O’Reilly: How the NYT buried an Obama/ACORN expose just before the election
posted at 9:49 pm on May 18, 2009 by Allahpundit
Powerline was all over this today, to the extent that I can’t do any better here than to urge you to read their fisking of the NYT’s ombudsman’s spin job. Quote:
A key part of Moncrief’s story was that the Obama campaign had furnished ACORN with lists of maxed-out donors so that ACORN could mine them for contributions. In fact, Moncrief provided the Times reporter, Strom, with such a list that ACORN allegedly obtained from the Obama campaign. Hoyt does not dispute that this story, if true, was evidence of violation of the campaign finance laws…
Hoyt also argues that the story about Obama and ACORN would not have been a “game-changer” in that it would not have swung the election to John McCain. I agree. But since when is that the standard? Is Hoyt telling us that the Times’ policy is only to print stories that have the potential to change the result of a Presidential election? Of course, if the story did have the potential to change the outcome of the election, that, too, would have been offered as a reason not to print it.
A story that would have changed the result of the election? Nah. A story that should have been run once it became firm enough to print? Of course. Why didn’t the Times do so?
Blowback
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I know I know there is no left wing media bias.
/s
Jamson64 on May 18, 2009 at 9:52 PM
“you think we’re gonna take the bloom off his rose suckers?”
//Raines
sven10077 on May 18, 2009 at 9:53 PM
The NY Times said they killed the Acorn story only when it appeared to threaten Obama.
Until then they were very happy to run with it.
William Amos on May 18, 2009 at 9:53 PM
DA ACAWN DON’T FALL FAHH FROM DA TREE
blatantblue on May 18, 2009 at 9:54 PM
No, it’s not a game-changer, because it got buried! *haha
Great story, though.
AnninCA on May 18, 2009 at 9:54 PM
Because they’re hyperpartisan hacks?
/rhetorical question answered
Purple Fury on May 18, 2009 at 9:55 PM
No wonder the NYT is a sinking ship.
txag92 on May 18, 2009 at 9:56 PM
That’s a real puzzler.
Ted Torgerson on May 18, 2009 at 9:56 PM
In a world where the media was interested in honesty and balance, the story would have been researched and printed.
But that America and those journalists died a long time ago.
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 9:57 PM
Everything that Glenn Beck has been reporting on now was probably in the hands of the Times reporters too.
The Obama bootlickers must protect the ACORN racket at all costs.
econavenger on May 18, 2009 at 9:58 PM
this is a huge story if there was a large media to cover the media, something other than conservative blogs and O’Reily
jp on May 18, 2009 at 9:59 PM
I propse we go Fight club, but instead of the Financial Institutions we target the MSM
jp on May 18, 2009 at 10:00 PM
There is no such media
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:01 PM
The Times can’t fail fast enough to suit me.
trigon on May 18, 2009 at 10:02 PM
+1
jencab on May 18, 2009 at 10:02 PM
They keep sending me thier fishwrap for free. I wonder if they count me in their circulation figures?
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:03 PM
their…ooops
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:03 PM
The ACORN story by itself would not have changed the 2008 Presidential election. But what determined the 2008 election were a lot of factors: the financial “crisis”; the Bush Adminsitration bailout; Bush unpopularity, Obama money; media bias; the lack of a foreign crisis to remind all of McCain’s strength. Change just a few of these factors, and you would have had a different ball game. McCain had gone ahead in the polls in September until the financial “crisis” hit.
Phil Byler on May 18, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Not if it had changed the outcome from a McCain victory to an Obama victory. In that case the public would have had a right to know.
FloatingRock on May 18, 2009 at 10:04 PM
acorn, seiu, cci. THIS is why RICO exists. who will be the AUSA to bring it foreward? or are the feds so gelded a state AG will have to do so?
/deeply saddened
Buckaroo on May 18, 2009 at 10:05 PM
Because they are utterly totally and completely corrupt.
doriangrey on May 18, 2009 at 10:06 PM
It would have in combination with all of the other Obama stories the media failed to report.
FloatingRock on May 18, 2009 at 10:07 PM
…but they had plenty of evidence to link mccain to that chick.
jgapinoy on May 18, 2009 at 10:07 PM
In their twisted psychotic way I’m sure they believe that lying by omission was “for our own good”.
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:09 PM
Whew…….!
………… Good thing we have a “Free and Independent” press to hold our political leaders in check.
For a second there……..
…………. I was getting worried!
Seven Percent Solution on May 18, 2009 at 10:09 PM
I like it. Talk to neighbors and friends. Stop feeding the beast.
seesalrun on May 18, 2009 at 10:10 PM
They also failed to investigate many of Obama’s associations and views. The lack of evidence is deliberate.
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:10 PM
According to Hoyt…since it wasn’t a game changer then drop the story and do no more.
They really do think we are a bunch idiots.
d1carter on May 18, 2009 at 10:12 PM
I look forward to seeing the NYT disappear, or become the equivalent of the free “auto shopper” circular next to the exit doors of the local 7-11. Lying, cheating, pantloads.
Bishop on May 18, 2009 at 10:14 PM
I saw this live tonight and BOR is not going to let this one go. Now we have to hope that all of the good work he’s done to expose the GE/MSNBC/NBC and government contracts will get more coverage (a girl can dream, huh?)
And after following Beck and his ACORN research, I’m not so sure the real problem is voter registration fraud, or I am not hearing it right?
ACORN has their hands in everything. This should be a huge story……I know I’m dreaming.
Knucklehead on May 18, 2009 at 10:14 PM
They are hoping that enough of us are idiots…
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:14 PM
Two stories that didn’t run before the election……..
Run on the banks……….
……… and,
the Community Reinvestment Act and it’s effect on the economy.
Seven Percent Solution on May 18, 2009 at 10:14 PM
Forget the politicians, we need to recall the media, as they (in their current form)are the true enemy of freedom. Its time to assault the propaganda ministries headquarters and create real fear in the mindless talking heads and economically hurt the advertisers. Enough is enough with the outright lies, omissions and manufactured “news”, off with their heads
dmann on May 18, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Is there any question that Obama violated all kinds of FEC regulations?
What the hell is that agency is good for?
WisCon on May 18, 2009 at 10:15 PM
…and they only ran that because it was a game-changer, right?
eea on May 18, 2009 at 10:16 PM
giving the false sense of security moderates crave
sven10077 on May 18, 2009 at 10:17 PM
I still think that the criminal campaign fundraising by the idiot messiah’s campaign was much bigger, as it should have landed him in jail and was easier to investigate (as several threads here illustrated so clearly).
The idiot messiah was just lucky that McShame didn’t have the integrity to stand up for his own un-Constitutional, POS legislation and that the Bush justice dept was too scared to bring charges for blatant illegality in their web site donations.
As to this ACORN story, it would have made a difference, but McShame probably would have testified that the idiot messiah was a good guy and everyone should ignore the connection to ACORN. McShame would then berate anyone who mentioned ACORN or tried to paint the idiot messiah in a bad light. McShame hated it anytime someone spoke truthfully about the idiot messiah.
progressoverpeace on May 18, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Quit speaking ill of AP’s would be father-in-law, wouldja?
All this truth is hurting his chances.
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:25 PM
Everytime I drive by their building
I curse them — the spawn of Satan
blatantblue on May 18, 2009 at 10:28 PM
**smooch**
Knucklehead on May 18, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Nice to meet you :-*
blatantblue on May 18, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Heh.
I just had serious McCain overload last week. Everywhere I turned, it was either a MegMac scribbling, or Cindy babbling on about something, or the fiery ol’ mom shootin’ pistols on TV. I felt trapped.
I’ve almost recovered, now.
progressoverpeace on May 18, 2009 at 10:32 PM
Most likely, nah, but there is no way to know for sure. Sometimes, seemingly relatively small things can have a cascading effect, think of a snowball falling downhill on a snow covered mountain. For those old enough, think of George Romney saying that he had been brainwashed or Ed Muskie crying or Mike Dukakus in the tank or Ford liberating Poland or Gore doing his moaning in the first debate with Bush. None that big a deal but it punctured their armor. McCain himself had such when he canceled (what turned out to be a temporary cancellation) the debate with Obama to run back to DC to “save the day”, which he didn’t. After that relatively small item he was “thrown of his game” and just looked foolish so other things that would not otherwise have stuck to him, did. If the NYT’s had not suppressed the truth it could have caused a crack in Obama’s “dike” that could have split further and further open.
There are those who say that if you could go back in time a million years and move just one pebble on a beach you could change the whole course of history. Go back in time the late afternoon that Hitler’s father was going home from work to conceive Adolf Hitler and delay him 5 minutes and a different child would have been conceived.
So, you just never know.
MB4 on May 18, 2009 at 10:32 PM
Hmmm…the “Old Gray Lady” is a whore….who’d a thought.
GarandFan on May 18, 2009 at 10:32 PM
It appears the NWTimes got caught in-bed,
having a orgasmic quest,of ensuring,that
this president was going to make history!!
After all,the truth was thrown under da bus,
and making history was more important!!
canopfor on May 18, 2009 at 10:33 PM
ROTFLMAO….. I was just telling my mom about this story and she asked if we could impeach Obama over this and I said, well campaign finance violations are felonies, quite possibly… Where upon she said good… er wait, then who would be president so I said… Why Vice President Biden of course, and she said…. OH GOD………
doriangrey on May 18, 2009 at 10:34 PM
I’m not impugning Moncrief (she sounds very sincere and straightforward) but I really wonder why she didn’t go to another paper, like the Christian Science Monitor or the Wall Street Journal. Or Fox News!
progressoverpeace on May 18, 2009 at 10:35 PM
I’d still prefer Biden. I think he is less malignant
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:37 PM
Yeah, and how many other stories about Barry have never seen the light of day? And never will?
Did anyone else see the little blurb on Lucianne about the release of Barry Sotero’s records from Occidental College under a FOIA? It said he was there as a Fulbright Scholar. Only problem is Flubright Scholars have to be foreigners…interesting. I’ve not read anything about it since.
JAM on May 18, 2009 at 10:40 PM
Yep — he’s just kind of a friendly idiot.
Like that guy who knocks a tooth out trying to open a beer with his mouth for you.
Or that guy who chops off his thumb by accident while making a sandwich.
Or the guy that accidentally tells his business partner’s college aged daughter that she has nice breasts.
Good ol’ Joe
blatantblue on May 18, 2009 at 10:40 PM
By less malignant I presume that you mean to stupid to do any real damage.
doriangrey on May 18, 2009 at 10:40 PM
No, just less openly hostile to our history and liberty.
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:43 PM
Because the NYT is an in-house DNC newsletter, of course.
ddrintn on May 18, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Whose to say what effect the story would have had? The NYT didn’t want to blow Obama’s chances, and it didn’t want to do anything to undermine the criminal organization that underlies Obama’s GOTV capability in 2008 and beyond.
Make no mistake: ACORN and its members are a plague on our country. Fat chance, but Holder’s DOJ and the IRS should be looking under everyone of ACORN’s rocks.
BuckeyeSam on May 18, 2009 at 10:46 PM
I can be somewhat comfortable with the belief that Biden’s priest was not screeching “God D*mn America” and that he does not want to disarm the nation or ruin industry
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Funny, I almost thought you were talking about Rockefeller Center
econavenger on May 18, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Very funny!
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:50 PM
Gosh, I just don’t know.
Jaibones on May 18, 2009 at 10:50 PM
Don’t be so sure about the reliability of “Paying taxes is patriotic! It is time for wealthy Americans to do their patriotic duty!” Biden. He is a loose cannon and I’m afraid Pelosi really would have free rein to rule if he were president.
JAM on May 18, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Yep. And, at least, we know that Biden is actually eligible to be President … which does indicate a serious weakness in our Constitution, if anyone actually did follow it.
progressoverpeace on May 18, 2009 at 10:53 PM
Considering the fact that he just told all of our enemies where his secret bunker is, I’d say that his stupidity is a very dangerous thing indeed. What other national security secrets will Ol’ Joe let fly?
jimmy2shoes on May 18, 2009 at 10:53 PM
I don’t know if one article would be a game changer – but with the MSM handing out free passes to the 0bamonkey regarding Ayers, Wright, Rezko, and Chicago corruption in general this could have been another piece of a puzzle that exposed Zero for the corrupt, lying, untrustworthy piece of $#!t that he is.
Mr Purple on May 18, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Obviously the mainstream media is running cover for the take over of America by the communist/ socialist wing of the Democrat Party who is 95% responsible for the economic collapse. Now they are silent as The USA is turned over to the unions. It reads like a gangs of New York story line with the media in line behind the thugs.
In another time the media whores would be swinging from the corner lampposts as the carreer politicians were tarred feathered and run out of town on a rail.
The only solution is to vote all the current carreer pols out of office and install TERM LIMITS so that they cannot get so organized again and push their failed policies for so many years that they cause carnage, collapse and meyhem and then fool the American public via a corrupt media into believing they are the solution rather than the architects of the disaster.
We are about to be taken over if we do not do something about it.
Tea Parties with torches and pitchforks to start. I’m buyin ammo.
dhunter on May 18, 2009 at 10:56 PM
Let’s face it, Conservatives were done over like a dog’s dinner by the most corrupt left-wing army that the free world has ever seen.
OldEnglish on May 18, 2009 at 10:57 PM
I still prefer him to Obama.
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Let’s use the fact that Obama likes to address the nation every other day or so and have Fox News ask the following question:
“President Obama/Mr. Gibbs: Did, as the NYT reports, the Obama campaign furnish ACORN with lists of maxed-out donors so that ACORN could mine them for contributions? If so, is this not a violation of campaign finance laws?”
I’d buy someone a few beers to ask that question.
cannonball on May 18, 2009 at 11:00 PM
You would have to buy those beers before they asked the question, sorta lower their threshhold for endangering their careers
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 11:02 PM
Don’t worry. Crazy Joe had no idea what he was saying. They trained him to say that, phonetically.
She’s too close for me, anyway. There are only one or two half-sane people on the whole succession list. Talk about depressing.
progressoverpeace on May 18, 2009 at 11:02 PM
Everybody chant the new Press mantra:
OM!
Obama Media!
Ho!
profitsbeard on May 18, 2009 at 11:04 PM
3…2…1…and it’s gone…
29Victor on May 18, 2009 at 11:08 PM
Acorn 14 states of indictments all of which will stand
Those kids who were guilty of voter fraud in Ohio
follow the money to them all
Soros the Nazi collaborator and behind alot of the currency problems in the world
connect the dots stop reporting on the dots
Grunt on May 18, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Consider me skeptical.
My disdain for the NYT is well known, but I doubt them running this story would have swayed the election.
However, it is interesting to note that they were skittish-did they think that the other guy might have won if they had run the story?
That doesn’t show confidence in your annoited Dear Leader, Pinch.
Del Dolemonte on May 18, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Biden is the very essence of Democrat projection – he is demonstrably as stupid as the Dems and their running dogs in the media tried to convince everyone the GWB and Sarah Palin were.
I would be willing to bet BIG money on who the third-place finisher would be in a three-way IQ test among those three individuals!
drunyan8315 on May 18, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Well, if you like Biden don’t forget to reread what Maureen Dowd wrote about his plagiarism.
HotWeaver on May 18, 2009 at 11:20 PM
I’m sorry, but I don’t buy that it would not have changed the outcome of the election. Americans are funny about stuff like that.
bloggless on May 18, 2009 at 11:20 PM
Biden may have the IQ of a philodendron but I still think he is more pro-American than Obama
clnurnberg on May 18, 2009 at 11:23 PM
This past weekend at the local cigar shop this same topic arose, and when I pulled up the Succession list it was very alarming; working down the list,Gates suddenly looks very ‘Presidential’.
Scary times we live in…..
Red State State of Mind on May 18, 2009 at 11:26 PM
I hear you. I was going to paste the list here, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. There are some very scary names on that list. Gates is the best of the bunch, by a mile, which is just unbelievable. And Geithner’s in front of him.
I need a drink.
progressoverpeace on May 18, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Where’d she steal that? ;)
ddrintn on May 18, 2009 at 11:43 PM
Maureen Dowd couldn’t copy it word-for-word fast enough to make deadline…
D2Boston on May 19, 2009 at 12:04 AM
At least ol’ lonesome Joe is just after self-aggrandizement, he’s not a narcissistic demagogue in search of power for its own sake. If he were to succeed an impeached, resigned Obama, there would be an appointment for VP, so Blinky would still be third in line.
/man, I never thought I’d wish for an idiot to take over the presidency
AZfederalist on May 19, 2009 at 12:24 AM
It really is about time that Fox News started printing a national newspaper.
Sharke on May 19, 2009 at 12:25 AM
None of us can do more than to opine about what the impact of the story on the election may or may not have been.
Nor can we do or say anything that will change the manner in which the NY Times chooses to report or edit their coverage of the news. The fact is that they are now, and always have been irremediably biased toward the left in their coverage of politics.
But lately they have become very callous as well. That attitude is not lost on your average reader — even those who might miss the subtle “shadings” inherent in way too many stories.
This past election cycle, they endorsed John McCain in the Republican primaries at a time when they were obviously hoping to kill the candidacy of Mitt Romney. They then printed an utterly despicable and dishonest hit piece about John McCain and his “relationship” with a lobbyist at a time that they hoped to hobble his candidacy, once, that is, McCain had the nomination sewed up.
They have been left-leaning in their bias for so long, what it it that leads any of us think they care a whit what we think, or expect? Just because they call themselves the “paper of record?”
They have even printed a few stories in the past few years that have seriously imperiled or at least endangered national security, all for purely partisan political motivation — i.e., to enable an “issue” to surface, one that that disappears or melts away soon after the desired political effect is achieved.
But they are slowly dying as an institution now, in part, because they’ve become arrogant enough to believe that they can do what they damn well please, and completely ignore those of us who used to read the paper but now would not ever consider giving them a dime.
This latest eport by Hoyt was an arrogant cover-up. John at Powerline clearly showed how the facts Hoyt cited pointed to the exact opposite conclusion arrived at by the public editor.
A few decades ago the NYT was biased, but from an editorial perspective, they took the public criticism a bit more seriously. Hence, they opened up the OpEd page.
But today, they simply chose to ignore the obvious. And the attendant arrogance could make the price be their very survival.
Trochilus on May 19, 2009 at 12:26 AM
How many death threats will O’Reilly receive for reporting ACORN corruption? Glenn Beck received over 2000 death threats in a week for exposing ACORN.
When will someone in the gutless GOP take on ACORN and Obama seizing the census?
If ANYONE actually thinks we will have fair and open elections in 2010 and 2012, BACK AWAY FROM THE CRACKPIPE!
It ain’t happening folks, the 2010 and 2012 elections are a sham already.
nelsonknows on May 19, 2009 at 12:33 AM
It may not be quite national, but the New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns Fox News.
R D on May 19, 2009 at 12:46 AM
And Chrysler needs to make horse carts.
jgapinoy on May 19, 2009 at 12:49 AM
Moncrief came off as totally credible, so she will appear other places as well. A couple of Acorn people, who were asking questions and got kicked out for it, were on Beck, and they were credible too. 1+1 is 2, and add up to a game changer.
PattyJ on May 19, 2009 at 1:15 AM
If every acorn vote was double checked,..YES!…remember Indianapolis had 105% of it’s residents registered!
Indiana who just elected a Republican Governor and Mayor went to Obama?..Comeon already!!
How odd is it that every county that acorn is now under investigation for went to obama?
christene on May 19, 2009 at 1:21 AM
I hope the NYT fails and I hope that its kidneys fail too.
Geochelone on May 19, 2009 at 2:12 AM
So you do not like Fox News?
Johan Klaus on May 19, 2009 at 2:38 AM
I guess the AG will be starting an investigation tomorrow…………..Bush did it. It’s Bush’s and Cheney’s fault.
Johan Klaus on May 19, 2009 at 3:37 AM
I read the piece, as a follow up you should look at the coverage of the Al Qa Qaa weapons depot in 2004, where the Times ran a pretty thin story to show how bad Bush was. I don’t remember who from the Times had a hand in it, but after the election when asked if they tried to influence the outcome they denied it and claimed the public has a right to know all info to make a reasoned judgment.
rob verdi on May 19, 2009 at 5:47 AM
I’m shocked I tell you, shocked!
Frances on May 19, 2009 at 5:56 AM
So all those fake registrations ACORN submitted were simply pulled from Obama’s donation list which had a lot of fake donators to circumvent the donation cap. I think ACORN is the next to get thrown under the Obama bus.
cadams on May 19, 2009 at 6:35 AM
I know that a lot of Republicans in Indiana firmly believe that ACORN helped steal this state in the election. Obama’s victory was very narrow here. In Indianapolis registration was 105% of the total of people eligible to vote.
The State Attorney General has brought charges against ACORN for screwing around with the election.
I do not know how that is going but I am sure that a lot of these methods crossed the state line from Illinois into Gary and into the rest of the state.
Terrye on May 19, 2009 at 6:59 AM
That is what the web is for. The New York Slimes readership is as much as it ever was. Its paper version’s circulation is down but more than made up by its web site. Unfortunately web advertising brings in much less revenue.
Jamson64 on May 19, 2009 at 7:15 AM
Besides you just need to go to the RNC site anyway.
/s
Jamson64 on May 19, 2009 at 7:16 AM
Heh.
I just had serious McCain overload last week. Everywhere I turned, it was either a MegMac scribbling, or Cindy babbling on about something, or the fiery ol’ mom shootin’ pistols on TV. I felt trapped.
I’ve almost recovered, now.
progressoverpeace on May 18, 2009 at 10:32 PM
WTF are you talkin’ about???!?!?!?! I am SICK and borderline grabbing a bowl to puke over O’s hourly appearances whenever I turn on the TV; go to the mall and take a break–oh, oh I forgot to mention this! Yesterday I went to the groc. store and guess what–HALLMARK has “Obama’s” birthday cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like the NFL announcer: HE-HAS-GONE-ALL-THE-WAAAYYYY!!!
ProudPalinFan on May 19, 2009 at 7:36 AM
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