I'm curious: Do some people still think Clark leaked intern story?

[Bonobo]

If so, why?
If not, why not apologize?

[lancdem]

1. Someone said Clark actually told the reporters

if Kerry imploded it would be because of an internal matter, not an intern matter. :shrug:

[MurikanDemocrat]

2. Nope. Has Rove written all over it.

A diversion tactic because Bush is taking a beating on the AWOL issue.

[Bombtrack]

6. No, it really doesn't have them written all over it. It's possible, but

it's not leaning that way right now. Clark and Lehane aren't on Rove's side. All evidence points to the notion that in fact it's been under investigation by the Washington media, as drudge reported.

The story is worth a million times more to the right wing as a post-nomination story, than a damper on the AWOL story that could also prevent Kerry from being nominated

[lancdem]

10. I thought the media outlets denied it

according to an article in the London Times. Has that changed?

[MurikanDemocrat]

17. But they denied they were investigating this

No mainstream source would touch it.

It's just a guess on my part.

[formernaderite]

24. Lehane wrote a report under Clinton describing this tactic....

..it was called something like the "Conspiracy stream of communication commerce"...in the midst of the Clinton rumours, the White House issued a document to the press describing how these type of rumours were started. It explained how internet sites like Drudge, etc. would print a story, then the European press would pick it up as news, and finally the US press had to report the stories appearing in the European press. This document was distributed to the American media as a preventitive measure.
Sorry, but Chris Lehane has deliberately used the precise methodology he wrote about. I'm no Kerry fan, but this is putrid. Someone better hang this sleaze out to dry.

[oasis]

7. Definitely not Clark. Rove is on the short list of suspects.

[Bombtrack]

3. He seems to have gotten the ball rolling

Daily Kos confirms that he did in fact make the "off the record" statement to the reporters

And because of that, I believe that this is a serious issue, and Kerry would have denied it if it was made up

[lancdem]

5. I don't think Clark would've endorsed Kerry

if he thought it was a serious issue.

[Bombtrack]

12. Or he endorsed Kerry for the very reason that he realized he F'd up

When he said off the record, he wanted it off the record. When he realized he'd been had, he likely tried to play damage control with an endorsement

[lancdem]

16. But why endorse a guy whose campaign might "implode"?

I think Clark is angry Drudge associated him with this. It may have been Lehane, but he certainly wasn't acting with Clark's consent.

[Turkw]

28. Lehane has denied it also, then got Drudge's MSNBC source to retract his

statement saying it was Lehane. Sounds like a smear that may backfire on Drudge. Hopefully the mainstream will be gun shy of Drudge's sludge in the future.

[formernaderite]

30. Source for this?

Because roll coll also mentioned it was LeHane shopping the story for a few months. A few reporters roll call spoke with had all heard this story for a while., but no one was willing to touch it.
I also heard that Lehane was responsible for giving the MSNBC reporter Lisa Meyers the canadian Dean interview where he kind of dissed the Iowa primaries. Lehane is obviously a low life.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

32. Someone ought to investigate Drudge....

...and find out whether he's a closet homosexual or not.

Normally I would respect one's right to privacy in this case but if he's going to stick his nose in every one else's business then his outing's fair play.

[HuskerDem]

8. Yeah Kos is a genius

:eyes: <sarcasm off/> Please. Very few roaming the world are more full of themselves for no substantial reason whatsoever than Kos.

[Bombtrack]

14. Is he a liar?

I don't read his sight on a regular basis at all. I'm not a big fan of pro-Dean blogs

[HuskerDem]

33. yes, or at the least.................. innacurate.

[KFC]

15. Clark denied it. Kos is lying.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-1000251,00.html

Kerry denies rumour of infidelity with intern (UK Times):

<snip>

Key parts of the Drudge story had already been denied, before Mr Kerry's radio interview. The web site claimed that General Wesley Clark, one of Mr Kerry's Democrat rivals, had set the ball rolling by telling a dozen reporters that Mr Kerry had an "intern issue" which threatened to "implode" his campaign.

General Clark's campaign yesterday called the report "utter rubbish", and let it be known that he was expected to endorse Mr Kerry's campaign today, having dropped out of the race himself.

=========================================================

[MurikanDemocrat]

19. Kerry did deny it. Categorically.

[HuskerDem]

4. Uh, No.

Just not in the mans character.

[Nashyra]

9. No not at all

[janx]

11. To tell you the truth--

I really haven't thought about it one way or another--haven't thought about it at all.

I mean that aspect of it didn't seem very important, or at least it doesn't now.

What bearing would it have on anything?

[Bad Thoughts]

13. No

If Clark were the source of the story, Drudge would have taken the opportunity to mention this. Instead, Drudge reference Clark's knowledge about a brewing scandal--a story whose development would be occur without his campaign's active involvement. Kos' story checking seems to bear this interpretation.

[bicentennial_baby]

18. Never did....Don't now

What a bunch of bs that was... Frightening how easily some DUers will believe Sludge...

[drfemoe]

20. No, not exactly

..."There's a story developing about Kerry
but the Clark comment is wrong. I have
it from Clarks Wife, that the actual statement
wasn't "Kerry will implode" - it was this:

"IF the republicans have any proof that these allegations are real, The kerry campaign could implode over this issue." ...
Posted by turner/broadcasting at February 13, 2004 01:19 PM "


http://niccotru.trueserver.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=22

[Renew Deal]

21. No

First, he doesn't speak that way. Just think of Clark and then read that language. That quote sounds like it would come from DU more than Clark. He would never say someone is going to implode in that context.

[LandOLincoln]

22. No. It was clearly Rove's attempt to take both Kerry

and Clark out with one blast, but they lobbed that grenade right back into his chubby lap.

The damned fool made the worst mistake possible in any kind of warfare: he underestimated his enemy.

[Shanty Oilish]

23. It does seem odd

Odd that Clark says Kerry will implode, then Clark endorses Kerry. However, I heard the endorsement with my own ears, and the context of the implosion comment is something I haven't heard.
I'm concluding that in all likelihood it was Lehane who wanted these beans spilled, and when Clark departed the race, Lehane considered himself at liberty to do what until then Clark had restrained him from doing. Much as I dislike Clark it seems obvious he could have let Lehane leak the story at any time, if he (Clark) wanted him to. And he sure couldn't have wanted it leaked if he was about to endorse Kerry.

edit: Susan Estrich running off at the mouth on the night of the Iowa caucuses, on tv, would inevitably have made this news if Lehane hadn't. Not to excuse Lehane but if he hadn't hawked this story, we'd still be hearing it. Guess Susan isn't looking for a position.

[arewethereyet]

25. of course he did but it was not much of a leak if they all knew

the only surprizing thing was him saying so. And that was lack of political savvy.

The Kerry camp heard, calmed him down by telling him it was under control, promised something and its all hearts and roses now.

And if you're going to tell me that Clark denies saying so then just think back to his lying about calls from the White House. He is a liar and not a good one.

[bowens43]

26. It's obvious that Clark was involved.

I am not sure of his motive but you can bet it was self serving.

[Kinkistyle]

27. What makes it obvious?

Hmm? Its obvious to you, but lots of different matters are obvious to lots of differnt people, so usually it takes a certain amount of factual evidence to back it up.

[The Magistrate]

48. What Makes It Obvious, Mr. Panda

Is the obvious distaste some persons have displayed for many weeks toward Gen. Clark. Nothing but this is necessary for some bad thing to be obviously committed by Gen. Clark. Certainly no evidence is required....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[11cents]

29. Husker Dem is so right, re: Kos

There's absolutely no reason to view him as any more authoritative than any other dude sitting in from of his computer in a Berkeley apartment -- and I believe me, I know something about dudes/apartments/Berkeley. His "confirmation" was just part of the same old chain-of-rumor I-told-my-friend-to-tell-me-and-my-friend-told-me-back circle-jerk we've learned how to recognize when purely right-wing media are involved, and didn't actually represent any independent information.

The whole story was such *vintage* Drudge bullshit that might have been written by a dim 6-year-old trying to fool mommy.

[HuskerDem]

35. *Blushing*

Thanks, I don't know why more people don't understand that Kos does not = reality or anything really other than one guy with a laptop and a really big head.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[HuskerDem]

34. Grovelbot started the rumor

IT WAS GROVEL BOT ALL ALONG!:tinfoilhat:

[goodhue]

36. No.

[sistersofmercy]

37. Nope, never did, no apology necessary...

I think there's another candidate that's the trojan horse. It's been quite obvious to me for months.

[adadem]

38. Exactly what

we were discussing at dinner this evening.

[sistersofmercy]

42. No kidding...

It's perfect, the perfect platform. I've thought it for quite some time but have kept my mouth shut. Someone who could definitely make a split and probably will. But you know, even the split won't matter in the GE, enough Dems see through it.

[mountainvue]

47. Is it

a $40 million trojan horse?

[sistersofmercy]

49. ...

Who would pay such an outrageous price?

[mountainvue]

50. Well sisters

I'm new here but I've been asking that question around here for a few days. No one will answer me.:)

[stickdog]

39. The quicky endorsement IS the apology! (nt)

[carpe diem]

40. It makes no sense...

...to me that Clark would drop out if he thought there was anything to this story or that it would derail the Kerry momentum. He would be the greatest beneficiary of a Kerry implosion.

It seems to me that this was a two-fer or maybe a three-fer...smear Kerry w/ the story, smear Clark by suggesting he was the source or was trying to push the story and possibly throw one at their favorite target, Bill Clinton, by tossing out Chris Lehane's name as a former Clinton/Gore operative shopping the story around.

How can Clark be considerd the source when sources also claim that this story was the reason Kerry was not chosen as Gore's running-mate in 2000? Clark was at NATO back then!

People have apparently known or heard these rumors for some time now. The reporters were not "stunned" if Clark made reference to them, in fact, it's much more likely a reporter brought up the rumors in an "off the record" exchange w/ reporters and then repeated "off the record" his response which was probably along the lines of "...if true or if proof, then...?"

[carpe diem]

41. I forgot...

this was probably an attempt the put wedge between Kerry and Clark and their supporters. Divide and conquer. No way AWOL wants to run against not one but two decorated war heroes!

[janx]

43. There was supposedly a handful of reporters who heard this.

Where are they?

[FrenchieCat]

44. They don't have to divulge their sources???

Just can say, he said, that she said, that he said, that you said....that the unidentified source saw it.....

If there was a big story that was going to do Kerry in, why would Clark drop out....he would just have waited it out...

Makes no sense, IMO.....

[janx]

45. You make a good point. Consider Novak.

Nobody's going to say anything at this point, probably.

[mountainvue]

46. Not at all.

When did he issue an apology?

[Adelante]

51. Apparently a rival Dem campaign, not Clark's

"A source close to Lehane vehemently denied to me that Lehane had peddled any rumors about Kerry -- and turned attention back toward the White House as Drudge's likely source. "My assessment is that this is not merely a serendipitous event," he said.

"The Drudge item blaming Lehane quoted Craig Crawford, a former Democratic operative who now works as a consultant and columnist for MSNBC. Within 10 minutes after Drudge posted the Kerry intern item, Crawford sent a memo to his superiors that said the story was "something Chris Lehane (clark press secy) has shopped around for a long time." According to Crawford, someone at MSNBC promptly leaked his memo to Drudge. But when Lehane called Crawford with a loudly indignant denial, the MSNBC columnist quickly issued a public retraction. He said:

"The comments attributed to me are from a private email to television news associates based on conversations with Democratic campaign operatives. I did not consider any of it confirmed enough to report or publish. I can only verify that Chris Lehane's rivals in other Democratic campaigns made these claims and I have found no independent source to confirm it. Which is why we did not go with the story. But then someone sent my email to others, which is the only reason it got into the public domain." In other words, there is no proof that Lehane circulated the rumor, let alone that the rumor has any basis in reality."

Source: Joe Conason, Salon, 2/13/04