23 Hours Later: TNGOP Complies With Alexander Request To Remove Website
Reading over the coverage from yesterday, I am still struck by the statement of Senator Lamar Alexander on the much publicized press release from Tennessee Republican Party Spokesman Bill Hobbs on the antisemitic associations of Barack Obama.
The statement reads as follows:
“Senator Alexander has talked with Robin Smith, and she is removing the release and the photo from the website. She and the senator agreed it could be easily misinterpreted, taken out of context and considered inappropriate.”
All the papers used this statement. Many took it as gospel that the release would be removed. Now, we here on the internets knew that the the release was still up today with the clarification we noted yesterday.
Now, I just assumed that discussions subsequent to the statement were had and that the fact that the release stayed up with adjustments was something the Senator was kept apprised of.
I put in a call to Lee Pitts, Communications Czar for the Senator, to get clear on the discrepancy between the statement that an agreement had been reached to take down the release and the reality that the release still appeared on the website with clarification.
Reached by phone at around one o’clock today, Mr. Pitts said he was not aware that the release remained on the website and told me that his understanding was that the Senator and Robin Smith had spoken and that the release would come down. He promised to investigate further.
Reached via email, Bill Hobbs reiterated what he had previously stated on this thread about the discrepancy:
Tom Humphrey’s story has the details exactly right of our discussions with Lamar. There was never any discussion of taking the whole release down. The release is factual.
The photo and use of Barack Obama’s middle name was being used by the Democrats to divert attention from the issue raised by the release - Barack Obama’s position vis a vis Israel and Farrakhan.
Pitts called back at around 3:45PM and reiterated that it was always the Senator’s understanding based on the conservation he had with Robin Smith that the release would come down but that when and how that happened was at the discretion of the TNGOP.
I just checked and as of around 3:50PM today, 23 hours after Senator Lamar Alexander made his statement yesterday, the release no longer appears.
UPDATE: See an “anatomy of a controversy” timeline here.
on February 28th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Said it before, saying it again: Love this blog.
on February 28th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Pitts called back after speaking to the Senator and reiterated that it was always the Senator’s understanding based on the conservation he had with Robin Smith that the release would come down but that when and how that happened was at the discretion of the TNGOP.
Well…ummmm… DUH
on February 28th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
You are doing great original reporting here.
on February 28th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Translated as: B-Ho and Robin thumbed their noses at the senior senator from Tennessee. Kleinheider made the senior senator aware of the nose thumbing. The senior senator called B-Ho and Robin and said cut the crap. B-Ho and Robin cut the crap. Nice job, Kleinheider.
on February 28th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Agreed. Excellent reporting here, Adam.
on February 28th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
FreddieMac, that’s exactly what happened here. I sit right behind Adam here in the newsroom and witnessed the entire thing. Adam approached this very professionally, giving all parties several hours to get back with him before releasing this. It is outstanding work.
on February 28th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Ooooh, Kleinheider. You’re good.
on February 28th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Good goin’, ACK.
Although my preference would have been for TNGOP to leave it up.
.
on February 28th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Well done. You’ve driven the coverage on this topic. Great reporting.
on February 28th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
If Lamar is driving the car, it’s time to take the bus.
on February 29th, 2008 at 8:56 am
What the…?
Obama’s mother is a White American, father is a Black African. After 911 the name Hussein became synonymic with terror. So to add fear in us they repeat the middle name, over and over again. Moreover, had Bush went after Bin Laden and his Al Qaida group we wouldn’t have this conversation. Al Qaida attacked the U.S. not Hussein. Look at it like this, if guy A attacks your family would you go after buy B, I don’t think so.
P.S.
Why don’t we hear about this, Hillary is heading to court and the media is not reporting it and she’s complaining about them. What a joke. Look at the video for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq8aopATYyw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMfUajhL24I&feature=related