governor's really sorry, look, here's his faithful wife.

[Gail in Virginia]

>>what consenting adults do behind closed doors<<

Y'all being duped again, my friends. What went on behind closed doors was not consensual sex. And Tom, this certainly isn't about political affiliation.

The investigation was started by some banks who noticed suspicious financial activity at the highest level of state government. Was it bribery, illegal campaign finance, money laundering? Then the White House steps in, and all of a sudden it's gone -- just hookers, nothing to see here, move along everyone. The governor's really sorry, look, here's his faithful wife.

Now I am curious. I had heard that suspicious banking activity began the investigation, but I thought that paying the hooker(s) explained that. Am I being naive? I would not have thought the republican white house would step in to protect a democratic governor, but I don't keep up with things as well during tax season as the rest of the year. What did I miss?

[fredazcpa]

>>what consenting adults do behind closed doors<<

Y'all being duped again, my friends. What went on behind closed doors was not consensual sex. And Tom, this certainly isn't about political affiliation.

The investigation was started by some banks who noticed suspicious financial activity at the highest level of state government. Was it bribery, illegal campaign finance, money laundering? Then the White House steps in, and all of a sudden it's gone -- just hookers, nothing to see here, move along everyone. The governor's really sorry, look, here's his faithful wife.

And if you believe nothing is going on, I have some beach front property in AZ I will sell you for top dollar

[joanmcq]

Heck, who knows whats going on...I cancel my paper during tax season. Actually went through february this year before it got put on hold.

[OldJack]

>>I cancel my paper during tax season.<<

Shoot.. I canceled my paper years ago because I got tired of all the liberal bios and democratic propaganda. Our news media are out of control and never tell it like it is. It has to be sensational or they will try to make it sensational or they will just say anything believing that we will accept what they say.

I had a good laugh today when our TV weather lady told us all that the tornado sirens (tested today) were not designed to be heard if you were not outside. She's not from around here and I'll bet she has never seen the bad weather we have with tornadoes in this part of the country. LOL

[kcjenkins]

>>what consenting adults do behind closed doors<<

Y'all being duped again, my friends. What went on behind closed doors was not consensual sex. And Tom, this certainly isn't about political affiliation.

The investigation was started by some banks who noticed suspicious financial activity at the highest level of state government. Was it bribery, illegal campaign finance, money laundering? Then the White House steps in, and all of a sudden it's gone -- just hookers, nothing to see here, move along everyone. The governor's really sorry, look, here's his faithful wife.

Where did you see anything about the White House getting involved? I've been following this story, but have seen nothing about any intervention from DC at all.

From an AP story:

By the time the scandal broke this week, Spitzer's financial transactions had been monitored, his phone calls had been caught on tape, and his actions had been scrutinized by federal prosecutors. It could have been straight out of the Spitzer prosecution playbook.

A person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press that the probe began with a referral from banks to an Internal Revenue Service office on Long Island about suspicious transactions involving accounts ultimately traced to Spitzer. The IRS studied the records and then referred the case to federal prosecutors in October. It was then assigned to the public corruption unit of the federal prosecutor's office in Manhattan.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a law enforcement official said Tuesday that Spitzer, in fact, had spent tens of thousands of dollars with the Emperors Club. Another official said the amount could be as high as $80,000. But it was not clear over what period of time that was spent.

From a CBS story:

Sources tell CBS 2 HD the governor knows this and is using his defense team, led by Michele Hirshman, to leverage his resignation against potential charges he may face.

When asked what the best-case scenario is for Spitzer, Fischetti said, "No charges, absolute resignation and contrition. I think the worst that could happen is a felony plea on a number of charges they could lodge against him."

Fischetti says that as a former prosecutor himself, Spitzer would not want to plead guilty to a felony that could carry jail time, like tax evasion, money laundering or bringing a prostitute across state lines.

"The main thing I would do is not plead to a felony because if he does that his law license is toast," Fischetti said. "He can't practice law anymore."

Sources tell CBS 2 HD that Team Spitzer spent much of the day in talks with U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia and his aides. The failure to reach an agreement may have to do with the pressure Garcia feels to make an example of Spitzer.

"It's very important that [Garcia] expresses to the public that everyone is treated alike and he doesn't charge someone who was the Attorney General and prosecuted crimes he will be subject to a lot of criticism if he lets [spitzer] go because he was the governor," Fischetti said.

[jainen]

>>the White House getting involved?<<

This wasn't rounding up a few johns at the local precinct, kc. The bust was made by the FBI, a.k.a. the U.S. Department of Justice. Do you think they moved on the governor of New York without telling their boss, Attorney General Mukasey, who just happens to be a top White House Official sitting next to the Secretary of the Treasury (a.k.a. IRS) in the cabinet meeting chaired by George Bush?

You know they went into this looking for dirt in a Democratic candidate's home state party. But they found something else, and had to go to Plan B, the old reliable sex scandal. How likely is it that this experienced prosecutor set up a paper trail of shell corporations to pay call girls? At least his predecessor kept it all within his own departmental budgets.

And note that the administration is not content to let the wheels of justice follow the well-worn ruts. The CBS story you quote says the U.S. attorney assigned to the case is still under pressure to make sure the accused doesn't get his side of the story out. Something's going on.

[JohnH]

Now that I think about it, this should have been obvious to me - IT'S ALL GEORGE BUSH'S FAULT.

There's clearly no other explanation.

I'll bet he dispatched Karl Rove to set up the poor old governor.

Since Rove's not in the White House he can carry out all sorts of undercover mischief.

Gotta keep that vast right-wing conspiracy machine in good working order.

[BulldogTom]

I just find it interesting that when it is a Democrat, the story goes "NY Governor implicated...." and when it is a Republican the story goes "Republican Governor of NY implicated...."

This morning, MSN does not mention a party until it says Republican opponents of the Governor are looking for his ouster while Democratic allies are waiting for a sign from him. The writing is so slanted. It puts the Republicans in such a bad light, like this Governor is some lilly white angel being smeared by the other party. And his loyal friends are so pure and willing to support him, waiting for the truth to come out before they pass judgement. It makes me sick the slanting of the journalism.

Personally, I feel sorry for his wife, who was trotted out by her husband to show support for him at a press conference. The kids have to be mortified. Yet he continues to play political games. I hope they send him to a beautiful alternative housing facility (that is the pc way to say prison) at Rikers Island.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[kcjenkins]

>>the White House getting involved?<<

This wasn't rounding up a few johns at the local precinct, kc. The bust was made by the FBI, a.k.a. the U.S. Department of Justice. Do you think they moved on the governor of New York without telling their boss, Attorney General Mukasey, who just happens to be a top White House Official sitting next to the Secretary of the Treasury (a.k.a. IRS) in the cabinet meeting chaired by George Bush?

You know they went into this looking for dirt in a Democratic candidate's home state party. But they found something else, and had to go to Plan B, the old reliable sex scandal. How likely is it that this experienced prosecutor set up a paper trail of shell corporations to pay call girls? At least his predecessor kept it all within his own departmental budgets.

And note that the administration is not content to let the wheels of justice follow the well-worn ruts. The CBS story you quote says the U.S. attorney assigned to the case is still under pressure to make sure the accused doesn't get his side of the story out. Something's going on.

Now your bias is showing, Jainen. This was started by the banks [plural] that he was moving these large amounts through. And while I am sure that the GOP does not mind that this might give the Dems in NY a bit of a black eye, it really does not have anything to do with "the White House". It's not like the GOP 'tricked' him into this situation, is it? [pun intended]

And to go back to my original question, which was never answered, where did you get the "Then the White House steps in, and all of a sudden it's gone --" ? That was what I did not understand about your post.

[jainen]

>>my original question, which was never answered<<

As we get more information, we are noticing some very odd, apparently political timing about this thing. The Washington Post, for example (which is not normally reviled as the liberal media), reports that it was a pretty standard IRS investigation of banking irregularities for several years. In fact, they assumed Spitzer was the victim of a scam. In January the justice department (which as I said is tightly run by a top White House official) set up a wiretap and a surveillance sting. This nailed the prostitution ring but the governor turned out to not be involved at that time, so they didn't do anything about anything. Later they developed a new connection, and so immediately moved on the governor.

I don't know. It all seems very weird to me. But not as weird as saying the Justice Department brought down the administration of one of the largest states without bothering to ask the Justice Department.

[Janitor Bob]

>>my original question, which was never answered<<

As we get more information, we are noticing some very odd, apparently political timing about this thing. The Washington Post, for example (which is not normally reviled as the liberal media), reports that it was a pretty standard IRS investigation of banking irregularities for several years. In fact, they assumed Spitzer was the victim of a scam. In January the justice department (which as I said is tightly run by a top White House official) set up a wiretap and a surveillance sting. This nailed the prostitution ring but the governor turned out to not be involved at that time, so they didn't do anything about anything. Later they developed a new connection, and so immediately moved on the governor.

I don't know. It all seems very weird to me. But not as weird as saying the Justice Department brought down the administration of one of the largest states without bothering to ask the Justice Department.

I like fruit salad, but the fruit is only really good in the summer months