Mornings on the Mall

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

NY Times reporter Robin Pogrebin, Carter Flemming, Carrie Severino and Fox 5’s Evan Lambert join WMAL on Tuesday morning!

5am – A/B/C/D/E     NY TIMES KAVANAUGH REPORTING:

• Kavanaugh Book Authors: NY Times Removed Detail About Alleged Victim Not Remembering Assault. (Washington Examiner) — Monday on MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” The New York Times’ Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, the co-authors of a new book about Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, said a Times essay about the book initially included a detail about an alleged sexual assault victim involving Kavanaugh. However, was removed in the Times’ editing process. That detail was that the alleged victim has said she did not remember the incident. “The Last Word” anchor Lawrence O’Donnell inquired about the omission. “In your draft, did it include those words that have since been added to the article?” O’Donnell said. Both Kelly and Pogrebin replied, “It did.” O’Donnell followed up, “So somewhere in the editing process, those words were dropped?” “It was in editing, done in haste in the editing process — as you know for closing the section,” Pogrebin replied. “I think what happened, actually, was we had her name and, you know, the Times doesn’t usually include the name of the victim. And so I think in this case the editors felt like maybe it was probably better to remove it. And in removing her name, they removed the other reference to the fact that she didn’t remember it.”
• Trump demands resignations over Kavanaugh story at New Mexico rally . (Fox News) — President Trump issued a full-throated call for resignations and changes in management at the New York Times during a fiery rally in Democratic-leaning New Mexico on Monday night, after the paper published a bombshell allegation of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh — before later acknowledging, under pressure, that the alleged victim said she had no recollection of the event, refused to be interviewed and has made no other comment.
• WAPO PASSED ON THE KAVANAUGH STORY: The Washington Post passed on a thinly sourced, unproven allegation about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh before the New York Times published it in a misleading article in Sunday’s paper that has since been corrected.
• KEYSER NOW DOUBTS FORD’S STORY: ‘Just didn’t make any sense’: Friend of Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford now challenges her story. Leland Keyser, a high school friend of Christine Blasey Ford, cast doubt on Ford’s claims of being sexually assaulted by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at a high school party in the 1980s. “I don’t have any confidence in the story,” Keyser told New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly in their new book, The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Examiner. Last summer, Keyser seemed to say that, although she didn’t remember the event, she still believed Ford. “Ms. Keyser does not refute Dr. Ford’s account, and she has already told the press that she believes Dr. Ford’s account,” Keyser’s attorney wrote last year. “However, the simple and unchangeable truth is that she is unable to corroborate it because she has no recollection of the incident in question.” But Keyser now says she lacks confidence in Ford’s account. “We spoke multiple times to Keyser, who also said that she didn’t recall that get-together or others like it,” Pogrebin and Kelly wrote. “In fact, she challenged Ford’s accuracy.” “Those facts together I don’t recollect, and it just didn’t make any sense,” Keyser told the authors.  Pogrebin and Kelly, however, say Ford’s story “rings true” and challenged Keyser’s recollections. “It is possible that Ford’s account is wrong and that Keyser’s lack of recollection is proof of that,” they wrote, but said “Keyser’s memory might be affected by her struggles with alcohol and other substances.”
• NEW YORKER: “THEY PLAYED IT UP PRETTY BIG”: TURMOIL ENGULFS THE TIMES OVER THE KAVANAUGH DEBACLE:  Sources say Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly initially pitched their reporting to the news side, but top editors ultimately felt that there wasn’t enough juice to warrant a story there—punting the scoop to the Sunday Review section. “In today’s journalistic world, the conversation is a bit irrelevant,” one source said. “Your average reader is not gonna really know or care where it is.”
• NYT Attempts ‘Answers to Reader Questions’ Without Addressing The Stunning Correction….
• POLITICO: Times’ handling of Kavanaugh story draws widespread criticism: The Times’s PR team responded to a couple issues Sunday on Twitter, including a now-deleted tweet from the Opinion section promoting the piece. “Having a penis thrust in your face at a drunken dorm party may seem like harmless fun,” it read. “But when Brett Kavanaugh did it to her, Deborah Ramirez says, it confirmed that she didn’t belong at Yale in the first place.”
• “A tweet that went out from the @NYTOpinion account yesterday was clearly inappropriate and offensive,” the Times said. “We apologize for it and are reviewing the decision-making with those involved.”
• According to a Times insider familiar with the matter, Pogrebin wrote the offensive tweet, which should have been vetted before it was posted.     “It was really neglectful,” the insider said of the paper’s overall handling. “There were serious errors made along the way.”
• CHUCK ROSS: Plot thickens. Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly claim that the qualifier about the other alleged Kavanaugh accuser not remembering an incident at Yale was included in the initial NYT draft but removed. (VIDEO)
• MOLLIE HEMINGWAY: Reporters blame their editors for leaving the single most important detail out of their story. They don’t explain why they signed off on inaccurately edited version or why they didn’t say anything all day yesterday.
• MOLLIE HEMINGWAY: New Book: Christine Blasey Ford’s Friend Leland Keyser Doesn’t Believe Her.  “It just didn’t make any sense,” lifelong friend Leland Keyser told New York Times reporters about Ford’s allegations, adding “I don’t have any confidence in the story.”
• JAN CRAWFORD, CBS: We report tonight the real bombshell: Christine Ford’s close HS friend (who Ford says was at the party when Kavanaugh allegedly assaulted her) said Ford’s story is not believable and told the FBI Ford’s allies pressured her, threatened her with a smear campaign to say otherwise
• …NYT Chose NOT To Excerpt This Bombshell??
• BYRON YORK: New Kavanaugh book says seven people back up Deborah Ramirez allegation. Who are they?  Still, what did those seven people say? Pogrebin and Kelly had the opportunity to describe that at length in their new book. But a look at the book, which will be officially released tomorrow, shows the authors do not offer much there either. […]  That is the seven. Number 1, Ramirez’s mother, based her account on four very unspecific words from her daughter 35 years ago. Number 2, Appold, based his account on a memory of being told something by a “witness” who could not recall the incident at all. Number 3, Wetstone, heard it from Appold. Number 4, Oh, overheard something from someone he doesn’t remember that did not connect the incident to Kavanaugh. Number 5, Anonymous, is totally unclear. And Number 6 and Number 7, Ludington and Roche, had “vague” memories that also did not connect an unspecified incident to Kavanaugh.     That is enough for Pogrebin and Kelly, who conclude, “The claims of Deborah Ramirez, while not proven by witnesses, also ring true.” Perhaps that will convince some readers. For others: When anti-Kavanaugh partisans cite “substantial corroboration” for Ramirez’s allegation, it’s good to keep in mind who really said what.
• HOT AIR: No, There Aren’t Seven Corroborating Witnesses To Deborah Ramirez’s Claims Against Brett Kavanaugh
  

6am – A         TRUMP’S ECONOMY:

• TRUMP’S ECONOMIC APPROVAL RATINGS TAKE HIT IN BATTLEGROUND STATES: The survey of Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin finds a generic Democrat leading Trump 48 percent to 40 percent, with 11 percent undecided. Thirty-six percent said they would definitely vote for the Democrat, against only 26 percent who said they would definitely vote for Trump.
• TRUMP’S OVERALL APPROVAL BACK UP TO 50%: The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Forty-nine percent (49%) disapprove.
• ECON SO GOOD PEOPLE ARE GHOSTING JOBS: The job market is so good, new hires aren’t showing up for their first day of work. (CNN Business) — The labor market is going strong, and job candidates have plenty of opportunities to choose from. So much so that some are bailing on their new employers before they even start. “People are getting multiple offers in a market like today, and they are not showing up on their first day of work,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director at staffing firm Robert Half. He pointed to the strong job market and low unemployment rate as the reason for this surge in ghosting by new hires. Steve Lindner, CEO of employment firm the WorkPlace Group, was ghosted recently by a new hire. The applicant accepted an offer and passed the background check. “We had already shared the name with our support team and had a training program in place. Everything was ready to go,” said Lindner. And then no one showed up.

6am – B/C     CHRISTIAN REALOR GETS IN TROUBLE FOR SAYING JESUS LOVES YOU:

• Realtor sues real estate board over investigation into Bible verses on webpage. (Christian Post) – A Christian realtor is suing the Virginia Real Estate Board, saying she felt compelled to resign after being investigated for a fair housing complaint related to sharing her religious beliefs on a business website and email signatures.  In the state lawsuit filed in Richmond, Hadassah Hubbard Carter is claiming that her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated by the VREB, which filed a Fair Housing Act complaint against her in August 2017.    Carter is represented by the American Center for Law & Justice, a Christian conservative legal organization run by Jay Sekulow, who also serves on President Trump’s legal team.  The lawsuit claims that the VREB’s complaint from 2017 accused her of violating a Virginia Fair Housing Law provision regulating unlawful speech. In the initial complaint, VREB cited Carter’s email signature line, which read: “For Faith and Freedom, Jesus loves you and with God all things are possible.” Additionally, Carter was cited for the fact that the personal statement on her webpage quoted the New Testament verse John 3:16, which reads: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The VREB complaint also expressed concerns that Carter’s biography and the statement on her business website promoted her belief that God blessed her in the realty profession and her goal to put “God first.”  The VREB complaint contested that Carter had used “words or statements associated with Christianity, indicating a preference or limitation based on religion, in violation of the Virginia Fair Housing Law.”

• Virginia Persecutes Christian Realtor Over “Jesus Loves You.” (The New American) – Under the guise of combating “discrimination,” a rogue government body in Virginia is brazenly persecuting and discriminating against a Christian real-estate agent. Her supposed crime: using the phrase “Jesus loves you” in her e-mail signature and featuring the John 3:16 Bible verse on her website. Seriously. But now, a prominent Christian legal organization is coming to her aid, warning that anti-Christian discrimination cannot be tolerated in America. Until recently, Virginia Realtor Hadassah Carter has never been accused by anyone of “discrimination.” Her clients include Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Kenyans, and more. And no client has ever suggested anything wrong. But because she is Christian and publicly shares her faith, authorities at the Virginia Real Estate Board put a target on her back. If the government is successful, Carter will either forfeit her God-given rights to free speech and religious liberty, or lose her livelihood. Even more terrifying than the individual persecution of Carter, perhaps, are the broader implications of the case for religious liberty and free speech in Virginia and beyond. If state authorities are successful in silencing or destroying Carter, it could mean that everyone who holds a government license to engage in commerce — from plumbers and barbers to hairstylists and attorneys — could lose their God-given rights to speak, too. Ironically, Carter became a target while reporting a case of suspected racial discrimination to authorities. It seems the email alerted them to her signature pointing out that, as John 3:16 puts it, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” She was never accused of refusing to rent to or represent anyone. Instead, the argument is that a realtor using religious speech could hypothetically make somebody “feel” discriminated against. And so, with officials claiming “Jesus loves you” was a violation of the state’s “fair housing” statute, Carter became a target. Among other actions, they forced her employer into an agreement that required them to either fire her or monitor her and report any religious comments she might make to the government. Of course, as a Christian, Carter could not remain silent about Christ, so she resigned rather than be silenced. In response to the flagrant abuse of power and persecution, the non-profit American Center for Law and Justice filed a lawsuit charging Virginia authorities with violating Carter’s First Amendment-protected rights, as well as various state-level constitutional and statutory protections.

6am – D/E     INTERVIEW – ROBIN POGREBIN – NY Times reporter and co-author of “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh”

• Kavanaugh Book Authors: NY Times Removed Detail About Alleged Victim Not Remembering Assault. Monday on MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” The New York Times’ Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, the co-authors of a new book about Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, said a Times essay about the book initially included a detail about an alleged sexual assault victim involving Kavanaugh. However, was removed in the Times’ editing process. That detail was that the alleged victim has said she did not remember the incident. “The Last Word” anchor Lawrence O’Donnell inquired about the omission. “In your draft, did it include those words that have since been added to the article?” O’Donnell said. Both Kelly and Pogrebin replied, “It did.” O’Donnell followed up, “So somewhere in the editing process, those words were dropped?” “It was in editing, done in haste in the editing process — as you know for closing the section,” Pogrebin replied. “I think what happened, actually, was we had her name and, you know, the Times doesn’t usually include the name of the victim. And so I think in this case the editors felt like maybe it was probably better to remove it. And in removing her name, they removed the other reference to the fact that she didn’t remember it.”

7am – A         INTERVIEW – CARTER FLEMMING – president of the Seminary Hill Association – discussed Alexandria trading traffic lanes for new bike lanes on congested one-mile stretch of Seminary Road.  

• Alexandria City Council votes for controversial bike lanes on Seminary Road. (Washington Post) – Some residents who have lived in the adjoining neighborhoods for decades said all the change will accomplish is to force frustrated drivers down their not-so-quiet streets, where they walk and their children play in their yards. Carter Flemming, president of the Seminary Hill Association, said there’s been a false narrative that the choice is safety vs. speed on the road. She said the vast majority of residents supported leaving the four lanes in place, but a number of residents of her neighborhood contradicted the civic association’s stance.
• Some residents who have lived in the adjoining neighborhoods for decades said all the change will accomplish is to force frustrated drivers down their not-so-quiet streets, where they walk and their children play in their yards.
• Alexandria City Council backs plan to slim down Seminary Road, add bike lanes. City council members John Chapman and Mohamed Seifeldein were among the council members who opposed it. “We’re going to be left with arterials that don’t really move people,” argued Chapman.

7am – B/C     Spicer spices up ‘Dances With the Stars’ with neon green shirt. (Fox News) – Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer made his colorful and proudly outlandish “Dancing With the Stars” debut on Monday night wearing a neon-green ruffled shirt as he shimmied to the Spice Girls song “Spice up Your Life” in a salsa routine. GIFs of Spicer started circulating on social media immediately following his performance. Many people also tweeted their reactions to his bold shirt. Spicer’s energetic performance concluded with confetti and he got a standing ovation from the audience, but the show’s judges did not seem impressed, giving him a total score of 12 out of 30.

7am – D         Carrie Severino – co-author of “Justice on Trial” on NY Times new book on Kavanaugh

• Kavanaugh Book Authors: NY Times Removed Detail About Alleged Victim Not Remembering Assault. Monday on MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” The New York Times’ Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, the co-authors of a new book about Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, said a Times essay about the book initially included a detail about an alleged sexual assault victim involving Kavanaugh. However, was removed in the Times’ editing process. That detail was that the alleged victim has said she did not remember the incident. “The Last Word” anchor Lawrence O’Donnell inquired about the omission. “In your draft, did it include those words that have since been added to the article?” O’Donnell said. Both Kelly and Pogrebin replied, “It did.”

7am – E         Man pushed onto Metro tracks in violent attack. (Fox 5 DC / By Evan Lambert) — WASHINGTON – Video captured by a witness and obtained exclusively by FOX 5 shows a man attacked by a group of teens and pushed onto the Metro tracks last Friday. The man spoke to FOX 5 about the ordeal, which he says almost cost him his life and broke his knee cap. He is now out of work until his injury heals. The man, who asked not to be identified, said the attack began when a teen slapped him randomly on a train headed toward Gallery Place. He got off at the Navy Yard stop to try and identify the teen who assaulted him and that is when nearly a half dozen teens attack, shoving him into the tracks. Video shows the man falling on to the tracks and appear to touch the electrified third rail. He explained that his hand luckily made contact with the rail’s cover. Metro confirmed that Metro Transit Police arrested four juveniles, who now face aggravated assault charges. The man says he does not plan to ride Metro again. “People catch Metro every day from all walks of life and if you can’t guarantee people’s safety what good is your system?” he asked. Metro did log the aggravated assault on its daily crime blotter, but the details only became known because the victim contacted FOX 5. 

8am – A/B/C  REPLAY: INTERVIEW – ROBIN POGREBIN – NY Times reporter and co-author of “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh”

8am – D         Interview – Evan Lambert – Fox 5 DC reporter – discussed how a man was pushed onto DC Metro tracks at Navy Yard by “nearly a half dozen teens.” 

8am – E         Bowser leads rally for D.C. statehood as House hearing nears. Washington Post) — D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser on Monday pressed her campaign for District statehood, leading a caravan toward the U.S. Capitol, past 140 newly hung American flags with an extra 51st star to symbolize the city’s quest for congressional voting rights. With a House hearing on D.C. statehood, the first in 25 years, scheduled for Thursday, Bowser (D) hired two double-decker buses to travel a largely barren parade route down Pennsylvania Avenue NW. At the end of the procession, she addressed a rally that included District government employees who were prodded to attend by mayoral aides. At Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, where the parade concluded, the mayor pumped her fist as Bernie Siler, 67, a retired Army reservist, climbed a ladder and placed on a lamppost one of the 51-star flags purchased with taxpayer funds.

• paul schwartzman @paulschwartzman  17h17 hours ago statehood parade through largely empty streets. At 7th street a man waved.