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In 2004, a poster on the conservative website FreeRepublic.com using the pseudonym "Kerry Crusher" -- identified on FreeRepublic.com as blogger Patrick Hynes -- characterized Chelsea Clinton as "hideously ugly." The comment recalled a "joke" Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) reportedly told about Clinton in 1998: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." Hynes was hired by McCain's Straight Talk America political action committee in 2006. In addition to the Chelsea Clinton smear, "Kerry Crusher" also attacked McCain himself in 2004 as "a contemptable human being."
As Media Matters for America noted, The New York Times and Associated Press both reported Catholic League president Bill Donohue's criticism that two bloggers hired by John Edwards' presidential campaign are "anti-Catholic, vulgar, trash-talking bigots," without noting Donohue's history of vulgar, trash-talking bigotry, or his dismissal of anti-Kerry operative Jerome Corsi's anti-Catholic bigotry in 2004. Citing several of Hynes' controversial comments, blogger Glenn Greenwald argued on February 7 that the same standard the Times and the AP applied to Edwards and his bloggers should be applied to all candidates, including McCain: http://mediamatters.org/items/200702070007The New York Times and Associated Press have both reported criticism by Catholic League president Bill Donohue of two bloggers hired by John Edwards' presidential campaign; Donohue contends that the bloggers are "anti-Catholic, vulgar, trash-talking bigots."
But neither the Times article, by reporter John M. Broder, nor the AP article, by writer Nedra Pickler, included any mention of Donohue's own history of vulgar, trash-talking bigotry -- or of Donohue's decision to dismiss anti-Catholic bigotry on the part of a key anti-Kerry operative in 2004.
Nor did the Times or the AP report that Donohue has his own history of comments that could easily be described as "vulgar" and "trash-talking" examples of bigotry, which Media Matters form America has repeatedly documented:
* "People don't trust the Muslims when it comes to liberty."
* "Name for me a book publishing company in this country, particularly in New York, which would allow you to publish a book which would tell the truth about the gay death style."
* "The gay community has yet to apologize to straight people for all the damage that they have done."
* Addressing former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) in a press release, Donohue said: "hy didn't you just smack the clergyman in the face? After all, most 15-year-old teenage boys wouldn't allow themselves to be molested. So why did you?" <10/4/06>
* "I'm saying if a Catholic votes for Kerry because they support him on abortion rights, that is to cooperate in evil."
* "We've already won. Who really cares what Hollywood thinks? All these hacks come out there. Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. It's not a secret, OK? And I'm not afraid to say it. ... Hollywood likes anal sex. They like to see the public square without nativity scenes. I like families. I like children. They like abortions. I believe in traditional values and restraint. They believe in libertinism. We have nothing in common. But you know what? The culture war has been ongoing for a long time. Their side has lost." more http://mediamatters.org/items/200702070005
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