CNN and The Washington Post had institutional memory lapses today. On CNN Saturday Morning News, this was the lead story from anchors Betty Nguyen and T.J. Holmes:
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We do want to thank you for starting with us. It is the 21st of February, and we do want to begin with some breaking news.HOLMES: Yes, and kind of a -- a shocker that went through the -- the newsroom this morning.
Yes, you remember that name and you remember that face in all likelihood. That is Chandra Levy, the 24-year-old who went missing some nine years ago now -- eight years ago, more specifically. An arrest, we're being told now, is imminent in this case. This is coming to us from our CNN affiliate out in the Bay Area, KGO. This is one of the most infamous D.C. cold cases out there. Again, some eight years old.
Just a little background on this case. You remember this young lady went missing in D.C. Got a lot of attention for one reason because of her relationship that it came out that she had with Congressman Gary Condit, who is no longer a congressman now. But a relationship that came out.
He was never -- there he is there -- never officially a suspect in the case.
NGUYEN: No.
HOLMES: But that was a reason this case got so much attention. And now, Betty, as we're hearing, an arrest...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ...is imminent in this case.
NGUYEN: The case not only ended Condit's career, but we are learning this morning that there is a suspect, a man who is indeed behind bars at this hour.
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The Washington Post's Web site this morning featured the story "Arrest in Chandra Levy Case 'Imminent.'" The article ended with:
Levy, a 24-year-old intern for the federal Bureau of Prisons, was having an affair with Gary Condit, a married congressman from California, when she vanished. Police focused on Condit rather than Guandique as the case endured a firestorm of world-wide media coverage.Condit was never charged and lost a reelection bid in 2002. He has long maintained that he had nothing to do with Levy's disappearance and was the victim of overzealous investigators and a media pack.
Neither CNN nor The Washington Post identified Condit as a Democratic congressman. Had he been a Republican, that affiliation would no doubt have been mentioned.
As we've seen again and again, when members of the GOP get in trouble, the spin is that it's a Republican scandal. When it's a Democrat who's involved, then the story line is that the scandal involved a politician who just happened to be a Democrat.
The double standard continues to thrive among the mainstream media.
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Comments Policy
Wild Guess
February 21, 2009 - 13:13 ET by Sergeant ROCKI'm going to take a wild guess that he was a democRAT. Not that there's any evidence that the MSM refuses to identify party affiliations of democRATS that are in a bad light or anything.
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Bolton/KEYES 2012
Good guess
February 21, 2009 - 13:15 ET by Mike BatesNot too wild.
Good news
February 21, 2009 - 13:17 ET by legacyrepublicanThe AP story posted on Yahoo DOES mention Condit was Democrat and even a California Democrat.
Yippie, at least one MSM did the right thing.
It mentions that the scandal caused him to lose re-election too.
One out of three ain't bad
February 21, 2009 - 13:19 ET by Mike BatesFor the MSM.
It's ok to mention (D) only when they are out of office.
February 21, 2009 - 14:06 ET by upcountrywaterpURPLe pINKy freedom hijacker
Never too late? No, sometimes it is too late
February 21, 2009 - 16:43 ET by needleLet’s see…Now that it is SEVEN YEARS TOO LATE to have any impact upon philandering Condit, I guess it is safe the whisper that Condit was, oh by the way, a Democrat.
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
I cannot say that I am shocked
February 21, 2009 - 13:19 ET by Free StinkerI cannot say that I am shocked.
This is the same MSM that goes after Sarah Palin's children, but cannot even ask Obama one tough question.
"Gov. Palin has been subjected to one of the most massive and dishonest pile-on smear attacks in the history of liberal media." -- Lowell Ponte
Not shocked, Free
February 21, 2009 - 13:21 ET by Mike BatesI cannot say that I am shocked.
Nor am I. But I think there's a benefit to having MSM bias documented for those times when someone tells you it's just a myth.
Michael
February 21, 2009 - 14:19 ET by Free StinkerMichael,
-FS
Considering that there are
February 21, 2009 - 14:14 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsConsidering that there are so few Republicans involved in crime, scandals, misbehavior, etc., there is no need to identify a democrat as such. Aren't all democrats corrupt?
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
Nutrition for trolls
February 21, 2009 - 14:19 ET by Sergeant ROCKWell, you have a point there. But I doubt that's the angle they're shooting for! lol
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Bolton/KEYES 2012
Double standard
February 21, 2009 - 14:44 ET by bigtimerDouble standard indeed.
When 'Culture of Corruption' was used numerous times daily via all venues in the msm as long as the person had an 'R' behind their name, party affiliation sometimes lead the story...
Republican member so-and so...
We know the rest.
Funny, when the real 'Culture of Corruption' critters regarding the dems are all over the place ...the msm remains mum.
Gee, I'm shocked I tell ya'...shocked!
Biased hypocrisy at work as always...it's their job, it's what the leftist do in the msm, we all know they are lock-step with the dem party...if not leading the way with the direction they had better take according to Soros and the likes of MediaMatters and affiliated groups.
What the press and Levy's parents
February 21, 2009 - 15:46 ET by Delsadid to Condit and his family was truly criminal.
He had an affair, bad enough but they pronounced him guilty because of it. They went after him and his family because although he was a Democrat, he was more importantly, a Conservative Democrat. His voting record could have placed him in the R column.
I wonder who if anyone will appoligize to him and his family for all they put them through because he had an affair with the missing woman?
If this new person of interest proves to be the guilty party, can Condit and his family take the Levy's into a civil court like they did him?
Turn about would be fair play.
We know the D is never printed in articles but what is not said is how everyone wanted to bury this guy because he was a Conservative Democrat from San Diego, California.
good point
February 21, 2009 - 17:50 ET by jacktheripperas I remember this was the hottest story of the summer of 01 then of course 9/11 happened. the family hounded this man to "confess"
reguardless of party aflliliation this should not of happened to this man, after all are we not innocent before proven guilty?
Delsa...I agree with what
February 21, 2009 - 17:54 ET by bigtimerDelsa...I agree with what the press did to the family...do you know if they won that law-suit against I think it was Star tabloid?
By the way...I'm pretty sure his district was quite a ways from San Diego...Modesto area is more like it, same area Levy was from...if memory serves me right...(which it may not, guess I could google)
edit: Delsa...I bet you were thinking of Cunningham from the San Diego area....who is doing time.
Bigtimer, I will defer to
February 22, 2009 - 15:17 ET by Delsayour memory.
He was hounded because he had an affair with a totally innocent young girl who was murdered and .....
You are correct. She was innocent. Never mind she chose to be involved with a married man.
But the Press and the Parents, without one shred of evidence pronounced this guy guilty of murder! I did not like him, don't respect either of them, and I remember the tv was 24/7 with the damned story.
As for Duke Cunningham the decorated Navy flying Ace. I remember him. I had the pleasure of knowing him too. He made a bad choice and is paying for it. I still call him Uncled Duke!
Condit's bad choice was bedding a missing girl and having the press and parents accuse him of murder.
I have the wrong place and I still call Condit INNOCENT
I hope you folks don't mind
February 22, 2009 - 15:30 ET by motherbeltI hope you folks don't mind me butting in on this at this late point, but....
Regarding the omission of Condit's party, I still remember them constantly calling him Rep. Gary Condit in printed reports. I commented at the time that I thought it was effort to mislead people, in that some would think that Rep. was an abbreviation for Republican.
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
mother
February 22, 2009 - 15:38 ET by Delsayour are exactly correct. They always referred to him as Rep. Condit.
Rep., Republican, that is funny.
I did not give it any thought at the time but then I was not tuned
into media bias as much.
Which printed reports, motherbelt?
February 22, 2009 - 19:36 ET by JerWhich printed reports, motherbelt? There were/are literally thousands of articles about Condit and the Chandra Levy case, and the fact that he was a Congressional Democrat was very well documented.
Generally, when "Rep. [fill in a name]" is used, it is done in connection with internet article abstracts or blog entries for the sake of brevity, or uniformly as a shorthand ID for both Democrat and Republican representatives--whether the disseminated information is positive or negative.
There is simply no evidence of a concerted media effort to conceal Condit's party affiliation.
Jer
Of course not
February 22, 2009 - 19:42 ET by bigtimerOf course not Jer...
...and the moon is made of blue cheese. ;-)
Jer
February 22, 2009 - 21:23 ET by DelsaI never thought about Democrat thing. I knew Condit was a conservative Dem. and a congressman.
I was not paying much attention back then.
Rep. is short hand for representative which refers to Congress members.
I think motherbelt and you both have points of view each of you can substantiate.
Thank you, Delsa...
February 23, 2009 - 00:20 ET by JerThank you, Delsa...
Jer
Condit a conservative?
February 22, 2009 - 21:30 ET by Mike Bateshe was more importantly, a Conservative Democrat. His voting record could have placed him in the R column.
With a 2002 American Conservative Union rating of 30? A National Taxpayers Union rating of 33 - a D?
Missing Two Things
February 21, 2009 - 19:10 ET by BW222Not only does the media not mention that Condit is a democrat, but is also fails to say the suspected killer is an illegal alien (oops, I mean an "undocumented person.")
BW222
BW222... All of the msm
February 21, 2009 - 19:19 ET by bigtimerBW222...
All of the msm seems to omit that fact.
Isn't going to matter anymore, illegal immigration didn't come up during the elections for the same reasons with the pathetic RINO we had for our candidate.
Now that same person will make sure along with the dems leading the way to get the McC/Kennedy Amnesty Bill, or as it was last called when trying to pass....THE DREAM ACT.
WE could have won on that, and Drill Baby Drill if we had a real, determined conservative running...in the polls both sides of the aisle were for this for months and months.
Levy's Illegal alien murderer
February 21, 2009 - 19:25 ET by Cool ArrowDemocrats, The McCains, and the Bush family must be celebrating tonight that their attempts to fill America's streets with Illegal Alien rapist/murderers is so successful.
Illegal alien Ingmar Guandique already serving time for two assaults in the same park where Ms. Levy was found, allegedly confessed his conquest to a jailhouse snitch.
Illegals doing the crimes we can't find enough Americans to do. That's the real story.
Cool... GMTA... We were just
February 21, 2009 - 19:33 ET by bigtimerCool...
GMTA...
We were just discussing this above here.
Glad you have a link.
→ Thanks, bt
February 21, 2009 - 19:36 ET by Cool ArrowIt was just a hunch. All I could get from TV was that he was from El Salvador, so I did a search on him.
Cool/Malkin
February 21, 2009 - 19:46 ET by bigtimerCool....
Speak of the devil...
Slithering Slimeball Geraldo is just reporting to Banderas that he is an immigrant....
...NOT ILLEGAL Immigrant!
Where's Malkin when you need her?
→ Geraldo
February 21, 2009 - 19:50 ET by Cool ArrowGeraldo is no immigrant. Puerto Rico is a US protectorate.
OK, technically, he can say he is, but it's not as though he had to jump through hoops.
Cool!!! I am truly
February 21, 2009 - 19:56 ET by bigtimerCool!!!
I am truly roaring with laughter... I was talking about Ingmar...(he was reporting on this stoy we are talking about here, regarding Levi)...I am truly sorry, that was my error not stating that fact.
This is taking me forever to get posted, I am laughing so hard!
→ Now I'm laughing bt
February 21, 2009 - 20:02 ET by Cool ArrowGeraldo throws so much of his personal life into stories, I just naturally assumed he'd confided to the scumbag illegal he was an immigrant too.
A few points: --The
February 21, 2009 - 22:52 ET by JerA few points:
--The latest msnbc.com report headlines the suspect's immigrant status. It does not explicitly state illegal immigrant, but the portrait is certainly not very flattering.
--Condit was defeated in his very next re-election bid following the Levy scandal; so to suggest there were no consequences to him is way off the mark. Not to mention the personal humiliation and harm to his reputation by being the object of a media frenzy over his possible involvement in Chandra's disappearance.
--Condit reportedly has reached unspecified damage settlements with several media outlets
--Scan the archives of the "liberal" Washington Post and NYT. Condit was identified as a Democrat on numerous occasions.
--Check this msnbc article: It not only identifies Condit as a Democrat, but the only one of several scandal-plagued politicians whose party is not identified is Republican Larry Craig.
Jer
Thank you Jer
February 22, 2009 - 15:16 ET by DelsaYour points are WELL taken!
I would like the opportunity
February 22, 2009 - 15:33 ET by pitter43I would like the opportunity to apoligse to Condit. Even though he's a slug, it seems he's not guilty of the murder and I was convinced that he was the one responsible. He might still be the one responsible but it certainly dosen't look that way.