The right-wing blog “The Daily Caller” owned by former TV pundit Tucker Carlson created quite the buzz in late October as they revealed a potential controversy involving New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and Dominican prostitutes. Obviously both intrigue and skepticism arrived as Menendez issued denials and the Daily Caller’s proof seemed more circumstantial than groundbreaking.
But the Daily Caller stuck to its story and Menendez had to keep issuing denials to the point where it seemed the story might actually have legs.
Then ABC News caught wind of testimony by one of the alleged prostitutes and determined that the case seems pretty far-fetched to be believed.
Early Tuesday the Daily Caller said the woman who said she was lying was not one of the women featured in their original report. However, the attorney who presented the affidavit Monday identified the woman to reporters in attendance as the female wearing a yellow shirt in a video on the Daily Caller website.
Her account of sex with Menendez in the video interview was almost word-for-word the account given by two other women who were produced for interviews about having sex with the man they knew only as “Bob.”
Asked during the interview with ABC News how she knew that the man named “Bob” was a United States Senator, one of the other women said she had put the name “Bob” into a web search site and a picture of Menendez popped up.
So the Daily Caller’s lightning rod proof, their magic bullet, was that one of the prostitutes googled the name “Bob” and Menendez came up? Does anyone else smell tabloid as opposed to constructive journalism? For what its worth, Fox News has grown tired of the story and seemingly appears to have dropped its coverage of it now that it reeks of falsehoods.
Nonetheless, the seemingly faux-scandal surrounding Menendez conjures many memories of similar political scandals. There was Anthony Weiner, forced into resignation and silence, due to him sending graphic picture messages to numerous women along with graphic texts. Weiner’s repeated denials probably hurt him more but regardless, he had to resign.
But if Menendez story was more true than false, there is only one compatriot he can count on as having a similar story and that’s Louisiana Sen. David Vitter.
The only difference is, Vitter was actually a patron of a prostitute, the infamous “DC Madam”. Vitter admitted wrongdoing but guess what? He continues to serve in office and hasn’t even been forced into doing much more than a generic apology to his constituents. For what its worth, Weiner was seemingly forced into resignation by Democratic leadership who declared he was bringing down the caucus with the lewd allegations surrounding them.
But how did Vitter essentially make out like a bandit in this situation? Maybe he’ll never be able to run for President, but where is the outrage over his continued stay in the United States Senate? The only difference between him and Bob Menendez is that Vitter’s story was actually true.
The Daily Caller has made the wrong kinds of news lately from its botched reporting of a tabloid-esque claim to blogger Neil Munro interrupting the President during a speech on the Rose Garden.
Yet they are still in business and of course, they have every right to be. Just like David Vitter has every right to still be serving in the Senate even if its awfully hypocritical for him to continue to serve. The rules regarding the right have always been different than everyone else.
