AP's Ron Fournier Strikes Again - Writes Hit Piece On Obama's VP Pick
By Logan Murphy Friday Aug 22, 2008 11:00am
We learned last month that the Associated Press' DC bureau Chief Ron Fournier (pictured above, right, enjoying donuts with John McCain) is a huge fan of Karl Rove and the Bush administration and considered taking a job with the McCain campaign so when he stepped up to the plate for the GOP candidate this morning, it came as little surprise. The headline of his article says it all:
Analysis: Biden pick shows lack of confidence
DENVER - The candidate of change went with the status quo.
In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness - inexperience in office and on foreign policy - rather than underscore his strength as a new-generation candidate defying political conventions.
He picked a 35-year veteran of the Senate - the ultimate insider - rather than a candidate from outside Washington, such as Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia or Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas; or from outside his party, such as Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska; or from outside the mostly white male club of vice presidential candidates. Hillary Rodham Clinton didn't even make his short list. Read on...
As if it were written by Rove himself and it begs the question - with the cloud of suspicion over Fournier's head, why did AP run with him? The Associated Press has a real problem on their hands. They can no longer be seen as an objective news outlet and Fournier is slipping easily into the role of poster child for media corruption and failure. He may not have taken an official job with the McCain campaign, but he sure doesn't mind donating his time and international platform to him. Contact the AP and let them know what you think about the article -- remember, be nice.
UPDATE (Nicole) I've been given a new contact for AP: Contact the Associated Press ... Kathleen Carroll (Fournier's boss) at kcarroll@ap.org or (212) 621-1500. Be POLITE, but be FIRM. Let them know that you don't want to see them serve as stenographers and amplifiers for pure spin by the McCain campaign.
UPDATE #2 (Nicole) FireDogLake has employed their LTE widget to make it even easier to complain about AP and Fournier's bias.
UPDATE #3 (Nicole) Majikthise asks if Fournier's extracurricular paid speaking engagements violate AP's rules for outside appearances of their journalist pool.
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I noticed the insidious slant right off the bat. Glad this site noticed it, too.
Isn't is Ron, not John, Fournier?
Doesn't matter. He's a GOP water carrier and a totally compromised "journalist."
Nicole: Yes, it is Ron. Thanks for catching that. See what happens when I manage the site before I've had my first cup of coffee? ;)
None of this whining will work, long-term. Biden was Obama's best choice, both in terms of choosing a viable person who could step up to the Oval Office if needed, and as a practical general campaign matter. Poor McSame is gonna be stuck with Mork Romney.
Screw this punk Fournier. Watch out you right wing whores, the gloves are off and there is going to be some major digging.
AP's been on my "less-than-fair-and-balanced" list for at least a couple of years already. Recently it seems they've only gotten worse.
Did it ever occur to this D-bag that this pick shows Obama has confidence in Biden?
Guess the AP got scared off when Bill-O went after them for their Tony Snow Obit.
APs recent shenanigans is an indication of another slide down the slippery slope of fascism. If the bought and paid for media cannot stop Obama we are in for a long winter of living amongst a herd of brainwashed sheeple. I am assuming that the Dems and Obama, when elected into power actually do something about the monopoly of media ownership and subsequent fascist organization the rich and repubs have established.
Damn, I wish Obama had an attack dog to go after these wankers.
PorridgeGun @ 7:
:-) another reason why this is an excellent pick!
This guy scares me. Faux news is at least overt in their bias or perhaps its just their inherent stupidity. But having what is essentially a republican operative operating as an editor for a major news outlet should be considered a conflict of interest by the FCC.
Sure will be interesting to watch what Markos says about this.
There was NO ONE he hated more than Biden , except Lieberman.
Bring on the pretzeling!
I am delighted to see Joe Biden chosen. It will be a major loss to the Senate, but the NEW President is going to need someone who knows how to GET THE SENATE OFF THE DIME.
I won't go much further here because the other side reads our comments. Leave it that I am pleased.
Mary @ 10:
I doubt he is more fond of Chimpy and Co than Biden .........Along with the rest of the GOP
BTW
Have another doughnut with McDepends , Fournier , you partisan fucking moron.
the gist of this piece seems to be that obama proved his weakness by picking a VP candidate that would actually help him. now if he would have picked a loser..that would show true character.
give me a break...
Mary @ 10:
Right. WTFC what he thinks?
I love the work folks are doing which shows Fournier's bias. Can someone with the know how begin a movement to encourage AP to remove him from their DC office for the remainder of the campaign? Am I too naive that AP would even care?
FS
I know this is terribley OT, but I wonder how Dobbs feels about the dirty Canadians running drugs across the border..?
Canada admits it's a top ecstasy supplier
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is one of the top three world suppliers of the psychedelic drug ecstasy, and a significant supplier of marijuana to the United States, the government admitted on Friday.
A survey of organized crime by Criminal Intelligence Services Canada found that Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium were the primary sources of ecstasy, an illegal drug that's popular at clubs, raves and rock concerts.
"Canada continues to be a major producer for both domestic and international markets, exporting significant quantities primarily to the U.S. and to a lesser extent, Japan, Australia and New Zealand," the report said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to topic - I read the Fournier piece a few minutes before I saw this entry. What a hack. It is useful, however, to counter the knuckle draggers when they claim a "liberal" bias in the media. Show them this piece and tell them to STFU.
vincetx @ 13:
That's what Glenn Greenwald would have said.
What a douchebag. He and Sidoti are like the Rethug neocons - they never remember the past and never think about the future. What are Fournier, Sidoti and the rest of the McCain-lovin', sprinkly donut-eatin' "reporters" at the AP and elsewhere going to do when Obama wins? I only hope Obama/Biden treats them the same way Bush treats Helen Thomas.
Anywho, here's what I sent to the AP:
"If Karl Rove had written Mr. Fournier's article about Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden as the VP pick, it could not have been any more biased. Why not just come out and say that Obama should just quit the race, and send John McCain a box of donuts with sprinkles while he's at it? The AP used to be a great independent news service, but now it is just an echo chamber for Bush/Cheney and the Republican talking points. Is Mr. Fournier hoping for a job as McCain's press secretary if he is elected, or is he just doing whatever his BFF Karl Rove tells him to do?"
Haven't gotten a response yet, but I am sure it will be as unapologetic and condescending as ever when you deal with these "objective" journalists.
That damned liberal media is going to be the death of me yet!
BigIslandDave @ 1:
Hi, Nicole. Yes, the coffee is vital!
He probably had a series of pre-written articles that criticized the VP choice, no matter who it turned out to be.
Damn far left media.
Snark!
Why hasn't this partisan "journalist" been fired? It's obvious he can't keep his political views out of his articles.
And as far as Biden being a "political insider," would this hack say the same about St. McCain, who has been in the Senate for 25+ years? Probably not, I'd guess.
What a friggin' tool
Just because Hagel is in agreement with Obama (and most of the US) on Iraq , doesn't mean jack shit ; he's still a R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N , and votes as one on all other issues.
What a partisan piece of garbage this Fournier is.............
setting aside the bias, their point is valid....(this was my big concern w/biden-- he's one of the good ole boys, been there forever, licking each other's toes, trading booty, swapping lobbyists, writing law by commission)
i am over it......but if biden does not relent in his hero-worship of nutbag corrupt cheater Mccain-- his good old buddy for 25 years-- and find some reasonable way to turn that around and call him out for the scum that he is........ then the AP piece will have been prescient.....
BIDEN ridiculing Giuliani (again) defending MoveON, and condemning Torture
I don't mind the Biden pick itself, but the buildup led to rather an anticlimax.
It's like someone saying "Wait til you see what we have for your birthday! Just wait! No, I can't tell you just wait!!"
Then on the big day they say "Voila! Birthday cake!! How about that, huh?"
Maybe Sibelius or even Clinton might have warranted this buildup... but Biden? Solid, safe, a party insider... birthday cake.
It was at least written as an ANALysis so take it at that, unfortunately some people will read it and say right on. I personally think Biden is a great pick.
Frybread @ 22:
Because mainstream media is merely the communications department of the corporate Right, so biased coverage is actually preferred. Stop expecting journalism out of the media, those days are gone. It's all propaganda now.
Albatross @ 29:
Ding, ding. ding.
ohio progressive @ 25:
That is manifestly untrue..
Biden has never tried to get rich from his role, even though he has been in the Senate for decades.
A riches-to-rags family background; a first wife killed in a car crash; a devoted life with his second wife; a passel of grandchildren whom he adores as much as they adore him. And he's never had a hint of financial or sexual scandal.
In all honesty, the article points out some criticisms liberals might have. Conservatives will probably like Biden a bit more because he's such a tough as nails foreign policy kind of guy. Nonetheless I think Obama/Biden will do ok and hopefully win, but to pretend this isn't a somewhat compromising VP pick is to deny the obvious.
Albatross @ 29:
Exactly.
As a journalist, I hate seeing what has become of the Fourth Estate.
MCMetal @ 31:
I agree. "Insider" status can cut both ways. It depends on what you've done -- and what you've learned -- during the course of acquiring your experience. There's a distribution curve of venality, with cats like Duke Cunningham and AK Senator Stevens on one end, and way more honorable peeps like Biden on the other.
What did Fournier say wrong?
I completely agree with what is in italics on this post.
He may be a dick, but he is right on the money with this VP pick.
Frybread @ 22:
Then you have to can 80% of the MsM, please.
It's interesting that after all the VP speculation that we all grew tired of, Fournier continues to speculate about why Obama chose Biden, but reports it as fact.
Currently in my "AP News" box:
Analysis: Biden pick shows lack of confidence - 7 hours ago
Biden speaks — and speaks — his own mind - 7 hours ago
Analysis: Is Obama ready for world's toughest job?
(you can guess the one of the last one, I'll bet...)
Well, I think we can glean some differences between Biden and McCain and Romney just by looking at what Biden has "accumulated" over 20 years in the Senate, besides one house: Earned income: $193,900.
Honoraria (all donated to charity): $800.
Major assets: Bank accounts and life insurance policies, $22,008-$155,000.
Major sources of unearned income: Life insurance dividends, $1,001-$2,500.
Major liabilities: Loan against life insurance policies, $15,001-$50,000; lines of credit, $114,002-$300,000; credit union note, $10,001-$15,000.
Don @ 38:
The AP's mission statement
I hope BIDEN does more of this on the campaign trail
You know, I just realized that the right-wing has put into place all the tools necessary to deconstruct their political machine. With the power they've placed in the hands of the executive branch, a determined president could use surveillance to ram through things that would be impossible otherwise. Breaking up media conglomerates would be easy as pie if you've got dirt on the industry's top executives (and any politicians who might try to cover for them).
Why not use the fascists own plays against them? That'd be almost poetic.
>Isn’t is Ron, not John, Fournier?
Fuckwit Fournier will do.
A hit piece could and would have been done on any choice, of course.
This is just a kind of "gotcha" journalism, except that it doesn't qualify as journalism when you get all your points from political propagandists.
PorridgeGun @ 41:
I think we can count on it.
oops, i was supposed to be nice john?...saw this article elsewhere earlier and responded with a "pointed" reply, alright i did call him a prick, but that makes him no different than sen. lieberman who i'm sure ron is a fan of, and i complimented him on his rovian style, sure to be taken in the right spirit...and it did get me worked up enough to make my first post here, though i've enjoyed your work for awhile
When are people who think they are smart finally going to learn what "begging the question" means? How can you take someone seriously when they try to redefine things?
ebone @ 9:
Absolutely right on. Further, the article's conclusion is fabulously stupid. Think about it....a lack of confidence from a black man raised in a single parent family plus grandparents works hard, pushes back the inherent adversity in this country that a black male faces, wins the Illinois Senate seat, defeats the all-powerful clinton machine, and now he has a freaking "lack of confidence"? Where did ron get his thinking skills from...a crackerjax bax? ...A most blatantly, obvious example of a Rovian attack. And the AP should apologize. This is infuriating.
AP won't do anything about their transformation into FUX News lite, because that's their goal. Most people have finally opened their eyes to the fact that FUX News is an extension of the Republican Party, so Rupert Murdoch had to find another "news" outlet to spread his right-wing talking points.
So, we need to start all over again and expose the AP--just like FUX News--for what they are. Rupert Murdoch and Sam Zell are on their Board of Directors.
"...Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia or Kathleen Sibelius of Kansas; or from outside his party, such as Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska; or from outside the mostly white male club of vice presidential candidates. Hillary Rodham Clinton didn't even make his short list. "
Fournier has without a doubt revealed himself to be a dunce. firstly, there is no reason to cross the aisle to name a republican v.p. other than purposely wishing to somehow continue the last 8 years, or stupidity, you choose which. choosing pro-life Kaine would have been disastrous as he would be a step away from a nightmare supreme court scenario. ron you moran. choosing Sibelius over Clinton would have been instant seppuku. there's no way the hillaryites would have accepted another woman in her place. lastly, hillary? ....jeeze...ron? c'mere, you on drugs? hillary's ok, but for gawd's sake man, she comes with billy .you really can't expect obama to put up with the hill 'n' bill show in the background during his admin can you? twit.
The AP is completely, unabashedly an outlet for fascist propaganda, as credible a news source as Jeff Guckert or Mara Liasson.
Here's my e-mail to the AP:
I do hope that everyone will send a note to the AP - just in case they care! The choice of Biden to me shows maturity and thoughtfulness on Obama's part. It is a good pick - although Hillary would have clinched the vote, I am completely supportive of this choice.
While I am at it - since when does the American public need an analysis anyway? I guess they see us at too dumb to collect the facts and make our own decisions.
By the way: the new piece by Michael Moore says exactly what I have been saying for the past few months. Since when does dropping bombs filled with chemical warfare on innocent civilians make one a hero? Mc Cain has completely worn our his POW status as making him fit for anything other than mass murder.
Well, I'm no fan of Fournier. Neither am I a fan of Mc Cain. But guess what: Fournier is right. Hell, even Michael Moore agrees with him, given what he said the other day about picking someone who voted for the war: it undermines Obama's whole narrative about good judgement on that subject. (and Bidens apology for his vote is hardly good enough to erase the bad taste). Biden is smart and experienced no doubt: but he is a full fledged insider. Everything about him goes against Obama's long running narrative of ushering in a new kind of Washington politics.
Hate to say it, but you're pissing in the wind, my friends:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/14/murdoch-zell-appointed-to_n_965...
For what it's worth, here was my shot at eh AP:
I am contacting you to express my disgust with John Fournier's "analysis" of Senator Obama's selection of Joe Biden as his running mate. Mr. Fournier's article crosses the line between genuine political analysis and a partisan hit job. He sets up a false dilemma for Senator Obama by declaring that Mr. Obama had one of two choices, a political insider or a governor with regional appeal but no Federal experience.
Isn't the Vice President subordinate to the President? Wouldn't it make sense to have a deputy who has more experience in the system than the President does? This is exactly why Clinton selected Gore and Bush selected Cheney (or, rather, Cheney selected himself). Neither vice presidential candidate brought much geographic appeal to their respective tickets. Also, is it not reasonable to select a running mate who has extensive experience in an area where the Presidential candidate is perhaps lacking? In reading Mr. Fournier's piece, I could only imagine what the line would have been had Gov. Kathleen Sebelious been selected. No doubt the author would have slammed the ticket's dearth of foreign policy experience.
If Mr. Fournier wants to be critical of Senator Obama's selection in terms of electoral strategy, or if he wants to criticize Senator Biden's voting record, that's perfectly legitimate. If, however, he wants to create false and blatantly partisan arguments that support the Mc Cain campaign's talking points, then perhaps he should take a leave from is current position, and join Senator Mc Cain's team.
To effectively do the Republican Senator's work while hiding behind the mantel of journalistic objectivity is an abuse of the privilege that real journalists are afforded in our society and cheapens their important role in our political process.
PorridgeGun @ 41:
see also:
biden breaks loose in democratic debate
joe biden on challenges in pakistan
joe biden questions petraeus and crocker
after thinking about it all morning, i think this was a really smart move by obama.
biden can unify democrats because no one can claim to be more deserving -not even hillary.
biden's progressive credentials are solid, his foreign policy credentials are solid, he's the 2nd "poorest" senator, he's good with zingers, and he's probably one of only a handful of democrats with enough gravitas and intellect to vanquish dick cheney in a nationally televised debate. mittens or lieberdouche will be a cakewalk.
i tip my cap to the biden supporters, who are relatively small in number, but have been passionately arguing for weeks, over the blogisphere and elsewhere, on behalf of joe.
biden wasn't my first choice, but by lunchtime today i was convinced obama made the right choice.
now, we dems can finally roll up our sleeves, get each others backs and pile on these neocon scumbags...
MCMetal @ 31:
fine, if that's the story, he's great...
but until that story is effectively communicated, the question is, if DC is broken, why has biden been there for 30 years lollygagging, making friends with the likes of mccain,
Mccain should have been thrown in jail for his role in the Keating 5 scandal.....yet the senate didn't even have the balls to boot him.......
hero hero blah blah blah
Steve @ 53:
... etc.
I'll say it again: A hit piece could have and would have been written about any choice. People would have pointed out "contradictions" or indications of "weakness" on the part of Obama if he had chosen Sebelius or Bayh or Clinton or Clark or (fill in the blank).
So, Steve, there are some things you don't like about this choice. But I sure hope you recognize that, whatever your (and Michael Moore's) criticisms, you recognize the importance of ending the Bush II era by keeping McSame out of the White House.
Bill in Chicago @ 54:
Perhaps, but don't forget what those right wing blogs did to Dan Rather's career.
I don't know what is worse, the koolaid-drinking members of the Conservative Cult, or their doughnut-eating minions in the media?
I would write the AP but I haven't finished throwing up yet.
Maybe McSame will choose someone with a memory to fill his gaffes. If they want to talk about deficiencies, McSame has a few and as far as criticism, Romney pointed out a couple during the primary.
Why don't the GOP candidates talk about the economy, failed policies and how they plan to fix them? Is it because they don't know what to do? Lies and dirty politics is all they have ever had.
like Oragone said, the full title is "Analysis: Biden pick shows lack of confidence". analysis is usually going to include some opinion, and isn't synonymous with hard news. so i'm not sure why people are contrasting this with a typical AP news article to show that the AP is somehow losing its objectivity. this article never really purported to be objective.
I'll concede that if you read the whole piece, parts of it read like an editorial rather than news, but really, the gist is a legitimate set of issues for Obama. Obama did make this choice to shore up a weakness and he did pick an industry insider and politico lifer, in contrast to one of his main themes. As other commenters have pointed out, these can be turned into positives, but calling such comments a hit piece is a bit dramatic. The headline is the most offensive part but it isn't something I'm going to start contacting AP about (how much time do you have...how many media outlets will C&L suggest we contact?). And if Obama's camp doesn't have answers for the claims Fournier raises they will have problems with these issues. I'm not sure why C&L picks this article to raise a call to arms. You are going to see these same talking points raised by other journalists (and already are, across all media).
And enough with telling me what action I should take. I am not an automaton. If you want to encourage progressive thought, encourage people to think and act for themselves. Provide the contact information, sure, but leave it at that (Nicole even goes so far as to tell me what I should say...have a little faith that I can speak for myself).
lets be honest. This Biden pick sucks. Another fucking cracker. It is status quo and all this will do will increase the amount of assassination attempts.
Truthiness @ 65:
You need to increase your dosage.
When I checked my yahoo mail this am, 4 of the 6 "Top Stories" were AP stories making derogatory comments about Obama and Biden. That really pissed me off. Thanks for posting the contact info, I've already sent a letter, and encourage others to do the same. I may try to contact Yahoo to ask them to take the AP off their (or at least MY) Top Story list if I can figure out how to get in touch with them.
JoeBama!
Truthiness @ 65:
Status quo? He's as working-class a choice as could have been made. Blue-collar Scranton, Pennsylvania roots. Not a millionaire. Has just one house, not 7 or 8 like McSame.
BobbyG @ 68:
Just please don't say Joementum.
Nicole Belle @ 59:
Actually, those right wing blogs just spouted a bunch of half-cocked conspiracy theories. It was the corporate powers-that-be at CBS who did in Dan Rather. And what do think their "Bush tax cuts" amounted to? Six figures (at least), I'm sure. Not to mention all the deregulation by the FCC, I'm sure that looks great on the CBS bottom line, even with Katie Couric mucking up things.
That's the problem with most of the analysis I've seen about the whole "liberal bias" canard. It's not about intimidation. It's about providing these folks with an alibi so they can follow their own self-interest. Just ask Phil Donahue.
Truthiness @ 65:
biden is the best of the worst.....
maybe he'll get over his adoration of mccain, start throwing some punches......
give him a chance to get his story out....
Albatross @ 29:
You got THAT right! It's probably one of the biggest factors contributing to the disintegration of our society today. We need to put mega pressure on Obama/Biden to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine and staff the FCC with people who will come down hard on opinionated "news" channels.
I'm sure that in the coming weeks we will be seeing many clips of Biden praising McCain. This is one downside of picking an old guard running mate. And yet...
"It's the smart move."
Michael Corleone
Traditionally, the most objective news wires in the US have been AP and Reuters. But since the exposure of Fournier and his 'keep up the good fight' e-mail to Rove, the AP has a serious blemish on its reputation as an objective source for news.
kevin c. @ 67:
I had a similar Yahoo experience. Then only thing on the front page was the AP hit piece - I actually had to come to C&L to see that Biden had actually been selected.
Oh geez! The "liberal media" is at it again, huh? Incredible!
You people (Obamites) amuse me. Leaving Fornier's track record aside, what does he state incorrectly in this piece - you say you want objectivity but that's not really what you want. You may not like it but you can't say the points he raises aren't at all valid. Obama's choice could hardly be considered changey or particularly wise - if he wanted to go old guard Dodd, would have been a considerably better choice on many levels especially with Lieberman's support of McCain. But hey, it'll guarantee him Delaware! With this choice, his slight of Clark (not merely as a much superior VP choice but not having him speak at the convention then using the name of his PAC as a theme on VP night) the religiousity of the convention, backpedaling on FISA, off-shore drilling and on and on - he seems to be driving off his constituency left and right.
They are afraid, very afraid. This was the nail in the coffin so to speak and no reference to the elderly man on the other side. They just know that Biden won't put up with any of their bullshit. There is a realization that Biden has been taking a hard line all along however, now with the power of the vp nomination, his words are goiing to carry a lot more weight. Think about it people, we have someone at the forefront who is not playing political games and who will hit them hard, almost kucinich-like. sic 'em Biden. bite them where it hurts. They have so many weak points that they've racked up over the past eight years, it makes the head spin to guess where they will start. Hell, you know what might even be back on the table.
ve
AP probably knows what they have in Fournier and really doesn't care what individuals think because we don't pay AP's bills. So I suggest checking to see if your local paper ran Fournier's piece. If so, contact them. Local papers are more likely to be concerned about what their readers think because they are worried about getting dropped by subscribers. I sent the following to the KC star -
The Editor's Note suggests that someone at the KC Star thought twice about running Fournier's direct dictation from his friends at the McCain campaign. Unfortunately, the decision was made to run this without a sufficient disclaimer - something mentioning that Fournier was considered for a job with the McCain campaign might have been appropriate. Just because the Associated Press has decided to abandon honest journalism, the KC Star doesn't have to follow suit.
It's been pretty difficult for me to get riled up about this piece, despite agreeing that Fournier must go. Sorry, but I've pretty much lost any desire to defend Obama anymore.
Blue @ 78:
well, then, objectively speaking, everytime mccain says something about committment and "country first," reporters should also include the fact that he dumped his first wife when the going got tough, and he cheated on his second wife.....
so everytime the pitiable POW thumps his chest and proclaims his committment to country, any credible newspaper would, in that same sentence, state the fact that mccain could not even keep a committment (Sworn before God) to his wife....either of them.....
furthermore, every story on mccain should include the fact that he was nearly booted from the senate for accepting bribes from his good friend charles keating, who later wound up in jail