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2/18/2005

The day the Washington Times went after a Republican White House

New wrinkles in the Jeff Gannon scandal have reminded some of of a strange Thursday in 1989. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Readers passing by the "Brighter. Bolder" newsstands dispensing Rev. Moon's Washington Times, accustomed to faithfully pro-Bush headlines, instead saw this (click newspaper to read story):

One of the prostitutes was said to be a 15-year-old boy. A cocaine-taking lobbyist, Craig Spence, had been bringing him around, claiming he was his son (he wasn't.) The New York Times followed on Moon's scoop:

Then Spence was found dead of an apparent suicide.

Said Sun Myung Moon three years earlier in a sermon:

"With the Washington Times as the core, we are establishing preeminence in the American print media. ... By doing so we can include all fields of intelligence. Today we have in this area surpassed the liberal New York Times and Washington Post, and continually gaining important confidential information not only from America but also from other governments all over the world."

And he had.

Tut-tutting that his newspaper could reveal more if it wanted to, editor Wesley Pruden is quoted on the front page of his own story:

Editors of The Times said the newspaper would print only names of those found to be in sensitive positions of power or positions of influence. "There is no intention of publishing names or facts about the operation merely for titilation," said Wesley Pruden, managing editor of The Times.

The New York Times follow-up said of the alleged ringleader: "Spence, according to friends, was also carrying out homosexual blackmail operations for the CIA."

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"John Gorenfeld: The first man on the Moon"
-- Ana Marie Cox ("Wonkette," Time.com Washington editor)

"Thanks to the superb reporting of John Gorenfeld on Salon.com and his indispensable Web page, Moon's shenanigans are routinely scrutinized. Maybe some of Gorenfeld's discernment will rub off on preachers and politicians."
-- Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist

"The scene summoned the moment in Robert Graves's "I, Claudius" when Emperor Caligula declares himself a god in the Roman Senate; a fawning solon instantly offers a prayer."
-- New York Times editorial on the Crown of Peace scandal

"I am happy that our work is being challenged and improved in consistency, openness and coordination, by the accountability your spotlight demands. I am not talking about simply removing stuff from websites..."
-- Moon spokesman the Rev. Phil Schanker

"Instead of welcoming Reverend Moon, this government put me into prison. History will reveal the truth in the future and the American government and people will realize what an evil thing they did. What will they do then? They will bow down. Again, that is the way of natural subjugation." -- Moon in 1987

"A political movement basing its appeal on old fashioned patriotism and family values simply cannot justify an alliance with a cult that preys on the disintegration of the American family and advocates allegiance to an international social order operating with cell-like secrecy."
-- Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA)

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