McClatchy quotes "expert" who claims Palin hurts GOP ticket -- doesn't disclose the "expert" is a Barack Obama donor

A McClatchy news story claiming Sarah Palin is a drag on the GOP ticket quoted a "vice presidential expert" who stated Palin hurts the ticket -- but the McClatchy reporter didn't disclose the "expert" is an Obama partisan who has donated to the Obama campaign.

McClatchy reporter David Lightman quotes "vice presidential expert Joel Goldstein" to prove Palin hurts the GOP's ticket.

A key reason is that “the Palin choice reflects poorly on Sen. McCain’s judgment,” said vice presidential expert Joel Goldstein, a law professor at St. Louis University.

More...

In 2008, Goldstein said, Obama "has convinced a broad cross-section of the American people he's presidential," so Palin gives swing voters who are warming to the Illinois senator one more reason to move away from McCain.

McClatchy reporter Lightman conveniently forgot to tell his readers that Goldstein is an Obama donor. In 2008, Joel Goldstein donated $250 to Barack Obama, and he also gave $1,500 to John Kerry in 2004. Informing readers this information would help people evaluate the credibility of the "expert."

A call to Joel Goldstein was not immediately returned.
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Lightman is a repeat offender, by the way. See here and here. McClatchy is still earning its reputation as a propaganda arm of the Democratic party.
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Previous:

• McClatchy quotes "expert" who claims hate speech from the right is worse than we've seen -- but doesn't disclose the "expert" is a liberal activist
• McClatchy quotes "expert" who says Obama's tax plan isn't socialist -- but doesn't disclose the "expert" is an Obama campaign donor
• McClatchy quotes "expert historian" in favorable Obama piece, doesn't disclose the "expert" belongs to an organization trying to elect Obama

McClatchy quotes "expert" who claims hate speech from the right is worse than we've seen -- but doesn't disclose the "expert" is a partisan activist

McClatchy reporter David Lightman published a piece Monday full of dark warnings over supposed bigotry and hate speech coming from the right. To help make the case, he quotes an "expert in political speech" -- but didn't disclose she is a partisan activist who opposes John McCain. Here are the first two paragraphs:

An ugly line has been crossed in this presidential campaign, one in which some people don't mind calling Barack Obama a dangerous Muslim, a terrorist and worse.


"To me, this all feels much worse than we've seen in some time," said Kathryn Kolbert, the president of People for the American Way, which monitors political speech.

Lightman should have informed readers that People for the American Way is a left-wing activist group which is working to elect Barack Obama.

Worse, Lightman doesn't tell readers that People for the American Way has a current fund-raising campaign, where they are soliciting money to "fight the hate from the right." (Go here if you want to make a donation to help Kolbert fight hate.) The web site claims: "The hate and bigotry that has been encouraged by the Right’s campaign tactics has no place in America."

The fund-raising angle means Kolbert has a financial incentive to make the situation seem worse than it is. Lightman should have disclosed this to his readers.

If you want more evidence that Kathryn Kolbert is a left-wing partisan, you can see her writings and blogs at left-wing sites Crooks and Liars and Huffington Post.

We last saw reporter David Lightman when he was giving McClatchy readers important news about Joe the plumber, such as, his real first name is "Samuel," and that Joe has a tax lien.

Do you trust McClatchy to be fair and objective with political news?

Another McClatchy reporter pounces on Joe the Plumber

On Friday I noted that Mark Seibel, McClatchy's "international and national security editor" took time away from his very important responsibilities to write a sneering piece on Joe the plumber.
Now another McClatchy reporter, David Lightman (above), has joined the McClatchy Chorus of Joe bashers in a piece on McClatchy's web site.
Among the important revelations from David Lightman: Joe's first name is actually "Samuel," not Joe; and, there are two liens on his property because of unpaid taxes and other debt. .
David has been so busy exposing Joe the Plumber's tax liens he hasn't gotten around to reporting on tax liens levied against Obama campaign team.  Maybe we'll see that story after the election. (Tip for David Lightman -- Martin Nesbitt, the Treasurer of the Obama for President Campaign, and his several companies have numerous outstanding state tax liens.)
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• McClatchy assigns "international and national security" editor to fact-check Joe the plumber

McClatchy quotes "expert historian" in favorable Obama piece, doesn't disclose the "expert" belongs to an organization trying to elect Obama

An "expert historian" who gave positive reviews of Barack Obama's experience and judgment for a McClatchy article is not a non-partisan observer -- the "expert historian" has endorsed Barack Obama and is an active member of an organization trying to elect Barack Obama. The McClatchy article is titled, "Presidents don't always live up to resume, scholars say."  From the piece:

Many undecided voters have a common concern when they size up Barack Obama: his inexperience.

"I have nothing against Obama. I just think John McCain has more experience," said Steve Viernacki, an Ashley, Pa., restaurant owner.

Experts say that such worries are overblown.

"Experience matters, but its importance is terribly overstated," said historian Robert Dallek, the author of recent books about Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.

Notice that Dallek uses the word judgment.  That happens to be an Obama talking point.   But it's probably not a coincidence: it turns out "scholar" Robert Dallek isn't a non-partisan observer -- Dallek is an unabashed Obama supporter. In fact, he is a member of "Historians for Obama,: which is something of a loose organization of historians who have signed a document stating they have endorsed Barack Obama for president. You can read the endorsement here.

Oh, another thing -- Dallek's wife Geraldine is a donor to Obama's campaign, according to this web site.
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McClatchy reporter Lightman cheated readers by not disclosing information about Dallek's commitments and allegiances.
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But Lightman isn't the only McClatchy reporter turning to Dallek for pro-Obama spin.  Dallek turns up in a July piece by Margaret Talev on whether Obama's lack of military experience will hurt Obama in the election. Talev turns to Dallek -- Talev calls Dallek a "presidential historian" -- for his opinion:

Presidential historian Robert Dallek said in an interview this week that military experience in a candidate "is useful, it's valuable" but "it's no guarantee of anything. What's much more important is judgment."

What matters more than experience, scholars said, is an ability to hone and trust one's instincts. "Give me good judgment every time," Dallek said.

Nice that Obama campaign talking points get inserted into McClatchy news articles by Obama boosters Lightman and Talev.