Gibson baselessly alleged media double standard on Webb gun incident
SUMMARY: On The Big Story, John Gibson claimed that Sen. Jim Webb was "largely getting a pass" from the media over the arrest of a senior Webb aide who allegedly entered a Senate building with a loaded pistol that belongs to Webb. In fact, several major news outlets have covered the story.
On the March 27 edition of Fox News' The Big Story, host John Gibson claimed that Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) was "largely getting a pass" from the media regarding a March 26 episode in which a senior Webb aide allegedly entered a Senate building with a loaded pistol that belongs to the senator -- an incident Webb has described as "inadvertent." Gibson went on to imagine a "slightly different set of circumstances" in which a "hard-core Republican senator ... had an aide who was caught carrying the senator's loaded pistol around." After "devis[ing]" this hypothetical scenario, Gibson concluded: "I think there would be far more made of this issue if the political affiliation were reversed."
But contrary to Gibson's claim that Webb has been "getting a pass," several media outlets -- in addition to Gibson's own Fox News Channel -- have covered the episode, including CNN, NBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. On March 28, the Daily Press of Newport News, Virginia, reported: "The gun episode created a media spectacle on Capitol Hill Tuesday. A hastily arranged news conference for Webb drew a swarm of national press that would normally turn out only for Senate leaders. ... [Webb aide Phillip F.] Thompson's appearance at D.C. Superior Court likewise drew a media mob."
Furthermore, in fabricating a comparable scenario involving a Republican lawmaker, Gibson overlooked a real-life incident in which former Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) was detained after bringing a loaded gun to a Kentucky airport in 2004. Hostettler, who ended up pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge, described the episode as a "rather stupid mistake." A search of the Nexis database for the two weeks following Hostettler's airport incident found that major news outlets such as CNN, AP, and The Washington Post covered the story, yet Fox News programs in the database made no mention of the issue, including The Big Story.* By contrast, on March 27 alone, eight separate Fox News programs reported on the Webb incident, including Fox & Friends, America's Newsroom, Fox News Live, Live Desk, Special Report, The Fox Report, and Hannity & Colmes.
Additionally, Gibson recycled the claim that Webb "picked a fight" with President Bush during a November 2006 White House reception for newly elected members of Congress. In fact, as Media Matters for America has documented, several media figures omitted a key part of a reported exchange between Webb and Bush in order to depict Webb as having provoked the exchange. By contrast, former Reagan speechwriter and Wall Street Journal contributing editor Peggy Noonan wrote that it was Bush who had been rude to Webb.
From the March 27 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson:
GIBSON: Now, "My Word." Speaking of which, now we have this interesting situation in which an aide to Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia is arrested carrying a gun into the Capitol building. The initial story is the senator asked the aide to take his bag, which contained the gun, to Webb's home, but didn't mention the gun, and the aide decided to drop by the office first. That's where he got caught -- going through security.
Now, Webb is a Second Amendment supporter. He is licensed to carry a gun in Virginia -- not in D.C. But Webb's news conference about what happened today leaves me scratching my head. Here's a key part of what Webb said:
"I have never carried a gun in the Capitol complex, and I did not give the weapon to Phillip Thompson, and that's all that I think I'll say."
Webb's aide was being arraigned at almost that exact moment, so Webb thought he should refrain from saying more. Here's my problem: The senator is largely getting a pass on this, and I think he probably should. But let's just suppose a slightly different set of circumstances.
Suppose there was a hard-core Republican senator who opposed a war policy of a Democrat [sic] president. I know, you have to imagine a Democrat going to war, but let's just say it's possible. And let's just say this Republican senator had a son in the military and upon meeting the president picked a fight with him and was later quoted as saying he was thinking about punching the Democrat president over the war policy and perceived rudeness. That, of course, is exactly the situation that describes Sen. Webb, except the political affiliations are reversed.
Now, let's just imagine that particular Republican senator had an aide who was caught carrying the senator's loaded pistol around, revealing the fact the senator routinely packs a gun. Couldn't I expect a great hue and cry about this senator, who is so paranoid and demented he thinks he needs to carry an automatic pistol with two extra clips because he's going to need to fight his way out of -- out of what? The Senate cloakroom?
The reason I devise this comparison is that I think Webb is right to carry a gun. He also has a right to do so. But I think there would be far more made of this issue if the political affiliation were reversed.
That is "My Word."
* Search terms used: "Hostettler and airport" in News (All) between 4/20/04 and 5/4/04
What a clown.
"I know, you have to imagine a Democrat going to war, but let's just say it's possible."
Webb himself has gone to war. Not like our leaders today who all avoided their war, yet are very comfortable starting their own wars.
Besides Webb actually having served, his (currently serving)son is mentioned in the same breath.
Gibson doesn't let those irritating facts get in the way of the magical world he creates for his audience.A comforting world of courageous conservatives and sissy liberals.
SAVE DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!
Ah yes, the "Redhead Step-Child" arguement from the network that holds him up on the air no matter how bad he does in the ratings.
The man could not have a platform outside a small deep southern market on AM Radio with a signal generated out of somebody's empty barn if it weren't for the Faux Nod Channel!
I suggest that Sen. Webb appear in front of a Senate commitee, UNDER OATH, to answer questions...will this help Mr. Gibson in his quest for fairness? Of course, Karl Rove should stand in line behind Sen. Webb ready and willing to do the same thing.
Why does Gibson have to always add YEAST to the story? Then again, he is not a reporter.
This wasn't a big deal of a story to begin with.
Gibson is full of it IF he truly believes that had it involved a Republican Senator the story would have been handled differently.
But we're talking about Gibson here. The man has more hair than brains.
Jeter, that's the difference between Gibson and you. He "truly believes". Where is your faith, heathen?
this was on cnn constantly on that day.
Trying to divert attention from the numerous Repugnant scandals - which actually ARE getting under-publicised? That would be my guess, at least: invent some reason to declare once again that "liberal media" plaint that prevails 'mongst the ungreatful dead of the Right.
If that cry were to contain any truth, the WaPo headlines would already have pointed out that Bungle, in only six years, has dismissed out-of-cycle more US Attys than the preceding *3* administrations combined. If there were any basis to suspect a "liberal media", we would have been regaled for the past three months with tales of Bungle's previous dismissals of US Attys under - well, suspicious - circumstances: Black (Guam), (numerous and new or pending) investigations of public corruption, including a number of Abramoff clients who complained to Jack and Karl; DiBiagio (Maryland), numerous investigations of public corruption including Md. Repugnant Governor robert Erlich, and pending indictments, although all charges were quashed from the WH. Oh, and it would not have been TPM and ThinkProgress who pushed the story to the public - WaPo would have done so from the beginning.
I see this kind of thing time and again especially from conservatives where they want to argue with you over a story that is allegedly being ignored by the oh so liberal mainstream media. What they normally fail to do is to actually check to see if said story has indeed been covered. And so far, 10 out of 10 times, in my experiences, these stories that conservatives think are not being covered are covered, and normally in great detail. Like with this story.
Is Gibson so deluded as to think that the most popular cable news channel (Fox News - unfortunately) was not covering this story? He was doing it himself, and therefore he totally blows out of the water his own opinion that it's not being covered. And again, does he not think that the most popular cable TV news network is somehow NOT the mainstream media? Jeesh, get a grip, and get a clue, and do just a little research before you make yourself look like a darn fool.
Good work, MMFA. There is no evidence to support Gibson's speculation and you've described evidence to the contrary. I like Webb, but I think we need to know more about this incident, and I have no doubt the "librul media" will be all over it until the incident has been fully explained. It was on page 1 of the WaPo website yesterday.
Another Gibson Lie
First, this story has gotten attention. Chris Matthews was discussing it on the disgusting Imus program yesterday. It was on CNN and of course FOX ( I have not watched FOX "News shows" to see if it was the top story).
Gibson certainly does a lot of imagining here. Guess he has to, since it's the only way he can fulfill his Fox News obligation of relentlessly slamming Democrats.
Besides the stupidity of Gibson's analogy, Webb's a "hard-core" Democrat? I'm not saying he isn't a good Democrat, but hard-core? That's just weird.
Someone who was Reagans Navy Secretary is hardly a "hardcore" Democrat. Webb is not a right on all the issues, but he understood this war was a horrible mistake, and he took the horrible George Allen and the War Criminal Bush Administration to task for the lies.
Gibson is a complete GOP hack.
Since conservatives are obsessed with porn, Gibson's use of "hard-core" was perfectly natural. ;-)
It's time once again for another episode of "That darn liberal media, they're always trying to bury the story!"
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/27/webb.aide.gun/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17801144/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/washington/28gun.html?ex=1332734400&en=b8e18ecc5664d684&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/26/AR2007032602102.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-webb28mar28,1,4686454.story?coll=la-headlines-politics&ctrack=1&cset=true
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-92214sy0mar28,0,4921896.story?coll=dp-news-local-final
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272612337.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/26/politics/main2610478.shtml
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070326/ap_on_go_co/senate_arrest
http://dwb.sacbee.com/24hour/politics/story/3585600p-12844720c.html
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/03/webb_staffer_ar.html
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070326-103029-6115r.htm
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153AP_Senate_Arrest.html
http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2007/03/26/senate-staffer-arrested-for-carrying-boss-gun-into-capitol/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.outsidethebeltway.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F03%2Fwebb_staffer_arrested_for_carrying_boss_gun_into_capitol%2F&frame=true
http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54877
http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2007/03/27/webb-says-he-did-not-give-aide-his-gun/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fleading-the-news%2Fwebb-says-he-did-not-give-aide-his-gun-2007-03-27.html&frame=true
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17804225/
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/03/webb_aide_arres.html
http://www.newrivervalleynews.com/content/view/8460/38/
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54877
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-6510217,00.html
Drudge had five articles about it. I'm just trying to tie things together here. Gibson is wrong, I've never liked him since he moved to FOX. I thought he did a decent job covering the OJ trial way back.
I think you hit the nail, Gibson is good at covering sensational journalism which is what FOX is best at also. They are not legitimate anymore other than covering Anna Nicole, Aruba, and all the other junk. The American people are getting tired of their act.
"MY WORD!?"
If my father wished to comment on a man's integrity, he used a phrase that, I think, came from Ireland: "He has (hasn't) a word."
Gibson can use that title for his propoganda/comments all he likes; he has no word.
"Here's my problem: The senator is largely getting a pass on this, and I think he probably should."
---
So... Gibson's complaint is that the media is allegedly ignoring a story he agrees should be ignored (despite the fact that he calls Webb "paranoid and demented" and implies that the aid may have been planning a shoot-out in the Senate cloakroom), while at the same time covering the story on his nationwide television show by unfavorably comparing it to a hypothetical case which he says would be widely covered if it occurred. Gah! My head hurts. You don't get much more meta than this, but then Gibson's probably still smarting that the liberal media is covering up the War Against Christmas.
I almost (thanks for reminding me) that this is the kook who claims that there is a "War on Christmas". This pretty much takes away any and all credibility that he may have once had, because that assertion is blatantly false as well. Imagine, the guy got an entire book out of that, and probably sold a lot of them to the sheep. Crazy...
Christopher, this is the type of argument I occasionally find myself dragged into with conservative acquaintances;Completely hypothetical fabrications that I try to argue with reality, and before I know it, I'm lost in the absurdity of the original premise.
It's a handicap we in the reality-baseed world are forced to work with.
And notice at the end how Gibson says, "I think Webb is right to carry a gun," even though it wasn't Webb who was actually carrying the gun.
Webb SHOULD pack. They ALL should. They're in dangerous circumstances, often.
What a fool. As is anyone who actually believes Hairhelmuthead's partisian crap as the truth.
False News. We distort. You decide.
"Next on the Big Story. The latest on the Sandy Burglar controversy."
U.S. Attorney -firing related emails in his pants? Some say it's possible, and it hasn't been disproven.
I don't think I can actually count how many times I heard Sandy Berger's name mentioned alongside Scooter Libby a couple of weeks ago when Scooter was convicted and sentenced. As in, "Well, then we have Sandy Berger..." And of course, always coming from the right wing noise machine. I hate it when they try to equate 2 completely and totally different things that are not even remotely related to one another.
"I hate it when they try to equate 2 completely and totally different things that are not even remotely related to one another."
Well, your statement is just like a hamburger.
Whatever happened to Berger? Was he busted for stealing government documents? What did he have hidden in his socks and his underwear? Does anyone on the Left care what Berger stole or does he get a pass because he was part of the Clinton administration? Just curious.
Regarding Webb, who cares about the gun? This is such a non-story it's ridiculous.
Berger pled guilty to removing classified documents from the National Archive. He had nothing stashed in his underwear or socks. He had it in his breifcase.
The papers were copies of a report by Richard Clarke.
Was there ever even an allegation of "liberal media bias" before FOX Noise came about? I mean seriously. This a psychological game the right wing media is playing here. These allegations of liberal media bias is what caused MSNBC not too long ago to try and outfox FOX. Liberal media bias my ass.
By the way, what are these aides doing anyway entering federal building with loaded guns?
"Was there ever even an allegation of "liberal media bias" before FOX Noise came about?" - tman418
Yes unfortunately they made this claim before Fox. But you didn't hear it as much and it was usually made by the REALLY far rightwing conservatives. And usually when something showed a conservative in a negative light (like now), but most people just shrug and shake their heads. (it was just stupid). Check out the Vietnam era, any time a reporter suggested that the war was not going so well, you see a familiar backlash against the "liberal media." (Here's a fun experiment, find some old conservative attacks from the Vietnam area. Blank out anything related to Vietnam and show it to people on the street. I bet most would ask, "so when did the Bush admin release this?")
But the cons, repeated it over and over. Now a large number of right leaning people repeat it, as if its fact. Now you have Faux News repeating those claims (in fact they probably would not exist (at least in their current form) without these repeated claims.
jOHN, gO BACK TO F. D. R. & you will find a democracratic president who went to war AFTER Pearl Harbour. Or were you talking about one one who would lie about the facts to go to war to change a regeme. Harry Truman honored our treaty - thus the Korean War. Thanks Jack Meridian, ms.
Wonder what Gibson's military background is. He has an astonishing lack of respect for people like Webb and his son who have been to war and understand that it's not all flags waving and yellow magnets. In the meantime he seems fine with the biggest warmongers among us - the ones who had their chance to go but shirked it and now are sending other peoples' children to war instead.