Dimsdale
Captain
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 527
Location: Massachusetts: the belly of the beast
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 Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 2:09 pm Post subject: Equal looks at military service (Boston Globe) |
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Fast talking by the Globe. They must have gotten a load of emails!!
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/09/13/equal_looks_at_military_service/
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THE OMBUDSMAN | CHRISTINE CHINLUND
Equal looks at military service
By Christine Chinlund | September 13, 2004
INDIGNANT Bush supporters claim that bias and lies permeate stories critical of the president. Equally indignant Kerry backers cry foul about similarly skeptical accounts of their side. Lost in the crossfire is a lot of informed critical reflection.
Here is an attempt to sort out at least a few of the issues that have dominated the ombudsman mailbox in recent days.
Story at issue: Wednesday's Page 1 story suggesting President Bush failed to meet his National Guard commitments.
The complaint: The Globe is biased because it has not gone after Democrat John Kerry's military records with equal vigor.
"How come the Boston Globe can't or won't get John Kerry's military records and diary and report on the contents? Why doesn't the Globe force the issue with the Kerry campaign? This is . . . a credibility issue for the Globe," wrote a reader from Winchester, echoing others.
Of note: The Globe has its flaws, but failing to pursue Kerry's military records is not one of them. Beginning in May 2003 the Globe sought, in writing and in person, all documents relating to Kerry's military service. Not satisfied with what was initially available, it asked Kerry to sign a Privacy Act waiver, which would have made public the records kept by the military. He refused. Separately, Globe reporter Michael Kranish combed the Naval archives.
"We've asked for everything again and again," says Kranish. The result of the Globe's research was published in two biographical efforts on Kerry -- a June 2003 series and a spring 2004 book. The Globe kept up the pressure, publishing in late April a story calling attention to unreleased records. That prompted the campaign to make public another round of documents.
"We have pursued both candidates' records with equal vigor . . . " says Globe Editor Martin Baron. (Oh really? Was Kerry SUED for his military records?) "The book, series, and various stories were based on extensive research into Kerry's military records and an unrelenting pursuit of every record we could get our hands on." The Globe, he added, "gave in-depth, front-page treatment to questions surrounding Kerry's first Purple Heart in mid-April, well before other media. . ." All together, the military records obtained by the Globe have provided more detail than revelation about Kerry's service years. They confirmed the relatively minor nature of the wounds that won him Purple Hearts in Vietnam, and documented the acts of bravery that won him the Silver and Bronze stars.
The Kerry campaign says it has now released all relevant documents. Without Kerry's Privacy Act waiver, there's no way to confirm that. But if the Globe has not seen everything worth seeing, it's not for lack of trying. |
You notice that there is no comment on their more or less continued support of the CBS defense of the forged memos that spurred "Wednesday's Page 1 story suggesting President Bush failed to meet his National Guard commitments?" All the explanations and subsequent coverage was on Saturday, far from the front page.
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Everytime he had a choice, Kerry chose to side with communists rather than the United States. |
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