TPM Final Post on 'Lonely Guy' Photo

[TayTay]

New Proof That The Wingnut "Lonely Kerry" Story Is Bogus

By Greg Sargent | bio

It looks as if another wingnut tall-tale is going to go down in flames today: The story of the "lonely Kerry" photo.

For days and days now, the following photo of Senator John Kerry has been making the rounds in the conservative blogosphere:

See article at TPM for photo: http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jan/05/the_wingnut_lonely_kerry_story_is_bogus_according_to_witnesses

This photo has been triumphantly pointed to by conservative bloggers who claim that it shows that Kerry was "snubbed" by the troops during a recent visit to Iraq. This story was aggressively promoted by Powerline Blog's John Hinderaker and Scot Johnson, Michelle Malkin, Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs, and many others. To the wingers this photo demonstrated, in the words of Malkin, that "lonely John Kerry" had been "spurned by the troops in Iraq."

The wingers spent many, many hours on this photo, trying to prove its authenticity. I'm not going to dispute that it's authentic. Rather, I'm here to report that I've now contacted at least two people who say they were at the table with Kerry. And it's clear that the winger characterization of the photo is entirely bogus.

Posted 1/5/07

[whometense]

1. heh.

I'm waiting for the apologies to start rolling in. Watch me turn blue.

[beachmom]

2. Thanks -- hey, TPM Muckraker is pretty good for doing the

independent confirmation with the reporters which was the final nail in this pathetic smear's coffin. I commented and pimped for my diary one more time, so that people can see those great pics of JK with the troops.

[karynnj]

5. I agree - he did a great job drilling a final nail into the coffin

especially when someone said there were soldiers who wanted their photos taken with Kerry.

[wisteria]

3. Ha! has Maulkin had anything at all further to say about this matter?

I think the confirmations from Danner, Santora and Lowenstein should be enough proof and she should now apologize. Didn't she say she would if she was wrong?

[beachmom]

4. Somebody toss a coin -- who's going to:

a. Visit her site and find out

and

b. E-mail her DEMANDING an apology

[beachmom]

6. Okay, I bit the bullet. Tried to put some sugar in this while gritting my teeth:

My e-mail to Michelle Malkin:

Dear Ms. Malkin,

I see from your blog that you are planning to go to Iraq. May you come through that journey safely.

I am writing to you to ask you to do the right thing. Your story from Dec. 27th about Kerry being shunned by the troops, here:

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/006613.htm

has been completely debunked. Greg at the TPM Muckraker has independently confirmed from journalists pictured with Kerry, that, in fact, that photo was of an off the record interview with reporters in the Green Zone:

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jan/05/the_wingnut_lonely_kerry_story_is_bogus_according_to_witnesses

Quote from the story:

Told that the Kerry people had confirmed that the meeting was an off-the-record talk with reporters, Danner replied: "The discussion was off the record, but given the fact that the Kerry people have confirmed it, I suppose it's all right if I confirm it."

"Santora was to my right," Danner also said. "It was very early in the morning at about 8:30, in the green zone. The reason that people weren't sitting directly around us was that we were having a private conversation." Asked if the troops showed animosity to Kerry, Danner said: "Not in any way that I noticed. A number of soldiers came up and asked to have their photograph taken with him."

I can understand that you wanted to wait until the Kerry staffer's story had been confirmed by a 3rd party. Since it has, this story has proved to be completely erroneous. As I read through your blog entries, you seem to be very concerned with the "truth". As Patrick Moynihan so eloquently said years ago, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." Therefore, if you wish to retain credibility in the blogosphere, you, like Greg at TPM who admitted the photo was real after questioning it, must come out and admit the story was bogus.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Beachmom

[wisteria]

7. Oh, you are a better person than me to venture into that web of deceit

site she runs.

[beachmom]

8. Guess what her BIG topic is there right now?

Trying to debunk the AP story that 7 Muslims were lit on fire at a Mosque. The Iraqi government (who aren't exactly a credible source) insist the story wasn't true because the policeman who gave the account wasn't on their "approved list". The RW blogosphere first screamed that the AP just made up the story. Then when the guy ended up being for real, they're going in some other direction. So now Michelle Malkin is going to Iraq (she'll embed with the troops, I guess -- somehow I doubt she'll be going on a combat mission), and here are her objectives:

1. Get the troops' take on MSM coverage of the Iraq War
2. Go deeper into this AP story


What a dingbat!!! So she's not interested in the plight of the Iraqi people or in not having an agenda with the troops (like, maybe just listen to EVERYTHING they say, not just what she wants to hear). She's interested only in furthering her own propaganda. What's scandolous is her being allowed to go there. She's not a real journalist and will not bring home the facts; therefore she's just extra baggage that the troops will have to take care of.

[wisteria]

9. Oh no, what an idiot.

You know since we have won the majorities these goofballs are looking more and more ridiculous to me.

[beachmom]

10. This story made the Kos mid-day thread

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/1/5/155149/0554

They also mention again how the questioning of that AP story about the worshippers being set on fire is unfounded, too. Michelle is SURE having a bad day.

[karynnj]

11. Did you notice this:

Ben" is CPT Benjamin G. Runkle, former speechwriter to president Bush and staff assistant to Defense undersecretary Douglas Feith

I knew the part of being a speech writer, but not that he was an assistant to Feith. They also said his official job there is PR. Another scandal? Smearing a prominent Democrat on a RW blog when your gov't job is PR. How does it help the soldiers of the country, for the fr standard bearer of a major party - in Iraq doing his job - is hit for political reasons.

[beachmom]

12. I googled him but found nothing else. I did find this military message

board about it:

forum.americasarmy.com/viewtopic.php?t=243368&highlight=&page=1


One liberal kinda defending him (really a Deaniac), one who doesn't care, and the rest are conservatives. Of course, the Right has not followed up on this. I am pessimistic that the truth will get out. They've ended it with "the liberals were wrong about the photo". Sigh.

[wisteria]

16. I would remember this and save it. When (I hope) Kerry runs again

it might be brought up.

[beachmom]

13. Hold on, this could be him since it's about Harvard grads:

http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/misc/publications/centerpieceFall2003/fellows_program.html

Benjamin Runkle (2001-2002) is country director for Northern Gulf affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.


Oh, found his post reacting to the Kerry staffer statement, and he's backtracking, and lying IMO:

benofmesopotamia.blogspot.com/2006/12/senator-kerrys-office-speaks.html

I recall a VERY partisan message of JK being shunned which was not true at all. He's acting like what he said and what Lowenstein said were the same -- total BS!!

Then he has to throw in that other politicians were treated with more adulation. Yeah right -- as if I trust this guy's judgment on anything.

[beachmom]

14. Last post on this: the very first post that started this:

benofmesopotamia.blogspot.com/2006/12/schaudenfraude-or-john-kerry-visits.html

Lots of inuendo and rumors. This should never have gotten as far as it did. It was only the picture and the fact that this idiot didn't know what the heck he was talking about that started it. This is why I don't read mil blogs -- they all seem skewed to the Right. As Markos mentioned, it's more the younger recruits who are liberal, and since they're younger, they're probably less likely to do political blogging.

Read at your own risk. It's not completely terrible -- one part showed JK in a good light, being a good sport, but since I don't know if it's true, you guys will have to check it out and judge for yourself.

[beachmom]

15. More pics of Sen. Kerry in Iraq -- never seen before

From unfriendly RW blog. Just ignore the snark. Warning: he's armored up in the first one. Gives you a glimpse of what it's like to travel around there:

blackfive.net/main/2006/12/looks_like_3rd_.html

copy and paste


The posters on this blog go on the Hugh Hewitt show, so keep that in mind.


Edited to add: in between all the warmongering, they have tributes to fallen soldiers. Many of the mil blogs must be like this.

[kerrygoddess]

17. A couple of the wingnut have apologized

Links here - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=5055