DOWNSIDE LEGACY AT TWO DEGREES OF PRESIDENT CLINTON
SECTION: FR LAWSUIT AND SALON
SUBSECTION: ALL
Revised 8/9/99
LAWSUIT AGAINST FREE REPUBLIC
SALON CONNECTION
LAWSUIT AGAINST FREE REPUBLIC
Washington Weekly 10/4/98 Wesley Phelan Marvin Lee "The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times last week filed suit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against Jim Robinson, founder and operator of the Free Republic web site..(Brian Buckley, attorney for Jim Robinson)BUCKLEY: Well, the law does not discuss or use the word 'reposting.' It simply talks about expropriating copyrighted material -- you cannot do it. However, the statute also makes an exception for materials that are put to 'fair use.' 'Fair use' is then defined in the statute itself by pointing out components to look for. Those components, if found, show the material is being put to fair use. If otherwise copyrighted material is put to fair use, as fair use is defined by the statute, then it is by definition not an infringement. What is fair use? There are a number of components. The one that is applicable here and gives us a fair use exemption, is that we use the materials on a not-for-profit basis in order to foster free speech and discussion of political and social issues..QUESTION: Do you think this lawsuit is politically motivated? BUCKLEY: Yes I think it is, and so does my client. QUESTION: What gives you the indication that it is politically motivated? BUCKLEY: The web site is literally free to participants. Anyone with internet access can read anything on the site. All you need to do to participate, i.e. put your own commentary there too, is register. Registration is free. There are participants of all stripes politically -- conservatives, liberals, very liberal, very conservative, libertarian -- everything you can think of. The only restrictions are regarding profanity and so forth. The forum is an expression of Jim Robinson's political passion and he wants it to be open to all. Now, having said that, it is mostly a conservative oriented web site. And its enormous, growing popularity, as a place where people can read breaking news and comment on it, has led to a bit of political influence by the Free Republic forum. It is a place where people with conservative views can start an email campaign: "Let's all email Senator X and tell him to vote yes on proposition Z." Next thing you know, Senator X gets 5000 emails. It has flexed its muscles from time to time, and it is a place where the President's resignation or impeachment would be welcomed. I'm not saying the White House is involved in this lawsuit, but I do think the Washington Post and the LA Times have a different viewpoint than Free Republic. They have chosen to make an example of us for some reason. Only they can tell you why they have come after us instead of, say, Microsoft, which by their definition of infringement is a serial infringer..QUESTION: How would you sum it all up? BUCKLEY: We think there are a lot of parallel activities to what happens at Free Republic that go on every day in a free society. One ought to be able to get on a United Airlines plane and have the stewardess come down the aisle and hand out newspapers that you did not purchase. You ought to be able to go to your dentist and read in his lobby newspapers and magazines that you did not buy. When companies like the Washington Post and the L. A. Times go overboard, those kinds of expectations are going to be a thing of the past...If instead of a financial motivation there is a political motivation for the lawsuit as Brian Buckley believes, then the following facts may be relevant: (1) Free Republic is probably the most influential political forum on the Internet today and is a focal point for criticism of the White House. It is frequented by opinion makers such as Lucianne Goldberg, Matt Drudge, Gary Aldrich, as well as those that remain among the "lurkers." According to Jim Robinson it has 50,000 to 100,000 visitors per day, making it almost as popular as the Drudge Report. (2) White House critic Matt Drudge's popularity was rewarded with a lawsuit by Sidney Blumenthal, later revealed to have been filed on behalf of, or with the knowledge of, the White House. (3) The Free Republic web site was singled out as a target for copyright infringement last year by the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton, a DNC law firm that has conducted most of the internal investigation of illegal foreign contributions received by the DNC. For this work, the DNC owes Debevoise & Plimpton $6 million. Clinton private eye Terry Lenzner admitted in a Filegate deposition earlier this year that he had been retained by Debevoise & Plimpton to perform investigations of a political nature. Debevoise & Plimpton refused to answer questions about the selection of the Free Republic site when contacted by the Washington Weekly last year. (4) The legal counsel appearing on the suit filed in Los Angeles is Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher, with $25,000 one of the major donors of the Presidential Inaugural Foundation sponsoring events at President Clinton's 1993 inauguration.."
The Fresno Business Journal 10/5/98 Kelly Reynolds ".Robinson, a former computer programmer and one-time president of ProtoSource Corp, a local Web site design and Internet provider company, believes his Web site is being attacked because it posts the stories and invites written comment from users. "We are a public discussion forum, mostly for political issues," said Robinson. "Right now, we're following Clinton and his corrupt regime. We go through the liberal media, the Congressional Record, other Web sites, and acquire talk show transcripts, and we post these for anyone who is digging for information about the corruption in government and the subversion of our Constitution being carried out by the socialists who control and have been in control for the past 60 years. The readers will go through these reports and tear them to pieces trying to expose the lies and the distortions and trying to bring the truth out." Robinson says he recognizes the copyright law but says his site doesn't post the entire paper and the fair use doctrine allows for a small amount of what is published to be reproduced. "We're just a great big bulletin board or great big town hall meeting. This is not a commercial venture. I can understand they're (the newspapers) displeasure with us, however, we have First Amendment rights and rights within the copyright law itself to do what we're doing," Robinson said. The stories are given away free on the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times Web sites so revenue is not the reason for the lawsuit, according to Robinson. The lawsuit has been orchestrated by the White House to shut down the Web site because followers continue to increase, Robinson said.."
WorldNetDaily 10/16/98 "Just three days before the nation's midterm elections, conservative politicians, authors and legal experts will lead a National March For Justice anti-Clinton rally near the White House in Washington. Featured speakers include Dr. Alan Keyes, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and a WorldNetDaily columnist; Larry Klayman, chairman of Judicial Watch; Gary Aldrich, author of "Unlimited Access"; Lucianne Goldberg, literary agent; Jonah Goldberg, a journalist at National Review; and Dr. Paul M. Fick, author of "The Dysfunctional President." The rally is sponsored by the influential grassroots group Web site www.FreeRepublic.com, and its founder, Jim Robinson. FreeRepublic, based in Fresno, is a two-year-old organization of Internet users who communicate through the Web site, a not-for- profit enterprise that encourages people to exercise their free-speech rights.."
Washington Post 10/12/98 R. Jeffrey Smith ".Some analysts say the government's decision to close three independent newspapers and shut down several independent radio stations is part of a strategy by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to prevent the Serbian public from learning about the foreign presence he has agreed to allow in Kosovo." and email to Jim Robinson ".Jim, Today's Warsh Post carries an article in the International Section concerning the closure of a number of independent publications in Serbia. It seems their "crime" was to carry reprints of articles which have appeared in the Warshington Post. There was no mention about whether the Serbian dictator did this on his own or if he did it at the request of the Post management and attorneys. In either case, we must also note that the Post did not ask the Serbian dictator to back off his action. So, Jim Robinson is right up there with freedom fighters in former-Yugoslavia while the Warsh Post is down in there digging it's bunker in and amonst the perpetrators of genocide. Seems about right to me, doesn't it to you? "
Washington Weekly Marvin Lee 10/19/98 "Their opinion has been unwavering in the polls. They are known from their calls to C-SPAN and other open forums. They dominate the Internet. They are derisively referred to as "Clinton haters" by the liberal media. Soon, the media may be forced to take them seriously. A National March for Justice set for October 31 in Washington DC seeks to mobilize the one- third of the electorate that wants to hold President Clinton accountable under the law. "As for attendees, this thing has gotten out of hand," says Connie Hair, Director of Media Relations for the march. "We've already had to move the venue from Lafayette Park. We're working with the Park Service on another location, either the Ellipse or even The Mall. We've already sold out one hotel and have a second one lined up." Conservative in nature, these are hard-working individualists who do not seek their identity by belonging to unions or organizations. Mobilizing them for concerted political action beyond the ballot box has been difficult in the past. Now the Internet is changing that. Springing up around the FreeRepublic forum on the Internet are the local Freeper chapters and the national Freeper Action Network (FAN). "There is a wealth of information [on FreeRepublic] that allows thousands of people to understand what the government is actually doing. Armed with knowledge they now want to take action. We created FAN to help facilitate their political activism," says Caroline Katzin, co-chair of FAN. Freepers are responsible for many of the small protests organized outside Clinton fundraisers in recent months. In a true grass-roots fashion, Freepers are the ones organizing this march. FreeRepublic founder Jim Robinson is clear about the purpose of the March on the White House: "We intend to wrap the scene in crime tape, serve the current occupants with an eviction notice and a summons... and execute a citizens arrest," he says."
RUSH LIMBAUGH AND CONNIE (CLINTON'S A LIAR) 10/19/98 ".RUSH LIMBAUGH, HOST, RUSH LIMBAUGH RADIO SHOW: ...we go to Connie, in Los Angeles. Connie, welcome to the program, good to have you with us. CONNIE, FREEREPUBLIC.COM MEDIA RELATIONS DIRECTOR: Hi, Dittos, Rush, from the left coast. .CONNIE: Well, FreeRepublic.com is a web site that's set up to expose corruption in government and question everything the mainstream media tells us. RUSH LIMBAUGH: Right. CONNIE: Because the mainstream media, as you well know, has become this huge propaganda machine of the liberal culture. RUSH LIMBAUGH: Yeah, it's a heck of a web site, too. CONNIE: Oh, thank you very much. RUSH LIMBAUGH: Oh, yes, yes."
USA Journal Online 10/20/98 Jon Dougherty ".But Americans love an underdog. And if there is one force more powerful than money in this country it is favorable public opinion and support. Such is the case of the Free Republic, an Internet information web site that has billed itself as a shining example of the First Amendment in action in the age of the online news source. The kind of information forum provided by the Free Republic is wholly legal, but it is irksome to the big media conglomerates because the biased stories which pass for news in the corporate-owned media outlets usually appear as fodder in the Free Republic..In the end, this lawsuit is just another attempt to stifle dissent and freedom of speech. It's also a classic example of how nasty the "fair" and "objective" mainstream news organizations can get when they are getting outdone and overlooked. Corporate news organizations have so obviously been bought and paid over the decades that readers have, in record numbers, begun to look elsewhere - mostly to independent news sites like the Journal and select others - for their information. This paradigm shift in readership was born out of necessity and caused by the very "objective" news organizations that sold their souls out to big government ideals long ago. My guess is that the LA Times and the Washington Post don't even care whether or not they win their case. Perhaps they don't even believe they can win - but they will go through with this because they want to break the will and the finances of Jim Robinson, and they hope to kill the Free Republic web site in the process.."
WorldNetDaily 10/30/98 Anne Williamson ".But Bill Clinton has succeeded in making another significant contribution to American political life. Citizenship is back with a vengeance. If you don't believe me, then just check out the hottest site on the Internet, freerepublic.com. Begun by a handful of concerned citizens who discovered their comments regarding Clinton administration corruption were being censored in an AOL political chat room, the website itself is the achievement of one man, Jim Robinson of Fresno, California. A retired software executive suffering from muscular sclerosis, Robinson marshaled his outrage and his resources to establish the website. With nearly 10,000 posters and over 120,000 daily hits, Free Republic has become a phenomenon, a community and -- most recently -- a nascent political force of mindboggling potential..Some freepers suspect their growing effectiveness tipped the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post to file suit several weeks ago against Jim Robinson and Free Republic for violation of their property's copyright based on freepers posting entire articles from their respective publications. FR's position is that the postings and discussion threads compare to neighbors mulling over the daily newspapers around a kitchen table and are therefore allowed under the fair use doctrine, which permits the nonprofit use of copyrighted material for purposes of public discussion. The courts must sort it out but if I were writing the script, I'd pursue Free Republic's defense on the "creation of something new" aspect of the fair use doctrine. The website is unlike any other venue in American life; the newspaper articles alone are just so much fishwrapping for tomorrow's garbage, but the archived material is the unique product of an informed community of engaged citizenry; the very purpose the founders intended free speech to serve..On Saturday, literally thousands of average Americans -- people who look like your neighbors because they are your neighbors -- from across the country, many of whom never gave a thought to political protest before in their lives, will have descended on America's national home in order to participate in a six hour grassroots protest funded out-of-pocket. They will be standing with one man in support of just one idea; the idea of one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all. Eagles up, America!"
Washington Weekly 10/26/98 Wesley Phelen ".In the spring of 1994, FBI agent Lawrence Monroe interviewed Knowlton for the Office of regulatory Independent Counsel Robert Fiske. Knowlton learned in October of 1995 that his statements to Monroe were falsified in the FBI interview report. Shortly thereafter Knowlton received a secret grand jury subpoena from Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, who was conducting the third investigation into Foster's death. That same day several men began to harass Knowlton in the streets of Washington, D.C. John Clarke, attorney for Knowlton, filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., claiming the harassment was a violation of Knowlton's civil rights [1]. The suit alleges the harassment was part of a larger conspiracy to cover up the facts surrounding Vince Foster's death.."
Newsday 11/3/98 James Pinkerton ".PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON Saturday lamented the "extreme partisanship" in Washington. On that day, he didn't have to look far for evidence; just a few hundred yards from the White House, gathered for a rally in the shadow of the Washington Monument, were the Freepers. They're extreme partisans. And proud of it. And they represent something new in American politics: a citizens' movement conjured up almost entirely out of cyberspace."
Star Democrat - Eastern Shore, Maryland Rose Spick & Leslie Crook 2/11/99 ".Bay Bridge Airport personnel were asked to detain a man accused of flying over restricted Washington, DC airspace Wednesday and skywriting a message: "THIS IS GOD, CONVICT AND REMOVE, OR ELSE., An unidentified Secret Service Agent later reported that the pilot had not flown in restricted airspace. According to the federal agent, Gene McDonald of Free Republic hired a Hollywood, FL firm, which in turn hired a pilot for $300 to fly near Reagan National Airport and write the message. The pilot, who flew a red Rawdoo T1 single engine plane, works at the Ford automotive assembly plant in New Jersey, according to the Secret Service..The pilot had not violated restricted airspace while skywriting after all, according to the Secret Service agents. And the plans to skywrite were anything but a secret. They had been announced in advance on the Internet at www.freerepublic.com under the name Gene McDonald..."
New York Times 3/8/99 Felicity Barringer Freeper Andrew "…By contrast, the news that appears on a site like Free Republic is the news the stridently conservative readers bring to it. Free Republic, a Web-based discussion group run by a former software company executive in Fresno, Calif., posts the full text of articles from major newspapers and asks for comment. The site is being sued for copyright violation by The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. Asked to describe his readers, the site's owner, Jim Robinson, said: ``We're basically just a group of individuals, conservatives, who are debating what we can do to roll back some of the liberal laws and agencies. The government has overstepped its limits, in our opinion.'' Robinson, who works on the site 18 hours a day, and says it is supported by reader donations. For Mark Hosenball, an investigative reporter in Newsweek's Washington bureau, Free Republic is ``more entertainment and a study in abnormal psychology than anything else.''…"
Reason website 7/28/99 Cox Reports Interviewed by Michael W. Lynch and Jeff A. Taylor 8/9 99 Reason: Have you been happy with the way this report has been received by the media? Cox: It has been received well throughout the country, including on television, and indeed it's received positive press throughout the world. The one pocket of negative press has been the Los Angeles Times. It looks a hell of a lot more like The People's Daily. One can read the People's Daily party line on the Internet. About a day before The People's Daily said our report was racist, the Los Angeles Times wrote an article saying this was breeding racism. It is an astonishing charge, inasmuch as I have been working for 11 years with the democracy movement in the People's Republic of China....
The State News/ Michigan State U 8/6/99 Carey McConkey "...Methods used by East Lansing police to identify rioters are being utilized by New York authorities trying to identify Woodstock rioters. Photographs of rioters at last month's Woodstock '99 festival are being posted on the New York State Police Department's Web site. East Lansing police also turned to the Internet after the March 26-27 riot following the MSU basketball team's loss to Duke University in the Final Four.... But, New York police have run into problems with The Associated Press. The AP claims that some of their pictures used on the Web site were posted without their permission. However, the police will continue to keep the pictures on the Web site. "We are using published photos," said Lt. Jamie Mills of the New York State Police Department. "We will continue to use them. (Our attorneys) don't feel that there is any copyright infringement because of a section of federal (law) that limits copyrights when used for non-profit purposes." ..."
SALON CONNECTION
Landmark Legal Foundation 4/30/98 ".The Hambrecht & Quist association with the Clinton administration even extends to the Pentagon. Former Clinton Defense Secretary William Perry was executive vice president at the firm from 1981 to 1985. Last year, Mr. Perry returned to Hambrecht & Quist as a member of its board of directors. ."
Landmark Legal Foundation 5/11/98 "Landmark Legal Foundation today accused the Internet magazine Salon of failing to reveal the extent to which millionaires bankroll it linked to President Bill Clinton and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Landmark called on Salon to make a full disclosure of the financial interests behind the online magazine. Landmark president, Mark R. Levin, said, "Salon attempts to portray itself as a non-partisan, web site journal when, in fact, its patrons are millionaire Democrat activists and many of its reporters have long-time links with top White House official Sidney Blumenthal. Hambrecht & Quist is a principle investor in Salon. Its chairman until recently was William Hambrecht. From 1991 to 1997, William Hambrecht, his wife and daughter gave more than $384,000 to Democrat candidates and organizations, exclusively. Last February, William Hambrecht hosted a major fundraiser for Democrat House candidates at his San Francisco home with President Clinton.ú Adobe Systems is another principle investor in Salon...ú Apple Computers, Inc. is the second major computer company backing Salon..Levin added, "Salon's pedigree reveals that it is not a serious media outlet, but a political tool of liberal fat cats. Until it discloses the full extent of its financial relationships with the likes of Hambrecht & Quest, Adobe Systems and Apple Computers, Inc., it must be viewed a just another weapon in the White House's spin arsenal." ."
Freeper (Jim the Just) report to Alamo-Girl "Keep going on the money trail. You'll also find that H&Q has much of it's money invested in companies that are competitors to Microsoft. H&Q, Adobe, and Apple have all followed strong anti-Microsoft strategies (until this past year). H&Q, Apple, and Adobe execs move in the same circles as the execs at Sun and Silicon Graphics. Silicon Graphics (SGI) bought Cray, the supercomputer manufacturer. SGI & Sun (along with IBM) are the makers & sellers of the "supercomputers" that the Russians & Chinese have obtained illegally. What do these companies, and to a lesser extent HP, IBM, Netscape, and Novell, have common? Well, they all would benefit greatly if Microsoft stumbled, they all have big defense & international security business, they all support Clinton & Co. strongly, and they all view China aas a huge market opportunity. They also strongly support Orrin Hatch.."
Ether Zone Online! 6/1/98 ".As the saying goes, follow the money. When somebody says, "It's not the money," it's always the money. With our own research and what has already been published by Landmark Legal Foundation, we present the following money trail. Adobe Systems Is a major investor in Salon Magazine. A quick look at their web site under Adobe Ventures Portfolio at http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/adobeventures/Salon.html and one will see a glowing report of this acquired investment. A major computer software company, Adobe was partly launched with investment capital from Hambrecht & Quist an investment banking firm. William Hambrecht ex-chairman of this banking firm, serves on the Board Of Directors for Adobe. Adobe's president Charles Geschke has contributed over $95,000 to Democratic candidates and organizations exclusively since 1991. Their CEO, John Warnock has contributed over $36,000 to the same cause. Apple Computers A second major computer company backing Salon. From 1996 to 1997 alone, Steve Jobs, Apple's head, contributed over $167,000 to the DNC. It has been also reported that the Clinton's stayed with Mr. Jobs at his Woodside, California home at a recent fund raising weekend. Hambrecht & Quist A large southern California banking firm is another principal entity funding Salon magazine. William Hambrecht the ex-chairman of the firm, is a major contributor to the Democratic Party and is also a major financial supporter of President Clinton. As recently as February, Mr. Hambrecht hosted a fundraiser for Democratic House Candidates at his home in San Francisco, which was attended by President Clinton. According to the New York Times, "the president rubbed shoulders with guests who paid $10,000 a person to dine with him on Hog Island oysters and stuffed lamb loin". In addition, William Hambrecht gave more than $384,000 exclusively to Democratic candidates and organizations. The firm's venture capital investments include such companies as Adobe systems and can be found at http://www.hamquist.com/venture/adobe.html.."
L.A. Times 8/9/94 ".Previously, the accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand was ordered by a Denver bankruptcy court to pay $95 million to settle claims filed by MiniScribe's creditors and shareholders related to the accounting firm's work for MiniScribe. It was one of the largest legal settlements by an accounting firm in U.S. history. Wiles and the San Francisco-based Hambrecht & Quist investment banking firm, which has had many high-technology firms as clients, was named in several civil suits resulting from MiniScribe's failure and was forced to make some settlements. For example, Hambrecht & Quist settled for an undisclosed sum a Texas suit in which MiniScribe bondholders were awarded $550 million in damages.."
L.A. Times 8/25/1997 "It doesn't show up on the roster of White House advisory panels and blue-ribbon commissions. It doesn't even have an official name, although those in the know have nicknamed it "Gore-Tech." Once a month, Vice President Al Gore meets privately with a select group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, sometimes on the high-tech executives' home turf in Northern California, sometimes around a conference table at the White House. Who's in it? Gore-Tech' Group Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are regular participants in montly brainstorming sessions with Vice President Al Gore. They include: * Marc Andreessen, co-founder, Netscape Communications * Brook Byers, partner, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers * Scott Cook, founder, Intuit Corp. * John Doerr, venture capitalist, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers. * David Ellington, CEO, NetNoir * John Gage, chief science officer, Sun Microsystems. * Chuck Geschke, president, Adobe Systems. * Gilman Louie, chairman, Microprose. * Paul Lippe, chairman, Synopsys * Halsey Minor, founder and chief executive, CNET. * Steve Perlman, founder WebTV Networks. * Nancy Pfund venture capitalist, Hambrecht & Quist. * Kim Polese, founder, Marimba * Sandy Robertson, chairman, Robertson Stephens and Co. * Jerry Yang, chief executive, Yahoo!
Freeper report on Fox News O'Reilly Factor 9/17/98 "Bill O'Reilly of The O'Reilly Report just destroyed editor David Talbot of Salon Magazine. Talbot said that the reason they attacked Henry Hyde is that he is a partisan who has a history of attacking Bill Clinton on moral issues. Bill O'Reilly said he did a NEXIS search on Henry Hyde and couldn't find a single instance of Henry Hyde attacking President Clinton on anything, ever! Talbot was visually stunned. Several seconds went by without him uttering a word. Finally he stumbled on that Hyde was leading the Judiciary Committee, and the Committee was attacking Clinton. But O'Reilly smelled blood, he kept banging away on his point. Until the segment ended.."
Freedom Works website 9/17/98 """Two reporters have told ABC News that a senior White House official peddled a story to them that Hyde once had a girlfriend. Another reporter said the official was offering stories of sexual escapades by Republican House members."-- Linda Douglass, ABC News, 9/16/98
Freedom Works website 9/17/98 ""Sam Donaldson: "Are you suggesting for a moment that what they're beginning to say is that if you investigate this too much, we'll put all your dirty linen right on the table? Every member of the Senate? Every member of the press corps?" George Stephanopoulos: "Absolutely. The President said he would never resign, and I think some around him are willing to take everybody down with him." -- ABC's This Week, 2/8/98
Freedom Works website 9/17/98 """This is often known as a strategy of mutual assured destruction, and the Clinton people have been hinting at it for a very long time. Just this last week, Sydney Blumenthal was making phone calls to reporters, urging them to look into the sex life of a Republican who would have an important role in any impeachment procedure." -- Jay Nordlinger, CNN, 9/6/98
Freedom Works website 9/17/98 """James Madison said among the grounds for the impeachment of someone would be 'failure to superintend the excesses of subordinates.' Leaving aside 900 FBI files winding up in the White House, we have the experience recently of a member of the White House staff, Sidney Blumenthal, calling journalists in an attempt to smear Henry Hyde." -- George Will, ABC's This Week, 9/6/98
Freedom Works website 9/17/98 """Russert's commentary ran on the 'Today' show around 7 a.m. and a few hours later he was surprised to get a call from Salon magazine demanding to know if Starr was leaking to him. Perhaps Salon would like a transcript to see what he really said, Russert suggested. Nope, no need, he was told - Salon already had a transcript. Russert burst out laughing since at that time [Sid] Blumenthal was the only person who had called NBC to get a transcript." -- Deborah Orin, New York Post, 7/16/98
Freedom Works website 9/17/98 """From its founding 18 months ago, Mr. Carville's Education and Information Project (EIP) has attempted to portray itself as being primarily concerned with defending Mr. Clinton. But that posture conceals a less public effort to attack Mr. Clinton's enemies. . EIP's primary background goal [according to internal documents] is to 'target key Republican players used in attacks against the administration and the Democratic Party to expose their hypocrisy or partisan nature.'" -- Washington Times, 6/15/98
Landmark Legal Foundation 9/18/98 Mark Levin letter to Kenneth Starr and John Keeney concerning a request for criminal investigation (SALON) ".This is a formal request that one or both of your offices open a formal criminal investigation into apparent efforts by the White House and the online magazine Salon to, among other things, intimidate members of Congress, as they begin consideration of an impeachment inquiry, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1505 (Obstruction of proceedings before committees of Congress) and 18 U.S.C. Sec. 371 (Criminal Conspiracy)... Salon is a website funded largely by wealthy individuals who contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the Democratic Party organizations and Democratic candidates. Landmark Legal Foundation has uncovered the following information about several of Salon's key financial backers. Salon's relationship with the White House goes beyond its financial ties.. On April 14, 1998, Landmark provided the Office of the Independent Counsel (OIC) with considerable information demonstrating Salon's role in working with former Arkansas Senator David Pryor - who now heads the new Clinton legal defense fund - to undermine Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's Whitewater investigation..On August 8, 1998, The Hotline reported, in part: Salon's Broder/Jaffee, under the header "Clinton's Sexual Scorched-earth Plan," report on the prospect of a "sexual Gotterdamerung, a spectacle in which reputations may be strewn about like body parts in 'Saving Private Ryan.'" Clinton backers are "spreading the word" that if GOP leaders push impeachment "their own dirty secrets will be exposed..On Wednesday, September 16th , 1998 , on the eve of the House of Representatives considering an impeachment inquiry against President Clinton , Salon published both an article and editorial accusing House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde of an affair in the mid - 1960 ' s , to which Mr. Hyde acknowledged . Although Salon denied any involvement in the report , ABC News reported the following on the same day : Two reporters have told ABC News that a senior White House official has peddled a story to them that Hyde once had a girlfriend. Another reporter said the official was offering stories of sexual escapades by Republican House members.. Salon is not a news outlet, let alone an independent news organization. It functions as an appendage of the Clinton White House - funded largely by the President's supporters. Its staff has close associations with the President's staff. And Salon and the White House share information. These associations are not, by themselves, unlawful. However, Salon appears to be a direct functionary of the White House. It is advancing the President's ' scorched earth policy ' in an effort to intimidate elected representatives - specifically , members of Congress who are currently considering issues of impeachment. In fact , on September 16th , 1998 , ABC News reported that Mr. Hyde "made clear [in a memorandum to his Republican colleagues that] any efforts to intimidate committee members could amount to obstruction of justice. But even before he wrote that memo, Hyde learned that the President's allies might be spreading a story about him.".."
Washington Times 9/18/98 Donald Lambro NancyRoman "House Republican leaders Thursday asked the FBI to investigate the White House's role in a rash of sex stories about GOP lawmakers that they charged was an attempt to undermine the impeachment inquiry into President Clinton's perjury scandal.. In a letter to Mr. Freeh, they cite published reports that top White House officials, including Mr. Clinton's chief media strategist, Sidney Blumenthal, attempted to peddle the story that Mr. Hyde had an extramarital affair with a married women in the 1960s -- eventually getting it printed in the Internet publication Salon.The GOP leaders said that whether the Hyde story "originated with the White House or its allies, clearly there is credible evidence that an organized campaign of slander and intimidation may exist." ."
Washington Post 9/19/98 Juliet Eilperin "Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.) offered to resign from the committee last week after public disclosure that he had had a five-year extramarital affair during the 1960s, Republican sources said yesterday. The offer was tendered to House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who rejected it. Disclosure of Hyde's liaison provoked a storm of controversy in the House, with some Republican members accusing the White House of trying to smear Hyde -- who is overseeing an investigation of President Clinton's affair with Monica S. Lewinsky -- as part of a "scorched earth" policy against Clinton's accusers. The White House categorically denied being the source of the article, which first was published by Salon, a left-leaning Internet magazine, and said anyone involved in disseminating such information would be fired. Gingrich and other House GOP leaders sent a letter to FBI director Louis J. Freeh on Thursday asking him to investigate any personal attacks on members of Congress, including Hyde, that are aimed at intimidating them. "It is a sign of the depth of Chairman Hyde's integrity that he would automatically offer a resignation over a 30-year-old story," said Gingrich spokeswoman Christina Martin. "The speaker did not consider the resignation because he can think of no one who has earned more respect or affection from the House. Henry Hyde is a man of dignity who has handled the situation well."."
Capitol Hill Blue 9/18/98 ".The defecation hit the rotary oscillator this week when Salon, otherwise known as the White House Press Office West, splashed an affair by House Judiciary Chairman Henry Hyde from 30 years ago all over its World Wide Web site. . What is surprising is how the rest of the media, which had ignored the story that the White House had tried to peddle for weeks, jumped on the bandwagon once Salon published the scoop that everyone else knew about and considered trash that wasn't newsworthy. .While claiming they have a right to smear Hyde for something he did 30 years ago, Talbot got pissed earlier this year when other publications uncovered the unpleasant fact that his Washington correspondent, Jonathan Broder, was fired by the Chicago Tribune for plagiarism. That, he said, was a single mistake from the past. Funny. That's what Hyde said.."
Dick Armey's letter 9/17/98 to Louis Freeh "We are deeply troubled by recent media reports indicating that certain individuals may be engaged in a systematic attempt to intimidate Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde and other elected members of the House from doing their constitutional duty by promoting prurient allegations about their personal lives to the media..Whether or not that specific story originated with the White House or its allies, clearly there is credible evidence that an organized campaign of slander and intimidation may exist. If it does, any individuals promoting such a campaign may be in violation of federal criminal law:.If these reports are true, the actions of the individuals responsible are pure and simple intimidation - no different than threatening jurors to change their verdicts in organized crime trials. Therefore, we urge you to investigate these reports in an effort to determine whether any individuals -- inside or outside of the White House -- have made efforts to undermine the lawful and Constitutional work of the Judiciary Committee.."
Freedom Works website 9/17/98 ""But with more Democrats publicly venting their anger at Clinton over the Lewinsky affair, these sources admit the [White House] strategy is risky and could collapse under the impact of Starr's report. If that happens, one hard-core Clinton ally warned, Washington had better prepare for the so-called Doomsday scenario -- the dreaded sexual Armageddon in which the personal peccadilloes of everyone -- Republicans, Democrats, journalists -- are exposed if Clinton's infidelities are dragged into the open."-- Jonathan Broder, Salon magazine, 9/10/98"
ABC This Week with Sam and Cokie 9/20/98 transcript about the Hyde/Salon/Bluementhal issue ".DONALDSON: Joining us now is William McDaniel, attorney for White House aide Sidney Blumenthal...DONALDSON: As you know, news organizations, some news organizations, including ABC News, have told their viewers or readers that Sidney Blumenthal in fact, has spoken to reporters about this type of rumor..And then in the final sentence Mr Blumenthal said "I never brought such rumors to the attention of any reporter." Now, did that statement mean to be all-inclusive, that never at any time debris a rumor about a peccadillo, sexual or otherwise about a member of Congress to the attention of any reporter? McDANIEL: I think he was referring there to the Hyde story. He did not bring the Hyde story to the attention of any reporter..DONALDSON: ABC News reported and we've talked to two individuals who have told us that Mr. Blumenthal discussed the Henry Hyde story with them. Are they lying? .. McDANIEL: He testified under oath about you know, about the prosecutors. That's part and parcel of this. Starr's prosecutors hauled him down there and asked him all kinds of questions about whether he was peddling rumors about them. ROBERTS: Let's talk about that. In an article in the Nation magazine, Doug Ireland wrote about Sidney Blumenthal and the prosecutors and said "Three members of the media have confirmed to me that Sidney Blumenthal, the White House media counselor, had indeed been spreading such stories." They heard him do it. These were stories that members of the Starr team were gay...WILL: You said in response just now to Cokie that would be inappropriate but not illegal. In your original letter to ABC News to the President of ABC News, David Weston, you said the accusations against Mr Blumenthal were false and defamatory. So if true, Mr. Blumenthal's behavior would be infamous, you're saying? McDANIEL: No, I think it would be something that would tend to lessen his reputation. That's what defamatory means. WILL: And should this lessen his reputation? .DONALDSON: He says "I never brought such rumors to the attention of any reporter." McDANIEL: That's correct. Reporters called him and said "I've got this guy calling me up, telling me DONALDSON: So he did discuss this information with reporters? McDANIEL: Yes and it says so in his statement. DONALDSON: You have to look through what the meaning of this? What is meaning of "brought to the attention?" You're saying he discussed the story with Henry Hyde but only when reporters ask him about it? McDANIEL: Yes, he told them "I don't think you ought to publish this and I don't want to be part of it." That letter doesn't say you have any information to the contrary. DONALDSON: You can help us out. I had to say, as all news organizations do, that we would protect our source. You could, on behalf of Mr. Blumenthal today, ask our sources to let us off of that, discharge that, release us from that pledge of confidentiality and if they will do that, we'll name them in a moment. Go ahead. McDANIEL: I can ask them to release it. How do I have any power? DONALDSON: On behalf of your client. Well, if you don't McDANIEL: I want to hear their names. Sure. I don't have a piece of paper. do; Ask them to come forward then, and release us from our pledge of confidentiality and we'll tell you their names. McDANIEL: That's fine with me, have them come forward. DONALDSON: Would it be all right with your client, have you consulted your client? McDANIEL: I don't know what you mean by all right. My client has no power to control these people. I would like to hear their names. DONALDSON: I think if he asked them to come forward and said "I release you from any pledge of confidentiality" they would consider that very strongy. WILL: Sam's point is that they feel bound by confidentiality to protect your client. McDANIEL: Oh no, let's hear the names. I haven't discussed this with my client, but I know what's happening. Let's hear the names. .."
Freeper LarryLied reports SALON sponsors include REI, Borders, Octavo, Mercedes-Benz, The Apple Store, OshKosh B'Gosh, Thanksgiving Coffee Company, Yamaha, Hong Kong Tourism, AT&T, CNET Back-to-School, Air Canada
Weekly Standard Scrapbook 9/22/98 "Presidential aide ( and ex - journalist ) Sidney Blumenthal could conceivably be in legal jeopardy , as well as professional peril , if it can be proved that he played a role in circulating stories about the lives of Representative Henry J . Hyde , as well as others . The SCRAPBOOK has learned that , in a deposition in his libel lawsuit against Matt Drudge , Blumenthal denied under oath talking to journalists about Hyde and other public officials . It is thus hardly surprising that Blumenthal released a statement late last Thursday , specifying that he " was not the source , or in any way was involved with this story about Henry Hyde . [ Salon Magazine ' s notorious " scoop " about Rep . Hyde , and his a lleged affair back in Illinois in the 1960s ]."
AP 9/26/98 Walter Mears ".Hyde was the third House Republican within the month to disclose a past adulterous affair, each going public because of an impending news story. After the Hyde story, House Republican leaders complained to the FBI of what they called a possible attempt at intimidation against impeachment. They sought an FBI investigation, suggesting that Clinton allies were behind it all. The White House denied involvement, and chief of staff Erskine Bowles said any Clinton aide found to be party to planting such stories would be fired. ``Their butt would be kicked out, and they should be kicked out,'' said political advisor Rahm Emanuel. ``But the fact is, we're now in a process criminalizing and politicizing people's personal lives.'' Meaning Clinton's. In his grand jury testimony, he complained that some questions went ``too far in trying to criminalize my private life,'' and he wouldn't answer them. But that private life involved sexual liaisons with an aide in his White House office complex. By any guideline, such conduct would warrant reporting. The argument continues about the way the Republican sexual disclosures made it into print. Rep. Tom DeLay, the GOP whip, who wanted Clinton impeached long ago, said he was acting on suspicions, not proof, when he blamed the White House. He said on CBS that it fit the pattern of conduct there. ``And unfortunately, I think more of this is going to happen,'' DeLay said. Probably so, with the lid off scandal reporting.."
Washington Post 9/29/98 Howard Kurtz "Jonathan Broder, Washington bureau chief of Salon, has been forced to resign after criticizing the online magazine's decision to disclose Rep. Henry Hyde's 30- year-old affair. Broder had argued in a memo that to publicize the 1960s extramarital affair would make the magazine's staff look like "sex-obsessed hypocrites." Salon Editor David Talbot, the story's author, demanded his resignation after Broder responded to a call from The Washington Post by saying: "I objected to it on journalistic grounds, on grounds of fairness and because of the way Salon would be perceived." .. The Sept. 16 article in Salon, which has been a fierce critic of independent counsel Kenneth Starr, infuriated House Republicans, who demanded an FBI investigation of whether the White House helped plant the story. The administration denies any involvement. Salon's on-the-record source was Norm Sommer, a Florida retiree who is friendly with the ex-husband of Hyde's former mistress. Ironically, Sommer called Talbot several months after trying to peddle the story to Broder, who brushed it off.. "
Weekly Standard Scrapbook 9/28/98 "Presidential aide and ex-journalist Sid Blumenthal could conceivably be in legal as well as professional peril if it can be proved that he played a role in circulating stories about the lives of Rep. Henry Hyde and others. THE SCRAPBOOK has learned that, in a deposition for his libel lawsuit against Matt Drudge, Blumenthal denied under oath talking to journalists about Hyde and other public officials. It is thus hardly surprising that Blumenthal released a statement late last Thursday specifying he "was not the source or in any way involved with this story on Henry Hyde." Salon magazine's notorious scoop the day before had revealed the adulterous affair during the late 1960s of Rep. Hyde, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Hyde is presiding over the hearings on whether to impeach Blumenthal's boss, Bill Clinton. Like all carefully lawyered statements emanating from the Clinton White House, Blumenthal's denial elicits the question, What does he mean when he uses the word this? Does he mean that he was the source for, or in some other way involved with, other stories on Henry Hyde? ... The FBI, at the urging of House Republicans, is considering an investigation of whether dirt is being dredged up to intimidate the members of Congress who may soon sit in judgment of the president. Salon has denied any White House involvement in its scoop, but that's hardly the end of the story. The San Francisco Examiner reported on Saturday that Salon rushed its story into print because it learned that two "political operatives" were "leaking details of Hyde's affair." According to Salon managing editor David Weir (who was interviewed by the Examiner's Matt Beer), one of the operatives was Terry Lenzner, a private eye "hired in the past by the White House to check out Clinton opponents." So Salon confirms that Terry Lenzner was spreading stories about Henry Hyde. A Lenzner spokesman denies it to the Examiner."
Ether Zone 10/1/98 Bob Momenteller ".Talbot's Clintonian obsession with sex may not be well known, but should be. Sex sells and Talbot takes no exception to this fact. Their recent article "Unzipped" which focuses on fascinations with oral and anal sex will attest to this. A quick look through their archives would make a seaman blush. Talbot himself is a co-author of a book on the subject, "Burning Desires: Sex in America". So it comes as no surprise that Talbot authored the thirty year old extra-marital affair article of Henry Hyde that no one else would touch. Aside from the obvious political timing of the story itself, the Zone has learned of several latent motivations behind the release. Salon, just prior to their bombshell, signed a deal with America Online to become one their anchor tenants. This will allow AOL's 13 million members access (children too) to Salon's smut without ever leaving the AOL domain. In addition, the boost in readership caused by the Hyde story leaves Salon's marketing department in euphoria. Seems that Talbot is ready for the big boys on Wall Street and wants to go public. Their 75% increase in readership will solidify their public offering with p/e ratios going through the roof. Talbot's money hungry evil is only rivaled by that of Larry Flint. "
Ether Zone 10/1/98 Bob Momenteller ".If one hunts long enough through Salon's archives, the name James Carville keeps surfacing. Sure enough, Clinton's chief political strategist and former campaign manager was once a regular columnist for Salon. Carville should have been an early clue to those that questioned Salon's alliance to the White House. This seedy character went on to become one of the main defenders of the President in the talk show circuit. Reported by the Zone in Big Mouth Carville's Last Stand, he also started the Education and Information Project. A website war machine who's sole purpose was to discredit Ken Starr..
Ether Zone 10/1/98 Bob Momenteller ".Salon once again has demonstrated that they are clearly a front for the White House. They do not report on news worthy events, they create them. Indeed, as reported by the Ether Zone on June 1, 1998, (Left Wing Salon Magazine Uncovered) two eyewitness sources told the Zone,"Jonathan Broder and Murry Waas met behind closed doors at the White House with Sidney Blumenthal". The two hour meeting took place while Salon was putting together their Hale story. Broder and Waas were co-authors of the article. So, we have a clear and blatant example of how Talbot's Salon took an activist role in undermining the Office Of The Independent Council's investigation of the President. They also embarrassed Starr in the public forum and demoralized his key witness, David Hale. Finally, it made Talbot's magazine a household word with every main stream press outlet spewing Talbot's big lie in the name of Salon..Talbot's three year drive to make Salon magazine big, fat and wealthy, at all cost, may have earned him and some of his staff a pair of handcuffs. As we have seen, Salon acts as a direct functionary of the White House. Their proliferation of the White House's "Scorched-Earth" campaign which is designed to intimidate members of Congress who are considering issues of impeachment, could amount to obstruction of justice. His decision to publish the Hyde story itself, only pushed the legal envelope further. Salon's collusion with top level White House staff, on this story and others, could amount to conspiracy.."
Jewish World Review 10/23/98 Mugger ".One very positive development in the past month has been the neutering of Clinton's favorite propaganda organ: Salon. When the online magazine published the story about Henry Hyde's adulterous affair of 30 years ago -- not such a crime in this year's climate -- a decision that resulted in the resignation/firing of its chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Broder, a week-long dust-up had the result of vastly reducing the left-wing mouthpiece's credibility. Most of it can be traced to one paragraph in editor David Talbot's defense of the story. "Aren't we fighting fire with fire," Talbot asks, "descending to the gutter tactics of those we deplore? Frankly, yes. But ugly times call for ugly tactics. When a pack of sanctimonious thugs beats you and your country upside the head with a tire-iron, you can withdraw to the sideline and meditate, or you can grab it out of their hands and fight back." James Carville and Sidney Blumenthal must've been proud of their puppet. Problem is, with that one line, "ugly times call for ugly tactics," Talbot marginalized his magazine, perhaps forever. It's no accident that since Broder left, Salon has run very few political stories..Just last week, on Crossfire, Slate's Michael Kinsley was grilling a Republican congressman, who replied, "I thought you worked for Slate, not Salon. The electronic mag's a political joke now that probably won't recover.."
The Independent - UK Mary Dejevsky 11/27/98 ".THOUSANDS OF sensitive documents relating to US national security have been leaked, according to reports on the Internet yesterday. But America's mainstream media, preoccupied with the Thanksgiving holiday, seemed not to want to know. The documents, as many as 20,000 pages of them, are said to detail efforts by the Clinton administration to conceal the extent of Iraq's weapons development plans, White House approval for exports of sensitive satellite technology to China, and information about the incentives offered by Washington to North Korea in return for curbing its nuclear programme - terms that North Korea has in the event ignored...Verbatim details from the papers were not available yesterday, and Murray Waas, the reporter said to have the papers, could not be reached. Drudge suggested that Waas, who writes for the pro-Clinton Internet magazine Salon, was reluctant to divulge the contents while Bill Clinton faces impeachment proceedings.."
Local TV Station/Indianapolis CBS Affiliate 12/21/98 Freeper unitedwestand ".The local CBS affiliate in Indianapolis is reporting this evening that Salon Magazine will be reporting tonight on a scandal involving Dan Burton and two congressional aides. The report is also (supposedly) going to insinuate the misuse of campaign contributions by Dan regarding expensed incurred in these affairs.."
Washington Times 12/24/98 Joyce Howard Price and Bill Sammon ".A new media report by a liberal on-line magazine about the sex life of a Republican congressman has fueled the debate over the role of private morality in public life, even as President Clinton condemns what he called the "politics of personal destruction." "The left routinely accuses religious conservatives of sexual McCarthyism, but it's the left that is outing gays and exposing the private lives of others. It's not Gary Bauer. It's not the Christian Coalition. It's not the Weekly Standard," said William Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard. "The politics of personal destruction is the politics of Bill Clinton," he said. Salon, the liberal on-line magazine, and Larry Flynt's Hustler magazine have been responsible for most of the recent character assassinations. Victims have included three top House Republicans -- former Speaker-elect Robert L. Livingston of Louisiana; Rep. Henry J. Hyde of Illinois, chairman of the Judiciary Committee; and Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana, chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee. Some Republicans have charged that the White House fed Salon and Hustler the information. The White House and the two publications deny that... Conservative pundit Cal Thomas contrasted Mr. Clinton's current talk about the need for "reconciliation" and "healing" with the attacks his political adviser James Carville has leveled against independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr and House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Clinton. "While his minions slime his enemies, [Mr. Clinton] pleaded for the sliming to end," Mr. Thomas wrote in a column that appeared yesterday in The Washington Times. The New York Post's Dick Morris assailed Mr. Carville's "crazed strategy," which he says has hurt the president. Mr. Carville yesterday blamed Republicans for initiating destructive politics by refusing to back off their investigations of Mr. Clinton. "There are doors in life which are best left shut, and they insisted on opening them," he told The Washington Times. "At every point, people begged these people to stop it, and at every point they ignored them." Mr. Carville bemoaned the fact that Hustler's publisher, Mr. Flynt, a staunch Clinton defender, offered $1 million to women who came forward with proof of extramarital affairs with congressional Republicans. In a new development, Salon ran a story Tuesday that accused Mr. Burton of groping a female lobbyist for a family planning organization in the mid-1990s.. The story by Russ Baker, a free-lance writer who penned an earlier Salon article that discussed an extramarital fling Mr. Hyde had with a beautician in the late 1960s and early 1970s, also raised questions about Mr. Burton's ties with a former model, Claudia Keller...A separate report in Tuesday's issue of Salon blamed liberals for "hypocrisy" in "backing a president who lied under oath in a sexual harassment lawsuit." "Before the rest of us get too misty-eyed about ending the politics of character assassination, we might want to take a closer look at our own record in this area," Andrew Ross, a Salon founder and vice president, wrote in an article titled "What if it were President Packwood?" ..Mr. Ross also cited liberal opposition to the nomination of the late Texas Sen. John Tower as defense secretary. His "crime," Mr. Ross said, was that "he enjoyed a drink or two." Others targeted for destruction by liberals, the Salon writer said, included failed Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, "whose video rental receipts were paraded in front of the world," and Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who was hit with a "sex harassment smear" during confirmation hearings. Paul McMasters, ombudsman for the Freedom Forum, says: "The bar hasn't just been lowered. It's been done away with." .."
The Times of London 12/24/98 Ian Brodie ".ONE of President Clinton's harshest Republican critics in Congress was embroiled in new controversy yesterday over allegations of sexual harassment and paying a woman on his staff to do two jobs... In the latest fracas, questions have been raised about Mr Burton's payments of nearly $500,000 (œ300,000) to Claudia Keller, who is both his campaign manager and on his congressional staff. Members of Congress must ensure that none of the money paid to them by the Government for their official duties goes to subsidise their campaigns. A spokesman for Mr Burton, chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, said the dual funds paid to Ms Keller were kept quite separate. But The Washington Post said federal records show that payments to her for the two jobs over the past nine years often covered the same periods of time. The newspaper also reported that the Burton campaign paid Ms Keller monthly rent to have his campaign headquarters in her home. Further, her daughter, ex-husband, sister and aunt were all said to be on the campaign payroll. A list of alleged sexual harassment by Mr Burton was carried by the online magazine Salon. In one episode, a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood was quoted as saying that she was groped by him as she left his Washington office. "He had his hands up my skirt so fast I didn't even know what was coming," she said. The Salon account detailed other episodes of alleged harassment dating back to his days in the state legislature in Indiana when he was an insurance salesman and estate agent.."
N.Y. Post 12/29/98 Dick Morris ".IF President Clinton truly wants to end the ''politics of personal destruction,'' he might send the message downstairs to the White House basement, where Director of Communications Ann Lewis works. Lewis, the sister of Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), has her fingerprints all over Russ Baker's expose of Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) in the Internet magazine Salon. While Baker piously won't name his sources, his article contains the accusation that Burton, who headed the congressional inquiry into the misuse of FBI files, sexually assaulted a lobbyist for a woman's family- planning organization when she visited him in his Capitol Hill office. Baker won't name the woman's group, but published reports say that the group was Planned Parenthood. The incident allegedly took place in the ''mid '90s.'' Isn't it an odd coincidence that - prior to her appointments as communications director of the White House and, before that, of the Clinton-Gore Campaign - Ann Lewis served as vice president of Planned Parenthood from 1994-1995? According to Baker, the top officials of the ''woman's group'' were involved in the decision to release the information about the alleged assault to him for publication. It's hard to pin down the source of Baker's smear: He won't name the group or the lobbyist involved. All he does is accuse a member of Congress of a felony; in his lettre-de-cachet style, he won't say who or what or when it took place. But if published reports are correct and the group is, indeed, Planned Parenthood, the likelihood is that Lewis was involved in the decision to give Baker the green light to publish Baker denies ever speaking to Lewis directly. But she likely made a quiet phone call to her old buddies at Planned Parenthood and, presto, the information was en route to Baker and Salon.."
Insight Mag 1/25/99 Paul Rodrigues ".One of the latest twists in ongoing coverage of Rep. Dan Burton is a story recently "published" on the Internet by Webzine Salon. The story raises questions about the Indiana Republican's dual use of congressional and campaign funds to pay some employees.Several news organizations, including the Washington Post, seized on this latest allegation of wrongdoing plus others involving people who claim Burton has groped or otherwise made advances to several women over the years... Stepping aside from sexually related issues such as adultery or personal relationships between government employees and their political bosses, such as Colorado Gov. Roy Romer and Clinton, the issue of mixing personal and public behavior when it involves taxpayer funds raises legal issues and questions the press generally doesn't shirk from. But when it involves Democrats, the press appears to turn the other way or drops the story if there is no interest at home. An example of such unpursued questions involving a Democrat is found in Richard Gephardt of Missouri, the House minority leader. In the early 1990s, Gephardt had on his congressional payroll Robert Bauer, a prominent Washington lawyer who has done considerable work for the congressman going back a number of years. At one point, according to public records reviewed by Insight (see "A Matter of Ethics," March 4, 1996), Bauer was found to have received a congressional salary of about $1,200 a month at the same time he was being paid by Gephardt's campaign committee and representing the congressman before the Federal Election Commission over disputes involving Gephardt's failed 1988 presidential bid. Bauer, in response to Insight in 1996, denied he was an employee of Gephardt's congressional office despite the fact that the congressman signed monthly voucher receipts so stating, as well as congressional records showing he was an employee.."
Capitol Hill Blue 10/13/98 Daniel Harris Teresa Hampton ".Earlier this year, just days before a Florida Democratic activist began a campaign to plant the story with the media, a private investigator's report detailing a 30-year-old affair between then Illinois State Representative Henry Hyde and a married woman arrived at the White House, Capitol Hill Blue has learned. Clinton aides, including communications assistant Sidney Blumenthal, were ecstatic that they finally had some dirt on the grandfatherly Congressman from Illinois who would head up any possible impeachment hearings against the President. A short time later, news organizations in Florida, Washington and elsewhere in the country started getting calls from Norm Sommer, a 72-year-old retiree in Aventura, Florida, who wanted to tell them all about Hyde's affair..Besides the Times, the Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Nation Magazine and The Washington Post, among others, also turned down the story. Sammon then called Salon, a left-leaning Internet publication with close ties to Blumenthal and the Clinton White House. Salon Editor David Talbot, whose hatred of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr is well-documented, jumped at the story over the objections of his staff. Although the Clinton White House denies any involvement in the story, Capitol Hill Blue has confirmed that Sommer's phone calls started just days after a private investigator's report on the Hyde affair was delivered to the White House and after White House aides offered the story to at least one major news network. White House sources say Blumenthal was so ecstatic when he learned that private investigators had confirmed Hyde's affair that he "talked about it to everyone" and walked around saying "Henry's got a babe." Blumnethal was advancing the President's trip to New York this weekend and could not be reached for comment..."
Salon 4/99 Joe Conason "...Instead of placing stricter controls on access to the national laboratories, however, the Reagan administration issued an executive order in 1987 that loosened controls so that scientific advances could be more easily commercialized by the private sector. That order also gave freer entry to foreign citizens and corporations. Then in 1988 an alarm arose from within the government: The General Accounting Office reported to Congress that security procedures to protect sensitive data at the national labs were fearfully lax, and needed immediate improvement...."
EO12591 (Reagan administration) Source: The provisions of Executive Order 12591 of Apr. 10, 1987, appear at 52 FR 13414, 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 220, unless otherwise noted.By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-502), the Trademark Clarification Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-620), and the University and Small Business Patent Procedure Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-517), and in order to ensure that Federal agencies and laboratories assist universities and the private sector in broadening our technology base by moving new knowledge from the research laboratory into the development of new products and processes, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Transfer of Federally Funded Technology. a. The head of each Executive department and agency, to the extent permitted by law, shall encourage and facilitate collaboration among Federal laboratories, State and local governments, universities, and the private sector, particularly small business, in order to assist in the transfer of technology to the marketplace. b. The head of each Executive department and agency shall, within overall funding allocations and to the extent permitted by law: ...Sec. 8. Relation to Existing Law. Nothing in this Order shall affect the continued applicability of any existing laws or regulations relating to the transfer of United States technology to other nations. The head of any Executive department or agency may exclude from consideration, under this Order, any technology that would be, if transferred, detrimental to the interests of national security...."
6/7/99 Salon David Moberg "... Now two journalists are hoping to widen those cracks. In "Henry Hyde's Moral Universe: Where More Than Time and Space are Warped" (Common Courage), Dennis Bernstein and Leslie Kean offer a catalog of Hydean hypocrisy, painting a canvas of Hyde's record that is broader than most people know -- and not one bit flattering. They provide some fascinating new details to expand on Salon's account, based on the first lengthy interview with Hyde's lover. They show the man who pleaded that "lying must have consequences" defending lying by his friend and hero from the Iran-Contra scandal, Oliver North, even when it involved North's deceiving Congress and the American people about illegal executive branch actions. The fervent defender of "the rule of law" when it came to Clintonian evasions about sex was willing to take the stand to defend lawbreaking by another Hyde hero, extremist anti-abortion leader Joseph Scheidler. This is not a full-fledged biography, but vigorous political pamphleteering from a leftist perspective. Rushed to print in three months (without enough care by the publisher to catch many annoying typos), it includes some new revelations, but it is valuable mainly for pulling together tawdry aspects of Hyde's record, many of which may be little known even if previously reported.The most serious charge against Hyde, which Bernstein and Kean ably summarize and bring up to date, concerns his role in the costly failure of an Illinois savings and loan of which Hyde was a member of the board of directors. Hyde's S&L debacle led to federal investigations and lawsuits, and even the staunchly Republican Chicago Tribune last fall called for an investigation of how Hyde managed to avoid any legal or financial consequences for the S&L's spectacular failure..."
Free Republic 7/20/99 Freeper Clarity "…The Los Angeles Police Department has today opened an official investigation of the possible illegal tape recording of a phone conversation by a reporter for Salon, the internet journal. Secret recording of telephone conversations violates California Penal Code section 632. Salon has been highly critical of Linda Tripp for secretly recording telephone conversations. Mr. Stein was reached by telephone today by Detective Frederickson [(310) 574-8441)] of the LAPD (West LA Division) and refused to discuss his "reporting methods." I spoke to the reporter (Jeff Stein) by telephone on July 11, 1999. An article he wrote was published on July 16, 1999. Upon its publication, I questioned the accuracy of his reporting. He responded to me in writing, "Watch it. I have a taped transcript of that conversation." Obviously, he knew I did not know that. In fact, the recording would show that my complaints about his reporting were exactly correct. Perhaps Mr. Stein will be willing to share the recording with us. In any case, the accuracy or not of his reporting is not at issue in the criminal investigation. It is his admitted violation of the California Penal Code that is under investigation…."
Ether Zone Online (http://etherzone.com) 8/1/99 Bob Momenteller "...Brief excerpts from a 168 report released on Wednesday, concluded there's no basis to charges that President Clinton's chief Whitewater accuser, David Hale, was paid off.... Hale alleges, under oath, that then-Governor Clinton pressured him to help secure an illegal $300,000 Small Business Administration loan. $50,000 to $60,000 from the illegal loan was funneled into the Clinton-McDougal cash-strapped Whitewater real estate development. The late Jim McDougal, one of Clinton's Whitewater partners, corroborated Hale's testimony. In a March 17, 1998 "Road To Hale" article, Salon charged while under FBI custody, Hale allegedly received payments from a bait-shop owner, Parker Dozhier. Dozhier received monthly payments as a stringer for the American Spectator magazine. The American Spectator Education Foundation, a non-profit group associated with the American Spectator magazine, received contributions from the Scaife Foundations. Richard Mellon Scaife is the head of the foundation. The fairy tale ending to all this of course, is that Richard Mellon Scaife bought Hale's testimony against Clinton. .....The basis of Salon's story was an eyewitness account from a Caryn Mann. Mann was a disgruntled ex-girl friend of Parker Dozhier. She gave Salon eyewitness details of the money being transferred between Parker and Hale..... She was also employed by a private investigative firm headed by two former Arkansas state troopers who undertook a 1996 photo-surveillance assignment for the National Enquirer of a Little Rock woman, not identified, seeking to learn whether she was having a romance with independent counsel Kenneth Starr. It turned out that man just looked like Starr. In a letter to the Justice Department, Hale's lawyer also claims that Mann was a "psychic, tarot card reader, and fortune teller" who claimed "to have knowledge of the last resting place of the remains of Jimmy Hoffa. Other than Mann's son, who would have been 13 years old at the time, Salon comes up empty handed in the creditable witness department for such serious allegations. Salon's two other concocted witnesses wanted to remain anonymous. Credible or not, U.S. Attorney, P.K. Holmes sent FBI agents to interview Mann. Mann told several news outlets, including the Washington Post, that the FBI visited her after a reporter for Salon contacted retired Senator David H. Pryor (D-Ark.). Salon contacted Senator Pryor on her behalf for assistance in getting the attention of Arkansas law enforcement officials. Former Senator David Pryor is the head of Clinton's legal defense fund.
Ether Zone Online (http://etherzone.com) 8/1/99 Bob Momenteller "...As we charged in our exclusive article in October of last year, "Salon created a story and then colluded with the head of Clinton's legal defense fund, former Arkansas Sen. David Pryor, to improperly instigate an investigation of fabricated allegations of witness-tampering." Salon was also given a free pass by the White House to the Clinton Justice Department. The department investigators were just a phone call away and bingo, they had the inside information on the progress of the Hale investigation. The investigation that they themselves orchestrated....To help promote Salon's left wing attack, Geraldo Rivera kept the story alive by promoting Salon's allegations night after night on his CNBC show. At the time, a full FBI investigation had been called for by Congressman DeLay on Salon. The investigation was to focus on this and the Hyde-Burton expose. Of course, the FBI investigation never materialized, much too political to handle. Indeed, had a legitimate investigation been given to the matter by either the DOJ or FBI, Salon's Editor in Chief, David Talbot, would be behind bars. Mark Levin of Landmark Legal made a stronger case against the White House and Salon. He wrote a report to the Justice Department's criminal division as well as the OIC. "I am not convinced that the current political leadership at the Justice Department is capable of putting the law before Mr. Clinton's political interests." Sadly, they still were not and still aren't. Salon continues to be a mouth piece for the White House and tends to sensationalize every political story with their left wing agenda. They do not report the news, but create it. Salon's chief Democratic backers, Hambrecht & Quist, continue to support their internet darling with a recent IPO and a $15 million dollar loan...."
Ether Zone Online (http://etherzone.com) 8/1/99 Bob Momenteller "...Once again, Salon cannot be taken as a serious news organization. Without exception, they are nothing more than a supermarket tabloid, disguised in corporate cloth. How long will Hambrecht & Quist continue to float this lost venture? We suspect as long as there is need for Hambrecht & Quist to fund a liberal platform in return for political favors in their investment world. William Hambrecht is a major donor to Bill Clinton and the DNC. The administration's open door policy on China has allowed this investment banking firm to profit in the supply of goods to the Peoples Liberation Army. Their latest venture in a $1.2 billion high tech silicon valley factory in Hong Kong is bound to keep the money rolling in and the favors at a high premium...."