Air America Radio Scandel: New York Times ….FINALLY

The New York Times FINALLY has a story on the Air America Radio Scandel, Bronx Boys Club’s Finances Investigated.

The state attorney general’s office and the city’s Department of Investigation are looking into whether a boys and girls club serving poor children and ailing elderly people in the Bronx had improper financial dealings, including loans to the Air America radio network, state and city officials said yesterday.

Mr. Franken took up the issue on the air on Monday afternoon, telling his listeners that Mr. Cohen was “a crook” who had borrowed money from Gloria Wise.

“I don’t know why he did it,” Mr. Franken said, according to a transcript of the broadcast made by the Department of Investigation. “I don’t know where the money went. I don’t know if it was used for operations. I think he was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.”

Mr. Franken also said that the network’s new owners “don’t legally have to pay it back” – referring to the loans – “because we’re a different company or something.”

“But morally we do,” he said.

Hey Al!

How about taking a cut in salary and pay those Poor KIDS back!

But, the New York Times quote of Franken is not accurate.

Michelle Malkin has AIR ENRON: THE NYTIMES SPEAKS! (OR RATHER, WHISPERS).

The article is a rehash of everything blogs and a sprinkling of MSM outlets have already reported. Underwhelming. Entirely expected. And wholly inadequate given the paper’s massive previous coverage of Air America.

Send your thoughts on the NYTimes’ slothful reporting to ombudsman Byron Calame.

Check out the Times’ Dowdification of Al Franken’s quote about what happened to the money.

The NYTimes reports:

“I don’t know why he did it,” Mr. Franken said, according to a transcript of the broadcast made by the Department of Investigation. “I don’t know where the money went. I don’t know if it was used for operations. I think he was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.”

Here’s what Franken actually said (via audio at Brainster’s Blog and transcript
at Brian Maloney, who busted this story wide open in the blogosphere the Times sneers at):

I don’t know why they did it, and I don’t know where the money went, I don’t know if it was used for operations (softer, especially fast), which I imagine it was. I think he was robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The omission of those five little words matters because Al Franken’s actual statement suggests that the money was in fact stolen from poor kids to pay Air America’s bills–a speculation that the Times attributes to “conservative-leaning blogs,” but not to the Times’ favorite liberal talk show host who said it himself.

(Hat tip: Reader Michael V.)

Mr. Calame, care to explain the omission?

Hell, Michelle, it has taken them weeks to even write a story on this theft – albeit they buried off the front pages.

Can we really expect any better from the New York Times?

NO.

Patterico has More Problems with Quotes at the New York Times.

Technorati Tags: Air America, Al Franken, New York City, Evan Cohen, theft