Media Bias, Take 200020238366:
Opinion Journal yesterday, and now Rush Limbaugh (god it hurts quoting him- everyone will imediately dismiss it) today, both point out how the media has ‘mainstreamed’ Larry Klayman and Judicial Watch. It is true that Klayman has always descrbied himself and his group as conservative, but why the disparity in the media descriptions. Why is he now just a member of a watchdog group, when before when he attacked anything Democrats did he was a Clinton Hater, etc?
Don’t believe it? Go google Judicial+Watch+Conservative+Clinton .
The first article that appears is this one with this phrase describing Klayman:
He is a frequent guest and dependable Clinton-basher on CNN and other networks, including a network linked to the conservative Free Congress Foundation.
Others report in more detail.
From yesterday’s Opinion Journal:
Ideology: Now You See It, Now You Don’t
In May 2000, the Associated Press published a dispatch about a Judicial Watch lawsuit against Bill Clinton. The dispatch twice referred to Judicial Watch as a “conservative group.”
Yesterday the AP published a dispatch on a threatened Judicial Watch lawsuit against Dick Cheney. The dispatch makes no reference to the group’s ideology, calling it only “a Washington-based watchdog group.”
From Limbaugh’s Website Today:
Klayman heads a group called Judicial Watch, and all through the nineties he constantly sued the Clinton administration. We did some research, and just to give you a sample, check out the way AP has described Klayman’s group in the past:
November 28th, 2000 – “Larry Klayman, chairman and general counsel for Judicial Watch Inc., said the conservative legal firm…”
October 28th, 1998 – “Larry Klayman of the conservative group Judicial Watch…”
December 4th, 1997 – “Larry Klayman, head of the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch…”
September 14th, 1996 -Headline: “Conservative Group Sues First Lady in FBI Files Controversy.”
Now, let’s get back to his suit against the vice president. Note this AP headline and excerpt from Wednesday:
July 11, 2002 – Group Called Judicial Watch Sues Vice President Cheney.
“Judicial Watch, which describes itself as a nonpartisan group, has also sued for access to records of the Cheney-led energy task force…”
Now folks, every time Klayman’s name came up in the nineties, Judicial Watch was described as a conservative watchdog group.
Limbaugh Haters- He is right on this one. He goes on:
Just to prove my point further, I went to the Judicial Watch web site and found the following press release from this past February.
For immediate release: Judicial Watch Investigating Democratic National Committee Chair’s Link To Bankrupt Global Crossing. DNC’s Terry McAuliffe turned $100,000 investment into $18 million. (Company’s accounting practices questioned)
Did Peter Jennings, Robin Roberts, Judy Woodruff, or any of the others report this? No! They didn’t report it, and had they, they would have called this a conservative watchdog extremist group in Washington. But Klayman sues Cheney and all of a sudden he’s legit. Go figure.
Mainstream Media- They Report, They Decide.