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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (70001)	9/14/2004 1:01:29 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793689

The Boston Globe needs an "Ombudsman" for their Ombudsman. The readers are complaining about the Globes coverage of the Swift Vets, in comparison to their coverage of Bush. My email to her follows. Equal looks at military service By Christine Chinlund \| September 13, 2004 INDIGNANT Bush supporters claim that bias and lies permeate stories critical of the president. Equally indignant Kerry backers cry foul about similarly skeptical accounts of their side. Lost in the crossfire is a lot of informed critical reflection. Here is an attempt to sort out at least a few of the issues that have dominated the ombudsman mailbox in recent days. Story at issue: Wednesday's Page 1 story suggesting President Bush failed to meet his National Guard commitments. The complaint: The Globe is biased because it has not gone after Democrat John Kerry's military records with equal vigor. "How come the Boston Globe can't or won't get John Kerry's military records and diary and report on the contents? Why doesn't the Globe force the issue with the Kerry campaign? This is . . . a credibility issue for the Globe," wrote a reader from Winchester, echoing others. Of note: The Globe has its flaws, but failing to pursue Kerry's military records is not one of them. Beginning in May 2003 the Globe sought, in writing and in person, all documents relating to Kerry's military service. Not satisfied with what was initially available, it asked Kerry to sign a Privacy Act waiver, which would have made public the records kept by the military. He refused. Separately, Globe reporter Michael Kranish combed the Naval archives. "We've asked for everything again and again," says Kranish. The result of the Globe's research was published in two biographical efforts on Kerry -- a June 2003 series and a spring 2004 book. The Globe kept up the pressure, publishing in late April a story calling attention to unreleased records. That prompted the campaign to make public another round of documents. "We have pursued both candidates' records with equal vigor . . . " says Globe Editor Martin Baron. "The book, series, and various stories were based on extensive research into Kerry's military records and an unrelenting pursuit of every record we could get our hands on." The Globe, he added, "gave in-depth, front-page treatment to questions surrounding Kerry's first Purple Heart in mid-April, well before other media. . ." All together, the military records obtained by the Globe have provided more detail than revelation about Kerry's service years. They confirmed the relatively minor nature of the wounds that won him Purple Hearts in Vietnam, and documented the acts of bravery that won him the Silver and Bronze stars. The Kerry campaign says it has now released all relevant documents. Without Kerry's Privacy Act waiver, there's no way to confirm that. But if the Globe has not seen everything worth seeing, it's not for lack of trying. The Globe waited two weeks to break the Swift vet story. When it did, it was an attack on the vets. The Globe broke the Rather version of the NG story the next day, and it agreed with Rather. This is the comparison your readers are writing about. Comparing your treatment of Kerry during when doing the Bio last year with your treatment of Bush on the NG story is "apples and oranges." You must really think we are stupid.