Re: Media myths (Was Townsend)

["A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyross.com>]

On 15 Jan 2003 at 13:02, Dan Billings wrote:

> The truth is the Internet developed from a milatary reserach network that
> was first created before Gore was elected to Congress.  Gore supported
> expansion of the Internet into civilian uses, but the statement above
> overstates his role.

The ARPAnet was not the Internet.  Al Gore apparently did take the initiative in opening the 
net to civilian use, which was what created the Internet as we know it today.
 
> The Gore stories are not unusual in this matter.  Again and again,
> whenever negative campaign ads or racial politics are discussed, the media
> digs up the infamous Willie Horton ad from the 1988 Presidential election
> and shows a clip of the ad with the picture of Willie Horton.  This ad is
> almost always attributed to the Bush Presidential campaign when it was
> done by an independent group not affiliated with the Bush campaign.  

Of course, that's the problem with the campaign finance system.  Organizations can pretend 
to be unaffiliated with the campaign while working with it hand and glove.

Fact of the matter is, the furlough system was originated under the administration of Frank 
Sargent, the Republican governor who preceded Dukakis.  A similar furlough program existed 
in California under Governor Reagan and in the District of Columbia, and in many other 
states.  Dukakis was actually the first to reign in the furlough program by not granting 
furloughs to lifers.  But that didn't stop the Bush campaign from painting Dukakis as a far-out 
liberal because of the program.

-- 
A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                           617.367.0468
 15 Court Square, Suite 210                 lawyer@attorneyross.com
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