Why Are We Back In Iraq?

Does Bob Allen of the Associate Baptist Press know that significant portions of an article that he wrote and published a year-and-a-half ago later appeared as a Talon News/GOPUSA exclusive credited to the poor-poor-persecuted propagandist and plagiarist - Jeff Gannon? Bob Allen's story "Christian Coalition divided over Alabama tax reform" (August 12, 2003: ABP Press) only got so much play, but Jeff Gannon's "Conservative, Christians Battle Alabama Governor on Tax Hike" (August 22, 2003: cache link) travelled all across the Internet, appearing here, here, here, and was even cited in this Reverend's sermon).

Allen: "The $1.2 billion tax package, aimed at erasing budget deficits and reforming an antiquated tax structure"

Gannon: "Riley's tax package, aimed at erasing budget deficits and reforming an antiquated tax structure"

Allen: "Religious leaders led opposition to the previous governor's plan to raise funds for education through a statewide lottery."

Gannon: "They had previously defeated another governor's attempt to fund education with a statewide lottery."

Allen: "The Christian Coalition of Alabama passed a resolution in May opposing the raising of taxes and blaming the state's budget woes on "years of poor stewardship and fiscal irresponsibility.""

Gannon: "The Alabama Christian Coalition passed a resolution in May opposing the raising of taxes and blaming the state's budget woes on "years of poor stewardship and fiscal irresponsibility.""

Allen: "Roberta Combs, national Christian Coalition president, made unannounced visits in cities across Alabama Aug. 6 to tout the Republican governor's tax plan, according to a story by EthicsDaily.com."

Gannon: "The national Christian Coalition broke with the state organization when its president, Roberta Combs made unannounced visits in four cities across Alabama on August 6 to speak in favor of Riley's plan."

Jeff Gannon "journalism" students, as you can see from that last example, the Jeff Gannon style of "journalism" means that when you steal from a source you don't have to even cite the source that the source that you stole from cited.

Which brings me back to the Reverend. The line the Reverend attibuted to Jeff Gannon appeared this way in the Associated Baptist Press article:

Allen: "According to our Christian ethics, we're supposed to love God, love each other and help take care of the poor," he told USA Today."

But in Talon News/GOPUSA it simply ran this way:

Gannon: "Riley, a Southern Baptist who took office in January said, "According to our Christian ethics, we're supposed to love God, love each other, and help take care of the poor.""

I guess that way no one could easily figure out that Jeff Gannon stole a couple more lines from that same USA Today story attributed to the Associated Press (link to a cache of "Alabama governor calls tax hike Christian duty"):

USATODAY/AP: "The state is facing a $675 million deficit, and without new revenue, Riley says, it will have to release prisoners, cut medicine for the mentally ill and end Medicaid payments for many nursing home residents."

Gannon: "The state is facing a $675 million deficit, and without new revenue, Riley has threatened to release prisoners, cut medicine for the mentally ill, and end Medicaid payments for many nursing home residents."

USATODAY/AP: "Two of the governor's cabinet members who resigned after Riley made the proposal."

Gannon: "Two of the governor's cabinet members resigned after the governor announced his proposal."

Shame on you, Mr. Gannon. And shame on any right-wing pundit who still thinks that Talon News is worthy of being defended as a legitimate news organization.

# posted by Ron Brynaert : 2/27/2005 07:02:00 AM