Post Schiavo "Talking Points" memo:

You all know the real story about the Sciavo Talking Points Memo - that it was genuine and came from Republican senator Martinez' office. The Powerline guys are fools. Malkin is a dunce. Etc.

What is kind of interesting it the absolute failure of those who touted the "fake memo" theory to act like responsible citizens. They either take credit for "exposing" the truth (Hewitt, Pruden) or minimize the whole affair now that it's no longer working to their advantage (Kaus).

Hugh Hewitt:

Some ... bloggers have tried to paint the "Schiavo memo" story as a blow to Powerline's credibility, not realizing that in attempting to do so they discredit only themselves as serious pundits/reporters.

The truth about the memo came out because these bloggers pushed MSM to back up the sloppy first accounts.

Wes Pruden of the Washington Times: (emp add)

Unable to deal with the smoke supplied by this newspaper's account, Mr. Martinez owned up with a cough and a splutter. He was the man who gave a copy of a memo prepared by Brian Darling ...

Mickey Kaus: (orig emp)

The whole "memo" fuss, as played up by WaPo and ABC's Linda Douglass, was wildly overdone even if the memo was a GOP leadership document--as if senators never consider what is a good political issue, as if that's a no-no in a democracy.

And of course, there are many more non-apologies like these.

Want to know what a frenzy looks like? The blog, You're in the Right Place, was getting excited with each "development" that occurred. These "developments" were not hard facts, but typically another pile-on by a right-winger. The posting sequence for the blog is 1 2 3 4 5 6. It's a lot of reading, so to give you an idea of the tone, here are selected items from the posts (BOLD = post title)

• As unbelievable as it may sound, it looks like it is happening AGAIN! A reader at Power Line has pointed out something that makes it plain as day that the "talking points memo" being referred to all over the MSM, especially at WaPo & ABC News, about the GOP using the Schiavo case to score political points is a FAKE!!!
• The Schiavo Memo Scandal Continues...
• John Hinderaker of Power Line, who, unsurprisingly, has been the lead hound on the trail of this story from the start, wrote this must-read article for the Daily Standard, which is the best summation of the incident that I have read to date.
• Uh-oh, it's getting awfully quiet out there! Are we just going to let the media and the Dems get away with this? Luckily, some of the leading figures in the hunt for the truth are still grinding away for answers.
• The Schiavo Memo Scandal: The Dam Bursts!The Schiavo Memo Scandal: The Washington Post Gets Snared in a (World-Wide) Web of Lies!
• Michelle Malkin and John Hinderaker are on top of it again, as they and some other blogging sharpshooters catch the Washington Post red-handed in an apparent lie!
• The Schiavo Memo Scandal: WaPo Admits Errors, Refuses to Print Correction!
• [After the revelation that the memo was from a Republican senator's office]
  ... while some apologies are due, the revelations that have come to light STILL DO NOT EXONERATE THE WASHINGTON POST OR ABC NEWS ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES RELATED TO THIS MATTER!

The right-wing bloggers claim that the Republican leadership has clean hands. But the leadership was totally involved with the Schiavo legislation. Martinez represents Florida, where the drama was playing out. The "Schiavo bill" was introduced by Martinez. And then there's this:

For a freshman senator, Martinez's first three months in office have been heady.   ...   He has kept company with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Sen. Rick Santorum, the third-ranking Republican. He introduced and passed his first bill - the Schiavo bill. He was selected over others to go to Rome for the pope's funeral.

Asserting that Martinez, Frist, and Santorum weren't in frequent and close contact over the tactics and political ramifications of the Schiavo legislation is a denial of reality.

posted by Quiddity at 4/09/2005 01:57:00 PM