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July 04, 2004
Selective editing...
Posted by Jon Henke
Proving once again that, without context, you can make sense out of nonsense....
The left has been having fun with this Crossfire transcript of Paul Begala accusing Bob Novak of alleging that Clinton was involved in deaths surrounding assorted scandals. Novak denied, and Paul Begala confronts him with his own words...
NOVAK: I didn't say he was engaging -- and you're lying.
BEGALA: I'll read your words.
NOVAK: And when I said that...
BEGALA: "I don't believe that the Whitewater case was ever fully investigated. People died, and I believe Bill Clinton beat the rap on Whitewater."
(CROSSTALK)
(BELL RINGING)
NOVAK: Well, I didn't say he was involved with the thing.
BEGALA: You said...
NOVAK: You...
BEGALA: ... he beat the rap and people died. Who died? Who died in Whitewater?
(CROSSTALK)
NOVAK: McDougal died, and...
BEGALA: He died in prison of a heart attack.
NOVAK: Well, people died (UNINTELLIGIBLE). But just a minute. You can't -- you can't say -- go on national television and accuse me of something I didn't say.
BEGALA: I read your words.
NOVAK: I did not say that, and that is a lie. And I...
BEGALA: These are your words, Mr. Novak. I read them.
NOVAK: And I'm ashamed of you for going on the air and saying that.
BEGALA: I got this from the transcript. This is the transcript from "Meet the Press", Bob.
NOVAK: That's an outrage. And it is...
BEGALA: It is an outrage. You owe Mr. Clinton an apology.
NOVAK: ... an absolute outrage because I did not say that he was responsible for those deaths. And this is not fun, Paul.
Damning, isn't it? Novak said "I don't believe that the Whitewater case was ever fully investigated. People died, and I believe Bill Clinton beat the rap on Whitewater". That's a pretty clear case for Begala.
Except, not so much. Henry Hanks did the legwork, and discovered what Novak was implying. (hint: it wasn't what Begala inferred that Novak was implying)
NOVAK: Just say one thing, that I think the president, President Clinton has lived on the edge all his life. All the scandals that they had, including the Whitewater scandals, people have died; witnesses that they had thought were going to be star witnesses were put in a position where they couldn't testify. You had the travel office question. The Monica Lewinsky question was maybe the least important. The idea that this president has avoided all of these scandals, but he didn't avoid the program of history which he got.
SHIELDS: Just clear up one thing. You're not suggesting that there was foul play in the death of people?.
NOVAK: No, I'm not. I'm just saying...
SHIELDS: Because that would have been a videotape of the right wing.
NOVAK: No, I don't want to make that -- I'm saying that James McDougal died. Other people died. Witnesses died, and he's a very lucky guy because the idea he escaped the original Whitewater scandal with nothing -- it sent a governor of Arkansas to jail.
As Hanks indicates, Novak made a poor choice of words, and should have explained himself further on the show the left is citing....but the fact is that the mistake lies with Begala and those who repeat this story. They've made a false inference. Novak is probably owed an apology for the intentions they assigned him.
Taking the bait: MediaMatters, The Talent Show, Oliver Willis, Atrios, among many others.
Oliver titles his post: "Make them eat their words."
Indeed.
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