Too bad to check: NYT taking Ahmadinejad to lunch at Four Seasons? Update: Debunked? Update: Confirmed — joke gone bad
posted at 11:44 am on September 21, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Thanks to Omri Ceren for the tip. If this is a joke, Newt should have made it clearer that he’s joking. If it’s not a joke but also not true, he owes the Times a groveling apology. If it’s not a joke and true — well, let’s just say next week will be a busy one for right-wing bloggers.
I can’t find any confirmation on the wires. Burn your source, Newt!
Update: A commenter says this may have originated as a joke by Laura Ingraham which Newt took seriously. I’m going to try to check with Laura’s producer.
Update: Other commenters are confirming that Ingraham did indeed joke about this yesterday during an interview with Gingrich and then said this morning, after the segment aired on F&F, that she was sorry he had misinterpreted her humor. Still waiting to hear from her producer but the time for groveling may be near.
Update: Laura’s producer e-mails, “she was joking and it originated on our show.” I’m going to try to get an mp3 of her talking about it this morning. Let the Gingrich groveling begin!
Update: Here’s the audio of Ingraham from this morning.
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He didn’t sound like he was joking, but who knows. However, is it possible they’d be taking him out for an interview?
amerpundit on September 21, 2007 at 11:48 AM
I certainly do agree with his depiction of Columbia for inviting
Adolph HitlerAhmadinejad to speak there, utterly despicable.doriangrey on September 21, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Oh cripes, I think I heard about that on the Fox News last night. In my defense, I was almost asleep and I thought that Gutfeld was joking. Of course, I thought that Ahmadinejad’s plans to go to Columbia U was a joke too so what do I know?
Would the NYT take Hitler out to lunch back in the day? I would like to say no, but I’m beginning to doubt it.
mjk on September 21, 2007 at 11:51 AM
I’m sure they’ll be interviewing him if it’s true but why take him to lunch to do that? Let him come to their office where they have their equipment.
Allahpundit on September 21, 2007 at 11:51 AM
I heard it on Laura Ingraham this am, and she had told him it was going down during an interview. What he neglected to remember is that she also said she was joking about the whole thing… Ooops, sorry Newt!
Califemme on September 21, 2007 at 11:54 AM
Fox & Friends airs before Laura’s show, though. This clip aired around 8:48 ET. Laura doesn’t come on until nine.
Allahpundit on September 21, 2007 at 11:55 AM
Hey, even mahdi-awaiting madmen need to eat! Does the Four Seasons offer a Halal menu?
Newt doesn’t sound like he’s joking. I would expect there are reporters seeking to confirm this as we speak, so we shall know soon enough whether it’s fact or fiction.
Clouds on September 21, 2007 at 11:57 AM
They are not called The Slimes for nothing AP.
doriangrey on September 21, 2007 at 11:57 AM
Yes, but apparently she was joking about it on her show yesterday when Newt was on.
Esthier on September 21, 2007 at 11:58 AM
I don’t know if it is right, but Newt didn’t sound like he was joking.
Spirit of 1776 on September 21, 2007 at 11:59 AM
I heard it was the other way around.
Ahmadinejad is taking the NYT to lunch.
Payback, ya know.
fogw on September 21, 2007 at 12:00 PM
The interview with Newt was before this one. Laura verified that she was joking and that Newt unfortunately took her seriously. She was sorry on today’s show that this happened.
Valiant on September 21, 2007 at 12:01 PM
Four Seasons is closer.
amerpundit on September 21, 2007 at 12:02 PM
Laura was interviewing Newt yesterday, talking about the impending visit and said, “the New York Times is taking him out to lunch,” and Newt responded to that by saying that it makes sense because the two have so much in common.
Right after that, Laura told Newt she was joking, but it’s possible he didn’t hear her.
Esthier on September 21, 2007 at 12:02 PM
Wait…Wait…Where is Mahmoud staying?
amerpundit on September 21, 2007 at 12:02 PM
However, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t true. Laura basically said that it’s possible the New York Times actually did decide to do this and that Newt is correct.
It would be an awful coincidence though.
Esthier on September 21, 2007 at 12:04 PM
Never mind. Potential reasons: A) He’s the leader of a nation, perhaps they think that sitting in their office wouldn’t be appropriate. B) Maybe that’s where they take major interviews.
amerpundit on September 21, 2007 at 12:06 PM
Eh. Should’ve refreshed before commenting.
amerpundit on September 21, 2007 at 12:07 PM
Well that’s why sources are better than rumors. How about a quick apology Newt, and we move on.
Spirit of 1776 on September 21, 2007 at 12:08 PM
The genius speaketh.
Big S on September 21, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Are their any patriotic cooks at the Four Seasons? A litte sprinkle of this, a little sprinkle of that and problem solved.
Zetterson on September 21, 2007 at 12:10 PM
I may be misunderstanding you, but that sounds similar to Dan Rather’s justification of the Bush National Guard memo.
samuelrylander on September 21, 2007 at 12:12 PM
Doesn’t this fall into the “fake but accurate” category?
I think Newt should take a tip from Dan and sue the NYT now, for being all, like, not taking Mahdi to lunch.
Pavel on September 21, 2007 at 12:13 PM
Hey puppets… let make some stuff up to slime the NY Times with……
scooter on September 21, 2007 at 12:14 PM
Azackly. Fake but true.
Jaibones on September 21, 2007 at 12:15 PM
This won’t go over well with the humorless left.
JammieWearingFool on September 21, 2007 at 12:22 PM
Oh, good, glad it’s not true. Just a joke. But still, isn’t it sad that we all thought for a second it might be true? Because the ideologies seem to fall in sync with each other.
Next goal: Ahmadinejad’s talk at Columbia being cancelled. Because that’s just a really terrible idea. Oh perhaps, he should speak at Berkley and be done with it.
mjk on September 21, 2007 at 12:23 PM
who cares?
samuelrylander on September 21, 2007 at 12:24 PM
I didn’t get the joke. I must be the humorless right.
scooter on September 21, 2007 at 12:24 PM
Again Newt puts his foot in his mouth.
KBird on September 21, 2007 at 12:25 PM
Don’t worry Newt, you’re not the first to miss a joke:
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/09/20/video-oj-makes-his-presidential-endorsement/#comments
Hollowpoint on September 21, 2007 at 12:33 PM
You’re right. The Times can slime themselves just fine on their own.
Tom Blogical on September 21, 2007 at 12:35 PM
FAKE BUT ACCURATE! FAKE BUT ACCURATE! NO ONE HAS PROVEN THAT IT WON’T HAPPEN!
Weight of Glory on September 21, 2007 at 12:35 PM
At least we know, if the story turned out to be true, Mr Gingrich is just as disgusted as we would be.
Weebork on September 21, 2007 at 12:37 PM
To him, the four seasons are Ramadan, Jihad, More Jihad, and the Holocaust.
Jim Treacher on September 21, 2007 at 12:38 PM
[Allahpundit on September 21, 2007 at 11:51 AM]
Nah, the urge would be too great to give him an office and an editor’s badge.
Dusty on September 21, 2007 at 12:45 PM
What I mean is that just because Laura was joking about it happening doesn’t mean that it definitely isn’t happening.
It’s entirely possible (though insanely coincidental) that even though she was only joking, the New York Times really is taking him out for lunch and that Newt found this out independent of Laura.
For instance, the night my husband proposed to me was my 22nd birthday. We wanted to share a bottle of wine, but I’m an idiot and forgot to bring my ID. The waiter asked if we were married (since then he could legally sell to me and my ID-carrying date), and we said no but began to joke about the fact that I didn’t have a ring, pretending that it was actually there.
That’s when he told me that he had one on him. I called him a liar until he got down on one knee.
So, just because we were joking about a ring I believe was nonexistent, obviously doesn’t mean that he didn’t have one.
Esthier on September 21, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Of course there is no apology required. Gingrich only needs to say he got that part wrong and that’s the end of it. Who cares if the New York Times is offended… I sure don’t, no conservative should care what the New York Times thinks or says.
Maxx on September 21, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Oh wait, he doesn’t think the Holocaust happened, right? My bad.
Jim Treacher on September 21, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Yes, but doesn’t he want to make one happen or am I thinking of someone else?
Esthier on September 21, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Esthier on September 21, 2007 at 12:45 PM
I was all set to argue with you about this, but you pulled out your engagement story as your analogy. I can’t argue with that. It’s too sweet.
samuelrylander on September 21, 2007 at 12:55 PM
Sorry, AP, I should have been more concise…
~Lisa
Califemme on September 21, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Meh, this is much ado about nothing. His basic premise was that #1 he shouldn’t be allowed in this country in the first place because he’s killing our soldiers. But #2 since he has to be allowed to come because of the UN, he shouldn’t be allowed to do anything else in this country.
You can then go on to describe a multitude of things he can’t do while he’s here – Coney Island, Empire State building, Time’s Square, lunch with NYT. . .
His point was he shouldn’t be doing anything in this country. The NYT thing he can pass of by saying that’s what I heard. . . as long as he thinks its true, it’s not really a lie, nor is it slander.
That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the NYT does do an interview with him. Their credibility can’t get much worse. . . does ANYBODY still read that crap?
ThackerAgency on September 21, 2007 at 1:00 PM
I’m surprised that Newt would make repeat something like that in public without any verification. A few weeks ago when Osamabama made the comments about our troop air raiding villiages, he (Newt) was on Hannity’s radio program. Newt didn’t believe that Obama would have said something like that. Hannity had to convince him and play the tape before Newt would make a comment, and even then he said something about it must have been taken out of context b/c no candidate could be so stupid. He’s a pretty saavy guy to slip up like this.
samuelrylander on September 21, 2007 at 1:05 PM
ThackerAgency on September 21, 2007 at 1:00 PM
good point
samuelrylander on September 21, 2007 at 1:09 PM
This kind of stuff doesn’t help Newt in the least litle bit. His “ghetto” faux pau last spring and the rest of his history makes him a juicy target for the left.
csdeven on September 21, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Probably the reason it was believed is that, given the New York Times’ track record, it COULD bave been true. Indeed, it was likely to have been true.The anti-Bush crowd is so virulent that it is almost impossible to joke about them because the extreme inevitably becomes reality.
Blaise on September 21, 2007 at 1:57 PM
The NYT and other MSM outlets usually don’t apologize when they smear someone based on false information. There was that one time with Dan Rather (ahem), but usually, it doesn’t happen.
Newt probably will apologize, and he should. Although I wouldn’t expect mutual courtesy from the NYT the next time they smear him.
forest on September 21, 2007 at 2:19 PM
Thanks. I felt bad about calling him a liar, but he got over it.
And to be completely clear, I don’t believe the story is true.
Esthier on September 21, 2007 at 3:21 PM
Embarassing, but can you blame anyone for hearing it and believing it at face value?
RightWinged on September 21, 2007 at 5:00 PM
An apology may be in order, but it certainly doesn’t need to be a groveling one.
urbancenturion on September 22, 2007 at 12:08 AM
Newt should take advantage of the oppotunity to rip the Times by asking if anyone would be the least bit surprised if it were true. Seems to me that all who hear about it show no surprise whatsoever. Personally, such a luncheon date seems VERY possible, plausible and probable. I hope Newt gets a pass on this. Lord Knows, he deserves one. Who’s fought harder to bring Conservatism back to the center of the Republican Party than NEWT…?
Rugged Individual on September 22, 2007 at 3:25 AM
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