Dobbs ignored factual errors in The Truth About Hillary during Klein interview

Written by Jamison Foser & Pat Hart

Published

In an interview with Edward Klein, the author of the new attack book on Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), The Truth About Hillary (Sentinel, 2005), CNN host Lou Dobbs ignored numerous examples of factual errors, distortions, and misleading claims in Klein's book.

While Dobbs highlighted some of the controversial accusations that Klein raised in the book, and noted that a number of conservative commentators have criticized Klein, he failed to mention even one of the many factual errors in the book that have been documented by Media Matters for America and others. Dobbs's viewers learned that Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan doesn't like Klein's book, but they didn't get the far more useful information that the book is a thinly sourced collection of lies and errors. Dobbs asked Klein for his reaction to evangelist Billy Graham's recent comments about the Clintons, but failed to ask him about the many factual inaccuracies in The Truth About Hillary, though he did mention that Maura Moynihan, daughter of the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), disputes Klein's characterization of her parents' feelings toward Hillary Clinton.

Among the many false claims in Klein's book:

  • Klein falsely claims that Hillary Clinton spoke of her Jewish relatives only after controversy arose over her hug of Suha Arafat (Klein reversed the true order of the events).
  • He falsely claims the $25 million Clinton planned in 1999 to raise for her Senate campaign would be an “unprecedented” amount, ignoring the fact that another candidate had raised more than that for a Senate election held the previous year in the very same state.
  • Klein falsely claims that Rick Lazio, Clinton's Republican opponent in 2000 for a New York Senate seat, sent out no direct campaign mail.
  • He falsely claims that Moynihan couldn't bring himself to say Clinton's name in introducing her at her campaign announcement.
  • He falsely accuses Moynihan of giving a long and rambling description of hay-cutting that, in fact, lasted all of 29 words.
  • Klein falsely accuses Clinton of ignoring Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) during a speech to teachers in support of his presidential campaign.
  • He falsely accuses her of not wanting Kerry to win and of spending her time in states such as South Dakota, in which Kerry had very little chance (she hasn't been to South Dakota in years).

From the June 27 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight:

DOBBS: The book is The Truth About Hillary. We don't know whether it is, but it is a highly controversial and provocative book. Good to have you here.