Organizing for America | Grass Roots News: Maureen Dowd spoof spreads

Maureen Dowd spoof spreads

By Dave McLane - Jul 4th, 2008 at 12:01 am EDT

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Tags: Maureen_dowd, NYT, spoof

As I reported in a previous post ThomasMoore has posted as spoof claiming the Maureen Dowd of the New York Times has written an article saying that some of the millions of $$$ that Obama has received from Internet fund raising efforts comes from overseas... China and the Middle East, to be exact. The spoof has now spread to http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?p-4037456 Details in Extended Post

---------- This morning I posted this comment on ThomasMoore's story ---------
I'm surprised that most of the comments so far have missed the point that the main part of the original posting is NOT by Maureen Dowd of the New York Times.

Instead, it was written by ThomasMoore who "WONDERS if we WILL see this":

"It appears that some of the millions of $$$ that Obama has received from Internet fund raising efforts comes from overseas... China and the Middle East, to be exact. Why would donors in those countries contribute to an election campaign for President of USA? I WONDER IF WE WE WILL SEE THIS ARTICLE IN THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC?"[Bolding mine]

ThomasMoore then continues the sleight of mouth with the following in a comment:

"Thank you all for your comments. Nothing about this in the Arizona Republic this morning. Maybe tomorrow."

However, if you take the time to search the internet for anything of this nature, I think you'll find what I did. Nothing.

The shocking revelation is that Moore has made fools of you.

---------- Moore's reply comment was this ----------
Thank you for your research, Dave. It appears that I may be the fool for posting the editorial, since I don't find it on the NYT Website, either. I'm checking with the friend who sent it to me, as to whether he copied it directly from the Website. In the copy I received, there were the same headings and indices matching those found on articles printed from the NYT Website. This doesn't prove that the editorial wasn't altered, of course.

I wish we knew someone with a print copy of the June 29 NYT, although the editorial may never have made it to the print version.

I see that the editorial by Maureen Dowd dated June 29 on the Website is about Hillary, not Obama. The only logical explanation I can think of is that perhaps the newspaper's management pulled the original editorial because they feared a lawsuit. The editorial is based on heresay, supposedly from a "geek" in Obama's Internet fund-raising organization.

In any case, I hope it will instigate an investigation into Obama's fund-raising activities, now that he has declined public financing with its limits on public donations.

----------- My reply to Moore's reply ----------
Perhaps what you say is the case, but once again you are sliding on the facts by saying "The only logical explanation . . . " where as there's at least one more: what you say you were sent was a spoof and you didn't check and provide a link to the purported article on the New York Times.

I think if you were serious about being taken seriously you would have already suspected that the story you (say you) were sent is not up to the usual standard of a journal-of-record such as the New York Times as it is based on hearsay. While the New York Times Manual of Style doesn't have section on media law, the AP Stylebook does, and the What is Libel? section is worth a read as libeling the presumptive Democratic nominee for president isn't any laughing matter.

I say that because your article was posted Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 07:38 PM and there is already a copy posted on another website http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?p-4037456 that is dated Yesterday (July 3, 2008), 08:48 AM. So right now you are the source.

Since the New York Times and the Arizona Republic are both first level organizations I hope they will launch an investigation into your story as I think there are enough questions about the candidates that need discussion without getting sidetracked by spoofs such as yours.

I sent a copy of the original post to Maureen Dowd, watchdog@barackobama.com, and as a violation to www.azcentral.com. I've only received confirmation that my mail to Maureen has been received.

Besides posting this article here, I'm sending to the same places. As I said, I think there are enough questions about the candidates that need discussion without getting sidetracked by such spoofs.

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