Error in WaPo and NYT transcripts of Clarke testimony

[scottxyz]

There appears to be an error in the transcripts at both washingtonpost.com and NYTimes.com - and if this is an error, it is a big one.

They have the Clarke-Thompson exchange as:

= = =

THOMPSON: But you will admit that what you said in August of 2002 is inconsistent with what you say in your book?

CLARKE: No, I don't think it's inconsistent at all. I think, as I said in your last round of questioning, Governor, that it's really a matter here of emphasis and tone. I mean, what you're suggesting, perhaps, is that as special assistant to the president of the United States when asked to give a press backgrounder I should spend my time in that press backgrounder criticizing him. I think that's somewhat of an unrealistic thing to expect.

THOMPSON: Well, what it suggests to me is that there is one standard of candor and morality for White House special assistants and another standard of candor and morality for the rest of America.

THOMPSON: I don't think it's a question of morality at all. I think it's a question of politics.

CLARKE: Well, I...

(APPLAUSE)

THOMPSON: I'm not a Washington insider. I've never been a special assistant in the White House. I'm from the Midwest. So I think I'll leave it there.

= = =

In fact, it was Clarke who said "Its a question of politics, not morality" and Thompson who got cut off by applause. Interesting error. Perhaps we should gently correct them?

http://billmon.org/archives/001266.html#comments
(scroll down to the post from 'Josh A.')

Here's are some newspapers that got this part of the transcript RIGHT:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&edition=us&q=politics+morality+clarke&btnG=Search+News

= = =

(Updated) Please contact the ombudsmen at The New York Times and at The Washington Post and ask thim about this:

Daniel Okrent
[e-mail]


Michael Getler
Ombudsman, Washington Post
[e-mail]
[phone]

The Washington Post
1150 15th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C., 20071

[Stephanie]

1. How is it possible that they both make the same mistake?

Do they use the same transcription service?

That is outrageous and absolutely NOT an accident.

[mouse7]

2. They probably use the same transcript service.

It's not an accident, but I'd think only one party made the intentional error.

[DemMother]

3. NY Times seems to have been corrected

THOMPSON: Well, what it suggests to me is that there is one standard of candor and morality for White House special assistants and another standard of candor and morality for the rest of America.

CLARKE: I don't get that.

CLARKE: I don't think it's a question of morality at all. I think it's a question of politics.

THOMPSON: Well, I... (APPLAUSE)

I cut and pasted from page 68 of the transcript of the NY Times. Maybe WaPo is still wrong. I'm going to sign off and watch Jon Stewart.

[Dookus]

4. I watched it and it is an egregious error...

I'm emailing them now.

[buycitgo]

5. you know what's the MOST disgusting/evil aspect?

I watched almost all the TV crap on this (still have some taped stuff), and NOT one show played the entire exchange, only Thompson's accusations (some from both appearances by fatboy), with a little bit of Clarke's retort.

that was MOST distorting/disingenuous, as I watched the live feed, then the tape, in which he most deftly handled both fatboy and Lehman, the APPLAUSE being a remarkable bonus!

did either CBS, ABC, or NBC show any of that? I have ABC/NBC on tape

Clarke was applauded HOW many times?

will the media EVER tell the truth about this?

[fearnobush]

16. MSNBC aired all of it.

[mouse7]

9. self-deleted n/t

[Stephanie]

6. Well, the NY Times has it right.

Two different transcription services. WaPo has it wrong.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20349-2004Mar24.html

Wednesday 9/11 Commission Hearings
A Transcript of Today's Testimony

FDCH E-Media
Wednesday, March 24, 2004; 7:00 PM

The following is the partial transcript of Wednesday's hearing by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States:

<snip>

THOMPSON: Well, what it suggests to me is that there is one standard of candor and morality for White House special assistants and another standard of candor and morality for the rest of America.

THOMPSON: I don't think it's a question of morality at all. I think it's a question of politics.

CLARKE: Well, I...

(APPLAUSE)

</snip>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/24/politics/24CND-PTEX.html?pagewanted=print&position=

WASHINGTON, March 24 - Following is the the transcript of public testimony from four high-ranking officials from the Bush and Clinton administrations before the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, as recorded by Federal News Service.

<snip>

THOMPSON: Well, what it suggests to me is that there is one standard of candor and morality for White House special assistants and another standard of candor and morality for the rest of America.

CLARKE: I don't get that.

CLARKE: I don't think it's a question of morality at all. I think it's a question of politics.

THOMPSON: Well, I... (APPLAUSE)

</snip>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[mouse7]

7. Here's my e-mail to the ombudman at the NYT

Subject: Terrible error in your transcript of Clarke testimony

Your transcripts says...

(blahblahblah)

That's a terrible error. Clarke is the person who said "I think it's a question of politics."

Sounds like you have someone in your transcript service that doesn't like anyone but Republicans getting applause. It's a blatent error that reeks of political bias. Errors like that aren't accidents.

Get it fixed. NOW.

(on edit) Sent to WP omsbudsman as well.

[Stephanie]

10. The NY Times is RIGHT

I don't know if they corrected it, or if it was always right.

[Wonk]

8. mp3 here, recorded live and unedited. Compare for yourselves.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x6670|

[scottxyz]

11. Can we get an MP3 (or a set of small ones) of the whole day's testimony?

Now it turns out that Fox News has an "error" in a very important exchange between Thompson and Clarke.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1284453


This testimony is part of the public record - and yet the newspapers have already made two major "errors" transcribing it, which we on the web have had to catch.

If MP3 file-sharing networks have the complete works of most musicians on-line now, how about putting the complete transcript of one of the most important days of public testimony in our nation's history on-line someplace too?

[tom_paine]

12. Yah, sure it's an error

And Joe Stalin was a member of Junior Achievement when growing up in Georgia.

Feh! :puke:

[Wonk]

14. I only have the Clarke and Armitage parts as mp3s.

There are only so many hours in a day, you know? I figured the Clarke testimony would be the most important so I made a point to catch it.

Maybe someone else has or could make mp3s of the rest?

[scottxyz]

13. The NYT has since corrected their error (silently, apparently)

Apparently the NYT has corrected the error - but without posting a formal "correction".

It would be nice if someone out there had a screenshot showing the original NYT error.

If it was wrong and later fixed, a standard notice of correction should be issued so that the public will know that the original error avoided further embarassing the Republicans.

[Submariner]

15. Foxnews doctored transcript too

TPM with Josh Marshall caught them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1284453