For the second time in less than three months, the New York Times is forced to correct basic facts in a story regarding Sen. John Kerry's "botched joke" about U.S. troops being "stuck in Iraq." (TimesWatch pointed out the repeat flub yesterday.)
The Times has appended a thorough correction to political reporter Adam Nagourney's Thursday article.
"An article yesterday about Senator John Kerry’s announcement that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2008 incorrectly described what he called 'a botched joke' he told before the November midterm elections. In telling the joke, which was assailed as an attack on American troops fighting in Iraq, Mr. Kerry not only dropped a word from his prepared remarks, but he also rephrased his opening sentence extensively and omitted a reference to President Bush. Mr. Kerry’s aides said that the prepared text read: 'Do you know where you end up if you don’t study, if you aren’t smart, if you’re intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush.' What he actually said: 'You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.'"
The Times was forced to issue a similarly long and involved correction the day after Kate Zernike's November 2 report, which made the exact same mistake.
The Times newspaper runs a gauntlet of reporters, fact-checkers, editors, and subeditors before it hits your door, yet it seems incapable of gathering the basic details of Kerry's gaffe -- specifically, the words Kerry actually spoke. Would the Times be so careless and uninterested if Dan Quayle had "botched" a joke? One suspects they'd have every unflattering detail nailed down cold. Until the Times' crew starts displaying the same level of interest in Democratic gaffes, perhaps the Corrections box should reserve space for the paper's next reference to the senator's "botched joke."
For more New York Times bias, visit TimesWatch.
—Clay Waters is the director of Times Watch, an MRC project tracking the New York Times.
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As John Kerry may reply:Allow
January 26, 2007 - 08:55 ET by Mica the MagnificentAs John Kerry may reply:
Allow me to correct the correction of the correction.
As far as the 'botched' joke is concerned, always remember that I stood by what I said before I said what I said. Besides, I CAN TOO tell a joke.
Why, I was just talking to Teresa the other day and I shared this joke with her:
Hey, waiter, I said. What is this hair doing in my french onion soup with hand-rolled croutons and imported italian capers? The waiter, recently hired by Teresa and, I might add, we do pay his social security taxes, stopped pouring my chardonnay into our finest embossed cut crystal glass, looked at my soup, thanked me for serving in Vietnam, and replied: 'to get to the other side!'
Ha, ha, ha. . . ha . ..is the mic on?
You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, you can become president . Otherwise, you remain a senator from Massachsetts. - John Boy
Man, your tag line is pricele
January 26, 2007 - 09:22 ET by Dan The Man 2Man, your tag line is priceless.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.
kerry correction
January 26, 2007 - 11:26 ET by JOEL714You must understand that the biggest joke is having this Kerry clown as a senator. His only talent is lying about his "war" record and getting rich women to marry him. He must have an enormous asset hidden somewhere-probably in his pants, cause his brain aint gonna get him much, and neither would his hangdog puss.
Correction to the Correction:
January 26, 2007 - 09:27 ET by Chris NormanCorrection to the Correction:
"In fact, a New York Times investigation has uncovered that every word Sen. Kerry used in the 'botched joke' was, in fact, incorrect. The investigation revealed, as originally written, the joke began, 'A priest, a rabbi, and a witch doctor walked into a bar...'"
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
I was going to add a comment
January 26, 2007 - 09:43 ET by ucI was going to add a comment on Democtrat candidates but I haven't had time to figure out how to spell that pass-time of Hillary's -using Elenor Roosevelt as chief advisor. How is say-once, see-on-see, say-un-see, say-ance spelt? Elenor didn't know about 22 Amendment for some reason. What else might Hillary not have corrected for our times? Hillary how is our great past First Lady these days? What is worse: Kerry's botched joke or all the efforts to deflect fair discussion of Clinton policies and crusading as motivator to much of anti-americanism around the world today? Thanks again President Bush.
How is say-once, see-on-see
January 26, 2007 - 09:47 ET by Tom1969caIt is spelled: seance.
~~~
VOTE DEMOCRAT!
(It's easier than thinking)
that is so much crap. if it
January 26, 2007 - 11:11 ET by buddycthat is so much crap. if it looks like crap and smells like crap it is crap. if true he left out more than a "few" words. the other problem for the times is that his core beliefs and prior statements do not support their revisionist interpretation of what he "meant".
These repeated "correcti
January 26, 2007 - 11:15 ET by mattmThese repeated "corrections" are just part of the continued effort to cement the idea the Kerry's comment was a joke, and NOT a heart-felt expression of his hatred of the U.S. Military. The NYT IS a 'botched joke'.