NBC, CBS uncritically aired Putnam's claim that GOP forced out Foley after learning of sexually explicit IMs
SUMMARY: Newscasts on NBC and CBS uncritically aired a clip of Rep. Adam Putnam claiming that Republicans "acted proactively" and "aggressively" in demanding Rep. Mark Foley's resignation. In fact, Foley reportedly resigned after being told by ABC News that it was going to make public sexually explicit instant messages linked to him, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert's own statements regarding the events leading up to Foley's resignation have been contradictory.
On the October 8 edition of NBC's Nightly News Weekend Edition, NBC News correspondent Chip Reid uncritically aired a clip of Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) falsely claiming that "within hours of the explicit emails [allegedly from then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) to an underage page] coming to light," House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's (R-IL) office "acted proactively" and "aggressively" in "demand[ing] Foley's resignation." Similarly, on the October 8 edition of CBS' Evening News, CBS News Washington correspondent Joie Chen also uncritically aired Putnam's assertion that Hastert's office "acted proactively" and "aggressively" against Foley. Putnam made the claim on the October 8 edition of ABC's This Week. In fact, a prior statement by Hastert himself contradicts Putnam's claim.
Though Putnam referred to emails, he was presumably referring to the sexually explicit instant messages Foley allegedly sent to an underage page. Foley resigned on September 29, reportedly after being told by ABC News that it was going to make public the instant messages allegedly linked to him; ABC had earlier reported on an email exchange between Foley and an underage page. Moreover, in his first public statement on the Foley scandal, Hastert acknowledged that the House leadership played no role in Foley's resignation; Hastert later changed his story, as Media Matters for America documented.
Reporting on the "furious debate over whom to blame for the Foley scandal," NBC's Reid aired comments from House Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Putnam but failed to rebut Putman's claim that Hastert's office forced Foley to resign:
REID: On the Sunday talk shows, a furious debate over whom to blame for the Foley scandal. Rahm Emanuel, head of the House Democratic campaign committee pointing directly at House Republican leaders.
EMANUEL [clip from ABC News' This Week]: When he wants to retire, they ask him to run for re-election in 2006 even knowing clearly there's something amiss and wrong here.
REID: But Republican Adam Putnam says there's only one culprit: Foley himself.
PUTNAM [clip from ABC News' This Week]: The speaker's office acted proactively. They acted aggressively and within hours -- within hours of the explicit emails coming to light, they demanded Foley's resignation.
REID: Putnam appeared on the show because of the Foley scandal, sitting in for Congressman Tom Reynolds, head of the Republican campaign committee. He's in upstate New York struggling to hold on to his job.
Also reporting on the Foley scandal and referring to Putnam, Chen noted that the GOP had "rustl[ed] up a last-minute stand-in to defend party leaders" on This Week amid reports that Rep. Thomas Reynolds (R-NY) canceled his appearance. Chen's report uncritically aired part of Putnam's false claim that Hastert's office "acted proactively" and "aggressively" against Foley.
From the October 8 edition of CBS' Evening News:
CHEN: Reynolds, the pointman for the GOP campaign effort, bailed out of a national TV appearance this morning, rustling up a last-minute stand-in to defend party leaders.
PUTNAM [clip from ABC News' This Week]: The speaker's office acted proactively. They acted aggressively.
CHEN: But even as Republicans try to close the door on the Foley story, new details emerge. A former page tells today's Los Angeles Times he had sex with Foley, but only after he'd left the program and was 21 years old. That former page says he has not been officially questioned by anyone yet. But remember, we're only in the early stages, Russ [Mitchell, anchor]. The House ethics committee and the FBI are in the early stages of their investigation and will begin questioning witnesses this week.
The republicans did and are still doing is try to spin this thing every which way, and place the blame on the democrats, and specifically Bill Clinton, who is responsible for every bad thing that has ever happened in the entire history of the world.
after you're busted.
PUTNAM [clip from ABC News' This Week]: The speaker's office acted proactively. They acted aggressively and within hours -- within hours of the explicit emails coming to light, they demanded Foley's resignation.
Cockroaches react within a split second of their activity coming to light. It doesn't mean they weren't up to something before you hit the switch.
The license they take in ... well, just the words that are used ...is embarrassing. Redefining moments minute-to-minute.
Aside from the fact that this new spin contradicts what Denny Hastert originally said, the Republicans appear to be saying: 'We asked Mark Foley to quit all on our own... Karl didn't didn't even have to tell us to do it!" LOL... what a bunch of jerks.
he's the Rep for my district, so I should know...
the reporter who called Foley's office was on Democracy Now and explained this whole thing... they called his office and asked if Foley would like to comment on the (then unknown to the public) allegations from the page... an hour later Foley's office called the reporter back and said Foley was resigning... right from the horse's mouth... rather than from the horse's *ss (Putnam)
They can't seem to keep it straight - they asked for his resignation, Foley resigned on his own, they didn't know anything, they've known for years. Oh, where are the reporters who will nail them on these lies?
There seems to be no end to the forum for a parade of excuses, no matter how outrageous, but actual reporting on the event? The only thing that matters now is the story doesn't seem to die (bold) and that ain't good for the Elephants.
C'mon folks...maybe ther was an attempt to cover up...but lets be real here. The elephants aren't the only political group that has attempted a coverup... Do the names Gerry Studds, Barney Frank, or my favorite guy in the world..Mel Reynolds ring a bell? The asses kept re-electing Studds, Franks still likes his pages bent, and King Clinton let Reynolds out of prison.. Oh, how little we remember....
The GOP has tried to establish iteself as the party of values. And that has proven to be a tissue of lies.
It doesn't make any difference what others have or have not done. The Republicans - and the Democrats - and everyone else - must rise or fall on their individual merits.
The "new" Republican defense is "Well, Bill Clinton is worse." So what?
the coverup - On Sunday's Face the Nation, Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill) tried to talk up "Dennie" Hastert's willingness to deal with corrupt Republican legislators.
The problem is that Dennie only took action after the Rep's transgressions became public.
Look at Rep. LaHood's examples - Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham and Bob Ney. Read the transcript - Rep. LaHood said it himself. Mr. Hastert took care of business after the sins became public - not before.
And Dennie should have seen Mark Foley was acting in the classic manner of the child abuser. But he didn't.