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The made-up story NHJournal put out on Carol Shea-Porter continues to backfire badly on the fledging publication and its credibility.
This is how NHJournal's Shawn Millerick presented the ABC interview:
Shea-Porter implies Chinese cost her election, helped Guinta
Outgoing Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter implied the Chinese cost her re-election in November and secretly funneled money to help her Republican opponent Frank Guinta during a post-election interview with ABC News.
Here's what WMUR has to say about that:
News 9 watched the roundtable interview, and the host's question and Shea-Porter's lead-up to that statement never mentioned her election loss or her opponent, Frank Guinta.
But bloggers used that quote and others from different parts of the interview to claim Shea-Porter was blaming anonymous Chinese donations to Guinta for her loss.
Before WMUR's news team did their fact checking, the NHJournal story managed to fool a number of national media outlets who uncritically stenographed this false story.
The Hill, the Wall St. Journal, Politics Daily, and Real Clear Politics have all since altered their headlines or contents of this upon learning the truth.
Had they taken some very simple steps in standard practice journalism, or exhibited basic critical thinking for that matter, such as watching the short interview for themselves, or contacting the Congresswoman to confirm, these allegedly reputable news sources would not have egg on their faces right now.
Roll Call has the DCCC's target list for 2010. Out of all those hundreds of GOPers in the incoming House, they are starting out with a mere 32 of the most vulnerable, based on their winning percentage to Obama's 2008 percentage in their district. Guess who made the list?
Member or Representative-elect/2010 winning percentage/Obama 2008 percentage:
Charlie Bass (N.H.)/48/56
Frank Guinta (N.H.)/54/53
Annie Kuster lost by a few thousand votes in an awful year.
Running for federal office is a huge undertaking, especially when you show the kind of hustle that Kuster did. That said, I hope she will think about it for 2012. The voting demographics and the incoming presidential cycle are hugely in Annie's favor. Not to mention that the kind of campaign she ran is right in line with the people of her district.
In the first CD, the numbers indicate a classic swing district (big surprise). Considering Frank Guinta's unresolved mystery money issues, and the presidential cycle, it's no wonder the forces of misinformation are already trying to kneecap a rematch with Carol Shea-Porter.
What I learned today is that moving into 2011 it is even easier for shady operatives to send phony stories up the stovepipe of stenography media than it was two years ago, or even a year ago. Linkbait is increasingly trumping basic journalistic standards such as fact checking. Drudge still rules their world.
I also learned that a strong pushback works.
But this is not a remedy. Getting corrections after the fact doesn't mitigate the damage that was already done to the truth.
What does work is the marginalization that comes with the absence of credibility. It's a big internet, and the beauty of it is that anyone can set up shop and write whatever; it's only when others give it credence that it matters.
For example, after today, media outlets here and nationally who take anything NHJournal says seriously deserve to be laughed at.
Outgoing House Dem implies Chinese aided her electoral defeat
Meet the new Hill headline:
Outgoing House Dem complains of potential Chinese influence on U.S. campaigns
and some corrigenda:
A spokesperson for the congresswoman said Tuesday Shea-Porter was not referring to such potential foreign influence in her own reelection campaign, but more generally.
"The congresswoman was not referring to her specific election, she was referring to the broader problems surrounding the Citizens United decision, which has allowed shady outside organizations to sway elections without disclosing their donors," spokeswoman Jamie Radice said in an e-mail.
NHJournal is less than a month old, and it's credibility is already blown. If anyone in the tradmed takes their attacks against Dems seriously after this, this sorry anecdote will come in handy.
Kudos to the Hill for unpunking themselves so quickly.
UPDATE: Even the right-wing echo chamber folk are now running away from being punked by NHJournal. And the WSJ feels the sting of sloppy stenography journalism too.
The right-wing to mainstream stovepipe, times two:
January 2010: Carol Shea-Porter says one thing, a right-wing website named NowHampshire twists it into something it isn't, and Jordan Fabian of the Hill gives it national credibility.
December 2010: Carol Shea-Porter says one thing, a right-wing website named NHJournal twists it into something it isn't, and Jordan Fabian of the Hill gives it national credibility.
* 12/20: ABC News does an innocuous exit interview with four House members, Carol Shea-Porter included. Pindell links.
* 12/26: The latest Pat Hynes/Shawn Millerick right wing smear machine masquerading as a news site takes a quote out of context and makes stuff up that isn't in the interview.
* 12/27, 1:47PM: Someone (presumably) feeds it to NRO's Jim Geraghty, a known national conduit for the local right-wing smear artists in this state.
* 12/27, 3:05PM: The Hill's Jordan Fabian (who once wrote for NRO) uncritically parrots the piece. From there, aided by the credibility of an (allegedly) legit news organization like The Hill, it ricochets around the right-wing blogopshere.
It's incredibly easy for hit jobs to go up the right-wing stovepipe and into the Village bloodstream, isn't it?
I think what's most interesting, though, is the timing. Frank Guinta hasn't even been sworn in yet, but they must be worried enough about his mystery money problem (which Fabian couldn't be bothered to mention) that they are trying to kneecap a potential comeback for Carol.
UPDATE: Contact the Hill's editorial department at jennifery@thehill.com, with the following questions:
* Given the striking similarities between the two, did Fabian get his information for the piece from NHJournal (or from the NRO echo chamber link)?
* If so, why didn't he link to the original source?
* Did Fabian watch the original interview on ABC?
* If so, does he really believe in the full context of the interview that Shea-Porter was talking about direct Chinese influence on her own election?
* Did Fabian contact the Congresswoman or her office for comment prior to publishing?
UPDATE x2: Could someone out there who knows former Dem Chair Jeff Woodburn kindly inform him of what he's lending his good name to?
UPDATE x3: Good for them - the Hill backs away from the prepackaged hit job. Maybe next time they'll do a little research before uncritically cutting and pasting the work of GOP operatives.
American gays and lesbians fighting for their country openly, without any longer having to pretend they are not who they are. Incredible.
Four thoughts:
1. This shows that the American people, by and large, are accepting of their many neighbors, friends, family members, coworkers, and soldiers who are gay or lesbian. Now, "...with liberty and justice for all..." has reaffirmed meaning.
2. Jeanne Shaheen, Paul Hodes, and Carol Shea-Porter are real New Hampshire political heroes.
3. This victory wasn't just about equality, it was in appreciation of the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of gay American men and women who for the past two hundred + years have fought to defend our country, but had to hide who they were. The fight goes on, but they won this one.
4. Since it will soon be clearer than ever that gays and lesbians are openly fighting to protect America in our military, there is no longer any justification not to provide for full equality here at home -- including the full right to marry. That's the American way.
This new tax-cut bill is being sold to the middle class as a great deal, and one part is. We do need to extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class. However, in addition to the extension of the Bush middle-class tax cuts, people are now being offered an extra deal -- a tax "holiday." Who among us doesn't like a holiday? Festive- sounding, isn't it? But the reality is that the money is coming from the Social Security fund, the program that protects the old and disabled.
The Republicans failed to privatize Social Security under President Bush. Now, they can hardly believe their good fortune. More than $110 billion will be diverted from Social Security for these tax cuts. Of course, the politicians have promised to make it up to us. They will take money from the general fund and put it in the Social Security fund. Really? Usually, Congress raids Social Security to put it in the general fund. Then, we just borrow from countries like China to keep us going.
But read the whole thing.
As expected Carol voted to protect Social Security last night.
Adding: Atrios provides the Cliffs Notes version:
The complete press reversal from "OH MY GOD MUST CUT DEFICIT NOW" to "OH MY GOD MUST PASS MASSIVE TAX CUTS NOW" reminded me of the days of the financial crisis, when they pivoted completely from "THIS IS CAPITALISM NO BAILOUTS" to "MUST BAIL OUT EVERY BANKSTER WE CAN FIND" in minutes.
As early as last Tuesday Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter blasted that part of the plan:
While Bernie Sanders' rehearsal filibuster in the senate on Friday was must-see TeeVee, a quartet of voices on the house floor on Tuesday, led by Rep. John Garamendi, and including Reps. Tonko, McDermott and Shea-Porter, is no less remarkable for it's beacon of light onto this incredible situation we are in.
I've embedded the entire hour below the fold. Carol speaks at 2:49, 3:09, and 3:22. You do not want to miss that last one, which concludes:
"This is a sad moment. A very sad moment, on this floor, and in the senate. And I hope that the American people will rise up and say 'No - this is not fair to the middle class.'"
Over the river, VT-AL Congressman Peter Welch has been the tip of the house spear against the tax cut deal (while fellow Vermonter Bernie Sanders plays a similar role in the senate). Welch's letter to Speaker Pelosi, signed by 54 house Dems, including our Carol Shea-Porter, reads in part:
First, it is fiscally irresponsible. Adding more than $900 billion to our national debt, as this proposal would do, handcuffs our ability to offer a balanced plan to achieve fiscal stability without a punishing effect on our current commitments, including Social Security and Medicare.
Someone's out for the Rest of Us, at any rate (via email):
Shea-Porter Statement on President Obama's Tax Proposal
"What's stunning to me is the way that people who claimed to care about the debt have pushed to provide this tax cut for millionaires, all the time knowing that every cent of this $900 billion would be borrowed. What a miserable trick on America's middle class families and children. Politicians beat their chests and wailed during campaign season about the debt, all the while planning to borrow the money and to stick the middle class with the bill. Whatever happened to their slogan 'Stop the spending and borrowing'?"
Adding: It's clear enough that the President's hippy-punching presser was all about framing criticism over this deal as between idealists and pragmatists.
But that's not it at all - that's just cover for what is a crisis level base problem. We are stuck at this dead end of truly wretched public-policy-at-GOP-gunpoint because of the White House's seeming inability to craft a political strategy and message.
So unless and until the White House figures out how to construct winning political messages and talking points and strategy, until they figure out how to talk in heroes and villains and to speak to the heart and not the head, it is our job to push this President. Because right now he's getting pushed all over the map by the GOP, who have no interest in governance other than feeding the rich and destroying him.
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter on her vote to censure Rep. Charlie Rangel:
"I have always been clear that should Congressman Rangel be found guilty, I would vote to uphold the Rules of the House and hold him responsible for his actions. Today's vote is a signal to all Members, both current and future, that the House of Representatives should always honor the integrity of this institution. Members of Congress should always be held to the highest of ethical standards." said Shea-Porter.
Shea-Porter told Roll Call last week that she is considering another bid. And the New Hampshire Democratic Party said Kuster has already decided to run again.
Jeanne Shaheen was one of the senators present in Lieberman's press conference today when he claimed to have the votes to repeal DADT.
She minced no words about the Party of Never strategy of McCain and others in blocking a DADT repeal that is broadly popular in and out of the military:
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, said that the demands for a fair amendment process were simply cover for efforts by Mr. McCain and others to block repeal of the policy.
"This is not about how many amendments are we going to do, or how long we are going to debate," Ms. Shaheen said. "This is about those who oppose this policy wanting to kill it and taking every opportunity they can and using the Senate rules to do that. That's exactly what is going on."
If you want to know how duplicitous McCain has been on DADT, look no further than here.
In the aftermath of the elections, I've got one more thank-you to give to New Hampshire's Democratic federal delegation, both ongoing and otherwise. And that is one more note of thanks for getting the health care bill passed.
Enough has been said about the specifics of the bill itself, and some people will no doubt comment snippily that it was a health insurance bill rather than a health care bill. I want to thank New Hampshire's Democrats in Congress for helping pass this bill in the face of a hostile and partisan media that says things like this:
Gallup: Four in 10 Americans Believe Healthcare Law Goes Too Far
They could have said this instead:
Gallup: 49% of Americans Believe Healthcare Law Does Not Go Too Far
This was brought up before, but now that the election is over, it's worth revisiting. Here are the NRCC and DCCC spending totals for NH-01:
NRCC: $1,025,398
DCCC: $9,116
Every penny of that NRCC money, btw, was spent in oppposing Carol rather than promoting Congressman-Elect Frank Guinta.
Some pundits are wondering why the Shea-Porter campaign spent so much time on Guinta's hair-on-fire scandal rather than staying positive. The reason is clear. Aside from NHDP, and some scattered grassroots assistance, there was no one else to do it. And evidence showed clearly that once voters knew about it and understood it, they were totally turned off from Guinta. In the meantime she was relentlessly pounded by NRCC and various outside groups like Revere America.
Carol Shea-Porter's opponent had (and has!) a significant and bi-partisan campaign finance scandal plaguing him. The most powerful right-wing institution in New Hampshire, the Union Leader, refused to endorse him. The former Republican officeholder in the district said he should drop out.
On the flip side, Carol, unlike so many of the Blue Dogs the DCCC spent money on, stuck her neck out for the President's agenda time and time again in the service of bettering the lives of Americans. In a tough district, but in one that decisively voted for the President in 2008.
This race was the DCCC's bread and butter. This is why they exist. And they made a decision to be MIA.
And now New Hampshire will be stuck with the spectacle at some point in the future of an embattled Congressman embroiled in an ethics and very possibly criminal situation. You mistake who I am if you think I will be happy about that.
Fire Chris van Hollen from DCCC and whatever circle around him made the decision to abandon one of Congress' finest public servants.
Until that happens, I see no reason why anyone from New Hampshire's first district should give a penny to DCCC ever again.
The answer to who is paying for Frank Guinta's campaign is really a two part answer. First, there is the money coming Frank's mystery bank account, over $300,000 in loans or donations that miraculously appeared in this campaign cycle. Seciond, there is the $1,846,326 in outside spending that has paid for a barrage of ads and mail pieces attacking Carol Shea-Porter. That money is coming from outside groups that don't care about New Hampshire, but do care a lot about electing a compliant congressman. Over $1,000,000 from the National Republican Campaign Caucus, over $740,000 from RevereAmerica, and $148,000 from the National Chamber of Commerce.
Carol Shea-Porter, on the other hand, has by and large been running on her own, without the corrupting influence of this flood of special interest money. Outside groups have spent only $86,477 on her race, of which only $9,116 has come from the DCCC.
Do you want a congressman who owes his election to secret bank accounts, John Boehner and special interests, or a congresswoman whose only loyalty is to the people of New Hampshire?
I'm proud to be supporting CSP for congress.
For more on sources of funding, go opensecrets.org
http://www.opensecrets.org/rac...
Instead of the usual .pdf, Pindell has it behind a paywall, which is kind of a bummer. (FWIW, I will paste the email announcement of the poll in full below the fold.)
CD1:
Carol Shea-Porter: 39%
Frank Guinta: 46%
Other: 5%
Undecided: 12%
Guinta remains under 50%, undecideds/"others" are high, Carol is closing the gap, and, per Pindell, among independent/undeclared voters, "Two weeks ago Shea-Porter trailed by 10 to her Republican opponent Frank Guinta, now she trails by just 1 percentage point."
In this poll, only 36 respondents identified as between 18 to 34 years of age. 167 are identified as Democrats, 53 as independents, and 199 as Republicans.
CD2:
Annie Kuster: 43%
Charlie Bass: 40%
Other: 6%
Undecided: 11%
In this poll, only 32 respondents identified as between 18 to 34 years of age. 194 are identified as Democrats, 60 as independents, and 178 as Republicans.
Spread the word - we can and we will keep these two house seats so long as we empty the tank and give it everything we have. Leave no stone unturned. Call your neighbors and friends. Get your neighbors and friends to call their neighbors and friends. Get out that vote!
GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV!
Call NHDP at 603-225-6899 to find out how to help.
Call the Shea-Porter campaign at 603-531-9653 to find out how to help.
Call the Kuster campaign at 603-230-2415 to find out how to help. GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! GOTV!
