Political Talk :: RE: Dale Kildee-accused of sexual molestation
Author: untanglingwebs
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:30 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 22
A Media Lynching; Dale Kildee story deserved more scrutiny
By Jack Lessenberry
Patrick Clawson is one of the more aggressive investigative reporters I know.
The former CNN journalist is now semi-retired, and dabbles in a number of occupations. He is no great worshipper of government, titles or institutions. Last year he broke the news that Governor Granholm had awarded a huge tax break to a convicted embezzler whose business was entirely fiction.
Yet he is now outraged about a story he sees as totally irresponsible, and so am I. Yesterday, media throughout the state began reporting allegations that longtime Flint area congressman Dale Kildee improperly touched a young male second cousin of his more than half a century ago. The 82-year-old congressman, indignantly denied the allegations, and noted that the man making them had a long history of mental illness.
There has never previously been any hint of scandal involving Congressman Kildee, who has a wife, three children and announced months ago that he intended to retire after this term.
These stories bothered me when I saw them, because they contained absolutely no evidence or shred of proof. And because I know that any time anyone is accused of something like this, the accusation sticks to them through life, even if later exposed as totally false. What I didn’t know was that it had been checked out.
Pat Clawson contacted me last night and said that he and another well-known investigative journalist, a man instrumental in exposing Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick became aware of these allegations more than a year ago.
Clawson told me they both checked them out, and, “We each, separately and independently, came to the same conclusion. These allegations could not be substantiated in any way and were most likely false.” He notes the accuser has a record of drug abuse and a history of hospitalizations for mental illness.
“The real story here is how incompetent journalists and partisan political opponents smeared a very good and decent man,” Clawson said. Incidentally, Clawson is not a political supporter of the liberal Democratic congressman. He ran for office as a libertarian last year. He’s just in favor of fairness. And the more I looked into the story, the more uneasy I became. It first appeared in the right-wing Washington Times after it was reported by a blogger, Susan Bradford, who later urged caution, saying she is now uncomfortable with the story, said it might be part of a blackmail attempt, and added “I don‘t know if the allegations were true or not … I am urging the members of the press and public to withhold judgment till all the facts are in.” Well, that’s a little late.
She criticized the paper for doing an ambush video interview with Kildee, but added “let’s be honest, (the congressman) fits the ’profile’ of a pedophile as defined by Hollywood,” because he was a former priest. Well, that’s not true either. Dale Kildee was never a priest.
None of this stopped a Flint TV station from airing a graphic interview with his accuser last night. Clawson told me he thinks he would have been fired if he had done something like this when he was a broadcast reporter, but added, “journalistic standards have changed over the years, and I am afraid for the worse.”
I am afraid I have to agree.
Ramona, I speak out because I'm afraid for what's happening in my country. I want my government to understand their obligation to the common good and do what's right. I nudge them along on my blog, with the help of a whole raft of clever, intriguing voices of and for the people. Join us at Ramona's Voices and follow me at dagblog.com. (Smart, funny commentary on just about everything by just about everybody.)
There are many things that make me uncomfortable about this story. There is so little concrete evidence either way. Where does the truth lie? It could be that we'll never know.
But what bothers me is the dismissal of the accuser based on prior drug use and/or mental illness.
It could be that he is out to get money and this is his lazy, unconscionable way of doing it.
It could be that he is certifiably crazy and is known for off-the-wall accusations like these.
Or it could be he was abused as a child by a man who went on to become a well-known, long-time politician.
The thing is, nobody knows the truth, including you, including your investigative reporter friends, yet you give us this:
"Clawson told me they both checked them out, and, “We each, separately
and independently, came to the same conclusion. These allegations could
not be substantiated in any way and were most likely false.” He notes
the accuser has a record of drug abuse and a history of hospitalizations
for mental illness."
So much for "journalistic standards".
Anonymous
Jack appears to be angry at the Washington Times for doing the original story, but not the Detroit Free Press for doing the denial story:
http://www.waitingfornextyear....
Whatever. I suppose Jack has a valid point. Newspapers wield power that ought to be used very judiciously. As a matter of fact, I felt the exact same way, when the Free Press abused its position and a couple of fresman football players and attempted to smear then-Coach Rich Rodriguez. Michigan Radio contributor John U. Bacon has authored a must-read book on that affair, "Three and Out."
But Jack, remind us of the link to your column wherein you complained about "the left-wing New York Times" story on an alleged extramarital affair with John McCain. Or the dubious quality of the complaints recently made against Herman Cain.
Jack Lessenberry
John McCain's extramarital adventures became public when HE talked about them. AS for Herman Cain, there are multiple women, on the record, as opposed to one person with mental health issues. But unlike the previous poster, at least two used their real names.
©2011 Michigan Public Media, The Regents of the University of Michigan
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:30 am (GMT -5)
Topic Replies: 22
A Media Lynching; Dale Kildee story deserved more scrutiny
By Jack Lessenberry
Patrick Clawson is one of the more aggressive investigative reporters I know.
The former CNN journalist is now semi-retired, and dabbles in a number of occupations. He is no great worshipper of government, titles or institutions. Last year he broke the news that Governor Granholm had awarded a huge tax break to a convicted embezzler whose business was entirely fiction.
Yet he is now outraged about a story he sees as totally irresponsible, and so am I. Yesterday, media throughout the state began reporting allegations that longtime Flint area congressman Dale Kildee improperly touched a young male second cousin of his more than half a century ago. The 82-year-old congressman, indignantly denied the allegations, and noted that the man making them had a long history of mental illness.
There has never previously been any hint of scandal involving Congressman Kildee, who has a wife, three children and announced months ago that he intended to retire after this term.
These stories bothered me when I saw them, because they contained absolutely no evidence or shred of proof. And because I know that any time anyone is accused of something like this, the accusation sticks to them through life, even if later exposed as totally false. What I didn’t know was that it had been checked out.
Pat Clawson contacted me last night and said that he and another well-known investigative journalist, a man instrumental in exposing Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick became aware of these allegations more than a year ago.
Clawson told me they both checked them out, and, “We each, separately and independently, came to the same conclusion. These allegations could not be substantiated in any way and were most likely false.” He notes the accuser has a record of drug abuse and a history of hospitalizations for mental illness.
“The real story here is how incompetent journalists and partisan political opponents smeared a very good and decent man,” Clawson said. Incidentally, Clawson is not a political supporter of the liberal Democratic congressman. He ran for office as a libertarian last year. He’s just in favor of fairness. And the more I looked into the story, the more uneasy I became. It first appeared in the right-wing Washington Times after it was reported by a blogger, Susan Bradford, who later urged caution, saying she is now uncomfortable with the story, said it might be part of a blackmail attempt, and added “I don‘t know if the allegations were true or not … I am urging the members of the press and public to withhold judgment till all the facts are in.” Well, that’s a little late.
She criticized the paper for doing an ambush video interview with Kildee, but added “let’s be honest, (the congressman) fits the ’profile’ of a pedophile as defined by Hollywood,” because he was a former priest. Well, that’s not true either. Dale Kildee was never a priest.
None of this stopped a Flint TV station from airing a graphic interview with his accuser last night. Clawson told me he thinks he would have been fired if he had done something like this when he was a broadcast reporter, but added, “journalistic standards have changed over the years, and I am afraid for the worse.”
I am afraid I have to agree.
Ramona, I speak out because I'm afraid for what's happening in my country. I want my government to understand their obligation to the common good and do what's right. I nudge them along on my blog, with the help of a whole raft of clever, intriguing voices of and for the people. Join us at Ramona's Voices and follow me at dagblog.com. (Smart, funny commentary on just about everything by just about everybody.)
There are many things that make me uncomfortable about this story. There is so little concrete evidence either way. Where does the truth lie? It could be that we'll never know.
But what bothers me is the dismissal of the accuser based on prior drug use and/or mental illness.
It could be that he is out to get money and this is his lazy, unconscionable way of doing it.
It could be that he is certifiably crazy and is known for off-the-wall accusations like these.
Or it could be he was abused as a child by a man who went on to become a well-known, long-time politician.
The thing is, nobody knows the truth, including you, including your investigative reporter friends, yet you give us this:
"Clawson told me they both checked them out, and, “We each, separately
and independently, came to the same conclusion. These allegations could
not be substantiated in any way and were most likely false.” He notes
the accuser has a record of drug abuse and a history of hospitalizations
for mental illness."
So much for "journalistic standards".
Anonymous
Jack appears to be angry at the Washington Times for doing the original story, but not the Detroit Free Press for doing the denial story:
http://www.waitingfornextyear....
Whatever. I suppose Jack has a valid point. Newspapers wield power that ought to be used very judiciously. As a matter of fact, I felt the exact same way, when the Free Press abused its position and a couple of fresman football players and attempted to smear then-Coach Rich Rodriguez. Michigan Radio contributor John U. Bacon has authored a must-read book on that affair, "Three and Out."
But Jack, remind us of the link to your column wherein you complained about "the left-wing New York Times" story on an alleged extramarital affair with John McCain. Or the dubious quality of the complaints recently made against Herman Cain.
Jack Lessenberry
John McCain's extramarital adventures became public when HE talked about them. AS for Herman Cain, there are multiple women, on the record, as opposed to one person with mental health issues. But unlike the previous poster, at least two used their real names.
©2011 Michigan Public Media, The Regents of the University of Michigan
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