Rich Noyes can't be this dumb, can he?
July 21, 2009 11:37 am ET by Jamison Foser
Newsbusters' Rich Noyes is irritated that ABC, CBS, and NBC all decided not to devote their news broadcasts to coverage of the 40th anniversary of Sen. Edward Kennedy's car accident at Chappaquiddick.
I know, I know -- you think I'm making this up. The conservative media critique can't possibly boil down to whining that news broadcasts fail to "report" on the anniversary of Chappaquiddick. But it does:
While the big liberal media usually find it hard to skip any news related to the Kennedy family, ABC, CBS and NBC breathed not a word about Saturday's 40th anniversary of Chappaquiddick.
...
The Saturday and Sunday New York Times and Washington Post also had nothing about Chappaquiddick.
Wow, conservative-style media criticism is easy! Let's give it a try: Other "anniversaries" the "big liberal media" doesn't report on: the "anniversary" of the time Newt Gingrich dumped his wife in her hospital room so he could marry his mistress and the "anniversary" of Pat Buchanan's memo in support of segregation. Bias!
How about the anniversary of Republican Governor and Congressman Bill Janklow's manslaughter conviction, which resulted from his reckless driving?
Dick Cheney's DUIs?
Dick Cheney's shooting of his friend?
George W. Bush's DUIs?
The George W. Bush cocaine possession charge that was covered up by his father's powerful friends?
Republican Congressman Ken Calvert's dodging of an arrest in 1993 after he was caught with a prostitute in his car?
The death of Republican Congressman's staff member Lori Klausutis in Scarborough's Florida office?
I could go on, but my point is clear -- selective memories and faux outrage on the part of conservatives and Republicans.
In addition, it's worth remembering that there were no witnesses to Kennedy's and Kopechne's car accident. Kennedy could have said he wasn't present, but instead he plead guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. Further, a grand jury reopened the investigation after Kennedy's plea, but did not return an indictment.
Finally, it's worth pointing out that there are PLENTY of media stories about the 40th anniversary of this event. Here's one. The idea that it's not being covered is ludicrous. A better question might be why it's being covered at all.
We all know how republicans and conservatives LOVE to castigate Kennedy for this tragic episode in his life, and they LOVE to bring it up whenever they have a chance (just like they always bring up Byrd's KKK membership). But, indeed, 40 years have past. Kennedy did very wrong, and should have been punished for what happened, 40 years ago. He's since made amends many times over (as has the other guy I mentioned, Byrd), and has since that time become probably one of, if not THE best Senator this country has ever had.