Raw Story, in conjunction with WarAreWeBackInIraq, is breaking a story about a number of Talon News stories (not penned by Jeff Gannon) that have remarkable similarities to other stories from the New York Times, FOX, and Reuters. Check out the Raw Story link above, and then check out some of what WhyAreWeBack found below (their stuff is also at their link above).
I'm republishing some of WhyAreWeBack's research below, with due credit - please visit their site for the rest of this story and credit THEM and Raw Story for finding this. And, this is only a PORTION of the evidence that blog found. There is literally TWICE this amount of stuff on his Web page, please do check it out.
As an aside, some folks have suggested that perhaps all of these news organizations got the same White House press release and simply lifted portions from the release. That's possible, but the number of similarities that WhyAreWeBack has pulled up certainly raises some questions that need to be answered.
- Roeder - A joint session of Congress resumed proceedings Thursday evening and quickly ratified President George W. Bush's November election victory.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - A joint session of Congress resumed meeting Thursday evening and quickly finalized certification of President Bush's 286 Electoral College votes to Democrat John Kerry's 251.
- Roeder - Certification was halted for the majority of the afternoon when Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) stopped the formal declaration process.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - The certification was delayed for several hours after Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, stopped the formal declaration of Bush's second term to protest voting irregularities.
- Roeder - Boxer said on the Senate floor that she and Jones wanted to "shed some light" on issues of reported voting irregularities in Ohio and nationwide election reform.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - Boxer said on the floor of the Senate that she joined with Jones to "shed some light" about the issues of reported voting irregularities in Ohio as well as election reform throughout the nation.
- Roeder - Lawmakers were forced to retreat to their separate chambers for two hours of debate and a vote on the challenge.
- Stolberg & Dao - Instead of holding a courteous joint session to certify the election, lawmakers were forced to retreat to their separate chambers for two hours of debate and a vote on the challenge.
- Roeder - Earlier in the day, Boxer and Jones acknowledged at a news conference that they did not expect to overturn the results.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - Earlier on Thursday, Boxer and Jones held a news conference and acknowledged they are not expecting to overturn the November election results.
- Roeder - It was only the second such challenge since Rutherford B. Hayes won in 1876.
- Stolberg & Dao - It was only the second such challenge to a presidential race since 1877.
- Roeder - In 2001, more than two-dozen Democrats objected to the certification of Florida's disputed election won by President Bush. However, since no senator also objected then, as is required to cause a recess of the joint session of Congress, the objection was ignored.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - In 2001, more than two-dozen Democrats objected to the certification of Florida's disputed election, but because no senator objected, as is required to trigger a recess of the joint session, the objection was ignored.
- Roeder - Boxer said she regrets that she didn't object to the certification four years ago.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - Boxer also said she regrets that she didn't object to the certification four years ago when the controversial election put Bush over Al Gore.
- Roeder - Debate in the House on Thursday was lively. In contrast, the Senate debate included only the two Republicans from Ohio: Sen. Mike DeWine and Sen. George V. Voinovich. The Democrats filled the remaining time with reasons why the voting system needs improvement.
- Stolberg & Dao - Although debate in the House was vigorous, in the Senate only two Republicans ? Mike DeWine and George V. Voinovich of Ohio ? joined in, leaving Democrats to fill the time with relatively subdued speeches about why the voting system needs to be improved.
- Roeder - Most Democrats concluded Bush was the rightful winner and said the move cast a needed spotlight on voting rights. Republicans called it a waste of time.
- Stolberg & Dao - Democrats, nearly all of whom conceded that Mr. Bush was the rightful winner, said the move cast a needed spotlight on voting rights. Republicans called it a waste of time.
- Roeder - "This is a travesty," said Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), who forced a formal roll call vote in the Senate to spotlight lawmakers' positions. "[Democrats] are still not over the 2000 election, let alone the 2004 election."
- Stolberg & Dao - ?This is a travesty,? said Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a member of the Republican leadership, who forced a formal roll call vote in the Senate to spotlight lawmakers? positions. Of Democrats, he said, ?They?re still not over the 2000 election, let alone the 2004 election.?
- Roeder - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) characterized the Democrats' move as a "quadrennial crying wolf."
- Stolberg & Dao - Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader, drew applause on the House floor when he denounced the Democrats? move as a ?quadrennial crying wolf.
- Roeder - The challenge divided Democrats. Party leaders and many rank-and-file distanced themselves. Black and liberal lawmakers embraced it.
- Stolberg & Dao - ?The challenge cast a spotlight on divisions among Democrats, with party leaders and many in the rank and file distancing themselves from the effort, while black and liberal lawmakers embraced it.
- Roeder - Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), who lost the election to Bush, said in a letter sent to supporters Wednesday he would not take part in a formal protest of the Ohio Electors because, despite widespread reports of voting irregularities, his legal team had "found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election." Kerry said he planned to introduce election-reform legislation and request congressional hearings on the voting irregularities.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - Kerry, who lost the election to Bush and is currently overseas, said in a letter sent to supporters Wednesday he would not take part in a formal protest of the Ohio Electors because, despite widespread reports of voting irregularities, his legal team had "found no evidence that would change the outcome of the election." Kerry said he planned to introduce election-reform legislation and push for congressional hearings on the voting irregularities.
- Roeder - Democratic officials in Ohio said that, while they desire improved election practices, they worry that the party was wasting time and money.
- Stolberg & Dao - But even Democratic officials in Ohio said that while they wanted improved election practices, they worried that the party was wasting time and money refighting the last election.
- Roeder - Likewise, Republicans from Ohio were not pleased by the Democrats' objection. Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) called the procedural challenge an effort by "certain extreme elements of Sen. Kerry's own party" to mock an election that Kerry himself conceded.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - Republicans from Ohio were not pleased by the Democrats' objection. Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, called the challenge an effort by "certain extreme elements of Senator Kerry's own party" to mock an election that Kerry himself conceded.
- Roeder - Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) concurred. Charges made about Ohio's election are "wild, incoherent and completely unsubstantiated," he said. On the Senate floor, Dewine added that he found it "almost impossible to believe" that the Senate was debating the matter when the official results showed that Bush won his state with more 118,000 votes.
- Cameron, Asher & Mills - Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, said charges made about Ohio?s election are ?wild, incoherent and completely unsubstantiated. He delivered a statement on the Senate floor saying he found it "almost impossible to believe" that the Senate was debating the matter when the official results showed that Bush won his state with more 118,000 votes.
