-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">
</A> -Cui Bono?-
Vol. 6, No. 1271 - The American Reporter - February 21, 2000
ARTICLE ON McCAIN IS 'SLEAZE,' SAFIRE CHARGES
by James De Pietro
American Reporter Correspondent
Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON -- Early this week, every member of Congress and 130 members of
the media received free copies of World magazine, a product of God's World
Publications and its corporate parent, a South Carolina college that forbids
interracial dating and is closely associated with Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
On the cover was an unflattering photo of U.S. Sen. John McCain and a
headline that called the McCain movement, "A campaign platform that should
give Republicans pause." Thursday, the New York Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning
journalist and former Republican speechwriter William Safire called the
article inside "religio-political sleaze in action."
Safire, a spokesman for conservatives throughout the world and a former
speechwriter for President Richard Nixon, charged Thursday that the article
unfairly assaults McCain on issues ranging from his tax policy to his
marriage and traces its origins to the relationship between the magazine's
editor, longtime Bush strategist Marvin Olansky, and Bob Jones, the president
of the South Carolina college that owns and publishes God's World
Publications. The article was written by Bob Jones IV, the son of the
president of Bob Jones University.
What troubled Safire was that both the university and the magazine enjoy
tax-exempt status, as religious organizations. Under U.S. tax laws, such
organizations are not allowed to engage in partisan political activity or to
actively support any political candidate.
At 3 a.m in the morning on Feb. 2, just a few hours after Gov. Bush was
unexpectedly battered by Sen. McCain in the New Hampshire primary, the
college's campus was the site of a huge Bush rally by 1,800 students. And
Thursday, Safire's Op-Ed page column called the article a "repugnant
anti-McCain campaign document."
Referring to McCain's tax policy, Safire notes that Jones wrote, "He makes
his case with liberal, even Marxist, terminology." On McCain's crusade for
campaign finance reform, Jones wrote, "McCain would essentially suspend the
First Amendment for 60 days prior to any federal election."
Then Jones gets personal.
"Yet for all his dependence on his wife's money, Mr. McCain doesn't appear to
be a particularly attentive husband," says Jones, referring to McCain not
knowing of his wife Cindy's dependence on pain relievers after an illness.
Safire says the article is a product of "backdoor backing of Bush."
The editor of World magazine is Marvin Olasky, an advisor to Bush and also an
author of Bush's "compassionate conservatism" campaign strategy. Ironically,
one of 12 books Olasky has authored is "Telling the Truth: How to revitalize
Christian Journalism." Olasky also teaches an undergraduate class entitled
"Media Law and Ethics" at the University of Texas at Austin, among others.
"William Safire messed up," Olasky said when contacted by the American
Reporter about the Safire article.
"Journalists should be the eyes and ears of voters," he continued. "If they
fall in love with a candidate and adopt a policy of see, hear, and speak no
evil, we will recognize tell-tale scratching only when it is too late."
Bob Jones IV has no formal connection to the Bush campaign. However, his
father's university offered its facilities to Bush to launch his campaign in
South Carolina, a gesture not extended to McCain.
Yet, says the publisher of World, Joel Belz, "We cannot endorse candidates or
legislation. In 58 years, we have never backed any candidate."
Neither the Bush nor the McCain camp returned several phone calls requesting
comment. But after former GOP hopeful Gary Bauer endorsed McCain in South
Carolina, both candidates can probably find a use for the World's coverage --
Bush to make inroads with South Carolina's religious conservatives, and
McCain to prove his charges about the Bush campaign's negative approach to
the voters.
Safire's message appears to be that using partisan journalism to trash the
policy and character of McCain under the pretext of being neutral, and
distributing the article to Congress and the media while maintaining a
tax-exempt status, calls into question the credibility of journalists, the
secualr nature of the political process, and the independence of religious
institutions.
Jones' article in the current edition of World is dated today, Feb. 19, when
South Carolina voters can cast their votes for one of the three remaining GOP
candidates to select delegates for the Republican convention. The race is
said to be a dead heat.
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
