August 16, 2004

UNFIT FOR COMMAND is "a pretty serious piece of work" in the judgment of Fox News reporter Britt Hume -- and it deserves greater coverage. Quotable:
During the panel segment on the August 15 Fox News Sunday, [newsman Britt] Hume asserted:

"The book, Unfit for Command, is a remarkably well-done document. It is full of detail. It is full of specifics. The charges that are being made of Kerry, of irresponsible and indeed in some cases mendacious conduct in his service in Vietnam, are made by people who were there. They're making the charges in their own names. There's not a lot of, this isn't a bunch of anonymous people whispering things. It's all out there in the open. The book is full of footnotes. It has an appendix. It's a pretty serious piece of work.

"It is entitled to at least as much attention -- and the charges are entitled to at least as much attention -- as was given the charge that President Bush went either 'AWOL,' Terry McAuliffe's words, or 'deserted,' those were Michael Moore's words -- that triggered a firestorm and a huge feeding frenzy-"

Host Chris Wallace: "Don't you think it's getting equal attention?"

Hume: "No, it's not. It's getting some -- the author and those with a different viewpoint are getting, although the editor, really, are getting on some talk shows. We at Fox News followed up aggressively one of the accusations -- that's the one regarding Cambodia, which checked out, and Kerry's version has now had to be, has had to be basically retracted. So I think it's entitled to at least as serious attention-"

Hume got cut off at that point and after an ad break Juan Williams argued that the vets have been debunked, a contention disputed by Hume.

UPDATE: "Where's my colleagues' interest in Kerry's war records? Even when he's caught in a lie, media aren't scrutinizing him same way they did Bush" by LEE CEARNAL in the Houston Chronicle. Quotable: To those of you who say such questions are unseemly, consider that John Kerry's principal claim on the presidency is that he served four months and 11 days in Vietnam. OK, fine. Let's examine the records � all the records, which, unlike Bush and contrary to popular perception, Kerry has not released � and have a debate. We would be if it were George W. Bush. The media would see to it. "Cearnal is the special projects editor at the Chronicle. A former Marine helicopter pilot, he served in Vietnam from mid-1968 through mid-1969. Readers may e-mail him at lee.cearnal@chron.com" Posted by Greg Ransom | TrackBack