BuzzMachine

The media pundit's pundit. Written by NYC insider Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine covers news, media, journalism, and politics.

Live by the mud, die by the mud

45 comments on Live by the mud, die by the mud

Live by the mud, die by the mud

: I’ll say it once again: The Bush National Guard flap and the Kerry Swiftie flap are both nonstories, just negative campaigning, just mudslinging, just distractions from what really matters. But the Bush side should not be surprised at all the renewed attention to his military history now (see 60 Minutes and the Boston Globe).

What a friggin’ newsflash: Politicians stretch the truth!

Stop the friggin’ presses.

Can we move on now?

See the post below from The Week’s event: Gallup finds that we the people say candidates and media (and bloggers, by extension) are not discussing the economy, health care, and jobs enough.

We don’t want more mud.

45 responses to “Live by the mud, die by the mud”

  1. Kat Avatar
    Kat

    Funny thing is that all the leftist press is on this Bush thing and not a word about the navy probe into Kerry’s medals or the Steve Pitkin
    story re his filing an affidavit claiming John Kerry and other leaders of Vietnam Veterans Against the War coerced him into making false claims. CNN makes me laugh–they claim to be giving voters a balanced view ,yet two CNN employees(Begala, Crazy Carville) are Kerry staffers. How stupid does the media think we are.

  2. chuck Avatar
    chuck

    It’s going to get worse, much worse. So get a good seat, say in PA or MI, and just enjoy. As to serious issues, as you see them, they aren’t going to be discussed. They never are. Big deal, that’s what congress is for.

  3. tony Avatar
    tony

    i’m with you most of the way, jeff. i mean i would prefer if these two guys would discuss their plans for 1) getting us out of this war 2) getting us out of this record deficit 3) get us out of the polarization of america.
    three things that werent around four years ago
    ok maybe the third one was around but not at this level.
    however.
    if it’s true that Bush bailed from the NG for as long as it seems like he was away… then that’s desertion. and desertion during wartime has a maxium penalty of death.
    or at least 6 months in jail.
    the AP has had to sue repeatedly to get these records out and the Bush administration always seems to “find” more documents after each suit even though they continually say that they’ve released everything.
    today they released more docs. these also didnt prove that Bush was where he said he was for those three months in question.
    i dont see how this is mudslinging.
    nothing that the swiftboaters are after could land kerry into jail or the chair, in fact it appears to be nothing more than typical distraction tactics.
    sadly, based on all of the military records that the president has released, it does appear that bush deserted during a time of war.
    who else do you recommend that we look the other way for so they can avoid a possible death penalty?

  4. Kat Avatar
    Kat

    Tony–what is the penalty for treason? That is what Kerry should be charged with.
    If Kerry wins we are no better than Spain. Al Queda wins.The Patriot Act gets cancelled, Kerry makes love to terrorists as he did to Ho Chi Minh,he cuts defense spending, loves up to Chirac and Schroeder, Koffi Annan becomes commander in chief of our forces, and we get attacked again. God save us from that traitor.

  5. Oliver Avatar
    Oliver

    People start sleeping and snoring when important issues are debated. They only get intrigued when mud is slung.

  6. chuck Avatar
    chuck

    So, Tony is with Jeff most of the way, but he thinks Bush should be shot for desertion in war time. Hmm, sounds just like the sort of thing Jeff is pushing, no? Poor Jeff, he tries hard, but still he gets infested with roaches. But that’s what happens when you try to be nice in the middle of a brawl.

  7. John Van Laer Avatar
    John Van Laer

    For the record, Tony, even if Bush missed an entire year of NG drill, that would not have constituted AWOL, much less desertion. Both AWOL and desertion are violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. As a member of a state NG, Lt. G.W. Bush was not subject to the UCMJ. Unless a guard member’s unit has been federalized, i.e. put under Army/Navy/AirForce/CG command, the guard member is a civilian. The only sanction for absence is to make up lost time with extra service or–failing that–dismissal. In Bush’s case, the records show that he garnered the obligatory 50 or more points in every year he served, prior to his authorized early departure. That settles the question for everyone familiar with how the Guard works.
    One final point: Michael Moore is one of the very few individuals in this world who can amass a fortune by making a public display of his malevolence and profound ignorance.

  8. Robert McClelland Avatar
    Robert McClelland

    We don’t want more mud.
    Speak for yourself, Jeff. I’m really enjoying the mud slinging. If I’d known American politics were this interesting I’d have paid attention to them long ago.
    How stupid does the media think we are.
    Well Kat, you’ve proven just how stupid you are time and time again, so I’d say the media knows its audience quite well.

  9. carsonfire Avatar
    carsonfire

    Nice sentiments — no more mud — but what would the results be, realistically? The mainstream press has already shown its interest in the AWOL story, even before the swift boat veterans appeared, so it’s not *just* a reaction to the swift boat veterans, and you can’t blame it on bloggers who called attention to the veterans.
    Are bloggers covering the veterans also responsible for the Kitty Kelly book? What, did Kelly just slap that together in the last few weeks? “ha! I’ll show those bloggers! I’ve got Neil Bush’s ex-wife!”
    If not for the supporters of the swift boat veterans we’d STILL be hearing the AWOL story, anyway, but it would be the ONLY story we were hearing. This isn’t about mud-slinging — this is a freedom of speech issue if I ever saw one, and it’s sad to see the guy who so stenuously defends millionaire Howard Stern’s right to free speech on the public airwaves suggest that other people shut up because their political message is disagreeable.

  10. Ptolemy Avatar
    Ptolemy

    The Soviets thought they knew Americans quite well. Osama thought he knew Americans quite well. Dems thought they knew Americans quite well in November 02. Yet somehow they all ended up wrong. What could cause that? Blinding arrogance? There is litte mud slung in Canada because what possible difference would it make to have a Liberal or Conservative or even no government at all? There are two nations in the world: The United States and “Other”. How could you not watch our election system? Your one-party state never changes.

  11. Ptolemy Avatar
    Ptolemy

    The only forces bringing up the AWOL are the media itself. The Dem forces have been trying all summer but it wasn’t till now that the media have felt safe selling their souls in public once more.

  12. iranian Avatar
    iranian

    3 Iranian young journalist and blogger has been arrested with direct order of attorny general saeed mortazavi,killer of press in Iran.it is said in coming days more arrest of bloggers and journalists are on the way.visit hoder.com for more infos.this is a very serious condition and international community shouldnt be silent.

  13. Kat Avatar
    Kat

    Robert–did you pull your head out of Osama’s ass and come out for a breather—back to your cave now. Have some leftist pablum. Momma Khadr will make it for you.

  14. Rex Hammock Avatar
    Rex Hammock

    I agree with Jeff: At some point, this whole gotcha campaigning crap needs to stop. I know the history of American presidential politics is filled with mud-slinging and rumor-milling that makes the Kerry-Bush accusation-duel look like a kindegarten squabble. But still, enough already.
    Who cares who served in Vietnam…or avoided it? Didn’t the election of President Dole, the WWII hero, over Bill Clinton, the draft dodger, settle that as an issue? And frankly, if Kitty Kelly’s book claims that back in the 1980s, George W. Bush performed abortions at Camp David while dancing naked on a table, drunk and on cocaine, it won’t influence my vote. And frankly, if some veteran steps forward tomorrow proving John Kerry cut himself shaving and tried to leverage that into a Congression Medal of Honor because he thought it would help him get a date with Jane Fonda and would look good on his campaign resume, it won’t influence my vote. Hell, you could tell me that John Kerry and George Bush were once secretly married to each other in a private Skull & Crossbones ceremony at Yale, and I would be too desensitized by this campaign to give a rip.
    Is anyong actually going to vote this November based on something that happened during the Vietnam war or based on decades-old DUIs or anything other than the economy or the threat of terrorism or a personal conviction related to a specific public policy isisue? No one.
    Bottom line: George W. Bush has served as president for the past four years. We’ve all had a front row seat to how he’ll likely serve if he’s re-elected to the office. Vote against him or for him based on what you, yourself, have observed and based on your personal convictions. Or vote for or against John Kerry based on your perception of his service in the Senate and on what you think of him today or if you are convinced that he’ll be a better president. Or vote for someone else if you think neither of them is fit for the office.
    All that other crap is noise.

  15. pezza Avatar
    pezza

    Tony,
    I suggest for balance you read these three articles:
    http://www.hillnews.com/york/090904.aspx
    http://www.americandaily.com/article/4807
    http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-banal11.html
    I don’t think Bush will be facing the chair any time soon.

  16. Kat Avatar
    Kat

    Well, I just decided I’d rather they mudsling than introduce a national health care plan. There is a program on TV(CBCNEWS) about Canada’s healthcare system. What an abomination. In one town they hold lotteries to see who gets to see the doctor. One man has waited 7 years for bypass surgery. Dozens of horror stories. If this is a national healthcare plan,who in their right mind would want it? The only people who get to see a doctor pronto are illegal and new immigrants. A man waited 7 days to have a torn tendon in his hand fixed. Today Paul Harvey said a woman who couldn’t breath died in emergency in Vancouver because no doctor available so they called 911–she died before they got there.

  17. Gary B. Avatar
    Gary B.

    So Lt. Robert Mintz doesn’t remember seeing Bush when he served in the guard? Wow! What a powerfull piece of evidence? If only I’d have known this in 2000, I never would’ve voted for him. Oh wait, I didn’t vote for him.
    Maybe some evidence will surface that while still in the guard, Bush flew over to Cuba for a secret meeting with the North Vietnamese.
    That would be equal to Kerry secretly meeting the North Vietnamese in Paris while still active in the Navy.
    But I know I know, this is about Bush isn’t it?

  18. chuck Avatar
    chuck

    But Rex, it *does* change people’s votes. Why else do it? Also, some folks care, and it drives their tempers. Myself, I’m looking forward to the news coverage when the losers wives and daughters are sold into slavery, the male children slaughtered, and the bodies of the leaders dragged through the streets behind chariots.
    Well, maybe we’ve progressed a bit from those days. If you don’t want to watch, turn off the TV and Radio, toss the papers in the trash, and stay off the net. Also avoid dinner parties and talking to your friends. See, that wasn’t so hard. But boy, it ain’t living. Mind, the difference between the candidates is less their positions than their personalities and organizations. The latter two are what we are going to see.

  19. tony Avatar
    tony

    i stand corrected regarding desertion regarding the ng.
    thank you for the education.
    if jail time isnt at stake then fine. im good.
    maybe next week we can discuss the economy, wmd, and seperation of church and state

  20. Kat Avatar
    Kat

    Yes, and Robert Mintz is a Texan for Truth, the aborted new baby of Moveon.org. When you lose credibility because of lies, just adopt a new moniker–Texans for Truth.

  21. shark Avatar
    shark

    This suits me. There’s enough mud for both sides to get nasty.
    And since we’ll be having both sides do nothing but throw mud, expect status quo in the polls- meaning Bush keeps his lead. Unless Kerry holds another midnight whinefest crying about non-existant attacks on his non-existant patriotism. Then Bush will increase his lead.
    Is this the way I want Bush to win- running out thr clock on a nasty mud slinging franzy? Nope, not really. As Jeff notes, there are issues to discuss. But if that’s how it’s gonna be, so be it. Kerry can’t articulate his positions on the issues for public consumption if it’s mudslinging 24/7, and as the trailing challenger, he needs to do that.
    Get ready for Paris negotiations with the VC, a full court press to demand Kerry release his records, and insinuations about Kerrys accepting laundered money in the days and weeks ahead.

  22. shark Avatar
    shark

    By the way…..regarding Bush and the national guard story: VFW and the American Legion endorsed Bush. Heh. Hard for the MSM to push the AWOL story without that small fact deflating it…
    Game. Set. Match. Bush.

  23. anne.elk Avatar
    anne.elk

    Jeff,
    With all due respect, you live and breathe mud. We have discussed this. You have some insights, but overall you run one of the snarkiest, most petty blogs by a professional journalist there is.
    Remember what you did to Dean? Remember what you called Bruce Willis? Remember when pissy was your favorite word? Move on? You don’t want to move on. You played the Dean tape into the ground, into the mud. Over and over and over again.
    If you were an editor at one of these presses, you would be gobbling this stuff up and cutting down trees as fast as you could.
    The very name, buzzmachine, indicates what your relationship to truth and integrity is compared to your relationship with getting your name mentioned and smearing others.
    It’s a shame really. You otherwise seem like a nice guy.

  24. shark Avatar
    shark

    i’m with you most of the way, jeff. i mean i would prefer if these two guys would discuss their plans for 1) getting us out of this war 2) getting us out of this record deficit 3) get us out of the polarization of america.
    three things that werent around four years ago
    You know what WAS around 4 years ago? About 3,000 more people and 2 big towers…

  25. Tom (American Voter) Avatar
    Tom (American Voter)

    It amazes me that Kerry keeps bringing up Vietnam. Whether it’s attacking the Swift Boat people or repeating Bush’s National Guard attendance record, it keeps Vietnam in the headlines. What could the Kerry campaign managers possibly be thinking? If main stream media thinks they are helping Kerry by keeping this alive, they are sadly mistaken.

  26. h0mi Avatar
    h0mi

    the polarization of america.

    three things that werent around four years ago


    You know what WAS around 4 years ago?

    That polarization was around 4 years ago.

  27. Jazz Avatar
    Jazz

    First off… people like Kat scare the hell out of me. (If Kerry wins, bin Laden wins. Yikes!) Moving beyond that, these stories really are non-issues. I was around for the draft period in question. If anyone thinks that politically powerful families didn’t pull strings to keep their boys from going into combat, they are living in a dreamland. So Kerry chose to go when he could have done what the Bush family did. Good for him, point to his side, but this is hardly an earthshaking story. If you tried to execute everyone who used influence to get into the guard, or ditched out on part of their guard obligations, you’d need to double the size of all the cemeteries.
    I’m still voting for Kerry because I believe that’s what’s best for my beliefs. But this new information on Bush’s guard service is nothing shocking to me and not an issue. Less than two months to go and I still hear nothing of substance about the issues that really matter.

  28. carsonfire Avatar
    carsonfire

    Caught some of the Rather stuff, they’re repeating it all late at night to maximize coverage.
    Laugh out loud moment: female anchor going to commercial, says that they will be right back to this story (that they’re just today trying to resuscitate for the Nth time) that seems to be “overtaking the entire election” (what swift boat vets?)
    Trying to watch it as objectively as I can, but almost every ominous revelation winds up begging an enormous “AND…?” The Democrats and media just can’t seem to get this through their thick skulls: Bush has never suggested that his young period of his life is relevant to his current performance; his recent performance is relevant to his current performance. That’s why this continues to be a non-story despite their best efforts.

  29. Andy Avatar
    Andy

    Bring on the mud. It is as American as the Conventions, the Primaries etc. They tell us much about the candidates AND OURSELVES.
    Saw Rather on a clip that CNN is running. He sure is olde. The prison haircut does not enhance his features or make him look younger. CNN also failed to mention Barnes present employment or political affiliation at the time he was selling his office.
    CNN also failed to report on the backers of the anti-Bush ad. The contrast to their reporting on the Swifty ad shows a bit of bias. “The dog that didn’t bark” clue.
    Let the mud flow. Thus far in the election cycle the major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) have shown their inability and interest in reporting news. The M-S-M tree-killers have shown their bias and willingness to mislead, distort and lie. (NYTimes, USAToday, WaPo, LATimes) All of which measn more power and credibility to blogs and the internet.
    The world has changed and is changing. The old ways of the 20th Century cannot be sustained by whiney boomers moaning at injustice of their childhoods. Dylan was right “get out of the new world if you can’t lend a hand. The times they are a -changing”
    See the great article/review at Tech Central Station
    http://techcentralstation.com/090804C.html

  30. Angelos Avatar
    Angelos

    It’s not mud if you’re exposing actual lies:
    “After the [60 Minutes] broadcast, the White House, without comment, released to the news media two of the memos [mentioned in the broadcast], one ordering Bush to report for his physical exam and the other suspending him from flight status.”
    You mean the same White House that released said they had released ALL the documents months ago, upon the previous FOIA request?

  31. Cara Remal Avatar
    Cara Remal

    Jeff,
    For months, day after day, you defended Howard Stern’s right to fling as much mud as he wanted to. Now that this particular mud offends you, you suddenly cry foul. I don’t get it. I realize you’re not calling for censorship here, but I don’t hear you calling for transparency anymore either. Wanting people to shut up about this doesn’t seem like open transparency to me.
    What gives?
    I’m all for both candidates revealing all of their military/medical records to the public and letting the public decide from there.
    No mud, just documents.
    Bush has released his, the ball is now in Kerry’s court to reveal all. Why hasn’t he?

  32. Greg Avatar
    Greg

    I think there’s a difference between what people say they want and what ratings/circulation reveal. Guess which one media people pay more attention to.

  33. MWB Avatar
    MWB

    Rex said:
    “Bottom line: George W. Bush has served as president for the past four years. We’ve all had a front row seat to how he’ll likely serve if he’s re-elected to the office. Vote against him or for him based on what you, yourself, have observed and based on your personal convictions. Or vote for or against John Kerry based on your perception of his service in the Senate and on what you think of him today or if you are convinced that he’ll be a better president.”
    Well, yes, as regards Bush. Plus he has admitted that his younger years were far from exemplary. But Kerry has specifically and repeatedly asked us to form our current opinion of him based on his Vietnam record, rather than his service in the Senate.
    So, “who cares who served in Vietnam…or avoided it?”
    John Kerry, apparently.
    and…”Is anyone actually going to vote this November based on something that happened during the Vietnam war or based on decades-old DUIs or anything other than the economy or the threat of terrorism or a personal conviction related to a specific public policy isisue?”
    John Kerry, apparently, thinks so.

  34. DBL Avatar
    DBL

    Two points:
    1) See Powerline today for the rather powerful evidence that one of the memos the CBS story is based on is forged. This strikes me as a huge story, right up there with Watergate. Is the Kerry campaign now planting forged documents with the press or is the forgery the work of an “independent” group?
    2) This election is not that dirty compared to earlier elections in American history. Look at the things that were said about Lincoln in 1864 – that makes the charges laid against Bush or Kerry today seem like kindergarten stuff. For my money, the dirtiest election in modern times was 1964 – who can ever forget the ad that Johnson ran of a little girl holding a daisy that morphs into a mushroom cloud, or the “Au + H20 = U235” bumper stickers?

  35. pilar Avatar
    pilar

    I’m curious, if a source burns you are you still obligated to withhold naming the source? It would be nice if CBS News would out the source if these documents are forged. This is a blatant attempt to manipulate an election using the mainstream media.
    I noticed the New York Times has the Bush-AWOL story featured prominently on their web site. The possibility these documents were forged appeared at least 4 hours ago. The NYT has yet to modify the language in their article. Mainstream news isn’t moving fast enough. I certainly hope CBS News addresses the authenticity of these documents in their news coverage this evening.
    As for staying on the issues, Kerry has not spoken to the press directly in over a month. I would like hear him discuss at length Zell Miller’s anguish at his voting record. I’d like to hear acknowledge that his voting record as cited by Zell Miller was not necessarily a distortion but reflected the prevailing views at the time and that today it’s a different world. I’d like to hear him discuss which weapon systems ought to be pushed. I’d like to hear him discuss his policies in greater detail toward Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia.
    As for the economy, the fact of the matter is that a major terrorist attack in this country may cost me my job in that it will bring this economy to a standstill.

  36. Matthew Cromer Avatar
    Matthew Cromer

    Come on Jarvis. At least one of the 60 minutes docs is CLEARLY and OBVIOUSLY forged. Don’t you owe it to update your blog entry to indicate this? Or are you going to ignore this? I trust you will update this entry or create a new one to comment on this amazing phenomenon that blogs uncovered a forgery that the MSM screwed the pooch on.

  37. Jim B Avatar
    Jim B

    Since the documents have essentially been proven to be forgeries (see http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog and http://www.powerline.com for the full run-down), the story is about how the blogosphere has run down the lies of Old Media…in record time…
    The documents were obvious fakes to a half-trained typographer since the font didn’t even exist in 1973 and the super-scripting and smart quotes used weren’t available on standard typewriters at that time. How about the fact that the General referenced had retired the year before?
    And Dan Rather went into the tank on it…CBS lied and said they had people verify signatures (yet obviously they didn’t because a blind man could see the forgery didn’t even resemble the real signature)…the Boston Globe runs with it…etc…
    Isn’t there a story about the failures of Old Media vs. New here? *That* should be of interest to you, Jeff, even if you want to bury the rest of the story.
    Once again I will note that although you declared it a non-story you felt it necessary to link to the lies…Is this Swift Vet redux for you? I notice no links to stolenhonor.com or other “non-stories” about Vietnam which cut against Kerry…Coincidence?)
    Just be honest, Jeff…You can’t claim to be disinterested in Vietnam…Once again your actions betray your words…
    I don’t have a problem with your bias. I have a problem with the disingenuousness of claiming you don’t think it’s an issue when you make it a point to link to every anti-Bush Vietnam story while ignoring the anti-Kerry stories…
    You’re a Kerry partisan, we know that. You lose credibility when you’re not honest with your readers and just come out and say you want them to read the anti-Bush stories so they’ll end up voting for your guy…
    You have a lot of valuable ideas – especially about Old vs. New Media…This is a seminal moment: the blogosphere catches CBS and the Boston Globe (and others) in a huge lie and not a peep…
    …interesting….and revealing…

  38. Matthew Cromer Avatar
    Matthew Cromer

    Biggest coup for the Blogosphere EVER — proving the memo that tricked CBS / 60 mins is a complete fraud. Come ON, Jarvis, lead man on the “Blogosphere spearpoint” , where is the blog entry about this? You out of town?

  39. Jeff Jarvis Avatar
    Jeff Jarvis

    You miss the point people: Much of what the Swifties said was discredited. Much of what Moore said is bullshit. So what if this is bullshit. Not the point.
    The point: you are all wallowing in mud like political pigs.
    This is adding NOTHING but NOTHING to the health and progress of the nation.
    Oink away, piggies. I don’t give a damn.
    Now let’s talk jobs and health care, eh?

  40. JohnC Avatar
    JohnC

    Its funny the rightists are hypocritical when it comes to kerrys proven service and bushs scetchy service.

  41. Sortelli Avatar
    Sortelli

    So what if this is bullshit.
    But Jeff, that’s NOT WHAT THE MEDIA IS TELLING US. The vaunted, pristine, professional and objective media is pushing bad forgeries on us as proof of the non-story that hurts Bush and violently ignoring anything about the non-story that hurts Kerry.
    The Swiftie/AWOL stories aren’t important in the sense that it would hardly matter even if either was true.
    But the real story is how this has proved that we can’t trust anything we hear on the news anymore. It bothers me that you’re not only ignoring the implication, but you’re complaining about anyone who points it out.

  42. MWB Avatar
    MWB

    Sortelli, Jeff IS PART OF THE MEDIA (see his c.v. at right). Of course his position is “nothing to see here!”

  43. Matthew Cromer Avatar
    Matthew Cromer

    Jeff,
    Explain how the swifties are discredited. Note: Anything you quote from major media is automatically suspect.

  44. Pixy Misa Avatar
    Pixy Misa

    CBS threw the mud, in this case, and managed hit themselves right in the face. The point here is not the mud, but the bias, laziness, and incompetence of the mainstream media. The blogosphere is just pointing it out.
    Anyway:
    Much of what the Swifties said was discredited.
    Cite? One authenticated document, disproving a significant claim by the Swifties?
    Thanks.

  45. Syl Avatar
    Syl

    Obiously Jeff is the only one in this country who just knows what is important and what isn’t and can tell everyone else to shut up. Look, do we REALLY have to discuss jobs (look at the low unemployment rate)? or healthcare (we all have it and there is no crisis)?
    All we have left to discuss is terrorism and the Vietnam era. So be it. Oh, unless you want to talk about Stern some more? But that is mudslinging and a non-issue as well.
    If Kerry REALLY wanted to talk about something else there wouldn’t be these co-ordinated attacks about Bush’s service from Harkin, McMouth, a new 527, and the MSM. Blame him not us.