Following Drudge example, AP headline only says Clinton campaign rebutted tip-stiffing story, and not restaurant
A November 8 Associated Press article bore the headline: "Clinton campaign says it left tip at Iowa restaurant and didn't skimp." But, as Media Matters for America noted when Internet gossip Matt Drudge featured a similar headline on his website, it wasn't just the Clinton campaign that reportedly rebutted the allegation that Hillary Clinton and campaign staff left the restaurant without tipping; indeed, the very article to which the headline was attached quoted the restaurant's manager, Brad Crawford, saying, "They all paid their bill and they left a tip. They paid it all that same day when they left and everything was good."
The AP article carrying the headline appeared on the websites of numerous news outlets, including Newsday, the Boston Herald, The San Diego Union-Tribune, MSNBC, and CBS News.
The article also quoted Crawford offering an explanation why at least one waitress, Anita Esterday, apparently did not receive a tip. Crawford was quoted as saying: "If she got left out it wasn't because they meant to leave her out," and "If something happened with the disbursement, it's probably my fault." The New York Times reported on November 9 that: "After NPR broadcast the report, Mrs. Clinton's campaign responded by saying the candidate and her aides had in fact left a tip: $100 on a $157 check at the diner. The restaurant manager, Brad Crawford, confirmed in interviews, including with The New York Times, that Mrs. Clinton, of New York, and her retinue had indeed left a tip, though he did not say how much."
The November 9 Times article also reported that "Esterday said she did not understand what all the commotion was about." The article said that she told a reporter during a phone interview: "You people are really nuts. ... There's kids dying in the war, the price of oil right now -- there's better things in this world to be thinking about than who served Hillary Clinton at Maid-Rite and who got a tip and who didn't get a tip."
From the November 8 Associated Press article:
In the NPR interview, Esterday said that while she had enjoyed meeting Clinton, she hadn't gotten much out of her 15 minutes of fame.
"I mean, nobody got left a tip that day," Esterday said, adding "I don't think she understood at all what I was saying."
Esterday's comments were potentially harmful, undermining Clinton's appeal to working class voters, especially women. Rival campaigns quickly e-mailed the story to reporters, as did the Republican National Committee.
But Brad Crawford, manager of the Toledo Maid-Rite, said Clinton's campaign aides paid the bill for lunch and left a tip to be divided among the servers.
"They all paid their bill and they left a tip. They paid it all that same day when they left and everything was good," he said.
Crawford said he didn't know why Esterday may not have received any of the money.
"If she got left out it wasn't because they meant to leave her out," Crawford said of Esterday. "If something happened with the disbursement, it's probably my fault."
There's kids dying in the war, the price of oil right now--there's better things in this world to be thinking about than who served Hillary Clinton at Maid-Rite and who got a tip and who didn't get a tip.
Wow, the third story so far on this important story. Stay tuned.
Well... I think that's the point right? This is an absurd waste of time... and all the media can do is comment about nonsense. I think MMFA shares your disgust. I know I do.
Maybe not... That's how I feel anyway.
I agree with you Greek, this is ridiculous, all the way around. But it's not going to stop, it will only get worse when every single thing in each's campaign gets the once over. With the internet and these cable channels looking for anything to put up, this is inevitable.
I believe the responsibility has now shifted to the consumer - it's up to us to weed through it and focus on important issues, we can't expect the media to filter it for us anymore. If we don't like it, look elsewhere.
that's absolving the media of the reponsibility to report the news accurately.
I'm not absolving them of anything, but you can sit and whine and bellyache about it all day long, which I know is standard practice for liberals, or you can seek out sources that offer independent criticism and analysis with integrity. Suit yourself.
"i believe the responsibility has now shifted to the consumer". sounds like you're saying that the media bears no responsibility. and as a matter of fact, i am going to advocate that the media do what it's supposed to do. it's just your usual absurdity that you can find that to be whining.
After years on this site, how can you still remain so utterly confused about Media Matters' purpose?
I know exactly the purpose here, other than to laugh at your hysteria daily, much of it is to prop up stories like this and blame it exclusively on the media, while discounting your own responsibility in furthering this type of non-issue reporting by giving it legs.
But it's commonplace for liberals to shirk responsibility for anything and look to blame someone or something else.......it's in your blood and you can't see it. Sad.
I'm not in the least bit responsible for puff pieces and petty attacks on Hillary. What a ridiculous accusation to make.
and it was all the fault of the liberals during the 90s when these right wing smear stories ran rampant, and sites like this did not exist? too funny even for you tommy.
Not surprised you both missed it - I wasn't speaking of either of you personally, I was talking about your knee-jerk defense of this website and not accepting the responsibility they should accept in giving stories such as these their contined exposure.
But your anticipated reaction, par for liberals, is to deflect and point fingers elsewhere even if it wasn't directed at you in particular.......now that's classic.
And again, you appear to have absolutely no clue as to the purpose of this website. They aren't reporting the story of Hillary's diner encounter. They are correcting and highlighting the misleading and dishonest way it's being reported, and pointing out the fact that the media continues to deliberately get it wrong, over and over again.
To use one of your favorite lines: If you can't see the difference, then we can't help you.
It's a ridiculous non-story to begin with originated out of some manufactured media attempt to dig some extraneuous nitpicking tidbit out of a political campaign......anyone that reports it, or perpetuates it, or highlights it, is just taking the bait and wallowing in the worthlessness themselves.
You went wrong right after the ellipses. I'm not sure exactly how many times you need this pointed out to you, but MMFA is neither reporting nor perpetuating this story. And what they are highlighting isn't the story, but the way the story is being manufactured and reported by the media. You really do seem very confused about what it is that Media Matters does. They aren't "feeding into" anything. They are exposing dishonesty in the media.
so tommy, mediamatters is pointing out this "manufactured media attempt", as you call it. it's what they do here. if you don't like it, too bad. as i said all these stories went on in the 90s when their was no site like this to "highlight" them, so your contention that they only gain credence by trying to counter them is provably wrong.
there was no site
Whatever. Just know that anyone, or any outlet, that highlights this ridiculous fluff in any fashion, from any angle, with any agenda, in any way, is furthering stuff like this.
You can sit there and defend MMFA for covering it as misinformation all you want too - but to even concern yourself with it from that perspective is raising it to some level of importance or seriousness that only serve to flourish this type of trivial tripe in the first place.
You don't get right down in the mud, mix it up and come out pristine and unsoiled simply because you didn't start it, sorry.
Do it if you want too, just accept your part in it........which is so foreign to you, I understand why you just don't get it.
again there was no site like this in the 90s and this stuff was repeated all over by the right wing. so you're wrong.
And of course, in spite of Tommy's false premise, these types of stories can and have had a tremendous impact, so debunking and exposing them as quickly as possible is NOT in any way perpetuating or feeding into the story. Quite the opposite. It's as though Tommy has forgotten all about Love Story, "inventing the Internet," expensive haircuts...and on and on and on.
When you liberals finally figure out that it's the message and the messenger that are the reasons for your election losses, and not rigged elections or partisan influences from the other side, you will finally have a grip on it.......instead of clinging to your sorry excuses.
What a day that will be!
And the fact that Clinton still won throughout the 90's without sites like this pummeling all the negative stories about him, proves you're wrong.
There was a tip, why was this so hard for Drudge and the GOP liars to see this?
Justice and Truth in the USA - Fact Check:
Actually, it is the Clinton campaign (including their paid nutjobs at MMFA) who are the liars.
And let me state for the record that running out without paying a tip is not the real issue. It's the sleazy lies told by the Clintons that is truly disgusting -
From the ultra-ultra liberal NPR story -
"Where Hillary was sitting, there was no tip left," Crawford said.
After the campaign staffer stopped at the diner Thursday, Esterday said, the $100 tip was a hot topic.
"Two others that had worked with me that day turned around and said, 'We didn't know about any $100 tip,' because they both turned around and said 'We didn't get a part of it.' And they didn't. So, it's like 'OK, where did it go?' That's the mystery question: Where did it go?"
----------- end quote -----------
I have to call this one against the liars in the clinton campaign.
I'd give you a dollar tip if you will stop acting like an umpire with poor eyesight.
is there some pattern of hillary not tipping? is it possible that someone pocketed it and isn't saying? is it possible you could be more consumed with a nothing issue? and just imagine, people like you vote. is it any wonder a moron sits in the white house?
Fox News is now blasting Hillary for over tipping. Thereby disproving the old adage that you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Fox News, We complain, you cringe.