USA Today repeats a hoary lie
And Media Matters is there!
Here's what an op-ed in today's USA Today claimed (link above):
"Democratic me-tooism can be seen in the efforts by some Democrats to seek out pro-life candidates such as Bob Casey Jr., son of the late governor of Pennsylvania, who was snubbed at the 1992 Democratic convention for his pro-life views. But atoning for bad manners by seeking out a candidate who is at odds with one of the party's defining principles is an extreme form of political self-mortification."
And here's where Media Matters lays the hurt down:
"As Media Matters for America has pointed out on numerous occasions (here, here, here, here, and here) Casey was denied speaking time in 1992 over his refusal to endorse the Clinton-Gore ticket, not his anti-abortion views. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Sens. John Breaux (D-LA) and Howell Heflin (D-AL), and five other governors who opposed abortion rights did address the convention in 1992, as detailed in a September 16, 1996, article in The New Republic on the Casey myth. In addition, anti-abortion speakers have spoken at every Democratic convention since 1992, including Breaux in 1996 and 2000, former House Democratic Whip David Bonior (D-MI) in 1996 and 2000, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in 2000 and 2004."
The author of the oped is a political science professor from Rutgers. Why would he repeat a claim debunked NINE years ago? And why didn't anyone at the paper check it out?
Here's what an op-ed in today's USA Today claimed (link above):
"Democratic me-tooism can be seen in the efforts by some Democrats to seek out pro-life candidates such as Bob Casey Jr., son of the late governor of Pennsylvania, who was snubbed at the 1992 Democratic convention for his pro-life views. But atoning for bad manners by seeking out a candidate who is at odds with one of the party's defining principles is an extreme form of political self-mortification."
And here's where Media Matters lays the hurt down:
"As Media Matters for America has pointed out on numerous occasions (here, here, here, here, and here) Casey was denied speaking time in 1992 over his refusal to endorse the Clinton-Gore ticket, not his anti-abortion views. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Sens. John Breaux (D-LA) and Howell Heflin (D-AL), and five other governors who opposed abortion rights did address the convention in 1992, as detailed in a September 16, 1996, article in The New Republic on the Casey myth. In addition, anti-abortion speakers have spoken at every Democratic convention since 1992, including Breaux in 1996 and 2000, former House Democratic Whip David Bonior (D-MI) in 1996 and 2000, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in 2000 and 2004."
The author of the oped is a political science professor from Rutgers. Why would he repeat a claim debunked NINE years ago? And why didn't anyone at the paper check it out?
posted by Matt Sandwich | 7:57 PM
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