This morning, during a regular, top-of-the-hour, newscast, CBS Radio did a piece on the Jack Abramoff scandal. For those who are unfamiliar with the brouhaha, here's a link to an article about the situation. For those that don't want to or can't read the article, "former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff has plead guilty to fraud, public corruption and tax evasion in connection with dealings related to his American Indian clients, of whom he and former associate Michael Scanlon are accused of defrauding millions in fees. Scanlon was charged in November by the Justice Department with conspiracy to corrupt a U.S. lawmaker and is now cooperating with federal investigators. Abramoff, in exchange for his plea, could face up to ten years in prison while also setting the stage for investigators to use him as a witness against his former colleagues and political allies".
This morning's news piece by CBS Radio News was an update on the Abramhoff investigation, which would be accepted by me as part of the news de jour, but for the label CBS put on Abramoff, a "Republican lobbyist".
Jack Abramhoff lobbied for American Indian clients, who - by and large - have supported Democrats and/or Democrat-supported measures. Abramoff lobbied for Republicans, as well. His shenanigans were brought to light via questionable contributions involving a Republican lawmaker. Republicans jumped the Abmraoff ship in droves, giving back the money raised by him. Many Democrats who benefited by Abramoff contributions, however, chose not to give back the money he raised for them. My local senator, Patty Murray (D - Washington), went so far as to say that giving the money back would be "unfair" to native Americans. Given the left-bias the national media has all-but-admitted to in the past few years, if a justification like Sen. Murray's had been given by a Republican lawmaker, the national media would have had a field-day with it.
Now, if Abramoff had lobbied to Republican lawmakers or Democrat lawmakers exclusively, I wouldn't be posting this. He allegedly did something wrong, and lawmakers got cought with their hands in the cookie jar. I'm not even beefed with the lame excuses made by lawmakers who won't give back the money Abramoff garnered for them.
My frustration is with CBS Radio News, who has yet to tell the public in their newscasts that Democrats are just as guilty of accepting Abramoff's money as Republicans, there are more Democrats than Republicans who have decided to keep the money, and that Abramoff is labelled by CBS Radio News as a "Republican lobbyist", thereby inferring that Republicans are exclusively obtaining questionable contributions.
If Abramoff is found guilty of illegal lobbying, then both parties are guilty of obtaining questionable contributions, and what CBS Radio News is (once again) showing their left-leaning bias, without an admission that they favor the minority party in the Senate. To this discerning news junky, it sends a message that CBS is trying to slip in an editorial (opinion, anti-Administration, anti-Bush, anti-Republican) element into what should be a "just read the facts" news report.
The story aired by CBS Radio News lasted less than 1 minute. "Radioguy? Why are you so uptight about it?", you might ask... It's because CBS Radio News, and other news media outlets, have slipped-in such comments during their newscasts, seemingly banking on either voter apathy, a collective short-term memory malfunction by their listeners, or the idea that whatever they say will be considered gospel truth by the public.
3 comments:
It is true that both Dems and Repubs took money from the tribes thanks to Abramoff's lobbying; the article at Capitol Eye is very informative. But it is still valid to say that Abramoff works primarily with Republicans; he did a lot of other (non-tribal) lobbying. See Wikipedia (with sources):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Abramoff
Something to note - not once since the Abramoff scandal came to light has CBS said word one about any Democrats accepting his questionable contributions, or any lawmaker (Democrat or Republican) going on the record to say they will keep the contributions.
The coverage the network has given this story has repeatedly been written in a way that targets corruption by Republicans only. No mention have been just as eager to accept said contributions, when offered.
Oops, my computer burped as I was finishing my last comment. What I meant to finish the comment with is:
No mention of any Democrats, who have been just as eager as Republicans to accept said contributions, when offered.
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