Tim Botkin: Exposing Their Misguided Ruthlessness
August 16, 2005
Column writers rarely respond to the frequent barbs thrown their way by loyal readers. But this week I exercise the exception, as events stemming from last week provide a perfect opportunity to underscore that column’s original theme.
Last Tuesday, the day my column appeared, I received an e-mail from Virginia sent at 7:09 a.m. Hardly complimentary, the writer fumed, "Your comments in today’s paper about CNN’s ‘alleged’ investigation of the swift vets are a lie. Are you asking readers to believe that you have an inside source at CNN allowing you to preview stories?"
The writer, D.C.-based Sean McCabe, had worked with the Swift Boat Veterans against John Kerry, and invoked his group’s "honor" to justify his outrage. I was honored to be so widely read, but a little dismayed to be rebuffed and dishonored as a liar from so far away and so early in the morning.
I sent off a response acceding to McCabe’s demand that I disclose my source for stating: "How many of us know that CNN did an in-depth investigation and found that the ‘Swiftboat Veterans’ claims against John Kerry were truly baseless? It wasn’t reported because they didn’t finish the investigation until too late in the campaign."
That came from my recollection of a speech last November by Aaron Brown, one of CNN’s anchors. McCabe immediately fired back that he doubted my source and would personally check with Mr. Brown. The next day, terse with vinegar, he responded that Brown had disclaimed making statements about unreported CNN investigations. McCabe left me saying that he would "take it up with my editor."
McCabe began a determined assault on the Kitsap Sun, calling or e-mailing repeatedly over the next several days demanding a retraction in the name of the honor of his organization.
Who were these guys? It turns out that McCabe works for Creative Response Concepts, which apparently starts each day like other well-funded national attack organizations — by conducting sophisticated Internet searches across all media lines, to seek and destroy stories that contradict their message.
Creative Response spearheaded the original Swiftboat Veterans’ questionably accurate yet very effective campaign against John Kerry’s presidential bid.
Obviously, ignoring an organization with such resources and unflinching dogma was not a likely winning strategy. They demanded capitulation. There was only one way out. If I could show that my column was accurate and truthful, their bullying attempts and self-righteous flag-waving would be exposed and left to flutter in their own superficial breeze.
So we reviewed the tape of Brown’s terrific address to the Puget Sound Prosperity Partnership. (The speech starts at minute marker 20:24. Imagine that Aaron, you are actually valued enough to bring the truth to small town America. So, why not tell the truth? ) After about 40 minutes talking about the importance of real news and truth versus propaganda, here are Brown’s exact words:
"News ... has turned too often into mudwrestling. It’s just people screaming at each other as if facts didn’t exist, only argument. The Swiftboat thing was amazing to me. The first Swiftboat ad. It was about facts. And I assigned a producer who works for me to go find out what the truth was. I thought that was sort of part of the gig. Now that takes awhile, to be honest. And while we were out there trying to figure out the truth of something, my colleagues on cable were just sitting around arguing about it. He did. He didn’t. He did. He didn’t.
"Well you know what," Brown continued, "He either did or he didn’t. There’s a fact set there. By the time we could establish, by looking at the available record and what the accusers had said over the course of time, that what they were saying did not stand the test (emphasis added), the story was over. To the extent there was damage done, and I think there was damage done, it had been done."
Based on hearing the tape, I must concede that Brown did not say whether CNN’s findings were reported.
That is an important point to Brown, who told Kitsap Sun Editor Scott Ware that he would never comment publicly on an investigation that has not aired. But, more important, my column discussed the despicable and growing trend in which organizations try to accomplish their own ends through concerted efforts to obfuscate or replace truth and fact.
The Swiftboat ads proclaimed the honor of vets, yet their sole purpose was to dishonor an undisputed combat veteran — and to benefit a presidential candidate who avoided even domestic service in the National Guard.
Despite being based on shaky assertions, their campaign may have decided the election and determined our course of history.
They won that one, but our local incident exposes again their misguided ruthlessness.
Tim Botkin can be reached at columnist@kitsapsun.com.
On the Web
Aaron Brown’s speech is online at www.tvw.org; click on "archived audio" then on "public policy events 2004." The speech can be accessed on the fourth page of the events list.
The Swift Boat Veterans still have their website and collect donations. When will the lied to reveal the fraud be forthcoming?
