Networks Continue Chris Lee Scandal Coverage, Gave Little to Disgraced Florida Dem Who Replaced Mark Foley
While NBC, ABC, and CBS all pushed the scandal involving New York Republican Congressman Christopher Lee into a second day of coverage, the networks made little or no mention of Florida Democratic Congressman Tim Mahoney admitting to numerous affairs in 2008.
The scant coverage of Mahoney was particularly stunning given that he replaced Republican Mark Foley, who was caught sending inappropriate emails to congressional pages in 2006. At that time, the media used the Foley scandal to portray the Republican Party as corrupt and scandal-ridden throughout the 2006 midterm election, in which Democrats gained control of Congress.
While Lee was guilty of sending a shirtless picture of himself to a woman on Craigslist, as NBC correspondent Mark Potter briefly noted on the October 29, 2008 Nightly News, Mahoney "admitted he'd had multiple extramarital affairs and paid a former female staffer to avoid a lawsuit." Potter added: "Ironically, Mahoney was elected two years ago as a family values candidate after Republican Congressman Mark Foley resigned amid an e-mail scandal involving congressional pages."
On ABC, during a report on the October 18, 2008 broadcast of Good Morning America, correspondent Ron Claiborne offered even less on Mahoney: "And a married Florida congressman now admits that he had at least two affairs, but insists he broke no laws and he will not reign. Democratic Representative Tim Mahoney replaced Republican Representative Mark Foley, who resigned after a sex scandal."
According to a search of the Nexis database, CBS failed to cover Mahoney at all.
As NewsBusters' Scott Whitlock earlier reported, the initial network coverage of Lee was quick to point out his party affiliation, with NBC correspondent Kelly O'Donnell referring to the disgraced Congressman as "conservative" twice in three sentences during her Thursday report for NBC's Today.
The Friday morning show coverage sought to find ways to extend the scandal as NBC, ABC, and CBS all reported the identity of the woman Lee approached online. On Today, O'Donnell described how 34-year-old Yesha Callahan "says if he was on CraigsList emailing pictures of himself, shirtless, to all kinds of women, she says who knows who else he met and maybe the wife should get herself tested."
On Good Morning America, reporter Dan Harris noted how "Callahan, told the Washington Post that she stopped corresponding with Congressman Lee, when he suggested she send a racy photo of herself. She says she's now worried about the impact of all of this on her personal and professional life."
On CBS's Early Show, reporter Whit Johnson furthered Callahan's speculation that Lee "resigned because he's hiding some even bigger secrets."
None of the network's showed any interest in the claims of any of Mahoney's actual mistresses in 2008.
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Comments
This illustrates one of the main differences between Dems
Submitted by no tingly legs on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 5:50pm.
and Republicans. When the latter get "caught", they more often than not resign. Dems rarely do. In fact, it's something of a resume builder for them.
tingly tid bits..
Submitted by Gary Hall on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 5:56pm.
.. you mean like, "Bill Clinton - President of the World?"
(;~/ gary
→ That's true
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 5:56pm.
Barney Frank with his homosexual brothel (sistrel?)
Teddy Kennedy with his boat/car.
Robert Byrd calling Blacks "mongrels" unfit to serve in the armed forces.
Obama showing his ample breasts.
Cool ↓
Submitted by Gary Hall on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 6:02pm.
Not cool, Cool.. My wife is out buying "boneless" "skinless" "chicken" breasts as we speak - three synonyms for President Obama - no way I'm eating them for dinner now.
(;~/ gary
Sorry Gary
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 6:10pm.
But at least I didn't refer to them as "the paps at which Chris Matthews suckles.
No sir, I didn't say that.
Cool
Submitted by Gary Hall on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 6:55pm.
LOL. But, now you can't say that again, can you?
OK then.. lobster it is for dinner. Done.
(;~/ gary
Kick Republicans when they're down!
Submitted by Mary Louise Turner on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 6:48pm.
The make believe media seem to get some sick kick out of kicking Republicans when they're down. Even when they do the honorable thing and resign, the MBM can't resist keeping them down. Scandals involving GOP members are front-page news for days and days, as the press gleefully call the targets "hypocrites" and worse. They are not allowed to rehabilitate their image, unlike certain disgraced Democrats we know. (See Eliot Spitzer on CNN - exhibit A).
With this kind of behavior, is it any wonder the MBM is going down the tubes!
→ Sorry
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 6:08pm.
moved
↓ It's clearly the horizontal arrow thats messing you up
Submitted by SickofLibs on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 6:15pm.
try ↓
;)
Disgrace?
Submitted by jon_torlin on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 6:22pm.
How about the disgraceful way the WH has been about the Egypt situation after what happened in Iran 2009?
-Jon
Typical Republican Sex Scandal ....
Submitted by NL207 on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 6:56pm.
As far as has been reported, no actual illicit sex took place.
~Media take
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 7:04pm.
Republican with his shirt off = twisted mofo.
Democrat with his pants off = hey, we all make mistakes.
I hear ya lady
Submitted by Rukus on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 9:28pm.
Republican with shirt off - horrible, terrible, nasty, disgusting, bad, bad, bad!!!!
Democrat hiding the cigar - none of our busines, it's a personal issue, you go Bill!!
Go figure...
~Resume enhancer
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 9:51pm.
Dude's a playa, he's still got it. The weemon, they looooove him.
Democrat with his pants off
Submitted by NL207 on Sat, 02/12/2011 - 10:30am.
Democrat with his pants off --- hey, nobody notices, not even those present!!
Just another one of the
Submitted by Reaver on Sat, 02/12/2011 - 6:35am.
Just another one of the drawbacks of being a Republican, sexless sex scandals. Democrats not only get to do the deed, they know the media has their back and will say “private matter” “nobody’s business” as they work to bury the story.
LATimes - coverage of Lee vs Mahoney sex scandals
Submitted by Gary Hall on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 8:37pm.
Seemed a no-brainer. Ah, I was correct. This is too easy. The Los Angeles Times.
2008 - Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney adultery and sexual harassment scandal. Let's see. An Oct. 14th 2008 AP Wire piece buried on page A-14, and it's a whopping 187 words. An Oct. 25, 2008 "Times Wire Report," on how Mahoney skipped a debate because of a scandal, and it's a an even smaller 99 words.
And to be fair; in a Dec. 10, 2008 piece pushed way back on page A-32 by Janet Hook, "It's the Democrats turn in the Glare," ... oh, wait a minute - it's only a "cover our collective butts" piece in which they make very brief mention of Blagojevich, Rangel, Rangel, and Elliot Spitzer. All 342 words for all of this, ends with:
"Do I think Republicans will try to make something of this?" asked Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez). "Of course."
Well, lucky for you folks, the national MSM was not about to make something of that. Oh right, and naturally they'd already forgot about Mahoney (he's not mentioned); neither are a dozen other high profile Democratic scandals.
Compare that to the Feb 10th coverage of Rep. Chris Lee, R. the still wet behind the shirtless wonder, where we've got a 491 word piece on page AA- by LATime's writers, "Rep. Christopher Lee resigns over flirtatious e-mails," which includes a video. Wow - he get's his own story and a video.
And..
Of course, the paper has to dig deeper .. into the party higher ups (something they'd never touch if he was a Democrat).. so they put two of their investigative journalists on, "John Boehner: Rep. Christopher Lee was not forced out," with a bi-line of, "House Speaker John Boehner says Christopher Lee, the former Republican congressman from western New York who allegedly used Craigslist to send photos of himself to at least one woman, made 'his own decision' to resign." The 356 word analysis includes a photo.
Conclusion: It must be a bummer to be a journalist when there is a Democratic scandal - nothing to do but look for way to pin the story to how the dirty Republicans are going to spin it for political gain.
Just for fun, a search for "mark foley" + scandal - without any conditions - will get you 85 hits in the pages of the Los Angeles Times. Who knew they cared so much about Florida, way out here.
(;~/ gary