Yesterday Campaign Desk pointed out the press’ affinity for the optimism v. pessimism storyline as the candidates labor to spin their message on the economy. Today, The Washington Times offered up its version, demonstrating once again its uncanny talent for distorting direct quotes.
Since early April, Sen. Kerry has regularly told anyone that will listen that Americans are suffering through “the worst job recovery since the Great Depression.”
Then, today, The Washington Times reported, “Now that consumer spending is rising and voter confidence in the economy is growing, Mr. Kerry calls it the worst economic recovery since the Great Depression.'” (italics added)
Did Kerry slip up, or did the Washington Times misquote him? By this time, you can guess, but we checked just to be sure. The paper misquoted the man — presumably to make it look like he was saying something in defiance of evidence to the contrary.
That’s no typo. That’s an attempt to hang Kerry with words he never said.
If The Times is intent on continuing this sort of clumsy bludgeoning, we here at Campaign Desk have a request: Could you make this more challenging, guys? We grow weary of shooting the same old big clumsy fish swimming around inside the same little barrel.
–Thomas Lang
Thomas Lang was a writer at CJR Daily.