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Drudge Kept Pushing False Attack On Bill Clinton 12 Hours After It Had Been Debunked

By Greg Sargent - June 15, 2007, 2:32PM

Here's a kind of contemptible postscript to the whole Bill-made-money-on-Sept. 11 saga we posted on below. The story in question -- that Bill allegedly gave a for-profit speech commemorating 9/11 on Sept. 11, 2006 -- was heavily promoted by Drudge yesterday, beginning in the late afternoon:




Here's the interesting thing, though. The Observer proved this story false yesterday, posting this debunking of it in the late afternoon or early evening yesterday, proving that Bill's schedule showed that he'd given the speech the day before, on Sept. 10.


But Drudge still had the above headline going strong this morning, pushing a false story for a full 12 hours after it had been proven to be thoroughly bogus.


Drudge does this all the time. Not long ago he linked to an article in the Boston Herald that purported to show that Hillary may have had botox. The paper did this with before-and-after photos -- but it turned out that the pics had been reversed. Hours and hours after The Herald put the photos back in the right order, rendering the visual entirely bogus, Drudge still had them up on his site in the wrong order.


We bring this up for a reason. Many of you will ask why we bother with this when we've all known for years and years that Drudge is chronically mendacious and dishonest. Here's why: Because many people at the big news orgs, particularly at the TV networks, take their cues from Drudge and even treat him as their de-facto assignment editor. So we point it out whenever Drudge leaves false information up on his site for hours and hours in (perhaps vain) hopes that the good people at these news orgs will take note of it one of these days.


Relatedly, John Aravosis asks a very good question: "what was Matt Drudge doing, and with whom was he doing it, this past September 11? Was he honoring the dead?" Well, we can tell you one thing: His site was active all throughout that day.

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| TOPICS: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Pres '08

140 Comments

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Did Drudge make money on that day? Did Drudge contribute any of the money he made that day to the families of 9/11 victims? Did get a botox injection that day? Did Drudge have an affair with Ken Mehlman when he was making money on 9/11?

These are legitimate questions that deserve answers. You would have to be anti-free speech, and pro-Islamofascist to deny it.

Posted by Legalize
June 15, 2007 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
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hah, indeed. maybe you can email and ask him...

Posted by Greg Sargent
June 15, 2007 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
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It's ok, because he's a Republican.

Posted by goethean
June 15, 2007 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
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Drudge is a hack, plain and simple. I'm surprised you even pay him any attention.

Posted by chimp
June 15, 2007 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
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Drudge is indeed the go to guy for big media, according to Mark Halperin and John Harris. But in God's name, why? Haven't they noticed that his site is unreliable? Do they share his biases and so just ignore that? Are they just stupid? Seriously, someone please explain to me how this state of affairs can persist.

Posted by Thelonious
June 15, 2007 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
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well, it isn't because he deserves attention, it's because the big news orgs, especially TV, still take their cues from him. I'm hoping pointing out this sort of thing will make them more reluctant to do this, see what I mean?

Posted by Greg Sargent
June 15, 2007 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
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1) Because he rocks their world.

2) As unreliable as ... Fox News or the Washington Times or Politico? It's the truthiness that counts dude!

3) Yes.

4) Yes.

5) I've tried. No, seriously, I have. It's really that simple. The common term is confirmation bias or, if you prefer, cognitive dissonance.

Hope this helps!

Posted by gonzone
June 15, 2007 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
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Greg is correct.
We cannot ignore Drudge of Fox or Rush or anyone else the mouth breathers listen to for their daily dose of gospel. We must challenge them every time.

Drudge and Jeff Gannon have a lot in common, a lot.

Posted by gonzone
June 15, 2007 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
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"what was Matt Drudge doing, and with whom was he doing it, this past September 11? Was he honoring the dead?"

Let's ask Talon News, shall we?

Posted by gonzone
June 15, 2007 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
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What's the big deal with making money on 9/11 anyway? Didn't Matt Drudge make money? Did he take down the banner ads in honor of the dead? What about TV networks? Newspapers? Did they go commercial free?

Yet another VRWC pseudo scandal. Not even that since it didn't happen.

Posted by Miri11
June 15, 2007 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
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Because they just don't care. It's all a show anyway so let's just keep jerking them off.
Just as long as the checks keep coming in, who cares.

Posted by bjobotts2
June 15, 2007 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
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This is a classic trick for GOP-types: Put out a story about the other side that is BOTH false and irrelevant. The language should suggest that the target has something to be ashamed of, or something to hide.

Then sit back and laugh as the confused target refutes the charges, saying that he would NEVER do such a thing. This is even funnier when said 'thing' is something perfectly normal that the smearers do on a daily basis.

Of course part of the problem on our side is the utter inability of our politicians to speak plainly.

"That's the stupidest smear attempt I've ever heard. The story happens to be false, but what if it were true? It's a non-charge, a non-story. Did you work on 9-11? I thought so."

See? That's not so hard.

(I've moved past Bill and Barack here to comment on the larger issue of these smear tactics, using the present situation only as an example.)

Posted by VictorLaszlo
June 15, 2007 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
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From the initial Drudge Report link to TPM's discussion above, I find this to be the silliest series of posts in recent memory. It appears that anybody who wishes to be President needs operatives, all of which seem to be produced by some big factory that spews out amoral, lying, cheating, anything-to-win drones. This is what political operatives do, and they use whatever means available (Drudge, TPM, fill in the blank) to support their efforts. I am a Gore fan, but if we have a choice between either Clinton or Obama, Mr. Obama wins hands down. Mrs. Clinton is the Democratic version of Mitt Romney, a slick amoral Blade Runner replicant who will say anything and do anything necessary to become President. Watching the operatives of any current candidate is analogous to watching legislation being made or watching sausage being made---not for the faint of heart. Please, please---let's cease with the "I am shocked--shocked that somebody has told a lie" comments in the context of a Presidential campaign. It is too much.

Posted by audiophileguy
June 15, 2007 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
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You write: "big news orgs, particularly at the TV networks, take their cues from Drudge and even treat him as their de-facto assignment editor."

I heard this before and it's hard to believe. Do we really have evidence of specific MSM outfits taking cues from Drudge?

Posted by little ole jim from red state
June 15, 2007 6:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
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Here:


'Drudge Rules Our World'
Posted by Greg Sheffield on September 26, 2006 - 12:22.

Reports Drudge on himself:

ABCNEWS, WASH POST REPORTERS: 'DRUDGE RULES OUR WORLD'

Here they come...

In the stampede of books attempting to make their mark this season comes THE WAY TO WIN, by longtime political reporters Halperin and Harris.

The political director of ABCNEWS and the national politics editor of the WASHINGTON POST make it official in their new insider tome on DC politics and how it's played: The four words in every newsroom and campaign headquarters are: Have you seen DRUDGE?

In an extended 15-page homage to the glories of this site, they report: "Matt Drudge is the gatekeeper... he is the Walter Cronkite of his era."

"In the fragmented, remote-control, click-on-this, did you hear? political media world in which we live, revered Uncle Walter has been replaced by odd nephew Matt."

Mark Halperin and John Harris write "Matt Drudge rules our world." They say, "With the exception of the ASSOCIATED PRESS, there is no outlet other than the DRUDGE REPORT whose dispatches instantly can command the attention and energies of the most established newspapers and television newscasts."

Link is here

Posted by Phredd
June 15, 2007 7:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
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And if, as it seems, Drudge also rules Obama's world I think I will just have to execute that 'move to Canada' plan I've had in the file cabinet.

Posted by shesaid
June 16, 2007 7:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
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here's a good example of this:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/03/cnn_matt_drudge.php

Posted by Greg Sargent
June 16, 2007 9:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
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http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/03/cnn_matt_drudge.php

(sorry about repetition below)

Posted by Greg Sargent
June 16, 2007 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
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I'm curious. Has anyone checked whether Rudy Giuliani gave a paid speech on the 9/11 anniversary? He's certainly not shy about cashing in on it in other ways.

Posted by patighe
June 16, 2007 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
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What cunning by the Clintions. Playing passive-agressive slash and burn politics, trying to undermine Obama’s campaign. First they tried to lie and say that Hillary and Obama has the same position on Iraq–even before the invasion! They were trying to destroy his standing on that position by misleading. Now they are feeding the NY Times info. meant to undercut Obama’s principles. Can’t wait to see how she is going to explain all the special interest money she is getting. Maybe she will leak to the Times that kids giving Obama $10 dollar donations are lobbying for more access to Ridalin?

— Posted by RodneyA

Posted by whiterosebuddy
June 16, 2007 12:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
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Unfortunately Greg, it seems that you too took your cue from Drudge in terms of  the angle you chose, as well, to cover this story as being about an attack on BillClinton from Obama. When how cunning the Clinton campaign is should have been the focus. You suspected Obama but not Hillary's camp as twisting the issue.

 When Obama's campaign  had actually released very pertinent and a detailed analysis of where the Clintons have gotten their money based on their financial disclosures. That is not a smear. It is publicizing the truth. The disservice that has been done here is to attack the messenger because the message itself is solid, truthful and definitely an issue of concern to many in the electorate.

 Mr. Obama’s aides circulated the memorandum to news organizations on the condition that news organizations not say where they obtained the information.

There is nothing unusual – and, most reporters and ethics experts will say, unethical – about this practice

This turned into a bit of a dust-up because by all appearances, the Obama campaign got a little sloppy in circulating what turned out to be two critical memos. They ended up in the hands of the Clinton campaign.

 And the Clinton campaign promptly sought to circulate copies of what it found to news organizations, including The New York Times, which asked that it be allowed to say where it obtained the document.

 Why would the Clinton campaign want to circulate documents attacking its candidate? Mrs. Clinton’s aides declined comment.

But the Clintons have been seeking to undercut the effort by Mr. Obama to present himself as the face of a new-kind-of-politics that eschews these kind of attacks. These documents – with their bold type and grabby headlines, including one that referred to Mrs. Clinton as (D-Punjab) – are text-book examples of old-school opposition research practices.

 Second, the documents include what could be construed as attacks on Mr. Clinton, who is probably the most popular person among Democrats these days.

 So what we have here is actually that the Clinton campaign turned this into a smear to re-focus the issue away from their extensive and questionable fianancial holdings when considering a Presidential candidate into whether or not Obama was living up to a 'new politics'.

 Not only did Drudge buy it, but so did TPMcafe which is disturbing particularly as you portrayed this as rightwingnuttery yet fell for it seemingly hook, line and sinker?

The substance of the issue here is the Clintons finacial holdings and Greg Sargent chose to focus on Obama just like the Clintons wanted.

The Clintons have simply proved again that they are more politically savvy when it comes to hardball politics and that when Obama tells the truth Drudge and even TPMcafe now  called it a smear in  support of the opposition. I would think that TPMcafe would not simply repeat the version that the Clinton campaign gives out and look for the backstory when it is about Obama from the Clinton camp.

 Several people repeatedly asked  you Greg  for the memos and they were not  provided on that thread. Had they been provided the substance of the issue would have been extremely apparent vs. the 'smear' verbiage being thrown around about Obama's 'tactics'

Posted by puissant
June 16, 2007 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
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This is a classic trick for GOP-types: Put out a story about the other side that is BOTH false and irrelevant. The language should suggest that the target has something to be ashamed of, or something to hide.

I agree. HRC's campaign has mastered slashandburn Rovian GOP tactics. This smells to high heaven as having come from Clinton's campaign as no one is benefitting from the fall out but her and we know that it was her campaign who took the memos to the NYT to distribute. I so hope she is not the Democratic nominee.

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June 16, 2007 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
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