Coverage Wednesday night of this contradiction or any other Clinton scandal matter (for instance, Wednesday morning independent counsel Kenneth Starr said it would be "dangerous" to conclude that his impending departure means his investigation is over or that there will not be indictments):

Nothing on ABC's World News Tonight, CBS Evening News or CNN's The World Today. NBC Nightly News carried an "exclusive" report from Jim Miklaszewski on a DNC-paid "volunteer" worker on the White House staff. It's improper for a party operative to perform official government duties.

On Thursday (February 20) the Washington Post provided a couple of new revelations. A front page story by Lena Sun reported:
"An executive of an Asian-American business association said he was approached by Democratic fundraiser John Huang last summer and asked to funnel more than $250,000 from Huang through its members as contributions to the Democratic National Committee in return for a $45,000 payment to the group."

Inside, a story by Bob Woodward began: "A twice-convicted felon who met with President Clinton at one of the small, controversial White House coffees in 1995 appeared on four other occasions at Democratic National Committee fundraising events with Clinton last year, according to records and interviews with DNC officials."

Plus, a front page Wall Street Journal story documented how a Miami businessman twice met with the National Security Council's Latin America specialist to urge Clinton to back Paraguay's President in a coup attempt. "The day the unsuccessful coup attempt began," the DNC "received $100,000 from Mr. [Mark] Jimenez."

The Thursday morning shows:
-- CBS This Morning: not a word
-- NBC's Today: nothing, not even a syllable about Jim Miklaszewski's exclusive from the night before.
-- ABC's Good Morning America: A live report during the 7am newscast from Ann Compton at the White House. She summarized the Post's Huang story.

Thursday night CBS remained disinterested, not airing anything about fundraising or Whitewater.

-- On World News Tonight, Peter Jennings told viewers, in full:
"Charges of fundraising abuses continue to hound the Democrats and Patrick Moynihan has become the first Democratic Senator, first Democratic Senator, to call for an independent counsel to look into last year's campaign practices by the Democrats. Today the Washington Post reported the leader of an Asian-American business was approached by Democratic fundraiser John Huang and asked to channel more that $250,000 to the Democratic National Committee in order to disguise the real source of the contribution. Mr. Huang refused today to cooperate with a congressional investigation into fundraising."

That was it, no full story. "Refused to cooperate?" That sounds like a coverup, the very topic which should spur the media. Jennings then introduced a piece on a legal Republican event: "The Democrats have been under so much scrutiny that Republican fundraising has almost been forgotten. Almost. ABC's Linda Douglass is in Florida."
Douglass filed from the Breakers Resort in Palm Beach where the biggest GOP donors, Team 100, were meeting with top Republicans. After a soundbite from Congressman Bob Livingston saying there's nothing wrong with the event, Douglass countered:
"However, many donors do have big business pending before Congress, including at this gathering oil and gas, telecommunications, railroads, pharmaceuticals, insurance. But Republicans Party leaders bristled at suggestions that they are selling influence.."
Following a soundbite from an RNC official, Douglass continued: "Republicans insist they should not be compared to Democrats, who are under investigation for accepting illegal foreign contributions. GOP leaders say huge donations from American special interests are just part of the democratic process."
After a comment from Trent Lott, she concluded: "Republican leaders face an interesting challenge: How to keep the focus on Democratic fundraising scandals without being forced to pass legislation that would ban big contributions to both parties and perhaps put an end to posh gatherings like this one."

-- At the top of NBC Nightly News Tom Brokaw equated illegal and legal fundraising: "A score of Democratic National Committee employees working out of the White House, while Republicans tap the fat wallets of special interests in posh Palm Beach."

NBC began with a tough follow-up to the February 19 Miklaszewski story. Brokaw announced:
"It's beginning to look as if the White House is a branch office of the Democratic National Committee. Last night we first reported here that the DNC had placed people at the White House and they had access to confidential government files. Well, tonight we learn there were at least 20 people paid by the political committee working as volunteers in the White House. That could be a violation of federal law."
Jim Miklaszewski then noted that Clinton had "ordered a White House investigation into the unusual arrangement," a development ignored by ABC and CBS.
Miklaszewski explained: "If the DNC-paid employees did any political work from the White House, that would be illegal. The White House claims nobody broke the law, but it could be a close call. At least two of the employees worked in the office of White House political affairs which requires frequent contact with the DNC and Clinton-Gore campaign....It could go even deeper, documents obtained by NBC News also show that two DNC-paid employees, who worked in the political affairs office, also had access to the White House computer database which contains valuable political information the Democratic Party could have used."
After a soundbite from Congressman David McIntosh of the House committee looking at the database, Miklaszewski continued: "The White House said the use of employees paid by a political party must be legal because the Republicans did it. President Bush's White House counsel denies it." NBC aired a comment from C. Boyden Gray and then Miklaszewski ended by noting that the four currently DNC-paid staffers would be switched to the White House payroll.

Next, Brokaw stated: "Although the White House has been getting most of the attention recently on fundraising excesses, the Republicans after all have their own questionable practices. Tonight, NBC's Lisa Myers reports from the lap of luxury and political access in Palm Beach, on the Money Trail."
From the Breakers, Myers told viewers what it took to get invited: "The price of an invitation? A $175,000 contribution which makes you a member of one of the most exclusive club in politics -- Team 100."
Myers explained that the donors pay to get access to Gingrich, Lott and Livingston, adding: "And if a day and a half of private briefings and breakfasts isn't enough, tomorrow's schedule calls for tennis or golf, perhaps even with the politician of your choice. And, it's all entirely legal. These Republican contributors say they're only after good government, but concede they do get a chance to get powerful lawmakers to hear their views..."

Of course, if it's legal, then it's in a different category than the lead story with which NBC paired this one.

Myers next noted that both the RNC and DNC set fundraising records last year, but that "Republican leaders oppose limiting these contributions, saying they want people more involved."
Myers to Trent Lott: "So, you would support asking these people to give even more money?"
Trent Lott: "I think for them to have the opportunity to do that is the American way."
Myers: "The American way. The bigger the wallet, the louder the voice. Lisa Myers. NBC News, Palm Beach."

Neither Myers nor other reports I've seen on fundraising explore how regulations have led to the current situation. The $1,000 per person cap (never adjusted for inflation since 1975) for a contribution to a candidate means soft money donations to party committees is the only way to raise the large sums necessary to buy TV time.

One wonders if CBS News in 1938 would have done a story on how Hitler enjoyed waltzing to the music of Austrian composers.

-- Brent Baker (MediaWatch study below)