TIME's Jay Carney apologizes to Josh Marshall, TPM, and the bloggers

[babylonsister]

http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/03/where_credit_is_due.html

Where Credit Is Due
Posted by Jay Carney

Twelve days ago, after David Iglesias went public, I said that if there turned out to be a broad conspiracy behind the firing of the U.S. Attorneys, "I will take my hat off to Marshall and others in the blogosphere and congratulate them for having been right in their suspicions about this story from the beginning."

My hat is off. Josh Marshall at TalkingPointsMemo and everyone else out there whose instincts told them there was something deeply wrong and even sinister about the firings, and who dug around and kept writing about them while Iglesias decided whether to talk to the press or go quietly on to his next job, deserve tremendous credit.

When this story first surfaced, I thought the Bush White House and Justice Department were guilty of poorly executed acts of crass political patronage. I called some Democrats on the Hill; they were "concerned", but this was not a priority. The blogosphere was the engine on this story, pulling the Hill and the MSM along. As the document dump proves, what happened was much worse than I'd first thought. I was wrong. Very nice work, and thanks for holding my feet to the fire.

[maddezmom]

1. TPM and the TPMuckracker have been on top of this since DAY1

[cascadiance]

7. And we here at DU should also take a bow too...

Many of us have had good threads on this topic such as Dems Will Win's threads of the last couple of days, etc. to keep it elevated in people's consciousness as well until it reached the tipping point where the MSM couldn't avoid it.

Robbien and I wonder whether TPM and TPMMuckraker might have gotten their tip from us here and this thread on January 12th. Note Robbien's post on this thread, the time stamp there, and the time stamps on TPM Muckraker's stories too...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2685750

Robbien and I were high fiving each other with PM's yesterday, and were wondering if Josh, etc. did get tipped off by us or were already on top of that early morning story like we were then, but in any case, it was the collective effort of all of us to get that story out in the open.

I also called Scooter on KLSD that weekend, and as noted in that thread there were three LTTE's the very next day after that article came out in the San Diego Union Tribune.

Worked with the guys at Progressive Post to get Carol Lam a nice flower display on her last days there too.

I think we all should feel GOOD about how the blogs and the grass roots won out this time and pushed this story and perhaps justice in the right direction. The story still hasn't reached it's climax yet, but it looks like the people might win this time!

And my hats off to TPM Muckraker, etc. for recognizing the significance and importance of this story at the start and doing a bang up job on following up on it in all the right places.

And though a part of the "MSM", I think that Kelley Thornton and Onell Soto of the Union Tribune deserve a lot of credit also for fighting through the MSM filters at their organization to get the January 12th story out on Carol Lam being asked to step down that really started off all of us on this campaign. They really hit the right points and the right information at the start too to get the blogosphere hopping on it. Kind of like Onell Soto also helped others at the Union Tribune do that got them the pulitzer for breaking the story on Cunningham's mess too. They really should get another for this story!

I'm not a big fan of the Union Tribune in general, but I think they have some pretty good reporters working there that at times are able to work the system to the people's favor!

[spooky3]

14. Congratulations and thank you and the DUers involved.

Well-done!

[KoKo]

16. All here and on the Liberal and Truth Seeking Web sites

deserve credit for digging and exposing the Bushies lies and contributing to getting the truth out. Almost every "conspiracy/tinfoilhat" story has turned out to have truth if one would dig long enough and get some help from the professionals in journalism who could push the truth out there.

Kudo's to those here on DU, Kos and TPM, Consortium and the others like Murray Waas blog that keep after this day after day. And, especially to Josh Marshall for his dedication to being an alternative media with enough "legitimacy" in the regular whore press community that he gets attention there.

:toast:

[Cha]

27. Thank you, calipendence, for all

the good work on this! And TPM! Who knew they could be brought to their knees with the US Attorney Firings!? But, ya'll were the Little Engine That Could!

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Does this mean he's gonna pay more attention next time?

Or is he gonna stick his head back in the sand, having learned nothing?

[babylonsister]

3. He's wiping egg off his face; hopefully he learned something. nt

[SlowDownFast]

17. Exactly. And he's Time's Washington Bureau Chief to boot.

The comments on his blog site are spot on. Jay Carney is an idiot who waits for others to do the hard investigative work and then gets on top of the story.

His belittling bloggers as liberal conspiracy theorists shows him as a pompous ass who is part of huge problem of MSM complacency.

I give him only small to no credit (what else could he do) for apologizing.

[renate]

4. good for him for apologizing

If only the people in the administration could be that gracious. Oh wait, they don't make mistakes.

And what a great reminder of the power of the Internets. Hard to imagine that a story this big could have gotten right by the MSM and the Democrats in Congress, but apparently so.

[LiberalFighter]

9. Betcha Bush wished Gore hadn't invented the Internets

[peacetalksforall]

5. Why doesn't he make up for it by going back and 'revisiting' the

Miers record cleansing by Barnes (of Mier's GTech - TX Lottery) since it all kind of links together in the White House with justice for a few, not the country.

Since he is credible and Palast isn't accepted on corporate network tv and paper - why not move on back to this subject - since Miers is STILL in the WHITE HOUSE and is still messing with THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

If anyone needs the link from yesterday - give a holler or (search Palast or GTech).

Thom Hartman has Palast on today.

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. The blogosphere is not always right but the MSM is always wrong or slow.

As long as there is any chance of letting Bushco off the hook, the MSM cling to it.

[Morgana LaFey]

8. I know it sounds chauvinistic, but I think it's true nonetheless

The blogosphere is not always right

The blogosphere has a HUGE advantage over the MSM and that is its collective nature. Sure, the top blogs are getting fed directly by tipsters and people inside govt offices (esp. Congressional offices) these days, and that helps. But in addition, pulling these stories together is a collective effort that builds upon itself. Where there are inaccuracies and inadequacies, those tend to get lost (or excised) while the cream rises to the top.

MSM should be so lucky. Hell, most of them don't even seem to know about google (or so it seems). :rofl:

[catnhatnh]

10. Kudos to Mr. Carney...

who has shown juevos unlike our administration...there is nothing wrong with being wrong-just in continuing to be pig-headedly so....

[Jade Fox]

11. So when are people like Carney going to figure out....

that virtually ALL true journalism is now taking place outside of traditional newspaper/newsmagazine/broadcast media forums, and start doing the kind of digging and tough reporting that the bloggers do?

[hvn_nbr_2]

22. They all already know. Journalism isn't their job.

Their job is propaganda.

[lukery]

12. sibel's hearings

When Waxman holds hearings into Sibel's case, DU will be able to take all the credit - and the MSM (and the A-list bloggers) can all STFU.

[DemReadingDU]

13. morning kick

[Doctor_J]

15. Thumbs up to Carney

Hopefully he'll view the next allegation of a Rove atrocity with a more sympathetic eye.

[gratuitous]

18. Note to Jay Carney

Yes, exposure of the Department of Just-us scandal was driven by bloggers. Here's a real earth-shaker of a fact for you: The Just-us scandal is symptomatic of this corrupt administration, not an aberration. I'll presume you're an intelligent person, and leave it to you to figure out the proper course of action based on that fact.

[MLFerrell]

19. Thank you, Mr. Carney...

For having the courage to admit that you were wrong. Now how about an op/ed calling for the immediate impeachment of * and Darth Cheney?

[Ex Lion Tamer]

23. To hell with an apology.

I'm sick and tired of these condescending asses. Time after time, scandal after scandal, we have been right and they have been wrong.

An apology means nothing if it is not followed by a change in behavior. Let's see how Mr. Carney acts after this.

Hell, I don't expect--or even want--journalists to all of a sudden start trumpeting the left. I just want them to do their damn jobs. What the hell are they paid for? How can they so consistently be wrong? How can Drudge drive the headlines? Are they really that lazy?

[cascadiance]

29. I treat apologies like this like apologies from Republicans...

... who've acknowledged that they've made mistakes in the past and want to do better and work with our side of the fence now.

If it is an honest "break" from what they've been doing (ala David Brock of Media Matters for example), then I'm all for bringing them in! That's how we grow our side's strength.

If all they are doing is a momentary "acknowledgement" that you won an argument or on an issue you are right, but turn around later and label you a "conspiracy theorist" condescendingly not too long afterward, then I don't have much forgiveness or acceptance for people like that later. I regard those people as opportunists that aren't very honest in their feelings/intentions.

I think the big test for Mr. Carney is what he does from this point forward. If he treats bloggers with more respect and tries to work with the blogspace more in the future in finding and building up stories, then GREAT! I salute him for doing the right thing like David Brock did in breaking with the right wingers and "seeing the light". The same goes for Ariana Huffington after she left her husband. But if he falls back into the "what have you conspiracy theorists done for me lately" mode, then I'll disregard any "apologies" later in the future.

If we completely dismiss folks without giving them the opportunity to "do right" and come over to our side, then we'll always be a disjointed minority of folks that won't be able to move the mountains later when we need to do so.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

30. Nicely put.

It is all about changes in behavior--or not.

[Canuckistanian]

20. If investigative reporters would do their jobs

Then blogs wouldn't be the ONLY sources of information on any given subject.

And MAYBE a real picture of what's happening at the highest levels of government would see more daylight.

Jay Carney has learned a lesson.

But will that inspire him?

[juno jones]

21. Thank you....

...bloggers for all your hard work. This time WE(as in the collective progressive blogosphere)are Woodward and Bernstein! Keep it up!

[Sapere aude]

24. The repukes are going to have to find a way to kill the blogoshere. It is their down fall.

[Elidor]

25. How any journalist could still be this credulous 6 years on is amazing

He actually gave the Bushies the benefit of the doubt, despite 6 years of unmitigated mendaciousness and sleaze. It must be an institutional disease. He seems like a babe in the woods.

And he's still a wanker.

[Cha]

26. Thanks, babylonsister! I missed that.

The difference between me and Jay Carney is I knew the bushits were up to their usual skullduggery but I thought it would get swept under the carpet like so many of their hachet hirings and firings. That they would just lie their way out like they've done with everything rove has sanctioned.

[sendero]

28. I applaud anyone..

... who is man or woman to stand up and say "I was wrong". I don't know anything about this particular reporter, but for all of you saying "do your jobs", I have something to say to you.

Most reporters are just hired employees, just as many of us here are. We don't call the tune. We don't get to spend 10 days on a project our boss thinks is worth 2.

Blaming reporters for the sorry state of investigative reporting these days is to be completely out of touch with reality. It's the news organiations, their owners and their priorities that are the problem.