I think everybody is aware that I am no fan of the Pilot. Even so, I still subscribe to and read the paper each day, as it is the only game in town. Today’s article about Allen just got me, though:
Webb’s campaign also has accused Allen of “stealing” legislation proposed by Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat. The squabble was featured on Monday night’s “The Colbert Report,” a fictional news show on the Comedy Central cable channel.
That satirical footage now is one of the most popular videos on YouTube.com, the same site that helped focus widespread attention on the “macaca” incident.
Webb’s campaign contends that Allen “stole” Durbin’s legislation, which deals with aid for injured veterans, changing only one word. Allen’s staff has denied the accusation.
Is the Allen campaign writing these articles for you, Mr. Fiske? Or are you picking up what the blogs are saying? Do a little homework. The video that showed Allen “borrowing” the Durbin amendment which I linked to in this post was released by the DSCC, not the Webb campaign. It was video that I first found on the Huffington Post. (I regret not linking originally to HuffPo and I cannot now locate the original post over there.) Is the HuffPo now a part of the Webb campaign?
I won’t deny that the Webb campaign has taken this latest controversy and run with it. After all, that is what campaigns do. But that is not where it originated and you owe your readers some accuracy in reporting.
That is, if you did write it.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Vivian, he may have been referring to the press release sent out by the Webb campaign (which used the word “steals”). My recollection is that the Webb campaign sent out the release on the 5th, and that the C-Span clip started getting circulation on the 6th.
As far as the Pilot’s coverage goes, I think they’ve gone easier on Allen than most Virginia papers, but I still don’t think they’ve given him a completely free pass.
The writer made sure to include the Allen football analogy. The first paragraph I took to read “Allen = clueless or dishonest”. And then there was the Allen quote:
“I’ve learned a valuable lesson about the power of words, about how words carelessly chosen, or in my case, even made up, can have a totally unintended meaning and impact for another person from another background or from a different cultural perspective.”
The part about “how words carelessly chosen, or in my case, even made up” jumped right out at me. Some people will see that and take Allen’s statement at face value. Others will simply shake their heads. I think that’s good reporting, let readers come to their own conclusion.
I don’t know Fiske personally, but talking to other journalists I get the sense that they are very familiar with who Allen is and how he operates. I think some of the editorial boards–Richmond Times Dispatch and Daily News Record in Harrisonburg–may have strong sympathy for Allen, but I don’t get that same sense among journalists.
Webb’s campaign also has accused Allen of “stealing” legislation proposed by Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat.
If the Webb campaign issues a press release and uses the word “steals” than to me the Pilot was accurate.
Allen is a thief, bigot, fake cowboy (like his idol – shrub), and a fake Virginian.
Besides, Vivian, as you know, Durbin and Allen co-authored the amendment and agreed on the principle. So much so that Durbin stated in the Congressional Record that Allen could make changes on the floor without his consult/approval.
The Webb campaign issuing the release with the word steal totally mischaracterized the nature of the bipartisan legislation.
Um, Jim, Allen may claim co-authorship but that doesn’t make it true. Durbin has been gracious in this whole thing.