Fred Thompson Campaign, Jeri Kehn Thompson, New York Times

NOT AGAIN!

As Campaign Takes Off, Fred-Bashing Again Hits Spouse







Clearly worried about unofficial presidential candidate Fred Thompson's solid fundraising skills and emerging popularity, our mainstream media friends have returned to attacking his spouse's appearance and age.

The result is likely to fuel tomorrow's talk radio debates.

And this time, the elitists are holding nothing back. Is the New York Times determined to sink Fred before his campaign ever gets off the ground?

It sure looks that way. Get a load of this tacky, would- be editorial disguised as news reporting:

AS the election of 2008 approaches with its cast of contenders who bring unprecedented diversity to the quest for the White House, the voting public has been called on to ponder several questions: Is America ready for a woman to be president? What about a black man? A Mormon?

Now, with the possible candidacy of Fred D. Thompson, the grandfatherly actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, whose second wife is almost a quarter-century his junior, comes a less palatable inquiry that is spurring debate in Internet chat rooms, on cable television and on talk radio: Is America ready for a president with a trophy wife?

Again, what does this have to do with Thompson's qualifications? And what exactly is the real issue with Jeri Kehn Thompson? Has anyone bothered to interview her? The press assumes she's a bimbo.

And more often than not, we've seen these anti- Fred and Jeri pieces written by women. Is this catty "journalism" at its worst?


At the Moderate Voice, not at all associated with the right, writer Joe Gandelman calls this "smelly journalism":

To those of you who roll your eyes and groan when you hear people go on and on about the biased news media that injects its personal opinions into news stories and peppers them with assumptions that the writer more than “critics say” seems to hold, roll your eyes no longer.

The New York Times has a piece that makes you conclude: somewhere at that (once stellar) newspaper, an editor was asleep at the switch.

Joe, that's giving this overpriced rag far too much credit. More likely the editor found no objection to the writer declaring Jeri a "trophy wife".

If the mainstream media keeps this up, they may very well unite conservatives behind Thompson. Wouldn't the Grey Lady prefer a divided right?


ELSEWHERE: Cindy Sheehan proves she's addicted to the limelight like it's crack cocaine.

ALSO: lib blogger calls for executions of Rush, Ted Nugent.

FOR Boston- area talk radio updates, see our other site. New: why the potential end of Boston's race- based METCO busing system may be off- limits at some local talk stations.

SAVE Internet radio: it's nearly too late!


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